A Scotsman leaves his home to travel to foreign lands to wage a battle for himself and for his country against those who seek to defeat him. Braveheart? No, it's "The Big Tease," a genuinely enjoyable story of a Scottish hairdresser who comes to Los Angeles to enter into a competition of the most prestigious hair stylists from throughout the world.

While "The Big Tease" has a fun storyline, half the fun is in identifying the many cameos from both the film and styling worlds, including Drew Carey, Jose Yber, Paul Mitchell, Sara Gilbert and the venerable David Hasselhoff. While a far cry from the hair styling world of "Shampoo," the film shows both the glamour of the industry and the and the indignities which Crawford Mackenzie, the film's Scottish protagonist, must suffer to get his HAG card and gain entry into the competition, as he seeks to capture the industry's ultimate prize, The Platinum Scissors Award.

While not necessarily the type of film one might watch over and over, the film ultimately provides an entertaining and enjoyable time. Craig Ferguson does a good job at making Mackenzie likable and the type of hero that a viewer will want to cheer for. The film also features a fun performance by David Rasche, (TV's "Sledgehammer") as a Euro-trash stylist extraordinaire, and Frances Fisher puts also puts in a good performance as an agent who befriends Mackenzie after he does wonders for her hair and self-esteem.

The film is presented in documentary style, and such a style seems to work well. It drives the plot along well and the documentarian does inquire as to how Mackenzie feels at times of both success and defeat. It is also fun to see the other characters react to the presence of the camera, most notably, Rasche's character and Hasselhoff, who plays to his many, many fans in Europe.

While the film is rather devoid of any striking social commentary (except for a scene in which racism rears its ugly head as Makenzie is told "I didn't see Braveheart, we don't drink whiskey and you're not gonna work here") the film contains enough laughs to make the film worth watching.

The Picture

The Big Tease is presented in enhanced widescreen with an aspect ratio to match its original screen presentation and is also presented in a standard full screen version. While not using dazzling visual effects, the film looks good in its transfer and the colors seem fairly true. In addition, there are few imperfections which interfere with the film's viewing.

The Sound

The Big Tease is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound. The film is extremely dialogue driven and there are no noticeable defects in the sound The film's sound is almost entirely dialogue driven and there is no need to adjust the volume at any time during the film in order to enjoy this film. Bonus Materials
Sadly, the lone special feature on this DVD is the inclusion of a Theatrical Trailer. While it has a cast and crew section, the viewer can only see biographical information on the Director. Final Thoughts
While not necessarily a great movie, this film is a lot of fun and is good for an evening's entertainment. While the DVD features no major special features, this isn't necessarily a film which requires further discourse. It is definitely worth a rent, especially for the fantastically original hair styles which comprise the main event in the International Stylists' Competition.