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SeatApril Assault LORD OF THE RINGS, TOY STORY on Blu-Ray Plus:
SHERLOCK HOLMES, MR. FOX and More!
It’s an exciting time for Blu-Ray owners as Peter Jackson’s “Lord of
the Rings” theatrical edits and Disney’s “Toy Story” films have both
arrived in the format in satisfying new high-definition packages.
New Line’s LORD
OF THE RINGS box-set -- out next week -- sports “The Fellowship
of the Ring,” “The Two Towers” and “Return of the King,” all in their
original theatrical release versions, presented in VC-1 encoded 1080p
transfers and DTS Master Audio soundtracks. Extras on the respective
Blu-Ray platters are limited to trailers, while Special
Features discs are near-identical reprisals of their prior theatrical
cut DVD’s corresponding supplements. Finally, digital copy discs
(in their own separate, three-platter Blu-Ray case) are also on-tap.
Going back over my original reviews of the pictures, I found portions
of Jackson’s films thrilling, others a bit lethargic. Certainly I can
respect Jackson’s cinematic take on Tolkien’s massive tome no matter
what shortcomings I had with the pictures, and even if the films aren’t
as close to my heart as they obviously are for other viewers, they
certainly deserve a spot in any LOTR fans’ collection.
THE FELLOWSHIP
OF THE RING (***, 178 mins., 2001, PG-13; New Line) launched the
series in 2001, meeting with positive acclaim and solid commercial
box-office. After watching the first three hours of Jackson's
series, I initially wrote at the time that I had some mixed feelings –
though overall, I felt that I had seen one of the few films that had
succeeded in establishing a true fantasy world and an epic quest that
lures you in the way that great fantasy can.
As a standalone film, “Fellowship” is the kind of film that most genre
fans loved, though even watching it a third time through on Blu-Ray,
it's curious how repetitive the action is for a movie that goes on for
three hours: the characters run into a monster or new supporting
character, walk to another location, run into a monster or new
supporting character, run to another venue, all the while staying ahead
of the bad guys.
That's not to say that I wasn't entertained by the movie or enthralled
by parts of it, but the novelty of its story didn’t seem as
cinematically fresh as it could have been had the film been made years
prior -- especially after so many other Tolkien-inspired cinematic
journeys, from "Willow" to "Dragonslayer," "Star Wars" and others, had
already covered similar ground of unlikely heroes, dastardly villains,
and bizarre creatures scattered across unfamiliar terrain.
What I found most satisfying about “Fellowship” -- and the series as a
whole, ultimately -- was the look of Jackson's film and the fact that
he captured the essence of an epic adventure, a great quest, on-screen
without getting sidetracked by the many supporting characters and
subplots. When the characters travel through the mine of the dwarves,
are pursued by a fire-spewing demon, and jump across a crumbling
bridge, you truly feel as if you're in the middle of a great fantasy
adventure. Where each turn could lead down a different path, each path
leading to doom or discovery.
If I had to single out a general flaw in the first installment, it’d be
the rather one-note tone of the film: the drama doesn't seem to have
any peaks or valleys. It's all just kind of "there." Maybe it's because
of the repetitive nature of the story, or that Elijah Wood's functional
performance as Frodo doesn't quite convey the wide range of emotion
inherent in the character and his journey. Even though we know the
ending is going to be open-ended, Jackson doesn't quite handle it
right: I could hear several "is that it?" responses from people sitting
near me when the film faded to black and the credits began rolling in
theaters when it first opened.
I also concluded my original review of “Fellowship” by writing: “Is
this the next ‘Star Wars’? I think the jury is still out, but Jackson
at least laid the foundation here to craft one of the fantasy genre's
few epic cinematic works. Whether the remaining installments hit the
dramatic heights that this one doesn't quite reach, or if it's all just
a great-looking tease made unique only through its connection with the
classic text, at least it seems apparent that it's going to be a
journey worth taking.”
A journey, indeed, that would be followed by superior sequels, released
in 2002 and 2003.
