Finally,
a teen comedy with a brain… and they said it couldn’t be done. Actually,
ORANGE COUNTY ($30) is a fresh and funny tale about a teen slacker,
who makes complete turnaround, only to discover that all of his hard work
is negated by the incompetence of another. ORANGE COUNTY stars
Colin Hanks as teen surf dude Shaun Brumder, who discovers a book on the
beach by author Marcus Skinner, which completely changes his outlook on
life. After reading the book, Shaun’s decides that he wants to become
a writer and study at Stanford University under his idol Skinner.
However,
after working his a** off for a year, he finds himself rejected by Stanford,
due to the clerical error of his high school’s guidance counselor. Fearing
that he will be forever trapped in Orange County, with his insane family,
Shaun takes the advice of his stoned older brother Lance (Jack Black)
and heads up to Stanford to plead his case to the dean of admissions.
This might have been a good idea, had Shaun left his brother at home.
With Lance along, the simple trip to Stanford turns into a comedic odyssey
of disastrous proportions.
What
makes ORANGE COUNTY a winner is the fact that it is a character
driven comedy, which benefits from an incredible cast- many of whom perform
in bit roles. Of course, Colin Hanks has to carry the film, which he does
remarkably well, I guess he inherited the easygoing charm and acting chops
from his famous father- Tom. Jack Black is perfect as the stoned out,
couch potato brother, as is Schuyler Fisk as the supportive girlfriend.
Catherine O'Hara and John Lithgow have great chemistry together as the
self-absorbed parents, whose very being screams CALIFORNIA! Look for Harold
Ramis in a scene stealing turn as the dean of admissions. Other great
supporting performers include Lily Tomlin, Chevy Chase, Garry Marshall,
Dana Ivey, as well as the uncredited Kevin Kline and Ben Stiller.
Paramount
Home Entertainment has made ORANGE COUNTY available on DVD in a
1.85:1 wide screen presentation that features the anamorphic enhancement
for 16:9 displays. This is an absolutely great looking transfer that never
fails to perform. The image is always clean, bright and well defined.
Even the nighttime scenes are so well lit and photographed that one can
make out almost every detail. Colors are wonderfully vibrant and flesh
tones are incredibly appealing. Despite the intensity of the hues, there
are no signs of chroma noise or smearing. Blacks look pretty pure, contrast
is smooth and as I alluded above, shadow detail is excellent. The film
element itself is free from blemishes, although a tiny bit of grain showed
up now and then. Dual layer authoring keeps digital compression artifacts
under wraps.
ORANGE
COUNTY includes a Dolby Digital
5.1 channel soundtrack, but the mix is of the standard comedy variety.
The forward soundstage sees the majority of activity, with the surround
channels kicking in for some ambience, occasional effects and musical
fill. As you might of guessed, there is plenty of incidental popular music
on the soundtrack, and it all sounds very good. Dialogue is very cleanly
rendered and always understandable, at least the English is, anyway. English
and French Dolby Surround soundtracks are also encoded onto the DVD, as
are English subtitles.
Full
motion video, animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD’s interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to the standard scene selection
and set up features, as well as a number of extras. The DVD includes a
running audio commentary with director Jake Kasdan and writer Mike White.
While it offers some insights, the commentary is a bit too self-congratulatory
and lacking in substance to be considered a must listen, except for the
most diehard of fans. Four deleted scenes are included on the DVD, all
of which are reasonably interesting, but were obviously cut because they
weren’t funny enough and slowed the film’s overall pacing. Fifteen TV
promo interstitials, which were probably made for MTV, are provided on
the DVD, as is the film’s theatrical trailer.
ORANGE
COUNTY is a genuinely funny teen
comedy that benefits from a solid cast that really brings the characters
to life. Paramount Home Entertainment has produced a great looking DVD
that isn’t going to disappoint anyone. If you are a fan, pick up the DVD,
and if you haven’t seen the film- check it out on DVD. Dude, it’s going
to look and sound a lot better than pay per view.
