An AMAZING
Aisle Seat Spielberg's
AMAZING STORIES Hits DVD At Last! Plus: THE
INCREDIBLE HULK Season 1, BRISCO COUNTY and Much More
It was the tail end of the Summer of ‘85, and between “Back
to the Future, “The Goonies,” the upcoming “Young
Sherlock Holmes,” and the new-to-VHS “Gremlins” and
“Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” you couldn’t
blame a 10-year-old for being hooked on Steven Spielberg Mania. In
fact, I was so geared up for the premiere of his TV-anthology series
“Amazing Stories” that I wouldn’t even let a power
outage caused by Hurricane Gloria deter me; the small black-and-white,
portable TV we had (for use only in the event of
an emergency) was turned off for hours until the 8pm premiere on
Channel 10 in Providence.
It didn’t matter that the debut episode, “Ghost
Train,” was somewhat underwhelming (especially considering that
Spielberg himself directed the story), or that the picture quality was
something less than desirable, even by 1985 black-and-white, 7-inch TV
standards...in the words of the NBC network itself, I had to “Be
There!” for the launch of a series that had sci-fi/fantasy fans
in a tizzy over what promised to be an epic event.
Thanks to Spielberg’s name, “Amazing Stories” had a
major advantage over other genre shows of the period: unlike
“Tales From the Darkside” and even CBS’ modernization
of “The Twilight Zone” (which debuted at the same time as
“Amazing Stories”), NBC and Universal had given the series
not just a green light but an unprecedented budget. Each show was
crafted by filmmakers with budgets rivaling some theatrical features,
with exceptional talent in front of and behind the camera producing
each story.
Regrettably, the resulting series was a disappointment in terms of
ratings, at least: after a strong start “Amazing Stories”
failed to perform to expectations, with the series fulfilling its
two-year commitment from NBC and then quietly retiring from the air
waves in early 1987. Critics looking to kibosh Spielberg’s run of
success found fodder in the show’s inconsistency (even though
that’s almost always a given when dealing with an anthology),
while the filmmaker himself turned his attention to “Empire of
the Sun” and seemingly lost interest in the series during its
sophomore year.
For a show that only ran for two seasons and was generally branded a
disappointment, however, “Amazing Stories” could be seen
for years afterwards via no less than six different “Movie”
compilations that appeared in syndication and on cable, each offering
three or four episodes from the series packaged together with bridging
“storybook” introductions (and music tracked from John
Williams’ episode score from “The Mission”).
Additional video releases and regular appearances on the Sci-Fi Channel
continued to keep the program current to some extent, and the series
has built a small but devoted fan following over the years since as a
result.
This week Universal releases the first full, complete Season One DVD
box-set of AMAZING
STORIES (1985-86, 10 hrs.) in the U.S. (Japan received a
laserdisc box set over a decade ago for several hundred yen), and both
fans of the series and newcomers to it should delight at the
show’s finest episodes.
Universal’s set preserves the superb technical aspects of the
series in generally excellent full-screen transfers, while the original
TV stereo soundtracks have been carefully remixed for 5.1 Dolby
Digital. The latter enables the series’ abundance of outstanding
scores -- written by a veritable who’s-who of composers circa
1985 -- a chance to be heard in their original stereophonic
proportions, and likely for the first time for many viewers (after all,
few TV sets at the time carried the capacity for stereo sound).
While there are definitely some clunkers in the “Amazing
Stories” canon, even the weaker episodes from the series are
still watchable. Each episode is, in many instances, a film within
itself, with many bearing the distinctive stamp of Spielberg, who
played a hand in co-authoring many shows, especially during the first
season.
It should be noted that “Amazing Stories” wasn’t
trying to be “The Twilight Zone” or “Alfred Hitchcock
Presents.” There usually aren’t any twists in the final
moments, with most shows simply being a flight of fantasy promised by
the program’s title. Spielberg’s superb “The
Mission” is often grilled by some viewers for its silly ending,
but how is the episode’s ultimate implication that its
protagonist possessed some sort of psychic power (or “good
luck” as it’s explained) any different than being a more
upbeat contrast over the gloomier “It’s a Good Life”
from Serling’s show? Granted, it didn’t help that many of
the best episodes were front-loaded during its first months on the air,
but I still believe the series deserved better than the
“flop” designation it received shortly after it premiered.
