Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story Unrated Edition

Don’t despair if your appetite for Cox is undiminished after an initial viewing, this two-disc, un-rated edition of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is loaded with the most brilliantly ludicrous content a DVD package has to offer. Most obviously a spoof of musician biopics Walk the Line and Ray, Jake Kasdan, Judd Apatow and their viciously funny cast take irreverent jabs at almost every music history cliché left untouched by Spinal Tap. The film doesn’t rely on simple parody though — every element of The Dewey Cox Story is part of the joke. The almost zealous earnestness John C. Reilly invests in bringing Dewey to life is the cornerstone of the movie’s tone and a great example of how seriously everyone involved takes the absurdity of creating the Cox mythology. This utter seriousness is the project’s most endearing joke and a lot of what makes the extensive bonus content such a delight. First, there’s American Cox: The Unbearably Long Self-Indulgent Director’s Cut, a superior version of the film for those who’re in for the beautiful ride. Many of the musical numbers are extended and to hear Reilly so beautifully sing these hilarious and wonderfully composed songs is always worthwhile. There’s a ton of content from Dewey’s Brian Wilson phase through to the disco-fabulous ’70s that’s been restored, and aside from being insanely funny it helps fill out elements of the story that seemed skimped on in the theatrical cut. But that’s just the tip of the Cox-berg poking up from the deep waters of the special features. Avoid "A Cockumentary,” unless you’re prepared for uncomfortably close doses of the real McCoy. The faux Oscar campaigning in the "making of” is awesomely deadpan, as are "The Last Word With John Hodgeman” and "The Real Dewey Cox,” excellently produced segments that blur truth and myth with a little help from some famous cameos. "The Music Of” is great, the "Full Song Performances” a treat, some of the deleted scenes are funnier than the in-film jokes (psychedelic floating Beatles-heads save the ‘”wrong kid” gag) and best of all, no content is recycled; it’s all fresh Cox to enjoy time and time again.