Sex Drive: Unrated and Cream Filled Edition (Summit Blu-ray + 2-Disc Special Edition DVD)
Picture:
B/B- Sound: B/B- Extras: C Film: C
There has
been a growing trend since the 1970’s for teen driven comedies that are filled
with sex, violence, and a number of other absurdities. From Porky’s
to American Pie we have seen a lot
over the years and Sex Drive
continues the outlandish tradition of pitting hormonal teens against all odds
to fulfill their primal desires.
Sex Drive stars Josh Zuckerman as Ian, a
nerdy high schooler who has no bigger desire to find a girl and…well you
know. He spilts his time between
internet chatting with a mysterious hotty that he has led to believe he has an
awesome car and is a football star and working at a mall donut stand that
shrinks his ego, more than it adds to his bank account. Ian also must endure the beatings and insults
of his older brother (played by James Marsden) who gets no bigger joy then
breaking his brothers back. The story
takes off as Ian’s mystery girl invites him to a hotel for a night of sexually
explosive romance; the only problems being he has no car and hardly any
guts. After some persuasion from his
friend Lance (Clark Duke), the duo set out on a mission of teenage sexual
frustration. Before the horny high schoolers
hit the road they first swipe Ian’s brothers car and are unexpectedly joined by
Ian’s longtime female companion (“just friends”) Felicia (Amanda Crew). Together the three set out on the trip of a
lifetime; placing them in some of the most dangerous and oddest situations
imaginable. Even Seth Green makes an
appearance as a witty, yet extremely sarcastic Amish super mechanic. The film is crazy from beginning to end,
bringing just as many groans as it does laughs; but in the end shapes up to a
light, sexually charged teen comedy.
Sex Drive for the most part is like every
other generic, rude, crude, nude, teen sex comedy that has come along in the 30
years; but that is not necessarily a bad thing.
The cast is likeable and the film is solid enough to highlight that some
money was put into the shooting. There
is not much substance from beginning to end, with the predictable storyline
merely being a shell to contain each ridiculously raunchy, but it is still
fun. It would be nice to say that Sex Drive is the next Animal House, but in actuality it is
not setting out to reinvent the wheel and instead just ride out what has worked
in the past. The film is busting at the
seams with sexual tension, slap stick action, and many of the other
unbelievable features that have made teen comedies profitable. This reviewer enjoyed the film, but it is the
same as all the rest. Granted the film
does an excellent job of showcasing a Mexican Donut with a gun and making a
mockery of the internet obsessed world we live.
The best part of the film is Seth Green’s cameo as an Amish Mechanic
whose super dry sarcasm will win you over…really, you’ll love it…no I would
love nothing more than to tell you more about Seth Green (you’ll get it later).
The picture,
sound and extras on the Blu-ray and DVD do not go above and beyond, but for the
most part get the job done without too much trouble. The picture on the Blu-ray of Sex Drive: Unrated and Cream Filled Edition
is presented as a 1.85 X 1 matted letterbox (the R Rated version is a 1.78
X 1 image) that is not perfect as the image is not always clear and is hazy
around the edges. The video has adequate
colors, only a hint of grain, and strong detail even after the haziness of
certain aspects. The sound is a Dolby
Digital 5.1 (640 kps) track that demonstrates clear and crisp dialogue, but the
rest of the audio is kind of a “get what you pay for” situation as the
atmosphere and bass are strong, but certainly not anything that will wow you or
take your speakers to their limits.
The DVD
picture and sound are a downgrade from the Blu-ray and for this particular
release it is noticeable. The image
loses much of its bright palette and detail; whereas the sound does not move
across the speakers as fluidly, leaving much of the crispness and fullness
behind. For this film (and most) Blu-ray
is the way to go.
The
extras are included on the Blu-ray and DVD are Filmmaker Audio Commentary, Sex
Drive: Making a Masterpiece, The Marsden Dilemma, Clark: Duke of the Internet,
Killing Time in Hollywood: Florida. Most
of the extras feature the cast goofing off and making fun of each other. The “Making Of” featurette is poking fun at
the film as it openly acknowledges the silliness and unserious nature of the
film; basically citing that the film by no means will be picking up any
Oscars. The other features have the cast
busting on each other with overflowing sarcasm; James Marsden especially taking
a beating for being the “pretty boy” on the set. The Audio Commentary is hilarious and the
cast/crew make good use of their time as they spout out fact after fact about
the “creative process” and other trivial film notes.
It should
also be mentioned that the “Unrated Edition” itself is an extra. The Unrated Edition features the occasional
appearance (quite random) of naked women and men, as well as replacing some
dialogue with some odder phrases. The
directors warn the viewer up front, not to watch the Unrated Edition before the
R-Rated version, but in all honesty it matters very little. The extra add-ons are obvious and only give
you more bang for you buck (no pun intended).
The film
was fun and is best if watched in a group setting. The film is crude, but that is the point of
any film such as this.
- Michael P. Dougherty II