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DVD Review: ZZYZX

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By: DThompson | in: Movies |

Zzyzx comes direct to DVD with a passel of hyperbolic comments on the cover and two awards from festivals I haven’t heard of. But, it has a fantastically difficult to pronounce title and a real grab ‘em by the sort hairs tag line.
“What would happen if you killed someone in the middle of nowhere? Could you get away with it?”

zzyzx

Better to ask, “If you had $25,000 or so could you make a movie anyone would want to see?” In this case the answer would be a resounding yes. Zzyzx has more twists than the letters in its title and features an eye-catching high-contrast cinematography that belies what had to be the lowest of low low budgets. The film follows two young men as they travel down California’s actual Zzyzx road. (Yes, there’s actually a road named “Zzyzx”). Ryan’s a pathetic wimp and Lou’s a total jerk but that didn’t stop Richard Halpern from making a film about them and it won’t stop you from being fascinated by their story as they run over a man staggering along the dirt by-way and then proceed to become really unlikable.

zzyzx movie

The desert setting is perfect, almost a character in itself. Losers like our murdering loser “heroes” always seem like they’ve lost so much more when you set them in the blisteringly harsh terrain between California and Nevada. The landscape between Los Angeles and Las Vegas is brutally desolate and makes a perfect soulless backdrop to the actions of the equally soulless creatures who populate the film. Make no mistake, there are no good guys here.
Comparisons will inevitably be made to Hitchcock. In this case, that’s not far off. The Hitch who filmed the scene in Frenzy, the one where the psychotic killer is strangling a secretary with his tie in extreme close-up all the while growling out “Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!” and her tongue is swelling up and sticking out of her mouth. Now THAT Hitchcock, the one whose boundaries were starting to fade right away, would really approve of Zzyzx.
This is a nasty little film – it throws sand in your eyes and kicks you where it counts and doesn’t want to hear you bitch. I say rent it.

VERDICT: You’ll love yourself, and me, for renting this. Or WILL you?

[Buy or Download ZZYZZX]


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Posted on July 7, 2007

Comments

3 Responses to “DVD Review: ZZYZX”

  1. Richard on July 7th, 2007 10:13 am

    Wow! Just got this review on my Google Alert! Thanks for the Plugg, Mr. Thompson!

    I was inspired by Hitchcock, no doubt, especially ROPE!

    Richard Halpern
    Producer/Director, Zzyzx


  2. Richard on July 7th, 2007 11:46 am

    Also, you can buy or download Zzyzx at zzmovie.com

    Thanks!


  3. DThompson on July 7th, 2007 7:51 pm

    Thank you for Zzyzx Mr. Halpern. Too many times I’ve pulled an unknown quantity off the wall only to be disappointed, your movie delivers!


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