Search - The Outsider on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Not For Children, Adult Humor, Profanity Movie Release: 2005 DVD Release: 02/19/2008 Format: DVD SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 23 mins Studio: Westlake Members Wishing: 0 Genres: Film, TV & Radio, Biography, Film & Television History, Media Studies

Filmmaker Nicholas Jarecki offers a celluloid portrait of a cinematic mastermind at work in this documentary shot over an eight month period and following director James Toback through each phase of production of his 2004 thriller When Will I Be Loved. From pre-production to final cut, Jarecki follows the existential-minded director through the entire process of making a movie as Toback opens up to the camera to discuss a variety of deeply personal matters and explore just how they have manifested themselves in such films as Love and Money, The Big Bang, and Black and White. Candid interviews with such well-known Toback collaborators as Woody Allen, Robert Towne, Harvey Keitel, Roger Ebert, Brett Ratner, show just how much impact the well-respected filmmaker has had in Hollywood despite his stubborn refusal to fit into the commercialized mold so frequently associated with the showbiz mecca. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

James Toback

Nicholas Jarecki's documentary on maverick filmmaker James Toback is given a straightforward presentation for this DVD release. The Outsider has been transferred to disc in the full-frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1, though some of the clips from Toback's films appear letterboxed in their proper widescreen ratios. The film was shot on digital video and occasionally betrays its low budget, but generally the images are sharp and well framed. The audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Stereo, and the sound quality is good, though sometimes extraneous noises and poor miking interferes slightly with the interviews. The dialogue and interviews are in English, with no multiple language options or subtitles. Bonus materials include two optional commentary tracks, one from Jarecki in which he talks about Toback's work and the genesis of this project, and Toback himself, who discusses his career, techniques and obsessions. Other bonus materials include close to a hundred minutes of outtakes and extended versions of scenes (notable considering the final cut of The Outsider runs just under eighty-five minutes), partial filmographies for the major participants, and the movie's original trailer. While this DVD isn't an exceptional presentation of The Outsider, it serves its source well enough, and fans of one of Hollywood's most interesting iconoclasts will want to give it a look. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide