DVD > Crazed & Enthused: Criterion Does It Again!

CINEMATICAL.COM: When a movie is deemed fit for the "Criterion Treatment," you just know you're in for something special. It doesn't matter if your cinematic tastes run from Kurosawa and Lean to Gilliam and Soderbergh (or even *cough* Michael Bay) -- if a film you really adore is earmarked for inclusion in The Criterion Collection, you better start saving your pennies. Because while Criterion releases generally cost a little bit more than your average "new release loss-leader," the simple fact is that you're paying for true quality. (My personal Criterion collection includes Armageddon, Brazil, The Life Aquatic, Robocop, The Royal Tenenbaums, and a supremely excellent anthology of Beastie Boys videos.) So what is it that's inspired this sudden outpouring of affection for an outfit that just about every DVD geek already adores? Well, on June 6th you'll be able to get Criterion's mega-packed special edition of Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused, which, for my money, is the single finest comedy ever made about the teenage experience. (Yes, seriously. It's right up there with American Graffiti, The Breakfast Club, and Heathers.) And according to this appropriately jubilant review of the new D&C DVD, it looks like the fans will soon have something awesome to jam in their pipes and collectively smoke.Apparently Mr. Linklater was none too thrilled with the way Universal tried to market Dazed and Confused over the course of its theatrical and previous DVD releases, and since Criterion is all about working with filmmakers, RL was able to deliver a truly amazing collection of material this time out. (Yes, I know: I also purchased Universal's "Flashback Edition," which had a fine transfer and some negligible extra features, but that thing hit eBay the minute this new version was announced!) This new double-discer's got a director's commentary, loads of deleted scenes, retrospective featurettes with cast & crew members, 90 minutes' worth of interviews, a poster, a soundtrack-only audio option(!) , and a 72-page essay booklet!* And if that's not worthy of an extra seven bucks, then I should probably just hock my DVD player and take up needlepoint.*Just in case you forgot, Dazed and Confused helped launch the careers of Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, Cole Hauser, Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp, Joey Lauren Adams, Nicky Katt, Milla Jovovich, Rory Cochrane, Jason London, Michelle Burke, and (of course) Wiley Wiggins. (Weird that my very favorite performance in the flick came from the one cast member who didn't really move on to bigger things. That'd be Sasha Jenson, who played nice-guy jock Don Dawson.)