Search - Knockaround Guys on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Language, Substance Abuse Movie Release: 2001 DVD Release: 02/25/2003 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan - Closed Captioned Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 32 mins Studio: New Line Home Video Total Copies: 70 Genres: Crime, Gangster Film See Also: Knockaround Guys [Blu-ray]

A big score goes wrong in a big way for a bunch of aspiring gangsters in this crime comedy. Matty Demaret (Barry Pepper) is the son of a mid-level Brooklyn mob boss, Benny "Chains" Demaret (Dennis Hopper). When Matty was 12 years old, Benny and Uncle Teddy (John Malkovich) decided to see if Matty had what it took to be in the mob; they gave the boy a gun and ordered him to shoot a longtime enemy of the family. Matty lacked the nerve to do it, and ever since, Benny has been convinced his son is a coward. As an adult, Matty is stuck between a rock and a hard place; he'd like to work as a sports agent, but his family's criminal ties make that all but impossible, and his dad won't give him a chance in the family's operations. Uncle Teddy decides to give Matty a chance to make good by asking him to pick up a payment of $500,000 in Spokane, WA. Matty puts together a crew of three friends, all sons of mob guys, to help him out: muscle bound Taylor (Vin Diesel), ladies' man Chris (Andrew Davoli), and cocaine-addled would-be pilot Johnny (Seth Green). Getting the money goes just fine, but during a refueling stop in Montana, Johnny has to hide the money to keep it from being discovered. It's then promptly stolen by a pair of burnouts. When Matty and his crew discover the money is missing, they head back to Montana, but before long, they find out that the sheriff (Tom Noonan) is onto them, and that he has his own plans for the cash; they also learn that Uncle Teddy has some plans he didn't tell them about. Knockaround Guys marked the directorial debut for the screenwriting team of Brian Koppelman and David Levien. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

John Malkovich - Teddy Deserve
Dennis Hopper - Benny "Chains" Demaret
Vin Diesel - Taylor Reese
Barry Pepper - Matty Demaret
Seth Green - Johnny Marbles

While this delayed mob/buddy picture didn't make waves at the box office, New Line has gone out of their way to make a DVD that will surely reach a bigger audience. In a move to make everyone happy, this disc includes both a 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer on one side, and a cut-up pan-and-scan version on the other. Occasionally the image is a little soft, but it's never a distraction. Detail comes across very nicely. Skin tones are perfectly realized, as well are the subdued colors and dense blacks. Sound, which includes both Dolby Digital and DTS tracks (though the DTS track is only on the widescreen side), is equally impressive. The bass is strong throughout the film, and while there could be more effective use of the surrounds, separation is still evident and used wisely. As with the DTS track, all of the supplements are on the widescreen side. Though hardly extensive, there is a decent array of extras. Director/writers Brian Koppelman and David Levien provide a scene-specific commentary that is generally informative, but very subdued. They relate their personal experiences which went in to the movie in a very quiet manner. In addition are four deleted scenes that wouldn't have added much to the story, with optional commentary from Koppelman and Levien. Finally, along with the trailer for this film, are some trailers for other New Line titles such as A Man Apart and Friday After Next. ~ Trent Fordham, All Movie Guide