Martin & Orloff – Divimax Edition
Picture: B-
Sound: B- Extras: C Feature: C
Some people just love the TV show Upright Citizens
Brigade, so it was only a matter of time before some of them would take on
a feature project. Producer/director Lawrence
Blume’s Martin & Orloff (2002) is a would be comedy about a man (Ian
Roberts) who fails to commit suicide, only to find the idiotic Dr. Orloff (Matt
Walsh) who is likely to do much more harm than good. The name is supposed to remind us of old German Expressionist
doctors gone wrong, but the script by the co-stars and Katie Roberts covers all
the same ground and believes if it is just a goofier version of what we have
seen before (What About Bob? in reverse, Anger Management and
like comedies), we’ll forget the earlier works.
Too bad it is the same one-note idea for its long 85
minutes. Should the psychiatrist be his
friend, especially when he may the sicker of the two and not know it? Saturday Night Live regular Amy
Poehler co-stars and Tina Fey makes a cameo, with Janeane Garofalo also doing a
cameo, but they cannot save this mess that seems totally oblivious to what it
is spoofing and the implications thereof.
You can only Forrest Gump your way through any subject so
much. And once again, someone in the
psychiatric business is and evil killer or just evil.
This is the latest Divimax Series release from Anchor Bay
and always is supposed to guarantee that it is a high performing DVD from a
digital High Definition transfer and good sound. The anamorphically enhanced 1.77 X 1 image and Dolby Digital 5.1
sound are on par with most of the sub-color, sub-sound, limited form feature
film releases that have been hitting the theaters in the last few years. That does not help the story, but playback
is fairly good. Extras include the
stars and director on an audio commentary track, trailer, make up tests,
foldout board game inside the DVD case, “astronaut striptease” segment, deleted
scenes, bloopers and an alternate ending.
No changes would have saved Martin & Orloff, but at least
they got this one out of their system and no one will do this again, we hope.
- Nicholas Sheffo
