Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		2.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		2.5

The Great Buck Howard Blu-ray Movie Review

“I love this town!”

Reviewed by Casey Broadwater August 4, 2009

Fame is a fickle mistress. Just when you think you’ve got it made, she dumps you for somebody new, someone more talented, more beautiful, or more relevant. When Andy Warhol predicted that everyone would have 15 minutes of it, he never mentioned what would happen after that brief quarter hour was up. Some former celebrities vanish silently, prompting VH1 and other cultural documentarians to ask, “Where are they now?” Others fight desperately against the tide that pulls them into obscurity, taking b-list gigs on reality shows or resorting to infamy, fame’s drugged-up and self-destructive cousin. There’s also a third group of has-beens; those who keep steadfastly working—sometimes toiling in strait-to-video purgatory—and trying daily to jump-start their stalled renown. After all, Hollywood loves a good comeback story, and recent years have seen Mickey Rourke, Robert Downey Jr. and others make triumphant returns to the public consciousness. The Great Buck Howard is, in one sense, a film about waning celebrity and the delusions that often accompany it. And while it pokes fun at the washed-up and strung-out, it carries the deeper, inspirational message that it’s important to keep on doing what you love, even if nobody else respects you for it.

The Great Buck Howard

Colin Hanks (Orange County) plays Troy Gable, a recent law school dropout who decides he wants to pursue a career as a writer (good luck kid!). While searching in the meantime for ways to make ends meet, he lands a gig as road manager for The Great Buck Howard (John Malkovich), an aging mentalist—don’t call him a magician—who famously appeared 61 times on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Since his hey-day in the 1970’s, Buck has been traveling a circuit of mid-sized cities, bringing his cornball brand of slight-of-hand to mid-sized theaters holding mid-sized crowds. He still has a following—Akron, Ohio just loves him—but his fans are the elderly and culturally out of touch. In an attempt to get back into the spotlight, Buck hires Valerie Brennan (Emily Blunt), a PR woman from New York, to coordinate the press for his largest trick—sorry, illusion—ever. Though the illusion goes off like gangbusters, the assembled reporters bail to cover a minor traffic accident involving Jerry Springer, and Buck suffers a physical and emotional collapse that lands him in the hospital. After word of his breakdown spreads, Buck is catapulted back into the public eye, landing high-profile appearances on The Daily Show, Regis and Kelly, and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. While Buck struggles with regained fame, Troy tries to launch his own life and learns to value the meager magic in his boss’ act.

Like What Just Happened, another film I recently reviewed, The Great Buck Howard seems unsure of the tact it should take. If it went edgier, really satirizing fame and its trappings, it could have been a cold, razor sharp comedy. On the other side, if it toyed with Troy’s story more, it might have been a clever, coming-of-age-amongst-celebrities tale, a la Almost Famous. By going the tragicomedy route, however, the film feels purely mediocre, funny but not really funny, and wrapping its inspirational message in voice- over schmaltz that too obviously declares how important it is to follow your dreams. Troy’s narration is what killed the film for me, as it tells us what he’s feeling and thinking, rather than letting the narrative show us. It’s the classic case of too much information. Even when we, the audience, are clear about Troy’s state of mind, he feels pressed to spell it out for us in big, uppercase, grade school style letters. And while Colin Hanks has done some great work, most recently as Father Gill in the second season of Mad Men, he’s largely inert in this role, his face reacting to John Malkovitch’s tantrums like a non-animated emoticon. Troy’s one-off relationship with PR hottie Valerie never really convinces, and the cameo by Tom Hanks—Colin’s real-life dad—is an attempt at father/son conflict that’s too thin to give the narrative any real weight.

However, and this is a big however, John Malkovich is nearly perfect as the not-so-great Buck Howard. The out-of-fashion mentalist is pure ego in a Liberace style suit—complete with ascot— and his delusions of grandeur are transparent cover-ups for insecurities and a deep-seated fear of being forgotten. Malkovich’s characteristic, teeth-clenching rage finds a few funny outlets here, particularly when Buck says of Jay Leno, “That man is Satan, and Buck Howard doesn’t work with Satan.” This beyond-irrational hatred of Leno is a running gag throughout the film, and Malkovitch blows his steam with a straight-faced intensity that's halfway between comical and frightening. Buck’s stage act is a hoot as well, a display of corny but genuine showmanship filled with terrible piano playing, dated but nevertheless impressive magic tricks, and plenty of big- eyed, chin-wagging banter. Some of the surrounding players also give memorable performances, especially the frequently hilarious and criminally underestimated Steve Zahn, who plays a golly- shucks redneck of a limo driver who sports ill-fitting pants and a totally awesome moustache. The cameos too are good fun, from a bewildered Jon Stewart to Conan “Coco” O’Brien, whom Buck humorously refers to as “Colin.”

