Skull World Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Skull World Blu-ray Movie Review

A Wild 'n' Crazy Guy. He Also Fights.

Reviewed by Michael Reuben June 30, 2013

Skull World is a documentary portrait of Greg Sommer, who is better known in Canada as his masked alter ego "Skull Man". Among his many accomplishments, Skull Man is the officially recognized leader of the Canadian chapter of an underground combat sport known as "Box Wars". Box Wars combatants spend days constructing elaborate armor and weapons entirely of cardboard, and then have at each other in a kinetic orgy of corrugated mayhem that ends when all of their constructions have been destroyed. Injuries are limited to minor cuts and abrasions.

Now, before anyone starts rolling their eyes at the oddity of such a pursuit, let me remind readers that they have navigated to a website populated by Blu-ray fanatics whose interests and concerns might seem just as bizarre to many an outsider. Every group of enthusiasts appears strange to those who don't share the enthusiasm. So all you slipcover junkies, steelbook collectors, lossless enthusiasts, grainophobes and grain defenders, take a long look in the mirror before you poke fun at Box Wars.

The director of Skull World, Justin McConnell, had been following Skull Man's activities for several years when he became involved with Box Wars, and it was already clear to McConnell that the character Sommer had created was a phenomenon worth documenting. Indeed, part of the film's intriguing back story is McConnell's own evolution as a filmmaker, capped by his decision to self-produce and self-market Skull World on DVD and Blu-ray. Unlike most review copies received at Blu-ray.com, which are sent to us by studios or PR firms several steps removed from the creative talent, our copy of Skull World was sent to us by the director himself, who simply asked that we watch and review it, with no other conditions. No promises were made, and no financial arrangements are involved.

The Blu-ray is available strictly through a third-party Amazon seller called "IndieCan Entertainment", which, according to McConnell, is a direct marketing arrangement for his production company, Unstable Ground Productions. Thus, in both production and marketing, Skull World represents the latest example of how a determined fimmaker can use contemporary technology to reach an audience directly with a professional-quality product. Once you've met Skull Man, you'll agree there probably wasn't any other way.

McConnell opens with a deft summary of his early friendship with Sommer after they met in May 2001 and bonded over common interests in heavy metal music and video technology. They worked together on video shoots for some of the same bands. McConnell also includes grainy VHS excerpts from Sommer's self-produced comedy show, "The Variety Store", in which his act featured his then "girlfriend", Mary Jane, an inflatable sex doll. But nothing so effectively establishes Sommer's style as the clip from his high school graduation that he asked his mom to videotape without telling her what he planned to do. In the midst of the solemn proceedings, he stood up, put on the skeleton mask and proceeded to go wild. As Greg's mother laughingly admits in a contemporary interview, she was so taken aback that she dropped the camera and missed a portion of the act. But she got enough to capture the essential flavor, and although Sommer may have refined his provocations since that time, their core inspiration hasn't changed. For Sommer, every crowd presents an opportunity to create a mosh pit, at least in spirit.

The skull mask seems to help Sommer unleash his anarchic impulses, but they seep into his "regular" identity as well. He's a natural performer who can't restrain the impulse to do bits for his friends or the camera. Like David Letterman, he insists on repeating jokes, especially when they don't work. Still, as Greg Sommer, he does responsible things like holding down a job—appropriately enough, as a groundskeeper and gravedigger at a cemetery—obtaining liability waivers from Box Wars combatants and buying insurance for events that contain any element of risk. Sommer may play crazy, but obviously he isn't.

In 2004 Sommer was approached by the founders of Box Wars, who are based in Australia. After seeing internet footage of an event Sommer had organized called a "cardboard car demolition derby", they knew they'd found a kindred spirit. From that point on, Box Wars became Sommer's principal focus, just as it serves as a "through line" for Skull World, with occasional side trips for experiments with mind-altering drugs (natural substances only) and a pilgrimage to an area of Canada noted for its UFO sightings ("The Minden Experiment").

The latter excursion is perhaps more notable for the fact that it's the only time in the film where we see Sommer accompanied by a woman (unidentified) with whom he is romantically involved. As one friend notes, in the early days of Skull Man, women flocked to Sommer's events, but that would have been when Sommer was in his late teens and early twenties, and people's interests usually shift toward more sober pursuits as they move through the next decade, so that much of Skull Man's demographic begins to skew younger. Older fans are generally drawn from groups organized around a specific activity, either Box Wars or some other "fringe" sport, like the female roller derby team with whom Skull Man arranges an exhibition Box Wars match. Indeed, as Skull World progresses, Sommer's alter ego more and more comes to stand as a protest against the ossification, the loss of rebellious energy, that typically accompanies settling into adult life. Skull Man is the patron saint of overgrown boys who, in their thirties, still live in their parents' basements, inhabiting worlds of fantasy. "I'm losing my hair!" Sommer yells repeatedly, and it's not a complaint but a celebration. What he really means is: I may be old enough to be losing my hair, but I'm still rockin' large!

