UPDATE: Jack Ketchum’s “Red” Now OnDemand

So I’m bumping this old post up as I just noticed Red is available right now on Comcast OnDemand in both standard definition and HD for $6.99, which is really less than most movie tickets. The film hits DVD October 28th, but for those that don’t want to wait or can’t get to a theatre to see it, this is by far an awesome choice. Expect a review soon. If you don’t already know about the film, read on for the original post.

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I’m a fan of Lucky McKee (although The Woods was a pretty bad mis-step), and I was pretty sad to hear last year when he was tossed off of directing Red, an adaptation of Jack Ketchum’s book of the same name, when the film was nearly finished. To be honest, I lost all interest at that point, and I haven’t thought of the film much since. A trailer for the film has just popped up online, and let me say, it looks incredible. Apparently, McKee is still getting a co-directing credit (along with the films new director Trygve Allister Diesen), so it looks like much of the stuff that he shot will remain in the film. Being a dog lover myself, the plot of this film is something I can completely relate to. This could very well be one of those films where I find myself utterly captivated by the protagonists motivations. But enough about me, read on for the synopsis, if you don’t know it already, and the fantastic trailer.

 

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Avery Allan Ludlow (Brian Cox), a Korean War vet with a tragic past, lives alone in a small town, where he runs the local hardware store. Av’s only companion is a 14 year-old ginger-haired dog, aptly named Red by Av’s late wife. One day, Av and Red are enjoying a placid outing at their favorite fishing spot when three boys and a shotgun come along. In an instant, Av’s lifelong friend is gone, the victim of a cruel, senseless act. Devastated, Av determines to find out who the boys are and why they did it. Helped by a local reporter (Dickens), Av tries to expose the truth, but his efforts are ignored by authorities and mocked by the teenagers. The boys’ parents, a rich local businessman (Sizemore) and, across town, a hardscrabble laborer (Englund) and his wife (Plummer), are just as determined to keep Av down. But, faithful to the memory of his best friend, Av single-mindedly presses for justice-with or without the law on his side.

Is it just me, or did they misspell Ketchum’s last name in the trailer??