From FIRST CONTACT To THE INCREDIBLES

Marvelous March DVDs With TV on DVD, LOCH NESS and More!

Of the four “Star Trek: The Next Generation” feature films, the most successful of the quartet was 1996's STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT (***, 106 mins., PG-13; Paramount, Aisle Seat DVD Pick of the Week), which next week becomes the latest “Trek” feature film to receive Paramount’s double-disc Collector’s Edition treatment..

“First Contact” was also the one Next-Gen feature film that appealed to audiences outside of the die-hard Trekkie fan base. Its mix of exciting action, intriguing story (involving time travel, saving the Earth, and mankind’s first meeting with extraterrestrial life), an effective villain (The Borg, and specifically Alice Krige’s Borg Queen) managed to exceed box-office expectations and gain crossover appeal in the process.“First Contact” grossed over $90 million domestically, and of the ten “Trek” movies, still ranks second only to the massive appeal of “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” ($109 million in ‘86 dollars) in overall receipts.

After a pair of disappointing follow-ups (the forgettable “Star Trek: Insurrection” and the lackluster “Star Trek: Nemesis”), “First Contact” plays better than ever, despite some minor missteps here and there.

Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore’s script manages to effectively juggle several story lines with humor, solid action and the best villain this side of Khan. The central plot clicks – the Enterprise travels back in time to stop the Borg from colonizing the Earth, meeting with warp-drive engineer Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell) in the process – and as the filmmakers note in their commentary tracks, everyone knew that “First Contact” was working right from the get-go.
The result is an entertaining and confident film that’s easily the best of the four TNG features, giving its cast members a function and entertaining both casual viewers and Trekkies alike in the process.

Paramount’s two-DVD set is chock full of special features, including a second disc of supplementary material running several hours long.

Disc one offers a good-looking widescreen transfer of the film with 5.1 DTS and Dolby Digital soundtracks, plus three separate commentary tracks. Director/star Jonathan Frakes gives an informative talk on one channel, though I preferred the commentary by screenwriters Braga and Moore, who detail the picture’s gestation and comment on its strengths and weaknesses. As with all the prior Trek film DVDs, there’s also an on-screen text track by Denise and Michael Okuda, which here unfolds slowly but surely with multi-colored graphics (a welcome change from their commentaries on the initial Trek DVDs, which moved so quickly you barely had time to read the text).

Disc two is where you’ll find a multitude of  featurettes and interviews, similar to what we’ve seen in Paramount’s previous Trek Special Editions.

“First Contact: Production” includes six separate featurettes running over an hour. “Making First Contact” is a 20-minute look at the production of the film, sporting new and vintage interviews with Frakes, Patrick Stewart, producer Rick Berman and others. “The Story” profiles Braga and Moore’s work on the film (10 minutes), while “The Art of First Contact” includes 20 additional minutes of storyboards and conceptual artwork with interviews. “The Missile Silo” looks at the Arizona location filming with comments from production designer Herman Zimmerman, who also appears in a look at “The Deflector Dish” set. “From A to E” rounds out the featurettes with a brief summation of the picture’s successful critical and box-office reception.

“The Star Trek: Universe,” meanwhile, offers three additional featurettes, including a 20-minute tribute to Jerry Goldsmith. Featuring vintage comments and footage of Goldsmith at the recording session, working with his son Joel (who scored some of the Borg sequences since there wasn’t enough time for his father to score the entire film), this is a welcome and heartfelt tribute to one of film music’s all-time heroes. Frakes, Berman, TNG composer Jay Chattaway and others appear to give their recollections of Goldsmith’s wonderful scores and contributions to the Trek franchise. Of particular interest for fans will be Berman’s notes on how he wanted Goldsmith’s “Motion Picture” theme for the “Next Generation” series, how he brought the composer in for “Star Trek: Voyager,” and how much his music added to “First Contact” in particular. Very nicely done all around.

Other featurettes include “The Legacy of Zefram Cochrane,” sporting a new interview with star James Cromwell; “First Contact: The Possibilities,” exploring our current efforts to make contact with extraterrestrial life; a three-segment “Scene Deconstruction” looks at visual effects highlights (“Borg Queen Assembly,” “Escape Pod Launch,” and “Borg Queen’s Demise”); “The Borg Collective” highlights Alice Kirge’s memorable turn as “The Queen,” plus the production design in “Design Matrix” and “Unimatrix One.” There are also storyboards, a photo gallery, plus the original teaser and theatrical trailer on-hand.

