Bad Times at the El Royale (Blu-ray) (2018)

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General		Extras
Category	Crime Film Noir	Featurette-Making Bad Times at the El Royale (28:35) Gallery Theatrical Trailer Teaser Trailer
Rating
Year Of Production	2018
Running Time	141:37
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Drew Goddard
Studio Distributor	Twentieth Century Fox	Starring	Jeff Bridges Cynthia Erivo Dakota Johnson Jon Hamm Lewis Pullman Chris Hemsworth Cailee Spaeny
Case	Standard Blu-ray
RPI	?	Music	Michael Giacchino

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English DTS HD Master Audio 7.1 English Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 5.1 French dts 5.1 Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 German Dolby Digital 5.1 Italian Dolby Digital 5.1 Russian Dolby Digital 5.1 Ukranian Dolby Digital 5.1
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	2.40:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	1080p
Original Aspect Ratio	2.40:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English for the Hearing Impaired French Spanish Danish Dutch Finnish German Italian Norwegian Russian Swedish Estonian Latvian Lithuanian Ukranian Vietnamese	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     The El Royale Casino / Hotel on Lake Tahoe straddles the border between California and Nevada; in the 1950s it was the playground of the rich and famous, visited by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Munroe and Dean Martin, but since it lost its gambling licence in 1967 the glitz has faded, the glamorous moved elsewhere and the hotel has fallen on hard times. In 1969, during the course of one afternoon and evening, a number of strangers arrive at the hotel which is currently managed / operated by Miles Miller, a conflicted young man (Lewis Pullman): a priest, Father Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges), Darlene Sweet, a lounge singer on her way to Reno (Cynthia Erivo), Laramie Seymour Sullivan, vacuum cleaner salesman (Jon Hamm), Emily Summerspring, a young woman (Dakota Johnson) who has with her her bound and gagged younger sister Rose (Cailee Spaeny) and Billy Lee, a charismatic and deadly cult leader (Chris Hemsworth). During the course of one night secrets are revealed about each person as well as the dark past of the hotel, some individuals die and others receive redemption and / or absolution.

     Bad Times at the El Royale is written and directed by Drew Goddard. He is probably better known as a writer; he was nominated for an Oscar for The Martian (2015) and also wrote World War Z (2013) as well as episodes of Alias and Lost but he did also write and direct the well-reviewed The Cabin in the Woods (2011). In Bad Times at the El Royale Goddard has crafted a deliciously clever, quirky noir thriller that, while uneven in parts, generally succeeds. This is a film about surveillance, secrets and mysteries, where characters are frequently seen in reflections or through one way mirrors or glass, sometimes as reflections on reflections; someone is always watching. The film starts with an intriguing dialogue free sequence set in about 1959: a man arrives in a hotel room and hides a bag under the floorboards. He is clearly waiting for somebody; when he opens the door to someone he obviously knows he is shot and killed. After this, the film switches to 1969 and the arrival at the El Royale Hotel, separately, of singer Darlene Sweet and Father Flynn, and the secrets of both the El Royale and the people who arrive are gradually revealed. It is a long film at 140 minutes because it blends the backstories and secrets of a diverse group of people as well as repeating some scenes from different, overlapping points of view although due to the cast, production design and the music it does not feel that long.

     As is often the case of films with a number of intersecting stories and characters, some characters in Bad Times at the El Royale are more interesting than others. Jeff Bridges is wonderful as Father Flynn, matter of fact, low key and utterly compelling. Cynthia Erivo is a revelation: she can act and when she sings her character’s songs live her voice makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Dakota Johnson is also very good but Chris Hemsworth, taking time out from playing Thor and losing 25-30 lbs of muscle after Avengers: Infinity War, could be from another picture altogether. But perhaps the character worst served is Lewis Pullman’s Miles Miller, whose secret reveal is as contrived as they come.

