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Office Space [1999]
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His co-workers in the cube farm are an annoying lot, his boss is a snide, patronising jerk, and his days are consumed with tedium. In desperation, he turns to career hypnotherapy, but when his hypno-induced relaxation takes hold, there's no shutting it off. Layoffs are in the air at his corporation and with two colleagues (both of whom are slated for the chute) he devises a scheme to skim funds from company accounts. The scam soon snowballs, however, throwing the three into a panic until the unexpected happens and saves the day. A little bit like a US version of The Office, director Mike (King of the Hill) Judge's debut movie is a spot-on look at work in corporate America circa 1999. With well-drawn characters and situations instantly familiar to the white-collar milieu, he captures the joylessness of many a cube denizen's work life perfectly. Jennifer Aniston, a waitress at Chotchkie's, a generic beer-and-burger joint, plays Peter's love interest and Diedrich Bader has a minor but hilarious turn as Peter's moustached, long-haired, drywall-installin' neighbour. --Jerry Renshaw
RRP: £5.99
Our Price: £3.12 (subject to change)
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Office Space is a movie for anyone who's ever spent eight hours in a "Productivity Bin", had to endure a smarmy, condescending boss, had worries about layoffs, or just had the urge to demolish a temperamental printer or fax machine. Peter (Ron Livingston) spends the day doing stupefyingly dull computer work in a cubicle. He goes home to an apartment sparsely furnished by IKEA and Target, then starts for a maddening commute to work again in the morning.
There is only one thing wrong with this DVD release...
Review date: 2008-03-10 Rating: 10 out of 10
...and that problem is that we never get any really good Special Edition box sets here in Region 2. So, Fox, let's have a Special Edition of "Office Space" for Region 2, like you did in the States, and throw in the "Milton" shorts mentioned in the opening credits!
Aside from that, it's brilliantly written, superbly acted, beautifully filmed, exactingly designed and produced, wonderfully scored, endlessly quotable, and works on many levels at once. It functions best as an outright satire of Work. Whether you toil in the service industry, like Jennifer Aniston's character, Joanna, or in a cubicle like the majority of the rest of the characters, or in management, or consultancy, this is a must-see film. It has something for everyone who has ever held a job. However, I also believe this film should also be used as a mandatory corporate training video in every company on Earth. With everything you do, you should ask yourself: "Am I acting, speaking, or thinking like any of the characters in this film?" And if your answer to that question is "yes," it's time to re-evaluate your life, your job, and your company's policies.
The power of this film is such: Milton has a red Swingline stapler, which becomes a central feature of the movie. The story goes that the company started getting phone calls, letters, and e-mails wanting to place orders for red staplers . . . which they didn't actually make. The prop department on "Office Space" had simply painted a stapler red to make it stand out more in the film. As the film gained cult status, requests for red staplers increased to the point where Swingline caved in and now produces a bright red stapler. This film changed the American office supplies market. That's how good it is.
One thing that's been glazed over in the reviews: this film was originally released in the late 1990s, which means it came out many years before "The Office" (both the British Original and American Remake versions). And as far as I'm concerned, it's also much, much funnier than either of them. In principle, this film just shouldn't work. A movie about software engineers in which not much actually happens? Boring. A white-collar comedy with a gangsta rap soundtrack? Insane. The major antagonist (Lumbergh) being one of the most tedious, bland, lifeless drones ever to grace a screen, and the fact that the anti-hero everyone ends up cheering for, Milton, is even MORE dull, socially maladjusted, and petty? It just can't work. But it DOES, and so amazingly well, I'm surprised that this film isn't in every home on the planet yet. Everyone who has watched it with me began laughing before the opening credits were finished, and kept right on laughing through the end credits. I recommend this film without hesitation or reserve.
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Reviews
A 90s Classic
Review date: 2008-02-24 Rating: 10 out of 10
I am not sure what it is about this movie that makes it such an enjoyable watch. I guess that every member of cast puts in an outstanding performance, Ron Livingston and David Herman especially are great but also Ajay Naidu is very good in this as he is in Bad Santa where he pops up in briefly and steals the movie. heck even Jennifer Ainston is very sexy and watchable in this movie.
I guess it also helps if you work in a mundane boring office job like me, then you are going to enjoy this movie.
stick it on after a boring day at work, get a couple of beers and some takeaway and your finish watching it feeling a little better!.
Classic
Review date: 2008-01-22 Rating: 10 out of 10
This film is just great, watched it when it first came out & loved it then too. I actually almost rate it side by side with some of my 80's faves like The Goonies, The Burbs etc, albeit not as well known. This movie doesn't need to be mainstream, it does all its own publicity by being great! The characters are hilarious... "You've been missing alot of work recently'...I wouldn't say I've been MISSING it Bob!" lol! Great.
Defiantly feel-good
Review date: 2007-10-02 Rating: 10 out of 10
I was feeling miserable, spotted this `ahh whatever, it'll be worth it just for the smashing of the fax machine bit' I thought. Not wrong, cheered me up a treat. Office Space is Mike Judge's (King of the Hill, Bevis and Butthead)first live-action outing and its damn-near the perfect antidote to a life lived in work. Bloke realises working in an office all your days isn't the key to the meaning of life and so he stops. Funny, brilliantly observed and defiantly feel-good, Office Space is a proper Sunday afternoon sod-the-world treat.
If you like stupidity then you'll dig this, otherwise avoid....
Review date: 2007-09-10 Rating: 8 out of 10
Theres goes that old saying again: "If you liked that, then you like this" comes to mind. Well "If you liked beavis and butthead in the 90's then you will definately like this" The story is about a guy at a computer company that gets fed up and starts slacking off, but in some sort of management loophole he gets promoted while his old mates get left behind.
There are some funny twists in the film and if you like bizzare humour that would absolutely never happen in real life then you will like this film and now at budget price a real bargain. Granted there are some more intuitive comedys out there like Hot fuzz and the Only fools films to name a few, but this is pretty good stuff one you should certainly watch.
Good stuff.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Ajay Naidu
Stephen Root
Jennifer Aniston
Ron Livingston
Gary Cole
Director(s):
Recording label: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
EAN: 5039036014229
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2003-10-06
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 90 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1999-02-19
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: Dutch (Subtitled)
Language: Norwegian (Subtitled)
Language: Swedish (Subtitled)
Language: Finnish (Subtitled)
Language: Danish (Subtitled)
Language: French (Subtitled)
Language: Italian (Subtitled)
Language: Spanish (Subtitled)
Brand: Generic