The time is right for '90s nostalgia to be kicking in, and Doug Limon's hilarious 1996 indie sensation "Swingers," making its Blu-ray debut at last, is the guy comedy to revisit. Written by Jon Favreau as a semi-autobiographical account of looking for work and navigating the Los Angeles hipster scene, "Swingers" gave Vince Vaughn his breakout role and paved the way for Favreau to direct blockbuster movies like the "Iron Man" films and "Cowboys & Aliens."
Before Favreau and Vaughn got "all grown up" on us, the two played best buds trying to make it big in Hollywood in the '90s. Favreau is Mike, a lovesick comedian transplant from New York who is having trouble letting go of the girlfriend back home who dumped him, and Vaughn plays Trent, a fast-talking playboy actor who tries to shake his best friend out of his rut.
Trent's platonic man-love for Mike is actually sweet as he desperately tries to cheer Mike up by doing things like dragging him to Las Vegas in the middle of the night for an impulse trip. Trent keeps telling Mike he's "so money" and gives him tips on corralling some "beautiful babies," but Mike still needs time to get his game back.
Back in Los Angeles, it's fun to watch the two immerse themselves in the '90s swing-dance scene, which was sort of a reaction against grunge. Dressed in sharp threads and ties instead of flannel, the guys crawl between smoky hot spots like the Dresden Room and the Derby to toss back martinis, talk about their latest auditions and get the numbers of beautiful babies. In these pre-texting -- heck, pre-cell-phone -- times, Trent tells us it's all about going in for the kill and getting the number, even if you have to wait several days to give her a call so as to not look too eager. "Jaws" music plays as Trent approaches a ditzy girl at a Hollywood Hills party and Steven Spielberg—who loved the movie—later cast Vaughn in 'Jurassic Park: The Lost World' because of this scene. Mike eventually drops Trent's advice and impresses L.A. newbie Heather Graham with his dance-floor skills and newfound honesty, but Trent's intentions remain true.
The swing-dance scene is all but a memory in Los Angeles, just like smoking in bars and using the Club in your car, but "Swingers" is a seminal bromance that shows us how much some things never change even when everything else does in pop culture. Like Trent says, "Mikey's the big winner. Mikey wins." So does "Swingers" in high definition.
Extras! This Blu-ray debut has filmmakers' audio commentary, the four-part "Making It in Hollywood" documentary, five extended and alternate scenes from the cutting room floor and the silly "Swing Blade" short film -- a parody of "Swingers" and "Sling Blade."