Blu-Ray Review: ‘RUBBER’

One of the many films I saw at Fantastic Fest 2010 was Rubber.  I think it is a film that is best viewed with an audience, especially considering the message it tries to convey.  However, I think it is a film that all genre and non-genre film fans should watch.  It is incredibly meta thought that some casual filmgoers might not “get” it.  If you are reading this site, I think it is safe to say you are not a casual filmgoer.  You like to ride the edge of the genre.  See how far it can go before going over the edge.  This film is for you.  It has the gore that some of you horror fiends will want to see but be prepared to see a wild, nonsensical – but sensical meaning – film.  Magnolia Home Entertainment released the Blu-Ray this past Tuesday.  Is it worth the cash to put it on your shelf?  Find out beyond the break.

The Movie:

While you can read my review from Fantastic Fest 2010 here, I will say that the second viewing – actually, I have watched it twice at home now – has made me appreciate the film even more.  When you go and make a film about a killer tire, you are essentially putting your whole filmmaking career on the line.  The director, Quentin Dupieux (Mr. Oizo in the DJ world), has crafted an art film that really questions films in general.  A story within a story with the audience being a character is a very bold move for a film that ran the genre film circuits and would essentially be his calling card for the world in filmmaking.  While I thought this was his debut feature, looking at his IMDB page, Rubber is not his first rodeo.  He previously directed a film Steak (kind of funny when you think about the two film titles now) in 2007.  Also, what is inventive about Rubber is that it is all filmed on a Canon 5D DSLR camera.   Rubber is an unforgettable film, whether you like the film or not.

Video:

Rubber was shot on a digital DSLR so the source of the film is 1080p and considering it can be transferred straight to a Blu-Ray Master, you would expect the film to look amazing on Blu.  It does.  The details are crisp and lifelike.  Which is very important in this case as Dupieux chose to shoot this film on the Canon 5D because it was the most “real” image he could get.  If you are going to pick up this film and have the Blu-Ray capabilities, this is the way to own it as this limits down any loss of quality pretty much to nil.

Audio:

While Rubber is presented here in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, the majority of the film doesn’t use the surround channels.  It is oddly a quiet film for the most part.  The only exception to this is the sounds that Robert, the tire, makes when he is about to telekinetically kill something or someone.  The sound grows into the back channels and really wraps you into the moment.  Other sounds you will hear on the back speakers are some wind noises in the desert.  Magnolia Home Entertainment delivers with the video and audio presentation of Rubber.

Extras:

The extras that round out this disc are 3 interviews with the actors and a bizarre interview with Quentin Dupieux who is interviewed by a blow-up doll in french only to have his replies played backwards.  This prankish quality adds a charm to the personality of Dupieux and makes you appreciate the end result of the film as well.   You also get some camera tests with the 5D and Dupieux rolling a tire around in the desert.  Also, standard with other Magnolia Home Entertainment discs is a HDNet featurette and the theatrical trailer.  It would have been nice to see a featurette featuring more Behind-The-Scenes footage as I’m sure this was a fun set to be on.

 

Movie Rating:

Blu-Ray Rating:

 

Rubber on Netflix