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| Special Features: |
Theatrical Trailer
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| Video Format: |
Letterbox (1.66:1)
[SS-SL]
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| Languages: |
English (Dolby 2.0 Surround)
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| Captions: |
English, French, Spanish.
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| Casing: |
1-Disc Keep Case
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Terry Zwigoff's acclaimed documentary about the life and times of Robert Crumb, one of America's most brilliant and most
controversial cartoonists, is an intimate portrait into a mind that skirts that dangerous line between genius and madman.
Piecing together accounts from R. Crumb himself, Crumb's two brothers, a handful of ex's (which includes a pornography editor), current wife,
son, and a few fellow artists and critics, Zwigoff is able to catch a glimpse of the person behind artistry, which is as much
brilliant as it is unsettling.
Most interesting is the dynamic between Robert and his two brothers Max and Charles, who, as it soon becomes wholly evident,
have gone completely over the ledge into insanity. It is disturbing and sad to realize that these stranger-than-fiction
characters actually exist in our world, but gives the audiences a true understanding of where the anger, insecurity and
madness in Crumb's work comes from.
In one of the most poignant scenes in the film, Robert Crumb analyzes some of the latter works of his brother Charles (who also immersed himself in comic artistry as a teenager). It is literally the only time in the film where the
vulnerability of R. Crumb, whose occasionally bitter and stinging outer shell seems to hide his sensitive side,
elicits itself. There is a pain in his voice as he attempts to explain, through his brother's artwork, the final
moments when his brother finally detached himself from the real world.
Though the film drags a bit through the middle, it is an exceptional illustration of what happens when genius is
left to determine its own path.
Like similar critically-acclaimed yet seldom watched films that have finally hit the DVD format,
"Crumb" gets the cold shoulder from Columbia Tri-Star. A sub-par 1.66:1 video transfer is
just one of the several injustices done to this film on disc.
Picture Quality: 5/10
Columbia Tri-Star's transfer is just plain bad. There are visible grain and artifacts throughout
the film, and the colors appear dull. What a shame.
Sound Quality: 6/10
Very average Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround is thankfully not an essential part of this dialogue-heavy documentary.
Menu: 8/10
I totally dig the comic-book style interface. Totally fitting for this cartoonist documentary. At least they did something right!
Extra Features: 1/10
Theatrical trailer for "Crumb". Where's the Terry Zwigoff commentary track? Argh...
The Final Word:
Terry Zwigoff's unique documentary about underground cartoonist Robert Crumb is one of the
most bizarre films you will ever encounter. One can only hope Columbia Tri-Star will eventually
release a special edition with a nice widescreen transfer and some cool extras, like a Zwigoff commentary
and even some selected artwork from Crumb. Until then, Crumb remains a perfect rental for
both R. Crumb fans and those not yet acquainted with his works.
Stephen Wong
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