The Cell

Director: Tarsem Singh Tarsem Singh

Overview

"The Cell, a movie some critics labeled all style and no substance, might be the best-looking DVD on the market. To add to that feat, the included supplemental material provides depth and substance, making it clear that the movie's visuals were a labor of love. There aren't enough compliments for the widescreen anamorphic 2.35:1 presentation. Director Tarsem's imagination explodes from the screen, making for an intense, colorful tour de force. The Dolby Digital 5.1 Sound is also stunning, from the twisted sound effects to Howard Shore's wicked score. The ""isolated score"" audio track makes for a truly spooky experience. Since the visuals of the movie are so mind-bending, the ""Behind the Scenes"" area and audio commentaries are engrossing. ""Style as Substance: Reflections on Tarsem"" is a featurette thick with hyperbole, but the cast and crew who praise Tarsem seem justified at every film clip. Vince Vaughn seems oddly agitated during his segments, making for an interesting conclusion. Tarsem's commentary is a candid, rapid-fire treat; he leaves no stone unturned in passionately dissecting his debut feature film. The production team commentary is also interesting, though the fascinating ""Visual Effects Vignettes"" go deeper into key set pieces. ""Interactivities,"" a brain map and empathy test, are worth a look. The empathy test is meant for fun, but it's pretty powerful in its ability to enlighten and/or disturb. Filmographies and two suspenseful trailers round out this landmark DVD."

Product Details

Release Date:	12/19/2000
UPC:	0794043515026
Original Release:	2000
Rating:	R
Source:	New Line Home Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[stereo, Dolby Digital]
Language:	English
Time:	1:47:00
Sales rank:	30,043

Special Features

Widescreen version of the film; English 5.1 Surround Sound; English 2.0 stereo Surround Sound; English subtitles and closed captions; Feature-length commentary with director and production team; Deleted scenes with director commentary; Original documentary: "Style As Substance," several of Tarsem's collaborators reflect on his work; Alternate-angle feature explores six special effects sequences from storyboards to final scene; Interactive brain map and empathy test; Theatrical trailer; International teaser trailer; Cast/crew filmographies; DVD-ROM features:; Script-to-screenplay access; Original theatrical website; Fully playable game demo

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Jennifer Lopez	Catherine Deane
Vince Vaughn	Peter Novak
Vincent D'Onofrio	Carl Stargher
Marianne Jean-Baptiste	Dr. Miriam Kent
Jake Weber	Gordon Ramsey
Dylan Baker	Henry West
James Gammon	Teddy Lee
Patrick Bauchau	Lucien Baines
Tara Subkoff	Julia Hickson
Jake Thomas	Young Carl Stargher
Dean Norris	Cole
Catherine Sutherland	Anne Marie Vicksey
Musetta Vander	Ella Baines
Gerry Becker	Dr. Cooperman
Colton James	Edward Baines
Lauri Johnson	Mrs. Hickson
Kamar De Los Reyes	Officer Alexander
Christopher Janney	Swat Team Member
Nicholas Cascone	FBI Technician
Joe La Piana	FBI K-9 Agent
Pruitt Taylor Vince	Dr. Reid
Kim Chizevsky-Nicholls	Stargher's Victim
Jennifer Dawn Day	Stargher's Victim,Stargher's Victim
Alanna Vicente	Stargher's Victim
Aja Echols	Stargher's Victim
Vanessa Branch	Stargher's Victim
Elena Maddalo	Stargher's Victim
Gareth Williams	Stargher's Father
Glenda Chism	Woman in Tub
Monica Creel	Mother,Mother
Joy Creel Liefeld	Mother
Alan Purwin	Helicopter Pilot
Tim	Valentine
James Colton	Actor
Jack Conley	Agent Brock
Howard Shore	Composer

Technical Credits

Mark Protosevich

Tarsem Singh	Director
Mark Protosevich	Screenwriter
Julio Caro	Producer
Jack Gill	Stunts
Kevin Tod Haug	Special Effects
Ronna Kress	Casting
Donna Langley	Executive Producer
Carolyn Manetti	Executive Producer
Eric McLeod	Producer
Clay Pinney	Special Effects
John S. Baker	Special Effects
Stephen J. Ross	Producer
Tommy Turtle	Producer
Rick Canelli	Sound Effects
John P. Fasal	Sound Effects
James Thornton	Sound/Sound Designer
Eric McLoed	Producer

Editorial Reviews

A box-office sleeper, The Cell (2000) puts a decidedly eerie spin on the oft-repeated serial killer crime-drama with a narrative device (the killer is in an irreversible coma and must be confronted through his dreams) that allows director Tarsem Singh to add numerous visual flourishes indicative of his background in music video. While not giving as assured a performance as she did in Out of Sight (1998), star Jennifer Lopez is adequate if not totally believable as a child psychiatrist, while Vince Vaughn and Vincent D'Onofrio are convincing in their roles as an obsessed FBI agent and a psychotic murderer, respectively. Where The Cell runs into problems is with its story, which fails to properly resolve several dangling plot threads, most notably the nascent physical attraction between the Lopez and Vaughn characters, which never amounts to anything, and the hinted-at but never revealed childhood traumas possibly suffered by Vaughn. A triumph of style over substance, The Cell cribs liberally from better psychological thrillers such as The Silence of the Lambs (1991) while remaining absorbing enough on a visceral level to hint at a rosy future for Singh.