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Dogfight



An ineffably bittersweet portrait of youth in the 1960s, Nancy Savoca's funny, sensitive tale of love and war etches two vividly alive characters: aspiring San Francisco folk singer Rose (Lili Taylor) and hotheaded, Vietnam-bound marine Eddie (River Phoenix), who meet on the occasion of a cruelly misogynistic party where men compete to bring the most unattractive dates they can find. But what begins as a night to forget unexpectedly develops into something far more meaningful. Featuring music by folk legends Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Pete Seeger, Dogfight captures the miracle of human connection while gracefully subverting ideas surrounding machismo, patriotic duty, and the very meaning of America itself.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

• New 2K digital restoration, supervised by director Nancy Savoca, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• Audio commentary featuring Savoca and producer Richard Guay
• New interview with Savoca and actor Lili Taylor conducted by filmmaker Mary Harron
• New interviews with cinematographer Bobby Bukowski, production designer Lester Cohen, script supervisor Mary Cybulski, music supervisor Jeff Kimball, supervising sound editor Tim Squyres, and editor John Tintori
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by film critic Christina Newland

Yowza. Between this, Little Darlings, Texasville and the upcoming disc of Household Saints, these last two months have been magic for jazzo

I only learned of this film’s existence a few months back when watching an old Siskel and Ebert review of it. They were split on it but it sounded (and looked in the clips) pretty miserable to me as a concept

I remember reading about it for the first time in Danny Peary's Alternative Oscars back in the '90s. The film had never registered to me before that, which was rare for a film that recent around that time; but he was calling it one of the best films from 1991 in that book.

I always thought this film would show up from Criterion, given the increased focus on female directors and their relationship with Warner Bros. With this film coming out, plus the restoration of Household Saints due soon, we'll likely be getting a re-appraisal of Nancy Savoca's career.

domino harvey wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 5:22 pm I only learned of this film’s existence a few months back when watching an old Siskel and Ebert review of it. They were split on it but it sounded (and looked in the clips) pretty miserable to me as a concept

I honestly can't recommend it enough. It's a beautiful film.

I finally watched it within the last year or two and my impressions were split between these: There are objectively good elements, particularly the performances, but I probably don't ever need to see it again

I agree it’s really good. It’s a hard film to describe in a blurb, but Phoenix and Taylor deliver beautiful performances, and it’s definitely not a Cinderella story (or a Pygmalion story).

Savoca’s student films are touring with the new restoration of Household Saints. I wish this release had included at least one, but hopefully the Blu-Ray of said feature will

The commentary is from WB’s DVD and is definitely worth a listen, particularly with regards to discussing the film’s screenwriter, who passed away just when the film was being released

One of my most beloved films of the 90s. River Phoenix' finest hour for sure.

barryconvex wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 8:23 pm One of my most beloved films of the 90s. River Phoenix' finest hour for sure.

He truly never had a poor performance. I think he’s remarkable in this and The Thing Called Love, and he was absolutely headed towards becoming the biggest actor in Hollywood

I just showed my 11 year-old daughter and 13 year-old son Running On Empty, not just because I thought they would like it, but also because they both loved 12 Angry Men and, my son, Dog Day Afternoon, and I wanted another Lumet to screen for them.

They both loved it, but my daughter was particularly taken with River's performance, especially when she realized that he was also Chris Chambers from Stand By Me (also greatly embraced by them), and one of the kids from Explorers (they loved at first but wound up hating towards the end). My wife and I tried to provide context; how there were certainly a lot of great young performers around that time, but also how Phoenix seemed to be operating on a different, almost metaphysical plane than the rest of them.

"Also," she replied, "he's really pretty."

Running On Empty holds up beautifully, by the way. One of those films, like Peggy Sue Got Married and Tin Men, to me, that I loved as a young person starting to venture deeper into films for grown-ups, but that also that got richer and much more affecting once I had the shit kicked out of me by life a few times.

I think The Mosquito Coast may be next. Dogfight in a couple of years.

beamish14 wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 7:16 pm Savoca’s student films are touring with the new restoration of Household Saints. I wish this release had included at least one, but hopefully the Blu-Ray of said feature will

Household Saints will feature both Savoca and Guay's student films.

domino harvey wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 5:22 pm I only learned of this film’s existence a few months back when watching an old Siskel and Ebert review of it. They were split on it but it sounded (and looked in the clips) pretty miserable to me as a concept

It gets better as it progresses, but it’s definitely a set of artists polishing a turd. I just think the film has Phoenix start off at too far a bad place and is redeemed too quickly to buy this inverse Pygmalion they are going for. The first act is so ugly and the other two aim to soften our image of him rather than have movement (aside from a cheap aside at the very end) which kills off the genuine good will the amazing performances afford. I also think we spend too much time with his friends after Rose is introduced and the epilogue is what finally pushes it into Tiger Cruise style DCOM it is always threatening to be.