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DVD Review: Heathers: Limited Edition

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Heathers: Limited Edition

 

Written by Daniel Waters

 

Directed by Michael Lehmann

 

Released by Anchor Bay Entertainment

 

Starring Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Kim Walker, Lisanne Falk and Shannen Doherty

 

Rated R, 119 min.

 

The extreme always seems to make an impression.” – J.D.

 

Apparently, “Heathers” writer, Daniel Waters, lives by this mantra as well.

 

High School. Whether you loved it or loathed it, chances are you still remember it vividly. You will never forget your friends, the food, the fights, cutting class, the cliques, the non-stop quest for popularity and the social politics that make The Undertaker’s and Triple H’s backstage antics and power plays look like an episode of the Partridge Family.

 

What is your damage?” – Veronica Sawyer to Heather McNamara

 

There are no doubt millions of grown men and women at this very moment, on a million different couches, all pouring their hearts out to their therapists, attempting to overcome some form of psychological scarring whose origins trace back as far as high school. I mean, it wasn’t all croquet, pate' and partying with the in-crowd for everyone. Some girls decided to experiment with their sexuality in those formative years. And for their troubles they developed social reputations and rumors of promiscuity that dog them to this very day. Meanwhile, some guy experienced his first real heartbreak and forever formed his lifetime opinion of the opposite sex because he was idiot enough to fall for his school’s local “good time” gal.

 

Fuck me gently with a chainsaw.” - Heather Chandler to Veronica Sawyer

 

High school was, and still is, a vicious and mean institution; a place where an act as simple as daring to be yourself can get you ostracized by your “friends” for months on end or where a change in wardrobe can possibly escalate into physical violence. But yet at an age where you are making such emotionally unbalanced decisions and the most important thing to you are your plans for the weekend, the real world eagerly awaits; ready to hang those years of immaturity over your head and hold you accountable for your childish actions and to determine your financial and social future.

 

So lemme get this straight: I’m not old enough to decide my own curfew, drink or vote and I’m constantly reminded of how irresponsible I am, but yet I am supposed to be mature and responsible enough to realize that these years will be of the utmost importance when I enter the workforce and my behavior during this period of my life will be used to judge who I am today and my current level of responsibility? ‘Scuse me if I don’t get it or think that’s fair.

 

THE MOVIE:

 

Why are you such a mega-bitch!?” – Veronica Sawyer to Heather Duke

 

Heathers allows us to relive all this wholesome goodness and general level of absurdity at the same time by taking us to Westerburg High, the high school from hell where, as the box cover says, you’re either a Heather or a nobody. Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) IS a Heather, her school’s most powerful clique. But she wants out. She’s fed up with their behavior and disgusted by their meanness. All of her “friends” are spiteful and ruthless malicious bitches, who dream up hurtful schemes for their own twisted amusement. But Veronica would still rather not return to her “normal” life as a “nobody, a bluebird, a girl scout cookie.” Veronica’s conflict of conscience causes her to have a falling out with Heather Chandler (the leader of the Heathers) and to start dating a mysterious new guy, Jason Dean (Christian Slater in his Jack Nicholson zone). Veronica eventually ends up unwittingly assisting JD in murdering some of the most popular kids in their school and then covering up said murders by making them appear to be suicides.

 

My son’s a homosexual and I love him. I love my dead gay son!” - jock Ram’s father at his funeral

 

Soon, due to the popularity of the students involved, teen suicide is the hottest thing since funnel cakes at the local fair and even the lowest of Westerburg’s social ladder are trying to latch on to the new trend in an attempt to move up a notch; willing to be casualties in Westerburg’s full-scale war for popularity, no matter the cost . Those that don’t go that route scramble frantically to replace those who were killed. And there is Veronica in the middle, trying on one hand to deal with the new “mega-bitch” Heather Duke (Shannen Doherty) who rose to power and leads the Heathers in the wake of Heather Chandler’s passing and trying on the other hand over and over in vain to break up with her homicidal new boyfriend. Little does she know that JD isn’t going to let go so easily and he has a master plan to rid Westerburg High of all its cliques and the current back-stabbing power structure forever.

 

THE DVD:

 

Drool much?” – Heather Chandler to Veronica Sawyer, who just sighted Jason Dean in the cafeteria

 

Heathers is presented in 1:85:1 anamorphic widescreen approved by THX. Considering that film was shot on a shoestring budget at the time it was lensed, whatever aspect ratio you present it in, it’s still gonna look like crap compared to today’s newer releases. It’s not a bad transfer, but it’s nothing to run out and grab a double for, either. (even though I did) The sound has also been ramped up for this special edition and Anchor Bay has decided to give us a 5.1 Dolby Digital track. This is also not that big of a deal since the film is mostly dialogue. There isn't much need for those extra channels of audio for any ambient sounds as there aren't any to really speak of.

