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Joe Dirt
Sony Pictures // PG-13 // July 25, 2006
List Price: $14.94 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie
Even the most novice DVD collector will by now be familiar with the concept of the "double dip". The "double dip" occurs when a home video company re-releases a DVD with new extra features, thus enticing fans of the movie in question to consider buying a second (or third or fourth) copy of the same movie. This practice can be infuriating, especially when the second release comes just mere months after the initial one. However, there's another practice that companies are now employing which consumers should be aware of -- repackaging. This is where the exact same DVD is released with a new cover. Such is the case with the latest release of David Spade's Joe Dirt.
David Spade stars as the titular character in Joe Dirt, a mullet-sporting janitor at an L.A. radio station. One day, shock-jock Zander (Dennis Miller) comes across Joe and invites him on the air to tell his story. Joe's childhood wasn't a happy one, as he was abandoned as a child while his family was touring the Grand Canyon. From there, Joe was forced to raise himself and was friendless until he met Brandy (Brittany Daniel). Joe and Brandy were inseparable until the day that Joe realized that he should be searching for his family. So, Joe sets out on a cross-county trip to locate his family. Along the way, he flies a hot-air balloon, works on an oil-well, plays with fireworks, gets kidnapped, and becomes a hero. Despite these adventures, two things never change; Joe's affection for Brandy never dies, and Joe never stops being a redneck dirtball.
Joe Dirt is a product of Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions and like so many of the film's from that company, it features many bizarre characters doing many strange things. And if you don't like that kind of humor, which is simultaneously aimed at adults and 13 year old boys, then you won't find much to like in Joe Dirt. However, if constant gross-out jokes and humorous moments which really make no sense appeal to you, then there's plenty to like in Joe Dirt.
David Spade has made a career out of playing arrogant, sarcastic, snobs who act superior to everyone around them. So, it's inherently funny to see him playing an ignorant loser wearing the worst wig on the planet. None of Spade's real (?) pompous personality comes through here and I don't know if I would call Spade a good actor, but he maintains the Joe Dirt persona throughout the movie.
Spade's dedication to the character also comes through in the story which was co-written by Spade and Fred Wolf. In his concert "Take the Hit", Spade talks about his childhood in Arizona and after seeing this film, one certainly gets the feeling that Spade knew people like Joe Dirt when he was growing up. But the beauty of the film is that most everyone has met someone like Joe Dirt. (Having grown up in the Southeast, I've met several Joe Dirts.) Joe is the classic redneck who is all about Southern rock, muscle cars, and macho attitude. But in reality, he's totally clueless and everything that he says or thinks is completely ludicrous. The universality of this character adds appeal to the film, as Joe's constant bluster is balanced by a big heart. (Common for Happy Madison characters.)
While Joe is a great character, the comedy in the film is very hit or miss. Despite the fact that Spade has seemingly stepped outside of himself, he is able to sneak in some of his trademark subtle wit. These scenes are countered by incredibly broad humor, such as Joe being attacked by an alligator. But, some of the jokes fall very flat, and even at 91 minutes, the movie seems to run out of story very quickly. Still, the "Buffalo Bob" scene is a classic and shows that classic movie references and car magazine jokes can co-exist in the same scene.
Video
Joe Dirt wanders onto DVD courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The DVD features both the widescreen and full screen versions of the film. For the purposes of this review, only the widescreen version was viewed. The film has been letterboxed at 1.85:1 and the transfer has been enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs. Considering that this DVD is six years old, the video quality is pretty good. The image is sharp and clear, showing no defects from the source material and only the slightest bit of grain in the daytime scenes. The most glaring problem with the transfer is that it's too bright and the daytime scenes border on "white out" at times. Otherwise it looks pretty good, as the colors are natural looking and distracting artifacting is kept to a minimum.
Audio
If you need a clue that this is an older DVD, then look no further than the audio features, where you'll see that Dolby Digital 5.1 is not the default track. Those were the days. The DVD does indeed feature a Dolby Digital 5.1 track (once you choose it) which, again, sounds pretty good for an older DVD. The dialogue is sharp and clear with no distortion. The surround sound is often too subtle, but when it's discernible, it works. The bass response is well-done, and adds to the experience.
Extras
The Joe Dirt contains a few extras. Star David Spade provides an AUDIO COMMENTARY where he mainly laughs at himself. While Spade is way to laid back and nonchalant in his approach to the talk, he does tell some anecdotes about the making of the film and provides many details about how he and Fred Wolf developed the screenplay. There is a second COMMENTARY with director Dennie Gordon. While she is much more coherent than Spade, and provides many tales about the making of Joe Dirt, her take is a bit dry. The DVD contains 7 DELETED & ALTERNATE SCENES, 3 of which can be viewed with director commentary. These scenes total about 4 minutes and do contain some mildly amusing moments. There is a 3-minute BLOOPERS & OUTTAKES reel. The extras are rounded out by the trailer for Joe Dirt and filmographies for the main talent.
Yes, Joe Dirt is a stupid movie, but it has some very funny moments and features David Spade doing redneck comedy years before it became vogue. Again, please be aware that this newly released Joe Dirt disc is the exact same DVD which was released in August, 2001. Only the cover art is different. Actually, the original release came with a booklet which isn't included here. The movie, extra features, and really old (now) bonus trailers are the same. This was simply released as a tie-in to Benchwarmers. If you already own the Joe Dirt DVD, then you have no need to bother with this. If you've considered buying Joe Dirt, simply get the release which is the least expensive.
