COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - SPIRAL (RONIN FLIX BLU-RAY)
Every artist started somewhere. Sometimes it can be hard to reconcile the older works of some filmmakers with recent output as with time, usually comes growth and change. Like any artist, a filmmaker hones their skills through repetition and experience which often means that earlier works have a slight amateur feel to them in modern hindsight. Take Steven Speilberg as an example and compare “Duel” from 1971 to “Jurrasic Park” in 1993, 17 years later. While there are flecks of Speilberg’s stylings in “Duel”, they aren’t near as fine-tuned as they are in “Jurrasic Park”, but that’s to be expected. This brings us to “Sprial” the feature directorial debut of actor Joel David Moore and his collaboration with a younger Adam Green now in a new Blu-Ray release from Ronin Flix. Is this early career film a diamond in the rough?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
A recluse telemarketer at an office, where his boss is his only friend. As he befriends a new, social colleague and sketches/paints her, his dark mind surfaces.
HOW IS IT?
There is a niche subgenre of films that is dedicated almost exclusively to “weird little guys.” You know, the wallflowers and/or loners who are either the hero or the villain in their respective stories who are socially awkward and remind us of folks like Steve Buscemi’s character in “Billy Madison.” When this kind of character is deployed for good, they are often characterized as hard to read and potentially dangerous despite being more benign than beastly, and while they win out in the end the journey there is anything but heroic. Interestingly enough, when this archetype is used for antagonists, the characterizations are largely the same albeit with a different conclusion. “Spiral” offers up this archetype with a bit more mystery as to the character's intentions, which works both for and against the film overall leading to a conclusion that will be a true “make or break” moment for a lot of viewers.
Joel David Moore plays Mason, a character that is almost a carbon copy of his character in “Grandma’s Boy” a year earlier minus the video game aesthetic. He’s a loner who has mental health issues and the only person who seems to give a shit about him is his boss, Berkley (Zachary Levi) who isn’t as much a “friend” as someone who makes Berkley feel better about himself. When Mason meets Amber (Amber Tamblyn) it is as if the awkward heavens parted so that these two downtrodden folks could find each other, which also kickstarts Mason’s obsession with Amber and all the weirdness that it leads to. Off the bat, Moore’s performance is hard to empathize with because while he is portrayed as a loner, he’s also a prick. This is in contrast to Amber who is almost suspiciously kind and patient with Mason who is oblivious to her affections and advances. Playing an unlikable main character can be hard, and Moore does a decent job demonstrating the range of Mason’s emotions, but it never feels different enough from Moore’s other performances to stand out as something singular. Tamblyn plays Amber with so much charm that it’s infectious, even when it’s hard to believe that she would be swooning over someone as eccentric as Mason. The biggest problem that “Spiral” has, aside from the pacing (more on that later), is that you never fully buy the connection and relationship between these two and that is critical to where the story goes. Instead, it feels almost forced, and one can’t help but wonder if Amber is the one we should be suspicious of since she is not tuned into Mason’s red flags.
Where “Spiral” ends up going is somewhat of a missed opportunity, and a lot of that has to do with the pacing and storytelling. To say this is a slow burn would be inaccurate, it is a light melodrama for 85% of the runtime until the last 15 minutes when things start to get more interesting. The reveal is somewhat obvious, thus muting the impact of the twist at the end, and one can’t help but wonder if “Spiral” would’ve fared better with more even pacing and persistent tension rather than the “reverse Audition” approach taken here. It’s a shame too, because all the pieces are there to make this a more engaging thriller it just doesn’t put the proverbial pieces on the board in the right order or at the right time. The cold open is chilling, not because of the content but because it teases something that you don’t see again until the film's final moments since most of the runtime is focused on the relationship between Mason and Amber. That relationship is central to the story, but between the lack of chemistry and the uninteresting banter, it is hard to focus on the story since it mostly treads water. All this said, “Spiral” isn’t a bad film. Technically well-made and aside from some poorly drawn characters the performances are fine, but it’s missing something to propel the story. It almost feels like a different film by the end because of the route it takes the viewer, but it isn’t without merit for those keen on a more lo-fi version of a thriller.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
According to the slipcover, Ronin Flix has provided an updated transfer on this version of “Spiral” and it looks to be a 2K scan in 1080p with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The transfer looks fine, but not as clean as you’d expect from a release that is less than 20 years old. It looks slightly muddled, which blends in with the rainy backdrop of Portland. It’s not a bad transfer so much as it isn’t the same caliber as other labels. Images from this release are used throughout this review and below.
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
In the sound department, “Spiral” comes with a 5.1 DTS-HD surround track and English subtitles. There isn’t a lot of range in the 5.1 track so you likely won’t notice it too much in the rear channels, but the front channels go full on and sound crisp and clear with an equal balance of dialogue, music, and diegetic sound.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
Credit to Ronin Flix for commissioning new special features for this release, as it seems previous ones were rather barebones. We took a look at the new documentary, Paint It Red - Making Spiral which is a roughly 30-minute series of interviews with the cast and crew in modern-day reflecting on their work on the film. It is interesting to see how both Joel David Moore and Adam Green started working on this, as Adam was initially averse to it before coming around after reading the script in full. Joel speaks candidly and openly about how his desire to move away from acting and into more behind-the-camera work was a big inspiration for this film, and the relationship he built with Adam Green on “Hatchet” is to be credited for that connection. Seeing and hearing Levi talk about the film now that he’s a DC superhero is also an interesting watch as he remembers the film quite fondly and it demonstrates that you just never know who you meet and where they will eventually end up. A full list of special features is listed below.
Bonus Materials
Limited Edition Slipcover (1st Pressing Only)
High Definition Blu-ray 1080p Widescreen Presentation (1.78:1)
English Lossless 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
NEW 2K film remaster completed by Ronin Flix
NEW Paint it Red -- Making Spiral: Behind-the-Scene Documentary featuring NEW interviews with Adam Green (co-director), Joel David Moore (lead and co-director), Zachary Levi (actor and producer), Will Barratt (cinematographer), and Cory Livingston (editor
NEW Audio Commentary with co-directors Adam Green and Joel David Moore, director of photography Will Barratt, and editor Cory Livingston.
Archival Audio Commentary with co-directors Adam Green and Joel David Moore, writer Jeremy Boering, director of photography Will Barratt, and actors Zachary Levi and Amber Tamblyn.
Theatrical Trailer
NEW English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
LAST RITES
“Spiral” is an interesting part of Adam Green’s filmography, and somewhat of a mixed bag tonally as it trafficks mainly in drama with a hint of thriller thrown in for good measure. Like a post-modern noir film, it bobs and weaves while being supported by solid performances.
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends over at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy for the crypt! Spiral, is available NOW and can be purchased via MVD DIRECT!
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