In all, this is a superb package that’s one of the best “Trek” Special Editions, with plenty of supplementary materials backing the best Next Generation feature film. Satisfying and recommended!

Out next week, meanwhile, is Disney’s sublime two-disc Special Edition of THE INCREDIBLES (***, 115 mins., 2004, PG; Buena Vista), the Oscar-winning animated film from Pixar and writer/director Brad Bird.

Bird had been the creative force behind "The Iron Giant" as well as the memorable "Amazing Stories" episode "Family Dog," and his penchant for strong characterizations and amusing comedic moments are on-hand throughout "The Incredibles." This super-hero saga is great fun for viewers of all ages, though perhaps older kids and adults will get the most mileage out of it, since the film is more story-heavy than most Pixar films, and offers brilliant animation in full 2.35 widescreen proportions.

On DVD, “The Incredibles” is even more fun than it was on the big screen. The gorgeous animation design looks sharper and clearer on the small screen, and somehow the film seemed to move better on its second viewing (it’s still a bit long at 115 minutes, however). The mix of comedy and family drama, and the overall good humor of “The Incredibles” makes it irresistible fun, sure to be played over and over on DVD if you’ve got little ones running around.

As I had written in my prior review of the film, one element that did bother me about the film, however, was Michael Giacchino's score. Giacchino is clearly a composer on the rise, and has done superb work on TV series like "Lost" and "Alias," not to mention countless video games (the "Medal of Honor" series in particular) that first gained him notoriety in the soundtrack world.

John Barry was initially contacted to write "The Incredibles" score, though Barry ultimately departed from the project (despite early trailers that prominently featured music from "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"). That didn't stop the filmmakers from having a "John Barry score," however, because Giacchino's music extends beyond mere homage, sounding at every turn like a Barry soundtrack -- complete with a recurring motif that sounds suspiciously like OHMSS with a note changed.

This wouldn't have been questionable had Giacchino brought more of his own "style" to the score as a whole. Instead, his score often sounds so much like the work of Barry than it ultimately comes across as less the work of Giacchino and more of an imitation that would have been better had Barry actually scored the picture himself. At times, it almost sounds unethical, with long sections of music bearing Barry's trademark sound and writing. From what I’ve heard of Giacchino, he’s clearly capable of better, though I assume he gave the filmmakers exactly what they wanted.

Now that I’ve got that off my chest, I can still safely recommend Disney’s two-disc DVD set as a must-have. The film’s brilliant, digital widescreen transfer in the 2.39 aspect ratio looks absolutely reference quality, while the 5.1 Dolby Digital EX sound is likewise accomplished. Like “Finding Nemo” and Pixar’s other DVDs, the presentation is simply flawless.

For extras, disc one boasts commentary from Brad Bird and producer John Walker, while there’s an additional commentary group track with Pixar animators, stressing the technical production of “The Incredibles.”

Disc two is jammed with great special features, highlighted by a brand-new short, “Jack-Jack Attack,” which runs a hare under five minutes and shows Jack-Jack’s tormenting of the Parr family’s babysitter. Also present is the charming, Oscar-nominated short “Boundin’” which preceded “The Incredibles” in theaters (I wish this option had been on the first disc to re-create the theatrical viewing experience), along with some of Pixar’s patented bloopers and outtakes.

There are also nearly 35 minutes of deleted scenes, including an extensive, action-oriented alternate opening that was discarded in the storyboard process. These sequences are shown in mock-up storyboard form with comments from Bird, and will be of interest for fans of the movie.

“Making Of The Incredibles”is a fascinating 30-minute look behind the scenes at the creation of the film, following the development of Bird’s screenplay through production, and even Giacchino’s score. Additional featurettes can be found in “More Making of The Incredibles,” sporting nearly another 45 minutes of interviews and production footage, along with Easter Eggs, a pair of theatrical trailers, a profile of Bud Lackey (who wrote and directed “Boundin’”), and more goodies that round out the disc.

