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The term
"black comedy" came to be used in reference to movies that
made the audience laugh at things that weren't (or aren't)
generally thought to be comedy material. A perfect example
is Pulp Fiction, specifically when Marvin gets "shot in the
face,"-I often laugh just thinking about it. Lately, movies
have begun to push the envelope even more, with traditionally
held barriers of taste and decency falling almost daily as
each new release seeks to outdo last week's big gross-out.
I only bring all this up in order to preface my discussion
of Peter Berg's debut directorial effort, Very Bad Things.
The movie is sick, offensive and disgusting, pausing in its
repulsive onslaught only to take aim at a new "politically
correct" target. The film is also very funny.
A group
of guys go to Las Vegas to have one last fling before one
of their own ties the knot. The group includes the usual assortment
of stock types: the mover and shaker, the family man, the
swinging single, the bookish nerd, and the groom, who struggles
to balance having a wild night out with his buddies with "maintaining
the dignity of his office." Not long after arriving in Las
Vegas, the fun begins, eventually resulting in the death of
a prostitute. To reveal more would do a disservice to the
film, as much of the humor relies on various twists and turns
of the plot for its effectiveness.
The first
15 minutes moves rather slowly, with Berg, who also wrote
the screenplay biding his time and lulling the viewer into
a false sense of security. Once the body appears, Berg quickly
spins the movie out of control, assaulting everything that
has recently become protected by the PC movement. If it could
offend, it's in there, which leads me to the following disclaimer-Very
Bad Things isn't for everybody. The first reality check comes
twenty minutes in as the guys go shopping for cleaning supplies
and proceed to try to cover up the result of some misguided
actions. This is the point where you either surrender completely,
letting yourself be carried along by the film's infectiously
anarchic flow, or you turn it off and wonder what kind of
sick pervert would watch such a thing. When I saw Very Bad
Things in the theater, two couples walked out. I surrendered.
The raucous
goings-on are made palatable by a superb ensemble cast including
Christian Slater (returning to his Heathers roots), Jeremy
Piven, Daniel Stern, and Jon Favreau. Each plays their respective
role with just the right amount of tongue in cheek. Stern
stands out as the trapped family man, with Piven going through
some excellent contortions as his brother. Even the supporting
cast shines, especially Cameron Diaz, who plays the bride-to-be
with a delectable malice that hovers just beneath her perky
demeanor.
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
The picture
on Polygram's DVD release is nicely rendered. Framed at 1.85:1,
colors are subdued, occasionally wanting, with natural looking
fleshtones and deep solid blacks. Shadow detail is consistently
strong, an important factor given much of the film's dark
lighting, and the overall image is helped by anamorphic enhancement.
The film is also presented full-frame, with the top and bottom
opened up and the sides of the image only slightly trimmed,
but Berg's framing makes the widescreen presentation the preferred
experience. The picture defaults to full-frame, but gives
you the choice prior to starting the film. The pictures one
drawback is its occasional soft focus, giving the film a hazy
look at times that may or may not have been the filmmaker's
intention.
Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?
The soundtrack
is consistently strong with lfe punctuating the action. Music
is well mixed and full, with spatially integrated effects.
Dialogue tends to sound overly forward and ADR produced, but
never gets lost in the rest of the mix. The discrete abilities
of the surround channels are only occasionally put to use,
and then not very effectively, but the surround channel is
constantly active. The resulting soundfield is satisfying,
though one wonder how much better it could have been. The
film defaults to the 2-channel track also included on the
DVD, but can be changed on the fly. There is also a French
5.1 track.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There? Supplements
are standard and include the theatrical trailer and cast &
crew biographies. It also includes english subtitles. The
biggest loss is a director's commentary, which would have
been greatly appreciated given the nature of the film.
Parting Thoughts
Very Bad
Things is the perfect movie to separate your friends from
your enemies. Its violent and often offensive antics will
either have you rolling on the floor or searching for that
receipt. Either way, if you like your comedy black, it doesn't
get any blacker.
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