Color, R (mature themes, language, violence), 106 min., VHS $34.95, DVD $24.95
Street: Oct. 22, Prebook: Oct. 3
Video Premiere
Cast: Tyler Christopher (TV's General Hospital), Sally Kirkland (EdTV), Jason Widener (TV's West Wing), Jacqueline Aries (TV's Resurrection Blvd.) Director: Karl Kozak
MTI
Story Line: While trying to save the family farm, Malby brothers Cole (Christopher) and Patrick (Widener) learn that their father, who supposedly died years ago in an accidental coal mine explosion, was involved in an illegal scheme that ultimately affected their small Pennsylvania community.
Bottom Line: Kozak's thriller certainly vindicates the MTI promo-copy writer who asserted: "Sometimes the smallest towns have the biggest secrets." There's scarcely a character in the entire story who's exactly what he or she claims to be. Surprising revelations are made in every reel, and avuncular supporting player John Capodice--the very model of small-town kindliness--actually turns into a shotgun-toting killer during the film's climactic confrontation. The cast is divided evenly between young actors predominantly known for their TV work and such seasoned feature film veterans as Kirkland, Dee Wallace Stone, Jack Conley, Michael J. Pollard, Sally Struthers and Capodice. Among the young 'uns, Aries seems to show the most promise, but Christopher handles himself reasonably well in a difficult role. Think of Out of the Black as Blue Velvet or Twin Peaks without the Lynchian weirdness. --Ed Hulse