The grandest sequence in Skull World is Sommer's pilgrimage to the "mother ship" in Australia, home of Box Wars, where he meets face to face the founders of the sport and participates in a grander tournament than any we've seen so far. With the benefit of additional time and PR, the Aussies are able to draw a crowd and construct a scene for the battle on a scale unprecedented in the relatively short life of the Canadian chapter. The enthusiastic spectators and the gusto of the participants give both Sommer and the viewer a glimpse of what the future might hold for Box Wars in North America. (Sommer and McConnell also find time for a few standard tourist attractions such as a zoo and the beach.)

As we leave Sommer, he is trying to get a TV pilot produced for a Box War reality show. Everyone loves the concept, which sounds like code for "development hell". A self-produced pilot is included among the extras.

Skull World Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Skull World is presented on a 25Gb BD-R, as opposed to a commercially pressed BD-ROM. Be sure your player will accept BD-Rs, because some are finicky. My Panasonic unit had no problem with Skull World, but my PS3 stuttered in chapter 2.

As McConnell notes in his commentary, there is a notable difference between the first half of Skull World and the second, simply because most of the first half was shot with standard-definition digital video cameras, while the second half was shot in HD. The up-conversion of the SD material is quite good, but one can only do so much with the limited resolution. Archival material from Sommer's own collection shot on what looks like VHS is, of course, muddy and washed out, but this is part of its charm.

Within the limits of its source material, McConnell's 1080i, AVC-encoded BD-R produces a stable, clear and well-defined image with almost no apparent artifacting and certainly none of the combing associated with a poorly handled 1080i master. Colors vary enormously depending on lighting conditions. While there may have been some effort at color correction, tell-tale signs like the weak blue of the sky during the Australian Box War match suggest that Skull War did not go through the kind of extensive processing that would occur on a digital intermediate. Still, the shots and edits have been matched and "massaged" with sufficient care so that cuts are not jarring and the editing feels professional throughout. Despite an extensive editing process (discussed by McConnell in the commentary), the footage retains a raw, captured-on-the-run feel.

Skull World Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

In yet another sign that its creator understands user-friendliness, Skull World offers three audio options: lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1; Dolby Digital 5.1, for those who can't yet handle lossless DTS (and yes, there are still many such systems); and a DD 2.0 option, presumably for tablets and handhelds, among other options. As with most documentaries, the sound is primarily front-oriented, although the musical score (most of it from Sommer's and McConnell's favorite metal bands) benefits from good stereo separation, and McConnell's narration takes advantage of the discrete multi-channel format to detach itself from the front channel where events are happening and assume a detached position in the soundscape. There's also an occasional but effective use of deep bass during some of the Box Wars conflict scenes, particularly the Australian battle, to help recreate the sensation of overwhelming excitement that the participants describe. If your system supports the lossless 5.1 track, I strongly recommend it.

Skull World Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Although McConnell confesses to not having the patience to sit through every DVD or Blu-ray extra, he clearly appreciates their value, because the disc is fully loaded. McConnell has even been thoughtful enough to label those extras exclusive to Blu. I also found two "easter eggs", for which I have given the general location. For all I know, there may be more.

• Commentaries


• #1: Director Justin McConnell and Greg Sommer: The long-standing friendship between the director and his star is palpable throughout this amiable discussion, which makes watching the film with this commentary track a whole new experience. No longer observer and observed, the two emerge as collaborators in a joint work, as they recall circumstances of shooting the various sequences and reminisce generally about the evolution of the film and their unusual relationship as colleagues, buddies and mutual admirers. McConnell is informative on technical aspects of making the film and, near the end, discusses in detail his decision to self-distribute.


• #2: Skull Man's Rockin' Commentary Experience: Sommer goes it alone, but this time in character, or at least so the title says. The claim is made in Skull World that Sommer becomes another person when he dons the mask, but if not for the title, you would never think that a different person is speaking on the track. It's the same person we've gotten to know pretty well by now, with the same opinions and attitudes, providing even more observations about the people and events on screen and, of course, himself.



• Deleted Scenes: In Commentary #1, McConnell says that he could have made several different films out of the hundreds of hours of available footage. He also talks about previewing a longer cut that he intentionally left "loose" to get a feel from an audience of where tightening should occur. I have listed the scenes by the names used on the disc, but have not attempted to describe each one; their import requires knowledge of the main feature. A "play all" option is included, but the disc isn't mastered to give a total running time. Accordingly, I have listed the running times of individual scenes.


