Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #97382 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-02-11
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Colour, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 90 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
You won't find a smarter, more amusing, or more accurate send-up of low-budget filmmaking than Tom DiCillo's 1995 independent feature, Living in Oblivion, wherein a motley cast of would-be artistes blunders its way through a day on the set. Steve Buscemi plays goateed Nick Reve, a harried, sweating director whose crew of numbskulls and egotists seems hell-bent on ruining his film. The trials and tribulations of independent filmmaking are not foreign material for writer-director DiCillo, who cut his teeth as Jim Jarmusch's cinematographer on 1985's Stranger Than Paradise before going on to direct his own work, such as the offbeat 1992 comedy Johnny Suede. Like that film, Living in Oblivion rides a precariously thin line between the real and the surreal, featuring a midget actor and an exploding smoke-effects machine, as well as a ridiculously narcissistic Brad Pittesque character played by James Le Gros. While films like Get Shorty, Frangois Truffaut's Day for Night, and Jean-Luc Godard's Contempt suggest that moviemaking is hip and glamorous, Living in Oblivion will have none of that. The film within the film feels like a director's primer on what not to do, and this modest-budget gem both lovingly and caustically strips the "cool" veneer from the filmmaking process. They should show this one to kids thinking of entering film school. It might make them think better of it. --Nick Poppy

Customer Reviews

Outstanding - an undisvovered classic
This is one of those hidden gems. I don't know why it took me so long to find out about it, but it's one of the best films I've seen this year. Buscemi is in top form and the writing and direction put most films to shame. buy it, watch it, tell all your mates about it, them watch it again with them, glowing in the pride of having discovered such a top film :)

Hilarious, Fun, and witty!
Art House style, extremely funny story about a completely incapable film crew trying desperately to produce a movie. This Movie is a must for anyone who has: studied media, attempted to make their own move, involved in television and film production, or anyone who just wants a laugh. Beware this is not a high gloss, hollywood style comedy. But it is exactly this that makes it so appealing.

So Accurate
Hidden gem of a film which deserved much more publicity than it got.

I work in the film industry and this is so spot on! It really should be shown to ALL media students as part of their course!!!