DVD Reviews

Bloodhounds Of Broadway

Take a few pulp fiction stories, add a little bit of jazz, and throw in an ensemble cast, and you got Bloodhounds of Broadway, a flashy mix of romance, music, comedy and drama on New Year’s Eve in 1928. Featuring the likes of Matt Dillon, Randy Quaid, and Madonna, this film about love and luck is actually an adaptation of four short stories from pulp fiction writer Damon Runyon and is told from the eyes of a hardboiled reporter who watches the events unfold. At times the film is funny, at times it is romantic, and at times the stars of the film give off a good performance, especially Randy Quaid. But for the most part the film falls short of being memorable. The mix of four stories into one is too much to develop a cohesive storyline. Rather, it is a mere series of events that happen one night, which becomes really tacky towards the end. Regardless it is a somewhat entertaining film that captures the jazz-age pretty well.

The film unfortunately received poor reviews from critics and was quickly forgotten shortly after its release. With its release on DVD it attempts to find a new audience, but it may be too late for that. The film has been forgotten for too long and, thanks to certain contemporary films, is inferior by today’s standards. The DVD is rather mediocre as well; with a lackluster image, a bland mono soundtrack, and no special features, it certainly will not help the film find an audience. Truthfully this film on DVD will likely become forgotten once again. It is not a horrible film; at times it can be quite amusing and entertaining. But the film does have it faults and is pretty much superseded now. It just won’t have the same appeal today it could’ve had when it was released. The film is still worth checking out, and you might even enjoy it, but Bloodhounds of Broadway is only a middle-of-the-road romantic-comedy the never found much of an audience and will likely not find one with an insignificant release on DVD. Don’t feel bad if you miss this one.

Review By Chris Emery