From a technical angle, “Fellowship” is the weakest of the LOTR films
visually on Blu-Ray, though all three of the movies tend to share the
same visual characteristics: some of the movie appears “flat” and lacks
the kind of high-def detail you’d anticipate from an HD master, while
other scenes do offer an appreciable upgrade on the DVD. The
fluctuation in the transfer’s appearance leads me to believe that the
extensive post-production process and integrating of live-action
location work with CGI and green-screening caused some of the elements
to be “smoothed over,” since sequences that don’t involve a heavy use
of digital effects tend to be sharper than others. Overall, I think
most fans are going to be pleased with the results, with only hard-core
technophiles being the most concerned with the solid if not spectacular
VC-1 encoded transfers. The DTS Master Audio track, meanwhile, is
robust at every turn, offering a sublime mix of ambient sound, effects
and Howard Shore’s score.
Extras aren’t overwhelming here, but you wouldn’t expect them to be
since this set is a essentially a straight HD version of LOTR’s
theatrical editions. On the Special Features DVD for “Fellowship,” you
get a 16-minute featurette produced by book publishers
Houghton-Mifflin, a half-hour special that aired on Fox, and a
45-minute Making Of that was broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel. All of
these are mostly promotional in nature but aren't devoid of interest,
with background footage and interviews breaking up the monotony of
seeing the same film clips rehashed over and over. A handful of shorter
featurettes produced for the Lord of the Rings website are included, as
are your full run of trailers and TV spots, an Enya music video, and a
few other goodies.
THE TWO TOWERS
(***, 179 mins., 2002, PG-13, New Line) continues Tolkien’s
story and, overall, comes across as a superior fantasy adventure than
its predecessor.
Since everyone knows the story by now, I'll spare you from a lengthy
plot summary -- suffice to say this sequel picks up right from the end
of “Fellowship” and is comprised of big action scenes, sprawling
battles, and fascinating new creatures. Gollum is a tremendously
articulated CGI character, and Andy Serkis' "performance" gives this
second part of Peter Jackson's trilogy a boost of energy in all the
scenes he appears. There are some amazing moments here, marked by the
climactic tussle at Helm's Deep that will surely draw repeat viewing
from action and FX enthusiasts for years to come. While I’ve never
understood how Liv Tyler nabbed herself third billing on the credits
(nabbing about a half-hour of total screen time between Parts 1 and 2
combined), the movie manages to deliver the goods most of the way.
I was entertained by the film on the level of an old-time fantasy
adventure (not unlike a technically proficient updating of an old Ray
Harryhausen Greek mythology flick), but a few problems still linger in
Jackson's Tolkien adaptation. Howard Shore's score here is a
disappointment compared to his work on "Fellowship," being repetitious
and overbearing in a manner that his first work was not -- something
that partially has to do with structure of the story itself. After a
slow start, “The Two Towers” turns into an impressive battle epic with
tons of visual effects, though after 30 minutes of the battle at Helm's
Deep, I had seen enough. In its own way, the small-scale and much
lower-budgeted "Army of Darkness" had a climactic battle sequence that
was more fun to watch -- ditto for John McTiernan's underrated "The
13th Warrior," with its crackling action scenes.
Finally, Jackson and his screenwriters moved around elements of
Tolkien's book, including what Paul MacLean had told me was an
unnecessary extension to Frodo's run-in with the brother of Sean Bean's
character from the original -- resulting in a pointless trip to a
burned-down city near the end. There are also long stretches of the
movie when the hobbits are hardly in the film, with Jackson taking the
safe route of concentrating on Aragon's adventures instead of
developing Frodo's internal struggle with the Ring.
That said, “The Two Towers” is certainly an exciting piece of escapist
fare and there's still much to savor in the picture, with New Line’s
Blu-Ray offering a superior HD presentation of the movie. As with
“Fellowship” there still seems to be a bit of DNR and “flat” detail
here and there, but generally this is an improvement on its predecessor
technically. No such issues linger with another reference-quality DTS
Master Audio track, which is consistently potent throughout.
The DVD special features are again mostly comprised of the
self-promotional variety: featurettes culled from the Sci-Fi Channel
and Lordoftherings.net primarily serve to promote the movie as much as
show how it was made, while a music video of "Gollum's Song" and
complete trailers and TV spots are also included, along with Sean
Astin’s cute movie, "The Long and Short of It.”
Jackson concluded the series with the massive, overlong and
Oscar-winning finale, RETURN OF THE KING
(***, 200 mins., 2003, PG-13), which nicely wraps up the epic
trilogy.
