Dogs In Space (1986/Umbrella/Region Free/Zero/PAL DVD set)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Film: C+
PLEASE NOTE: These DVDs can only be operated
on machines capable of playing back DVDs that can handle Region Zero/0 PAL
format software and can be ordered from our friends at Umbrella Entertainment
at the website address provided at the end of the review.
Australia is not always considered a focal point of Rock
or Punk Music, but they have contributed more than their share of great artists
in and out of those genres, even if it included those moving back and forth
from there to England or artists from nearby New Zealand (especially The Finns)
being mistaken for being from there and being as great. The late Michael Hutchence is one of those successes, especially
one that has been purely Aussie all the way.
Starting with his success with INXS (The
One Thing was a hit in 1983), he was on the rise and the band hit it
big. That includes their Music Videos
with Richard Lowenstein, whose work outside the band also includes Tim Finn,
Crowded House (Mean To Me, Into Temptation), The Church (It’s No Reason) and U2. Together, they made Dogs In Space (1986), an uneven semi-biopic about a punk band in
1978 Melbourne.
As Sam,
Hutchence sings for the band of the film’s title and in the same New Wave-safe
voice he did for INXS, so that is pushing it a bit and the singing becomes more
so by the end. It was an important Punk
film simply because it was an honest enough record and it came from Australia,
but it also shows us everything we have seen before. In addition, the original period of Punk was
over and its progressive spawn New Wave was closer to the end than many had
wished for.
With that
said, this is raw and gritty enough to work as a period piece and everyone is
able to play the burnout roles convincingly before it became chic (even a
supposed fashion statement and therefore, anti-punk) in the 1990s and
onward. Yes, everything goes wrong for
the characters and how can they not considering no one seems to know what to
do, be mature enough to figure it out or even (as real as Punk is supposed to
make their lives and world) find a clue on how to make things work. In this respect, it is hard to feel for these
characters and when compared to a better recent film like Control (reviewed elsewhere on this site) so that leaves the scene
and more things unsaid than should be.
It is also not the best approximation of the experience, even with its
sometimes amusing subplots.
However,
it is rightly a cult item and now darker and more ironic with the tragic loss
of Hutchence. It adds a new irony to the
film never intended. Though his band
went from great records to poor ones (Never
Tear Us Apart), his personal life was compounded with ugliness nothing in
this film could match and the misery led to his early demise. That gives this a nuance that is inescapable
and a lasting record of a talent lost too early.
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image was shot in real anamorphic Panavision
by Andrew de Groot from a restored print and though this is an improvement over
any other footage (and several stills) I have seen of the film, but this is
still softer than expected and is a combination of the transfer slightly
underperforming and the age of the independent production. The Dolby Digital 5.1 is also a bit
compressed, coming from an old Dolby A-type analog theatrical sound mix as well
as limits in the recording of the time.
Music sounds best as expected.
Extras
are many and include the original theatrical trailer, new trailer for this
director’s cut and three feature length audio commentaries (by
Lowenstein/Musical Director Ollie Olsen, de Groot and co-stars Tim
McLaughlan/Charles Meo respectively) on DVD 1, while DVD 2 adds stills, an interview
with the real Sam Sejavka, 94 minutes-long featurette We’re Living On Dog Food, a 20 minutes-long Making of Featurette,
screen tests, Rooms For The Memory
Video with Hutchence, 28 minutes-long Popcorn
Taxi interview with Lowenstein, behind the scenes footage in 16mm film and
Super 8mm film, two original Videos by The Ears (Leap For Lunch, Triple Treat)
and two short films: Punkline (by Sue
Davis and Tony Stevens) and Lowenstein’s Pedestrian.
In the
U.S. as of this pressing, it is shocking how expensive older DVDs and even VHS
copies of this film are going for, especially as compared to the cost of
ordering this on DVD as an import.
Especially when you consider how bad the transfers are in these
editions. The film is now even available
in some areas, so this is a great set for fans and collectors, as well as those
who want to see the film and learn more about it.
As noted above, you can order these PAL DVD import sets
exclusively from Umbrella at:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
- Nicholas Sheffo
