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- Blu-ray: Natural Born Killers (Unrated Director's Cut)
- Rating: Unrated
- Starring: Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Robert Downey Jr., Everett Quinton, Rodney Dangerfield
- Written By: Oliver Stone, David Veloz, Quentin Tarantino, Richard Rutowski
- Directed By: Oliver Stone
- Distributor: Warner Home Video
- Original Year of Release: 1994 (theatrical), 2009 (Blu-ray)
- Extras: New featurette: NBK Evolution: How Would It All Go Down Now?, Commentary and new introduction by Oliver Stone, 44-page booklet, Chaos Rising: The Storm Around Natural Born Killers, Deleted scenes featuring performances by Ashley Judd, Denis Leary, Rachel Ticotin, and the Barbarian Brothers not shown theatrically, Charlie Rose interview of Oliver Stone, Alternate ending, theatrical trailer
- Series:
Natural Born Killers Blu-ray Review
Still thought provoking…and still a Natural Born Killer. By
Robert T. Trate
November 10, 2009
Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis in the dark nineties classic now on Blu-ray
© Warner Home Video
When it was originally released it was considered to be too violent. It was a cornucopia of mayhem and terror that sent shockwaves through the media. The press blasted not only what was on screen but the people behind it. If only the press would have looked deeper they would have seen exactly what director Oliver Stone was doing. In actuality he was pointing the finger at them and saying, you (the media) are the ones to blame. Stone comments several times on the Blu-ray that the news media has gone from reporting to capitalizing. Fifteen years ago Natural Born Killers made a statement: look what the media has done to us. Now in this fully restored Blu-ray director’s cut we have the chance to look back and see how far we have come.
Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory (Juliette Lewis) Knox are two on the run killers who are trying to locate their destiny. The problem is they are demons (not literally) in a world that has no place for them. Both come from troubled families and they are making the best out of what God has given them. Mickey saves Mallory from her broken home and the two make do by robbing people. In their wake they leave a trail of bodies that not only attract the police but the media as well. Det. Jack Scagnetti (Tom Sizemore), accomplished author, seeks out Mickey and Mallory to not only add to his fame but satisfy his own desires. Wayne Gale (Robert Downey Jr.), the host of “American Maniacs”, has been covering their story to boost his own ratings and trying to get the interview of a lifetime. Throughout the film Stone uses a full assortment of imagery to reveal inner workings, thoughts and desires to convey exactly what he wants the audience to hear, see and feel. Obviously at the time he was pointing out that the media was now doing the very same thing with the news. Though in case anyone didn’t realize it (and there were many that didn’t) Downey’s character is our window into what Stone thought was wrong about the press. This film cuts deep and leaves a mark where you have to wonder have we gotten to that point where killers become heroes?
The Blu-ray Experience:
As mentioned before Stone uses a full assortment of film techniques and styles to bring the story of Mickey and Mallory Knox to life. What many people found disturbing where the insertion of soda commercials into the movie. On Blu-ray and in 1080p High Definition all of these film mediums stand apart like never before. The stock footage now appears grainy and blisters the reality. The animated segments glisten in a dirty subtext. The rear screen projections make the film feel even more like a set making their story even less real. The video footage is far from perfect, as it shouldn’t be, so when the hyper real scenes kick the film stock looks as if it were a window on your television set. Look for many of these transitions when Mickey escapes from prison yet they start literally with frame one. The entire film is a true testament to what Blu-ray can accomplish. There aren’t many films like this but to see the diversity in what Blu-ray can accomplish one only has to watch Natural Born Killers.
Thankfully Warner Brothers has given Oliver Stone complete reign over the film as he has restored over 150 cuts to the film. There have been several incarnations of the film but Stone himself calls this the definitive version. There still remain six deleted scenes, approximately 20 minutes in length. The majority of these scenes involve Ashley Judd’s day in court testifying against Mickey and Mallory. The scene perhaps could be the greatest example of a kangaroo court as Mickey is allowed to cross examine Judd’s Grace Mulberry. There is strange scene where Downey’s Wayne Gayle interviews two celebrities that Mickey and Mallory let live but it is almost too bizarre to be real.
“NBK Evolution: How Would It All Go Down Now?” is an incredible retrospective look at how this film would be conceived now with internet and the paparazzi. Many journalists and reality stars chime in as well as Harrelson, Stone and Lewis. Each has their own interpretation of the film today and how much worse the media has gotten in the last 15 years. This retrospective helps point out what the news stories of the day were that are brilliantly referenced in the film. Perhaps though it is better to forget these people all together.
Oliver Stone in 1994 was trying to point out that the news has gone from news for news sake to a business that has a sole purpose, to turn a profit. As we look back at the film we can clearly see that now. Maybe not at the time but as we look around our world today our reality is the one Stone painted for us. This director who has often looked to the past in his films fore saw a future that has now come to fruition.
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Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove this movie, one of the best Oliver Stone has done.
It's always interesting to look at the American Media VS the normal news around the world. This movie clearly interpret what is wrong with the news today.