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The Movie:
I thought "Screw Loose" might be interesting due to the presence of classic comedian Mel Brooks. Directed by and starring Italian comic Ezio Greggio(think the cousin of "Life Is Beautiful"'s Roberto Begnini), the film is oddly watchable, taking a thin plot and stringing it together with some slapstick gags that the actors overplay strangely, making the moments that do work seem almost accidental. The kind of bits involve a son visiting a father in the hospital and having the father flick his finger in the son's eye.
Greggio plays Bernardo Puccini, whose father has just had a heart attack early in the picture. He explains that he must see one man, an American named Jake Gordon(Brooks) who saved his life, before he dies. Another problem arises when it turns out that Jake's just a little bit insane, and living in a mental hospital. Brooks may have made some classic efforts in his films in the past, but his acting here doesn't show any of his previous spark. Julie Condra as the doctor who's taking care of Jake can't act too well, but she does look good.
Pacing also poses a problem. It's never a great thing when the first half of a film feels like 2 whole pictures. And yet, there's a certain amateurish charm about the whole thing that lets a few laughs slip through. But "Screw Loose" is still quite a few screws short of a good picture. A dissapointment.
The DVD
VIDEO: Strangely, the film starts with the words that we all hate - "this film has been modified for television"(read: pan&scan), but it turns out to be untrue as the film is actually presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. And, like most Tristar presentations, there are generally few complaints, although more problems arise here than usual from the studio's efforts. These are more towards the film's begining, where the picture seems slightly soft and hazy, and this is accompanied by some marks on the print used.
Thankfully, the picture seems to improve as it goes on. Sharpness is generally fine, and detail is passable, but not remarkable. There are some minor bits of pixelation and shimmer, but the print problems remain the cause of the most trouble. Colors are natural, but not lively or bold.
SOUND: The film's soundtrack is in Dolby Digital 5.1 and is a very basic presentation, keeping 99.9% of the sound in the front, with the occasional music as the only sound besides the dialogue. Dialogue is easily understood, but doesn't seem natural or well-integrated.
MENUS:: Menus are non-animated, with very basic images serving as backgrounds.
EXTRAS: Talent files and trailers for "Drowning Mona", "What Planet Are You From?", "Bossa Nova" and "Screw Loose".
Final Thoughts: Skip it. You may want to rent it if you're a Brooks fan, but he isn't that great here.
Film Grade
The Film D+
DVD Grades
Video 82/B = (328/400 possible points)
Audio: 79/C+ = (316/400 possible points)
Extras: 75/C = (225/300 possible points)
Menus: 70/C- = (140/200 possible points)
Value: 80/B- = (240/300 possible points)
TOTAL POINTS:1249/1600
DVD GRADE:C/78%
FILM GRADE: D+
DVD GRADE: C
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