Joe Swanberg and Adam Wingard’s AUTOEROTIC follows four interconnected Chicago couples as they explore the boundaries of self-pleasure and sexual exploration. Through a unique blend of outrageous comedy and in-your-face sex, AUTOEROTIC insightfully illuminates the private sexual lives of America’s urbanites.
For thoughts on Autoerotic, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:
Video Quality
Autoerotic debuts on Blu-Ray with a very solid 1080p video presentation that allows the material to look the best that it can in HD. This film was shot on a microbudget and the overall aesthetic is understandably a little bit rough around the edges. The modest production design throughout the vignettes, along with the fabrics of clothing, provide a fair amount of textural detail. This is not the most colorful film in the world, but the hues on display have a good amount of complexity to them. Black levels are a bit lacking in some interiors, but there is not an egregious amount of digital noise. The flesh tones are consistent with an agreeable amount of detail in close-ups. This Blu-Ray is a noble representation of the movie.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that suits the sonic ambitions of this feature. There is not much in the way of thrilling moments, but the environmental sounds of the world engage the speakers with some activity. When the characters are walking outside, some nice ambient details flesh out the setting. Dialogue typically comes through clearly without being crowded out by any competing sounds. The bits of music throughout emanate with effective fidelity on this disc. The tunes fill the speakers in a wonderful, well-balanced way. The audio track does what is asked of it.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Directors and co-writers Joe Swanberg and Adam Wingard provide a really fun and insightful new commentary. In this track, the two reminisce about the process of creating this film, where they were at this point in their careers, the lessons learned from making this feature so low budget, the dynamic between performers, the realities of the indie film industry, and so much more that makes this a pleasure to listen to.
- Swedish Blue Balls (2008): A six-minute short film is provided from Joe Swanberg and Kent Osborne that has a man getting into an uncomfortable situation while in Sweden.
- Booklet: A multi-page booklet featuring the essay “Wanking Through History with Joe Swanberg and Adam Wingard” by Whitney Strub is provided that explores some of the themes of the film.
Final Thoughts
Autoerotic is an impressive achievement when you understand the DIY nature of the production which saw numerous talented individuals come together to shoot something with nothing but hope and a prayer. Admiration can only get you so far if there is no talent to back it up, and there are numerous engaging ideas throughout these shaggy, unusual stories. Not everything has aged the best but the segments focused on women seem to be the ones that stand the test of time a bit more confidently. The movie is funny, awkward, uncomfortable, clever, and more descriptors that point toward the creative spirit of these individuals. IFC Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a worthy A/V presentation and a fun selection of supplemental features. If you are a fan of these creative figures, this has been treated well. Recommended
Autoerotic is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: IFC Films and OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
