Purgatory Flats (2002)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Harris Done

Writers:

Harris Done (writer)
Diane Fine (writer)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

A temptress leads a man toward intrigue and murder. |

Cast

Amanda Foreman	...	Natalie Reed
Vincent Ventresca	...	Thomas Reed
Jason Brooks	...	Martin Reed
John Jabaley	...	Trucker
Alexandra Holden	...	Sunny Burkhardt
Pat Corley	...	Roy
Ford Rainey	...	Phil (as Ford Raney)
Kevin Alejandro	...	Owen Mecklin
Gregg Henry	...	Dean Mecklin
Nicholas Turturro	...	Johnny Ramos
Brian Austin Green	...	Randy Mecklin
Robert Wu	...	Store Owner (as Robert C. Wu)
David Markey	...	Security Guard
Royce D. Applegate	...	Det. Travis McGill

Directed by
Harris Done

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Harris Done		writer
Diane Fine		writer

Produced by
Craig Ayers	....	line producer
Raymond Chao	....	executive producer
John J. Kelly	....	producer
Paul McMinn	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Sean Murray

Cinematography by
Pedro Castro

Film Editing by
Michael Mayhew

Production Design by
Jacqueline Masson

Makeup Department
Sabine Rohrman	....	makeup department head
Linda Vallejo	....	makeup department head

Production Management
Craig Ayers	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Pinnock	....	assistant director
Eduardo Ricketts Jr.	....	second assistant director
Matthew Thomas	....	second second assistant director
Roy Unger	....	second unit director

Art Department
Aaron Ponciano	....	swing gang

Sound Department
Paul Drenning	....	adr mixer
Stephen Fitzmaurice	....	sound re-recording mixer
Stephen M. Galvin	....	adr editor
Stephen M. Galvin	....	dialog editor
Stephen M. Galvin	....	sound editor
Patrick M. Griffith	....	supervising sound editor
Mike Hall	....	sound mixer
Peter Hansen	....	boom operator
Steve McCarty	....	sound editor
Chris Ostler	....	sound recordist
Timothy Pearson	....	foley artist
Noel Vought	....	foley artist
John Peccatiello	....	foley coordinator (uncredited)

Stunts
Jeff Danoff	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Ayesa Adams	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Chris Buchakjian	....	electrician
Andreas Burgess	....	electrician
Mark J. Coyne	....	Steadicam operator
Brian Hamblin	....	camera loader
Leo Ibanez	....	electrician
Paul Janossy	....	first assistant camera
Michael Lambert	....	gaffer
Robyn Link	....	second assistant camera
Gen Max	....	still photographer
Jeff Saldin	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Joseph M. Setele	....	camera operator: second unit
Danny Vincent	....	best boy electric
Chad Wilson	....	Steadicam operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jeanine Castle	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Chuck Winston	....	color timer

Music Department
Gregg Henry	....	composer: song "Wide Streth of the Road" (as Henry Lee Gregg)

Transportation Department
Harry Zabounian	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Tim Shuler	....	set medic
Karen Toronjo	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• Editbay Productions
• July Street Entertainment
• Purgatory Productions

Distributors

• American Cinema International (non-USA)
• Sunfilm Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Jeff Colbert SPFX
• Movie Arms Management

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, pervasive language, sexuality and drug use.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | USA:R

Company:

Editbay Productions

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the beginning of the film, Thomas is convicted of, among other things, involuntary manslaughter. Later he tells Sunny it was vehicular manslaughter..

Pretty good thriller

This film actually has a plot, a story, and fairly well developed characters - which these days - is saying a lot.

One complaint I have about this film is overuse of the F word. I have no problem with the F word, it's one of my favorite words, but when it is used in every sentence uttered, whether it fits or not, it becomes as distracting as a person constantly saying "you know", or ending every sentence with "okay?". It got to the point where it was so distracting it was difficult to focus on what the characters were actually saying.

My other complaint about this film is poor casting choices. While Alexandra Holden as Sunny does an excellent acting job, she was not a good choice to play a femme fatale. The actress looks about 15 years old.

Basically the movie revolves around a young doctor, Thomas Reed, (played by Vincent Ventresca who is only "adequate" in the leading man role,having neither the looks nor the talent.)

Early in the film, Reed is involved in a reckless driving accident that leads to the death of his young wife. After serving time for manslaughter, Reed is released.

He decides he does not want to return to Los Angeles, where he was from, and goes instead to a smaller city called Purgatory Flats, California, where he quickly gets a job as a bartender.

One night upon leaving the bar, he comes upon a young man who has been wounded in a gun fight during a drug deal.

He knows the young man's wife, Sunny, slightly. He is soon to become embroiled with the Mecklin family: Sunny, her husband, her husband's brother, their uncle and their criminal activities that begin when Reed, formerly a doctor, is persuaded to tend the wounded man.

Purgatory Flats is a satisfying thriller, well paced, and with some tense moments.

I gave it 6 out of a possible 10 stars.