This particular installment, arguably the most satisfying of the three
films, features some brilliant moments -- a marvelous climactic battle
that surpasses anything in "The Two Towers," a chillingly effective
confrontation with a giant spider, and a moving ending that sweetly
concludes the adventure -- along with some of the same issues that have
plagued each of Peter Jackson's films. Like its predecessors, the first
hour of "Return of the King" takes forever to get going, and along the
way there are a few too many "operatic" slow-motion shots that build to
an endless series of false crescendos. What's even more curious is that
Jackson cut all of Christopher Lee's scenes because of time (eventually
restoring them to the Director’s Cut), and yet he retained an
ultimately pointless subplot involving Borimir's father that feels like
the sort of thing that should have been relegated to a DVD deleted
scenes supplement. Jackson easily could have trimmed the movie by a
good half-hour, and despite one unintentionally hilarious moment (when
one character ends up on fire and runs off the edge of a castle),
there's no denying the overall artistry involved in the production and
its compelling central story. I also felt that Howard Shore's score was
more balanced and introspective here than his work on "The Two Towers,"
with new themes nicely complimenting an adventure that didn't quite
enthrall me as much as it did for other fans, yet remains an admirable
stab at epic fantasy filmmaking few have attempted before.
Visually “Return of the King” is similar in appearance to the prior
LOTR Blu-Rays, though if you had to rank all three, it would probably
be at the top of the list overall, with the DTS Master Audio sound once
again outstanding.
Extras on the standard-def disc are again okay -- short featurettes
from the lordoftherings.net take an interesting look behind the scenes,
while three longer Making Of segments include an excellent National
Geographic special and "The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision." And,
again, the three Blu-Rays also include teasers and trailers in HD, plus
three additional digital copy discs.
Overall this is a perfectly acceptable presentation of LOTR’s
theatrical edits, and I would think fans who believe that the released
versions are more palatable for viewing in one sitting than Jackson’s
Director’s Cuts will certainly want to pick this release up. For others
who’d prefer sitting this release out until the Extended editions hit
Blu-Ray (with their corresponding, rich supplemental features), I can’t
blame them for holding out either...but it might be a few years, until
Jackson and Gulliermo Del Toro’s six-hour, two-movie expansion of “The
Hobbit” (a story that doesn’t seem to cry out for that kind of bloated
blockbuster treatment) is finally released, before we see that
inevitable release happen.
Fans of Disney/Pixar’s classic “Toy Story” films also have cause for
celebration with breathtaking Blu-Ray editions of both TOY STORY
(***½, 81 mins., 1995, G; Disney) and TOY STORY 2
each in gorgeous new AVC-encoded 1080p transfers with DTS Master Audio
soundtracks and corresponding DVD editions bundled within, plus
all the supplements (for the most part) fans could’ve hoped for.
And has it really been 15 years since the release of the original “Toy
Story”? This brilliant, and still fresh, entertainment for viewers of
all ages will certainly go down as one of the most influential films of
the last several decades. Its utilization of 3-D computer animation
single-handedly ushered in the CGI era for modern “family films” (and
virtually signaled the death knell for hand-drawn work), paving the way
for the “Shreks” of the world to follow.
Still, the central story is what makes the film so captivating: there
are more technically complex CGI movies being made today, but the
warmth of the characters, the endless humor and the emotion of the
original “Toy Story” remain unsurpassed in its genre, even 15 years
later.
Disney’s 15th Anniversary “Toy Story” Blu-Ray edition not only boasts a
flawless, colorful AVC encoded transfer and DTS Master Audio
soundtrack, but also numerous supplements from the studio’s superlative
(and out-of-print) “Toy Story: The Ultimate Toy Box” box set, as well
as 10th anniversary edition DVD and a few new goodies of its own.
New to the Blu-Ray and DVD are several featurettes (“Buzz Lightyear
Mission Logs,” “Paths to Pixar: Artists,” three “Studio Stories”
segments, “Buzz Takes Manhattan” and “Black Friday: The Toy Story You
Never Saw”), while “Classic DVD Bonus Features” include the original
1996 laserdisc audio commentary, a good if somewhat short (only 15
minutes) “Legacy of Toy Story” documentary including 2005 interviews
with the principal filmmakers and talent like Tom Hanks and Tim Allen,
while Pixar director John Lasseter appears in a “Filmmakers Reflect”
featurette. Other extras include deleted scenes and multiple production
featurettes, though some fans may want to hang on to their “Toy Box”
DVD editions for a few additional extras (an isolated effects track,
animation tests, text information) that didn’t make the cut here.
