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Loser
Columbia/Tri-Star // PG-13 // December 19, 2000
List Price: $24.95 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
I remember seeing the trailer for "Loser" on that large silver screen and actually being somewhat excited. No, not because of Mena Suvari, whose anthropomorphic-carp-like appearance I've always found a little unsettling. And no, not because of Jason Biggs, who seems to be pretty talented, but has had the bad luck of starring in two of my least favorite movies of recent memory, "American Pie" and "Boys and Girls". (The latter, by the way, is the worst movie I've ever seen theatrically, and yes, I'll admit to having paid to see "Wing Commander".) Hearing Devo's "Through Being Cool" echo throughout the theater, realizing that the chances of anyone else recognizing the song were slim, followed up with a poster of the cover art of Sloan's "Navy Blues" prominently featured on-screen...that is why I wanted to see "Loser". I assumed any film with those sorts of musical sensibilities probably had a lot going for it. I never did go to see "Loser", but months later, this DVD appeared on my virtual doorstep, and although I'm not wildly enthusiastic about the film, it's not quite the 'loser' most critics made it out to be.
Jason Biggs is Paul Tannek, a sweet, bright, hard-working kid from a small town who ends up where all such kids go in these movies...New York City! Paul works hard to maintain his full scholarship, something he finds increasingly difficult with his three out-of-control roommates whose main pasttime seems to be torturing him. His roommates go so far as to get Paul tossed out of his room, leading to an extended stay in a storage room in an animal hospital. The closest thing to a kindred spirit Paul has is Dora Diamond, who, despite her pornstar name, is also a studious outcast, struggling with a waitress job in a strip club to try to stay in school. The only thing keeping these crazy kids apart is Dora's blind devotion to an egotistical professor, which lasts even through Paul nursing Dora back to health after she nearly overdoses after his former roommates drug her at a party. Will Dora realize that she's better off without the lecherous professor? Will Paul finally tell Dora how he feels? The answer probably won't surprise you, but original plots really aren't what anyone looks for in teen movies anyway...
I'm not quite sure how to quickly summarize how I felt about "Loser". I was interested enough that I didn't notice my thumb massaging the 'chapter forward' button, but not to the point where I'd actually consider myself interested. I didn't really laugh, I didn't really smile, I didn't really gasp, I didn't really cry, I didn't really...well...anything. Just passively sat back and watched. Of course, I'm also taking a lot of flu medication, so maybe my ability to appreciate comedy is impaired somewhat. Anyway, before I get off on way too much of a tangent, Biggs once again pulls off the requisite off-kilter love interest role without incident, and Suvari, whose appearance terrified me in "American Pie", is more successful playing a quirky-cute girl than the choir girl from "American Pie". Her acting has improved somewhat as well, never making me shiver with revulsion as I did in "American Pie" when she poorly delivered one of the most unbearably bad lines in the history of cinema, "Please. I asked you because I thought you might actually be worth going with, but you're just a jock. No, wait -- you're a jerk."
Video: As would be expected from a CTHV release, "Loser" is enhanced for widescreen televisions, with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The image is nice and clear, with deep blacks and accurately reproduced colors. Flaws? Dust and the like rear their heads more often than I'm used to, especially for such a recent release. Nothing really worth a complaint.
Audio: The usual slew of audio options are available -- English Dolby Surround (the default), Dolby Digital 5.1, as well as French, Spanish, and Portugese. For fun, I tried watching the film in Portugese for a while. It really adds a whole new level to the experience. Anyway, "Loser" has the usual teen-comedy mix, where dialogue is front-and-center and surrounds used mostly for the score and various bits of ambiance. Pretty standard fare for this sort of film.
Supplements: The extras on "Loser" are pretty typical for the teen-movie set -- trailers, cast/crew bios, the usual uninteresting featurette, and video for Wheatus' "Teenage Dirtbag". I'll admit to having liked this song for quite a while, and this is one of the few really well-done music videos incorporating the cast of a movie. Additional production information is also available in the liner notes.
Conclusion: These teen romance-comedies are a guilty pleasure of mine, and although "Loser" didn't really do much for me, I don't think it'd make a bad rental.
Jason Biggs is Paul Tannek, a sweet, bright, hard-working kid from a small town who ends up where all such kids go in these movies...New York City! Paul works hard to maintain his full scholarship, something he finds increasingly difficult with his three out-of-control roommates whose main pasttime seems to be torturing him. His roommates go so far as to get Paul tossed out of his room, leading to an extended stay in a storage room in an animal hospital. The closest thing to a kindred spirit Paul has is Dora Diamond, who, despite her pornstar name, is also a studious outcast, struggling with a waitress job in a strip club to try to stay in school. The only thing keeping these crazy kids apart is Dora's blind devotion to an egotistical professor, which lasts even through Paul nursing Dora back to health after she nearly overdoses after his former roommates drug her at a party. Will Dora realize that she's better off without the lecherous professor? Will Paul finally tell Dora how he feels? The answer probably won't surprise you, but original plots really aren't what anyone looks for in teen movies anyway...
I'm not quite sure how to quickly summarize how I felt about "Loser". I was interested enough that I didn't notice my thumb massaging the 'chapter forward' button, but not to the point where I'd actually consider myself interested. I didn't really laugh, I didn't really smile, I didn't really gasp, I didn't really cry, I didn't really...well...anything. Just passively sat back and watched. Of course, I'm also taking a lot of flu medication, so maybe my ability to appreciate comedy is impaired somewhat. Anyway, before I get off on way too much of a tangent, Biggs once again pulls off the requisite off-kilter love interest role without incident, and Suvari, whose appearance terrified me in "American Pie", is more successful playing a quirky-cute girl than the choir girl from "American Pie". Her acting has improved somewhat as well, never making me shiver with revulsion as I did in "American Pie" when she poorly delivered one of the most unbearably bad lines in the history of cinema, "Please. I asked you because I thought you might actually be worth going with, but you're just a jock. No, wait -- you're a jerk."
Video: As would be expected from a CTHV release, "Loser" is enhanced for widescreen televisions, with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The image is nice and clear, with deep blacks and accurately reproduced colors. Flaws? Dust and the like rear their heads more often than I'm used to, especially for such a recent release. Nothing really worth a complaint.
Audio: The usual slew of audio options are available -- English Dolby Surround (the default), Dolby Digital 5.1, as well as French, Spanish, and Portugese. For fun, I tried watching the film in Portugese for a while. It really adds a whole new level to the experience. Anyway, "Loser" has the usual teen-comedy mix, where dialogue is front-and-center and surrounds used mostly for the score and various bits of ambiance. Pretty standard fare for this sort of film.
Supplements: The extras on "Loser" are pretty typical for the teen-movie set -- trailers, cast/crew bios, the usual uninteresting featurette, and video for Wheatus' "Teenage Dirtbag". I'll admit to having liked this song for quite a while, and this is one of the few really well-done music videos incorporating the cast of a movie. Additional production information is also available in the liner notes.
Conclusion: These teen romance-comedies are a guilty pleasure of mine, and although "Loser" didn't really do much for me, I don't think it'd make a bad rental.
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