DVD Marches to ‘Rushmore’s’ Beat

Wes Anderson’s 1998 comedy, “Rushmore,” received a bushel of great reviews. Bill Murray won several critics’ honors for his performance. And although the film didn’t burn up the box office, it has become a cult favorite in the 14 months since its release.

The savvy Criterion Collection, which has recently released remarkable DVDs of “Grand Illusion” and “The Third Man,” has produced a special edition disc ($40) of “Rushmore” that is just as quirky and charming as the film.

“Rushmore” stars Jason Schwartzman (son of Talia Shire and nephew of Francis Ford Coppola) as Max Fischer, an overachieving high school student who befriends a lonely tycoon (Murray). But their friendship turns to jealousy when both discover they are in love with a beautiful, widowed teacher (Olivia Williams).

The digital version of “Rushmore” includes a new wide-screen transfer supervised by Anderson. A behind-the-scenes documentary, “The Making of Rushmore,” was directed by Anderson’s brother, Eric Chase Anderson. It’s deliciously offbeat, with Eric offering low-keyed, wry observations on the filming. His interview with Murray takes place in a trailer while the actor is getting his hair cut; Murray then convinces him to chop off his long locks.

Also included is an installment of PBS’ “The Charlie Rose Show” featuring Wes Anderson and Murray. Wes Anderson also supplied his hand-drawn storyboards, which are compared with the actual scenes in the film. Another enjoyable extra is the audition footage of Schwartzman and his co-stars: Sara Tanaka, Stephen McCole, Ronnie and Keith McCawley, and Mason Gamble.

Wes Anderson, who directed the 1996 comedy “Bottle Rocket,” co-writer Owen Wilson and Schwartzman provide the entertaining commentary. Anderson shot the film at the private boys’ high school he attended. Wilson says that originally they envisioned the character of Max as a tall, thin, Mick Jagger type, but when the short, swarthy, dark-haired Schwartzman walked in for the interview, they knew they had found their man.

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Writer-producer-director Garry Marshall is one wild and crazy guy. In fact, he’s often funnier than the films he directs. He’s at his funniest with the audio commentary he provides for the two box office hits he directed with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts: “Pretty Woman” (Touchstone, $30) and “Runaway Bride” (Paramount, $30).

The wide-screen, 10th-anniversary edition of “Pretty Woman” features a short, behind-the-scenes piece on the making of the Cinderella-esque comedy about a rich guy who falls in love with the sweet Hollywood hooker he picks up one night.

This director’s cut includes extra footage not seen in the original theatrical version.

Originally, says Marshall, “Pretty Woman” wasn’t quite the fairy tale it is now. In fact, he was brought onto the project to make it lighter and funnier. In the initial script, Gere’s tycoon rejected Roberts at the end, and she returned home to find her roommate had overdosed on drugs.

The “Runaway Bride” disc includes a crisp, wide-screen transfer of the 1999 romance, which finds Roberts as a small-town woman who keeps leaving grooms at the altar and Gere as a sophisticated reporter who decides to write an article about her.

The film was shot in the town of Berlin, Md., explains Marshall, but because the name “Berlin” wasn’t conducive to comedy, it was changed to Hale for the movie.

Gere, he points out, was much more open to doing comedy than he was with “Pretty Woman,” especially in the scene in “Runaway Bride” in which his hair is dyed numerous colors.

Marshall isn’t shy about pointing out his mistakes, especially all the continuity problems at the beauty salon where Gere and Roberts first meet. Objects that are taped to the mirror in some shots are mysteriously gone in others.

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Anchor Bay has just released a compelling special edition of Paul Schrader’s 1978 drama “Blue Collar” ($25). Harvey Keitel, Yaphet Kotto and Richard Pryor star as Detroit auto workers who end up robbing their corrupt union. Included on the wide-screen disc are the theatrical trailer, talent bios and a wonderful commentary from Schrader and journalist Maitland McDonagh. Schrader offers amazing insight into how difficult it was to make this film, especially because the three hot-tempered stars would frequently get into fights with each other during the scenes. Pryor, whom Schrader called the most miserable person he had ever met, would be friendly to everyone one day and then be a monster on the set the next. It’s great stuff.