TOY STORY 2
(***½, 1999, 95 mins., G, Buena Vista) followed in 1999
and offered more outstanding family entertainment, big laughs, and the
same winning characters that enchanted kids and adults alike.
Once again Disney has provided a knockout new AVC encoded 1080p
transfer that’s certain to test the capabilities of your HDTV, with
spectacular colors and not a flaw to be found anywhere. DTS Master
Audio sound again compliments the disc, which includes, as with “Toy
Story,” a handful of new special features (more “Studio Stories”
interviews with Pixar imagineers, another “Buzz Lightyear Mission Log,”
and a different “Toy Story 3" sneak peek), plus copious extras from the
prior release (commentary, a short featurette, and assorted production
featurettes from production to music and sound, publicity and a few
deleted scenes).
Both platters include information on obtaining one free “Toy Story 3"
ticket, while the standard-def DVD editions (also included in the
package) will be available in stores, separately, in May.
Also New on Blu-Ray
SHERLOCK HOLMES
DVD and Blu-Ray (***, 128 mins., 2009, PG-13; Warner): Guy
Ritchie’s entertaining take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary sleuth is
undoubtedly a bit more boisterous and action-oriented than purists
would like, with Holmes (another terrific performance from Robert
Downey, Jr.) essentially serving as a Victorian era super-hero who aims
to stop a villain practicing the black arts named Lord Blackwood who’s
recently returned from the grave. Jude Law essays Dr. Watson, who’s
nearly as skilled in fighting as his partner, while Rachel McAdams
appears as Irene Adler, the woman with the key to Holmes’ heart and a
few other tricks (or is it kicks?) up her sleeve. Fans of Conan Doyle’s
writing and prior renditions of the 221B Baker Street detective may be
put off by this free-wheeling “revisionist” adaptation of the iconic
literary protagonist, and there are times when you’d wish Ritchie and
writers Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham and Simon Kinberg would
just slow, slow, slow the movie down -- does everything today have to
be a litany of CGI action scenes paced like a coming attractions
trailer? That said the film is rich in visual invention, Philippe
Rousselot’s cinematography is fascinating to look at, the entire
production first-class, anchored by Downey’s performance. Warner’s DVD
of “Sherlock Holmes” looks just fine in its 16:9 (1.85) transfer with
5.1 Dolby Digital sound, but there are ample benefits to be gained from
the VC-1 encoded Blu-Ray disc, which offers a robust DTS Master Audio
soundtrack and more finely detailed HD transfer. Extras include a
picture-in-picture track with Guy Ritchie discussing the film’s
production via a host of on-screen featurettes, while a proper Making
Of and digital copy (on the Blu-Ray only) round out a great-looking,
though not especially comprehensive, release.
A NIGHTMARE ON
ELM STREET Blu-Ray (**½, 1984, 92 mins., R; New Line/Warner): After
striking gold with excellent high-def editions of “Clash of the Titans”
and “The Neverending Story” a couple of weeks ago, Warner again hits
the bullseye with a vivid, pleasing new Blu-Ray edition of the original
1984 Wes Craven fave “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” This first and
almost-best of the Elm Street franchise (I prefer Ronny Yu’s
over-the-top “Freddy Vs. Jason” brawl to this ‘80s staple, while Part 3
of the original “Nightmare” franchise -- “Dream Warriors” -- is easily
the best of the “official” series) boasts Heather Lagenkamp, Johnny
Depp, Robert Englund, John Saxon and the hilariously-awful Renee
Blakely in an always-amusing, though not always terrifying, ‘80s
chiller with laughs of both the intentional and unintended variety.
Issued to coincide with the upcoming release of the “Nightmare” (groan)
remake, this Blu-Ray edition serves up a crisp, highly detailed new HD
transfer that’s an appreciable improvement on the Canadian Blu-Ray
import Alliance released up north a year or so ago. The remixed DTS
Master Audio soundtrack is likewise impressive for a film of its age.
