Mr. Brooks (DVD)

Much like Tiffany in Seed of Chucky, Earl Brooks (Kevin Costner) is addicted to serial killing and seeks help for it. It was funny as hell in the Child’s Play flick — and while the idea worked in both Fight Club and does so currently in the Showtime series Dexter — Brooks’ forays into self-help don’t quite work.

In fact, I can see how a lot of people would feel that Mr. Brooks didn’t quite come together (if memory serves me, there was not a bonanza at the box office), but I liked it on the big screen and I still like it on second view.

I much prefer my serial slashers to be dashing and cunning, and to live in posh surroundings (give me Hannibal Lecter over John Wayne Gacy any day) — and so, on those visual levels and upon those glossy exteriors, I state my opinion that Mr. Brooks is a treat. It’s also undeniably well-acted (costars William Hurt, Demi Moore, and Danielle Panabaker sizzle), and the arch dialogue bolters the areas in which the story itself stumbles into head-shaking territory.

It’s a scenery-chewing DVD, but I am proclaiming it a keeper. Read Horror.com’s original review here. Watch our video interview with Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, and Marg Helgenberger here.

As for the DVD itself, it’s full of extras. And they’re mostly superfluous, I’m sorry to say. There are several featurettes, each differently titled, but cut from the same cloth. Everyone interviewed (actors, director Bruce A. Evans, writer Raynold Gideon) takes everything quite seriously (story morals, characters of tragedy, yada-yada-yada) and is highly complimentary of one another (he’s so smart, she’s so talented) without really revealing anything revelatory at all.

The six deleted scenes are definitely worthwhile for fans of Demi Moore. I was surprised, in the theatrical release, how little of her character was actually in the movie, but here we get a much more expanded view of Det. Tracy Atwood (although there is a rather silly bit with her and some random stud she picked up just for carnal kicks).

All in all, I have to say that Mr. Brooks is well worth a look on DVD if you can let yourself go with slashy style over serious substance.

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Staci Layne Wilson