One of Scene Creek’s best reviewed films of 2013, The Dirties, is finally available to own on DVD/Blu-ray, and boy are we impressed! With most non-criterion DVDs released this year, the special features have been rather limited. This may be the first release in quite a while in which the special features are longer than the movie itself.

If you didn’t see The Dirties, in which case shame on you, you’ll be delighted to hear that it is one of the best films ever made about bullying. Obviously inspired by Gus Van Sant’s 2003 film Elephant, The Dirties follows best friends Matt Johnson and Owen Williams, playing versions of themselves, as they navigate their way through high school. Matt and Owen are making a film about two detectives who take out a group of school bullies, but fiction and reality begin to blur when Matt gets a little too excited about the idea.

The film shows us a very honest portrayal of two students under duress at their school. What makes the film so great is that it successfully handles a very serious subject comically, without ever becoming parody. It is thoroughly entertaining, and makes great use of the tired found footage genre.

The DVD/Bluray combo pack is available in with six different covers, each spoofing the covers of famous films. Available covers include: Rosemary’s Baby, The Third Man, The Conversation, Magnolia, Time Bandits, and Anatomy of a Murder. There are hours of special features on the disc, highlights include:

The Visitor
Remember when Matt and Owen saw those two kids making their own movie near the beginning of the film? Well Matt Johnson found them and decided to put the movie they were making on the DVD. The best part is, they never finished the movie. So three years later, after going through puberty, they went back and finished the short.

Deleted Scenes
There are many scenes that didn’t make it into the film. They are presented here, each with an introduction by director Matt Johnson. Some of them are actually quite funny, including one where Owen tries to get Chrissy H’s attention using another ridiculous plan crafted by Matt.

Colour Bars
As simple as it sounds, colour bars and tone. Watch the screen for ten minutes and you’ll get a very weird reward.

Hidden Features
There are surprising a ton of hidden features on the disc. Other than the one above, we don’t want to give any away. Hint: Try selecting things on the menus that you wouldn’t think you could select. Also, watch the “original trailer” included on the disc.

Besides the fact that there are no special features on the Bluray disc, The Dirties DVD/Bluray combo pack is wonderfully put together, and is a staple for any cinephile’s collection.

[star v=4]