By Julian Roman
DVD Reviews: Matchstick Men
Matchstick Men DVD |
|
DVD Release Date: |
February 24, 2004 |
Director: |
Ridley Scott |
Producers: |
Roger Friedman, Frazer Pennebaker |
Cast: |
Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Alison Lohman, & Bruce
McGill. |
Format: |
Widescreen |
Rated: |
|
Studio: |
Warner Home Video |
Summary: Phobia-addled
con artist Roy (Nicholas Cage) and his protégé Frank
(Sam Rockwell) are on the verge of pulling off a lucrative swindle
when the unexpected arrival of Roy's teenage daughter Angela (Alison
Lohman) disrupts his carefully-ordered life and jeopardizes his
high-risk scam.
· DVD Features:
- Commentary by director/producer Ridley Scott, writer Nicolas
Griffin and writer/producer Ted Griffin
- Theatrical trailer(s)
- "Tricks of the Trade" a three-part, intimate day-to-day
account of the filmmaking process with director Ridley Scott
- Widescreen anamorphic format
DVD’s are the bread and butter of the film industry. It’s
almost like printing money, a piece of plastic that costs $20. The
top gimmick is releasing multiple DVDs of the same film. They hold
back a lot of material for the “special edition”, so you
have to cough up an extra $20 for the goodies you don’t get
on the first disc. The Matchstick Men DVD is such a no frills release,
it reeks of a special edition. If you just want to see the movie,
then it’s fine. The film is quite predictable, but entertaining
nonetheless. If you’re looking for a bunch of special features,
then you won’t find it here. It’s sadly lacking in that
department, about as basic as it gets. Pros:
- Commentary from Ridley Scott (Director), Nicholas Griffin (Writer),
and Ted Griffin (Writer/Producer)
- Behind-the-scenes featurette.
Cons:
- No commentaries from the principal actors. That’s a big
negative because Nicolas Cage, Alison Lohman, and Sam Rockwell
are great in this film.
- The featurette is nothing special. Don’t expect any great
insights in the film.
- One aspect ratio, I saw the widescreen version. There’s
probably a fullscreen release also.
- No insights on the soundtrack. That bothered me because the
music plays a big part in setting the mood for the film.
|
|