Big Helium Dog: Collector's Edition – Big Choice Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1999
Director: Brian Lynch
Writer: Brian Lynch
Cast: Matt Kawczynski, Michael Linstroth, Kevin Smith, Kevin Heffernan, Michael Ian Black, Lorene Scafaria, Pete Capella, Jay Chandrasekhar, Ming Chen

Release Date: September 16th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 92 Minutes 23 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $24.95

"From Executive Producer Kevin Smith comes this rarely seen, off-the-wall sketch comedy about the world's dumbest man who loses his best friend, gets fired from his job, and almost causes the downfall of all that is good and just!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand New High Definition (1080p) transfer and restoration of the original camera negative of the main feature in its intended 1.33:1 aspect ratio."

Big Helium Dog comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.7 GB

Feature: 21.9 GB

The source looks excellent; it's been cleaned up and is free of any debris or source imperfections. Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, there are no issues with compression, and the image looks organic.

Audio: 3.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in English with removable English SDH. Although the audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced, it is limited range-wise.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a behind-the-scenes photo gallery, a theatrical trailer (7 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a trailer with introduction with director Brian Lynch (7 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), cast auditions (2 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an introduction by executive producer Kevin Smith and Brian Lynch (11 minutes 33 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a Q & A with Brian Lynch, associate producer Kimberly Loughran, actress Lorene Scafaria, actors Matt Kawczynski, Brian Quinn and Michael Linstroth (73 minutes 31 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Brian Lynch and Matt Kawczynski, an audio commenatry with Brian Lynch, Matt Kawczynski, and film historian Patrick Cotnoir, and a slipcover (limted to the first pressing).

Other extras include trailers for A Better Place, Wrong Reasons, Clerk, Film Hawk, and Max Reloaded.

Summary:

Big Helium Dog is a sketch comedy film in the same vein as films like The Groove Tube, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask), The Kentucky Fried Movie, and Amazon Women on the Moon. Although Big Helium Dog is comprised of a series of humor-based vignettes like those aforementioned films, it actually has a more linear narrative that revolves around a protagonist. In-between moments with the protagonist are interludes titled blatantly offensive scenes.

The protagonist is a character named Charlie, who, with his best friend Ray, works as a paramedic. Ray is engaged to a girl whose father arranges for him and Charlie to star in a Cops-like TV show about paramedics called Cool Ass Paramedics. When his best friend takes his life, Charlie, who's not the brightest person, makes a series of idiotic choices.

Besides Charlie’s story, there is a director who falsely claims his movie cures cancer, a TV show featuring Jesus as a tough-as-nails detective, a woman who transforms her husband’s pacemaker into a clapper, and a comedy sitcom starring Satan. The humor is unapologetically politically incorrect, dealing with subjects like making fun of the homeless and a father finding out his son is gay, and many of the jokes are laced with sexism. That said, the humor is all over the place, and it does not always hit the mark. Ultimately, Big Helium Dog's approach to humor is not for those who are easily offended; everyone else, sit back and enjoy the ride.

Big Helium Dog finally makes its way to Blu-ray via a solid release. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer