Sur la route d'Ozona

A not-so-creepy tale of travelers in the night in the middle of nowheresville around the junction of Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. Eventually each character will cross paths with one another. In the meantime there's a serial killer out there, too. Robert Forster just did not have a big enough role in this or else maybe it coulda had a chance to better than it is. Taj Mahal as the DJ was excellent, however; his role really helped make this worth watching. Overall it did not pack enough punch and may not be that memorable in the long run. It failed to impress me that much and I will not be in a hurry to ever see it again.

5.3 / 10 Stars

--Zoooma, a Kat Pirate Screener

As I was flicking through channels one night I just caught the beginning of a film. It was probably the names of Swoozie Kurtz and Meat Loaf that made me go 'what the heck, I'll watch'. The acting is not superb, but the film doesn't demand great acting. The script isn't brilliant, but the film doesn't demand a great script. Taj Mahal (an interesting name) is the highlight as latenight radio host Dix Mayal. A few gory scenes but interesting to see how the night progresses.

Outside Ozona is a creepy, quirky offbeat web of interesting characters woven into a tapestry of American life on the fringes, in the hinterlands. Numerous standout character performances spice up a slow building story- including Kevin Pollak as an acerbic, grouchy clown, Penelope Ann Miller as his stripper girlfriend . For the music fan we have the great Taj Mahal as a late night radio DJ as well as Meat Loaf as his boss- they could be their own "cant stand each other" buddy flick.

The heart of the movie is in the performances of Kateri Walker and Robert Forster- he"s a trucker and she's a school teacher out of gas in unfriendly territory. My reason for writing this review is to alert fans of Robert Forsters work to this great performance- he is everything he is in Jackie Brown in this one --ENJOY

I liked this movie because of it's excellent character development. All except the serial killer were interesting people. However, the main protagonist was the least developed character, and that weakened the whole film. The converging story lines maintained interest for the most part, other than a couple overlong stories that were nothing more than padding. The last scene in the radio station was totally unnecessary. Acting was above average, and the desert locations felt right. When the characters eventually meet their destiny, it is handled far better than many mainstream movies. A little script tightening, and more development of the killer would have improved what is already an above average film. - MERK

'Outside Ozona', an off-beat dark comedy/thriller directed by J.S. Cardone, is a little gem, brightened by a cast of established Hollywood actors. The story involves a serial killer, pursued by agent Lucy Webb (in a role reminiscent of Frances McDormand, in 'Fargo'), but it is really a character study of a group of people whose lives will be changed forever by the killer, during one eventful night.

Standouts in the large cast include Taj Mahal, as a burned-out deejay at a country music station, who switches the playlist to rhythm and blues, and ruminates about life; Robert Forster, portraying a good-hearted trucker dealing with loneliness following the death of his wife; Kevin Pollack and Penelope Ann Miller (who is EXCELLENT!), as an unemployed circus clown and his dancer/hooker girlfriend; and Sherilyn Fenn (cast WAY against type!), as a shrewish, materialistic woman travelling with her sister to visit their father. As each character's story unfolds, you are drawn into a rich, involving tale of humor, melancholy, and a touch of the macabre!

The film is very well-paced, and will hold your attention, throughout, and the explosive climax is both exciting and emotionally satisfying!

Take a drive down the highway 'Outside Ozona'...you'll enjoy the trip!