“The Incredibles” is great entertainment for viewers of all ages, and makes for every bit the sensational DVD you knew it would. Get it next week at your favorite chain/video store haunt near you!
Also New On DVD

ALFIE (**, 2004). 105 mins., R, Paramount. DVD SPECIAL FEATURES: Two commentary tracks, “Round Table” Discussion, Making Of featurettes, Deleted Scenes, Trailer, Music Featurette; 1.85 Widescreen, 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Available March 15.

Needless remake of the swinging ‘60s Michael Caine vehicle seems out of touch, despite solid work by an excellent cast.

Jude Law does deserve an “A for effort” at least as Alfie, here a limo driver in New York City, who carries on a handful of relationships simultaneously with a bevy of women: from Marisa Tomei’s single Mom to a flirtatious older woman (Susan Sarandon), Jane Krakowski, Sinna Miller and Nia Long also included. Ultimately, it’s Alfie’s relationship with Long – girlfriend of pal Omar Epps – that puts our gigolo in a heap of trouble and make him reconsider his ways.

The original “Alfie” is, for the most part, a film that perfectly embodies its time and place, and remaking it – updating it – to the present day, colored by political correctness and modern feminism, makes for an odd, disjointed film.

Director/co-writer Charles Shyer is best known for his fluffy, box-office friendly comedies like “Baby Boom” and “Father of the Bride,” which he made with his filmmaker wife Nancy Meyers. Perhaps their separation set the stage for this would-be “darker” work from Shyer, though even here, the movie lacks bite, like much of Shyer’s previous work. The performances are uniformly fine, the ladies all look smashing, and the New York location lensing is flavorful (despite an over-use of filters from cinematographer Ashley Rowe), but the movie has no real dramatic center. It veers from melodrama to comedy and stays light for the most part with Law reprising Michael Caine’s on-camera monologues, but the film ultimately has no dramatic or emotional pull.

Shyer might have been better off distancing himself from the original film, but instead retains other aspects of its predecessor, including a pretentious photo collage end credits sequence and intermittent quotes from the original’s classic soundtrack. Even in that regard the new “Alfie” fails to muster any favorable comparison with the 1966 film: Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart and John Powell offer up a forgettable soundtrack, with the classic Bacharach-David “Alfie” theme song crooned in a bland, subdued version by Joss Stone over the end credits as if it were an afterthought.

Paramount’s DVD, available next week, offers a superb 1.85 widescreen transfer with a satisfying 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack. Special features are copious, included two commentary tracks (one by Shyer and editor Padraic McKinley, the other with Shyer and his co-writer/co-producer Elaine Pope), several featurettes (“The World of Alfie,” “The Women of Alfie,” “Alfie: Deconstruction of a Scene,” plus a “Round Table” discussion), a segment on Jagger and Stewart scoring the film, deleted scenes, Gedde Watanabe’s dance footage, the trailer, and script/production and storyboard galleries.
INCIDENT AT LOCH NESS (**½, 2004). 94 mins., PG-13, Fox. DVD SPECIAL FEATURES: Commentary by director Zak Penn and Werner Herzog; Deleted Scenes, Outtakes, Featurettes; 1.85 Widescreen, 5.1 Dolby Digital sound.

Zak Penn’s ersatz-documentary “Incident At Loch Ness” certainly has its moments, but could have been better executed.

Werner Herzog stars as himself as he joins producer Penn (writer of “Inspector Gadget,” “Elektra,” and “X-Men 2") and director of photography John Bailey in an effort at tracking down Nessie. What follows from there is a spoof-documentary of near-Christopher Guest proportions, with Penn playing off Herzog’s reputation as a renegade filmmaker and milking laughs out of a predictably, increasingly volatile “on set” atmosphere.

“Incident At Loch Ness” isn’t fully satisfying but for fans of Herzog the movie boasts enough laughs and in-jokes to recommend it as a rental, while Penn gets some mileage out of his supporting “cast.”

Fox’s DVD offers commentary from Penn and Herzog, deleted scenes and outtakes, featurettes, “testimonials,” photos, clips and other jokey supplements along the tongue-in-cheek lines of the film itself. The 1.85 transfer is culled from the movie’s digital video photography and looks fine, and the 5.1 Dolby Digital sound is likewise acceptable.
SEX IS COMEDY (**1/2, 2002). 95 mins., MGM, R. DVD FEATURES: Original French language track, English and Spanish subtitles, Trailer; 1.85 Widescreen, 2.0 Dolby Surround.

