Product Details

• Actors: Jonathan Penner, Randall Batinkoff, Norman Reedus, Jamey Sheridan, Brooke Taylor
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English, German
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Unapix / a-Pix Ent.
• DVD Release Date: June 27, 2000
• Run Time: 95 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1578482917
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #212,363 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Let the Devil Wear Black" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

"There's something rotten in the City of Angels," claims the video box. Sure enough, under the dysfunctional dealings of a family business is the story of Hamlet retooled for the twilight world of nocturnal L.A. Jack (Jonathan Penner, who cowrote the screenplay with director Stacy Title) is spending a joyless break from graduate school to deal with his father's sudden death. He's disconnected from his unstable lover (Mary-Louise Parker), the daughter of family lawyer Philip Baker Hall, and his mom (Jacqueline Bisset), a withdrawn alcoholic who has let his "2-watt" Uncle Carl (Jamey Sheridan) manage the family fortune. When a mysterious figure tells him that Carl murdered his father, Jack's unsettled feelings are thrown into a restless rage. This official Slamdance 1999 selection is never as moving or insightful as Michael Almereyda's Wall Street Hamlet with Ethan Hawke, but Title makes the most of this free adaptation, and drives the film with the simmering energy of a frantic, wound-up hero. It's surprising how well the story lends itself to the double-crossing and devious betrayal of modern neo-noir, only periodically stopping for a Shakespearean rumination (the "Alas, poor Yorick" speech becomes a meditation on a skull fragment, the remains of a brutal execution-style murder). Title makes the fatal architecture of Shakespeare work beautifully and unpretentiously in a modern context, creating a modest but satisfying gritty little thriller. --Sean Axmaker

Product Description

There's something rotten in the City of Angels, claims the video box. Sure enough, under the dysfunctional dealings of a family business is the story of "Hamlet" retooled for the twilight world of nocturnal L.A. Jack (Jonathan Penner, who cowrote the screenplay with director Stacy Title) is spending a joyless break from graduate school to deal with his father's sudden death. He's disconnected from his unstable lover (Mary-Louise Parker), the daughter of family lawyer Philip Baker Hall, and his mom (Jacqueline Bisset), a withdrawn alcoholic who has let his "2-watt" Uncle Carl (Jamey Sheridan) manage the family fortune. When a mysterious figure tells him that Carl murdered his father, Jack's unsettled feelings are thrown into a restless rage. This official Slamdance 1999 selection is never as moving or insightful as Michael Almereyda's Wall Street "Hamlet" with Ethan Hawke, but Title makes the most of this free adaptation, and drives the film with the simmering energy of a frantic, wound-up hero. It's surprising how well the story lends itself to the double-crossing and devious betrayal of modern neo-noir, only periodically stopping for a Shakespearean rumination (the "Alas, poor Yorick" speech becomes a meditation on a skull fragment, the remains of a brutal execution-style murder). Title makes the fatal architecture of Shakespeare work beautifully and unpretentiously in a modern context, creating a modest but satisfying gritty little thriller. "--Sean Axmaker"

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Confusing title, satisfying film, November 21, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Let the Devil Wear Black [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Hewing closely as it does to the basic outline of "Hamlet", I expected not to be surprised by "Let the Devil Wear Black"--but this movie is liberated enough to function admirably well on its own with its own quirks, internal logic, and occasional flashes of real wit.
Jonathan Penner, a stunningly beautiful actor, portrays a hero whose history of institutionalization keeps our response to his deep suspicion and contacts with his dead father ambivalent--is there a hideous conspiracy afoot, or is Jack just losing it?? Mary-Louise Parker is suitably fragile as his nut-house sweetheart, and the two share love scenes which, despite their graphic nature, still come off as tender and spontaneous, neither brutal nor obligatory.
The supporting performances were equally strong--not a false note in the bunch. Again, I was surprised to find this movie so engrossing, but I was entirely caught up in Jack's dilemma--and he even made me laugh out loud once or twice.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A little Pepto will do., November 5, 2001

By 

Fredrick A. Waff "Foul Ball Freddy" (Cooperstown MLB) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Let the Devil Wear Black (DVD)

Hamlet set in the sleazy underworld of L.A.
I saw half of this on cable and thought what the hell, So I bought it and was pleasantly surprised. The Acting is Top notch, Great Character actors Maury Chaukin,Phillip Baker Hall. and Mary Louise Parker all do a fine job. The Alas poor Yorik Scene works really Well.
So if you like contemporary updates of the Bards work. Check this one out.
3 and 1/2 stars.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, yet stick with Hamlet, August 31, 2003

By 

Bruce A. Nelson "sydpink" (Worcester, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Let the Devil Wear Black (DVD)

Although the title of Stacy Title's 1999 film noir reinvention of the great bard's Hamlet may be the best thing about the film, it at least makes for an interesting viewing. Title takes Shakespeare's classic and updates it to a sleazy, dark, hot and decadent modern LA (which when you think about it, is not much a stretch). It's a well made film with some very creative, if not haunting flashback and dream sequences. The cast and their performances, for the most part is top notch. In small roles, Jacqueline Bisset and Mary-Louise Parker shine. Parker, who plays the drug and dog food sampling Julia/Ophelia, is the most sympathetic character in the film among a company of sociopaths, drug dealers, criminals and complete losers.

There lies the problem with the film. The characters are for the most part so unlikable, that one could almost care less if Jack (played deliberately over the top by Jonathan Penner) ever avenges his father's suspicious death. In fact, several times during the viewing I was hoping Title would break with Shakespeare and bump off Jack. His "love" scenes with Parker are crude and unaffectionate, making him even more unlikable. Penner's portrayal can be fun at times, yet it's hard to be compassionate or relate to a guy like Jack (unless maybe you are filthy rich, obsessed and have a fetish for sex in restrooms). When sleazy characters are well written, as they are in Scorsese's films, the audience can get to know, like them, even root for them. Here, they are shallow, heartless, almost totally unattractive, stupid at times and rather uninteresting (no, I did not like them). The climax is overblown and ridiculous. Fortunately and thankfully, few are left alive at the film's conclusion.

Still, despite all the flaws. I can't help but recommend the film for film noir fans or those who are looking for "something different" as the filmmaking itself is interesting and well done. With a better script and well-developed characters, it could have been a very good film. However, for great writing, stick with old Bill's Hamlet