THE LAWNMOWER MAN: COLLECTOR’S EDITION REVIEWED
“The Lawnmower Man” was never meant to be a feature film. When the rights were acquired, the plan was to make it part of a larger anthology. A little less Cat’s Eye and more like a true Night Shift style adaptation. Unfortunately, certain creative players decided to make it into a feature. When you watch the 2 hours and 21 minutes long Director’s Cut, some of those creative missteps become apparent. Who really needs an extended VR take on Flowers for Algernon?
The Stephen King marketing aping is paper thin and led King to successfully suing the filmmakers. While the director had wanted to make a film called Cyber God, New Line’s head decided to tack on elements of the titular Stephen King story that they owned. If you ever read the original short story, it’s about a Lawnmower Man sacrificing people to a Satyr. All of the 1992 SNES level VR trappings were a means to capitalize on emerging tech fascinations.
For those that haven’t seen the movie, it’s about a mildly retarded man becoming smart via chemical injections and virtual reality exposure. The Director’s Cut takes more time to examine why Jobe evolved during treatments. But, it also spends an ungodly amount of time with Dr. Angelo’s wife, the abused neighbors and Jobe’s peculiar living conditions. That being said, I love it when films like this get rediscoveries on Blu-ray.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Theatrical and Director’s Cut
- Commentary
- Interviews
- Deleted Scenes
- Behind the Scenes footage
- Edited Animated Sequences
- Trailers
- Conceptual Art
- Storyboards
A/V STATS
- 1.85:1 1080p transfer
- DTS-HD 5.1 master audio track