Controversial French filmmaker Catherine Breillat’s attempt at a comedy is an uneven though intriguing effort seemingly torn from the pages of her own career.

Anne Parillaud stars as a filmmaker (read: Breillat) trying to film a graphic sex scene for her new movie. She’s having an affair with the actor in the scene (Gregoire Colin), while he, in turn, can’t stand his leading lady (Roxane Mesquida, one of the stars of Breillat’s most acclaimed film, “Fat Girl”). From there, “Sex is Comedy” offers an interesting though not entirely successful meditation on filmmaking, sex in filmmaking, sex in general, and the use of plastic appendages on its lead actor (which results in a few mildly funny moments).

“Sex is Comedy” has not been viewed as a major cornerstone in filmmaker Breillat’s career, but for foreign cinema fans and aficionados of the director it’s worth a look, albeit effective more as an observation on its subject matter than a fully-drawn out comedy-drama.

MGM’s recently released DVD features a good-looking 1.85 transfer with Dolby Digital surround and the original trailer. English and Spanish subtitles are available on the French language feature.
New TV on DVD

A few highly recommended box sets highlight the March TV on DVD round up this week.

From Buena Vista come the final seasons of cult favorite series FELICITY and POPULAR, a pair of programs that, in their best moments, were arguably two of the better series on the airwaves during their initial broadcasts.

J.J. Abrams’ SENIOR YEAR DVD COLLECTION of “Felicity” (971 mins., 2001-02) offers the final 22 episodes from his usually well-written, always superbly-performed college soap opera, starring Keri Russell as the ever-questioning title character. In the series’ fourth and final season, Felicity finally makes her big career decision, and decides to make up her mind as to whether or not she truly loves Noel (Scott Foley) or Ben (Scott Speedman), the duo who have alternated relationships with the sometimes wacky and generally indecisive heroine over the years.

Like most series, “Felicity” had generally run its course by the time its final year began. The ratings had dropped and everything that seemed fresh and entertaining about the show was now formula and predictable. Still, fans were entertained by the series as it concluded its run, and its final batch of episodes are truly unique – the series had actually finished when The WB network ordered more episodes! What Abrams did was tack on a handful of shows offering an “alternate universe” ending to the series, something that fans loved and anyone who missed it will enjoy now seeing on DVD.

Buena Vista’s box set offers several commentary tracks, a Q&A session taped at The Museum of TV & Radio with Abrams, Russell, Matt Reeves and Jennifer Garner (who guest starred in the series), the featurette “Fade Out” (offering recollections of the series’ final episode), unseen footage and more. The Dolby Digital soundtracks and full-screen transfers are all perfectly fine.

More ribald and entertaining was Gina Matthews and Ryan Murphy’s unfortunately short-lived POPULAR (aprx. 940 mins., 2000-01), the off-beat, off-the-wall and sometimes uproariously funny look at high school relationships and cliques, with stepsisters Leslie Bibb’s Brooke and Carly Pope’s Sam vying for attention from their newly-married parents and their high school pals.

After a terrific freshman year, “Popular” sadly lost its way somewhat in its second and final season. Apparently facing mandates from The WB, Murphy and Matthews removed some of the wackier elements from the series, making for a few “very special” episodes with serious topics that seem out of character with the program’s original intentions.

Still, the characters are enormously appealing, as are the performances by the show’s ensemble cast. There’s also a mind-blowing cliffhanger ending that was sadly never resolved (where’s the reunion movie?).

Buena Vista’s six-disc DVD set includes all 21 of the series’ final episodes, along with a pair of commentary tracks (on episodes “The Shocking Possession of Harrison John” and “The Brain Game”) plus an interactive quiz game. Transfers and packaging are right in step with the colorful nature of the show. Recommended, despite its abrupt ending!

Disney has also released the complete First Season of SWEET VALLEY HIGH (1994-95, 444 mins.), the sunny, upbeat adaptation of Francine Pascal’s popular teenage novels, which were all the rage back when I was in school.

Buena Vista’s three-disc set includes all 22 episodes from the first of the series’ four seasons, all in colorful full-screen transfers with Dolby Surround tracks. Extras aren’t included but fans of the show – centering on the adventures of twin sisters Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield (played by the fetching Daniel sisters, Brittany and Cynthia) – shouldn’t mind.

