Search - Storytelling on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Strong Sexual Content, Not For Children, Adult Humor, Profanity, Substance Abuse Movie Release: 2001 DVD Release: 07/16/2002 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan - Closed Captioned Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 27 mins Studio: New Line Home Video Members Wishing: 0 Genres: Comedy Drama, Satire, Black Comedy, Ensemble Film

From the controversial director of Happiness comes another dark look at New Jersey, this time broken into two separate stories. The first is a 26-minute segment entitled "Fiction," which highlights the life of Marcus (Leo Fitzpatrick), an aspiring writer who was born with deformities due to cerebral palsy. He unsuccessfully tries to read a new short story to his girlfriend Vi (Selma Blair), and leaves her after the story is similarly dismissed by his fellow students and teacher, Mr. Scott (Robert Wisdom), a black Pulitzer Prize winner. Vi approaches Mr. Scott in a bar one night and agrees to go home with him, recalling a "fictional" account of their experience in the next class. The second segment, titled "Nonfiction," follows Toby Oxman (Paul Giamatti), a thirtysomething sad sack who gets the idea to make a documentary of contemporary suburban teenage life. Looking for subjects, he runs into Scooby (Mark Webber), a disaffected, dim young man who dreams of being a TV star. Scooby's home life is highly dysfunctional, with a strict father (John Goodman), a prim and proper mother (Julie Hagerty), a football player brother (Noah Fleiss), and a younger brother Mikey (Jonathan Osser), who continually chats up the family's put-upon maid Consuelo (Lupe Ontiveros). Consuelo is soon banished from the household due to her involvement with Mikey, becoming an outcast just like Scooby. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide

Selma Blair - Vi
Leo Fitzpatrick - Marcus
Aleksa Palladino - Catherine
Robert Wisdom - Mr. Gary Scott
Noah Fleiss - Brady Livingston

Director Todd Solondz once again produces an uncomfortable look at human nature with Storytelling. The film is offered in both an R-rated and unrated version. The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is above average with solid colors and dark black levels. A tad bit of softness creeps into the image at times, though the bulk of the image often looks very even and well defined. The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround as well as a Dolby 2.0 mix, both in English. Since Storytelling is not an action adventure movie, it's not surprising to find most of the sound filed to be confined to the front and center speaker with little-to-no directional effects present. Overall the dialogue, effects and music are all free of any excessive hiss or distortion. Also included on this disc are English and French subtitles. Extra features for Storytelling have been kept to the bare minimum -- the only supplement to be found on this disc is a theatrical trailer for the film. ~ Patrick Naugle, All Movie Guide