Man Bites Dog

"How much ballast does it take to sink a dead kid?" Believe it or not, that's a question asked on a pop quiz given by a serial killer in the way over the top 1992 satire Man Bites Dog. A takeoff on "reality" based TV shows, director Rémy Belvaux's outrageous film reverses the traditional formula: rather than follow the cops, Belvaux's camera crew tags along with a mass murderer, Benoit (Benoit Poelvoorde), who hasn't a single politically correct bone in his body. Misogynist, racist, not to mention pathological--Benoit is also an extemporaneous poet, sidewalk philosopher, and reasonably good pianist…in addition to his official job (serial killer, preferably of well-off elderly widows). Underneath the hood of this extremely black comedy, however, is an exploration of our fascination with violence as well as our complicity in being observers. As Belvaux (who also plays the "director" in the film) follows Benoit on his bloody missions, he and his crew find themselves crossing the line (from helping to find a victim with the "zoom lens" to to using the money from Benoit's murderous exploits to help finance the film). Originally released on VHS in edited and unedited versions (the edited version is missing the two most disturbing and distasteful scenes in the film: one in which Benoit chases and suffocates a young boy, and another in which a woman is gang-raped and later shown butchered), this Criterion disc features the original unedited version (which, be forewarned, is very ugly). Sporting a solid new digital transfer (the film has a natural low-budget documentary grainy look), the disc also features a nine minute interview with the filmmakers, and their 1989 short No C4 for Daniel-Daniel (a mock trailer for a spy/sci-fi thriller). Banned upon its initial release in Australia and Sweden, Man Bites Dog is an extremely dark satire that is almost guaranteed to spark challenges (consider yourself duly warned), but its also a film that is more relevant today than ever. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)