Watching a loved one physically suffer can be torture, with
the survivors experiencing greater agony than those fighting death. But what
happens when the patient finds their care lacking — even if they are burned
beyond recognition? From the twisted minds of director Rob Schmidt (Wrong Turn) and writer John Esposito (Graveyard Shift) comes Right to Die, a film sure not to spark spirited debate among
lawmakers regarding euthanasia.
Martin Donovan as Cliff Addison, a man harboring a guilty secret from his wife
Abby (The Dead Zone’s Julia
Anderson). He’s committing adultery, you see. When a car accident on a lonely
country road results in Julia being horribly burned over most of her body, however,
Cliff additionally carries the emotional and legal burden of helplessly
watching over his comatose wife — barely living, but still legally and
medically alive. Conflicted, but also motivated by self-interest, Cliff is
determined to get a court order to put her out of her pain. With her condition
worsening, Abby repeatedly flat-lines and is revived. But each time she
clinically “dies,” Abby’s apparition seeks vengeance on those who stand to
profit from her suffering, including a slick attorney (Corbin Bernsen). Pricked
by his conscience, Cliff now searches for a suitable skin donor to save Abby.
As the clock ticks off precious minutes, a race ensues, with souls as well as
lives hanging in the balance.
and directed by some of the genre’s leading practitioners, debuted on the
Showtime cable network in October 2005 to critical and public acclaim, but
Anchor Bay has also been pumping out high-quality DVDs of these one-hour features,
and this release is no different in its wide array of bonus offerings. Housed
in a cardboard slipcover and presented in 1.78:1 widescreen, enhanced for 16×9
televisions, Right to Die comes with
an audio commentary track with director Schmidt in which he discusses the
limited production means of the project, and how this was a freeing inspiration
of a sort. A solid little making-of featurette is also included, while a
segment entitled “Flay-O-Trish” takes a more focused look at the movie’s bloody
special effects. Rounding things out is a scrollable image gallery. B (Movie)
B+ (Disc)