Beavis & Butt-Head Do America – Special
Collector’s Edition (10th
Anniversary)
Picture: B- Sound: B- Extras: B- Film: B
Mike
Judge is an animation hero. He brought
on a whole new cycle of bolder themes in animation building on the mainstream
success of The Simpsons, which
happened through his very crudely made shots featuring the squiggly line goofs Beavis & Butt-Head. Then it became a hit TV series that was more
groundbreaking than anyone gave it credit for.
Then came the first theatrical feature film, Beavis & Butt-Head Do America (1996) and once again, Judge was
underestimated.
Well, the
film was enough of a hit to surprise the industry and it turned out to not be
like a few shows cut together as some expected.
Instead, despite the simple animation, Judge and company decided to push
the limits of the big screen like few far more expensive animated features
(hand-drawn, animated, both or otherwise) giving the dim duo whole new
hilarious possibilities. That is why you
have to see this on the biggest screen and with the best 5.1 playback possible.
The
beginning of the film involves the worse possible thing that could happen to
the boys: their TV is stolen. To say it gives new meaning to Alfred
Hitchcock’s concept of the MacGuffin (the thing the characters are after but
the audience could care less about because it just gets the film moving) new
meaning as they could care less for much of the film simply because they have
the worst case of short-term memory in international animation history.
In their
trip, they cause all kinds of havoc, somehow run into characters from the show
who all happen to be traveling and meet new characters who also clash with
them. Free of cable TV limits, the film
pushes new limits of “no-nos” despite the PG-13 rating. Some of the jokes are inserted slyly into the
film, but the 80 minutes is very loaded with jokes and visual gags that work
again and again. I think Judge and other
voice actors became more fired up as they recorded dialogue with the new
freedom, opportunities and possibilities.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image looks good and was 99%+ all hand
drawn. It is amazing how goods this
looks after being treated to or insulted with (depending on your opinion of a
given release) the last of the major hand-drawn features, several Claymation
projects and too many CG computer animated ones. It might be easy to miss some points in the
first viewing visually, but 5they are there and the transfer delivers them as
best the DVD format can.
The Dolby
Digital 5.1 mix is a hoot, using the multi-channel possibilities to their
fullest extent. Even the Dolby Digital
2.0 mix in Pro Logic mode can loose some of the aural gags. Unfortunately, Paramount did not include a
DTS option, so the 5.1 Dolby will have to do.
Music is sparse at times by John Frizzell, but that is a good move and a
few songs appear as well, making it to the mixed hit songtrack.
Extras
include a music featurette with Frizzell called We’re Gonna Score!, new making of piece, teaser trailer, TV spots,
“celebrity shorts” to promote the
film, silly smackdown montage of
people hitting each other and a great audio commentary track by Judge and
animation director Yvette Kaplan. She
has so many interesting things to say and it is a fun listen-to. That wraps up a solid anniversary release to
go with all the volumes of the show Judge has supervised himself. This is as good a place to start or restart
if you have not seen the boys for a while.
- Nicholas Sheffo
