Wild Things

Summary

“Nice to see you kids getting along.”

In 1998, Wild Things was released into theaters and despite its success at the box office, it immediately became a cult film that appealed to both the teenage crowd that had seen trailers for the film on MTV, and the adults whom had been fans of erotic thrillers such as Basic Instinct and Fatal Attraction. Wild Things was one of the very last erotic thrillers to find a wide audience at the theaters. The age of erotic thrillers was coming to a close as the Internet became more widely adopted. For many teenagers – myself included- the sexual content with Denise Richards in the film was a formative experience. I don’t know many young men that I grew up with in the Nineties that did not have a VHS copy of Wild Things tucked away somewhere. While the film is best remembered for some of the more sensational aspects, it is also an extremely enjoyable neo-noir with a dark sense of humor. Roger Elbert in his review of the film at the time said, “it’s like a three-way collision between a soft core sex film, a soap opera, and a B-grade noir. I liked it.” I have not always agreed with Roger Elbert on his assessments of films, but in this case I believe he nailed it.

Directed by John McNaughton and written by screenwriter Stephen Peters. The film’s cinematography was done by the extremely talented Jeffrey L. Kimball who had worked on prominent films including True Romance, Beverly Hills Cop II, and Top Gun. Wild Things grossed about thirty million dollars at the box office off of an estimated twenty million dollar budget and then became a staple of the late night networks and video rental stores. It spawned three low-budget straight-to-video sequels that have nothing to do with the prior film aside from their name (similar to what happened with American Psycho and Donnie Darko.) I have been a fan of the film since the first time I saw the picture, and I was more than eager to see the 4K UHD that Arrow Video have released. This is an absolutely beautiful way to watch the film, and should be commended as one of the best looking catalog releases I have seen of a film from the Nineties.

In South Florida, at Blue Bay High School, guidance counselor Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon) is leading the students through the end of their required senior seminar. The subject is sex crimes and he has two guest speakers – police officers Gloria Lopez (Daphne Rubin-Vega) and Ray Duquette (Kevin Bacon.) Seeing Duquette, trailer trash high schooler Suzie Toller (Neve Campbell) leaves the auditorium in a rage because she had been busted by Duquette a year before for possession and had received six months in juvenile detention. In the front row, wealthy cheerleader Kelly Van Ryan (Denise Richards) smiles and stares at Sam. Kelly is infatuated with Lombardo, who is a desired man around town. Sam also teaches the kids at the school how to sail boats with a special interest in a rough and tumble kid named Jimmy. When Kelly asks for a ride home from Sam, he brings Jimmy along on the ride in his Jeep. Approaching Kelly’s house, her mother – Sandra Van Ryan (Theresa Russell) – comes onto Sam. He declines because he is seeing someone. At school, Kelly tells Sam that she and her friend will come by on Saturday to wash his Jeep. After the car wash, Kelly stays behind after her friend leaves. When she comes back to her mom Kelly claims to have been raped by Lombardo. Kelly is questioned by Detective Lopez and her deposition is filmed. Kelly claims she was raped and that Lombardo did not ejaculate. The investigation begins and Lombardo’s career at the school is put on hold. Sam enlists a low-rent unscrupulous ambulance chaser named Kenneth Bowden (Bill Murray.) Sam’s girlfriend Barbara is forbade by her father (Robert Wagner) from seeing him. The senator’s pool boy runs Sam’s Jeep off the road into a swamp and then beats him up. Meanwhile, Suzie calls the sex crime unit and accuses Lombardo of rape as well. Sam is now arrested. The plot moves forward from there with many twists, double crosses, some sex, and some murder.

Wild Things is a fantastic example of a Florida neo-noir done right. I love crime novels that take place in that area whether they are written by Elmore Leonard, Charles Willeford, or Carl Hiaasen. The swamps, gators, juke joints, country clubs, sailboats, and the coast of the Atlantic Ocean are all interwoven into the lifestyle in South Florida and they are the perfect setting for noir entertainments. Having lived in the Panhandle for five years, I have spent enough time in South Florida to appreciate the area for all that it offers. The script by Stephen Peters highlights many of the most evocative and intriguing elements of South Florida while also creating vivid characters that stick in the minds of viewers. The script is not totally realistic and it may go just slightly too far in its attempts to surprise viewers, but the film is a fun ride for the audience as each step of the plot unfolds. The script revels in a story that mires in sexual taboos and fatalistic characters, all with a sly undercurrent of humor to every aspect of the writing. With a wonderful setting and handsome cast, the script films beautifully. 