Extras are copious and are
culled from the “Infinifilm” special edition New Line issued on DVD in
2006, including commentary with Craven, Lagenkamp, Saxon and
cinematographer Jacques Haitkin, plus never-before-seen alternate
endings, two documentaries, various Making Of featurettes, and a
BD-exclusive trivia track. Highly recommended for all Freddy
enthusiasts!
THE FOURTH KIND
Blu-Ray (**, 98 mins., 2009, PG-13; Universal): Low-budget
sci-fi thriller did okay business at the box-office last autumn, and
stands to provide a few chills for sci-fi fans now on Blu-Ray.
Olatunde Osunsanmi’s film purports to be a mix of documentary film and
“dramatic reenactments,” but it’s really just a load of hokum involving
psychologist Dr. Abby Tyler (Milla Jovovoich) investigating the
phenomena of alleged alien abductions via videotaped sessions with
victims in remote Alaska. Even if the movie is hogwash, “The Fourth
Kind” manages to send a few chills up your spine as it chronicles Dr.
Tyler’s own abduction, but the movie -- even if it’s not explicitly
violent -- is also relentlessly unpleasant, and Osunsanmi’s direction
fails to provide the material with, say, the interesting stylistic
touches Mark Pellington brought to another, better supernatural
thriller, 2002's underrated “The Mothman Prophecies.”
Universal’s Blu-Ray package includes a pungent AVC-encoded 1080p
transfer with an active, and very effective, DTS Master Audio
soundtrack filled layered with sound effects. The Blu also includes
deleted scenes and D-Box compatibility plus BD-Live and “Pocket Blu”
applications.
FREE WILLY:
ESCAPE FROM PIRATE’S COVE DVD and Blu-Ray (**½, 101 mins., 2010,
PG; Warner): Predictable but surprisingly sweet,
direct-to-video sequel to the “Free Willy” films is an in-name-only
continuation of that ‘90s franchise, serving mainly here to launch the
late “Crocodile Hunter”’s daughter, Bindi Irwin, as a young lead. Bindi
plays a young Aussie girl who leaves Down Under to enjoy a summer with
grandfather Beau Bridges near his old seaside park in South Africa; she
discovers a baby killer whale stranded nearby, and subsequently helps
to lead him back to the wild. The recent tragedy at Sea World involving
the trainer who was killed by one of the park’s resident killer whales
probably couldn’t have made the timing worse for “Escape From Pirate’s
Cove,” but removed from the bad vibes of that situation, kids ought to
enjoy this animal-centric, family-friendly tale with colorful
cinematography -- they probably won’t even notice that the whales are
mostly CGI special effects and animatronic creations, obviously the
product of a reduced budget. Warner brings the latest “Free Willy” to
DVD and Blu-Ray in a fine presentation with outtakes, deleted scenes, a
video diary of the young actress, and Making Of featurettes. The DVD’s
16:9 (1.85) transfer and 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack are fine, while
the Blu-Ray includes a vibrant VC-1 encoded 1080p presentation with DTS
Master Audio and a bonus disc sporting a DVD and digital copy.
IMAX UNDER THE SEA Blu-Ray (41 mins., 2010; Warner):
Gorgeous Imax cinematography highlights this 41-minute chronicle of
ocean life around Papua, New Guinea; Australia; and Indonesia, aimed at
kids with the accent on some of the deep’s most colorful inhabitants.
The footage is spectacular, particularly in Warner’s VC-1 encoded
Blu-Ray disc, with Jim Carrey an ideal narrator, yet the fun dissipates
when the subject turns to global warming, and a one-sided portrayal of
the controversial topic that might have some viewers thinking they’ve
been ambushed by the message. Warner’s Blu-Ray also includes a DTS
Master Audio soundtrack and one Making Of featurette.
FANTASTIC MR.
FOX Blu-Ray (***, 87 mins., 2009, PG; Fox): Wes Anderson’s
idiosyncratic filmmaking meets the imagination of Roald Dahl in this
eclectic stop-motion production about a charismatic fox -- a former
chicken killer turned newspaper columnist – who’s now the target of a
trio of farmers who want to wipe him, and his clan, out. Anderson and
Noah Baumbach scripted this free-wheeling big-screen realization of
Dahl’s original story, utilizing Anderson’s typical eccentric touches
to create a most offbeat, unique film. “Mr. Fox” might be just too
verbose for young kids, but older children and especially adults ought
to find the film quite enchanting, even if it’s hard to emotionally
embrace. Fox’s Blu-Ray disc is a winner, the AVC encoded 1080p transfer
and DTS Master Audio soundtrack each being superlative. The BD edition
also includes several featurettes, a standard DVD copy, and a digital
copy for portable media players.
