Cult classic 'swings' onto DVD

"Swingers" emerged from relative obscurity back in 1996 to become one of the most beloved cult movies of our generation -- and rightfully so. It's hip, funny and smart in a way that few youth-oriented films have the audacity to be, and it cemented the careers of cool actors such as Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn and Ron Livingston ("Office Space"), as well as immensely talented director, Doug Liman ("Go" and "The Bourne Identity"). Finally, after years of availability solely in a bare-bones DVD, Miramax released "Swingers: Collector's Series" -- a disc worthy of this classic flick.\n"Swingers" focuses on Mike (Favreau), a lovesick East Coaster displaced in L.A., and the ups-and-downs he encounters both professionally as a struggling actor/comedian and romantically as he attempts to move beyond the pain of his none-too-recent break-up. "Helping" Mike through his struggles is his best buddy, Trent (Vaughn), a hard-drinking, smooth-talking wannabe seducer. Favreau and Vaughn anchor the film with their strong chemistry (further exemplified in Favreau's "Made") and are ably supported by Ron Livingston as Mike's more sensitive pal, Rob, and Heather Graham as the embodiment of the perfect woman.\n"Swingers: Collector's Series" isn't as loaded as some other recent DVD releases, but it's still a big step up from its predecessor. The disc boasts two separate commentary tracks, the first of which features Favreau and Vaughn doing their hilarious, time-tested illustrated action commentary (also seen on the "Made" DVD), while the other has director Liman and editor Stephen Mirrione. The first track is simply entertaining, whereas the second focuses on the technical aspects of the film. Both are good, just for different reasons.\nAnother cool extra is a documentary entitled, "Making It In Hollywood," which features new interviews with the cast and crew and concerns the writing, production and aftermath of "Swingers." Other extras include mediocre deleted scenes and an inspired trailer for "Swingblade," a curious combination of "Swingers" and "Sling Blade." \nFans of "Swingers" shouldn't wait six days to pick this disc up -- while not as great as it could've been, it's still pretty sweet and well worth the scratch.