Heathers DVD Review:

Desperate to be one of the most popular girls in High School, Veronica (Ryder) aligns herself with the three Heathers (Doherty, Falk and Walker) and forgets about all her friends. The problem is that she despises all three of them with a passion but she needs them for their popularity. This all changes when she meets J.D. (Slater) and she realises that she doesn’t have to live with them, she just needs to get rid of them.

High School Teen Comedies in the 1980s where usually light hearted affairs with a geeky boy/girl finding true love and acceptance but Heathers is something complete different.

This comedy at its darkest, Michael Lehmann’s movie is poles apart from the John Hughes fare that was popular at the time. In a pre-Columbine America, a manic pair of students killing off the most popular people in school was shockingly different and the makings of a cult classic of the genre. Here we have a troubled heroine, desperate to be popular but hating her life and her new friends in the process. Circling in the depths of depression she meets J.D., an enigma and unlike anyone else in the school. Unbeknownst to her he has server emotional problems and a passion for violence. This is when the film becomes a completely different entity as Veronica and J.D. start their killing spree.

Disguising their crimes as suicides, J.D. pushes Veronica into getting rid of her rivals and the people who are annoying him. This is humour at its blackest, as these angst ridden characters go about their crusade but Veronica’s conscience soon gets the better of her. Even in the 1980s, the thought of teenagers going on a High School killing spree was very controversial but it didn’t have the impact that it would have now. Its dark comedic approach might be perceived by some as making light of a serious issue, but this wasn’t the fact back in 1989. It is hard to think that a movie like this would be made now.

Winona Ryder and Christian Slater became teenage anti-heroes for a generation. Already teen favourites, Ryder and Slater’s screen presence and chemistry were what made the film so memorable in the first place. These are not your usual High School students, especially Slater’s J.D. who is in fact a homicidal killer. The performance match their interesting characters but without a substantial back-story for each character, neither of them are rounded enough to really care about either of the characters. The supporting cast also suffer from underdevelopment. The ‘click’ between the three Heathers and how Veronica joined the group is not covered enough. While we see why Veronica hates them, just because of their attitude to others, we never really find out what made them that way, other than their feelings of superiority.

Heathers has acquired cult status in the teen movie market but when you watch it in the present climate, the film could be slightly too underdeveloped and gratuitous to be released now. The two central characters are still slightly appealing however, even if they are morally wrong in so many ways. This is mainly due to Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, as they where two of the best teen actors of the time. While the subject matter maybe controversial now, this is still an enjoyable film if you take it out of context and watch it simply as a piece of far fetched entertainment.

Star Rating = * * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 with a choice of Dolby Digital 5.1 and dts surround sound, this digitally remastered transfer is very good. Barring in mind that the movie was made in 1989 and was extremely low budget, the picture quality is extremely good. The sound quality is also first rate, with a strong emphasis on dialogue and those 80s tunes and score really fill the speakers.

BONUS FEATURES

Commentary by director Michael Lehmann, writer Daniel Waters and producer Denise Di Novi

This chatty and informative commentary comes from three people who are still very passionate about their movie. The trio discuss the various problems they had getting the movie made and release, due to the bankruptcy of New World Cinema. They also reveal how they felt about the social commentary of the movie, their take on Teen Suicide and how some changes had to be made to the dialogue. This is a good commentary track that offers a fascinating insight into low budget film making in the 80s and how a movie becomes a cult classic.

Swatch Dogs and Diet Coke Heads (30.02 mins)

Director Michael Lehmann, writer Daniel Waters, producer Denise Di Novi, editor Norman Hollyn, director of photography Francis Kenny and stars Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannon Doherty and Lisanne Falk reflect on ‘Heathers’. In individually recorded interviews, the cast and crew talk about how the film came to the big screen, covering everything from the controversial subject matter, casting, the look of the film and ‘Cow Tipping’. Each of them talks very passionately about a movie that they clearly adore, making this a frank and personal insight into the movie.

Screenplay except: Original Ending

Your chance to read the script for the original ending and find out how the writer really wanted the film to end

Biographies

Read fact packed text biographies for director Michael Lehmann, writer Daniel Waters, producer Denise Di Novi and stars Winona Ryder, Christian Slater and Shannon Doherty.

Theatrical Trailer (1.50 mins)

Your chance to watch the 1989 promotional trailer for the movie

OVERALL

Anchor Bay has done a very good job in bringing ‘Heathers’ to DVD. The film is exceptionally presented, especially with the inclusion of a dts track. The extras are also very good, with an excellent and informative commentary track and the interview packed featurette will delight fans, making it a must buy for them and a good rent for everyone else.

DVD Star Rating = * * *

Jamie Kelwick

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