• 01) Battle of the Protesters (480i; 1.78:1; 3:16)
• 02) Tommy Is Real (480i; 1.78:1; 0:13)
• 03) Zombie Attack (480i; 1.78:1; 0:29)
• 04) Halloween Confessional (480i; 1.78:1; 0:52)
• 05) Festival of Fear (480i; 1.78:1; 0:15)
• 06) Ghost Road, Port Perry (480i; 1.78:1; 2:31)
• 07) Is That Your Kid? (BD Exclusive) (480i; 1.78:1; 0:17)
• 08) Well-Oiled Machine (480i; 1.78:1; 0:16)
• 09) Mini-Vacation (480i; 1.78:1; 0:21)
• 10) Road to Ayahuasca (480i; 1.78:1; 3:21)
• 11) Nerdgasm (BD Exclusive) (480i; 1.78:1; 1:06)
• 12) Drinks and Jellyfish (480i; 1.78:1; 2:46)
• 13) Box Wars Nova Scotia (BD Exclusive) (480i; 1.78:1; 0:53)
• 14) Writing the Pilot (480i; 1.78:1; 3:08)
• 15) Cloudbursting (BD Exclusive) (480i; 1.78:1; 2:05)
• 16) Correcto (480i; 1.78:1; 0:13)
• 17) Guns and Marvins (480i; 1.78:1; 1:43)
• 18) The Federation (BD Exclusive) (480i; 1.78:1; 2:53)
• 19) What's So Funny Guys? (480i; 1.78:1; 0:37)
• 20) Sean's Hopes (480i; 1.78:1; 0:33)
• 21) Alternate End Credit Interview (480i; 1.78:1; 2:07)



• Extended Segments: Unlike most "extended" scenes, these consist primarily of material removed from scenes that remain in the film; they do not repeat what one can already view in Skull World. (The biggest exception is the "Australia" sequence, where some of the trims would make no sense in isolation, e.g., during the zoo visit.) Again, a "play all" feature is included, but the only times available are those of individual segments.


• 01) Basement Tour (480i; 1.78:1; 3:02)
• 02) Warehouse Battle (480i; 1.78:1; 4:11)
• 03) Rollerderby 1 (480i; 1.78:1; 1:17)
• 04) Rollerderby 2 (480i; 1.78:1; 4:21)
• 05) Tarot Reading (480i; 1.78:1; 1:57)
• 06) The Minden Experiment (480i; 1.78:1; 16:40)
• 07) Australia (480i; 1.78:1; 30:48)



• Blu-ray Exclusive Content


• "Skull Man's Box Wars" Self-Produced TV Pilot (480i; 1.78:1; 22:01): Directed, produced and edited by Sommer, but incorporating some of the footage shot by McConnell, this pilot was part of the effort detailed in Skull World to turn Box Wars into a TV show. In its combination of high and low tech, its rude humor and its winking disregard for anything resembling realism, the pilot works in the same vein as other self-invented shows like South Park and Robot Chicken (though it is much rougher and less refined). Small wonder it's still in development.


• Skull World Premiere Video (at Canadian Film Festival 2013) (480i; 1.78:1; 8:25): Appropriately enough, after a brief Q&A with the director, the screening was followed by a Box Wars showdown.


• Music Video: The Overfiend—Maiden ('Maiden' Behind the Scenes w/Greg) (480i; 1.78:1; 3:18): Heavy metal, set in a very cardboard-looking prison.


• Music Video: Skull Man's Pit Files (480i; 1.78:1; 3:31): Views from the mosh pit (one of Sommer's favorite places). The music is by No Assembly Required and Ditch.



• Trailers & Promos


• Trailer #1: Early Production (480i; 1.78:1; 2:58)
• Trailer #2 (480i; 1.78:1; 2:39)
• Trailer #3: 'Action' Teaser (480i; 1.78:1; 0:52)
• Trailer #4: 'Redband' (480i; 1.78:1; 2:02)
• Skull Man's Box Wars Vol. 1 DVD (480i; 1.78:1; 1:00)
• Box Wars Recruiting Video (480i; 1.78:1; 0:46)



• Photo Galleries (1080p): The images in these galleries display in sequence, and I found that it was better to let them play on their own.


• 1) Artwork, Greg & Box Wars
• 2) Australia
• 3) World Premiere at CFF 2013



• Easter Eggs: Study the Deleted Scenes menus carefully for links to a few extra bonuses.

Skull World Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A documentary can succeed simply by taking you somewhere you would otherwise never go and getting you interested in people you would probably never meet or take the time to get to know. Justin McConnell's Skull World is an impressive achievement, because it does exactly that with a character who has deliberately shielded himself behind an alter ego and delights in telling tall tales about himself. As directly as Greg Sommer addresses the camera throughout Skull World, he is that most contemporary of phenomena, the evasive exhibitionist. You're never sure what's real (and Sommer may not be either). In their joint commentary, Sommer and McConnell acknowledge that, even after all the years they've spent together, they still don't know everything about each other (which, when it comes to knowing Sommer, is probably an understatement).

McConnell has said that he's been criticized for not digging deep enough under the surface to explain what makes Sommer tick, but I think that understates his achievement. Through the painstaking assembly of a mosaic, McConnell has created a portrait of Sommer in his own words and actions that represents him fairly and more thoroughly than Sommer may realize. More importantly, McConnell has done it in a way that draws in viewers (like me) who probably wouldn't sit still for Sommer in his "pure", unmediated form, but end up knowing him a lot better than we ever thought we would. That's no small feat. Highly recommended.