November Mania Edition COSBY and BATMAN boxes reviewed Plus: disney trasures, CLONE WARS & More!
Growing up in the ‘80s I used to love Thursday afternoons. Right
after getting out of school I would have my weekly piano lesson at Mrs.
Moore’s house in nearby Greenville, Rhode Island -- and even
though I grew disinterested in the piano and barely practiced as the
years passed, I loved Mrs. Moore, her husband (a librarian at Brown
University), and going over to their house late in the day for an hour
of stories, cocktails (I was the last student and could hear Mr. Moore
cooking up dinner about midway through my lesson), and...every once in
a while...a bit of piano playing mixed in. They were an elderly couple
and some of the kindest people I’ve ever met, and I remember them
fondly years later for their wry sense of humor, generosity and so many
loving memories.
That was usually followed by an Italian dinner back home, maybe a bit
of the Boston Bruins and -- come 8pm -- the Thursday night comedies,
including “Cheers” and THE COSBY SHOW.
Cosby’s NBC series set the standard for family situation
comedies, and it’s bittersweet to see it now because
there’s nothing resembling it on the air these days. Winning
numerous Emmys among other honors, critical adoration, and some of the
highest ratings of any series of the 1980s, “The Cosby
Show” was smart, funny, insightful, and seemingly
“real” -- as Cosby himself mentions in this new DVD
package’s booklet notes, the show was about parents who had
“taken back the household,” and in the form of Cliff and
Claire Huxtable (Cosby and Phylicia Rashad), etched a pair of memorable
and relatable parental units, strong role models that came at a time
when divorce rates soared in the late ‘70s and ‘80s.
Cosby had a hard time following the series -- between his “Cosby
Mysteries” series on NBC and an ill-advised CBS sitcom in the
late ‘90s (again with Rashad playing his wife), the comedian-star
couldn’t really shake his identification with Cliff Huxtable and
his clan, but it’s not hard to see why. With sharp writing, warm
characters and big laughs, few series have ever captured the meaning of
family and the interaction within it the way “The Cosby
Show” does -- especially in its first few seasons, which I would
rank with the finest of any TV series.
First Look Entertainment has brought the entire, eight-season run of
“The Cosby Show” back to DVD in an outstanding 25th
Anniversary Special Edition that hits stores this week. Though
Urbanworks and First Look issued the series on DVD over the last few
years in a series of individual season sets, this new DVD box is
superior in that it presents the first, and best, season of the show in
its unexpurgated broadcast-length form for the first time since its NBC
run (Urbanworks mistakenly utilized syndicated masters for their prior
Season 1 box-set release).
The full-screen transfers and stereo soundtracks are satisfying across
all eight seasons, while the packaging is excellent, presenting the
series in dual-season fold-out covers inside a deluxe, hardcover
external package. Supplements abound, from the original Season 1 DVD
extras (deleted scenes, Jay Sandrich commentary and interview) to the
terrific 90-minute “A Look Back” special. Meanwhile, a
hardcover book includes the original pilot script plus a list of guest
stars (with appropriate episodes denoted) while a Cosby letter with a
Hirschfeld print rounds out a box-set that’s worth every penny
for “Cosby Show” fans.
Another outstanding compilation hits DVD this week as Warner releases the Complete BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES.
As producer Alan Burnett describes in his liner notes, this early
‘90s cartoon adaptation of the Caped Crusader couldn’t have
happened at a better time: fresh off the success of the Tim Burton
“Batman” films and armed with a network in Fox that was
seeking a more “mature” cartoon to augment their Saturday
morning line-up, Burnett, Paul Dini, Bruce Timm and the other minds
behind this marvelous series employed a brilliant approach. Instead of
tackling a straight adaptation of the DC Comics hero for kids, or going
entirely “dark” the way an animated Christopher Nolan
version would, the producers opted to take the best elements of all
past “Batman” comics, shows and films, and come up with a
distinctly “retro” looking cartoon with plenty of action
and heroic adventure for kids, but also developed story lines and
characterizations that would satisfy adults as well.