VENGEANCE
TRILOGY DVD (Tartan): Pan Chan-wook’s powerful, acclaimed
meditations on vengeance have attracted legions of fans, all of whom
ought to love this Palisades Tartan anthology of his trilogy: “Sympathy
For Mr. Vengeance,” “Oldboy,” and “Lady Vengeance.” While there have
been multiple releases of these films around the world, Palisades
Tartan claims this box-set offers more supplements than any other
package, and they’re most likely dead on given the scope of the goodies
contained in the 8-disc package: Park Chan-Wook and actor Ryoo
Seung-wan offering commentary on “Sympathy,” while three commentaries
on “Oldboy,” deleted scenes, Multiple featurettes, multiple versions of
“Lady Vengeance,” and other goodies adorn the discs. All films are
offered, of course, in their original 16:9 (2.35) widescreen aspect
ratios with 5.1 DTS and Dolby Digital soundtracks. Enthusiastically
recommended for aficionados of the series. Also New on DVD
SCARECROW AND
MRS. KING Season 1 DVD (994 mins., 1983-84; Warner): Aaah, the
‘80s. One of my favorite grade-school series, “Scarecrow and Mrs.
King,” has at last hit DVD courtesy of Warner Home Video, offering its
complete first season.
A lightweight slice of escapist entertainment that was likely
influenced to some degree by the success of NBC’s “Remington Steele”
(and one that would provide an influence on “True Lies” and
similarly-themed “domestic” spy caper yarns), this CBS series followed
Kate Jackson as single mom Amanda King, mom of two young boys in
Washington D.C., who improbably gets swept up with secret agent Lee
“Scarecrow” Stetson’s latest adventure -- thereby beginning a
friendship with romantic overtones and a new profession for our
seemingly everyday suburban mother.
Jackson and Boxleitner were both well-cast in this good-natured, upbeat
show, which boasts a fantastic Arthur B. Rubinstein title theme
(Rubinstein later won an Emmy for his scoring of the episode “We're Off
to See the Wizard”), a good supporting cast (including the late Beverly
Garland, Mel Stewart and Martha Smith), top-notch production values and
a nice blend of action and romantic comedy. The series seldom broke out
of its formula but, for what it was, “Scarecrow and Mrs. King” served
up dependable, family-friendly fun.
Warner’s DVD includes the first season of “Scarecrow and Mrs. King” in
excellent full-screen transfers and mono soundtracks, offering all 21
episodes in their original uncut broadcast presentations.
Recommended!
THE ABBOTT AND
COSTELLO SHOW: Complete Series DVD (over 22 hours, 1952-53; E1
Entertainment): Abbott & Costello fans should rejoice
thanks to this remastered, spectacular box-set from E1 Entertainment,
offering the complete 52-episode “A&C Show” from the early ‘50s,
which ran for years (if not decades) in syndication but has, until now,
only been released in mediocre DVD editions.
E1's digitally restored and remastered transfers ought to be a
revelation for A&C die-hards, particularly in comparison with what
we’ve seen before. The silly, slapstick series is a bit of a mess at
times, as our immortal duo reprise many of their vintage routines in a
“situational comedy” format that’s nearly as loose as the plots of the
episodes themselves. Yet in spite of its shortcomings (critics
reportedly assailed the series back at the time of its production),
this is just comedy gold for fans, and E1's presentation is outstanding.
In addition to the remastered transfers, the set sports a number of
extras, including a 1978 network special (“Hey Abbott!”) hosted by
Milton Berle; vintage Lou Costello family home movies; interviews with
Chris and Paddy Costello; the 1948 short movie “10,000 Kids and a Cop”;
four collectible postcards and a 44-page commemorative book with
extensive behind-the-scenes information, including its production
background, individual episode synopses, tough critical reception, and
enduring legacy as one of the longest-running syndicated shows in
history. Highly recommended!
