Three interlocking stories of a wild night are told in Doug Liman’s still-a-blast Go. The 1999 film is on 4k from Arrow at the end of September.
The Film
I’ve always had a big love for Go, Doug Liman’s bouncy and driven “Wild Night” film of 1999. Written by John August, it’s a fast-paced blast amalgamation of much of 90s filmmaking: films that came in the wake of the indie boom, those attempting to replicate either Pulp Fiction or Swingers. Go blends those two touchstones, taking the best of both. Go is a gripping triptych of intertwined stories of disaffected youth. Funny enough, it’s directed by Doug Liman, who made Swingers (which itself can be seen extending from Clerks/Reality Bites/Singles Dissatisfied 20s something’s push). Recursion of genre (if one counts 90s Indie as a genre) put aside, Go has stood the test of time as a true word-of-mouth cult favorite.
I fully admit much of my love is right place, right time. I was born in 1982, so it came out during the period mentioned above, when I was finding and falling in love with film, so Go arrived at just the right moment. But in revisiting it a few times over the years since, including the three watches (straight plus 2 commentaries) for this review, I’m glad that it still holds up well. It helps Go, even with various notes, isn’t beholden to the 90s and keeps fresh because it’s not trying too hard to be cool. John August’s strong script, so strong that Liman shot the first draft as is (though it did have some reshoots and deletions when looking at the product after the first go), has confidence in its characters and situations without leaning hard on its setting and time. It’s just damned good, effortless in that coolness that others try so hard to get (looking at you, Can’t Hardly Wait).
As a result, each story is as strong as the others, with its own focus, semi-genre, characters, and voice. The first finds supermarket clerks trying to get some quick money by ripping off a drug dealer by selling at a rave; the second follows a set of friends having a wild night in Vegas with shootings, threesomes, fires, and more drugs; and finally, a pair of closeted gay actors are used by a drug cop while dealing with their own issues. Each segment is hilarious and incredibly fast-paced (presented separately, with a few moments of overlap), with plenty of unexpected turns. True, many a well-seasoned viewer can see coming, but others are fun surprises. It’s witty and sharp.
What a cast of who’s who of the time (and since), all giving their best in the ensemble. Sarah Polley is an understated strength in front of the camera in works such as Go, Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Dawn of the Dead 04, and more; and behind it with Women Talking, Take This Waltz, and others. Katie Holmes breaks out of Dawson’s Creek with this, Disturbing Behavior, and The Gift. I always love Timothy Olyphant in everything, and he stays true just after Scream 2. Party of Five’s Scott Wolff and SNL’s Jay Mohr have great chemistry as the couple, and they play off William Fichtner and Jane Krakowski, brightening long before 30 Rock, amazingly. Desmond Askew never really took off, a shame since he’s great here, working with Taye Diggs; with less-used Road Trip’s Breckin Meyer and Gregg Araki muse James Duval rounding out their group. Melissa McCarthy has one scene, and she kills it (so much so that the writer directed her in a short film afterward, which is included on the disc)
On top of Liman’s strength of direction and Stephen Mirrione’s frenetic but controlled editing, Go has a hell of a soundtrack, one I own and spin often enough. Go has the moving energy of its quick and pressing title. Liman lines all these characters and stories together and shouts GO, and they do for a wonderful race to the finish line. Join the race.
Packaging and Presentation
Arrow puts Go on a single 4 K disc. Sorry, no Blu-ray option. The disc image is the same image we’ve seen since release. Said common poster is also one side of the two-sided sleeve, with new art by Ben Beach, and the front of the booklet. The 4K Dolby Vision transfer is another fantastic release from Arrow (as they likely will be). It’s a colorful film, with those loud 90s clothes in front of darkness, and it all mixes well, sharp and detailed. As noted, it’s a quick-paced movie with wild editing, but nothing is lost in that speed. The audio is the original lossless 5.1. In English with English subtitles.
Features
Arrow puts together a solid collection of legacy and new features. Most of the previous releases come over, except a trio of music videos and non-Go trailers.
Two Commentaries
1 – Critics Bryan Reesman and Max Evry (new)
Reesman and Evry are around my age or a little older, so they bring to their commentary the appreciation of someone who watched the film young and still enjoys it as they’ve aged. It’s a fun one to look at the film as a product of its age within that indie boom, the people involved, and the results after release. It’s clear they enjoy it, and it makes for a good listen.
2 – Director Doug Liman and editor Stephen Mirrione (archival)
Lilmand and Mirrione get into the nuts and bolts of the creation: where the script came from, how they shot and used it, working on a tiny budget and within constraints, and the sheer miracle of collaborative filmmaking that turned it into something so damned good.
From the word Go (New)
Screenwriter, co-producer, and 2nd unit director John August talks about his involvement. So many hats, but this film was made on a shoestring, and since he was so involved, he can get in deep from the start, to getting the idea moving to a director, finding the locations, and the shooting. A testament to the scrappiness of the shoot and drive of everyone involved (22m)
A View Askew (new)
Desmond Askew talks his career, how he got going and where it’s been since, along with stories of working with Liman.. Sweet stories of an instant and continued kinship with James Duvall. (21m )
Behind the scenes (archival)
A fun but standard EPK (6m)
Deleted and Extended Scenes
Great to see a few scenes that were re-worked in re-shoots, but also aptly cut for pacing and character (like a moment of Holmes and Olyphant that undoes what comes later) 25m
God (1999, but new to release)
Filmed using short ends left over from Go, John August directs Melissa McCarthy as a woman who has a too-close relationship with God. Not in the super-religious way, but as that needy friend who calls every day. It’s funny, and McCarthy is sweet as hell, and one can see what is just about to come. That’s the Weird Al Show, of course, for her one bit with Octavia Spencer. Fine… Gilmore Girls. (12m)
It also has commentary for God, with August, McCarthy, and editor Douglas Cruse talking about the idea and the shoot.
Images Galley
28 images
Booklet
The 39-page bound booklet contains the norms plus two essays and original production notes. It’s a Crash Course for the Ravers: The US Dance Scene and Cultural Background of Go by David Michael Brown puts Go in its time, with contemporaries in movies and music, and gives an overall appreciation. Go Nowhere Faster: Y2K Panic in Go by Michelle Kisner talks to approaching it as a teenage millennial at release and how it reflects the time and the now for my generation.
Final Thoughts
Go, directed by Doug Liman from a script by John August, is a fast-paced, funny, and bopping film with a great cast. Reflective, but not beholden to 1999, it remains a favorite for anyone who’s seen it. Arrow presented a fantastic transfer with a rave full of new and old features. Check it out.