The resulting show is still one of the finest Batman renditions seen in
any medium, if not perhaps the definitive “Batman”: with
strong vocal work from Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne and Mark Hamill as
the Joker leading the way, to the stylized, splendid animation, no
other “Batman” has been able to bridge the gap between all
the various adaptations of Bob Kane’s character (from the
‘60s show to the Burton films and the more serious overtones of
Frank Miller’s “Dark Knight”) so satisfyingly.
Warner previously issued four separate volumes of “Batman: The
Animated Series” on DVD in superb multi-disc box-sets. This new,
commemorative box-set improves the packaging, offering an oversized,
“slide-out” box featuring streamlined cases for the four
volumes of the series, plus a bonus disc sporting an account of
Batman’s animated past. Featuring interviews from Timm to Dini
and backed by copious clips from the Filmation ‘60s cartoon
through the “Superfriends” and the recent “Batman:
Gotham Knight” direct-to-video effort, this is a nice bonus for
fans, while the original DVD’s featurettes and commentaries are
also reprieved and spread across the respective platters.
It’s capped off by a deluxe color booklet sporting beautiful
preliminary art and storyboards from the series, the before-mentioned
note from Burnett and a list of each disc’s contents.
For “Batman” fans I’m not sure if the set is worth a
repurchase if you already own the original box-sets (the main
difference is the packaging and the bonus disc), but if you’ve
never owned the series before, this is my favorite “Batman”
and an essential pick-up for comic book aficionados.
Unquestionably recommended!
More box-set madness also arrives on disc this week with the eighth
(has it been that long?) wave of “Walt Disney Treasures”
limited edition tins. These sets offer a smattering of magic from the
studio’s vaults, each with introductions from Leonard Maltin, a
serialized certificate of authenticity and collectible art among other
extras. Unlike prior releases, though, the sets are limited to a very
small (comparatively speaking) pressing run of just 39,500 units each,
so collectors are advised to perhaps act a bit more urgently with these
editions than they may have with past “Treasures” releases.
For animation fans the focus will be on THE CHRONOLOGICAL DONALD, VOL. 4, offering
31 shorts starring Disney’s beloved duck produced between 1951
and 1961. Enthusiasts will be particularly intrigued by this batch as
it includes a selection of Cinemascope cartoons presented here for the
first time in their original 2.35 aspect ratios (16:9 enhanced), making
the package even more significant for aficionados (also on-hand is
“Working For Peanuts,” Donald’s lone sojourn into
3-D!).
Extras include commentary by Maltin and animation expert Jerry Beck,
plus a “Donald Goes To Press” retrospective look at
Donald’s comic book legacy and storyboards for an unproduced
cartoon.
Annette Funicello takes center stage in THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB PRESENTS: ANNETTE, a
compilation of a 20-episode serial produced for the daily “Mickey
Mouse Club” TV series starring Funicello as an orphaned country
girl sent to live with her more metropolitan relatives. Plenty of songs
are included along the way, plus the respective, full-length
“Mickey Mouse Club” episodes that bookended the
serial’s run.
Special features include a 1992 interview with Funicello and fellow
teen idol (and later “Beach Party” co-star) Frankie Avalon
(Paul Anka and Fabian are along for good measure), plus a newly
produced tribute to America’s favorite Mouseketeer.
Finally there’s DR. SYN, ALIAS THE SCARECROW, a
three-part adventure with Patrick McGoohan starring as the
swashbuckling pirate hero of Russell Thorndike’s early 20th
century novels (note that the Syn character also appeared in
“Night Creatures,” a 1962 Hammer adaptation, albeit under
the changed name “Parson Blyss” to avoid rights issues with
Disney’s version).
