Product Details

• Actors: Owen Wilson, Sheryl Crow, Dwight Yoakam, Dennis Haysbert, Alex Warren
• Directors: Hampton Fancher
• Writers: Hampton Fancher, Lew McCreary
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Lions Gate
• DVD Release Date: April 15, 2008
• Run Time: 111 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00136MBV6
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #55,154 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Minus Man" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

"I've never done anything violent to anyone," says the mild-mannered Vann Siegert, "Just the minimum that was necessary." Indeed, if you have to get knocked off by a serial killer, Vann (Owen Wilson) is definitely your man. Just a quick, sweet swig from a silver flask of poisoned amaretto and you're out, with a narcoleptic slump into eternal slumber. There's no taunting or torturing; he's friendly about the whole thing. You can see Vann almost--almost--wishing his victims wouldn't take that final sip. He doesn't hold any particular grudge against these people; rather, as he puts it, "I take the natural momentum of a person and draw it toward me." If someone looks like they're on a crash course--like the boozy, asthmatic heroin addict played convincingly by Sheryl Crow, her acting debut--he merely accelerates the process.

Wilson proves to be a mesmerizing if unlikely serial killer, his flat, Midwestern delivery ringing more sincere than sinister, more Charlie Brown than Charles Manson. His voiceovers purportedly allow us into the mind of a killer, but what we hear isn't all that different from what we see. Vann isn't faking the nice-guy veneer, he is a nice guy, with this one little quirk. Clearly, this is not your typical edge-of-your-seat thriller, but the slow, dreamy pace is nonetheless entrancing. There are moments of intense grace and humor here, too. Janeane Garofalo breaks away from the smart-aleck mold to portray a postal employee smitten with Vann, and Mercedes Ruehl takes a compelling turn as his troubled landlady. "I like the detail of a thing," Vann says. "Especially if it's got a purpose." While we may not know for certain whether this film has a purpose, the details dare you to stop watching, even for an instant. --Brangien Davis

Product Description

The more Vann tries to make a success of his new life, the stronger are the mysterious forces that pull him in a darker direction. When quiet and amiable Vann Siegert (Owen Wilson) drifts into town, no one suspects the evil that lies beneath the surface. When locals start to disappear, it becomes clear that an eerie subtraction is at work among the lost and lonely of this sleepy, seaside hamlet. People look toward Vann, but no one can quite put their finger on who he really is. Through it all, he carries on a surreal dialogue with imaginary detectives (Dwight Yoakam and Dennis Haysbert) who question his crimes and motives. Jeaneane Garofalo, Brian Cox and Mercedes Ruehl also star in this unsettling and offbeat psychological thriller that looks in the mind of a serial killer.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Minus Man, April 23, 2000

By 

Danny W. Shelby II "Rusty" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Minus Man (DVD)

The movie follows a serial killer, Vann (Owen Wilson) , into a small town to start a new life. Before he gets there he meets "Laurie" (Sheryl Crow), a dead beat drug user. When Vann arrives in the small town, some locals begin to disappear. No one really knows who or what is doing it. Vann has a job as a postman and becomes friends with Janeane Garofalo's character and the story unfolds from there. Janeane Garofalo has been in some not-so-great movies as of late, but this was one that was sadly over looked. Sheryl Crow's first acting roll is a must see. She pulls it off well. This is the first time I've seen Owen Wilson, and now I think I'll go look him up on Amazon to see what else he is in. All three actor's performances are wonderful and the movie is told in a not-so-traditional manner, making for a great film. DVD extras include: Serial Killer biographies, Theatrical and video trailers, production notes, cast & creww information, and more.

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Minus Man is a spectacular film!, February 18, 2000

By 

Christelle N. (LA, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Minus Man (DVD)

This film lived up to all of my expectations. I'd seen the ad campaign and heard reviews from friends saying it was an intense film, and after watching it, I had to agree! I thought it was a terrific adaptation from the book, and I was as much disturbed as I was pleased. I love to have my ideas of normalcy challenged! Owen Wilson played the part really well- toned down and kind on the outside... Garofalo played a smitten, sensitive woman for the first time I've seen, and was perfect in her role! All the acting in this movie is great, but I was most surprised by Sheryl Crow's performance. She was totally in character and a lot of fun to watch.

I had to own this movie- I found that it translated great on DVD in widescreen.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sociopath on the loose, July 29, 2001

By 

C. J. Hormann (Wellington, New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Minus Man [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I must say that I had no idea what this movie would be like but found myself pleasantly surprised by both the story and the central perfomances.

A young drifter by the name of Vann Siegert wanders into a small coastal town and slowly people in the town begin to disappear - it's no plot spoiler to say that Vann is the man causing these disappearances - we do see the movie through his eyes. He possesses a disarming charm and kindness that people feel they can trust him, most notably his landlord Doug followed by his wife Jane and his co-worker at the Post Office, Ferrin. Slowly things begin to change and tension builds as Vann ensures that his cover is not blown.

While this probably doesn't sound too different from your average serial killer yarn, it is made more believable by spot on performances. Owen Wilson is a revelation as the drifter Vann, with the charm of a Tom Ripley, his drawling voice and easy smile, not once suggesting a killer behind it. Brian Cox and Mercedes Ruehl are both excellent as Vann's landlords, with Ruehl just topping Cox with a lovely understated performance not overshadowed by Cox's occasional histrionics. Finally, rounding out the main cast is Janene Garofolo, as Ferrin, and she nails her role as the co-worker who hopes for romance perfectly.

The distraction of Vann's hallucinations don't work that well but this is a minor discrepancy in an otherwise excellent film. With his work on this movie and scene-stealing turns in such movies as the otherwise awful "The Haunting", and "Meet the Parents", Wilson certainly shows he is capable of much more.