Safe Men

Wasted away in Tarantino-ville. To its credit, this derivative and (yawn) quirky crime comedy does at least boast a great ensemble of character actors. Steve Zahn (Out of Sight) and Sam Rockwell (Box of Moonlight) star as Eddie and Sam, untalented lounge singers who are mistaken for safecrackers and compelled to work for the Jewish mafia. Michael Lerner (Barton Fink) and Harvey Fierstein costar as rival kingpins, with Paul Giamatti (Saving Private Ryan) as the underling who recruits the clueless duo. The tritely-written banter should snap and crackle, but instead goes plop. Not recommended. (K. Lee Benson)[DVD Review—Sept. 5, 2006—Focus, 88 min., R, $19.98—Making its first appearance on DVD, 1998's Safe Men sports a fine transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. DVD extras include audio commentary by director John Hamburg and costars Sam Rockwell and Steve Zahn, Hamburg's student film short “Tick” (9 min.), three deleted scenes (4 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a forgettable film.]