Woodyanders
Eddie (a fine and credible performance by Luke Goss) gets forced at gunpoint by the ruthless and vengeful Jimmy (superbly played with total conviction and fierce intensity by the always dependable Lance Henriksen) into the Mojave Desert where Jimmy has set up a series of traps and challenges in order to test the limits of Eddie's endurance and survival instincts. Is Eddie just a victim of hapless circumstance? Or does Jimmy have a valid reason for putting Eddie through this punishing ordeal? Director Brett A. Hart, who also co-wrote the crafty and absorbing script with Jeff O'Brien, relates the gripping story at a steady pace, makes the most out of the dusty'n'desolate isolated setting, ably milks plenty of sweat-inducing suspense from the edgy game of cat and mouse between the two central characters, delivers a few jolting moments of raw brutal violence, and tops everything off with a cool surprise twist ending that effectively shifts the viewer's sympathies from one person to another. The strong acting by Goss and Henriksen keeps the picture humming, with Henriksen a particular stand-out throughout as the relentless and determined Jimmy. Popping up in nifty small parts are Dee Wallace as friendly diner waitress Joanne, Tommy 'Tiny' Lister as menacing thug Mitch, and Carl Buffington as eccentric New Age drug dealer Marty. Scott Glasgow's moody score further pumps up the tension. The striking yellow-hued cinematography by John Darbonne and Kevin G. Ellis vividly captures the unsparing severity of the merciless desert heat. A real nice nail-biter.
merklekranz
Lance Henrikson admirers will be happy to know that he delivers another solid performance. Unfortunately the script keeps him in the shadows for most of the film, as the mysterious torturer of Luke Goss. "Bone Dry" is a classic example of a no surprise surprise ending, and why everything is revealed in the trailer is another mystery? At times, the film really doesn't play fair with the audience, especially in the beginning, where you get the distinct impression that Henrickson's and Goss's characters never met. The script is underdeveloped, redundant, and about fifteen minutes belongs on the cutting room floor. Marginally recommended, except for squeamish viewers who might want to avoid the sadism. - MERK
MrGKB
...but fails to gel in a satisfactory way. Neophyte director/writer/editor/producer Brett A. Hart simply bites off more than he can chew. The plot hinges on a time-worn cliché of role reversal, and simply isn't compelling. The dialogue is at times trite and forgettable; there's nothing to really draw us into sympathizing with the ostensible protagonist. Both leads (Luke "Blade II" Goss and Lance "Near Dark" Henriksen) are pretty much cyphers until the predictable Act 3 revelations, and thus little empathy is engendered for either character. Neither actor evinces much range, though admittedly the script offers them slim opportunity to do much in the first place. Poor Dee "The Howling" Wallace is obviously taking a paycheck, along with Tiny "Jackie Brown" Lister and the rest of the negligible supporting cast. A lot of the photography is quite nice, evincing great effort to keep things "in motion," despite occasional lapses of technical quality. Scott "Hack!" Glascow's score is also laudable in establishing mood during otherwise dull transitions. Ultimately, it all boils down to the script, which fails to deliver. Its title unfortunately but aptly describes the substance of the film. "Bone Dry" remains of interest only to Henriksen fans, and Mr. Hart's backers. It remains to be seen if Mr. Hart can deliver something with a bit more juice in it. I'd have hated to have paid to sit through this in a theater, that's for certain.
shortdg3
This movie is pretty good. It holds you all the way to the very end. It had a small cast, yet it delivered big time. I hope it comes to the big screen soon. It's a must see. Lance is a veteran actor that has done some bad movies in the past, but he redeems himself with this one. It seems that it was shot entirely in the desert and the scenes were beautiful. I gave the movie 8 stars because of it's originality and the fact that you truly don't know what's going on until the very end. That's the motivation to keep you watching. You want to see what's going to happen next and anytime a film holds you like that, it's a good one. I had the pleasure of watching it on a website that happened to have it and boy was I in for a treat. If you haven't seen it yet, go see it. You won't be disappointed.
AD
