Aisle
Seat April in Amityville Edition
Andy
Reviews MGM's
Terrifying New Box Set
Plus: SIDEWAYS, ELEKTRA, HAWAII and More!
The amount of remakes in production is nothing short of staggering:
“The Bad News Bears,” “King
Kong,” “War of the Worlds,” a new
“Batman,”
“The Fog,” “The Warriors” (Tony
Scott apparently directing a re-do of
Walter Hill’s cult classic), “The Evil
Dead,” “The Hitcher,” ...it’s
enough to make your head spin.
Remaking
an old movie – whether it’s a classic or a film
that could actually
stand improvement – is obviously no guarantee of success. In
the cult
movie department, just look at the tepid commercial results of
“Assault
on Precinct 13,” which despite having Ethan Hawke and
Laurence
Fishburne, was greeted with the cold shoulder by audiences back in
January.
MGM, in collaboration with producer Michael Bay and Dimension Films, is
about to give another crack at “The Amityville
Horror” on April 15th,
and the studio has released a 4-disc AMITYVILLE
HORROR COLLECTION box-set (available April 5th)
to mark the occasion.
Never regarded as a classic, even of the cult variety, the original
1979 AMITYVILLE
HORROR (**½, R, 119 mins.)
nevertheless became one of the biggest independent hits of all-time.
Produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff’s American-International
Pictures, the
pulpy adaptation of Jay Anson’s supposedly-“true
story” of the infamous
haunted house provides plenty of cheap thrills and a few unintentional
yucks to go along with it.
James Brolin and Margot Kidder essay George and Kathy Lutz, who move
into the quiet Long Island community of Amityville. Unbeknownst to
them, their new home was previously occupied by a family that was slain
by their teenage son in a series of brutal shootings. Whether or not
the teenager was driven mad by the house (or something in it), the
Lutzes soon find themselves being barraged by a variety of haunted
house cliches: slime flowing out of toilets, glowing eyes in the
upstairs bedroom, invisible play pals of their young children telling
them secrets, and George being taken over by some kind of entity from
another dimension. Even a local priest (Rod Steiger) fails to clean the
house of its inherent evil after giving it the old Father Merrin try.
Directed by Stuart Rosenberg, “The Amityville
Horror” is standard but
competent ‘late 70s horror. The performances are solid but
the movie
has that “plastic” kind of look so many films of
its era do. It’s like
watching an “Eight Is Enough” episode crossed with
“The Exorcist.” More
effective is Lalo Schifrin’s score, which unfortunately was
copied in
so many other genre films (and used in even more trailers) that
it’s
then-unique mix of child chorus and creepy orchestral arrangements also
seems well-worn.
The new DVD Special Edition of “The Amityville
Horror” debuts in the
4-disc box set, and offers an improved widescreen transfer and remixed
5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack, both enhanced from the previous DVD
edition.
New supplements are here as well: “For God’s Sake,
Get Out!” is a
superb new look back on the success of the film, sporting interviews
with Brolin and Kidder, who isn’t ashamed to admit the movie
was her
“pay day” following “Superman.”
Radios spots and the original trailer
are also on hand, though the most entertaining new extra is a
full-length commentary from parapsychologist Dr. Hans Holzer.
Dr. Holzer may be known to some for his occasional appearances on
Leonard Nimoy’s old series “In Search
Of...,” particularly in the
Amityville episode where he was a lead investigator. Here, Holzer
engages in a fascinating, if not completely off-the-wall, discussion of
the actual Lutz haunting, noting where the filmmakers went wrong in
making the movie and needlessly messing with the
“actual” accounts of
what happened in the house. It’s the kind of talk one wishes
you’d hear
more often in a DVD commentary, and kudos to whoever at MGM came up the
idea of having Holzer do the discussion -- a clearly inspired choice.
MGM’s box set also houses a bonus Amityville DVD, sporting
two
excellent History Channel documentaries about the Lutz incident, as
well as an extended peek at the upcoming remake.
The set also includes the DVD debuts of the two theatrical sequels, the
tasteless AMITYVILLE
II: THE POSSESSION (*, 1982, 104 mins., R)
and the entertaining, if not generic, AMITYVILLE
3-D (**½, 1983, 93 mins., PG).
