Editor’s Note: This was originally published for FANGORIA on May 3, 2002, and we’re proud to share it as part of The Gingold Files.
So many movies have been famously botched through prerelease editing, reshooting and second-guessing that it’s a relief to find one that was actually improved by the process. And as Fox Home Entertainment’s DVD of Joy Ride proves, the filmmakers made sure to cover themselves when reconceiving the third act. No less than four alternative versions of the new ending are included on the disc, along with the entire original last half hour, which is thoroughly different from the one moviegoers saw (beyond the fact that some of the cornfield-set climax was worked into the theatrical cut).
It’s pretty much inarguable that this initial ending is not as effective as the new one, being not only more generic but also containing direct lifts from Jaws and The Hitcher (which scriptwriters Clay Tarver and J.J. Abrams acknowledge in their audio commentary for this section). Whether any of the variations on the motel-set climax (most of which give villainous Rusty Nail a more physical part in the action) are better than the one that wound up being used is a matter of individual taste. Personally, I would love to have seen the one in which Mr. Nail falls victim to his own shotgun with a packed audience, though the filmmakers were apparently so ambivalent about this conclusion that it was never completely shot, and exists here as a combination of footage and storyboards.
Tarver and Abrams’ commentary explains why these incarnations were abandoned, and note that Charlotte, the abducted roommate of heroine Venna (Leelee Sobieski), was originally found dead in them (a moment not included on the disc, though you can see a photo of it in Fango #207). Their talk combines astute observation with good humor—for a sequence in which Venna blows away Rusty Nail, Abrams quips, “This is where I came up with the whole idea for Alias,” and the duo reveal that director John Dahl, who crafted the aforementioned storyboards himself, once performed that task on the aborted David Lee Roth movie Crazy from the Heat. Dahl himself also has a commentary on the deleted/alternate scenes, though it’s pretty sparing (at least the writers’ comes with a warning that there’s a 14-minute gap involved); over an extended cut of the motel-room liaison between Venna and Fuller (Steve Zahn), Sobieski takes the opportunity to tell a funny Stanley Kubrick story from her time on the Eyes Wide Shut set.
All this would be enough to make the Joy Ride disc worthwhile, but there’s much, much more. Like another underattended Fox chiller, Ravenous, this one is graced with three feature commentaries, each of them distinct and interesting. Dahl opens his with a sardonic comment on audio tracks that do nothing but describe the onscreen action, and goes on to avoid that pitfall himself. His talk ranges wide, explaining the technical challenges of the shoot, breaking down the action/suspense scenes, musing on the differences between shooting his own material and others’ and revealing his specific personal tastes, as when he complains about current anti-smoking restrictions in Hollywood.
Early in Tarver and Abrams’ own talk, one says, “We’re going to have a radio show,” before they demonstrate that such a program might be welcome. The guys have a great camaraderie forged over the four years (!) they worked on Joy Ride, and share plenty of informative tidbits, most notably about the characters and their motivations, and scenes that were scripted but never shot; like Dahl, they point out some that were initially cut but put back into the film. Fango fan Abrams even brings up his interview for the magazine, admitting that he felt bad there wasn’t much onscreen bloodshed to talk about. (P.S., J.J.: If you still need a copy, send us your address and we’ll be happy to mail you one. Love Alias, by the way.)
Finally, Zahn and Sobieski share the third track; the latter starts off also making fun of narrative commentaries before ceding to Zahn, who like Sobieski has fun with his talk. The actor, who thinks many things about the movie “kick butt,” briefly gets serious when musing about the acting process, but mostly shares anecdotes, goofs on the movie and makes funny noises. You start to want Sobieski back during the gaps in his comments, and she takes over once her character reappears at the 48-minute mark. Sobieski delivers her monologue with an engaging mixture of self-possession and silliness, offering occasional jaw-droppers like “This is a Nazi film” in reference to her, Zahn and co-star Paul Walker’s blond-haired/blue-eyed appearances. Interestingly, while the movie’s look is discussed on all three tracks, the actors are the only ones who identify cinematographer Jeffrey Jur by name.
Both stars also reveal that Tarver provided Rusty Nail’s voice during production, and he can be heard during the original ending. In addition, the DVD provides takes of a key scene with three potential villain voices: Eric Roberts and The Stepfather’s Stephen Shellen (whose lines are different from those used in the final film) along with Ted Levine, who wound up Nailing the part. Oh yeah, and then there’s the movie itself, rendered in a pristine 2.35:1 image that does a great job capturing the naturalistic daytime exteriors, the deep black nights, the stable neon reds and the sickly green of the brothers’ hotel room. The Dolby 5.1 Surround audio is equally fine, adding punch to the action scenes and eerie ambiance to the suspenseful moments.
Referring to the many alterations the film went through, Dahl notes that “The thing about making movies is, it’s impossible to think of everything.” Clearly, the Fox Video people had no such problem. This is an absolutely first-rate disc.
