A Better Place Blu Ray Review (MVD Marquee)

A Better Place is a 1997 independent drama written, produced, edited, and directed by Vincent Pereira. It was produced by film maker Kevin Smith (Clerks franchise, Dogma, Mallrats, Good Will Hunting, Vulgar, Masters of the Universe, and Chasing Amy). The estimated budget was around $50,000. Two high school outcasts Barret (played by: Robert DiPatri) and Ryan (played by: Eion Bailey from Fight Club, Band of Brothers, Once Upon a Time, Almost Famous, E.R., Mindhunters, and Ray Donovan) form an obsessive friendship after being bullied and harassed from others. The new kid in town and the one with a mysterious dark past end up relating to each other after experiencing some dramatic trauma. Their new bond spirals out of control and it ends in murder!!!! A Better Place is a hidden gem from the late 90’s. Producer Kevin Smith is always on point for his other projects that are not directed from him. I didn’t know what to expect when I originally watched A Better Place but it definitely made an impression. Director and writer Vincent Pereira made his directorial debut and unfortunately this was his only feature behind the camera. It’s one of the better low budget first time efforts that I’ve ever seen. It’s a real shame that he didn’t do more projects after this. The twisted script deals with two different students that are bullied and harassed by most of their school. They end up becoming friends because of this awkward mutual situation. Robert DiPatri as Barret is the new kid in town that just doesn’t fit in anywhere. He tries to be social but he fails in every possible way. Eion Bailey is great as the disturbed Ryan. Rumors and speculations about his dark past keeps almost everyone away from him. He starts to get a little jealous when Barret actually makes a few new friends. Their chemistry together is unique, they end up encouraging each other in awful ways that go too far. There’s a few familiar faces from the View Askew universe in this which includes Jason Lee (Dogma), Ethan Suplee (Mallrats), Scott Mosier (Vulgar), Carmen Llywelyn (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back), Brian Lynch (Chasing Amy), and Vincent Pereira (Clerks franchise). A Better Place gets much darker as it goes on. It reveals some interesting twists and surprises. The awkward tension between the friends builds up until it explodes into something crazy. This drama is suspenseful and it keeps you on your toes for it’s shocking finale. It feels natural kinda like a true crime documentary at times which is awesome for something like this. A Better Place is morbidly entertaining and it’s unpredictable which is refreshing. It stays with you for awhile after experiencing it, RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from the MVD Marquee Collection! This 1080p (1.50:1) unrated transfer is from a brand new restoration from a 3K scan of the OCN and first generation print elements in it’s director intended original 1.50:1 aspect ratio. Vinegar Syndrome killed it for this major improvement for A Better Place, it’s never looked this good before. It’s like a whole new experience visually plus the several new tweaks in this uncensored director’s cut. It has a few different audio options which includes English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English: Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks on the disc. The audio really steps it up at the end plus the soundtrack is nice. All of the dialogue is crystal clear, the tension is elevated, and the music has killer boost to it. It has English SDH subtitles. It has a brand new exclusive little over 2 minute “Introduction” from director Vincent Pereira. He sets up the film. He mentions some of the changes that he made. He goes over the new restoration. It has an archival “Audio Commentary” with director Vincent Pereira with cast and crew members. They all provide plenty of information and inside stories from the low budget production. They chat about the cast, script, locations, scenes, and everything else that you would want to know from this 90’s drama. It has the 2001 version of “A Better Place” (85 mins). It’s always cool to have a different cut of a movie included as a bonus feature. It has the options of adding it’s commentary or 3 different introductions. It has the almost 15 minute with a total of 3 different “Vintage Introductions” with executive producers Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier. They both have fun setting up this indie film with some jokes and information. It has the Vintage “Goof Audio Commentary” for the 2001 version with director Vincent Pereira and the cast. They just have some fun with this track and entertain themselves during the film. It’s an interesting companion piece with the other one because it’s very different from it. It has 8 “Deleted Scenes” that are a total of 17 minutes with optional director commentary. It has the almost 2 minute “Outtakes and Bloopers”. It has the updated “A Better Place” 2025 Trailer. It has a variety of additional “Trailers”. It comes with a slipcover and reversible artwork. It’s available everywhere right now, CHECK IT OUT!!!!