Though I found myself enjoying the film in small stretches, The Great Buck Howard simply can’t compete with other films, like the recent Funny People, that similarly examine fame, talent, and mortality. Writer and director Sean McGinly based the story on his own experience with “The Amazing Kreskin,” and while the film has some interesting thematic ideas—I like seeing Buck at the tail-end of his career, vying for press—the honesty gets sucked out of the picture by an unnecessary voice-over and a tone that goes to great lengths to point out its own sentimentality. Much like Buck Howard himself, the film is destined to a life of obscurity, perhaps picking up a few fans on home video, but never basking in the warm glow of positive critical attention.

The Great Buck Howard Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Don't get your hopes up when you see Badlands and Silence of the Lambs cinematographer Tak Fujimoto's name attached to The Great Buck Howard. The film's 1080p, AVC-encoded transfer, presented in 1.85:1, is purely second-rate, with a dull and noisy image that rarely impresses. In fact, I'll start by saying that the only part of the film that looks really good is Buck's orange suit jacket, as the color really pops and the individual lines of stitching are readily visible. The rest of the film is often problematic. While I usually like a little grain in film- based transfers—it's a natural part of the celluloid process after all—The Great Buck Howard looks overly grainy, at times going so far as to obscure detail and become a distraction. Wishy- washy black levels certainly don't help matters, frequently giving the image a grey, detail crushing cast, especially during darker indoor scenes. Daylight sequences fare better, with more stable contrast, accurate skin tones, and better color rendition, but the film never exhibits the clarity or depth that you'd find in bigger budget Blu-ray outings.

The Great Buck Howard Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

While The Great Buck Howard's audio quality is somewhat better than its video, that's really not saying much, and the film's DTS-HD MA 5.1 track is merely adequate, providing a listenable experience that's low on immersion and decidedly thin. Surround use is limited to the score and a few ambient effects—like audience applause—and I can't recall any discrete effects or overt audio design. Dynamics too are unmemorable, as the instrumental score lacks low-end, leaving all of the film's audio in a substantial but uninteresting mid-to-high range. Voices, however, are rendered clearly and faithfully, and as Buck Howard is a talky comedy, I wasn't expecting much more than the front-heavy, dialogue-driven track that the film presents.

The Great Buck Howard Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Commentary by Writer/Director Sean McGinly and Actor Colin Hanks

Hanks is occasionally insightful, and McGinly is at his most interesting when talking about his real-life experiences with "The Amazing Kreskin," but this track is hardly a must-listen, lapsing occasionally into prolonged silence. The two get along well enough together, but the conversation is never more than mildly engaging.

Deleted Scenes (SD, 3:02)

There are three deleted scenes, the funniest of which features Buck talking about the internet— which he has newly discovered.

Extended Scenes (SD, 9:44)

This is an extended look at the Martha Stewart, Regis and Kelly, Daily Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and TRL sequences.

Outtakes (SD, 3:39)

This isn't a gag reel, per se, but a few different takes of the "I crap Jay Leno" dinner sequence, and the backstage scene with Tom Arnold.

Behind the Scenes (SD, 9:35)

Featuring interviews with the director, producer, and key cast members, this segment includes expected levels of congratulatory back patting, but there are a few nice moments as well. Director Sean McGinly discusses the autobiographical elements of the script, Colin Hanks talks about his character, and Malkovich dissects Buck's act.

HDNet: A Look at The Great Buck Howard (SD, 4:27)

This promotional piece for HDNet offers nothing new, even recycling some of the interview material from the "Behind the Scenes" segment.

The Amazing Kreskin (SD, 5:47)

The inspiration for Buck Howard's character talks about how the film differs from his own life, discusses his relationship with director Sean McGinly, and speculates on how the film might be received.

The Great Buck Howard Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The only thing great about The Great Buck Howard is the desperate, comic depth of John Malkovich's performance. While the film has some funny moments, the hilarity is offset by the inherent dullness of Colin Hanks' character and some follow-your-dreams pep talks that prove a little too cloying. With a mediocre story, a below average audio/visual presentation, and a lean selection of extras, The Great Buck Howard is a decent rental if you've already seen everything else your local video store has to offer.