“Amazing Stories” is more upbeat than the ‘Zone and
often looks and sounds like the kind of “Steven Spielberg
Presents” product that its filmmaker was producing back at the
time (“Back to the Future,” “The Goonies,”
“Gremlins,” etc.). Taken on that level it’s
sci-fi/fantasy TV on a grand scale that we sadly don’t see that
much of these days, and I couldn’t recommend it more strongly for
its roster of filmmakers, stars and composers that will likely never be
matched on the small screen again in one creative endeavor.
Here’s a quick guide to the 24 episodes contained on
Universal’s four-disc DVD set:
-GHOST
TRAIN: Spielberg himself directed this premiere episode starring
Roberts Blossom as an old man trying to catch a ghostly freight and
Lukas Haas as his grandson. John Williams’ score contains a
portion of his outstanding “Amazing Stories” theme but the
show, admittedly, isn’t one of the stronger efforts in the series.
-THE
MAIN ATTRACTION: Perfectly-pitched ‘80s high school romp
with John Scott Clough as an obnoxious preppie who receives his just
desserts after a meteorite crashes into his room and subsequently turns
him into a human magnet. Future “Iron Giant” and
“Incredibles” director Brad Bird co-wrote this lightweight
but fitfully amusing story (Bird would also direct the
fondly-remembered “Family Dog” episode of the second
season), directed by Matthew Robbins and amusingly scored by Craig
Safan, whose music plays off the inherent comedy of the episode
perfectly.
-ALAMO
JOBE:
Kelly Reno from “The Black Stallion” plays a young soldier
at the famous battle who crosses over into modern-day 1985. James
Horner’s superb score is the strongest asset of this ultimately
disappointing, dramatically thin episode, which was initially broadcast
with an alternate, more synth-heavy version of the main theme over the
opening intro (on the DVD, however, the usual “Amazing
Stories” credit sequence runs instead).
-MUMMY,
DADDY: An actor playing a mummy gets mistaken for the real thing
while shooting in the backwoods of a local swamp in this send-up/homage
of old Universal classics and modern moviemaking in general.
Unquestionably one of the top episodes of the entire series,
“Mummy, Daddy” is an energetic effort from director William
Dear in which all the pieces fit perfectly together (Earl Pomerantz
scripted from a Spielberg story). Bronson Pinchot is hilarious playing
a very Spielberg-ian director, while Danny Elfman and Steve
Bartek’s manic score fits the action perfectly. Don’t miss
it!
-THE
MISSION: Spielberg’s second (and final) directorial effort
in his series, “The Mission” is a tense, thrilling
hour-long episode with a knockout, outstanding John Williams score and
taut performances from Casey Siezmako, Kevin Costner, and Kiefer
Sutherland among others. Suspenseful and wholly moving at the end, this
is generally regarded as the pinnacle of the series and with good
reason: the music alone commands subsequent viewing.
-THE
AMAZING FALSWORTH: Gregory Hines plays a nightclub entertainer
who crosses paths with a serial killer in a creepy, memorable effort in
the series, atmospherically directed by Peter Hyams and effectively
scored by Billy Goldenberg. The intensity level of this episode forced
NBC to run it on a Tuesday night in a later time slot.
-FINE TUNING:Gentle comic fantasy with Matthew Laberteaux as a teen who
improbably finds aliens in outer space channeling ‘50s TV stars
like Milton Berle (who appears in a cameo as himself). Bob Balaban
directed this charming Earl Pomerantz script, which does a better job
with its extraterrestrials-obsessed-with-Earth-pop-culture premise than
Joe Dante’s feature “Explorers” did on the big screen
that same year.
