Disc Details
Special Features:	Widescreen anamorphic format. Chapter selection. Commentary track by director David Atkins. Deleted scenes. Featurette: Getting the Shot: "The Making of Novocaine." "Bitten": An exploration of forensic dentistry. The Music of "Novocaine." Theatrical trailer. Trailer gallery. Cast and crew bios. Production notes. Digitally mastered.
Video Format:	Anamorphic Widescreen (1.66:1) [SS-DL]
Languages:	English (Dolby Digital 5.1) English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Subtitles:	English, Spanish.
Captions:	Yes
Casing:	1-Disc Keep Case

Frank Sangster, DDS (Steve Martin) is a successful dentist engaged to his republican wet-dream dental hygienist, Jean Noble (Laura Dern). Jean hangs on Frank's every word as if he were spouting the wisdom of Solomon. She keeps her aerobicized body in shape with martial arts training. She is the Stepford wife made flesh. Yet something is lacking in their relationship. Frank would like to make love to her in the dentist's chair. Jean finds that a little to kinky for her conservative tastes.

In walks a new patient. Susan Ivey (Helena Bonham Carter) is a sexy Gen-Xer with a deep need for a root canal. What she really wants is a script for Demerol. Frank lets the little head do the thinking for the big head and writes her a prescription for 5 of the pain-killers. Frank makes an appointment for Susan the next morning at 7:30 AM to get the root canal done. Later that day, Frank receives a call from the pharmacy confirming the prescription. Turns out that Susan turned the 5 into 50 on the script. The menopausal, fantasizing Frank doesn't report the scam to the druggist. He leaves for home only to find his naked, red-paint covered brother lying in his front room. Harlan (Elias Koteas) id Frank's younger, junkie brother. This is one prodigal visit Frank doesn't want to get, but he allows his brother to stay.

The next morning, 7:30 comes and goes without Susan showing up. At the end of the day Frank finds Susan waiting in the office foyer. She thought he meant 7:30 PM. Yeah right. Before you can say Nitrous Oxide, Frank is having his dental chair fantasy fulfilled. All is right with the world. Unless you consider the fact that the next day Frank is going to find that all of the narcotics in the office are missing and a DEA man is there asking questions. It seems the police found an empty vial of pharmaceutical cocaine in the burned out car of a teenage traffic fatality. Things go from bad to worse in this off-beat thrill ride. I'll reveal no more because you would hate me for telling you. This one is worth it's weight in gold.

A great script brought to life by excellent direction and performances. Steve Martin is great in a role that reminded me of many of the Jimmy Stewart/Alfred Hitchcock collaborations. Frank is an everyman who tells a lie and has it snowball into an avalanche of fear, loathing and murder. I normally don't like Laura Dern. She is a good actress, but their has always been something just beneath the surface that has bothered me. In this movie, that intangible discomfort is perfectly placed. She is wonderful as the wound to tight Jean. Helena Bonham Carter turns in another quirky performance as the junkie seductress Susan. Also appearing are a terrifying Scott Caan, son of tough guy James Caan. Scott Caan's performance reminded me of a friend of my older brother named Gary. Back in the day, I was walking to one of my favorite drinking establishments. When I was about a half a block away from the place, a guy came crashing through the window. He didn't get up. A second later, my brother's friend Gary calmly walked out of the bar and up the street. He passed me with blood on his hands, smiled and said "Hi Rusty." He was to crazy to be scared and to mean to reason with. Scott Caan captured the essence of Gary perfectly. Keith David appears as the detective investigating one of the several murders that occur. Kevin Bacon has a funny cameo as a brain-dead actor following Keith David around in preparation for a role. Elias Koteas is one of my favorite performers. He has a dangerous quality I like. He also turns in a good performance.

Picture Quality: 10/10
Excellent transfer. Great flesh tones. No artifacts or pixilation. Excellent delineation of colors.

Sound Quality: 10/10
Great score by Danny Elfman. Sounds great in either 5.1 or 2.0. The movie isn't dependant on sound effects. The words and music are what is important. Both words and music sound just fine.

Menu: 8/10
Interesting design. It is imaginative, but I just didn't like it. No big deal. Easy to navigate.

Extra Features: 10/10
Lots of cool stuff. I'm a true-crime buff from way back. I especially enjoyed the documentary "Bitten." It is a look at the world of forensic dentistry. Lots of cool information for those who are as morbidly inclined as I am.

The Making Of Novocaine featurette is good. Making Of featurettes can get routine after a while. It helps when you have as many interesting personalities involved on a film as with this one.

For the music lovers there is a separate music track that lets you play the music by itself. Nice sound.

First time director David Atkin's commentary t rack is very cool. His father and brothers are dentists. He took a much hated profession (I should speak, being a lawyer) and has a lot of fun with it. It appeals to the vindictive side of human nature to see the dentist receive the pain for a change.

The deleted scenes are very good. This is one of the rare occasions that I wished a couple of them had been left in the film. The arm-wrestling scene between Steve Martin and Elias Koteas is very telling about their characters.

The Final Word:
I loved this one. I don't know why it wasn't a bigger hit at the box office. Hopefully it will be rediscovered on home video and become a cult classic. More than worth the price of admission.

Rusty White