The Linguini Incident Blu Ray Review (MVD Marquee)

The Linguini Incident (aKa Shag-O-Rama and The Robbery) is a 1991 crime comedy co-written and directed by Richard Shepard (Mercy, The Matador, The Hunting Party, Dom Hemingway, I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale, and Oxygen). It was co-written by Tamar Brott. The wealthy Dante (played by: Andre Gregory from My Dinner with Andre, The Shadow, The Last Temptation of Christ, Some Girls, and Demolition Man) and Cecil (played by: Buck Henry from Heaven Can Wait, Short Cuts, The Player, To Die For, and Grumpy Old Men) own a successful restaurant in New York. A British bartender Monte (played by: David Bowie from Labyrinth, The Last Temptation of Christ, Into the Night, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, The Prestige, and The Hunger) is a compulsive liar that no one believes. He needs to marry a waitress to get his Visa so he can stay in America. Disgruntled waitress Lucy (played by: Rosanna Arquette from Pulp Fiction, Desperately Seeking Susan, After Hours, Crash, The Whole Nine Yards, and Nowhere to Run) wants to be the next Houdini but it becomes a very expensive hobby. Her best friend is waitress Vivian (played by: Eszter Balint from Stranger Than Paradise, Trees Lounge, Louie, and The Dead Don’t Die) that designs her own specialty clothes. They all need something to fix their current situations. The desperate trio decides to work together and rob the restaurant. Monte plays the friends against each other, both are willing to marry him. Will they pull off this crime???? The Linguini Incident has been forgotten for a long time now. When it was originally released, it didn’t perform well and it was basically buried in the archives. Director Richard Shepard has resurrected it with his own version of it. He didn’t have the proper existing material to do the true version that he wanted to complete but he put together this unreleased cut with what he had. It’s much better than the original edit that was released everywhere. The script is very interesting, it has a nice balance between comedy and crime. David Bowie is solid as Monte. This is the only romantic comedy that the legendary artist did. His character is always twisting the truth and he uses everyone that he can. He finds out he has the same plan as his co-worker to take down his restaurant. Rosanna Arquette gives one of her most underrated performances as Lucy. She wants to be an escape artist but she’s very shy when it comes to doing it in public. She doesn’t want much to do with Monte at first but her mind changes as they get closer. Both of the leads have unique chemistry in this. It’s bizarre but it somehow works. The supporting cast includes Eszter Balint, Andre Gregory, Buck Henry, Viveca Lindfors (Creepshow), Marlee Matlin (Children of a Lesser God), Eloy Casados (White Men Can’t Jump), Kathy Kinney (The Drew Carey Show), Maura Tierney (E.R.), and James Avery (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). All of these wacky characters have odd relationships but it’s a good build up to what happens. They end up bonding more after the heist. Ironically, the robbery only helps the restaurant and the owners end up more powerful after it. The locations look wild here. It’s a original spin on the romantic comedy sub-genre. The humor is hit or miss. The Linguini Incident is way better than I thought it would be. MVD Marquee Collection is trying to get this unknown crime comedy a new life on home video and I hope this brand release gives it more attention, RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from the MVD Marquee Collection. This 1080p unrated director’s cut (1.78:1) transfer is from a 4K scan of the interpositive. The film maker went on a search for years for the original source material but he had to go with a print from a screening. It’s actually 5 minutes shorter than the theatrical one. It has a smoother pace and flow to it. The colorful locations and cinematography shine in this new restoration. It’s a major improvement over the older VHS. It never even got a DVD release back in the day. It has an English: LPCM 2.0 Mono track on the disc. The audio is very solid here especially for something that’s been on the shelves forever. The score really stands out. All of the dialogue is crystal clear, the comedy is elevated, and the music has a nice boost to it. It has English SDH subtitles. It has an exclusive brand new “Audio Commentary” with director Richard Shepard. It has an additional exclusive brand new “Audio Commentary” with Richard Shepard, Rosanna Arquette, Eszter Balint, Sarah Jackson, and Tamar Brott plus it’s moderated by Heath Holland. Both of these tracks are full of information and stories about the unknown production. They have different vibes. The first one is a little more serious. The second one is more fun because it has all kinds of people from the movie on it. Lots of the same stuff is explored in the full length documentary that’s on here. You get to learn so much about this rare 90’s comedy. “Introduction by Richard Shepard” is a little over 2 minutes. The film maker chats a little about the new director’s cut. The full length documentary “The Making of The Linguini Incident” is a little over 104 minutes is directed by Richard Schenkman (Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God… Be Back by Five, Angel 4, I Spit on Your Grave: Vengeance Is Mine, Abducted, October 22, The Man from Earth, Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies, and Mischief Night). It has interviews with Richard Shepard, Rosanna Arquette, Eszter Balint, Sarah Jackson, Marcia Hinds, Richard von Ernst, and Marlee Matlin. They discuss the origins of the project and putting it together. They mention original actors considered for this romantic comedy. David Bowie and Mick Jagger were both originally offered the owner roles. Jagger had no interest but David Bowie loved the screenplay. He wanted the lead role so he convinced them to let him do it. He did The Linguini Incident for almost no money. They bring up owning the restaurant name and design Incase that the The Linguini Incident blew up and they could capitalize on it’s popularity with a franchise of real locations. Oscar winner Shelley Winters actually filmed for this movie but she was fired right away because of her behavior on the set. The iconic actress starting bad mouthing the production after she was let go and replaced. They bring up that Bowie fell in love with his future wife model Iman while making this film. Richard Shepard is very honest here about the movie’s failures and how he wasn’t really a fan of it when it was finished. He went on a journey to be able to put together the closest thing to a director’s cut featuring stuff that he wanted to change from it back in the day. Rosanna Arquette mentions that this is one of her favorite films that she worked on. This full length documentary is stacked with interesting information and entertaining stories. It has the original “Theatrical Version” (1.33:1) that’s a little over 98 minutes. It’s in standard definition but it’s still an awesome addition to this blu ray. The almost 6 minute “Photo Gallery”. It has two different “Trailers” which includes an updated version and the original. It also comes with a slipcover, reversible artwork, and a booklet. MVD Marquee Collection has loaded with this comedy rarity with so much bonus material. It’s a top notch home video release. It’s available everywhere right now, CHECK IT OUT!!!!