Dog Tags (DVD)
APPROX. 90 MINS. - PROD. YEAR: 2008 - MPA RATING: NR
" The writing fails every character and whatever writer/director Dietz is actually trying to do.
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Notice how I haven´t even talked about the idea of portions of the film being flashbacks for Andy? Yep, the insinuation is insulting on any number of levels, but none more so than the extremely limited screen time given to the nonstarter. There is no evidence to suggest Andy is reliving his Marine romance at any time, outside of a comment he makes to a near-lover.
Dietz supposedly worked on this screenplay for two years. Two years. And this turns out to be the best product? Sure, it´s a "gay" movie with at least one gay character. That doesn´t mean it has to be bad.
VIDEO:
TLA Releasing brings "Dog Tags" to disc in its original 1.78:1 theatrical aspect ratio. And, as with other films from the largely gay distributor, "Dog Tags" is non-anamorphic, making them perhaps the last studio to release newly created product unenhanced for widescreen TV´s. With that out of the way, the transfer fails to distinguish itself one way or the other. Colors are well represented, with a particular emphasis on a general warmness in every scene, but they don´t pop, opting to simply sit on the screen instead. A couple objects showcase minor shimmering from time to time, but it´s not terribly distracting.
AUDIO:
Another major negative for TLA is the inclusion of an English 2.0 mix only. To be sure, "Dog Tags" doesn´t scream out for a track which takes advantage of a full 5.1 speakers; however, this is a 2008 production. Is it out of the realm of possibility to expect something more than simple 2.0?
That being said, the 2.0 edition of the soundtrack presents dialogue and sound effects mostly without distortion, though an annoying hum cropped up during dialogue. I´m fairly certain it originated on set and not within the DVD production phase. The microphone on set was apparently sensitive enough to pick up ambient sounds outside the locations, as evidenced fairly early when an emergency vehicle passes.
EXTRAS:
There is nothing more frustrating than a writer/director beginning to explain their creation only to stop short, telling the audience he won´t mention what the movie means to him, lest he ruin the experience for anyone else. Newsflash, Damion Dietz: if a viewer is listening to the commentary, it generally means they want to know more about your movie. And that is a good thing. There is no point in committing a story to the screen and wasting your time recording commentary if the subject matter is too painful for you and you won´t talk about it. That´s my overall impression of the track: annoying.
A stills gallery featuring a baker´s dozen of photos comes next, followed by a series of four trailers, some for already released product ("The Houseboy," "Bangkok Love Story" and "3 Day Weekend") and upcoming fare ("Another Gay Sequel").
PARTING THOUGHTS:
Each character seems intent on being as dense as they can possibly be, leading to one of two conclusions: Dietz has no idea how to write realistic people…or the world is in more dire straits than anyone has predicted. I chose to go with the former.
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