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Features: DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1, Dolby Digital (5.1), Dolby Surround Sound, English, French, Spanish, Subtitled
ART SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL follows talented young artist Jerome Platz (Max Minghella) as he escapes from high school to a tiny East Coast art school. Here the boyish freshman's ambition is to become the world's greatest artist, like his hero Picasso. Unfortunately, the beauty and craft of Jerome's portraiture are not appreciated in an anything-goes art class. Neither his harsh judgments of his classmates' efforts nor his later attempts to create pseudo-art of his own win him any admirers. But Jerome does attract the attentions of his dream girl, the stunning and sophisticated Audrey (Sophia Myles), an artist's model and daughter of a celebrated artist. Rejecting the affectations of the local art scene, Audrey is drawn to Jerome's sincerity. When Audrey shifts her attention to Jonah (Matt Keeslar), a hunky painter who becomes the school's latest art star, Jerome is heartbroken. Desperate, he concocts a risky plan to make a name for himself and win her back.System Requirements:Running Time: 102 MinutesFormat: DVD MOVIE
"...replete with humorous detail...but it's the attitude that rules." J. Hoberman, The Village Voice
"...inspired, fascinating, and revealing..." Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
"Intelligent and robust...exhilarating." Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun
Editor's Note
Artist and writer Daniel Clowes has garnered some impressive acclaim for the collection of social misfits and oddballs he lovingly etches into the pages of his comicbook EIGHTBALL. In 2001 Clowes teamed up with director Terry Zwigoff (CRUMB) to bring one of his stories to life--the long-running strip GHOST WORLD. ART SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL finds Clowes and Zwigoff reconvening once again, this time for a satirical stab at the willfully pretentious denizens of the art-school world. Max Minghella stars as Jerome Platz, a full-lipped, charcoal-eyed freshman who dreams of making it big in the art world. Jerome takes classes at the Strathmore Institute from Professor Sandiford (John Malkovich), a terrible hack whose lack of talent and taste is mirrored in his own wretchedly pompous works. But as Sandiford scoffs at Jerome's natural ability and passes him over in favor of the talentless jock Jonah (Matt Keeslar), our young hero cares less and less as he delves into a blinkered infatuation with a model named Audrey (Sophia Myles). Clowes doubtless drew on his own art-school experiences to craft many of the characters for Zwigoff's movie, and viewers from a similar background will likely want to hide their eyes as a painful parade of highly affected youths litters the screen. Steve Buscemi, Jim Broadbent, and Angelica Huston make fleeting appearances, and a subplot about a serial killer breaks up the central narrative. Although Zwigoff and Clowes don't quite nail their characters as cohesively as they did with GHOST WORLD, the film does provide plenty of laughs, delightfully cocking a filmic snook at what can often be a very self-absorbed institution.
| Features | 12 Deleted Scenes | | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound | | Audio: English, Spanish, French, Portugese Dolby Digital Stereo | | Blooper Reel | | Dubbed: Spanish, French, Portugese | | Featurettes: The Making Of Art School Confidential & The Sundance Premiere | | Interactive Menus | | Previews | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese | | Testimonials |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Sony Pictures |
| Release Date: 3/25/2008 |
| Original Release Date: 2006 | | Catalog ID: 15884 | | UPC: 00043396158849 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English, French Dubbed, Portuguese Dubbed, Spanish Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | Los Angeles Times
"[The film] deftly evokes the peculiar, funny-sad heartbreak of the aspiring genius..." 05/05/2006 p.E14New York Times
"John Malkovich's performance as a drawing instructor is sly and insightful..." 06/09/2006 p.E21 Entertainment Weekly
"The film is fine at mocking beyond-pretentious art-school staff and students..." 10/13/2006 p.117 ReelViews 8 of 10
For Art School Confidential, director Terry Zwigoff has re-teamed with Daniel Clowes for an offbeat and bitingly satirical look at the college era coming of age story. Considering Zwigoff's resume, which includes Bad Santa and Ghost World (based on one of Clowes' comic series), one should not expect Art School Confidential to be a cheerful romantic comedy/underdog overcomes tale. In fact, this is as dark as Zwigoff has gotten - arguably even darker than Bad Santa. And, while it's legitimate to label Art School Confidential as a "comedy," the movie is more clever than it is funny. - James Berardinelli
Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
It was written, like his "Ghost World," by the artist Daniel Clowes and based on one of Clowes' graphic novels. Zwigoff also made the great documentary "Crumb," about another artist who is entirely his own creation...There is something in the Zwigoffian universe that values such characters; having abandoned all illusions, they offer the possibility of truth. I also much enjoyed Broadway Bob (Steve Buscemi); his cafe is a hangout for the students, who hope he will hang their work on his walls. Bob at this point is more important to them than the art critic of the New York Times. - Roger Ebert
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