Punch-Drunk Love

This is not your usual set of extras. Punch-Drunk Love is a quality, although abstract, film, which certainly does not appeal to everyone, and the DVD is much the same.

The so-called "featurette," as listed on the back cover, must be Blossoms And Blood. The title sequence in the film - an array of abstract watercolours that dissolve into one another - is described by director P. T. Anderson as a Scopitone. Blossoms And Blood is a 10-minute Scopitone that drifts between extended scenes from the movie, shot from different camera angles. Music runs in the background throughout, delivering an array of moods.

The Scopitones gallery features yet more abstract colour collages and the occasional silhouette of an actor. These, like the featurette, are very peculiar to watch and could be a tribute to the mood swinging West Side Story opening titles, or even the infamous scene from Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. This is definitely a matter of taste, as some, I am sure, will find the Scopitones pointless and nauseating.

There are two deleted scenes. In the first, The Sisters Call, Barry (Adam Sandler) is phoned by his numerous sisters whilst at work. His irritation starts to rise and the relationship between himself and his family is explored, without achieving any new depth. The second is called Are You From California? and features Barry taking out money for the blonde brothers. This is an extended scene from the film and was deleted from the final cut with good reason, as it cripples the pace and adds nothing to the proceedings.

The Artwork is a photomontage with sound, which serves little purpose and appears to be a slowed down Scopitone, something the disc already has enough of.

The Mattress Man Commercial is the disc's saving grace. Here we see Philip Seymour Hoffman jumping off a lorry onto a heap of mattresses, which have been piled on top of a limousine. This has to be seen to be believed. Hoffman bounces once and is hurled straight off the top mattress, hitting the concrete floor beneath. How this was shot I don't know. How Hoffman got up without anything broken, I don't know. Worth the price of the disc alone.

Punch-Drunk Love is a two-disc set. The second disc is completely redundant and the extras are very obscure in nature, with nothing of any informative value whatsoever. The Mattress Man Commercial is a quality extra, although it struggles to make up for half an hour of abstract self-indulgence.