"GHOST WORLD" DVD: Josh! What Are You Goddamn Doing? (reviewed by AX)

The guy that directed GHOST WORLD is named Terry Zwigoff. He's the person responsible for perhaps the greatest documentary I've ever seen, 1996's CRUMB (about underground cartoonist Robert Crumb). I thought he did an awesome job making a fictional feature film (that's three Fs) and I think you will too. It's based on the Daniel Clowes comic book of the same name.

GHOST WORLD is about 2 girls that just graduated high school. Enid, played by Thora (MONKEY TROUBLE) Birch, seems to have a big problem adjusting to the idea of life after high school. She's reluctant to assume any adult responsibilities, and prefers to live in the childlike care-free state that she's been in her whole life. Her best friend, however, gets a job and begins looking for apartments. Enid slowly drifts from her friend as a result, and ends up befriending Seymour, a shy nerdy old record collector played by Steve (ED AND HIS DEAD MOTHER) Buscemi.

Thsi film is basically about the odd character of Enid, and her relationship with Seymour. She's pretty neat and she reminded me of a couple different girls I dated in high school. Intelligent, interesting, but very immature and susceptible to ripping up a man's feelings. In fact, I think it's safe to say that if Enid had gone to my school, I'd have dated her for about 6-14 months (she's got Zada's body, Audra's face, and Laura's attitude).

As for Buscemi, he does well here indeed. But I couldn't help but think that Zwigoff made Seymour eerily similar to real-life Robert Crumb. His fascination with old blues records, his scrapbook of weird racist art, his manner of speech/dress, his inability to relate to the modern world (watching Buscemi react to pop music on the radio makes you think he's TRYING to invoke Crumb), and several instances of dialogue seem to be lifted right out of Zwigoff's documentary. But that's cool, I was happy with it. Just saying I noticed.

The DVD of GHOST WORLD is petty nice. It has 4 or 5 deleted scenes (2 of which are extended parts of the hilarious "Numchuck Guy" scene at the convenience store), a decently thorough making-of feature, and the entire oddball 1960s Indian Dance video that Enid is watching at the beginning of the film. All in all I'd give this disc a 4 out of 5. It was great and so was the film.

(2.06.02)