Still Waiting (UNRATED)
Studio: Lionsgate
Year: 2009
Rated: Not Rated
Running Time: 90 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 anamorphic
Audio: English (Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
Subtitles: English, Spanish
US DVD Release Date: February 17, 2009
Movie: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
Still Waiting is the direct-to-video sequel to Waiting, a hit comedy starring Ryan Reynolds and Anna Faris. As with most direct-to-video sequels, those stars have not returned in this outing. John Michael Higgins stars as Dennis, the manager of Shenanigans in his late thirties still living with his mother. A District Manager position has opened, and Dennis is told the job is his if he can hit $9,000 in sales in one evening. Sales at the restaurant have declined ever since corporate opened a Ta-Ta’s Wing Shack (simlar to Hooters) next door. To rally the troops, Dennis tells his staff that if they do not hit the mark, the restaurant will likely be closed.
It has been said that watching a comedy that is not funny can be considered a form of punishment or torture. Still Waiting is such a movie. Rob McKittrick’s screenplay (he wrote and directed the original Waiting) is loaded with gross and raunchy gags that are so gross and raunchy that they just are not funny. I enjoy raunchy humor in movies like Stripes, Animal House, Clerks, and even Caddyshack, but McKittrick seems to be under the impression that the more disgusting the idea, the funnier it will be. John Michael Higgins has been very funny in films such as Walk Hard, A Mighty Wind, and Best In Show. In Still Waiting, Higgins seems to be going through the motions and collecting a paycheck. Maggie Lawson, from USA Network’s hit series Psych, seems lost in this film, as well, in the role of Allison, the rookie waitress at Ta-Ta’s.
Video: :star: :star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
The 1.78:1 anamorphic video is virtually free of compression artifacts and noise with solid colors and black levels, as would be expected from a movie shot in 24 frame high definition video. There are no signs of edge enhancement or digital noise reduction.
Audio: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
This is your run-of-the-mill comedy 5.1 mix, very front-heavy with occasional music and atmosphere bleeding to the surrounds. Conducting an A/B comparison between the 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital tracks provided, I could not distinguish the two.
Special Features: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
Audio Commentary with Director Jeff Balis and Writer Rob McKittrick Balis and McKittrick talk about making this film. These guys enjoy talking to each other, but often sound completely full of themselves.
Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes A collection of 20 assorted scenes left on the cutting room floor.
Outtake Montages This includes a typical Blooper Reel of flubbed lines, and two sections of clips of actors repeating the same lines.
Sloppy Seconds: The Making of Still Waiting A 46 minute featurette on the making of the film, with interviews with the cast and crew.
Also From Lionsgate A collection of trailers.
The Haunting In Connecticut
New In Town
Disaster Movie
My Best Friend’s Girl
Religulous
Bangkok Dangerous
Saw V
Waiting
Overall :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
The superb video and audio on this disc cannot change the fact that Still Waiting is a dreadful waste of time.
This DVD was reviewed on the following home theater gear:
- Toshiba 56HM66 DLP HDTV
- Sony Playstation 3 (outputting at 1080i)
- Yamaha HTR-5940 Home Theater Receiver (in 5.1 configuration)
- Yamaha NS-AP2600 Home Cinema Speaker Package
- Yamaha YST-SW010 subwoofer