Even the most novice DVD collector will by now be familiar with the concept of the "double dip". The "double dip" occurs when a home video company re-releases a DVD with new extra features, thus enticing fans of the movie in question to consider buying a second (or third or fourth) copy of the same movie. This practice can be infuriating, especially when the second release comes just mere months after the initial one. However, there's another practice that companies are now employing which consumers should be aware of -- repackaging. This is where the exact same DVD is released with a new cover. Such is the case with the latest release of David Spade's Joe Dirt.
David Spade stars as the titular character in Joe Dirt, a mullet-sporting janitor at an L.A. radio station. One day, shock-jock Zander (Dennis Miller) comes across Joe and invites him on the air to tell his story. Joe's childhood wasn't a happy one, as he was abandoned as a child while his family was touring the Grand Canyon. From there, Joe was forced to raise himself and was friendless until he met Brandy (Brittany Daniel). Joe and Brandy were inseparable until the day that Joe realized that he should be searching for his family. So, Joe sets out on a cross-county trip to locate his family. Along the way, he flies a hot-air balloon, works on an oil-well, plays with fireworks, gets kidnapped, and becomes a hero. Despite these adventures, two things never change; Joe's affection for Brandy never dies, and Joe never stops being a redneck dirtball.
Joe Dirt is a product of Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions and like so many of the film's from that company, it features many bizarre characters doing many strange things. And if you don't like that kind of humor, which is simultaneously aimed at adults and 13 year old boys, then you won't find much to like in Joe Dirt. However, if constant gross-out jokes and humorous moments which really make no sense appeal to you, then there's plenty to like in Joe Dirt.
David Spade has made a career out of playing arrogant, sarcastic, snobs who act superior to everyone around them. So, it's inherently funny to see him playing an ignorant loser wearing the worst wig on the planet. None of Spade's real (?) pompous personality comes through here and I don't know if I would call Spade a good actor, but he maintains the Joe Dirt persona throughout the movie.
Spade's dedication to the character also comes through in the story which was co-written by Spade and Fred Wolf. In his concert "Take the Hit", Spade talks about his childhood in Arizona and after seeing this film, one certainly gets the feeling that Spade knew people like Joe Dirt when he was growing up. But the beauty of the film is that most everyone has met someone like Joe Dirt. (Having grown up in the Southeast, I've met several Joe Dirts.) Joe is the classic redneck who is all about Southern rock, muscle cars, and macho attitude. But in reality, he's totally clueless and everything that he says or thinks is completely ludicrous. The universality of this character adds appeal to the film, as Joe's constant bluster is balanced by a big heart. (Common for Happy Madison characters.)
While Joe is a great character, the comedy in the film is very hit or miss. Despite the fact that Spade has seemingly stepped outside of himself, he is able to sneak in some of his trademark subtle wit. These scenes are countered by incredibly broad humor, such as Joe being attacked by an alligator. But, some of the jokes fall very flat, and even at 91 minutes, the movie seems to run out of story very quickly. Still, the "Buffalo Bob" scene is a classic and shows that classic movie references and car magazine jokes can co-exist in the same scene.
Video
Joe Dirt wanders onto DVD courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The DVD features both the widescreen and full screen versions of the film. For the purposes of this review, only the widescreen version was viewed. The film has been letterboxed at 1.85:1 and the transfer has been enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs. Considering that this DVD is six years old, the video quality is pretty good. The image is sharp and clear, showing no defects from the source material and only the slightest bit of grain in the daytime scenes. The most glaring problem with the transfer is that it's too bright and the daytime scenes border on "white out" at times. Otherwise it looks pretty good, as the colors are natural looking and distracting artifacting is kept to a minimum.
Audio
If you need a clue that this is an older DVD, then look no further than the audio features, where you'll see that Dolby Digital 5.1 is not the default track. Those were the days. The DVD does indeed feature a Dolby Digital 5.1 track (once you choose it) which, again, sounds pretty good for an older DVD. The dialogue is sharp and clear with no distortion. The surround sound is often too subtle, but when it's discernible, it works. The bass response is well-done, and adds to the experience.
Extras
The Joe Dirt contains a few extras. Star David Spade provides an AUDIO COMMENTARY where he mainly laughs at himself. While Spade is way to laid back and nonchalant in his approach to the talk, he does tell some anecdotes about the making of the film and provides many details about how he and Fred Wolf developed the screenplay. There is a second COMMENTARY with director Dennie Gordon. While she is much more coherent than Spade, and provides many tales about the making of Joe Dirt, her take is a bit dry. The DVD contains 7 DELETED & ALTERNATE SCENES, 3 of which can be viewed with director commentary. These scenes total about 4 minutes and do contain some mildly amusing moments. There is a 3-minute BLOOPERS & OUTTAKES reel. The extras are rounded out by the trailer for Joe Dirt and filmographies for the main talent.
Yes, Joe Dirt is a stupid movie, but it has some very funny moments and features David Spade doing redneck comedy years before it became vogue. Again, please be aware that this newly released Joe Dirt disc is the exact same DVD which was released in August, 2001. Only the cover art is different. Actually, the original release came with a booklet which isn't included here. The movie, extra features, and really old (now) bonus trailers are the same. This was simply released as a tie-in to Benchwarmers. If you already own the Joe Dirt DVD, then you have no need to bother with this. If you've considered buying Joe Dirt, simply get the release which is the least expensive.
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