I was one of the few people who actually saw this in a theatre. One of the most pleasant surprizes I've had, it's rare to walk into a movie that completely exceeds you expectations. If you haven't seen this before, you would do yourself a favor by NOT trying to find out much about the plot before you go in. You only need to know that 1)There's some gratuitous nudity, 2)It is more complex than it appears to be, and 3)Bill Murray will once again steal a movie with only a handful of lines.The "Unrated version" didn't have a whole lot of extra skin, (undercutting the main marketing point for this release). However it did integrate several additional scenes that were available as "extras" in the original edition. It's nice to have them weaved into the movie rather than hunting them down after the fact trying to think of how they'd fit in. My favorite is the post legal battle lunch between Bill Murray and Robert Wagner; great lines, fun situation, and played perfectly.
Wildthings stands up pretty well to repeated viewings, I've watched my old copy probably twice a year since I bought it. It is a modern tight, complex thriller that doesn't have a dopey sticking point or obvious logic gap in how it fits together. How many times have you watched the latest and greatest hollywood thriller only to find some incredibly huge plot hole that renders the entire movie a waste of your time? Wild Things actually delivers, in my opinion setting a standard for being one the best of this type of movie (and certainly the best in the last 10 years or so). Some of the acting gets a little wooden, but it's more than compensated for by the rapidly unfolding and novel plot.
Hitchcockian with tan boobs would be the short review. If you haven't purchased the original edition, then get this one instead. I own both, and have no regrets on either.
So if you have the "R" version already, save your $10 bucks.
UPDATE. Well this little gem has popped up on Blu Ray Wild Things (Unrated Edition) [Blu-ray] and those of us that bought it have the dilemma of whether or not to take the plunge and buy it again. I for one, am because its a great movie. Unfortunately, as with the earlier DVDs there are no extras. So now I own 3, yes 3 different DVD versions of the same movie. Oh, and I bought the soundtrack years ago too. LOL
Buy Wild Things (Unrated Edition) (1998) Now
"Wild Things" is a gloriously lurid and decadent little gem of a movie. I love movies that respect the intelligence of the audience while pandering to their base desires (most studio releases skip that first part), and "Wild Things" fits the bill perfectly.The plot is well, the plot is twisted, in every sense of the word. The story that seems to be unfolding ends at the halfway point of the movie and then the real story begins. And in a technique I've never seen before, it continues through the ending credits, as director McNaughton gleefully fills in the holes.
"Wild Things" offers great, juicy turns from Neve Campbell, Denise Richards, Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon, Theresa Russell, and especially Bill Murray as a hilariously corrupt small-time lawyer. Along the way we get lots of steamy, lurid peek-a-boo sex and nudity (which is so gratuitous it inspires genuine laughter), violence, and characters motivated by nothing more than pure greed. Put 'em together in the Everglades, and you have one hot movie.
I generally don't like movies that mess with the audience by hiding information, and then springing it on them later as a "twist." But twists work beautifully if the character is just as befuddled by them as the audience. Since "Wild Things" offers nothing but characters who think they have secrets and alliances but are actually only pawns in a game, every twist is justified.
This new "unrated" version incorporates scenes that aren't necessary, but are joyful anyway. If you have the original cut and you've got the money to throw around, go for it. If you haven't seen it, well, it's probably not for anyone. But if the thought of a wicked little Hitchcockian melodrama, dripping with sex and humor and directed with a wink, appeals to you, you can't go wrong with "Wild Things."
Read Best Reviews of Wild Things (Unrated Edition) (1998) Here
My review will pertain just to the extended "unrated" version of Wild Things.People purchasing the unrated DVD of the 1st (and great) Wild Thing film hoping to see a substansial amount of extra sex and nudity are likely to be sorely disappointed.
Despite the label stating that this is "the unrated version too hot for theaters", it appears to be more of an initial cut of the film containing material that was left out of the final theatrical cut for good reason.
Most of the extra footage is just little dialogue bits here and there that state stuff a bit more obviously then what was given to the viewer the 1st time through in theaters.
There's also sort of an alternate part added to the ending that just makes no sense whatsoever as well regarding a potential genetic relation between Denise Richards and Neve Campbell's characters which would have added an incestuous angle to their lesbian relationship.
The only addition that I think really should've stayed in the movie is a admittedly nice extension to the makeout section in the pool featuring Neve and Denise. We now get to see Neve remove Denise's bikini top revealing her stupendous & breathtaking breasts with some very nice added kissing between the two hot actresses,
Since the film was kind of a tongue in cheek sendup of sleazy movies of this nature and didn't have a problem wallowing in said sleaziness, I don't know why the filmmakers cut this part out.
What I recommend doing is just holding onto the original R rated theatrical cut DVD (especially since the unrated DVD doesn't carry over the nice commentary track from the 1st release) and if you're a massive fan of the movie, pick up the unrated cut and get a DVD case that holds a DVD on each side. Then, just make your own 2 pack of the film this way as the unrated cut has some nice but pointless additions (like see Denise Richards washing her truck in very skimpy clothing) that hurt the flow of the movie but are worth having for the diehard fans of the film.
Just don't get rid of your original DVD like I mentioned.
A great, sexy and sleazy film nonetheless, but the unrated DVD is a complete wasted oppurtunity IMO.
Want Wild Things (Unrated Edition) (1998) Discount?
WILD THINGS is the epitome of the good looking contemporary thriller: all of the actors are in top form; the men are handsome; the ladies are ravenous; the story has more twists and turns than a Grisham novel; and the story setting fuses so effortlessly with the tale that it becomes another added element of mystery.I had the good fortune of seeing WILD when it had its theatrical run, and, at that time, I wondered about the prospect of some unused footage. This thriller continued to re-invent itself -even through the closing credits -so I imagined that there were some elements that the director left on the cutting room floor so as not to bombard the viewer with information overload. Most of what's been restored here is passable: Kevin Bacon's character is fleshed out a bit more, but he ends up appearing more of a conspirator a bit too early in this version as opposed to the original.
However, the stunning Denise Richards, Neve Campbell, and (yes) Theresa Russell make this picture definitely worth exploring on subsequent viewings because they do represent three complex personalities: (1) the woman who can have it all and takes it; (2) the woman who wants it all and takes it; and (3) the woman who is deprived of it all but finds a way to take it anyway.
Also, think what you will of the talents of Bill Murray, but his short work here coupled with his star-power performances in GROUNDHOG DAY and LOST IN TRANSLATION truly show this man is in peak form when the script requires it.
Rediscover this guilty pleasure in its unrated form!
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