Director Mark Lester and Screenwriter Larry Cohen team up for the psycho-sexual thriller The Ex. New to Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.
The Film
The Ex, like its title character, was done dirty. The Larry Cohen-scripted, Mark Lester-directed sexual thriller deserved better than a DTV release. Like its title character, there is a smarter-than-average mean mean-spirited, truly devilishly wicked cult classic waiting to be discovered.
Well-to-do architect David Kenyon (Nick Mancuso) has it all… a successful, lauded career, a wonderful and beautiful wife (Suzy Amis), and a child. He’s at the apex of late 90s yuppie-dom. What David didn’t count on was seeing his ex-wife, Deidre (Yancy Butler), ever again. A truly disturbed individual whom David divorced years ago has come back wanting the one thing she can’t have: David. If Deidre can’t have David, then no one will. Deidre begins a sick and twisted game that can only end one way… in either her or David’s death.
If one has seen Lester’s prior work, the over-the-top Class of 1984, then one will be prepared for the kind of sick and sadistic dark comedy thrill ride you are in store for. Though the one thing that The Ex has over Class is that its script is written by Larry “King” Cohen. Cohen’s adept, razor-sharp script knows the moments of when to zig and when to zag. There’s an overall sense of naughtiness that all the best psycho-sexual thrillers deal in that’s omnipresent throughout, and Lester never shies away from.
The result is a Grade-A underseen thriller that anyone who’s a fan of the best of the genre will find a place in their heart for.
The Transfer
The all-new HD Master, approved by Director Mark L. Lester, is an excellent transfer. Shot on 35mm but released on home video during the DTV heyday, the audience never got a chance to see how stylish a film Lester directed. This Blu-ray, with its new transfer, corrects that ill by giving it the release it deserves. The image is clean of any dirt, scratches, or defects. The sharp transfer is nearly flawless. Kino continues to show care to all of their releases; The Exis is no exception.
The Extras
They include the following;
- Playing Certifiable: Interview with Actress Yancy Butler
- Keeping Secrets: Interview with Actor Nick Mancuso
- Theatrical Trailer
Playing Certifiable: Interview with Actress Yancy Butler (11:47) – the all-new interview with Butler begins with where she was within her career when she took the role, and her excitement for the part. The actor goes on to discuss the character and her approach to the character, not as a villain but with understanding; the difficulty in choreographing the sex scenes; the lack of body doubles but using stunt doubles – including a discussion of the burn stunt; working with Mark Lester and his producer/wife Dana Dubovsky; working with Nick Mancuso and Suzy Amis; shooting in and around Vancouver; and much more.
Keeping Secrets: Interview with Actor Nick Mancuso (11:19) – the all-new interview with Mancuso begins with how he got the role in the film and how he approached the role, and the difficulty of shooting two movies at the same time. The actor goes on to discuss the character and the inner life he tried to create through various methods; working with director Mark Lester, actors Yancy Butler and Suzy Amis; the work they did choreographing the sex scenes, the technical nature of them, and the lack of intimacy coaches; and much more.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for The Ex (2:23); Play Misty for Me (1:53); Internal Affairs (2:00); After Dark, My Sweet (2:17); The Gingerbread Man (2:19); The Underneath (2:07); Hard Target (2:05); Silent Scream (1:16);
The Final Thought
Kino Lorber continues to bring the best in cult classics to home video. Recommended!!!