Video:

The video transfer of Southlander is a good example of good technical DVD work on horrible, horrible original elements. Most of the time, poor original elements come from age or storage in bad conditions. In this case, Southlander is just not a technically competent film. Sound:

The music comes across very well on the DVD's 5.1 soundtrack, though the 2.0 track is competent as well. The dialogue comes out as well, even though much of it laid over music.

Extras:

An interesting feature-length commentary with Hanft and writer/actor Ross Harris explains some of the obstacles of low-budget filmmaking. In between saying hi to their friends in the film, they do a respectable job explaining what we're seeing and why we're seeing it. We find out that the scripted portions of the film came together in three weeks, which makes sense – as does Hanft's explanation/apology, "I never worked with too many professional actors before."

There's also a great deal of unused footage included, most notably full versions of songs by Beck and Orton. Many of the scenes go a long way towards fleshing out the story, but come off as stagy and unnatural. It's almost as if Hanft and company had a choice to make in editing: Have the story make sense, or go with something more "atmospheric," less coherent but with better footage. Neither way would have made the film work, but the latter made it more interesting.

Final Thoughts:

For hardcore fans of the musicians that appear in Southlander, the film may be worth a rental to see the artists in a new arena. But for everyone else, there isn't much here worth salvaging.