-MR. MAGIC:
Sid Caesar’s performance as an aging magician who gets a career
reprieve from a magical deck of cards sells this somewhat saccharine
episode, though Bruce Broughton’s score ultimately puts the
script from series co-producers Joshua Brand and John Falsey (directed
by Donald Petrie) over the top.
-GUILT
TRIP: Back
in ‘85 it meant a great deal to see Dom DeLuise and Loni Anderson
in a
TV show directed by Burt Reynolds. While that teaming nowadays would be
fortunate to get an appearance on any
kind of television at all, “Guilt Trip” is still an amusing
comic
confection with Dom’s Guilt falling for Loni’s Love on a
cruise, and
appropriate underscoring provided by Steve Dorff. Not nearly as bad as
it sounds!
-REMOTE CONTROL
MAN:“A Christmas Story” helmer Bob Clark
brings us this mildly amusing comedic episode, better remembered for
its array of cameo appearances (Richard Simmons, Lou Ferrigno, Gary
Coleman, Ed McMahon, Dirk Benedict, Barbara Billingsley) than the story
itself. Forgettable but fun for nostalgia lovers, and Arthur B.
Rubinstein’s score is engaging enough.
-SANTA
‘85: Another of the program’s jewels, “Santa
‘85" boasts tight, effective direction from then-prodigy Phil
Joanou and a magical, snow-covered score by Thomas Newman that’s
unquestionably one of the finest of the entire series. Douglas
Seale’s performance as Santa and Pat Hingle’s portrayal of
a wounded police chief are perfectly modulated, and the payoff is both
emotional and perfect for annual viewing at Christmas time.
-VANESSA
IN THE GARDEN:An
excellent performance from Harvey Keitel distinguishes this low-key and
eloquently directed period piece from director Clint Eastwood. Lennie
Niehaus’ classy score further adds to this sensitively handled
effort, written by Spielberg himself (and why, oh why, did NBC bury
this particular episode between Christmas and New Years?).
-THE
SITTER: Mediocre effort from director Joan Darling stars Mabel
King as a magical sitter to a pair of obnoxious kids (one of which is
essayed by a young Seth Green). Slim and quite a comedown from the
better episodes that premiered before it, “The Sitter” is
still an okay effort from writer Mick Garris and is at least
complimented by a nice Craig Safan score.
-NO DAY AT THE
BEACH:Stark black-and-white cinematography and a good
Leonard Rosenman score help sell this somewhat predictable WWII story
from writer Mick Garris (again working off a Spielberg outline) and
director Lesli Linka Glatter. A young Charlie Sheen and Clancy Brown
are among the stars.
-ONE
FOR THE ROAD: One of the more under-rated efforts of the series,
this is a low-key ensemble piece with superb character actors (James
Cromwell, Joe Pantoliano, Royal Dano, Douglas Seale, Geoffrey Lewis
among them) top-lining a black comedy set in the depression. Jim
Bissell wrote, Thomas Carter directed, and Johnny Mandel satisfyingly
scored this effort, which almost works as a more somber, period
precursor to “Weekend at Bernie’s.” Recommended.
-GATHER
YE ACORNS: Mark Hamill stars as a dreamer convinced by a troll
(David Rappaport from “Time Bandits”) into never disposing
of his youthful possessions. Frequent Spielberg production designer
Norman Reynolds helmed this good-looking but contrived fairy tale with
a false happy ending, though Bruce Broughton’s magical score is
among the series’ best. Incidentally, Forest Whitaker appears as
a collector who helps justify Hamill’s alternative-lifestyle (to
say the least) at the end. -BOO!:
Joe Dante’s first foray into the “Amazing Stories”
canon is an agreeable enough comic fantasy with Eddie Bracken and
Evelyn Keyes as a pair of elderly spirits trying to scare the new,
living homeowners (Dante regulars Robert Picardo and Wendy Schaal) out
of their abode. Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel’s script and
Dante’s direction combine for a moderately entertaining story
that’s sadly lacking the manic energy Dante brought to his
then-recent theatrical hits (i.e. “Gremlins”), though
it’s curious to see the similarities between this and Tim
Burton’s “Beetlejuice,” which would be produced a few
years later. Jerry Goldsmith’s singular “Amazing
Stories” effort is certainly pleasant though unremarkable by the
composer’s high standards of the time.
