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Fight Club
DVD Review by Yanman |
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"The first rule of fight club is: You do not talk about Fight Club" The rule above should also apply to reviewers and critics, they should tell very little about the plot line, and let the audience make some decisions themselves. This is a film very like some others (Sixth Sense, and Scream come to mind), where letting the audience in on some of the films nuances could spoil the film. In one of this DVD's four commentaries, Edward Norton complains about Rosie O'Donnell, doing just that, completely ruining the film for many people, and that was when it was still in the theaters. With that out of the way, and with the knowledge that no one here wants to impair our viewer's enjoyment of any films, let's talk about Fight Club. One of the best descriptions we have heard of Fight Club was along the lines of "It was the best acted, good story line, interesting plot twists, movie that I have ever seen and yet I still didn't like it." We think many people may end up feeling this way, and for many different reasons. First off the acting is superb, there are top-notch performances by both Brad Pitt (Tyler Durden) and Edward Norton (Jack). The writing and story are incredible, from the opening scene to the end credits; you know that you are watching something different. Rounding out this list of kudos you can add one of the phenomenal directing by David Fincher, each difficult scene of the film is well blocked, lighted, and framed, the time spent "getting it right" clearly shows. OK, so why would anyone not like it? Well, Fight Club is one of those dark films, with a disturbing underlining message (not unlike Seven or Silence of the Lambs), that leaves most people feeling a little uneasy by the end of the movie. This is not a movie you want to watch when you are depressed, it will make it worse, then again if you watch it when you are happy then you may end up depressed. Making this one a catch 22, no? Above and beyond all of that though, Fight Club is an extremely violent flick, and we are not talking about lots of shooting but only a little blood (ala Matrix), we are talking about bare-knuckled blood in your face brutality. To watch or not to watch, that is the question. Some people prefer not to explore the darkest side of the human psyche; others believe that only through this exploration can you find the light. If your choice is to watch, then be forewarned, because there is much to think about with this one. The audio and video qualities are both very good on this THX approved Dolby Digital 5.1 and anamorphic enhanced 2.40:1 widescreen DVD. As an added bonus, there is a THX video and audio, setup tool included on this disk. This is like a mini Video Essentials, that walks you step by step through the proper configuration of your TV (or other video source) and sound system using a number of test patterns and test tones. While this is no replacement for professional calibration and is only a "light" version of the better do it your self-tests, it is certainly better than no adjustment at all, and may help to educate some on the benefits of proper calibration. Two disk DVD sets have set the standard for supplemental material, and Fight Club is right there raising this bar even higher. With not one, but four feature-length commentary tracks, 17 behind-the-scenes vignettes each with multiple angles and commentary, outtakes, deleted scenes, storyboards, and more. And these are not your standard extras either, most are interactive with choices of angles, commentary, comparisons between the raw footage or cut scene and its end result excreta. Making what at first appears to be one extra, end up being more like eight. What does all this really mean? Well, if you are a real movie buff, or extra hound, be prepared to set aside a weekend (better make that a long weekend), to watch all the extras here. Add this one to the top ten lists for sure! "The second rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about fight club". This is one of those movies that after it is over, you will want to talk about it, discuss it, and/or critique it. Please follow our lead, and only discuss it with other "members", leaving new recruits to make their own connections to this unique film. Otherwise we will have to wash your mouth out with a special bar of "Tyler Durden soap" and we can only guess how that might taste…
This DVD was reviewed on Yanman.com's Reference Theater #1, using a Toshiba SD-5109 DVD player, Toshiba TW56X81, and M&K 750 THX Speakers. Panamax protects all systems at Yanman.com. |
Fight Club Two disk DVD sets have set the standard for supplemental material, and Fight Club is right there raising this bar even higher. Staring: Brad Pitt Directed By: David Fincher Running time: 139 Min Bonus Materials
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