Produced for the “Wonderful World of Disney,” this exciting
1963 production is good fun for viewers of all ages, and is presented
beautifully by Disney on DVD in its 1.66 widescreen aspect ratio for
the first time (16:9 enhanced), as well as in a new 5.1 Dolby Digital
soundtrack (purists need not worry since the original mono mix is also
included).
Disney has also included the British theatrical feature that was
extracted from the series, as well as a featurette on the Dr. Syn
legend, a profile of Disney’s UK studio, and Walt’s
original TV introductions.
Each tin retails for $32.99 and offers a wealth of nostalgic memories for fans. Highly recommended! New From Criterion
In addition to releasing the label’s first line of Blu-Ray discs
later this month (which we’re eager to get our hands on,
admittedly), Criterion has a diverse trio of new discs on the docket
for November.
Martin Ritt’s adaptation of THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD (112 mins.) highlights
the slate, the 1965 film being a taut yet complicated rendering of John
Le Carre’s novel. As adapted by “Planet of the Apes”
scribe Paul Dehn and Guy Trosper, the movie follows Richard Burton as a
tired, burned-out British spy who spurns a desk job and is assigned to
eliminate East German agent Oskar Werner ("Fahrenheit 451"). In the
process, Burton gets involved with librarian Claire Bloom at his phony
day job, and ultimately finds out that any battle waged during the Cold
War is a futile one.
Leisurely paced and densely plotted, Ritt’s “Spy” was
seen as a serious, “intellectual” alternative to the James
Bond phenomenon of the ‘60s, and is best remembered today for
Burton’s performance, Oswald Morris’ crisp black-and-white
cinematography, and an uncompromising screenplay that illustrates the
dangers and amorality of the “real” world of espionage.
Criterion’s double-disc DVD set includes a beautiful 16:9 (1.85)
new widescreen transfer with an interview with John Le Carre; a
selected-scene commentary with Morris; a 2000 BBC profile of the
author; a 1967 interview with Richard Burton from the BBC series
“Acting in the ‘60s”; a 1985 audio conversation with
Ritt and historian Patrick McGilligan; a gallery of set designs; and
the original trailer.
French star Gerard Philipe, meanwhile, swashbuckled his way into the
heart of Gina Lollobrigida in Christian Jaque’s 1952 film FANFAN LA TULIPE (99 mins.), which also arrives on DVD this month from Criterion.
This French film favorite from the decade includes a restored
black-and-white transfer (1.33 full-screen) with a new video program
about the star; a clip from the colorized version of the film; the
original trailer; an essay from critic Kenneth Turan; and an optional
English dubbed soundtrack for the picture.
Wong Kar-Wai’s CHUNGKING EXPRESS (1994, 102 mins.) completes
the recent assortment of new Criterion titles. This dreamy, slow-moving
but beautifully produced tale of failed relationships, heartbreak and
the affect that love can have makes for a splendid addition to the
Criterion catalog, offering a new 16:9 (1.66) widescreen transfer and
5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack, each supervised by Wong; commentary from
Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns; a 1996 British TV episode “Moving
Pictures” with Wong; the original trailer; and a new, improved
English subtitle translation. New on Blu-Ray
Colorfully animated and packed with good looking visuals, STAR WARS - THE CLONE WARS (**½, 98 mins., 2008, PG; Warner) hits both platforms this week following a quick trip from theaters to the small screen.
George Lucas’ latest attempt at keeping his franchise alive comes
on the heels of Genndy Tartakovsky’s Cartoon Network animated
series from a few years back -- one that’s, curiously, now out of
print completely on DVD, presumably because of this full-fledged CGI
version that basically covers the same narrative terrain (Anakin,
Obi-Wan, Yoda and co. waging the good fight against Count Dooku and the
droid army).
Though intended for broadcast, Lucas and his staff apparently decided
to launch the new series first on the big-screen -- similar to what
Universal and NBC did with “Buck Rogers in the 25th
Century” nearly 30 years ago. However, unlike that Gil Gerard
series of the late ‘70s, this “Clone Wars”
isn’t so much a standalone film as it is a group of stories and,
seemingly, episodes that have been stitched together as a rather flimsy
-- albeit great-looking -- feature.