 

In the way of extras we have a commentary track with director Michael Lehmann, producer Denise Di Novi, and writer Daniel Waters. I tend to like commentary tracks with the cast, but this one isn’t bad and they all have some interesting stories to tell about the making of the film and such. Good for at least one listen. There is also a new 30 minute documentary entitled “Swatch Dogs and Diet Coke Heads”. This documentary relays a lot of info in its short running time and gives a lot of insight into how Heathers came to be. There’s also plenty of interviews with the cast members which is a plus. Last but not least is the usual trailer, bios and other useless filler.

 

The DVD itself comes in a collector’s tin (not as nice as Akira’s, it's dull not shiny) with a 48-page yearbook-style booklet, a 10-page fold-out with liner notes and an 8” “Heathers Rules!” ruler. I know you can’t wait to bust that one out in math class, especially if you're in college. Luckily, only 15,000 of these things were produced. I nabbed number 14,327 just in case some Heathers completist on Ebay is wondering.

 

IMODO:

 

Did you have a brain tumor for breakfast?” – Heather Chandler to Heather Duke

 

Heathers is often called a dark comedy or satire. Admittedly, sometimes it is a little over-the-top and almost surreal in its dream-like approach, but I’d wager it’s more accurate than we’d like to give it credit for. Compared to the things that go on in public schools today (ask the Columbine kids) I’d say that Heathers, although controversial when released on March 31, 1989, is rather tame today. It was edgy and the dialogue was biting for its time, but today, what was once a satire seems like a pseudo-documentary and could very well happen in any high school in this or any other nation.

 

How very.” – Veronica Sawyer

 

In the world of Heathers, jocks lie about their sexual escapades with the school’s most popular girls. While the nerds and band kids sit at home on Friday nights wondering why they aren’t out doing something “cool”, the kids they look up to are out doing such exciting things as cow-tipping while getting date-raped or fending off unwanted sexual advances from some drunken frat guy at an exclusive, yet totally boring, college kegger. When it comes to the student body in Heathers, nothing is sacred—even at a funeral jocks terrorize geeks and force them to repeat self-depreciating remarks. In death, renowned assholes are suddenly sweethearts whom everyone loved and are more popular than ever. Even the school’s faculty are caught up in the cheerleader/football player hierarchy and dole out mourning time accordingly. The more popular you were, the longer we’ll allow you to grieve. I know NONE of these things ever happened at YOUR school.

 

You are such a pillow case!” – Heather Chandler

 

Heathers was way ahead of its time and is a cult-classic for us children of the 80s. Pick it up and see what a movie about teens could have been like before America got all PC and starting diluting and toning down everything that came out of Tinseltown. I can guarantee you that a movie like Heathers would NEVER get greenlighted today. It barely got made back then. According to the cast, there are folks who are still sore with anyone associated with the project. But I’ll leave you to track down the DVD to see what that is all about.

 

A few obscure facts about the flick:

 

- The script was originally over 400 pages and writer Daniel Waters wanted Stanley Kubrick to direct. Talk about your pipe dreams. I can see it now: Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001, A Clockwork Orange, Heathers, Full Metal Jacket. Yeah, that would've worked.

 

- Veronica Sawyer and her childhood friend, Betty Finn, got their first names from Betty and Veronica of the Archie comics and their last names from the Mark Twain characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.

 

- Betty Finn was played by Renee Estevez, daughter of Martin Sheen and sister to Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez.

 

- Westerburg High School was named for Paul Westerburg, the lead singer of The Replacements, Winona Ryder’s favorite band at the time. I guess fair Westerburg was also only a school for other fans of The Replacements, because I didn't see too many dark faces in its crowded hallways. OPRESSION~! RACISM~! In Hollywood? Nah... I'll take that back; maybe there was one or two. TOKENISM~!

 

- Heather Duke’s favorite book was supposed to be Catcher in the Rye and not Moby Dick. For some reason, they weren’t cleared to use it in the movie. J. D. Salinger’s a reclusive prick asshole I think is what it came down to.

 

- When Veronica goes to visit Heather Chandler’s locker we can see that she has two issues of Cosmopolitan, a pre-algebra book and another book in her locker. The Cosmo issue on top is dated November 1978, the same month and year that Jim Jones convinced his followers to commit mass suicide in Guyana. The book on the bottom of the locker is called “The Castrated Family” and is a self-help book about dysfunctional families by Harold M. Voth.

 

-JD tells Veronica that the bullets he plans to use are German Ich Luge bullets from WWII. In German, Ich Luge means “I’m lying”.

 

Recommended. But if you already have the first release of this on DVD, save yourself some dough and stick with that one. The clunky tin casing is only gonna give you headaches when it comes to shelving it and there aren't enough significant improvements to warrant shelling out another $24.99.

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