-DOROTHY AND BEN:
A marvelous performance from Joe Seneca and a gorgeous Georges Delerue
score are among the chief attributes of “Dorothy and Ben,”
one of the finest “Amazing Stories.” Seneca plays a man
recently awakened from a coma who can communicate with a comatose young
girl (Natalie Gregory); Lane Smith is one of the doctors tending to his
precarious situation. Michael deGuzman’s script feels like a good
“Twilight Zone” entry, but with a dose of appropriate
Spielberg-ian sentimentality. Tom Carter’s sensitive direction
paces the story perfectly and Delerue’s beautiful score adds the
perfect layer to a fully satisfying episode.
-MIRROR,
MIRROR:
Martin Scorsese directing an “Amazing Stories” episode
should have been a cause for celebration, but this silly effort with
Sam Waterston as a Stephen King-esque author haunted by one of his own
creations is a huge disappointment. Michael Kamen’s overwrought
score adds a touch of unintentional humor to sequences that should have
been creepy and disturbing, and it’s capped by an ending
that’s downright hysterical...for all the wrong reasons.
-SECRET
CINEMA: Long before “The Truman Show” came this Paul
Bartel-authored and directed tale of a woman being secretly filmed for
the pleasure of a paying, movie-going audience. Bartel laces this
effort with black humor and Billy Goldenberg’s score adds the
appropriate touch, but the premise is ultimately more interesting than
the execution.
-HELL TOUPEE:One of the funniest of the strictly comedic “Amazing
Stories” entries, director Irvin Kershner’s tale of a
toupee on a killing spree is actually very funny, with David
Shire’s score joining in the fun.
-THE
DOLL: Along with “The Mission” and “Mummy,
Daddy,” Richard Matheson’s poignant tale of a lonely man
(John Lithgow) who feels strangely attached to a doll he’s bought
for his niece is easily one of the most satisfying “Amazing
Stories” episodes. Phil Joanou’s direction and
Lithgow’s Emmy-winning performance are aided by a lovely Georges
Delerue score, combining to breathe life into Matheson’s story,
which was in fact initially intended as a “Twilight Zone”
episode over 20 years prior. As it stands, “The Doll” is
easily one of the select “must-view” efforts of the series
and comes unquestionably recommended.
-ONE
FOR THE BOOKS: Not to be confused with “One For the
Road,” this collaboration between director Lesli Linka Glatter
and writer Richard Matheson (adapting his own story) is an intriguing
variation on “Charly” (not to mention later films like
“Phenomenon”). Glenn Paxton’s score, though, proves
to be a disappointment compared to other strong musical efforts in the
series.
-GRANDPA’S
GHOST: Andrew McCarthy gives an excellent performance as a young
man who witnesses a seemingly supernatural occurrence after his beloved
grandfather (Ian Wolfe) passes on, leaving his wife (Herta Ware) alone.
Michael deGuzman scripted from a story by director Timothy Hutton, and
the efforts of the filmmakers and cast -- along with composer Pat
Metheny -- result in a sensitive and satisfying, low-key tale of a
lifelong love.
Universal has also included nearly 20 total minutes of deleted scenes
spread across the four platters. As you may expect, since all but one
of the episodes are 22-24 minutes long, there’s not a whole lot
of content that was edited out of the various episodes. Thus, most of
the cut sequences are culled from a workprint and last about a minute
or less; the lone exceptions are “Grandpa’s Ghost”
(six minutes of deleted scenes) and “Vanessa in the
Garden,” which offers nearly four minutes of excised material,
mostly involving Beau Bridges’ character.
Packaging is superb in Universal’s set, with episode descriptions
and the shows all presented in their proper broadcast order. Hopefully
the studio will step up and release the Second Season of the series
sooner than later, since “Amazing Stories” fans will be
hungering for the rest of the program’s output in a similarly
strong presentation after savoring this excellent DVD release. Bravo!
