Cold in July

A crackerjack crime thriller adapted by writer-director Jim Mickle from a Joe R. Lansdale novel, Cold in July opens in East Texas, circa 1989, with peace-loving shopkeeper Richard (Michael C. Hall) shooting an intruder who has broken into his house. Police inform Richard that the dead man was a low-life hood whom nobody will miss—except for his fearsome daddy, Ben (Sam Shepard), who has just gotten out of prison and returns to threaten Richard and his family. But in a sudden shift, Richard begins to doubt that the man he killed was Ben's son, and soon Richard and Ben—abetted by flashy P.I. Jim Bob Luke (Don Johnson)—join forces to uncover the truth, embarking on an investigation that takes them into the seedy Louisiana underworld of prostitution and snuff movies. The twists are clever, while the ensemble acting shines as the three amigos interact—Richard learning the ropes from the older men, Ben gruffly demanding that they get on with it, and Jim Bob using his wiles to push things towards a bloody showdown with a bunch of bad guys. Cold in July is an old-fashioned macho action movie, a fine throwback to some of those excellent drive-in B movies of yesteryear. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include two audio commentary tracks (the first with director Jim Mickle, costar Michael C. Hall, and screenwriter/actor Nick Damici; the second with Mickle, cinematographer Ryan Samul, composer Jeff Grace, and producer Linda Moran); a Q&A with Mickle, novelist Joe R. Lansdale, and author George R.R. Martin (33 min.); deleted scenes with optional commentary (16 min.); early pre-visualization tests with optional commentary (2 min.); an isolated score by Grace; and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a fine thriller.] (F. Swietek)