It’s also one that’s basically aimed right at kids, with
Anakin taking on a young Padawan named Ahsoka Tano and the story
offering lots of action at a breakneck pace. In the end, “The
Clone Wars” is fairly juvenile but attractive to look at, with
Warner’s Blu-Ray disc boasting a beautiful VC-1 encoded transfer
with Dolby TrueHD audio, sporting a rollicking, if decidedly
un-Williams like, Kevin Kiner score.
Extras include a video commentary from director Dave Filoni and his
crew, plus a number of deleted scenes and featurettes in HD, including
a profile of Kevin Kiner composing his music and tie-ins with the
currently-airing (and reportedly quite successful) Cartoon Network
series.
More enjoyable sci-fi is present in Fox’s Blu-Ray release of Joss Whedon’s short-lived but beloved FIREFLY (665 mins., 2002), which needs little introduction for most viewers.
Fox’s three-disc Blu-Ray edition of “Firefly” is a
basic reprise -- albeit now in HD -- of the bestselling original DVD
box-set. All 14 episodes are presented in great-looking AVC-encoded
transfers with DTS Master Audio sound; while this was, of course, a Fox
TV series, the show had strong production values and the HD transfers
indicate more of a cinematic sensibility than most television series
boast.
Deleted scenes, cast audition footage, a gag reel, three featurettes
and selected episode commentaries are carryovers from the prior DVD,
but fans will be thrilled to see a new “Cast Roundtable”
with Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk and Ron Glass discussing
the series’ enduring legacy.
“Firefly” buffs will be thrilled with the package here,
while Universal is planning on bringing “Serenity” to
Blu-Ray in the near future. Horrors From Down Under
Synapse Films has unearthed three low-key chillers from the land Down Under in brand-new Special Editions.
Rod Hardy’s 1979 chiller THIRST (***, 93 mins., 1979, R)
is good fun, starring beautiful Chantal Contouri as a woman who’s
kidnapped by a cult of bloodthirsty modern-day bloodsuckers led by
David Hemmings as “Dr. Gauss.” Soon Contouri finds out that
she’s destined to become their new queen, and is brainwashed into
joining the fray even though these vamps have to put fake teeth in
before sucking their victims’ blood!
Shot impressively in widescreen and scored by Brain May,
“Thirst” works mainly because of Contouri’s
compelling performance. The supporting cast veers from serviceable to
mildly disinterested (Henry Silva, Max Phipps, Shirley Cameron among
them), while there are a few unintended laughs, such as when
Silva’s lifeless body bounces on top of a power line -- and
“lifeless” is right, since the dummy that was used
doesn’t seem remotely convincing!
Nevertheless, in spite of that and a somewhat unsatisfying ending, the
film has a fresh and involving story line, and Contouri is fetching,
making “Thirst” a solid candidate for horror fans.
Synapse’s DVD is a keeper as well, sporting a 16:9 (2.35)
remastered transfer from the best surviving scope print. The mono sound
is okay, while a number of extras include commentary from director
Hardy and producer Anthony Ginnane, an isolated score track (in mono)
of May’s score, trailers and TV spots, a photo gallery, and
cast/crew biographies.
Another Australian effort from the same period, DARK FORCES [aka HARLEQUIN] (**½, 95 mins., 1980, PG)
is a bizarre fantasy about a politician (David Hemmings) whose son is
saved by a charismatic magician (Robert Powell) in an odd early work
from director Simon Wincer.
Again shot in widescreen and scored by Brian May (another isolated
score is on-hand here as well), “Dark Forces” is a strange
and quite watchable movie in spite of its dated aspects, and
Synapse’s DVD is full of solid extras: another fascinating
commentary track with Anthony Ginnane and director Wincer pays tribute
to the Australian film industry of the era, while a trailer gallery,
stills gallery, and filmographies round out the disc, which comes
presented in a reasonably healthy 16:9 (2.35) transfer with mono sound.
