Swingers (1996)
Review by HTQ4
Film:
DVD:

Features:

• Audio Commentary with Director Liman and Editor Stephen Mirione
  
• Illustrated Action Commentary with Favreau and Vaughn
  
• Making it in Hollywood Documentary
  
  • Art Imitates Life: Writing the Story
    
  • Life Creates Art: Getting Swingers Made
    
  • Life Imitates Art: Swingers Culture
    
  • Art Creates Life: Life After Swingers
    
• The Cutting Room Floor (deleted scenes)
  
• "Swing Blade" Short Film
  

Mike Peters (Favreau) is a comedian who just moved out to Hollywood from New York because his agent told him they were throwing sitcoms at comedians out here and that he would be an idiot for staying in The Big Apple. This move also caused the breakup of a six year relationship with his girlfriend Michelle. Mike's buddies, Trent, Rob, Charles, and Sue--whose father was a Johnny Cash fan (played by Vaughn, Livingston, Désert, and Van Horn respectively) know he is dealing with the hardship of this breakup, so they all try to do what any friends would do: get him laid. There's only one problem with that, Mike just can't get over Michelle. No matter how hard his buddies try to show him the ropes and get him back into the dating pool, all he can do around other women is talk about how great his relationship with Michelle was...that is until he meets Lorraine (Graham).

This movie starts out with the expectation that it is going to move along at a faster pace than it really does. But, once you settle into it and realize that Favreau is really taking his time setting up his comic bits, it is money (watch the film, you'll understand). If there was to be an Oscar clip from this film it would be where Mike meets a girl at a club, gets her number, and, upon getting home, calls her. She is not home, but he winds up leaving about eighteen messages on her machine in about three minutes. These messages cover every stage of a male/female relationship and it is absolutely perfect in every way. Every character in this story is 100% real. Make no mistake, it is a guy movie in that guys can really relate to the methods and tactics put in place by Mike's friends. However, I think women can get into this movie, too, because Mike is the kind of guy that most women say are the ones they wish they could find: sentimental, funny, charming, etc. I actually wound up feeling sorry for the guy and I wanted to get up and help him out. That's what makes this movie work.

The documentary included is okay. They make it out to look like more on the back cover of the DVD than it actually is. In essence, all it really boils down to a journey from the mind and experiences of Favreau to the screen. Favreau talks about the fact that most of the scenes in the film came directly from his own experiences. However, this is not your typical bit with actors blowing smoke up the other actors' skirts type of featurette. It does actually delve into the film and provides some great insight into what it took to put this film on celluloid.

I was curious to find out what an "Action Commentary" was. You get Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau doing your normal audio commentary, but they do that Monday Night Football thing so they can draw on the screen as they talk: cool idea, but not used to its full potential--all they do is draw circles around things every now and then. And, just in case you don't want to watch them draw circles on the screen, you can listen to the commentary alone. Their track is more about the performances and character development, but the other commentary track with Liman and Mirione provides you with more of their concepts while actually shooting the film. Both of the tracks are worth watching, though.

The term "deleted scenes" doesn't really describe what is in the Cutting Room Floor section of this DVD; alternate takes or alternate edits are more accurate. What these are are basically alternate versions of the raw dailies from the shoot: neat to look at, but there's not really a lot to them.

Then there's the short film "Swing Blade" which is a trailer spoof of a cross between Sling Blade and Swingers. It's only moderately amusing. The concept is actually better than the delivery and presentation of this short film. Still, it's a neat special feature to add to the disc.

So, what I'm saying is put down to the dough and take this one home. The movie is money and the DVD package is not that bad either.