Population 436
Sony Pictures
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Synopsis:
Jeremy Sisto (Thirteen, TV's "Six Feet Under") and Limp Bizkit lead singer Fred Durst (Be Cool) star in this thrilling story about a U.S. census taker who is assigned to assess the population in a remote mountain community. The census taker becomes trapped in this prison-like town full of "golden rules" (that no one ever breaks) that doesn't allow its population to drop below or exceed exactly 436 citizens, a number in accordance with "God's Law." He eventually learns that NO ONE is ever allowed to leave Rockwell Falls and that the town citizens will do whatever it takes to maintain the status quo. After fending off a lobotomy and pretending to go along with the program, the U.S. census taker eventually tries to escape. Will the population finally be altered, or will the story of Rockwell Falls live on? Director/producer of TV's long-running science fiction thriller "X-Files," Michelle MacLaren directs this bone-chilling film. The people of Rockwell Falls refer to their town of perfect balance as "the most perfect place on Earth" - where numbers rule the universe, everybody's watching, divine order is law and God punishes those that are lacking in faith in order to save the people from themselves.
Playing much more like a made-for-tv movie (maybe it was?) than a true movie-movie, the fact that "Population 436" was released straight to DVD is no big shocker. That's not to say it's a "bad" movie, per se, just that it's very formulaic, tame and mostly uninteresting. Good acting, directing & cinematography don't add up to much when the foundation of the entire film is a "meh, who cares" storyline.
However, as much as I was watching the clock as often as I was watching the screen, I did keep watching - I was sure that I knew what was going to happen next, was almost always correct about what was going to happen next, but I kept watching. It's actually a surprisingly-great looking film, with some beautiful cinematography and a great looking transfer (see below), so even when the plot sagged, I could focus on the technical aspects for entertainment.
And let's not forget to mention Mr. Limp Bizkit himself, Fred Durst, in the #2 starring role. I was sure he was going to stink up the joint like a bottle of stinkwater you used to be able to get from the novelty stores, but he actually wasn't half bad - he may not want to quit his day job (or maybe he should, given the sales of Limp's last album), but he's got some acting chops on display here. Not much, but some.
Overall, the film isn't worth much more in the way of description, so I've either sold you on it, or steered you clear - either way, you win.
Video: How's it look?
While not a good movie by any means, the picture quality is truly remarkable, with rich colours, vivid detail and deep blacks -- very nice 16x9 transfer!
Audio: How's it sound?
Dolby 5.1 surround mix is nice and subtle - no resorting to cheap loud-crashes-from-silence in this one.
Extras: What additional goodies are included?
Closing Thoughts
Weak story that is shot very well + a lone extra = worth a look only if you're in the mood for some mindless entertainment
This review brought to you by The Schlockmeister @ DVDschlock.com
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