     The look of the film and the music are important to the success of the film. Bad Times at the El Royale was shot on 35 mm film by cinematographer Seamus McGarvey (he received Oscar nominations for Atonement (2007) and Anna Karenina (2012) so knows a thing or two about epic films) and it looks fabulous. The main El Royale reception / bar / lobby set was constructed with a minute eye for period detail and the colour scheme. For example, a red line runs through the area dividing the lobby into two states (the California side is predominately yellows and oranges, the Nevada side is all blues and purples), costumes have dark colours except for Darlene’s yellow outfit and, at the very end, her green dress. Many films make the music a central character, and that is very much the case with Bad Times at the El Royale for the film is replete with 50’s and 60’s music, often sung by Erivo, that are part of the plot. Pop songs incorporated include classics such as He’s a Rebel, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, You Can’t Hurry Love, The Letter, Hold On, I’m Coming and Unchained Melody as well as, reflecting the change in popular music in the 60’s, Hush by Deep Purple.

     At times Bad Times at the El Royale tries too hard to be quirky and / or cool and to include too many ideas but one has to applaud Goddard for making the attempt. And, it must be said, the result is a very entertaining and engaging tale of secrets, mystery, murder and music.

Video

     Bad Times at the El Royale is presented in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1, in 1080p using the MPEG-4 AVC code.

     Bad Times at the El Royale was shot on 35 mm film and looks fabulous. There is a wonderful depth of field, with the detail, for example, in the El Royale reception / bar / lobby set clearly shown including the jukebox, the chandelier, the fires during the climax. Exteriors are equally clear. Colours are deep and rich, the red border that runs through the hotel, the yellows and oranges, blues and purples of the different states, Darlene’s yellow costume and, at the end, her green dress. Contrast and brightness are consistent, except for some flashbacks – Billy Lee meeting Rose on the beach is deliberately bright and glary while the scene of the group walking through a field of brilliant yellow flowers is deliberately brighter. Blacks are rock solid, shadow detail fine, skin tones good. There is some minor motion blur against blinds or drapes but otherwise marks and artefacts were absent and the print copes with the fires at the end without a problem.

     English subtitles for the hearing impaired are available plus a wide range of European languages and Vietnamese.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     Audio is a choice of English DTS-HD MA 7.1, English descriptive audio (Dolby Digital 5.1) and French DTS 5.1, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Ukrainian Dolby Digital 5.1.

     I do not have a 7.1 set-up but the 5.1 is still pretty impressive. Except for the climax with its gunshots, impacts and fire effects, this is not an action film as such but the audio is used effectively for the music, engines, breaking glass, the thunder and rain, footsteps. Indeed, this is a film with a lot of silences which also works well to enhance the tension. Dialogue is clear and the subwoofer used effectively to add depth to the fire, shots, impacts and the music.

     The original score is by Michael Giacchino, who won an Oscar for his music in Up (2009). As noted in the review, pop music is central to the film with songs by artists including The Four Tops, The Crystals, The Mamas and the Papas and Frankie Valli as well as classics sung in the film by Cynthia Erivo, but I will say that when allowed to the original score works well to increase the tension and uncertainty in scenes.

     There are no lip synchronisation issues.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Making Bad Times at the El Royale (28:35)

     This is a decent featurette with some interesting insights into the making of the film. Using on-set behind the scenes footage, concept art and interviews with writer / director Drew Goddard, cinematographer Seamus McGarvey, producer Jeremy Latcham, the art director, production designer, set decorator, costume designer and cast Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Lewis Pullman, Chris Hemsworth and Cailee Spaeny, covered is how various individuals got involved, designing and building the set, the film’s look including shooting on film and the colour palate, the period music, costumes and the plotting. Certainly worth a look.

Gallery (3:13)

     Approximately 40 images of the set decoration and period items. Silent: the stills advance automatically or can be advanced manually.

Teaser Trailer (2:05)

Theatrical Trailer (2:03)

     This Blu-ray release of Bad Times at the El Royale is the same as the US version.

     Despite its unevenness I loved Bad Times at the El Royale. It is deliciously quirky and things do not go as expected as secrets unravel and the past of the hotel and the guests is revealed. The method of storytelling, with flashbacks and repeated scenes from different viewpoints, may not be for everyone, and there is rather too much story and plot for one film, but if you are looking for something a bit unusual give Bad Times at the El Royale a chance. You will not be disappointed.

     The video is excellent, the audio very good, the extra is genuine and interesting.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall