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Specifications:

- DVD-Video

- Single-sided

- Dual layer

- Region 1

- Run time: approx. 104 min.

- Subtitles: English

- Menus: Animated
- Scene selection: Full motion

- Package: Keep case

Video Features:

- Anamorphic Widescreen

- Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio Features:

- English: Dolby Surround

Bonus Materials:

- Commentary with director/writer
    Guy Manos
- Commentary with Stephen Baldwin
     and Maxine Bahns

- Photo gallery

- Cast and crew information

- Production notes
- Theatrical trailer

   
Release Dates:

Theatrical Release:         2000

DVD Release:              01/23/01

Review Date:               01/24/01

List price:                     $ 24.98

On-line price:               $ 17.99

Pre-order price was:    $ 17.99

Starring: Tom Berenger, Stephen Baldwin, Dennis 
   Rodman, Maxine Bahns, Roy Ageloff, Phillip Glasser,
   Adam Wylie, Casper Van Dien, and Ron Silver

Director/Writer: Guy Manos

MPAA Rating: R

Genre: Action

Studio: Artisan Home Entertainment

Movie: B        Video: A-        Audio: B-        Extras: B+

Summary: "Cutaway" is a live action film about skydiving and drug enforcement.  
   When a U.S. Customs agent suspects that skydivers are used to deliver drugs in 
   the greater Miami area, he goes deep undercover to prove his case.  Unknowingly, 
   he is seduced by a fellow skydiver and by the rush of this death-defying sport.  
   Will he be able to differentiate between the mission and his newfound love for 
   skydiving?  Everything you see in this movie was shot live-action, no visual special 
   effects were used!

The Story

In the world of deep undercover, an agent can sometimes become so immersed in character that the mission is jeopardized.  In Miami, U.S. Customs agent Vic Cooper (Stephen Baldwin) unsuccessfully conducts a drug raid against a suspected shrimp cargo plane.  Knowing that he must be right, he presses on to figure out how the suspected drug shipment was delivered.  Then quite by accident, agent Cooper realizes on the next day how the drugs could have been delivered from the cargo aircraft prior to his unsuccessful raid.

With strong conviction, agent Cooper asks for support from his boss to go deep undercover as a vacationing tourist wanting to learn skydiving.  Almost immediately upon his arrival at the skydiving school grounds, Cooper is seduced by instructor Starr (Maxine Bahns).  With special help from the U.S. Army parachuting team leader (Casper Van Dien), Cooper picks up on the stabilizing control techniques for free-falling in a vertical wind tunnel.  Having learned the basics of controlled free-fall, agent Cooper returns to the Miami skydiving school.  There, the Air Miami team leader, Red Line (Tom Berenger), notices Cooper's talent and starts to coach him further to increase his speed during free-fall.

Along with the energetic, competitive and fanatical skydiving teammates, Cooper becomes addicted to the intoxicating rush of the skydiving world where one is willing to do almost anything to perfect their skills in this death-defying sport and win first place at the annual competition.  Agent Cooper now has to struggle to differentiate between the mission and his newfound passion for skydiving.

What's amazing is that all the stunts were actually performed in live action shots.  Some were even performed by the actors themselves!  There were no visual special effects used in this movie.  What you see is for real.  Pretty amazing, I think!

The Extras

The "Cutaway" DVD comes with the following extra material: an audio commentary with director/writer Guy Manos, a second audio commentary with Stephen Baldwin and Maxine Bahns, cast and crew information (for Tom Berenger, Stephen Baldwin, Dennis Rodman, Maxine Bahns, and Ron Silver), photo gallery, theatrical trailer, and production notes.  Both commentaries were quite interesting as it tells how the movie was shot, not to mention some very informative insights to the world of skydiving.

Video & Audio

The image quality of this anamorphic widescreen DVD very good.  The colors are accurate and saturated, while shadow detail is good.  Unfortunately, the audio was only in 2.0 Dolby Surround, which can be decoded to Dolby Pro-Logic Surround.

Recommendation

If you're into undercover police action or the exhilaration and rush of skydiving, "Cutaway" is your movie.  I particularly enjoyed the fact that this movie was shot with no visual special effects.  What you see in this movie is real live action.

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