AN EDUCATION
DVD (***, 100 mins., 2009, PG-13; Sony): Fascinating and
insightful character study from writer Nick Hornby (“About a Boy,”
“High Fidelity”) about a young girl (Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan) in
early ‘60s England whose parents (Alfred Molina, Cara Seymour) try and
guide her onto the right track academically, but meet challenges when
she falls for a slick, creepy con man (Peter Sarsgaard) whose romantic
overtures are transparent yet interest our heroine at the same time.
Mulligan’s wonderful performance anchors this terrifically performed
tale (Sarsgaard has never been as slimy as he is here, and Molina is
pitch-perfect as Mulligan’s domineering father) with a nice sense of
time and place and an ending that gets it right -- a credit to director
Lone Scherfig. Sony’s DVD includes commentary with Scherfig, Mulligan
and Sarsgaard, plus deleted scenes and two featurettes. The 16:9 (2.35)
transfer is superb and 5.1 Dolby Digital sound rounds out the disc. New From Lionsgate
AFTER DARK
HORRORFEST Volume 4 (Lionsgate): Lionsgate’s latest annual batch
of indie horror films once again includes a little something for
everyone. Here’s what’s on the docket for this year’s gruesome
assortment of genre fare...
KILL THEORY DVD (85 mins., 2009, R):
The Aisle Seat has always been a big fan of Agnes Bruckner, who’s once
again saddled with starring in just an okay timekiller about a maniac
who preys on seven college kids at a vacation home. Taryn Manning is
also on-hand for eye candy in this Chris Moore-directed movie which
sports a deleted scene, alternate openings, a featurette, 16:9 (1.78)
widescreen transfer and 5.1 Dolby Digital audio on DVD.
THE REEDS DVD (86 mins., 2009, R): One
of the better efforts of Afterdark 2010, this British thriller follows
a group of Londoners, partying on a boat, who run aground and into a
confrontation with punks and a mysterious hooded man. Not much in the
way of anything substantial here for extras (in fact, there are none at
all), but the 16:9 (2.35) transfer and 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack are
both just fine.
DREAD DVD (94 mins., 2009, R):
Grizzly, unpleasant adaptation of a Clive Barker short story with
pretentious overtones on the part of writer-director Anthony DiBlasi,
who chronicles a pair of college students who set out to make a
documentary about what people dread (how about bad movies?), only to
have to face them head on when their partner goes off the hinges.
Nearly as bad as another recent Barker misfire, “The Midnight Meat
Train,” though as with that turkey aficionados of the author might want
to check it out just the same. Lionsgate’s DVD of “Dread” sports a talk
with the author and filmmaker, plus deleted scenes, a Making Of, 16:9
(2.35) transfer and 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack.
THE GRAVES DVD (88 mins., 2009, R): Clare
Grant and Jillian Murray might be easy on the eyes but they’re two of
the only things keeping you interested while watching this forgettable
tale of sisters who end up in an Arizona town where terrors await. Not
a whole lot to recommend here; I’d send “The Graves” to your nearest
video graveyard. Lionsgate’s DVD has the most extras of any of these
new Afterdark Horrorfest releases, including two commentaries, a whole
bunch of featurettes, the script, a music video, the trailer, 16:9
(1.85) transfer and 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack.
HIDDEN [Skjult] DVD (95 mins., 2009, R): The most
stylishly shot of the batch, “Hidden” is a well-directed Norwegian
import about a guy who inherits his late mom’s haunted house and learns
the hard way that the supernatural loves to stick around. Well
photographed but slowly paced and with an ending that just don’t pay
off, “Hidden” is a real mixed bag but worth a rental for curious horror
fans. The DVD’s 16:9 (2.35) transfer is superb and the audio is
presented with its original Norwegian dialogue with English (or
Spanish) subtitles.
LAKE MUNGO DVD (104 mins., 2008, R): Aussie
horror comes to the forefront here with this mock-umentary tale of a
teenager who drowns but comes back to haunt her family, who in turn
hire a psychic to piece together her double life. A nicely done little
sleeper on the part of writer-director Joel Anderson, “Lake Mungo” is
the best of the Afterdark Horrorfest entries, and is already slated to
be remade here in the U.S. next year. Lionsgate’s DVD sports a fine
16:9 (1.78) transfer with 5.1 audio but only a “producer’s trailer” on
tap for extras.
