Dirty Work - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Have you ever seen a movie and thought to yourself, “Who is this for? Who could possibly like this movie?” I see a movie like Dirty Work and realize, “It’s me. I’m the person this movie is made for.” Dirty Work is not for all tastes. Not even close. It’s crass, it’s rude, it’s unbelievably stupid, and, as a movie, it’s amateurish, sophomoric, and probably a dozen other pejorative adjectives to describe how bad it is on those so-called objective metrics we use to measure quality in films. The plot isn’t much more than a framework from which the writers and stars can hang a series of tasteless gags. Mitch (Norm MacDonald) and his lifelong friend Sam (Artie Lange) create a “revenge for hire” business and get even with all manner of folks who’ve done them, and the community at large, dirty. But it’s all for a good cause, to save Sam’s dad, who needs a heart transplant. You’re either going to love this movie, which is sort of like a series of skits, or you’re not. No stuffy film critic is going to convince you otherwise. And if this movie isn’t your cup of tea, I can’t rightly blame you.

Andy Richter once said of Norm MacDonald’s brand of humor: “It’s like someone saying, ‘I gotta show you something,’ and then they take you on a four-mile hike to show you a dog turd.” Dirty Work is similar in that way, where each joke set up isn’t necessarily subverted, but behind every setup is something that tests the good taste of its viewers. Dead hookers. Anal rape. Bestiality. All this and more!

Where Dirty Work is different, though, is that it’s not a mean-spirited movie. Director Bob Saget (yet, that Bob Saget) doesn’t throw these awful things at his audience and expect you to laugh at them just because what they’re talking about is so lurid and taboo. It’s not enough that Norm MacDonald has taken the audience on a four-mile hike to see a dog turd. It’s about the journey and the unexpectedness of the shock. There’s an innocence to it. It’s almost childlike in that way, where it’s so delighted in itself and its tasteless humor.

For this release, Vinegar Syndrome has also included a never-before-seen “longer, dirtier” cut of the film, which is worth seeing once, for curiosity’s sake, but is not my preferred version. Too often, a gag that was perfect in the theatrical version will be chopped up for a cutaway that emphasizes the gag, underlines its dirtiness, and cuts back to a punchline that doesn’t land as hard. There’s also a sweetness to the original PG-13 version that takes its rating as far as it can go. So often, watching the original version, I kept thinking, “How could they have gotten away with this without it being rated R?” It pushes its rating to its very limits, without going too far past it, which is part of its charm.

Dirty Work is a terrific vehicle for Norm MacDonald, who has such a singularly unique brand of humor, and he pairs nicely with Artie Lange as a classic comedy duo. Chemistry is a hard thing to pin precisely - some folks have it, and some folks don’t. Norm MacDonald and Artie Lange just have it. They riff well off of each other and allow a joke to reach wild highs as they take it and run with it. This movie may not be on a whole lot of “best-of” lists, but for people who are on its peculiar wavelength, it’s one of the great comedies of the 90s.

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Dirty Work comes to 4K UHD courtesy of Vinegar Syndrome in a three-disc release containing both versions of the film on a 4K disc, while the theatrical and extended versions get their own Blu-ray disc. While the 4K disc basically houses the films themselves (and commentaries), the two Blu-ray discs are loaded with special features. The standard case that houses the movies and supplements sports the original poster artwork from its initial release, but has a reversible sleeve with brand-new artwork commissioned for this release. If you ordered from Vinegar Syndrome, the packaging includes a slipcover of the insert art, gnarly-hilarious slipcase, along with a 40-page booklet with essays and photos. 

Both versions of Dirty Work have been restored from the film’s original 35mm negative and presented in 4K UHD, graded in Dolby Vision HDR. For the extended “dirtier” version, the added segments are slightly rougher around the edges, but not by much. It’s easy to tell when new content has been added, as it doesn’t look quite as refined, but that’s just an observation, not a gripe. Dirty Work is surprising in how all-around good it looks. Details are nice and sharp, and the candy-colored pastel color palette really pops. Sometimes it takes a 4K release like this for you to take notice of how good a movie looks, even if it’s something you wouldn’t expect, like Dirty Work.

The theatrical version of Dirty Work includes both a 5.1 surround mix and a 2.0 stereo mix (both encoded in DTS-HD MA), while the extended version only has the 2.0 stereo mix. I toggled back and forth between the surround and stereo options on the theatrical version, and both mixes had strengths, so whichever choice you make, you’re in for a winner. Overall, the stereo option was louder and mixed a bit more consistently. The surround option is a bit quieter overall, and is pretty front-heavy, but there are a few moments that benefit from having rear speakers on the back of the soundstage, particularly the “It smells like fish” massacre scene. Machine guns, chainsaws, and explosions get full play throughout the front and rear speakers, and it’s a lot of fun.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine a movie like Dirty Work to have this many special features. Hours and hours of content. Audio commentaries. Documentaries. Interviews. A two-hour assembly cut. I don’t think there’s one stone here left unturned:

4K Disc

• Audio Commentary (Theatrical) – Frank Sebastiano and Mike Hunchback
• Audio Commentary (Extended) - Frank Sebastiano and Fred Wolf

Blu-Ray Disc (Theatrical)

• Audio Commentary – Frank Sebastiano and Mike Hunchback
• Note to Self: Doing Dirty Work (HD 1:03:01) – A newly-produced making-of documentary featuring interviews with the cast and crew
• Hey Jim, It’s Norm (HD 19:30) – Interview with actor Jim Downey and co-writer Frank Sebastiano
• The Last Word (HD 15:47) – Interview with co-writer Frank Sebastiano and co-writer/actor Fred Wolf
• Front Row (HD 8:48) – Interview with assistant director Alan Goluboff
• Cutting Dirty Work (HD 6:24) – Interview with first assistant editor Ryan Folsey
• Excuse Me (HD 7:42) – Interview with co-writer/actor Fred Wolf
• Revenge for Hire (HD 9:11) – Interview with co-writer Frank Sebastiano
• Face First (HD 7:25) – Interview with Norm’s stunt double Brian Jagersky
• Fully Loaded (HD 7:37) – Interview with actor David Koechner
• Nose Biter (HD 5:23) – Interview with actress Uni Park
• Quicksand (HD 7:52) – Interview with actor Kevin Farley
• Two Dollars (HD 10:46) – Interview with actor Jim Downey

Blu-Ray Disc (Extended)

• Audio Commentary  - Frank Sebastiano and Fred Wolf
• Assembly Cut (SD 2:00:42) - Sourced from video
• Alternate Extended Ending of “Dirtier Cut” (HD 1:04)
• Original Trailer

The fine folks at Vinegar Syndrome have gone all out with their 4K UHD release of Dirty Work. The video transfer is excellent. The audio stats are impeccable. And there are tons of supplements here, diving into the film’s history of production and its lasting legacy as a cult favorite. Did Dirty Work need this kind of deluxe treatment? Hell, probably not. Am I glad it got it? You bet. This release is Highly Recommended.