[Blu-ray/DVD Review] PERDITA DURANGO

[Blu-ray/DVD Review] PERDITA DURANGO
PERDITA DURANGO l Courtesy of Severin Films
The world in a pandemic feels like the cinematic world is able to spend more time exposing indie gems and some of the weirder offerings while big-budget projects are delayed. HBO Max has definitely taken advantage of this by providing same-day theatrical releases on top of many other exclusives. One of those exclusives includes “30 Coins,” a series revolving around an exiled exorcist who drags his demons into a town that becomes haunted by horrific entities. The show has been embraced for its impressive special effects and intriguing storylines. Die-hard horror fans took notice as this series was created by Álex de la Iglesia, a Spanish filmmaker who already has a rabid following from a crazy resume. Severin Films has found the perfect timing for offering two of his earlier films in UHD, one of them being PERDITA DURANGO.

The always amazing Rosie Perez (Birds of Prey) stars as the title character who gets herself tangled with Romeo (Javier Bardem, mother!). Romeo has a long list of his weekly activities, such as drug dealing, bank robbing, and a faux Santeria priest cokehead. Perdita has a just go with the flow attitude with a fucked upbringing so it doesn’t take much for her to get convinced to join Romeo on his latest trip: make 20k transporting fetuses to Vegas. On top of that, Perdita suggests they find someone random to kill and eat. This turns into them kidnapping a young couple who end up living much longer than anticipated. Throughout all this, they are being targeted by a DEA agent played by James Gandolfini (“The Sopranos”).

Perez and Bardem feed off each other in every scene and it’s crazy to think where their careers have ended up. It would be awesome to listen to them look back on this film because crazy doesn’t even cover this experience. Perez has always been a one-of-a-kind actress and it’s a shame to hear that at one point she was advised her accent would hold her back from a successful acting career. Her filmography consists of roles that could never be played by anyone else and it’s that authentic persona that makes every role of hers memorable. Bardem is so beyond batshit and I loved every minute of it. PERDITA DURANGO is a movie that offends the MPAA.

Director Álex de la Iglesia provides a new interview that’s so matter-of-fact about the film’s content, but is aware that some of the rape sequences would never be filmed in today’s world. He goes well into the behind-the-scenes and getting his crew into the crazed mindset of these characters. Writer Barry Gifford also wrote the novel PERDITA DURANGO is based on as well as the original source Wild At Heart, which helped form a friendship with David Lynch. Gifford delves into the character origins from the novels and how that evolved into a film character. Horror fans will recognize film scholar, Dr. Rebekah McKendry, from various podcasts and social media presence as she explores the film’s history as well as the real-life inspirations such as Mexican serial killer Magdalena Solís. Composer Simon Boswell and director of photography Flavio Labiano also provide new interviews.

The film itself is presented on both 4K and Blu-ray discs, with the 4K being the main selling point. After watching it, I don’t see why anyone would watch any other way. For a grimy and sticky movie, the PERDITA DURANGO Ultra HD upgrade sure looks slick and vibrant. All the road sequences give off just the right amount of bacteria and sweat, making this home video release a must have for physical media enthusiasts.

You can pre-order the 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray of PERDITA DURANGO here, and will be available for shipping starting tomorrow, March 30th.

Jovy Skol
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