ZOMBIES OF MASS DESTRUCTION DVD (89
mins., 2009, R): Uneven and not very funny comic-zombie vehicle
(doesn’t seem to be any other kind these days) about a conservative
island overrun with the undead, needing a group of liberals to save
them. It’s Obama-era gore with a bland cast under the direction of
director Kevin Hammedani. Lionsgate’s DVD includes a Making Of plus a
16:9 (1.78) widescreen transfer and 5.1 Dolby Digital
sound.
THE FINAL DVD (99 mins., 2009, R): A
group of high school outcasts plot their revenge by turning the tables
on the popular kids in this interesting but not completely successful
attempt at crafting a commentary on school violence and bullying with
requisite exploitation horror elements, most of which only come to pass
in the film’s final third. Lionsgate’s DVD offers commentary from the
producer and director Joey Stewart, one deleted scene, a featurette,
16:9 (2.40) widescreen transfer and 5.1 Dolby Digital sound.
MAD MEN Season
3 DVD and Blu-Ray (611 mins., 2009; Lionsgate): After a slow
start things pick up quickly in the third season of the compulsively
watchable, completely entertaining and brilliantly performed AMC
series, which copped an Emmy for Best Dramatic Series two years
running. Don Draper and friends also have never looked better in “Mad
Men”’s third season, the Blu-Ray edition sporting vivid 1080p transfers
with DTS Master Audio soundtracks and numerous extras, including
commentaries, a documentary on Medgar Evers, a visual depiction of
Tobacco advertising, a pictorial gallery of the March on Washington, an
interactive gallery on 1963 inventions, and other goodies. The DVD
sports the same extras with 16:9 (1.78) transfers and 5.1 Dolby Digital
soundtracks. New From IFC Films
I SELL THE DEAD
Blu-Ray (**, 85 mins., 2009, R; IFC): A commendable, if only
partially successful, attempt by writer-director Glenn McQuaid to make
an atmospheric, outlandish period horror film for genre devotees, “I
Sell the Dead” offers Dominic Monaghan as a British grave robber who
tells his life story to a priest (Ron Perlman), recounting his run-ins
with the undead, vampires, zombies and even alien babies! Angus Scrimm
and Larry Fessenden, who also co-produced the picture, co-star in a
fanciful tale that produces a few laughs but is too uneven and peculiar
to really work with anyone except hard-core genre devotees. IFC’s
Blu-Ray disc includes a fine 1080p transfer of this low-budget effort
with 5.1 Dolby Digital sound and extras including commentary with
McQuaid, another commentary with Monaghan and Fessenden, the trailer,
and two featurettes.
PARIS Blu-Ray
(***, 129 mins., 2007, R; IFC): Cédric Klapisch’s 2007
French drama is an ensemble piece centered around a Moulin Rouge dancer
(Romain Duris) awaiting a heart transplant, his sister (Juliette
Bionche) -- a single mom of three trying to make things work as a
social worker – and the people they literally encounter in their
day-to-day existence. Beautifully shot in 2.35 widescreen, this salute
to the City of Light is a bit melodramatic but flows well through its
two-plus hours with engaging performances and lots of emotion. IFC’s
Blu-Ray disc sports a 1080p transfer with 5.1 Dolby Digital sound and
extras including deleted scenes, several featurettes, a table reading
of the script, the trailer, and a look at the soundtrack.
BRIEF
INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN Blu-Ray (**½, 80 mins., 2009, R;
IFC): “The Office”’s amiable Jim Halpert, John Krasinski, made
his directorial debut with this stagy, claustrophobic adaptation of
David Foster Wallace’s book -- an ensemble film about a grad student
(Julianne Nicholson) who interviews a variety of males with a penchant
for failing to behave. Included in the superb cast are performers as
eclectic as Saturday Night Live’s Will Arnett and Will Forte, plus
Timothy Hutton, Christopher Meloni, Bobby Cannavale, Josh Charles, and
Krasinksi himself. John Bailey’s 2.35 widescreen cinematography gives
the production a major assist, and there are some laughs here, but even
80 minutes feels a bit much for the material on-hand. IFC’s Blu-Ray
disc sports a fine 1080p transfer, 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack,
interview with Krasinski, a behind the scenes featurette, TV spot, and
the trailer.
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