Something Wild (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

Criterion Goes Wild--A Needed, But Ultimately Unsatisfying, Upgrade Of A Terrific Comedy/Romance/Thriller
An interesting choice for the Criterion label, I have hoped desperately that Jonathan Demme's 1986 madcap road picture "Something Wild" would get a deserving upgrade from its rather drab earlier DVD presentation. I actually went to a theater and saw this film twice and it is easily one of my favorite Demme pictures. With his eclectic resume, Demme will perhaps always be known best for "The Silence of the Lambs" but his legacy has several terrific screwball comedies (Married to the Mob) and understated masterpieces (Melvin and Howard) prior to him being anointed an Academy Award winner. "Something Wild" fits comfortably into the screwball comedy category--but what makes it so unorthodox and refreshing is that it has both heart and edge. A lot has changed since 1986. Back then, Jeff Daniels was still a leading man as opposed to a character actor. Melanie Griffith was sexy, surprising, and a blossoming talent. And a relatively unknown Ray Liotta was trying to break into a big...

Why has time forgotten this classic?
I thought Demme walked on water after seeing this movie (and its follow-ups, Married to the Mob and Silence of the Lambs). I love the layers of texture to this movie--there's always some set decoration I never noticed before, and the performances he wrings out of his stable of actors is great. This movie defined "alternative" when it was released, and deftly pulled off the seemingly impossible feat of starting out screwball comedy and turning violent halfway thru without losing its voice. All three leads have never done better than they did here (okay, maybe Liotta in Goodfellas). So why is SW subjected to the basement of video VHS? This movie made tons of critics top 10 lists for the Eighties (sadly not much of a challenge, but still...) and yet can't even get a DVD date to prom. Wild...

High Def
I remember seeing this waaaay back when it was in theaters. One of those incredibly under-rated cinematic gems. What I liked most about it was the transition from a seemingly lighthearted Indie-ish goofball romantic comedy, to dead on noir. I caught this recently on a High-Def channel on cable. All I can say is WOW ! It was like I was seeing it for the first time, Déjà vu all over again. This film deserves a Blu-ray release, preferably packed with extra features, commentaries etc.

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