Well, another semester has come and gone for me at The Daily Helmsman, and I must admit that I am happy that it is coming to an end. Initially, I switched from the news department to A&E with no intent of having my own column. After finding out the A&E section was getting a complete overhaul, my editor Amanda put her faith in me and gave me my own section. As a result, the “Matt Woo, DVD Guru” column was created and I can say that I have enjoyed writing it.
This will be the final time I will recommend a DVD. So, as my last pick, I thought it would be fitting to suggest the best DVD to date, Fight Club. Yes, it may be old, but it is still by far the best DVD out there and any collector should have this film in their library.
The Movie
As most already know, Fight Club is about an unnamed narrator (Edward Norton) who is bored with life. The narrator explains how material objects in life no longer please him and how he suffers from insomnia. To help combat his problems, he joins support groups to help reorganize his life. From there, the movie takes a wild turn after meeting up with smartass, wisecracking Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt).From there Norton and Pitt decide to fight and make it a weekly competition, and thus, Fight Club is born.
I’m not going to say anymore about the movie because I don’t want to give away too much about the plot. For those who have not seen it, I’ll just say there is a deeper meaning to the movie than simply fighting.
The Video and Audio
The video quality of Fight Club is simply amazing. The picture is crisp and clear with no distortion and it almost makes you feel like you are actually participating in one of the movie’s fight scenes. Each scene is dark and dreary, perfect for the mood of the story.
The audio also shines. The movie is packed with great sound effects such as exploding buildings and yelling from spectators watching the fights. The music, mixed and created by the Dust Brothers, delivers a perfect blend of bass pounding beats along with a great techno sound.
The Extras
This is where Fight Club separates itself from all other DVDs. This two-disc set is packed full of extras that will take days to finish watching. Of course, you get the commentary, but on this DVD there are four different commentaries to listen to. Also available are deleted scenes that are all interesting to watch though they do not add much to the overall experience of the movie.
Other extras that are worth checking out on the second disc is information on the production, visual effects, storyboards and promotional materials. These are just some of the extras packed on the DVD and there just isn’t enough room to list them all.
For those who haven’t seen the film yet, I highly recommend that you check it out. With it’s deep plot and many surprises, Fight Club is not your typical action movie. Simply put, this is the best DVD so far.
