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Gravy - Blu-ray Review

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4 beersOperating along the same guidelines as a raging bull in a china shop, James Roday’s directorial-debut Gravy, now appreciating a solid release on blu-ray thanks to Scream! Factory, is a gonzo-spirited horror-comedy that definitely does not disappoint.   This freewheeling comedy has a lot of bloody meat on its mind and, thanks to an alarming number of belly laughs, is not unlike a Looney Tunes cartoon syphoned through the imagination of Rob Zombie.

Written by Roday and Todd Harthan, this gory nugget of pulpy filth is what happens when three psychotic misfits take control of an isolated Spanish restaurant on Halloween night.  Brothers Steph (Jimmi Simpson) and Anson (Michael Weston) aren’t strangers to this type of bloody business; they do it every year but this time they are joined by Steph’s crazy-ass girlfriend, Mimi (Lily Cole).  You’ll laugh.  You’ll cry.  You’ll eat the blood-soaked pie these three hooligans are selling.

With the tagline of “You are what we eat”, it should come as no surprise what’s on these three’s crazed minds when they take the cantina’s manager (comedian Paul Rodriguez) and his motley group of workers hostage for a wicked night of barbeque and sin.  The night starts off with a demented game of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon and ends in a total bloodbath.  Co-starring Tony winner Sutton Foster, Lothaire Bluteau as the cantina’s head chef, Molly Ephraim (Paranormal Activity) and Gabourey Sidibe (of the Academy Award-winning Precious), Gravy has an excellent ensemble cast that brings their specialized talents in creating memorable characters to the proverbial table.

Always engaging and completely left of center, Roday’s film proves to me that the Psych television star is very much in-step with his former show’s madcap and sometimes demented spirit.  In other words, Gravy left me with a big ass Joker-sized grin on my face.  The dialogue is full of spunk and pop cultural references and, as any good script invites, the words are delivered with a layer of inspiration that the entire cast shares.  Comedian Sarah Silverman is also in the mix as she provides a great flirtatious opening and closing narrative thread that reveals the absolute manic depths of Gravy.

The brutally real make-up effects constructed by The Walking Dead’s Gregory Nicotero and Howard Berger also share the same spirit of gonzo-like inspiration.  Some of the gore is so deliciously nasty and realistic that you will do a double take before repulsion makes you look away.  It is a film that, especially on a low budget, is frighteningly effective.  Much of Gravy moves at a fast clip and never EVER does it take itself seriously, making it all the more worthwhile of a nasty flick to slip into the blu-ray player on a Saturday night.  You just have to be in the right mood for it.

Complete with over-the-top characters, a wink-wink-nudge-nudge spirit, and a healthy smattering of gore, Gravy is what’s missing from the current offerings on the cinematic buffet.

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Gravy - Blu-ray Review

MPAA Rating: Not rated.
Runtime:
95 mins
Director
: James Roday
Writer:
James Roday, Todd Harthan
Cast:
Lothaire Bluteau, Lily Cole, Molly Ephraim
Genre
: Horror | Comedy
Tagline:
You Are What We Eat
Memorable Movie Quote: "Here's the skinny. We have got a variety of wacky activities on the docket tonight"
Distributor:
Shout! Factory
Official Site: https://twitter.com/Gravy_Film
Release Date:
No theatrical release
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
October 6, 2015
Synopsis: It's Halloween night. A trio of costumed misfits with very special dietary requirements seizes a Mexican cantina and forces the staff to engage in a late night of gluttony. The only caveat is what's on the menu - and who will survive 'til morning! This deliriously demented horror-comedy is a true feast for genre fans. Stuffed with an outstanding ensemble cast and perfectly seasoned with laughs and scares, you'll be sure to ask for seconds on Gravy.

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Gravy - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - October 6, 2015
Screen Formats: 2.40:1
Subtitles
: English
Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: 25GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD)
Region Encoding: A

As usual, Scream! Factory has done a superb transfer of the film.  Gravy's 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer is simply amazing.  Although the colors are a bit muted, they help to establish the tone of the horror-comedy and deep blacks and pulpy reds.  The transfer has crisp details and nice textures throughout.  No artifacting is found anywhere in the feature presentation.  The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track works nicely.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • The commentary track from James Roday, Sutton Foster, and Jimmi Simpson is pretty hysterical.

Special Features:

While a little lacking, the materials here are at least entertaining.  There’s one making-of featurette, an EPK, and a trailer.  Nothing fancy.

  • What is Gravy? (6 min)
  • EPK (6 min)
  • Trailer

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