Wild Things was shot capably by cinematographer James Kimball who brings to life the neon bar signs and brightly colored buildings of that area. There are very few if any sequences in the film that fall flat visually. While the subject matter of the film is debatable amongst critics of the picture (some found the overall plot to be too convoluted or the dialogue to be lacking,) it is beyond debate that Wild Things is a very well shot film. The Arrow Video 4K UHD shows off one of the most attractive uses of HDR that I have yet seen on the format for a film from the Nineties. Director John McNaughton shot the film efficiently and commanded enjoyable performances from his stable of actors. The editing of the picture is tight and well timed. While the plot’s mechanics are sometimes unbelievable or veer into the realm of soap opera (as Elbert mentioned,) the film is transgressive and shines through with dark humor from the beginning of the picture to its finale. There is not a redeemable character in the film, and the film delves gleefully into their mean spirited plotting and treachery. The acting is great for a film of this type with enjoyable turns from Kevin Bacon, Neve Campbell, and Matt Dillon. Matt Dillon has always felt like an undervalued actor to me. I have always enjoyed him onscreen and he is great in the film. Denise Richards became a star and one of the most desired women in the world with her performance as Kelly Van Ryan. It makes sense that she was immediately cast to be a Bond girl afterward. Bill Murray is hilarious as the morally dubious lawyer Kenneth Bowden. Theresa Russell and Robert Wagner are also put to good use in the film.

Wild Things is helped along by an excellent score by composer George S. Clinton. The score for the film captures the loose, playful, and slyly dangerous tone of the film perfectly. There are also numerous songs in the film by bands that include Third Eye Blind, Morphine, and K’s Choice which all fit the era perfectly.

It had been a long time since I had viewed Wild Things, and the new Arrow 4K release should be celebrated for bringing the film back to life in such a vivid way. It is a shame that these types of films are so rarely made today. I had a blast revisiting the film.

Video

The new 4K HEVC/H.265 transfer provided to Arrow Video from Sony Pictures looks phenomenal. Sony did a scan of the original camera negatives for this release and the resulting transfer is easily one of the best looking transfers I have seen for a film from the Nineties. Fine detail is exceptional. Colors are vivid and pleasing with HDR bringing them to life in ways not possible prior to this release. This film will be seen in a whole new light after viewing this transfer that brings out the very best in cinematographer Jame Kimball’s lighting. The 4K UHD brings out much more detail than the dated Blu-ray release and the source seems to be in excellent shape. I was fairly blown away by just how great this film looks now.

Audio

Arrow Video have provided a solid DTS-HD MA 5.1 track for this release as well as an uncompressed stereo audio track. The 5.1 track sounds good, but it does not take full advantage of the LFE like many pictures made today. This is not shocking given the original stereo mix. Clarity is very good and George Clinton’s score comes through well. I have no complaints here.

Supplements:

• Both the Unrated and Theatrical Cuts of the film have been restored in 4K for this release.
• New audio commentary by director John McNaughton and producer Steven A. Jones
• Archival commentary by director John McNaughton, cinematographer Jeffrey Kimball, producers Steven A. Jones and Rodney Liber, editor Elena Maganini and score composer George S. Clinton
• Interview with John McNaughton – in this new interview specifically for this release the director of the film discusses his work on the film. He points out the difference between sex and eroticism and his goal of pushing the boundaries by making the film as transgressive as possible while still delivering a studio film. There are some interesting anecdotes in here for certain.
• Interview with Denise Richards – in this new interview specifically for this release, star Denise Richards looks back on the impact of the film on her career and her status as a sex symbol at that time, and her memories of working with the cast and crew.
• “Making of” documentary
• “An Understanding Lawyer” outtakes – thirty seconds of hilarious outtakes of Bill Murray
• Trailer

Overall Scores: 

Video – 5/5

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 4.5/5

Overall – 4.5/5

Wild Things is an extremely entertaining and enjoyable neo-noir erotic thriller. Shot beautifully by cinematographer James Kimball, Wild Things was one of the last erotic thrillers to find large scale success at the cinemas. It’s a shame that this type of entertainment has fallen out of favor, because films like this are so fun to watch. Director John McNaughton capably directs Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon, Neve Campbell, Bill Murray, and Denise Richards in the film. The script by Steven Peters allows for enough bad activity for the characters to keep the film lively and entertaining for the duration of the picture. The South Florida setting comes to life vividly and has never looked better than in the 4K presentation provided by Arrow Video (from Sony Pictures.) This is one of the best looking 4K transfers I have seen yet of a film from the Nineties. The HDR is used to brilliant effect here. The special features are enjoyable and include both cuts of the film, two new interviews, and a new audio commentary. Fans of the film will certainly want to own this release which I consider to be one of the best catalogue releases of the year so far! Highly recommended!