| Reviews & Columns |
|
Reviews DVD TV on DVD Blu-ray 4K UHD International DVDs In Theaters Reviews by Studio Video Games Features Collector Series DVDs Easter Egg Database Interviews DVD Talk Radio Feature Articles Columns Anime Talk DVD Savant Horror DVDs The M.O.D. Squad Art House HD Talk Silent DVD
|
 DVD Talk Forum |
|
|
| Resources |
|
DVD Price Search Customer Service #'s RCE Info Links |
|
Columns
  
 
|
|
|
True Romance Unrated Director's Cut
Warner Bros. // Unrated // September 24, 2002
List Price: $26.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
The most famous scene in True Romance occurs about half-way through. You know the one I mean. It's the scene in which gangster Vincenzo Coccotti (Christopher Walken) is questioning security guard Clifford Worley (Dennis Hopper), father of a man Coccotti is looking for. The man, a youth really, is Clarence (Christian Slater), an Elvis-worshiping, kung-fu-movie viewing comic book store clerk, and he has run off with some money and drugs and his new wife, Alabama (Patricia Arquette). In order not to have to reveal under torture what he knows about his son's destination, Clifford contrives to so anger the gangster that Coccotti kills him prematurely.
Warner Home Video, amid a general celebration of the work of Quentin Tarantino, has released a two disc, unrated director's cut of True Romance (replacing one from 1997). The important thing to note is that, while Tarantino supplies a solo audio track, this is not technically just a Tarantino film. It's marvelous that a screenwriter of a film is so honored, but in reality it is a Tony Scott film. Now, Tarantino has been instrumental in uplifting the reputation of Scott, often considered the lesser Scott brother, but in reality he is quite possible the better director. Many buffs no longer hold Top Gun or Days of Thunder against him. QT has helped to rehabilitate Scott, and it's arguable that True Romance is the best movie (in the "movie movie" sense of the word) made from one of his scripts.
It's also an impossible story. We are asked to believe that a comic book store clerk A) looks like Christian Slater, and B) is an adept at guns, fighting, combat, and sex. That he would be a street savvy hard guy able to hold his own against viscious drug pushers. Well, it is a fantasy.
True Romance has a great cast (everyone from Brad Pitt to James Gandolfini) in an entertaining story that bridges the worlds of drugs and filmmaking, and if you are a Tarantatino fanatic, or indeed a Scott fanatic, a Walken fanatic, or even an Arquette or Slater fanatic, this set should be a pleasure.
The DVD
VIDEO: On Disc One the film is presented in anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) with
SOUND:This loud, carefully sound orchestrated film comes in excellent DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks. The disc also comes with English, French, and Spanish subtitles.
MENUS: The animated, musical menu offers 34 chapter scene selection for the 121 minute movie.
EXTRAS: Given that it has two discs, naturally True Romance is packed. It starts off with three audio commentaries, the first by stars Slater and Arquette. The second track is by director Scott, and he gets caught up watching the movie and doesn't do much to support QT's enthusiasm for him. The most interesting track is by the voluable Tarantino himself, in what is surprised to realize is his first solo commentary. This first disc also comes with a full feature length storyboard option.
Disc Two includes one major behind-the-scenes featurette supplemented by six additional behind-the-scenes featurette bits. Also on disc two are short, excerpted and rather useless audio commentaries by Val Kilmer, Dennis Hopper, Brad Pitt, and Michael Rappaport.
Outside of Tarantino's commentary, the best addition to this set is the 30 minutes of deleted or extended scenes, with commentary from Scott. The original, more traditionally Peckinpah/Breathless-style ending is also viewable, with optional writer and director commentary.
Finally, there are the 1993 making of featurette, the theatrical trailer, two TV spots, still galleries, and promotional trailers, plus DVD-ROM materials for those with PCs.
The most famous scene in True Romance occurs about half-way through. You know the one I mean. It's the scene in which gangster Vincenzo Coccotti (Christopher Walken) is questioning security guard Clifford Worley (Dennis Hopper), father of a man Coccotti is looking for. The man, a youth really, is Clarence (Christian Slater), an Elvis-worshiping, kung-fu-movie viewing comic book store clerk, and he has run off with some money and drugs and his new wife, Alabama (Patricia Arquette). In order not to have to reveal under torture what he knows about his son's destination, Clifford contrives to so anger the gangster that Coccotti kills him prematurely.
Warner Home Video, amid a general celebration of the work of Quentin Tarantino, has released a two disc, unrated director's cut of True Romance (replacing one from 1997). The important thing to note is that, while Tarantino supplies a solo audio track, this is not technically just a Tarantino film. It's marvelous that a screenwriter of a film is so honored, but in reality it is a Tony Scott film. Now, Tarantino has been instrumental in uplifting the reputation of Scott, often considered the lesser Scott brother, but in reality he is quite possible the better director. Many buffs no longer hold Top Gun or Days of Thunder against him. QT has helped to rehabilitate Scott, and it's arguable that True Romance is the best movie (in the "movie movie" sense of the word) made from one of his scripts.
It's also an impossible story. We are asked to believe that a comic book store clerk A) looks like Christian Slater, and B) is an adept at guns, fighting, combat, and sex. That he would be a street savvy hard guy able to hold his own against viscious drug pushers. Well, it is a fantasy.
True Romance has a great cast (everyone from Brad Pitt to James Gandolfini) in an entertaining story that bridges the worlds of drugs and filmmaking, and if you are a Tarantatino fanatic, or indeed a Scott fanatic, a Walken fanatic, or even an Arquette or Slater fanatic, this set should be a pleasure.
The DVD
VIDEO: On Disc One the film is presented in anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) with
SOUND:This loud, carefully sound orchestrated film comes in excellent DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks. The disc also comes with English, French, and Spanish subtitles.
MENUS: The animated, musical menu offers 34 chapter scene selection for the 121 minute movie.
EXTRAS: Given that it has two discs, naturally True Romance is packed. It starts off with three audio commentaries, the first by stars Slater and Arquette. The second track is by director Scott, and he gets caught up watching the movie and doesn't do much to support QT's enthusiasm for him. The most interesting track is by the voluable Tarantino himself, in what is surprised to realize is his first solo commentary. This first disc also comes with a full feature length storyboard option.
Disc Two includes one major behind-the-scenes featurette supplemented by six additional behind-the-scenes featurette bits. Also on disc two are short, excerpted and rather useless audio commentaries by Val Kilmer, Dennis Hopper, Brad Pitt, and Michael Rappaport.
Outside of Tarantino's commentary, the best addition to this set is the 30 minutes of deleted or extended scenes, with commentary from Scott. The original, more traditionally Peckinpah/Breathless-style ending is also viewable, with optional writer and director commentary.
Finally, there are the 1993 making of featurette, the theatrical trailer, two TV spots, still galleries, and promotional trailers, plus DVD-ROM materials for those with PCs.
|
| Popular Reviews |
| Sponsored Links |
|
|
| Sponsored Links |
|
|
| Release List | Reviews | Shop | Newsletter | Forum | DVD Giveaways | Blu-Ray | Advertise |
|
Copyright 2024 DVDTalk.com All Rights Reserved. Legal Info, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use,
Manage Preferences,
Your Privacy Choices 
| |||||||