DVD
Review | By Hook Or By Crook Written by:Kage
Alan
I rarely watch a trailer for a movie I haven’t
seen before when I finally get my hands on the DVD. Why? It kind of
spoils the fun and I’m going to start the disc anyway, so why be clued
in as to what’s about to happen? Well, nothing could have really
prepared me for “By Hook Or By Crook” and I mean that in a good way.
It’s truly a rare thing when a film takes me by surprise, at least at
the level that this one did, but I will say that it isn’t going to be
for everybody’s tastes.
The story revolves around a working class young man
named Shy (Silas Howard) who decides to up and quit his job at a local
diner after the bank sends notification that they’re going to repossess
his house. He figures the hell with it all and takes off for San
Francisco. Why San Fran? I don’t have a clue other than he wouldn’t
mind turning to a life of crime. It’s during that journey, though, that
he helps out another young man, Valentine (Harriet Dodge, “Cecil B.
DeMented”), who’s getting beaten up. The two strike up the unlikeliest
of friendships and begin their journey of discovery and self-discovery
together.
Valentine is looking for his birth mother, has been
in and out of trouble with the law a few times and may have a mental
problem or two. As for Shy, he’s a bit of a con artist looking for his
place in the world, but what and where that place is remains ever
elusive. Put the two of them together and they begin to talk, talk and
talk some more. They talk about society, about themselves and each
other, ever trying to figure things out and help each other along.
Unfortunately, these two may never get the break they so desperately
need and deserve.
“By Hook Or By Crook” is an extremely edgy and
unconventional film in many ways. First, the two leads are male roles,
yet played by women. Some may find this unsettling, but it immediately
pulls us in to see how the roles will be interpreted and played out.
Second, it’s difficult to know just where this is going to go. Forget
expectations and just go along for the ride. The presence of Stanya
Kahn and a brief role by Joan Jett add to the piece as well. The
writing is especially sharp and even though the film does start to drag
a bit towards the end, it remains ever captivating.
Wolfe Video has released “By Hook Or By Crook” in a
Widescreen transfer. While I usually take the opportunity here to boast
about the picture quality, it too is unconventional. There is a great
deal of grain visible throughout that gives the film an almost
documentary-like feel. Audio quality is also a bit patchy and levels
tend to move all over the place from one scene to the next. When music
is playing, however, look out. It’s loud and clear! Now, this is a
disc that screams for extras and there are some slated to be included,
but they aren’t on the screener disc currently in my possession.
According to the back of the case, there will be a commentary track,
interviews and outtakes, but that will be on the finished version and
are subject to change.
“By Hook Or By Crook” is like nothing I’ve ever
seen before and I don’t feel I’m doing it the justice it deserves. For
anybody who enjoys independent films or something way outside of what
Hollywood would ever dream of making, this is a solid choice. This
probably wouldn’t have worked in lesser hands, so the cast and crew have
much to be proud of here.
