Straight to DVD and starring Val Kilmer, The Salton Sea has definite appeal issues. But ignore these omens and recall that the Batman time forgot is a fine actor. In this grubby little noir, he plays a tattooed speed freak looking to score big and scram. The early voiceover points to plot problems to come - the climax is a clunky letdown - but there are some superb performances throughout, particularly from an unrecognisable Vincent D'Onofrio as a loco dealer who's lost his nose to coke.
DVD Extras:
It's very hard to like director DJ Caruso when he starts the Making Of by saying: "I wanted to be as visually prepared as Hitchcock, but give my actors the freedom that Cassavetes gave them and, I don't know, I think I achieved that." Mmm... Modest.The 10-minute Embracing The Chaos featurette provides some heavy hints as to how the narrative problems developed, the actors freewheeling away from the original story. It's a sharp, slick watch, as is the peek at production design, Meth And Method - but then again, you'd expect nothing less from Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe, AKA the Lost In La Mancha lads. Pity that, trailer withstanding, there's bugger all else on here.
