The problem with Otis is that it keeps getting in its own way.
This is not to suggest the film is without merit. Despite its excesses, "Otis" has its moments of levity, and there is even one shot that made me smile broadly. In particular, I liked the film's using Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs in a fleeting cameo as a hospital orderly in a white uniform and red bow tie. You may remember him as the ominous Mr. Death, Mandingo, in the same filmmakers' "Sublime."
Warner Bros. have made "Otis" available only in an edition marked "Uncut." I'm not sure what this means except that the studio never submitted it to the rating board, the Motion Picture Association of America. But since there is no other version to compare it to--no rated version--there is no way to tell what the filmmakers might have cut out or left in. The extras include a deleted scene and an alternate ending, but they contain nothing that the MPAA might have deemed stronger than an R. In any case, this "Uncut" edition contains hard profanity, sexual references, and brutal violence. So, what did you expect?
Video:
According to what I've read, the filmmakers shot the movie with an HDTV video camera, and even though the film boasts an impressive 2.35:1 aspect ratio, the actual picture quality is somewhat less than brilliant. The colors are natural enough, but the image quality is ofttimes soft, smeared, fuzzy, and dull. To be fair, the image is quite vibrant and alive at times, too, but the bad times outnumber the good. I suppose in a movie like this, the filmmakers could rationalize the mediocre picture quality by saying they were purposely trying to imitate the look of a vintage low-budget horror flick. More power to them.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is fairly common for its kind. It displays an exemplary front-channel stereo spread, decent clarity and dynamics, and occasional surround effects. Mostly, though, it contents itself with reproducing dialogue and background music, with some ambient musical bloom from the rear speakers.
Extras:
The extras begin with an audio commentary by director Tony Krantz and writer Erik Jendresen. It's hard to tell if they meant for listeners to take their businesslike approach tongue in cheek, or if they really are as sincere as they sound in describing how they've apparently created an instant classic. Following that is an alternate ending, "The Birthday Party," about five minutes, that the filmmakers say they had intended as a coda to the story but decided instead to include as a bonus item on the DVD. Then there is an additional scene, "Suite 16," which is the entire (three-minute) film within the film that Otis creates in the story. Lastly, we have a twelve-minute, behind-the-scenes featurette, "The Twisted World of Otis," on the making of the movie.
The extras wrap up with twenty-six scene selections but no chapter insert; "Raw Feed" trailers for the other entries in the series, including "Otis"; English and Spanish spoken languages; English, French, and Spanish subtitles (English captions for the hearing impaired); and a handsomely embossed slipcover.
Parting Shots:
With "Otis" you get half a good film. Or if you're a pessimist, half a bad film. With a little restraint, the filmmakers might have brought out a more nuanced sense of humor. As it is, with its over-the-top blood, gore, sex, and profanity, a lot of people in the audience are probably going to wonder about the movie's intent, and I fear many a viewer is going to go away disgusted rather than entertained by the affair.
Warner Bros. have made "Otis" available only in an edition marked "Uncut." I'm not sure what this means except that the studio never submitted it to the rating board, the Motion Picture Association of America. But since there is no other version to compare it to--no rated version--there is no way to tell what the filmmakers might have cut out or left in. The extras include a deleted scene and an alternate ending, but they contain nothing that the MPAA might have deemed stronger than an R. In any case, this "Uncut" edition contains hard profanity, sexual references, and brutal violence. So, what did you expect?
Video:
According to what I've read, the filmmakers shot the movie with an HDTV video camera, and even though the film boasts an impressive 2.35:1 aspect ratio, the actual picture quality is somewhat less than brilliant. The colors are natural enough, but the image quality is ofttimes soft, smeared, fuzzy, and dull. To be fair, the image is quite vibrant and alive at times, too, but the bad times outnumber the good. I suppose in a movie like this, the filmmakers could rationalize the mediocre picture quality by saying they were purposely trying to imitate the look of a vintage low-budget horror flick. More power to them.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is fairly common for its kind. It displays an exemplary front-channel stereo spread, decent clarity and dynamics, and occasional surround effects. Mostly, though, it contents itself with reproducing dialogue and background music, with some ambient musical bloom from the rear speakers.
Extras:
The extras begin with an audio commentary by director Tony Krantz and writer Erik Jendresen. It's hard to tell if they meant for listeners to take their businesslike approach tongue in cheek, or if they really are as sincere as they sound in describing how they've apparently created an instant classic. Following that is an alternate ending, "The Birthday Party," about five minutes, that the filmmakers say they had intended as a coda to the story but decided instead to include as a bonus item on the DVD. Then there is an additional scene, "Suite 16," which is the entire (three-minute) film within the film that Otis creates in the story. Lastly, we have a twelve-minute, behind-the-scenes featurette, "The Twisted World of Otis," on the making of the movie.
The extras wrap up with twenty-six scene selections but no chapter insert; "Raw Feed" trailers for the other entries in the series, including "Otis"; English and Spanish spoken languages; English, French, and Spanish subtitles (English captions for the hearing impaired); and a handsomely embossed slipcover.
Parting Shots:
With "Otis" you get half a good film. Or if you're a pessimist, half a bad film. With a little restraint, the filmmakers might have brought out a more nuanced sense of humor. As it is, with its over-the-top blood, gore, sex, and profanity, a lot of people in the audience are probably going to wonder about the movie's intent, and I fear many a viewer is going to go away disgusted rather than entertained by the affair.
Average user rating (1-5):
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[release]23387[/release]