Slacker (DVD)

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Video:

The DVD is presented in the filmmaker´s preferred 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Originally shot in 16mm, this digital restoration yields an amazingly clear, clean image. The low-budget film probably never looked this good the first time it was projected. Criterion became the elite name first in laserdiscs and then in DVDs because they´ve always worked from the best prints available and offered the finest restorations in the business. This 2-disc set is no exception.

Audio:

The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Stereo. The soundtrack has also been substantially restored to provide a clean, smooth track with hardly any pops or cracks. The film is almost all dialogue which is generally clearly audible. In a few cases, however, some of the dialogue can be a bit difficult to understand (this is a product of the original soundtrack as well as some of the slacker´s speech patterns), but you can turn on the optional English language subtitles to get you through any rough spots.

Extras:

The Criterion 2-Disc release of "Slacker" is absolutely packed (it´s slackpacked!) with features from the trivial to the exceptional, all organized or perhaps disorganized in the anarchic spirit of the film. This will take a while, so go grab a drink.

Disc One:

The first disc contains the restored film and also comes with not one, not two, but three commentary tracks. The first is the Director´s Commentary and, for me, is the most interesting of the troika. The other two tracks are a Crew Commentary and a Cast Commentary. The latter, like the movie itself, ranges from the banal to the amusing.

The rest of Disc One

1. No Longer Not Yet: 45 pages from the script. This was the original title of the project.

2. Showing Life: 15 min. of original audition tapes of the cast members. Interesting despite the poor sound quality.

3. Taco And a Half After 10: Home movies/behind the scenes footage on set (12 min.)

4. Les Amis: A short documentary (10 min.) called "Viva Les Amis" directed by Nancy Higgins. It chronicles the rise and decline of a popular Austin hangout called "Les Amis." I´m sure it´s fascinating if you´re from Austin.

5. Shooting from the Hip: A seemingly infinite photo gallery, which you access sequentially. I spent somewhere from ten minutes to three days (I lost track) clicking through the photos and still never got to the end.

Disc Two:

Disc One just had the appetizers; here´s the main course and dessert.

1) It´s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books: Linklater´s first feature film (85 min.) shot in 1988 for $3,000 on super-8. This was a real one-man effort by Linklater who filled just about every crew position. This is the gem of the collection, a real treasure for any Linklater fans. Slow, slower and slowest, the film follows a college student (Linklater) as he sits around the house, gets on a train, hangs out with friends, etc. Even more than "Slacker", "Plow" shows Linklater´s art-house roots as he willfully avoids anything but the most tenuous narrative in favor of meandering, contemplative shots which often consist of little more than characters standing around as ambient sound washes over the scene. "Plow" is to Linklater as "Permanent Vacation" is to Jim Jarmusch. Jarmusch´s first film was also a slow, rambling feature which just followed its young, unmotivated protagonist around. "Permanent Vacation" remains almost impossible to find. Criterion´s collection rescues "Plow" from a similar fate. Is there any chance Criterion will give "Stranger than Paradise" the same stellar treatment they gave "Down By Law?" On the DVDTown scale, I rate "Plow" a 6/10.

2) Woodshock: A 1985 short documentary (7 min.) by Linklater and Lee Daniel (the D.P. on "Slacker") about Woodshock, a music festival which started in Austin in 1981. The documentary is a throwback to the psychedelic festival films of the 60s.

3) Austin Film Society: A collection of posters from the Austin Film Society. I figured this would be deadly boring, but the posters were a revelation. The AFS has featured an absolutely stunning collection of films from underground to Euro art-house to even more esoteric films. I´m jealous!

4) Ain´t No Film in That Shit: 28 min. of outtakes. You also have the option to alternate the scenes with the "roadmap" (the script pages.)

5) End of Interview - A short film (20 min.) covering the 10 year anniversary reunion of the cast and crew of "Slacker" in 2001 in Austin. Some of the slackers have clearly moved on in life (de-slackered) and others remain almost completely unchanged.

Disc Two also features the Original Theatrical Trailer and "Slacker", a 1991 essay by Linklater on slacker culture.

Then there´s the 64-page booklet which alternates fantastic graphics with several essays, including ones by indy guru John Pierson and director Monte Hellman.

"Slacker" fans will cherish every bit of trivia and documentation on the set. More casually interested viewers will still be interested in the meatier offerings.

Whew! I warned you there was a lot, didn´t I?

Closing Thoughts:

I´m already over 2,000 words and you want more? OK, a few more. If you´re one of the "Slacker" fans (and there are quite a few) who´ve watched this movie dozens of times, this package is a dream for you, particularly with the opportunity to see Linklater´s first feature. If you´re a fan of American independent film, this set is an indispensable document of one of the most influential indie films and filmmakers of the 1990s.

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