Finally,
a teen comedy with a brain… and they said it couldn’t be done. Actually,
ORANGE COUNTY ($30) is a fresh and funny tale about a teen slacker,
who makes complete turnaround, only to discover that all of his hard work
is negated by the incompetence of another. ORANGE COUNTY stars
Colin Hanks as teen surf dude Shaun Brumder, who discovers a book on the
beach by author Marcus Skinner, which completely changes his outlook on
life. After reading the book, Shaun’s decides that he wants to become
a writer and study at Stanford University under his idol Skinner.
However,
after working his a** off for a year, he finds himself rejected by Stanford,
due to the clerical error of his high school’s guidance counselor. Fearing
that he will be forever trapped in Orange County, with his insane family,
Shaun takes the advice of his stoned older brother Lance (Jack Black)
and heads up to Stanford to plead his case to the dean of admissions.
This might have been a good idea, had Shaun left his brother at home.
With Lance along, the simple trip to Stanford turns into a comedic odyssey
of disastrous proportions.
What
makes ORANGE COUNTY a winner is the fact that it is a character
driven comedy, which benefits from an incredible cast- many of whom perform
in bit roles. Of course, Colin Hanks has to carry the film, which he does
remarkably well, I guess he inherited the easygoing charm and acting chops
from his famous father- Tom. Jack Black is perfect as the stoned out,
couch potato brother, as is Schuyler Fisk as the supportive girlfriend.
Catherine O'Hara and John Lithgow have great chemistry together as the
self-absorbed parents, whose very being screams CALIFORNIA! Look for Harold
Ramis in a scene stealing turn as the dean of admissions. Other great
supporting performers include Lily Tomlin, Chevy Chase, Garry Marshall,
Dana Ivey, as well as the uncredited Kevin Kline and Ben Stiller.
Paramount
Home Entertainment has made ORANGE COUNTY available on DVD in a
1.85:1 wide screen presentation that features the anamorphic enhancement
for 16:9 displays. This is an absolutely great looking transfer that never
fails to perform. The image is always clean, bright and well defined.
Even the nighttime scenes are so well lit and photographed that one can
make out almost every detail. Colors are wonderfully vibrant and flesh
tones are incredibly appealing. Despite the intensity of the hues, there
are no signs of chroma noise or smearing. Blacks look pretty pure, contrast
is smooth and as I alluded above, shadow detail is excellent. The film
element itself is free from blemishes, although a tiny bit of grain showed
up now and then. Dual layer authoring keeps digital compression artifacts
under wraps.
ORANGE
COUNTY includes a Dolby Digital
5.1 channel soundtrack, but the mix is of the standard comedy variety.
The forward soundstage sees the majority of activity, with the surround
channels kicking in for some ambience, occasional effects and musical
fill. As you might of guessed, there is plenty of incidental popular music
on the soundtrack, and it all sounds very good. Dialogue is very cleanly
rendered and always understandable, at least the English is, anyway. English
and French Dolby Surround soundtracks are also encoded onto the DVD, as
are English subtitles.
Full
motion video, animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD’s interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to the standard scene selection
and set up features, as well as a number of extras. The DVD includes a
running audio commentary with director Jake Kasdan and writer Mike White.
While it offers some insights, the commentary is a bit too self-congratulatory
and lacking in substance to be considered a must listen, except for the
most diehard of fans. Four deleted scenes are included on the DVD, all
of which are reasonably interesting, but were obviously cut because they
weren’t funny enough and slowed the film’s overall pacing. Fifteen TV
promo interstitials, which were probably made for MTV, are provided on
the DVD, as is the film’s theatrical trailer.
ORANGE
COUNTY is a genuinely funny teen
comedy that benefits from a solid cast that really brings the characters
to life. Paramount Home Entertainment has produced a great looking DVD
that isn’t going to disappoint anyone. If you are a fan, pick up the DVD,
and if you haven’t seen the film- check it out on DVD. Dude, it’s going
to look and sound a lot better than pay per view.
