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Waterworld extended edition DVD released today
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The first mutant with a tan - Costner's "Mariner" in Waterworld
Before Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ there was Kevin Costner's Waterworld taking stepchild-sized ridicule and abuse from every critic in every corner of our world. The film was thought of as a huge waste of finance, (it cost a whopping 175 million dollars - to juxtapose the price tag against you could have financed The Fellowship of the Ring and 75% of The Two Towers with that much cash) a total commercial flop, (she made 88 million here in the US) and the beginning of the long downward spiral of Kevin Costner's career... Which begs the question, have you ever met anyone who really hates Waterworld? Sure I don't like parts of it, usually any scene that put Tina Majorino (Napoleon Dynamite) and Dennis Hopper in the same room together. But other than that I thought the movie was charming. In that end-of-the-world, every man for himself sort of charm that Mad Max made fashionable and Waterworld, for the most part, made fun again. This is a summer popcorn flick after all, Kevin Reynolds wasn't re-imagining Titus here, he was crafting a 175 million dollar popcorn opera. And for the most part I believe he did his job well.
Like few other films, (and why am I thinking of Paul Haggis' Crash right now...) Waterworld is a film that has aged much better than it should have, and will continue to age just as well. Just like those great popcorn flicks from generations past, The Omega Man (much better than that soddy I Am Legend) Logan's Run, and George miller's Mad Max. It's a film free from the bonds of any time period. Just give it another ten years, Waterworld will still be on the midnight cable circuit, while films like Crash and Babel will be minor movie memories. Just like Prince of Tides, Bugsy and all those other "film" films that critics courted before them. Waterworld is a survivor. Case in point the new Waterworld Extended Edition that is being released today:
With over 40 minutes of new, never seen before scenes, and packed with two extra discs of behind-the-scenes-making-of porn, there hasn't been another movie re-cut I've been this excited about since Mel Gibson allowed Brian Hegeland to re-cut Payback into the movie it should have been in the first place. Plus the price for a disc set of this size will run you 14$. Not a bad deal at all. In fact the only better deal running is the one Congress gave Wall Street a few weeks ago. My only real bitch is that I'm wondering why we're not getting a Blu-Ray release as well when if ever there was a film begging for Hi-Def it is this one. If only to see the goosebumps on Jeanne Tripplehorn's bare ass that much clearer...
So there you have it. A newer, fatter, version of Waterworld to take home and kill three more hours with. I usually do a Top 3 DVD list on Tuesday but I am a bit short on precious time this morning, and I thought I'd make an exception and give a personal shout-out to that one flick from the past that really got the screws put to it, undeservedly so for the most part. Brad Anderson's Trans-Siberian is also released today, on both DVD and Blu-Ray, and I should have a review of that new disc up sometime this week.
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