STUDIO: Sony
RELEASE DATE: September 30, 2008
STARRING: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry, Peter Facinelli, Lauren Ambrose, Seth Green, and Charlie Korsmo
WRITTEN BY: Deborah Kaplan & Harry Elfont
DIRECTED BY: Deborah Kaplan & Harry Elfont
FEATURES: Original Commentary with Filmmakers and Cast
Commentary with Filmmakers and Cast-10 Years Later
Hunnington High Class of '98 Reunion
Can't Hardly Wait: The Making of a Teen Classic
The Life of the Party
Deleted Scenes
Special K's 411 Track Yo
You Know Your '90s If...Trivia Game
Smash Mouth Music Video

Every once in a while, a Blu-Ray title will come along out of the complete blue. I mean, come on, when the format was invented, we all knew that movies like The Godfather and A Nightmare Before Christmas would completely rock our worlds in high definition. But who expected one of the more enjoyable releases of the last few months to be of a little-seen but cult hit teen comedy that those of us of a certain age simply can't BELIEVE is already ten years old? Can't Hardly Wait was a well-done and well-acted flick when it came out but it's become kind of a fascinating time capsule of "Before They Were Stars" appearances in the decade since. Of course, a pre-Six Feet Under Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodriguez, and Eric Balfour are easy to spot and great early performances from a pre-Robot Chicken Seth Green and pre-Brotherhood Ethan Embry hint at the excellent work they would do later in their careers, but the cameos are truly remarkable. A pre-Scrubs Donald Faison, pre-How I Met Your Mother Jason Segel, pre-Save the Last Dance Sean Patrick Thomas, pre-Earl Jaime Pressly, pre-24 Marisol Nichols, pre-Heroes Clea DuVall, and a pre-Hellboy Selma Blair all appear in small roles and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Nearly everyone in this movie is a recognizable face. It's one of the best cast movies of its era. Can't Hardly Wait would be fascinating just because of the recognizable faces that fly by but it's actually a sweet and clever movie in its own right and would be worth checking out if the entire cast had stayed under the radar instead of blowing up. And now this enjoyable comedy has unexpectedly become a great Blu-Ray release with one of the most enjoyable audio commentary tracks of the year.

There are several enjoyable special features on the Blu-Ray release to mark the tenth anniversary of Can't Hardly Wait (I know, I feel old TOO) but the new commentary track is a killer. Seth Green, Donald Faison, Peter Facinelli, Joel Michaely (one of the X-Files dudes), and the writer/directors Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont do an updated commentary track ten years down the road and it's a blast. Learn where Facinelli did an ode to Leaving Las Vegas, which members of Loveburger actually hated each other, and hear about "The Penis Whisperer" as the margarita-drinking clan has an absolute blast. Green and Faison are two of the most clever guys on TV and they're a blast. They should show up for more commentary tracks. It is odd that Elfont and Kaplan, who seem like sweet, talented people, only directed one more movie, Josie and the Pussycats, and wrote the awful The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, Surviving Christmas, and Made of Honor. Maybe Can't Hardly Wait was like catching lightning in a bottle.

Review that lightning after the commentary track with an excellent retrospective interview featurette with Kaplan, Belfont, and a lot of the players who don't appear on the audio track offering their memories of the production. Ethan Embry, the lead, pops up for an interview and even Jenna Elfman, Freddy Rodriguez and others stop by, but, shockingly Lauren Ambrose, Jaime Pressly and Jennifer Love Hewitt don't make the time. Maybe it's because a good chunk of the featurette focuses on Love's breasts, but come on ladies. A lot of actors like to distance themselves from their teen work, but Embry, Green and Faison recognize that Can't Hardly Wait is one of the best entries of the late '90s teen comedy boom. Ambrose, Pressly and Hewitt's absence is disappointing, but it's a minor complaint for a great release. A movie that's better than you remember, an excellent commentary track, a fun interview featurette, trivia game, music video, and more - Can't Hardly Wait - 10 Year Reunion Edition is one of the more shockingly enjoyable Blu-Rays of the season. Pick it up. You'll feel old too.