Μύ Mop-headed thesp Jon Heder arrived on the Hollywood scene in the guise of ΓΌber geek Napoleon Dynamite in 2004. It isn't just another high school comedy but a "delightful can of weird" that garnered rave reviews and a massive cult following for Heder and newbie director Jared Hess. As Hess's follow-up film Nacho Libre arrives on DVD, so too does this Special Edition two-disc package.
Lighting The Fuse
Except for the addition of a supporting cast commentary, the extras on disc one are copied over from the single disc edition reviewed here. The new commentary is a treat though, with Efren Ramirez (pal Pedro) and Aaron Ruell (brother Kip) among the contributing cast members. Between a lot of ribbing and reminiscing, they try to figure out why it is that the film struck a chord. Jon Gries (Uncle Rico) seems to hit the nail on the head when he says, "It's just so random - that's what makes comedy, comedy."
Behind-the-scenes cameras go 'On Location' on disc two to see Heder being abused by school bullies in countless takes spread across 9 featurettes. He's caught in a headlock, has balls thrown at his head and has his "pack" squashed during a bicycle stunt. Between each take, Hess jumps in with helpful directions like, "Smash him up against the locker - whatever you want. You can be a lot more fierce." Unfortunately, Hess denies access for Napoleon's big dancing scene, but Heder gives us a little sneak preview when the director isn't looking...
In addition to the deleted scenes on disc one, there are six more extended scenes on disc two. They include some brilliantly funny moments, like Napoleon trying to skip class by claiming that his "lips hurt real bad" and Kip quietly composing a love poem for his internet sweetheart. Tina Majorino (as Deb) chokes on sandwich in a blooper reel and there's even a clip of Napoleon doing his crazy dance in the short film Peluca, which was the basis for the feature.
Dynamite Explodes
Peluca is showcased in its entirety with an optional commentary by Hess, Heder and producer Jeremy Coon. It's a grainy black-and-white print, but as Hess explains, it was shot in 2 days for $500 on Super-16mm. Even so, this is a wicked treat with many scenes recognisable from the movie, eg Napoleon shopping for a "sweet fanny pack". (That's a nice bum bag to you and me. "Gosh!").
A section dubbed Napoleon Sightings hints at the indelible 'moon boot' footprint left on pop culture in the wake of the film's release. Among the rib-tickling footage, Napoleon appears on MTV requesting a song by Enya, playing tetherball with Nicole Richie at an awards ceremony and meeting his doppelganger on US sketch show Saturday Night Live. A cheeky school kid even channels the spirit of Napoleon on a live telecast of the National Spelling Bee! If only Hess could've seen all this before the film premiered at Sundance 2004. This nerve-wracking trip to Utah is chronicled in a 45 minute documentary.
Audition tapes for Efren Ramirez and Tina Majorino are worth checking out, if only for Ramirez's great monologue about eating a bag of "holy" tortilla chips. These are accompanied by a lengthy interview with casting director Jory Weitz. Bumping up the laugh quotient further still is a series of MTV promos including a natty Napoleonic twist on the Reservoir Dogs intro. It's nigh on impossible to keep a straight face while watching this DVD. As the great geek himself would put it: sweet.
EXTRA FEATURES
