Written by: Michael Den Boer on May 17th, 2009
Theatrical Release Date: Germany, 2008
Director: Stephen Manuel
Writers: Andreas Brune, Sven Frauenhoff
Cast: Billy Zane, Cristian Solimeno, Melinda Y. Cohen, Scarlett Sabet
DVD released: February 17th, 2009
Approximate running time: 93 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 English, Dolby Digital Stereo English
Subtitles: N/A
DVD Release: Well Go USA
Region Coding: Region 0 NTSC
Retail Price: $19.98
Synopsis: Needing a fresh starts, a small time crook named Nick and his girlfriend Celia are on their way to the airport. Their trip makes a quick detour when someone from Nick’s past whom he owes money too threatens to harm Celia if he doesn’t settle his debt immediately. In a panic Nick tries to rob a convenient store. Things go awry when an off duty cop shows up and Nick accidentally shots him. Nick and Celia flee the scene and find sanctuary in a luxurious home by a lake. Their freedom is quickly put in jeopardy when the cops surround the home they are hiding out in. Inside the home is a man who claims to be the owner of the home. Nick decides to use the man as leverage in his negations with the cops. The more time they spend with this mysterious man they start to uncover the truth behind who is and what he is capable of.
Perfect Hideout was directed by Stephen Manuel who’s other credits as a director includes Fatal Rescue and the TV series “Lexx” and “Der Clown”. The bulk of the film takes place in one location the house Nick and Celia hideout in. From a visual standpoint the film does a superb job capturing the claustrophobic trap that Nick and Celia have made for themselves.
Perfect Hideout is a thriller that relies heavily on its characters and their motivations. The two main characters Nick and Celia are constantly plagued by mishaps most of which are brought on by Nick’s past associations with less than reputable people. Celia’s love for Nick has blinded her as she always back’s off on her threats to leave as she gives him and their love another chance. Victor the man the stumble upon in the house by the lake is a devil like persona who specializes in driving a wedge between people. The moment he is left alone with Celia he starts to prey on her vulnerability.
Performance wise the three main characters Nick, Celia and Victor, portrayed by Cristian Solimeno, Melinda Y. Cohen and Billy Zane, respectively are all perfectly casted. All their actors fit comfortable in their characters shoes and give thoroughly convincing performances, especially Melinda Y. Cohen in the role of Celia. While his performance may not be far from the roles he typically is cast in, Billy Zane is doesn’t fail to impress with yet another off the wall performance. Ultimately Perfect Hideout is a well made thriller that has just enough surprises along the way to keeps things interesting.
The DVD:
Well Go USA presents Perfect Hideout in an anamorphic widescreen that preserves the film’s original aspect ratio. This transfer has been flagged for progressive playback. This is a strong transfer that boasts nicely saturated colors and details look sharp throughout.
This release comes with two audio options a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix and a Dolby Digital stereo mix. Both audio mixes are in English. The differences between the two audio mixes are minimal as they both sound clear, balanced and robust.
Extras for this release include a trailer for the film and a stills gallery that plays music from the film in the background. Overall Well Go USA gives Perfect Hideout a solid audio /video presentation.