Cartman's 2-Minute DVD Review
The fun thing about DVDs is the extra doo-dads they put on some of them, and the special edition of Rushmore is no exception. This is why you bought a DVD player, folks. You get the usual trailer and The Making Of.... shortie. But you also get storyboards for five scenes, a film-storyboard comparison for the intro scene, and a few auditions. (Oddly, while Jason Schwartzman's audition is okay, Scotsman Stephen McCole [exchange student Magnus Buchan] is better.)
Also, a very special Charlie Rose, with Bill Murray in the first half, and Wes Anderson in the second. Murray, who has a resemblance to '70s impressionist John Byner these days, is funny and engaging, despite Rose's inept interviewing. (The first five minutes are devoted to Murray's opinion on Mike Ovitz starting up another agency with his golden parachute from Disney. It's not as fascinating as it sounds.) Rose, who has a resemblance to a drunken sunburned reptile with a bad combover, gives my hero Larry King a run for his money in the ongoing Worst Interviewer sweepstakes. Still, once he settles down, Rose actually gets some interesting anecdotes from both Murray and Anderson.
Let's see, what else? An alternate audio track, featuring Anderson, Schwartzman, and co-writer Owen Wilson commenting throughout scenes. This is actually a very cool idea.
Anderson supposedly took a large role in designing this edition, and like the movie itself, it has the mark of being handled by someone who cares about the end result. I paid $31.99 (I hear Amazon does a little price-fixing on some items, so YMMV), but it's worth it. Very well put together.
As for the movie itself, if you haven't seen it, you're missing out. Rushmore is a wonderful movie about loneliness and friendship, and other stuff. It's about a horny nerd, but he doesn't fuck an apple pie. It's sentimental without being maudlin, funny without being dumb.
And not only is the music really cool, it is used very inventively. Scene 14 (You Are Forgiven), where Schwartzman and Murray escalate their little war, to the tune of the last part of the Who's A Quick One While He's Away, is one-of-a-kind. The music works with the scene in such a spectacular way, you'll wonder how you ever sat through one of those cheeseball soundtrack schlockfests like Top Gun.
Great, great movie with a terrific anti-hero. No car chases, no explosions, no gratuitous nonsense, no arch artsy-fartsy overacting, no bullshit. Just a good movie, made even better with the fun DVD toys. Joe Bob says check it out.