Dino DeLaurentiis produced both sequels, which Orion released to
declining box-office receipts, leading the
“Amityville” series to head
to the small-screen and direct-to-tape productions thereafter.
“Amityville II” purports to be a prequel showing
what happened to the
family that moved in before the Lutzes. Tommy Lee Wallace’s
script,
which claims to be based on Holzer’s “Murder in
Amityville” book, is an
unholy rehash of “The Exorcist” and numerous other
genre films of the
period, exploiting the actual murders that occurred in the house and
adding doses of sexuality (including incest!) under the direction of
Damiano Diamiani.
Shot in New Jersey (exteriors) and Mexico (interiors),
“Amityville II”
leaves one with a sour taste, mainly due to its attempt to explain the
brutal killings by having the teen son responsible for the crimes being
possessed by a demon. The movie has an eclectic cast, with James Olson
as a priest who attempts to exorcise the teenager of all evils, Burt
Young as the doomed father of the Montelli clan, Moses Gunn as an
attorney and Diane Franklin (seen also in “The Last American
Virgin”
during the summer of ‘82) as the eldest Montelli daughter.
The make-up
effects are okay in an ‘80s gross-out kind of way, but the
sequences
showing the Montelli son running around, gunning down his family, leave
an uncomfortable feeling that no amount of subsequent hocus-pocus can
eradicate.
MGM’s DVD offers both widescreen (1.85) and full-screen
transfers, plus
Dolby Digital mono sound and the movie’s theatrical trailer.
With Richard Fleischer at the helm, the following year’s
“Amityville
3-D” offers a superior viewing experience, seemingly more
influenced by
“Poltergeist”and similar supernatural tales than
its predecessors (the
movie was even released with a disclaimer that it was unrelated to
either of the previous “Amityville” films).
Tony Roberts and Tess Harper play the latest fun couple to move into
the Amityville house, just to prove writer Roberts’ theory
that the
hauntings are just a hoax. Unfortunately for them – and their
daughter
Lori Laughlin – the Baxters find out the hard way that the
spectral
scares are indeed real.
William Wales’ script and Howard Blake’s score are
both a cut-above the
norm, and while nobody will mistake “Amityville
3-D” with a classic of
its kind, the movie is a big upgrade on the second film and even offers
one or two genuine scares (particularly after Laughlin drowns). The
anamorphic frame also gives the movie the most cinematic look of the
entire series, though shorn of its 3-D effects, the third film loses a
good deal of its appeal.
Like a lot of other 3-D films from the era, “Amityville
3-D” looks a
bit blurry in its DVD transfer, though the 2.35 framing is
well-composed (a pan-and-scan full-screen transfer is also available).
The 5.1 Dolby Digital sound is bass-heavy but effective enough, and a
brief theatrical teaser rounds out the package.
Coming
Next Week From MGM
NAMU,
MY BEST FRIEND (***, 89 mins., 1966, PG; MGM)
MAC
AND ME (**½, 99 mins., 1988, PG; MGM); Both Available April
12th
MGM’s new family film promotion offers a handful of
kid-friendly flicks
making their debut on video for the first time (including the immortal
Valerie Bertinelli-Conraid Bain classic
“C.H.O.M.P.S.”).
Ivan Tors’ 1966 production of “Namu”
(originally titled “Namu, The
Killer Whale”) is a terrific film for all ages starring
Robert Lansing
as a marine biologist who befriends the lonely killer whale off the
Pacific Northwest coast. Lee Meriwether plays a single mom whose
daughter (Robin Mattson) grows attached to the gentle giant, while the
local town fishermen want Namu killed because they believe
he’s a
threat to their community.
This pre-“Free Willy” film is not unlike
Disney’s wild life adventure
yarns of the ‘50s and ‘60s: the location lensing
and cinematography
gives the movie genuine atmosphere, and while the plot is routine
(Lansing attempts to educate the single-minded local populace about
Namu’s friendly aspects), the movie’s messages ring
true loud and
clear.
The 1966 UA release receives a good-looking full-screen transfer on DVD
with Dolby Digital mono sound and no extras. Samuel
Matlovsky’s score
is spirited and suits the good-natured movie just fine.
