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Dom Robinson reviews
Paramount
- Cert:
- Cat.no: PHE 8016
- Running time: 78 minutes
- Year: 1996
- Pressing: 2000
- Region(s): 2, PAL
- Chapters: 30 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
- Languages: 2 languages available
- Subtitles: 8 languages available
- Widescreen: 1.78:1
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: DVD 5
- Price: £19.99
- Extras : Scene index, 2 Teaser Trailers
Director:
- Mike Judge
Producers:
- John Andrews and Abby Terkuhle
Screenplay:
- Mike Judge and Joe Stillman
Music:
- John C. Frizzell
Cast of voices:
- Beavis, Butt-Head, Tom Anderson, Mr. Van Dreesen, Principal McVicker : Mike Judge
FBI Agent Fleming : Robert Stack (Airplane)
Little Old Woman : Cloris Leachman
Motley Crue Roadie No.1 : David Letterman
Tour Bus Driver : Richard Linklater
FBI Agent Bork : Greg Kinnear (uncredited)
Dallas Grimes : Demi Moore (uncredited)
Muddy Grimes : Bruce Willis (uncredited)
Beavis And Butthead Do Americais the big film spin-off of the animatedTV series and is one which will have no trouble finding an audience, mainlybecause those who are already familiar with the duo’s antics and goals in lifewill queue round the block to see it, whereas those who think it just plainsucks, won’t.
The television series mixed stories full of insults and pop videos, withcriticism of the latter blended in. Although the film forsakes the pop clips,music is still a mainstay of the film, the opening credits containing a songsung by Isaac Hayes, and being a pastiche of Shaft and Charlie’sAngels to a scene in Las Vegas where Red Hot Chili Pepper‘s “LoveRollercoaster” pumps out with a band dressed in typical 70’s style.
The film begins with Beavis and Butthead recreating a Godzilla film as theywalk down a street full of skyscrapers creating havoc by destroying cars andbuildings as they begin to have a fight, the damage from which escalates asdoes their insults towards each other. However, it soon becomes apparent asButthead awakes that it’s all a dream. In fact, he’s rudely awoken by Beaviswho is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Why? Because the TV have been stolenleaving him reduced to a gibbering wreck, able only to click the remote controlat the empty space left.
Their quest to find the TV leads them to a motel where they meet Muddy Grimes,a redneck who mistakes our heroes for two other men who have been hired to killhis wife, Dallas. However, as Muddy refers to the job as asking them to “dohis wife”, Beavis and Butthead immediately start sniggering and spend the nexthour of the film thinking that they’re going to score with the babe in thephoto, and their greed is boosted by the fact that they think they’re going tobe paid $10,000 to lose their virginity.
Once they meet Dallas Grimes in Las Vegas, she turns the tables on her ex,promising Beavis and Butthead even more money plus lots of sex if they go backhome and kill Muddy instead. Unaware to the pair, she sets them up with adevice which can kill several blocks of people when set off. This attracts theattention of the US Government, and life for the duo gets more and moredangerous, although they just think the whole outing is “cool”.
As in the MTV television series, creator Mike Judge provides the voicesfor most of the main characters, although with this being a film, so it requiressome guest appearances. Airplane‘s Robert Stack does the job ofFBI Agent Fleming proud, a special agent who takes no crap from anybody, andanyone who tries to give a bit gets a full cavity search!!
Cloris Leachman is a Little Old Woman that Beavis and Butthead keepbumping into, the former finding delight in all the pills in her handbag, andas he downs them all, so does his higher state of consciousness turn him intoCornholio, proclaiming “I am Cornholio! I have no bunghole!”
David Letterman is one of the Motley Crue roadies that the pair bumpinto (the other played by Tony Darling (who he?) ), and I couldn’t help butfeel that the roadies look rather familiar… 🙂
The rest of the famous names are rounded out with cult director RichardLinklater, Sabrina‘s Greg Kinnear and now ex-husband and wife,Demi Moore & Bruce Willis.
The picture is presented in an anamorphic 16:9 ratio, with a very obviouslevel of grain that can only be ignored if you really get into the film.The average bitrate is a fair 6.45Mb/s, occasionally peaking over 8Mb/s.
Your speakers will never have to do too much work as most of the sound isconfined to dialogue and plenty of “huh-huh, huh-huh”‘s from the boys.
Extras : Chapters :30 chapters for the 78-minute film which is superb. Why can’t we have thismany for every film? Languages/Subtitles :Dolby Digital 5.1 in English alone, with surround sound for the Germans.Subtitles are available in English (and hard of hearing), German,Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, Finnish, Swedish and Turkish. And there’s more… :Two Teaser Trailers, totalling 70 seconds. They’re funny, but that’s it. Menu :A basic static and silent menu with a shot of Beavis and Butthead and the usualoptions.
Overall, I found this film to be a great laugh, albeit a short one.However, I only fear for Paramount’s sales as most people will be saying“Beavis and who?”, since the B&B fad’s now passed us by and it’sbeen a long time since new episodes have featured on MTV.
It won’t win many new fans, as it requires a fan to appreciate the “style”, andendless bouts of Huh-huh, huh-huh, something which won’t strike a chordwith everyone on first hearing. Then again, would you expect anything else froma cartoon duo who started life in the short 1992 film, “Frog Baseball” ?:)
With almost zip in the way of extras, this is definitely a case of rentbefore you buy.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALL
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.