Kalifornia

Starring:Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis, David Duchovny, Michelle Forbes, Kathy Larson, David Milford, John Zarchen, David Rose (II), Tommy Chappelle, Judson Vaughn, Patricia Sill, Brett Rice, Marisa Raper, Bill Crabb, Mary Ann Hagan, Jerry G. White, Sarah Sullivan, Eric Stenson, Mars Callahan, Patricia Hunte
Director: Dominic Sena
Studio: Polygram Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
David Duchovny is a blocked author with a fascination for outlaw killers who hatches a plan to road trip through America's mass-murder landmarks to finish his book. He enlists his frustrated photographer girlfriend Michelle Forbes, who desperately wants to leave the East Coast for L.A., to illustrate the tome, and they advertise for riding partners. Luckily for them, they wind up with a veteran killer, the greasy trailer-park ex-con Brad Pitt, who decides to skip parole with his cowering child-woman girlfriend Juliette Lewis. Duchovny is enamored by gun-toting Pitt's recklessness and lawless disregard for, well, everything; he's simultaneously terrified and thrilled by Pitt's brutal beating of a barfly. Meanwhile, Pitt's leaving a trail of corpses in their wake.

Amazon.com

David Duchovny is a blocked author with a fascination for outlaw killers who hatches a plan to road trip through America's mass-murder landmarks to finish his book. He enlists his frustrated photographer girlfriend Michelle Forbes, who desperately wants to leave the East Coast for L.A., to illustrate the tome, and they advertise for riding partners. Luckily for them, they wind up with a veteran killer, the greasy trailer-park ex-con Brad Pitt, who decides to skip parole with his cowering child-woman girlfriend Juliette Lewis. Duchovny is enamored by gun-toting Pitt's recklessness and lawless disregard for, well, everything; he's simultaneously terrified and thrilled by Pitt's brutal beating of a barfly. Meanwhile, Pitt's leaving a trail of corpses in their wake.

Directed with a cool remove by Dominic Sena (Gone in 60 Seconds 2000), Kalifornia falls somewhere between Badlands and Natural Born Killers. Pitt brings a ferocious magnetism to his part, but it's still hard to buy genial Duchovny's odd attraction; Juliette Lewis conveys a terrifying sense of victimization with her poor dumb creature. Despite the film's best efforts, it never really plumbs the psyche of Pitt's simmering psycho--he's just plain bad, you know--but it does fashion an effective little thriller out of the tensions brewing in the restless quartet. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Excitement, adventure and unimaginable terror await on the road to Kalifornia. "Brad Pitt isoutstanding" (Rolling Stone) and "Juliette Lewis is utterly, heartbreakingly convincing" (Boxoffice) in this chilling psychological thriller co-starring David Duchovny and Michelle Forbes. When urban intellectuals Brian (Duchovny) and Carrie (Forbes) set out on a cross-country trip to research a book about serial killers, they share the ride with a couple they barely knowEarly Grace (Pitt) and his girlfriend, Adele (Lewis). Locked in a car hurtling westward, the four travelers struggle to find some common ground. But when they finally do connect, Early's violent nature abruptly emerges, and the terrified Brian and Carrie realize that they don't need to go very farto learn about ruthless killers...because they're already face to face with one!

Customer Reviews:

not bad.......2007-01-26

Duchovny and Forbes want to travel across the US to California stopping at famous murder sites along the way - they're planning a book; he's writing the words and she's taking the pictures. To help finance the trip they advertise for someone to share driving and split gas money - they get the more than slightly psychotic Pitt and his childlike girlfriend Lewis. As they make their way across the country trying to make sense of violent murders by visiting where they took place, they are unaware that they have their own serial killer in the back seat.

There are some genuinely tense moments. The central performances are very good - Pitt is almost unrecogniseable and although Duchovny's character looks and, for the most part, sounds exactly like Fox Mulder, his initial fascination and eventual disgust with violence is well played out.

This is a very violent film but if you like thrillers and don't mind a bit of gore and bad language then you should enjoy it.

