Fans of American Beauty, will be clamoring over the new dark comedy, Cruel But Necessary releasing this November by Sommerville House, Critical Mass and KOCH Entertainment. It is a one of a kind comedic drama, directed by award winning actor/director Saul Rubinek that exposes viewers to the unique and quirky life of Betty Munson, a recent divorcee who begins to videotape every aspect of her life.
The film follows Betty’s strange journey of self-discovery and self-destruction through the lens of her video camera. Betty is both hilarious and touching and viewers will be able to relate to her in numerous ways. Wendel Meldrum, (“Seinfeld,†“Wonder Years,†“Blast From The Past & Less Than Kindâ€) received the Best Actress Award for her role as housewife Betty Munson at the 2007 Winnipeg International Film Festival. In addition, the film received the Orson Welles Award For Cinematic Innovation from the Iowa International Film Festival in 2007. Cruel But Necessary is a sly, sharply observed look at the surprises and pitfalls of modern life. The DVD will be available November 11, 2008 for a suggested retail price of $24.98.
Cruel But Necessary is the story of a suburban housewife’s strange journey of soul-awakening in the traumatic years following the revelation, on videotape, of her husband’s infidelity. With her marriage over and struggling to raise her teenage son alone, Betty becomes driven to discover other secrets that may surround her. She videotapes every aspect of her life during the gradual disintegration of her comfortable upper middle-class existence. Sometimes used as an eavesdropping device, other times as a confessional, Betty’s camera dispassionately records layers of family and personal dynamics, and in doing so, subjects her friends and family to shockingly and often darkly humorous hidden-camera exposés. The film is seen entirely from the viewpoint of Betty’s video camera resulting in a “surveillance tape” that is a hysterical journey for the viewer.
Posting clips on Youtube exposing Betty Munson’s secretly recorded life-moments, Americans nationwide have been led to believe that her story is ‘true’, that she discovered her husband’s infidelity, revealed it, and began recording her private life and the private lives of others. These video-clips have garnered hundreds of thousands of hits as people became glued to Betty’s life and her irreverent tapings. With this DVD, voyeuristic viewers of the private and secretly-recorded segments will delight in the affair of it being ‘not true at all’.
Special features on the DVD include: additional scenes, two commentary tracks: a commentary by director Saul Rubineck (Unforgiven, True Romance) and producer Elinor Reid (Jerry and Tom) as well as commentary by writer/lead actor Wendel Meldrum, cast and crew interviews, and web link to additional material.
About Somerville House
Somerville House is one of the oldest and most respected financiers of motion pictures and television programming. Its subsidiary, Somerville House Releasing, is currently involved in the packaging and distribution of DVDs of properties previously financed by the parent company.
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Cruel But Necessary
Available on DVD November 11, 2008
Order Date: October 14, 2008
By Sommerville House
Suggested Retail Price: $24.98
Running Time: 92 minutes
Item #: SOM-DV2490
Special Features:
v Includes 45 minutes of additional Scenes
v Two commentary tracks: a commentary by director Saul Rubinek and Producer Elinor Reid (Jerry and Tom) as well as a commentary by writer/lead actor Wendel Meldrum
v Cast and crew interviews
v Web link to additional material