Blu-ray Movie Reviews

For years, townsfolk have been terrified of the backwoods recluse known as Felix Bush. People say he's done all manner of unspeakable things - that he's killed in cold blood, that he's in league with the Devil; that he has strange powers - and they avoid him like the plague. Then, one day, Felix rides to town with a shotgun and a wad of cash, saying he wants to buy a funeral. It's not your usual funeral for the dead that Felix wants. On the contrary, he wants a living funeral, in which anyone who ever heard a story about him will come to tell it, while he takes it all in. Sensing a big payday in the offing, fast-talking funeral home owner Frank Quinn enlists his gentlemanly young apprentice, Buddy Robinson, to win over Felix's business.

This is a gorgeous HD transfer from Sony. I was taken aback with the amount of fine detail on display throughout most of this film. The photography is razor sharp and the backwoods setting makes for some lush visuals. Colors have a very natural quality with only a slight lean toward teal and contrast is striking. This is definitely one of the better transfers I’ve seen so far this year. The DTS-HD Master Audio mix is also strong but a bit laid back given the genre. There is a nice sense of ambiance to the mix but the bulk of the soundtrack comes from the dialogue. Imaging is nice across the mains with pinpoint imaging of voices, but the rest is a subtle afterthought.

Extras include both a feature commentary with the cast and crew and a Q&A session. You also get a look at how Duvall got into character for the film and some red carpet footage.

Duvall is superb in this great little tall tale. The photography is exquisite and the story heartwarming. A great character piece with solid production design and acting. Definitely worth a look.