A documentary or a clever cinéma vérité comedy? That’s
the question that comes to mind with documentary filmmaker Ben Mullinkosson’s
laugh-out-loud film festival favorite, Don’t be
a Dick About It.
Oscilloscope Laboratories announced this past week
that both DVD and Blu-ray editions will be available for viewing enjoyment on
Mar. 24.
The story, simple and direct, follows the adventures
of brothers Peter and Matthew Mullin.
Unlike, oh say, Napoleon Dynamite,
Peter and Matthew are real characters, but their interactions captured on film
by Ben Mullinkosson are every bit as funny and even surreal as those depicted
in Napoleon Dynamite.
Peter is the older of the two and we know from the
get-go that there is something just a little off about him. This will be revealed late in the film, but
not here … and in the end it really doesn’t matter.
One thing that we do know about Peter is that he is
a big fan of the reality TV series, Survivor, and
takes great pleasure in reliving key moments from the latest episode that he
has just viewed.
His brother, Matthew, is the Laurel to Peter’s
Hardy, and is often horrified at the behavior of his brother in public
settings. As a side story for Matthew,
his mother is working hard to help him overcome his fear of dogs (cynophobia) …
Peter is not helpful. Indeed, there is
one scene where Matthew is frozen in fear at the approach of a barking dog
(fence between them) — with Peter by his side — the comic timing of Peter is
priceless.
If you are looking for some deeper meaning to
Mullinkosson’s documentary, look elsewhere.
Don’t be a Dick About It is
pure entertainment drawn from real life.
Bonus features include a deleted scene titled “C is
for Cake” and Ben Mullinkosson’s 2014 short film, Gnarly in
Pink.
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