This Juice Is Worth The Squeeze; The Girl Next Door Hits Blu-Ray

Isn’t it amazing how Hollywood can take a common stereotype and completely twist it into a polar opposite? When you think about it, that’s exactly what happens with ‘the girl next door.’ She’s no longer a wholesome lady you bring home to mom and dad; she’s a porn star. Well, in The Girl Next Door Danielle starts out as an adult film star, but she’s got some honest ‘girl next door’ tradition inside of her.

Matthew Kidman (Emile Hirsch) is far from the coolest guy in school, but he’s got ambition and a bright future ahead of him. Matt dreams of a career in politics and is working hard to win a scholarship so he can afford to attend Georgetown University, to which he has already been accepted. Everything is going according to plan until Matt gets a new neighbor, Danielle (Elisha Cuthbert). They immediately hit it off, but Matt soon finds out that this extraordinarily beautiful girl is actually a porn star. He may want to do the right thing and secure the opportunity he’s worked so hard for, but between the encouragement from his sexually enthusiastic friends (Paul Dano and Chris Marquette) and his intense feelings for Danielle, Matt is going to have to take some risks.

The Girl Next Door is fun film, but I can’t vouch for this Blu-ray release. $29.99 isn’t asking that much, but I’d imagine most fans of this film already own it on DVD. If you don’t have a copy or haven’t seen the movie, that’s a different story. The Girl Next Door is what Zack and Miri Make a Porno should have been. It delves into the world of pornography without stepping over the line and becoming a porno itself.

Anyone who can enjoy this film will also appreciate the bonus material. There’s commentary by director Luke Greenfield, scene-specific commentary by Hirsch and Cuthbert, “The Eli Experience,” “Making of A Look Next Door,” 15 deleted scenes, “Original Ending,” the red-band trailer “diRRTty,” “Sex Education,” and, best of all, a gag reel. Learn a little something about moral fiber from the tripod when The Girl Next Door hits Blu-ray on September 1st.