Also out from Universal this week is the Complete First Season of THE INCREDIBLE
HULK (1977-78, 11 hrs.), which offers both pilot movies
(“The Incredible Hulk” and “Return of the Incredible
Hulk,” aka “A Death in the Family”) and the 10
original episodes from the series’ debut as a midseason
replacement in spring 1978. Among the latter are “The Final
Round,” “Of Guilt, Models and Murder” (guest starring
Loni Anderson), “The Beast Within,” “Terror in Times
Square” (a particular personal favorite), “747" (with its
recycled “Airport” footage), “Never Give a Trucker an
Even Break,” “The Hulk Breaks Las Vegas,” “Life
and Death,” “Earthquakes Happen,” and “The
Waterfront Story.”
The full-screen transfers are all in good condition, as are the 2.0
Dolby Digital mono soundtracks. On the extras side, Universal has
reprieved Kenneth Johnson’s commentary from the 2003 “Hulk
TV Premiere” DVD and included a bonus episode, “Stop the
Presses,” from Season 2.
After watching these highly satisfying packages, here’s hoping
Universal doesn’t wait too long in giving us the second seasons
of both “Amazing Stories” and the “Hulk.”
Absolutely recommended for summer-time, nostalgic TV viewing! Bruce X 2: Two Campbell
Series on DVD!
Between Bruce Campbell’s energetic and wry performance as the
title hero, to the stirring music by Randy Edelman, THE ADVENTURES OF
BRISCO COUNTY, JR. (1993-94, 27 Episodes, 1385 mins., Warner Home Video)
was a highly entertaining series that deserved better than its
one-season Fox network run.
Campbell starred in the Jeffrey Boam/Carlton Cuse-created program as a
Harvard-educated cowboy who, along with faithful horse Comet, travels
the land searching for the men who murdered his father and -- along
with a sidekick (Julius Carry) who was once his rival -- trying to
obtain a mysterious Orb with all kinds of supernatural enhancements
attached.
This eclectic mix of western-adventure, comedy, and “Wild Wild
West”-styled sci-fi was embraced by critics and the few fans the
series attracted during its one and only season. Face it, between Fox
having only a few legitimate hits on the air at the time (“The
X-Files” launched simultaneously with “Brisco”), a
wacky title, and the western genre being long dormant,
“Brisco” had the odds stacked against it from the beginning.
The good news is that the series has held up beautifully, with Campbell
playing marvelously off a superb supporting cast, from John Astin to
Billy Drago (as resident bad guy John Bly), Christian Clemenson as
Brisco’s lawyer-pal Socrates Poole, the under-rated Kelly
Rutherford (later of “Melrose Place”) as showgirl Dixie
Cousins, not to mention a slew of NFL veterans in the two-part finale
“High Treason.” The cast is fun and the writing is a grand,
goofy mix of genres that enables Campbell to play to his comedic best.
Visually, the show had to have been reasonably pricey to produce, since
it looks good even today, and is topped off by an infectious Randy
Edelman theme that’s been used for years on various NBC sporting
events.
Warner’s eight-disc box set houses not just the complete,
27-episode series but also a number of supplements that are worth every
penny of the DVD’s $70-or-thereabouts price tag. Campbell
contributes a commentary track with Carlton Cuse on the pilot in
addition to fun episode synopses in the liner notes. What’s more,
“The History of Brisco County” recounts the production with
interviews with Campbell, Cuse, Rutherford, Carry, and Clemenson, while
“Tools of the Trade: Brisco Lore” and “Brisco’s
Book of Coming Things” offer narrated featurette galleries
touching upon the show’s engaging back story and modern
references. A writer’s panel is on-hand in “A Brisco County
Writer’s Room Roundtable” and “A Reading from the
Book of Bruce” finds our star narrating a section from his book
“If Chins Could Kill,” reading a section pertaining
(obviously) to the series.
The full-screen transfers and fairly robust 2.0 Dolby Stereo tracks are
in excellent condition, and the supplements -- along with the quality
of the show itself -- make for one of the year’s best TV on DVD
releases, a must for fans and a strongly recommended view for everyone
else. Giddy up!