Before director Michael Laughlin and writer Bill Condon collaborated on
their wonderfully old-fashioned 1983 homage to ‘50s sci-fi
flicks, “Strange Invaders,” the duo hooked up for the
demented 1981 effort STRANGE BEHAVIOR (***, 99 mins., R),
a tale of small towns, a mad scientist, murders and other shenanigans
in 1950s styled settings (even though the movie is set in the
“present”).
A weird mix of ideas but produced with such enthusiasm it’s hard
not to get swept up in the mood, “Strange Behavior” is
entertaining fun for both ‘50s and ‘80s horror buffs, as it
seeks to pay homage to the past while incorporating what were then more
contemporary elements -- such as one of Tangerine Dream’s better
scores. With a game cast (Michael Murphy, Louise Fletcher, Marc
McClure, Scott Wilson) and excellent widescreen photography,
“Strange Behavior” is an offbeat sleeper that comes
strongly recommended for buffs.
Synapse’s DVD includes deleted scenes, a commentary track (from
an earlier 2003 release) with Condon, Laughlin and co-star Dey Young,
the trailer, and another isolated score track. The 16:9 (2.35) transfer
is perfectly acceptable though the print, as with “Deadly
Forces” and “Thirst,” does show occasional blemishes
-- to be expected given the age of the materials and each film’s
modest budget. DVD Short Takes
WATERWORLD: Extended Edition (***, 136 [theatrical] and 177 mins. [extended]., 1995, PG-13; Universal):
Kevin Costner and Kevin Reynolds’ much-derided and yet
surprisingly entertaining 1995 sci-fi epic is back on DVD in a new
double-disc edition highlighting its extended TV version.
First broadcast on ABC, the two-part (here combined into one single
177-minute program) version of “Waterworld” features a
great deal of added character development as well as an interesting
coda to the picture’s ending. Fans have enjoyed this version for
years on cable TV rebroadcasts so it’s terrific to see Universal
finally releasing the longer “Waterworld” on DVD in a
good-looking 16:9 (1.85) transfer as well. Fans should note though
that, despite the enhanced picture quality, this edition really is the
TV version, down to some profanity over-dubs popping up here and there.
The original theatrical cut is also here, with both versions being
supported by strong 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtracks. Until a Blu-Ray
version (hopefully of both cuts) surfaces, this is the definitive
“Waterworld” to date on home video.
ANIMAL HOUSE: 30th Anniversary Edition (***½, 109 mins., 1978, R; Universal): John
Landis’ seminal college comedy is back on DVD yet again, this
time in a double-disc 30th Anniversary Edition from Universal. This
time, though, the new bonus features are fairly disposable, mainly
comprised of two “Scene It?” interactive games utilizing
clips and questions from the movie. A good amount of extras from past
releases includes two different documentaries, one a proper
retrospective on the film (from the 1998 laserdisc), the other a
“mockumentary” featuring cast members returning in their
original roles. The 16:9 (1.85) transfer looks to be on par with the
last “Double Secret Probation” release, while 5.1 Dolby
Digital and mono sound are also on-hand.
SCRUBS: Season 7 (2007-08, 236 mins.; Buena Vista): More
craziness at Sacred Heart Hospital with Elliot, Turk and the gang is
on-tap in this seventh (hard to believe) season of Bill
Lawrence’s long-running, if still only moderately viewed, medical
comedy. This final season for the series on NBC (it’s moving to
ABC for its eighth season) hits DVD this week with 11 episodes
presented in full-screen transfers and 5.1 Dolby Digital sound with
alternate lines, deleted scenes, bloopers, cast and crew commentaries,
and a couple of Making Of featurettes comprising the supplemental
section. NEXT
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