It’s a puzzling thing the production company that chooses to do a period piece when they have next to no budget to work with. Creating a film whose story takes place over a century in the past, or even just decades, requires a lot of consideration in order to avoid anachronisms in costuming, plot, and every other element that goes into creating a film. A Cold Day in Hell is another low-budget Western which suffers from some horrible writing and acting but then gets a slight bump above other similarly produced films thanks to a few decent performances sprinkled about the mediocrity, most notably in this case is Michael Madsen.
In a story not uncommon for Westerns, the plot of A Cold Day in Hell has a smoky, brazen hero (Madsen) take on a powerful public figure and his army of hired goons. To the film’s credit, it’s not the worst entry into the low-budget western in recent memory, as this time around the worst performances come from the extras (most likely friends and family of the cast and crew) and not the leads. Madsen doesn’t actually add much to the film as he seems to barely be acting at all and just grumbles his lines. If that’s all that’s required to be a lone wolf Marshal, then Madsen was wasted here.
For Western fans starved for films to watch, this could serve as a last-ditch reserve, but otherwise it should be skipped in favor of rewatching one you’ve already seen.
DVD Bonus Features
A stills gallery and worthless audio commentary are all you’ll find here.
"A Cold Day in Hell" is on sale June 14, 2011 and is rated PG13. Western. Directed by Christopher Forbes. Written by Christopher Forbes, Jim Hilton. Starring Michael Madsen.
