'Dirty Work' 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review - Bob Saget's Cult Comedy Gets A Dream Release

Geek Vibes Nation

15 hours ago

After losing his job, girlfriend, and apartment, lifelong prankster Mitch moves in with his childhood best friend Sam, and Sam's cantankerous father, Pops. When Pops has a heart attack, his surgeon, Dr. Farthing, delivers grim news: Pops needs a new heart, which Farthing will gladly secure in exchange for $50,000 to pay off his gambling debts. Desperate for a lot of cash quickly, Sam and Mitch realize that their joint love of causing mischief could be the perfect means of raising funds, thus opening a revenge-for-hire business named 'Dirty Work.' With creative solutions to spiteful problems and chaotically doled-out retribution, clients are lining up. But when an evil local politician hires them to pull off an especially malicious prank, Mitch is forced to reckon with the consequences of his actions.
Pushing the boundaries of crass gags and raunchy dialogue, acclaimed comedian Bob Saget's (TV's Full House) sole theatrical feature directing effort, DIRTY WORK stars and was co-written by the legendary Norm Macdonald (TV's Saturday Night Live). Featuring supporting performances from some of the biggest names in comedy history, including Artie Lange (TV's Mad TV), Chevy Chase (National Lampoon's Vacation), Don Rickles (Beach Blanket Bingo), and Chris Farley (Tommy Boy), plus two-time Academy Award® nominee Jack Warden as Pops, Vinegar Syndrome is proud to present the 4K UHD debut of DIRTY WORK, newly restored from its original camera negative and presented both in its theatrical version as well as its long lost 'Dirtier Cut,' which is being presented to the general public for the first time ever!
For thoughts on Dirty Work, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:
Video Quality
Vinegar Syndrome presents Dirty Work with an unbelievable 2160p Dolby Vision/HDR transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K restoration of the Original Camera Negative of both the Theatrical Cut and the newly unearthed and reconstructed Dirtier Cut (you can learn more about how this came to be here). There are a handful of holy grails when it comes to physical media, and this mythical alternate version was certainly high on the list for fans despite it being a near-certainty that it would never materialize. Thankfully, there are labels like Vinegar Syndrome that care about going the extra mile to preserve the oddball corners of cinema history.
The natural film grain has been retained for an organic and consistent appearance without any indications of unwanted manipulation. The unique footage in the Dirtier Cut blends in quite well for a practically seamless experience. There are no signs of print damage or stray specks throughout this robust restoration. The utilization of Dolby Vision for expanded color output is a worthwhile benefit for this production. There is a depth to the environments that makes an impression. Bold and vibrant colors saturate the screen and unleash a level of vividness and nuance that will knock you over. The contrast is firm with deep black levels free of crush and ideal highlights with no blooming. The texture present in the costumes and production design is top tier. When it comes to encoding, there do not seem to be any digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such shortcomings. Vinegar Syndrome has put forth a dream effort with this one. Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of the film comes with the original DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track for the Theatrical Cut, along with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track for the Theatrical and Dirtier Cut. Given what the label had to work with to source the unique portions of the Dirtier Cut audio, it is understandable why this cut was not given the full surround sound presentation. Some of the audio in the Dirtier Cut is a notable step down from the normal listening experience, but Vinegar Syndrome has worked as hard as possible to make everything blend for consistency. All of the various sounds in the mix seem thoughtfully rendered so that nothing ever feels incongruous. This presentation is clear of any hiss or other age-related wear and tear.
With the original audio, you could not ask for better. The movie does not go overboard on bombastic set pieces, but the world feels fully fleshed out with environmental noises. During the infamous dead fish sequence, you get a whirlwind of gunshots, explosions, and screams throughout. Every noise is delineated with meaning and precision. Dialogue comes through clearly without being overshadowed by the sound effects or music. Each environment is brought to life with a din of sound that flows through to provide some effective ambient details. The soundtrack establishes the appropriate mood for this feature that never stumbles in its fidelity. Vinegar Syndrome has done commendable work here. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.
Special Features PG-13 Cut (1:21:51) and Dirtier Cut (1:23:45) Audio Commentaries: Two new commentary tracks are provided which give insights into the creation of the film, ideas that had to be abandoned, details about the shooting locations, memories of the performers, and much more that put things into context. Audio Commentary #1 (Theatrical Cut): Co-writer Frank Sebastiano and Mike Hunchback Audio Commentary #2 (Dirtier Cut): Co-writer Frank Sebastiano and co-writer/actor Fred Wolf, moderated by Mike Hunchback
Note To Self – Doing Dirty Work: A fantastic new 63-minute documentary featuring interviews with many of the people interviewed individually below and more that gives great context to the career of Norm Macdonald and the nuts and bolts of creating Dirty Work . Interviews: An array of additional interviews are provided with subjects featured in the aforementioned documentary that delves into extended stories that could not fit neatly into that piece. There are a ton of great anecdotes not to be missed. Hey Jim, It's Norm – An Interview with Actor Jim Downey and Co-Writer Frank Sebastiano (19:30) The Last Word – An Interview with Co-Writer Frank Sebastiano and Co-Writer/Actor Fred Wolf (15:47) Front Row – An Interview with Assistant Director Alan Goluboff (8:48) Cutting Dirty Work – An Interview with First Assistant Editor Ryan Folsey (6:24) Excuse Me – An Interview with Co-Writer/Actor Fred Wolf (7:42) Revenge For Hire – An Interview with Co-Writer Frank Sebastiano (9:11) Face First – An Interview with Norm's Stunt Double Brian Jagersky (7:25) Fully Loaded – An Interview with Actor David Koechner (7:37) Nose Biter – An Interview with Actress Uni Park (5:23) Quicksand – An Interview with Actor Kevin Farley (7:52) Two Dollars – An Interview with Actor Jim Downey (10:46)
Assembly Cut of Dirty Work (2:00:42): The earliest known cut of the film is provided from a pretty rough video source that is lacking various finished technical elements. This will never be the preferred way to watch the film, but it is a really cool inclusion. Alternate Extended Ending: A minute-long alternate ending is provided here. Final Thoughts
Dirty Work is not often talked about in the pantheon of '90s comedy classics, but it deserves some proper recognition that this release will hopefully give it. The ensemble assembled here is killer from the main players to the bit parts with notable names like Chris Farley, Chevy Chase, Adam Sandler, and more. As with nearly all comedy from the era, there are some dated or insensitive aspects to the humor, but it is also laugh-out-loud funny a good portion of the time. The newly reconstructed Dirtier Cut does not fundamentally change the movie, but it is great to experience the film closer to how Bob Saget and company intended. Vinegar Syndrome has delivered a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a tremendous A/V presentation and a daunting assortment of special features. If you are a fan of the film, this is a dream release. Recommended
Dirty Work is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Vinegar Syndrome has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.