Also new this week are the latest of three UNSOLVED MYSTERIES box sets from First Look Media, compiling various subjects from the long-running series hosted by the late Robert Stack.
As with First Look’s previous “Unsolved Mysteries” sets, you get a great deal of value crammed into each four-disc box set: over six hours of classic segments in each set, plus commentaries.

“Psychics” includes profiles of psychic mediums who reveal past lives and assist local law enforcement agencies in tracking down killers, plus segments on reincarnation, improbable dreams (one man wins a lottery after his selected numbers were revealed to him in a dream by his late son), and communication with departed souls.

“Strange Legends” runs a wide gamut between regulation myths (Bigfoot, the Yeti, the Bermuda Triangle, the Mothman) to mysteries involving real people (Agatha Christie, George “Superman” Reeves, Amelia Earhart, Sonny Liston, Brandon Lee), as well as the quest for objects like Noah’s Ark, the Holy Grail, and others.

Last but not least is “Bizarre Murders,” which includes some of the finest segments from “Unsolved Mysteries”: profiles of killers and murders that have baffled law enforcement across the nation, some of which were solved by investigators with the help of viewers who phoned in tips.

All three box sets are attractively packaged with capsules of each segment and additional commentaries by “Unsolved Mysteries” writers and producers. The full-screen transfers are a bit grainy but are generally as good as they looked on the airwaves, while the 5.1 Dolby Digital sound is likewise satisfactory.

Though perhaps not as much fun as one of my favorite series, “In Search Of...” with Leonard Nimoy, “Unsolved Mysteries” was more effective in mixing both fantastical subjects with very real incidents, creating a program with mass appeal. First Look’s box sets are superbly handled, from the episodes that have been selected for DVD, to the additional features and value for the money. Recommended (with hopefully more releases to come!).
Buena Vista Round-Up

LADDER 49 (**½, 105 mins., 2004, PG-13): John Travolta is the seasoned pro, Joaquin Phoenix is the new guy on the job, in director Jay Russell’s mild box-office hit from last fall. Though “Ladder 49" isn’t “Backdraft,” this is still an entertaining enough salute to firefighters, particularly in the wake of 9/11, offering well-mounted action sequences and good performances from the cast. The script, however, doesn’t fare nearly as well: it’s too pat and predictable, despite good intentions across the board. Buena Vista’s DVD, available this week, includes commentary from director Russell and editor Bud Smith, a 20-minute “Making Of” (split into three segments), a 15-minute salute to Baltimore’s real firefighters, 15 minutes worth of interesting deleted scenes, and a Robbie Robertson music video. The 1.78 widescreen transfer is fantastic, as is the nicely-textured 5.1 Dolby Digital sound.

BABY EINSTEIN: BABY MONET (2005, 34 mins.): Latest release in the highly successful, top-selling infant video line offers an introduction to the four seasons for toddlers, complimented by music by Vivaldi. Excellently packaged, intelligently presented, and a top pick for parents, especially considering the amount of junk aimed at kids today.

IN THE WEEDS (2005, 90 mins., R): Michael Baich’s character comedy offers Molly Ringwald, Bridget Moynahan, Ellen Pompeo, Josh Leonard and Eric Bogosian in a tale of a NYC restaurant and the real aspirations of its employees. Miramax’s DVD includes a 16:9 enhanced transfer with 2.0 Dolby Surround stereo.

THE I INSIDE (2004, 91 mins., R): Ryan Philippe, Sarah Polley, Piper Perabo and Stephen Rea star in this would-be “Memento” from the writer of the lousy John Cusack thriller “Identity.” An excellent cast does their best but the results are a forgettable, derivative effort from director Roland Suso Richter. Miramax’s DVD offers a 2.35 widescreen transfer with 5.1 Dolby Digital sound.

NIRVANA (2004, 96 mins., R): Christopher Lambert tries his hand at a “Matrix”-influenced sci-fi thriller in this Italian production from producers Mario and Vittorio Checchi Gori. Emmanuelle Seigner is thankfully on-hand to provide some female interest to off-shoot the recycled genre aspects of Gabrielle Salvatores’ film. Miramax’s DVD includes a 1.85 widescreen transfer with 5.1 Dolby Digital sound.

NEXT WEEK: FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX and More! Don't forget to say Aloha on the Message Boards, direct any emails to the link above and we'll catch you then. Cheers!