Product Details

• Actors: Dennis Hopper, Jason Ferraro, Robert Knepper, Griffin Dunne, Martin Scorsese
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Live / Artisan
• DVD Release Date: April 25, 2000
• Run Time: 91 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305813019
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #233,437 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Search & Destroy" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

From The New Yorker

This vibrantly colored film by the painter David Salle, about the dirty doings of a would-be Hollywood producer, has surprising snap. Dennis Hopper plays the author of an "Iron John"-like best-seller, and Griffin Dunne turns in a rare good performance as a lost soul willing to do whatever it takes to purchase the rights; his determination leads to drug deals and, eventually, murder. John Turturro, Christopher Walken, and, especially, Illeana Douglas are strikingly crazy as characters who get involved in his scheme. After a while, the desperation of all these people becomes quite moving. Michael Almereyda's hip script, based on Howard Korder's play, isn't all it should be; the ending seems Tarantino-ized, but it's impressive. -Bruce Diones
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Product Description

Martin Mirkheim is bound for greatness - even if nobody else thinks so - in this fast and funny look at fame, fortune and the pursuit of the American Dream from executive producer Martin Scorsese. Griffin Dunne is Martin, a small-time guy with big-time schemes. Inspired by a late-night cable TV philosopher (Dennis Hopper), Martin becomes so convinced that his destiny involves producing an overblown screen epic, he's oblivious to the fact that his life is falling apart around him. Still, hounded by the IRS, hassled by his wife (Rosanna Arquette) and harassed by hangers-on (Ethan Hawke), Martin pursues his dream, heading for Manhattan and hooking-up with a wacky screenwriting receptionist (Illeana Douglas), a karaoke-crazed New York businessman (Christopher Walken) and a mod-squad, speed-rapping street king (John Turturro). Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Illeana Douglas, Ethan Hawke, Dennis Hopper, John Turturro and Christopher Walken.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Looking for an off-beat comedy with a great cast?, June 4, 2002

By 

Peter Van Ooteghem (Mentone, Victoria Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Search & Destroy (DVD)

(For the record, this is a review of the region 4 DVD)
I picked this up in a bargain bin around 6 months ago, not quite knowing what to expect. Easily the best value for money DVD I have ever bought. Why? Becuase I've watched this film countless times and never seem to get tired of it. Without going into too much detail re: the plot of the film, it is essentially the story of a failed businessman (Martin Mirkheim, played by Griffin Dunne) who, inspired by the writings of a late-night tv self-help guru, Dr. Waxling (played by Dennis Hopper), decides to try his hand at making movies. This film boasts a very strong cast. Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken and John Turturro are particularly good. Griffin Dunne is generally quite good in this film, but does tend to overact in a number of scenes. There is a lot of very dry humor and sarcasm throughout this movie, which is the main reason I like it so much. Admittedly, the plot is a little disjointed at times, but it all seems to hang together very well in my eyes. Search and Destroy will definitely not be to everyone's liking. However, if you like subtlety in your humour, this is definitely the film for you.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars F#%$ Leonard Maltin, August 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Search & Destroy [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is a profoundly strange movie that comes to a beautifully futile conclusion. Dennis Hopper plays the strangest self help guru ever portrayed on film with conviction and dead-pan accuracy. No, it isn't the best script ever written - but this is a movie that will make you laugh and shudder. This is angry art, reasonably well executed, with some truly excellent performances.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Scene, November 1, 2000

By 

g-the-amateur "g-the-amateur" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Search & Destroy [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is the *other* Search and Destroy. Dennis Hopper plays a self-help guru plus author on late-night TV, in his usual psycho mode. Christopher Walken, plain psycho, also believes in Hopper's inspirational book. "Martin" is so obsessed, he wants to make book a movie. Comedy plus murders and singing. MUST SEE.

One of the funniest lines is where Walken takes Hopper's 'rule for living' "The Past is Pointless" to it's logical extreme. When confronted with the fact that he JUST shot a state trooper, Walken responds "That's in the past." Brutality mixed with irony as in Pulp Fiction and other Hopper/Walken flicks.