Made & Swingers: The Money DVD-Video Collection: 2-Disc Double DVD Feature
Title:
Made: Special Edition
Region:
One
Genre:
Dark Comedy
Stars:
Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Sean Combs, Famke Janssen, Faizon Love, Vincent
Pastore, and Peter Falk
Writer:
Jon Favreau
Director:
Jon Favreau
Feature
length: 94 minutes
Extras:
Audio Commentary With Optional Telestrator With Actor, Writer, Producer, and
Director Jon Favreau and Actor and Producer Vince Vaughn, Deleted Scenes,
Outtakes, and Alternate Scenes, Scene Edit Workshop, Trailers, Cast And Crew
Information, 3 Documentaries, Production Notes, Music Cues, and DVD-ROM
Interactive Screenplay Index
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitles:
English Closed Captions and Spanish Subtitles
Packaging:
Double Alpha Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 16
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Stereo Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 2001/DVD Release: 2002
Theatrical
Distributor: Artisan Entertainment
Home
Video Distributor: Artisan Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: R
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Jon
Favreau and Vince Vaughn reunited for the first time since the comedy sleeper
“Swingers” to make this independently produced feature length dark comedy
that Jon Favreau wrote and directed and co-produced with Vince Vaughn for five
million dollars in 28 days with location shooting in both Los Angeles and New
York City. Upon first seeing the trailer in the movie theater, I thought for a
second that this was a sequel to “Swingers”, but it is not though the
character types both actors play are somewhat similar to the ones the portrayed
in “Swingers”, which was written by Jon Favreau as well. Favreau is a
boxer who lives with a single mother stripper, played by Famke Janssen, that he
also bodyguards at bachelor parties. When an overzealous guy (cameo by Jonathan
Silverman) gets a little too touchy with Favreau’s character’s girlfriend,
he gets his jaw punched and now Favreau has to make it up to his mob boss (Peter
Falk) to pay for 8 thousand dollar dental bill that his boss was left
holding the bag on because of his actions.
He
wants his girlfriend to quit stripping and he wants to put her daughter through
private school, but boxing is paying the bills and now that he is indebted
even more to his boss, he agrees to take what should be a straight forward money
laundering cash drop in New York to pay off his debts and have enough money to
buy his girlfriend out of stripping and of course put her daughter through
school. However, his childhood friend (Vince Vaughn) thinks this assignment is
going to make them both “made” men and basically does a slightly more cocky
variation on the same character he played in “Swingers.”
The
film has a more brooding if not depressing in tone than “Swingers” though
Jon Favreau and Vaughn still share fantastic onscreen chemistry and Vaughn is
quite funny for the most part. The two roles that are a standout belong to Sean
Combs and Faizon Love. Combs is actually quite good in the role he is given and
plays it with a degree of regality that contrasts well with Vaughn’s
hyperactive character. Faizon Love steals almost every scene he appears in
because he brings a human quality to his role that none of the other actors ever
really reach in the film.
The
film is presented in an anamorphic (1.78:1) aspect ratio with minimal grain and
a dynamic English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack that aggressively uses
the channels to maximum effect. An English Dolby Surround Soundtrack option is
also present along with English Closed Captions and Spanish Subtitles.
Jon
Favreau has really put his heart and soul into making this Artisan Home
Entertainment DVD release a great special edition. For starters both Favreau and
Vaughn participate in a screen specific audio commentary complete with an
optional Telestrator that allows both guys to circle on screen what they are
referring to so the viewer what they are talking about. Jon Favreau also
provides optional audio commentary for 5 deleted scenes, and 9 alternate scenes
and there are 9 additional outtakes as well as an Easter egg of extended
stripper footage hidden on Title 13, Chapter 13. It is easy to reach if you fast
forward the last alternate scene and let it run, the extended footage not listed
on the DVD will automatically play. Just be sure to stop fast forwarding when
the new footage stops because it will pass and then the only way to access the
footage is to go back and do the same thing again. This Easter egg cannot be
viewed by watching the alternate scene normally. If you do so, when it is
over you will end up in the interactive menu screen so try not to miss it
because I found this Easter egg accidentally and went through everything
detailed above to find it again so I could pass on the information to you
all.
While
the quality on the deleted scenes is equal to the quality on the feature, the
alternate scenes and outtakes are simply letterboxed from a videotaped. There
are music cues for music that appears in the film as well as music that did not
get into the final feature for listening enjoyment and there are three
featurettes that can be watched separately or as one long 39-minute documentary.
There is also a scene editing workshop that allows users to create their own cut
of a scene on their DVD players and Windows based DVD-ROM users have access to
the complete screenplay. The theatrical teaser and trailer along with production
notes and cast and crew information wrap up the extra features on this DVD
release.
The
menus feature full motion animated transitions and scene selections and are easy
to navigate. There is an 8 page insert with liner notes included within the DVD
keep case and on the back of the booklet is an announcement for the upcoming
“Reservoir Dogs: Tenth Anniversary Special Edition” coming from Artisan Home
Entertainment.
“Made:
Special Edition” is a solid DVD release that is available now as a part of the
“Made & Swingers: The Money DVD-Video Collection: 2-Disc Double DVD
Feature” from Artisan Home Entertainment. Collectively having both “Made”
and Swingers” makes for an excellent value.
©
Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.