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Stars:
Debra Winger, Dennis Quaid, Arliss Howard, M. Emmett Walsh, and Jim Varney
Writer:
Vince Gilligan
Director:
Glen Gordon Caron
Feature
length: 109 minutes
Extras:
Trailers
Languages:
English Dolby Surround Sound
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions
Packaging:
Amaray Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 28
Sound:
Dolby Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 1993/DVD Release: 2003
Theatrical
Distributor: TriStar Pictures
Home
Video Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: PG-13
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Glen
Gordon Caron (Moonlighting) directed this offbeat dark comedy fantasy, which
stars Dennis Quaid and Arliss Howard as two feuding brothers with the uncanny
ability to spontaneously create and manipulate fire. One brother (Howard) is a
volunteer fireman and photo clerk whose wife (Debra Winger) has been under house
arrest in their modest trailer like home presumably as a means of covering up
his ability to create and project fire. She’s flamboyant and at times
downright flirty, but all she wants is a better life for her and husband, who
refuses to use his gift as a means of garnering fame and fortune because of the
unforeseen harm it could cause others and himself. When his brother Wilder (Quaid)
enters town with the circus and a plan to break his gift on national television
as “Dr. Napalm” in order to cash in on TV commercial endorsements, the
brothers clash in a climactic battle that nearly burns them and everything
around them.
With
a screenplay by Vince Gilligan, “Wilder Napalm” is certainly an entertaining
mix of dark romantic comedy with quirky characters that include M. Emmett Walsh
as the local fire marshal and Jim Varney as one of the carnival folk. Dennis
Quaid looks positively frightening in his clown makeup. Columbia TriStar Home
Entertainment presents “Wilder Napalm” in an anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1)
presentation. The back of the packaging merely states the transfer as being
“Widescreen,” but I double checked the disc on my PC to be certain and the
transfer is indeed anamorphic. Unfortunately the transfer is a bit murky at
times as if it were taken from an old laserdisc instead of a fresh new print.
The English Dolby Surround Soundtrack is clear and effective and English
Captions and Closed Captions for the hearing impaired are encoded onto the DVD
as options too.
Unfortunately
there are no extra features related directly to the film. Just bonus trailers
for “Big Daddy” (2:35), “Daddy Daycare” (2:19), “Mr. Deeds” (2:29),
“National Security” (2:06), and “Stealing Harvard” (2:30) are included.
The menus are standard interactive still frames that are easy to navigate.
“Wilder
Napalm” will
be available on DVD-Video on
Tuesday, September 9, 2003 from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
and is worth a look for those who like something a bit stranger than the average
comedy.
©
Copyright 2003 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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