Also out next week is “Mac and Me,” a 1988 Orion
Pictures release that
ripped off “E.T.” and any other
friendly-extraterrestrial flick from
the ‘80s. It also served as a feature-length commercial for
MacDonald’s, from its title right down to an insane musical
number and
a cameo appearance by none other than Ronald McDonald himself!
The plot, written by director Stewart Raffill with Steve Feke, is a
ham-handed pastiche of Spielberg’s classic, with a cute alien
stranded
on Earth befriending a wheelchair-bound, new kid in school (Jonathan
Ward) who could use a friend. Needless to say the alien is ridiculously
cute and the movie relentlessly predictable throughout, not to mention
heavy-handed and gooey at every turn.
Still, this modest-performing box-office hit has gained some kind of a
cult following, mainly among young adults who might have grown up on
the movie (I shudder to think about having “Mac and
Me” as a personal
guilty pleasure), and while MGM’s DVD is in full-screen, the
colorful
transfer is fine and the Dolby Surround sound also acceptable. The
soundtrack sports a nice score by Alan Silvestri that works overtime to
give the production some much-needed emotion. Alas, the only feeling
most viewers felt was contempt for the filmmakers due to their
derivative, saccharine story that’s best left for undemanding
young
kids.
HAWAII
(***1/2, 1966, Not Rated; MGM):
George Roy Hill’s grand spectacle was released on laserdisc
back in the
early ‘90s with a stereo soundtrack and nearly 20 minutes of
deleted
footage courtesy of Pioneer’s Joe Caporiccio. Unfortunately
(just as
they did with “The Alamo” and
“It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”), MGM
has chosen NOT to include the restored “Roadshow”
version of “Hawaii”
for its DVD release, which has already angered many fans of the Julie
Andrews-Max Von Sydow epic. The good news is that the movie’s
16:9
enhanced DVD transfer, while a bit soft, is generally satisfying, and
the movie’s Overture and End Credits sequences –
backed by Elmer
Bernstein’s glorious score – are included in full
stereo. The downside
is that none of the restored scenes have been included here (not even
in a supplement), and the mono soundtrack pales in comparison with the
laser’s stereo audio. The original trailer and a
rough-looking
10-minute featurette are present, with the latter offering footage of
the cast filming around the globe.
HOTEL
RWANDA (***, 2004, 122 mins., PG-13; MGM; Aisle Seat DVD Pick of the
Week):
Don Cheadle’s triumphant performance is the chief asset of
Terry
George’s acclaimed, Oscar-nominated film. Cheadle
plays a hotel
manager who tries and save as many minority Tutsi refugees as he can,
while trying to keep he and his family alive while Rwanda is thrown
into a state of chaos under the Hutu militia. Keir Pearson and
George’s
script is a bit rough around the edges, with some uneven supporting
roles (particularly by Nick Nolte as a would-be U.N. peacekeeper), but
Cheadle’s central performance and the meaning of the film
resonate far
beyond its flaws, and the atmospheric cinematography by Robert Fraisse
aids immeasurably in delivering the intention of the filmmakers.
MGM’s
Special Edition DVD includes two fine documentaries, “A
Message For
Peace: Making ‘Hotel Rwanda’” and
“Return to Rwanda,” plus commentary
by Terry George and the real-life Paul Rusesabagina (whom Cheadle
essays in the film), and select commentary from Cheadle and singer
Wyclef Jean, whose song “Million Voices” appears in
the movie. The 2.35
transfer is superlative and the 5.1 Dolby Digital sound also
commendable.
New
This Week
SIDEWAYS
(**1/2, 2004). 127 mins., R, Fox. DVD SPECIAL FEATURES: Deleted Scenes
with written introductions by Alexander Payne; Commentary by Paul
Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church; Trailer. 1.85 Widescreen, 5.1 Dolby
Digital sound.
Paul Giamatti plays a down-on-his-luck English teacher and would-be
novelist whose actor pal (Thomas Haden Church) is about to be married.
