I’m Your Man
It’s always good to see video companies making the most of DVD’s capabilities, and Zuma Digital has wisely produced a title which claims to be “the first interactive movie on DVD.” Produced sometime prior to its 1998 digital video disc incarnation, I'm Your Man offers viewers something we’ve all wanted to do during a movie ... change it. (If only this were possible during last summer’s Godzilla!)
The technology employed in I'm Your Man was originally set up for screenings in specially-equipped movie theaters (using either multiple projectors or laserdisc players) which would gauge audience preference via remote control trigger devices. Audience members would be asked to vote for one of two possible scenarios at several key points during the short film, and thus would determine the fate of the onscreen characters. I imagine the theatrical experience was fun ... and the home video version of I'm Your Man could liven up any house party in short order.
Though the film itself runs only about 20 minutes, I managed to spend nearly an hour and a half during my first run-through experimenting with making alternate choices and following each of the three main characters during the introduction. The plot is simple, yet manages to have fun with conventional stereotypes like the goofy horndog (MTV alumnus Kevin Seal), the sexy femme fatale (Colleen Quinn), and the callous corporate executive (Mark Metcalf of Animal House and TV’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame). A few of Metcalf’s bits made me laugh out loud -- especially his rude encounter with an old lady in an elevator. There’s even a brief cameo here from Peter Greene (Pulp Fiction, The Usual Suspects) as a hired assassin.
Although the various plot detours are somewhat predictable and the final outcome doesn’t approach anything close to originality, I'm Your Man is a great sampling of the vast possibilities DVD could offer future filmmakers. Can you imagine what directors like George Lucas or technophile James Cameron could do with a film that offers viewers alternate plot threads? I’ve been hearing rumblings about a third Terminator flick ... and the only thing that would top T2 is an interactive film/DVD where audiences determine the outcome. (Hey, King of the World, are you listening to me?)
Zuma Digital’s Special Edition DVD of I'm Your Man ($29.99) makes up for the film’s brevity with a plethora of extras including a collection of outtakes, running commentary from director Bob Bejan, a documentary feature on the making of the film, the original “interfilm” design document, storyboards for six deleted scenes, original theatrical trailers for other ChoicePoint Films (including more forthcoming interactive movie titles), and DVD-ROM features like an interactive game map.
Another bonus here is a great soundtrack penned and performed by Joe Jackson, who appears during the “making of” feature to explain that he used only keyboards for the score to lend the film a techno/synthesized sound. I’m glad Jackson is able to flex his talents on projects like this ... any guy who produced some of the best overlooked music during the saccharine-laced ‘80’s will always have my seal of approval.
The film is presented full-frame (1.33:1) with a very good digital video transfer and easy-to-use navigational cues. The soundtrack is Dolby Pro Logic Surround which appears a little weak on the center-channel/dialogue end. But, again, this disc isn’t so much about specifications as it is a template for further interactive video titles. Based on this initial test-run, I’d say DVD has found its Man.
Digital Domain menu
