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Released by: Grindhouse Releasing
Released on: December 10th, 2013.
Director: Sage Stallone
Cast: Clu Gulager, Tom Gulager, Carol Lynley, Gregory Sierra, John Phillip Law
Year: 2006
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The Movie:
Sage Stallone's only film as a director, 2006's Vic received quite a bit of critical acclaim when it played various festivals and screenings, earning some impressive accolades for the short thanks to some skilled direction and a fantastic performance from Clu Gulager. Likely because it was a 'short film' and not a feature length production, however, the film never really broke through and found the audience that it deserves. Thankfully, Grindhouse Releasing have corrected that by bringing the movie to DVD, a move that not only makes the movie more accessible than ever before but which also serves as a fitting tribute to the late Stallone, who co-founded the company with Bob Murawski.
The story is deceptively simple - Vic Reeves (Clu Gulager) is an actor in his twilight years, a seventy-something has been who used to find steady work in cowboy pictures but who has since been relegated to bit parts and pity roles. Vic's down on his luck, he needs money. We know this because he flirts with an aging cashier at the supermarket hoping something will come of it and because we see him paying for his groceries with roles of pennies. His car has seen better days and he lives in a small house best described as humble, his only companion a loyal dog he can barely afford to feed.
His luck seems like it's about to change when he gets a call from a young filmmaker named Tony LaSalle (Tom Gulager) who tells him he's got a part in his next project for him if he's interested. Vic is initially put off by the call, it's late at night and it takes him by surprise - it doesn't go well. Shortly after, however, Vic realizes this might be a shot at a comeback of sorts and so he calls Tony back, sets up an audition and prepares himself for what he hopes will be a great performance.
Though the film features cameos from Gulager's own son Tom as well as John Phillip Law and even the director himself (in the opening scene), this is Clu Gulager's show all the way. The role is perfect for him, his weathered face and body language really bringing the character to life in completely believable fashion. You can tell by the way in which he plays the part that this was a character Clu connected to, someone he felt a common bond with and the parallels to his own career are hard to ignore - this being the chief reason that his casting here works as well as it does. As Clu says in the extras, he basically was Vic around the time this picture was made.
Stallone paces the movie well, and if it has one flaw it's that as a short film it doesn't give us quite as much of Vic Reeves as we may have wanted. What's here is fantastic and it seems selfish to complain about a short film being a short film but when the writing, direction and acting are as excellent as they are here, it's hard not to.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Vic arrives on DVD from Grindhouse Releasing framed at 1.85.1 anamorphic widescreen and it looks quite good. Colors are nicely reproduced and detail is pretty solid. The picture is clean and stable from start to finish while clarity and depth remain strong throughout.
The English language Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo mix is also of good quality. Levels are properly balanced from start to finish and dialogue remains crisp and clear, never difficult to follow. The score sounds good and has some nice range to it and generally things shape up quite nicely here.
The main extra on the disc is a revealing fifteen minute video interview with Clu Gulager who speaks quite frankly about the parallels that exist between Vic's career and his own, why he was interested in this role and his thoughts on working with Sage Stallone and on the finished short film itself. Aside from that, we get a few text bios for the cast and crew, a Vic's Montage clip reel, menus and chapter selection.
The Final Word:
It's a shame that Sage Stallone didn't go on to make more movies, because Vic proves he had some definite skill behind the camera and knew how to craft interesting characters. The fact that this is 'only a short film' might put some off but don't let that dissuade you - Clu Gulager is fantastic here and this film really is something special. The DVD from Grindhouse isn't stacked with extras but it looks and sounds good and comes highly recommended.