Out for one last buddy-fling before the wedding, Giamatti and Church
head up north of L.A. where they wine, dine and fall for a couple of
locals: waitress (and recent divorcee) Virginia Madsen and winery
worker Sandra Oh, both unaware of Church’s situation and
Giamatti’s
constant depression.
In a year of disappointing films, it was easy for critics to overrate
“Sideways,” which has a few bright moments but
several pretentious
passages with an overly-active Rolfe Kent score that soon wears out its
welcome. Director Alexander Payne and co-writer Jim Taylor adapted
Rex Pickett’s novel, and they have a tendency to downplay the
depressing aspects of the material in favor of offbeat comedic moments.
The lack of consequence to the characters’ often disreputable
actions
(particularly Church’s playboy) never really ring true (often
they’re
anything but funny), but thankfully Giamatti’s strong central
performance anchors the movie and makes you care about his character.
Giamatti enables you to see all angles of his character’s
alternately
pathetic and sympathetic personality, though it could have been just as
easily captured in a film that ran 30 minutes less than it does.
Fox’s DVD, out this week, includes a hysterical commentary
track with
Giamatti and Haden Church that’s often funnier and more
playful than
the film itself. Seven deleted scenes are included with a written
introduction by the director, while a standard Making Of featurette and
the original trailer round out the DVD. The 1.85 transfer is perfect
and the 5.1 Dolby Digital sound just fine for this kind of film.
Overrated but still worthwhile, “Sideways” is worth
the trip for
Giamatti’s journey (or the duo’s commentary track),
and is best viewed
with a glass of wine (or two) by your side.
ELEKTRA
(**1/2, 2005). 95 mins., PG-13, Fox. DVD SPECIAL FEATURES: Deleted
Scenes, Making Of featurettes, Comic-Con Featurette; 2.35 Widescreen,
5.1 DTS and Dolby Digital sound.
Not as satisfying as “Daredevil” but a guilty
pleasure nonetheless,
this box-office flop from last February deserves a better fate on the
small screen.
Jennifer Garner is back as Elektra, the feisty heroine we last saw
apparently being bumped off in “Daredevil.” It
turns out she’s not dead
after all, but rather brought back somehow from beyond and with
enhanced super powers to boot. Elektra finds herself embroiled in a
centuries-old conflict between good and evil (is there any other kind?)
after she’s hired to perform a hit to the tune of a
multi-million
dollar payday. In the process, she runs into dad Goran Visnjic and his
gifted 13-year-old daughter, and becomes a pawn in a martial arts
battle slickly directed by “X-Files” vet Rob Bowman.
The Zak Penn-Stuart Zicherman-Raven Metzner script is pretty much a
mess: with a scant 95 minute running time and a plethora of
poorly-defined supporting players, there’s not much room for
character
development in “Elektra.” Garner gives it her all,
but she’s undercut
by her role being likewise thinly-drawn, and the lack of a direct
connection with “Daredevil” is odd (Ben
Affleck’s cameo as Matt Murdock
was dropped from the film, an ill-advised choice which can be seen in
the DVD’s deleted scenes).
That all being said, “Elektra” provides a colorful,
no-brain good time
if you can check your brain at the door (a whole lot easier to do with
Garner being adorned in the Marvel heroine’s sleek red
outfit!). The
action scenes are crisp and only somewhat jarringly edited, the
anamorphic frame is filled with strong colors courtesy of
cinematographer Bill Roe (a nice switch from the dirt and grime of
“Daredevil”), and Garner makes for a fetching
action heroine. It may
not be up to your typical episode of “Alias,” but
“Elektra” is worthy
of a look by comic book fans on video, where the movie should be
greeted with more enthusiasm than its theatrical run.
Fox’s DVD offers nearly five minutes of deleted scenes
(including
Affleck’s brief appearance), a standard Making Of featurette,
another
featurette entitled “Inside the Editing Room,” a
brief look at Garner
popping in during a comic-con presentation, and the original teaser and
trailer. There are also bonus commercials for “Fantastic
Four,” “Mr.
And Mrs. Smith,” and the eagerly-awaited return of
“Family Guy” to the
Fox airwaves next month.
NEXT
WEEK: Bob Newhart, The Lone
Gunmen, and Doogie Howser hit DVD! Don't
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