Search - Search & Destroy on DVD

Looking for an off-beat comedy with a great cast?

Peter Van Ooteghem | Mentone, Victoria Australia | 06/04/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"(For the record, this is a review of the region 4 DVD)
I picked this up in a bargain bin around 6 months ago, not quite knowing what to expect. Easily the best value for money DVD I have ever bought. Why? Becuase I've watched this film countless times and never seem to get tired of it. Without going into too much detail re: the plot of the film, it is essentially the story of a failed businessman (Martin Mirkheim, played by Griffin Dunne) who, inspired by the writings of a late-night tv self-help guru, Dr. Waxling (played by Dennis Hopper), decides to try his hand at making movies. This film boasts a very strong cast. Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken and John Turturro are particularly good. Griffin Dunne is generally quite good in this film, but does tend to overact in a number of scenes. There is a lot of very dry humor and sarcasm throughout this movie, which is the main reason I like it so much. Admittedly, the plot is a little disjointed at times, but it all seems to hang together very well in my eyes. Search and Destroy will definitely not be to everyone's liking. However, if you like subtlety in your humour, this is definitely the film for you."

F#%$ Leonard Maltin

Peter Van Ooteghem | 08/24/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a profoundly strange movie that comes to a beautifully futile conclusion. Dennis Hopper plays the strangest self help guru ever portrayed on film with conviction and dead-pan accuracy. No, it isn't the best script ever written - but this is a movie that will make you laugh and shudder. This is angry art, reasonably well executed, with some truly excellent performances."

Scene

g-the-amateur | United States | 11/01/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is the *other* Search and Destroy. Dennis Hopper plays a self-help guru plus author on late-night TV, in his usual psycho mode. Christopher Walken, plain psycho, also believes in Hopper's inspirational book. "Martin" is so obsessed, he wants to make book a movie. Comedy plus murders and singing. MUST SEE.



One of the funniest lines is where Walken takes Hopper's 'rule for living' "The Past is Pointless" to it's logical extreme. When confronted with the fact that he JUST shot a state trooper, Walken responds "That's in the past." Brutality mixed with irony as in Pulp Fiction and other Hopper/Walken flicks."

Highlights the importance of good script and direction

Steve Miller | 06/08/2001

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This should have been a film I loved. Dennis Hopper, Griffin Dunne, and Christopher Walken are all cast in roles perfect for them, set premise is a nice one--failed dreamer gets caught up in self-help nonsense and gets into deeper and deeper trouble, eventually ending up in serious danger--but the film starts out wobbly focus- and drive-wise and falls apart completely when it should be building steam.Its roots as a stage play are very evident in almost every scene, but I hope the play was a little more coherent. Otherwise, I can't comprehend why anyone would option, let alone produce it, as a movie.The sad part is... every actor in the film gives a GREAT performance. As far as that goes, the film is fabulous, so kudos to the director. Unfortnately, the framework within they are giving their performances just isn't enough to support them. Shame on the writer."