Rushmore / High Fidelity (2000)

High Fidelity - DVD- From the guys who brought you GROSSE POINTE BLANK comes the absolutely hilarious HIGH FIDELITY. John Cusack (BEING JOHN MALKOVICH) stars as Rob Gordon, the owner of a semi-failing record store located on one of the back streets of Chicago. He sells music the old-fashioned way -- on vinyl, with two wacky clerks, the hysterically funny rock snob Barry (Jack Black) and the more quietly opinionated underachiever Dick (Todd Luiso). But Rob's business isn't the only thing in his life that's floundering -- his needle skips the love groove when his longtime girlfriend Laura (newcomer Iben Hjejle) walks out on him. And this forces him to examine his past failed attempts at romance the only way he knows how! For a rocking fun time, give HIGH FIDELITY a spin. It's sure to make your all-time top five list for comedies -- with a bullet. Rushmore - DVD Criterion Collection - RUSHMORE is the story of a gifted, rebellious teenager named Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), a 10th grader at elite Rushmore Academy. Editor of the school newspaper, captain or president of innumerable clubs and societies, Max is also one of the worst students in the school, and the threat of expulsion hangs permanently over his head. Max's world is rocked when he falls for elegant 1st grade teacher Miss Cross (Olivia Williams) and he plans to erect an aquarium in her honor -- then finds himself competing for her affections with his friend, steel tycoon Mr. Blume (Bill Murray), the wealthy father of two of his classmates.

Two great movies for the price of (roughly) one-and-a-half!

These are two of my favorite movies, although I have no idea what they're doing together. Different directors, different writers, not even a shared cast member. The only thing they have in common is that they are both owned by Touchstone Home Video, and they're both great movies.

Although... Now that I think about it, this union seems fitting. You see, both of our protagonists (Jason Schwartzman as Max in Rushmore, and John Cusack as Rob in High Fidelity) are having difficulties in their love lives. They are both largely incapable of relating to the world on any real level; Max is at his best when directing his plays, which are surreal adaptations of popular movies, while Rob is most comfortable seeing the world through the eyes (or rather hearing it through the ears) of pop music. They both obsess over lists: For Max, the yearbook's listing of his accomplishments at Rushmore Academy; for Rob, the Top Five lists he and his record-store employees compile to while away the hours. And in the end, they both find a way to live closer to reality.

I'm sure that's not what I was meant to get out of this coupling, but it's what I got.

Incidentally, the Criterion edition of Rushmore is outstanding. Assuming that this High Fidelity is the same edition I have, it could stand for some better features, but the movie stands up nicely on its own.

This Double Feature is definitely worth your time. October 21, 2001

More reviews at Amazon.com ...