Realistic as it gets.......2007-01-20

Researching a book on serial killings, writer Brian Kessler (David Duchovny) and his girlfriend, Carrie Laughlin (Michelle Forbes), travel cross-country to the murder sites. Hitchhikers Earlye Grace (Brad Pitt), out on parole, and Adele Corners (Juliette Lewis) offer to share expenses for the trip, but Brian doesn't realize just how close he is to the topic of his book -- even as bodies pile up behind them and Earlye's landlord is found dead.Not only is the ironic nature of this film fun, but it is definitely one of those movies that is taken up a notch due to the actors. Pre-Jennifer Aniston Brad Pitt is perfection in his role, and Juliette Lewis was on the top of her career with this film. She nearly stole this film from everyone else. It is sad to see her fall as hard as she has. Lewis explored every avenue of her character and was not afraid to go overboard and show us the true emotion of her role. We cannot give sole credit to Lewis for her part in this film, we also need to thank director Dominic Sena for pushing Lewis to explore this un-simple role further. I could not imagine anyone else in her part. Lewis was a great asset to this film. She helped release some of the tension felt between Duchovny and Pitt when they were trying to reach the same level as Lewis. While the acting commands its own attention, it is the story that impressed me the most of this film. It is very dark, gritty, and real. The powerful women's roles in this film surprised me for the time, but also helped me dig deeper into the overall themes of confusion and social structures. Feminism did have a bit part in this film, and Sena was not afraid to show it through Lewis. While you will find moments that seem a bit cliché, Kalifornia is a powerful film that yields some decent acting with a very gripping story.

Kalifornia is a road trip of terror, created by a man named Early Grayce........2007-01-13

Though it was out before Natural Born Killers, Kalifornia has a lot of the same premise and theme. Well in that case I could throw in the old classic "Badlands" as well as even Thelma and Louise. A road trip of radical chaos that leaves no room for error. The 1993 film was directed by Dominic Sena and has the typical themes of violence and senseless murder coupled with a Wild West landscape that is straight out of a comic book. You know, Rattlesnake shakes, tumbleweeds, and more dust covered gas stations than you can shake a stick at.

David Duchovny stars as Brian Kesler, an aspiring writer who wants to write a book about serial killers. His girlfriend is an aspiring artist whose work are mostly of nude or erotic sex scenes. She also wants to go to California. Struggling to find a gallery to portray her pictures, He offers her to be the illustrator of his upcoming book. Short on money, they post a want ad on the wall of a nearby college in hopes of finding someone who would like to go to California as well, and share the expenses of the trip.

Instead that is where common sense flies out the window and the dark side of human nature takes place. The couple that end up riding with them seem different, but it's when its soon realized that the man in the backseat named Early Grayce (played by Brad Pitt) is an actual serial killer himself is when things get scary.

The movie has an excellent pace to it and does a good job of setting up the characters in their surroundings as well as noting their social status. Brad Pitt's character almost undermines his acting ability as Early Grayce (Okay, I've heard of token names before but this one takes the cake). Early is not a diabolical, psychotic or even "Se7en" type fiend, but nothing more than a beer swilling white trash goof. I don't know what gave it away; maybe it was the CAT cap, white tank top, and old singlewide trailer in a junkyard (that's right, its not in a trailer park, they live in a junkyard). That is what I mean by common sense, in real life you might pick up a guy who looks like Brad Pitt, but you would never want to pick up his character Early Grayce. This isn't too bad though, because it is the trials and changes that David Duchovny's character goes though, along with his girlfriend Carrie (played by Michelle Forbes) that holds the main themes in place. Rounding out the cast is Early's girlfriend Adele (played by Juliette Lewis) who does an outstanding job of playing the not too bright girlfriend who still has a big heart, and somehow is kind of oblivious to it all.

The nice thing about Kalifornia is that it concentrates solely on the characters and their journey together. You won't experience a frenzy of media or police chases in this, it cuts that out to quiet the background noise so the viewer can take in the wide open roads and various themes of life, remorse, and violence one mile at a time.

Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis... but nothing more........2007-01-04

I want to say that Kalifornia is a hidden gem... but it's not. The story had amazing potential, but that was about it. I always try to stress that when a movie HAD POTENTIAL, it is at least worth taking a look at. This movie definitely is worth a friday night rental. Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis deliver astounding performances, perhaps even their best. While I would like to say the same for David Duchovny and Michelle Forbes, I can and can't. They did fine jobs, but they didn't have much to work with. This movie quite possibly should've been about Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis, but instead we are thrown into two other characters played by Duchovny and Forbes that I found myself not caring all that much about. Most of the film is narrated by Duchovny, and usually I can never go wrong with narration. However, this seems to be the exception. Although Duchovy's and Forbes' characters were very 2-dimensional and uninteresting, the film is repeatedly redeemed by the dynamic and incredibly saddening characters played by Pitt and Lewis.

