Fatso is one of those movies that perpetually falls into obscurity among new generations of movie fans. Standing as Anne Bancroft’s sole feature directing effort, you would figure that new audiences would find it impressive, yet they don’t. As the years moved on, a film about fat acceptance and learning how to make a better you should find an audience. At least, Shout Factory thought so with this new release.
Dom DeLuise is one of those actors that deserved more. Spending most of his prominent years as Burt Reynolds’ sidekick isn’t the worst thing. He got several prominent roles and even played around in Mel Brooks’ stable of actors. However, Fatso represented something different. It was Mel Brooks‘ flexing his producing muscle at 20th Century Fox to get a movie made starring a friend and directed by his wife.
Both parties ended up killing it creatively, yet the film didn’t find an audience. What’s crazy is that the film had a low circulation among Premium Cable channels and never really got pushed that hard on the revival circuit. What is so hard about trying to showcase a comedian playing dramatic? Especially when the script is super strong?
The Blu-ray comes with a new featurette and interview about the film’s stilted history. No one can explain why Fatso has never connected past a certain point. Yet, those that love the film…simply adore it. The 1080p transfer has never looked better, but the DTS-HD MONO track is true to audio for its era.
Fatso is available June 25th!
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