Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27637 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-03-24
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, German
• Subtitled in: English, German, Swedish, Danish, Polish, Dutch, Finnish, Czech, Greek
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 118 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The third entry of 1998-99's cinematic TV trilogy kind of got lost in the shuffle following The Truman Show, an art film masquerading as a blockbuster, and Pleasantville, a heartfelt feel-good movie masquerading as a special-effects extravaganza. Edtv is nothing more than it appears: a scruffy comedy about fame and its discontents. Matthew McConaughey stars as Ed, a white-trash rube who gets his own dawn-to-midnight TV series in which every aspect of his life, no matter how sordid or dull or embarrassing, becomes mass entertainment (it inverts Truman by having the protagonist invite the pervasive cameras). Predictably, fame makes him miserable and, unsurprisingly, he finds a way out of his predicament. Albert Brooks covered this same territory in the funnier Real Life, and it's probably not the best idea for a load of comfy celebs to preach to us about how difficult fame is. But the film is cannily cast, including a number of performers who themselves have fallen victim to stupid media tricks (McConaughey, Ellen DeGeneres as the network executive, Elizabeth Hurley as a vamp hitching her star to Ed's and Woody Harrelson as Ed's even dumber brother). Structurally, the movie is a mess. It looks as if the filmmakers had the choice between making a fully realised, two-and-a-half-hour-long movie that no one would sit through or one that clocks in under two hours but has a lot of plot holes; they opted for the latter (Hurley's character disappears, practically without comment). Still, there are enough laughs to keep things moving and as a shaggy dog tale it's decent fun. --David Kronke, Amazon.com --This text refers to another version of this video.

Special Features
1.85 Wide Screen
DVD 9
German
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English German
Dolby Digital 5.1
Making Of Documentary
Director Commentary
Writer Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Outtakes
Music Highlights
Production Notes
Original Theatrical Trailer
Cast And Film Makers Notes
Czech\Danish\Dutch\English\Finnish\French\German\Norwegian\Polish\Portuguese\Swedish

Synopsis
Ed Pekurney agrees to appear in a new reality-based TV show even though he's just a regular guy but when the show becomes a hit he suddenly becomes a national celebrity. He then falls in love with his brother's girlfriend and their most private moments soon become public entertainment and the ratings go through the roof...

Customer Reviews

A truly funny film that goes out of its way to entertain
Many people unfairly compare this film with the Truman Show as both films involve showing a normal blokes life live on TV, for 24 hours a day. However, this is where the similarities end. The theme, approach and type of the two films are completely different.

In Ed TV, Ed Pekurney plays the truly likable guy who allows his life to be filmed for the country's entertainment. The humour ensues as his program becomes an instant hit. The ratings soar when Eds feelings for his brothers girlfriend emerge, and continue as many parts of his family's history - however sordid or embarassing - gradually emerge.

A funny, engaging and very re-watchable film ideal for most collections, Ed TV forms a cunning juxtaposition with it's main character. A likeable guy going out of his way to entertain his country, starring in a truly funny film that goes out of its way to entertain its viewers.

Amusing romantic comedy full of sharp social comedy
A postmodern commentary on the rise of 'reality TV' in a similar vein to "Five Minutes", Ed TV is one of few romantic comedies that are actually funny. It charts the brief TV career of Ed, a Texan video store clerk, who finds himself thrust from obscurity to nationwide fame when he becomes the star of his own TV channel, which charts his everyday life, 24/7. Naturally this has a wide range of repercussions and soon the whole escapade turns sour as his family collapses around him, their closeted skeletons tumbling out into the open. Matthew McConaughy does a good job of portraying Ed but the real starhas to be the Woody Allen-esque step-father, Al, brilliantly and humorously portrayed by Martin Landau. By contrast, Jenna Elfman's Shari - the love interest - is flat and unexciting (Liz Hurley is much more engaging as strumpet Jill). However, the cast is probably secondary to the concept. The whole film challenges the way the media - not just television - creates celebrities overnight, destroying their dignity through stealing their privacy, and subjecting them to the judgement and criticism of the masses. It is a sharp yet subtle critique of what can be seen as a disturbing trend as witnessed in the manic following of shows like Big Brother, as well as in the treatment people are subjected to by the press and showbiz paparazzi. And, especially when Ed becomes trapped in his new role as the man everyone watches endlessly on TV - and thus, the man everyone assumes they know - it starkly exhibits the cost of celebrity. This is all packaged up with an absolutely superb soul-based soundtrack which complements the action and overall quality of the production. Well worth a look.

A charming comedy drama with a twist
Ed Pekurny is a normal guy who agrees to have his life broadcast on Tv 24 hours, 7 days a week. At first he is willing, but fame isn't all its cracked up to be. Matthew MacConaghey is great as Ed and the chemistry between him and Woody Harrelson (who plays his brother Ray) is dynamic. The special features seem endless as director Ron Howard explains his motives for making this movie. All in all a packed, fun and moving DVD.