I wouldn't put Kalifornia at the top of your list of movies to watch, but don't let it collect too much dust at the video store; you may be pleasantly surprised.

See it for Pitt alone.......2006-11-20

Before he helped craft fodder like the Gone in 60 Seconds remake and Swordfish, Dominic Sena directed this slick looking psycho thriller, featuring a wonderfully twisted performance by Brad Pitt, who was on the verge of becoming a household name. A pre-X-Files David Duchovny stars as a budding author who, with his photographer girlfriend (Michelle Forbes), make a trek to the west coast and advertise for riding partners. What they get are white-trash sociopath Early (Pitt) and his whacko girlfriend (Juliette Lewis), and soon enough a terrifying trip begins that slowly escalates to the point of no return. Though it's narrative is something we've seen before and again, Kalifornia is more than worth seeing thanks to Pitt's psycho performance, which showcases that he does indeed have a unique versatility as an actor, which is shown in spades here. If there's any real weak point, it's that Duchovny comes off as rather drab, but what else would he be? All in all, if you dig films like Natural Born Killers or anything Tarantino, you'll most likely want to take a trip to Kalifornia.

Average customer rating:

Ultimate Killer DVD Collection

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Horror | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Mystery & Suspense | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000NQDFBC
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Amazon.com

This giftset includes 14 edge-of-your-seat thrillers including: Silence of the Lambs, Misery, Fargo (Special Edition), Manhunter, Hannibal (Special Edition), Kalifornia, Eye of the Needle, House of Games, Gangster No. 1, The January Man, Malice, Perfect Strangers, Special Effects and Dead Man Walking.

Average customer rating:

not bad
Realistic as it gets
Kalifornia is a road trip of terror, created by a man named Early Grayce.
Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis... but nothing more.
See it for Pitt alone

Kalifornia
Starring: Brad Pitt , Juliette Lewis , David Duchovny , Michelle Forbes , and Kathy Larson
Director: Dominic Sena
Manufacturer: Polygram Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Murder & Mayhem | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( K ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Too Young to Die? (True Stories Collection TV Movie)
Natural Born Killers
True Romance - Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Devil's Own
The Mexican

ASIN: 630461957X
Release Date: 1997-11-18

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

not bad.......2007-01-26

Realistic as it gets.......2007-01-20

Kalifornia is a road trip of terror, created by a man named Early Grayce........2007-01-13

Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis... but nothing more........2007-01-04

See it for Pitt alone.......2006-11-20

Average customer rating:

not bad
Realistic as it gets
Kalifornia is a road trip of terror, created by a man named Early Grayce.
Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis... but nothing more.
See it for Pitt alone

Kalifornia [Region 2]
Starring: Brad Pitt , Juliette Lewis , David Duchovny , Michelle Forbes , and Kathy Larson
Director: Dominic Sena
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( K ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Too Young to Die? (True Stories Collection TV Movie)
Natural Born Killers
True Romance - Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Devil's Own
The Mexican

ASIN: B00006421H

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

not bad.......2007-01-26

Realistic as it gets.......2007-01-20

Kalifornia is a road trip of terror, created by a man named Early Grayce........2007-01-13

Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis... but nothing more........2007-01-04

See it for Pitt alone.......2006-11-20

Average customer rating:

not bad
Realistic as it gets
Kalifornia is a road trip of terror, created by a man named Early Grayce.
Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis... but nothing more.
See it for Pitt alone

Kalifornia [Region 2]
Starring: Brad Pitt , Juliette Lewis , David Duchovny , Michelle Forbes , and Kathy Larson
Director: Dominic Sena
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( K ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Too Young to Die? (True Stories Collection TV Movie)
Natural Born Killers
True Romance - Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Devil's Own
The Mexican

ASIN: B00004SC8I

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

not bad.......2007-01-26

Realistic as it gets.......2007-01-20

Kalifornia is a road trip of terror, created by a man named Early Grayce........2007-01-13

Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis... but nothing more........2007-01-04

See it for Pitt alone.......2006-11-20

Average customer rating:

Kalifornia (UMD for PSP)
Starring: David Duchovny , John Dullaghan , Michelle Forbes , Lois Hall , and Ron Kuhlman
Director: Dominic Sena
Manufacturer: MGM
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: UMD for PSP

General | Universal Media Discs | Stores | DVD | Video
Accessories:

Sony PSP PlayGear Amp
Sony PSP Comfort Grips Black
Sony PSP Psyclone Nodus Sound System
Sony PSP Travel Case

ASIN: B000ASDFFE
Release Date: 2005-10-25

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