This sophomore
feature from filmmaker Calvin Reeder solidifies his stature as a blatant David
Lynch copycat. From the jarring editing and a nonsensical narrative to the
surreal characters and dream-like situations, The Rambler doesn’t just seem to borrow from films like Mulholland Dr. and Lost Highway
The basic plot
of The Rambler seems impossibly simple, and perhaps this is because the feature
film is actually based on a 12 minute short that Reeder completed in 2008.
Dermot Mulroney stars as the nameless rambler, on his way cross country to work
with his brother on a horse ranch after being released from prison early for
good behavior. He makes a brief appearance back home, but after discovering the
unfaithfulness of his wife and the bleakness of this existence, he makes plans
to join his brother for a peaceful existence in Oregon
This peace is
not easily found, as the rambler quickly discovers how quickly random violence
occurs on the road. As he hitches rides across the country with his guitar in
tow, rarely seeming to lose his hat and never parting with his sunglasses, this
expressionless traveler comes across a cornucopia of quirky characters that
range from harmless to homicidal. Oddly combining both of these attributes is
the film’s more compelling character, a mad professor played by James Cady. He
has a device which is said to copy dreams onto VHS, but it has a bad habit of
exploding the subject’s heads instead.
This type of
shock gore occurs randomly throughout The Rambler, as it did in Reeder’s debut,
but I would not place in the category of horror. It seems an appreciation of
horror may be necessary to enjoy this film, however, if enjoyment is indeed
intended. There is a sincerity missing from Reeder’s material, which makes it
difficult to tell whether this film is intended to have meaning or simply meant
to aggravate and infuriate the audience. Or perhaps the filmmaker has no clue
what any of it means, choosing to stylistically steal from other directors
without figuring out what any of it means. Honestly, I could care less either
way. Sincere or not, I didn’t enjoy The Rambler, but that has less to do with
the gore or confounding filmmaking. By the end I was just bored. This material
was better suited for 12 minutes.
The Blu-ray is
void of special features, though there are technical aspects of the filmmaking
which are inarguably enhanced by high definition. You don’t have to like it to
appreciate the talent that went behind the nonsense.
Entertainment Value:
4/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 3/10
Historical Significance:
1/10
Disc Features: 0/10
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