Undaunted by the disappointing ratings of “Brisco,”
Campbell returned to TV for another short-lived period series, JACK OF ALL
TRADES (2000; 22 Episodes; Universal), which was syndicated by
Universal along with the fun, if not forgettable, “Cleopatra
2525" in the same “Action Pack” hour.
Campbell is the whole show in this comical send-up, with Bruce starring
as a Jack, an agent for Thomas Jefferson sent to a small South Pacific
island to combat Napoleon with the help of a beautiful British agent
(Angela Dotchin).
Since Napoleon is played by Mini-Me himself, Verne Troyer, you can
pretty much guess where “Jack of All Trades” is coming
from. And, indeed, make no mistake: this ridiculous lark isn’t
nearly as much fun as “Brisco County, Jr.,” with next to no
actual drama being established across the 22 half-hour episodes (only
22 minutes each with commercials extracted). The humor is slapstick in
nature and likewise not as effective as Campbell’s sagebrush
saga, though nearly each show has a chuckle here or there at least.
Instead, this is silly fluff that Campbell sells and sells hard, a
hit-or-miss effort (produced by Campbell’s pals Sam Raimi and Rob
Tapert) that’s nevertheless worth a look for hard-core Bruce
devotees.
Universal’s three-disc set includes all 22 episodes of the series
in satisfying full-screen transfers and 2.0 Dolby Surround stereo. Real Life Drama!
My wife would never rank as a candidate for inclusion on this series
(things went well for us last month, thankfully), but take it from
someone who’s seen just how the wedding “industry”
works: the “WE” Channel’s BRIDEZILLAS
(Seasons 1 and 2; 329 and 375 mins., 2003-05; Genius Products) comes
across as an accurate depiction of real-life brides on the rampage as
their wedding day approaches.
Now, as crazy
as some of the behavior exhibited throughout the show may seem to
someone who hasn’t been involved in one of these shindigs, I can
fully sympathize with some of the brides-to-be shown here who have to
put up with manic “wedding planners,” florists who fail to
deliver on time, dress makers who haven’t a clue, and stubborn
family members with plans of their own. It’s one thing to be
disappointed when someone fails to deliver on their promises -- but
it’s quite another when said individual is being paid by the
thousands to do their job. (At our wedding last month, most of our
vendors were tremendous, but a certain smooth-talking wedding manager
turned out to be more of a con man than a hard worker...and nobody on
his staff even saw fit to get either my wife or I beverages as the
evening progressed!).
Not that some of the manic behavior is entirely warranted: one of my
favorite “Bridezillas” is a certain southerner named
Patricia (yes, I had to watch this show at my then-fiancee’s
request last year!) who misguidedly places all of her trust in a
planner named Ramona, who generally looks like she’s just cashing
a check and sits around, failing to “plan” much of
anything. Patricia later flakes out in what has to be the highpoint of
Seasons 1 and 2 of “Bridezillas,” which Genius Products has
just released in a pair of double-disc DVD editions.
Collecting the complete first and second seasons of the show,
“Bridezillas” is one of the better reality series simply
because it, well, feels REAL. The series does a good job documenting
the trials and tribulations most modern couples face, and a lot of the
time the various “bridal meltdowns” are nothing more than
misunderstandings that are quickly cleared up (and common to any
wedding, albeit to varying degrees).
The full-screen transfers and stereo soundtracks are fine, and Season 2
adds in some additional scenes; supplements otherwise are comprised of
the same WE TV spot and Season 3 sneak preview on both sets.
Recommended, especially AFTER you’ve lived through one of these
events! Recent TV on DVD From
Buena Vista & More
THE SUITE
LIFE OF ZACK & CODY: Taking Over The Tipton (90 mins., Disney) THAT’S
SO RAVEN: Raven’s Makeover Madness (90 mins., Disney): The
popular Disney channel “tween” sitcoms receive another
round of DVD releases this week. “Suite Life of Zack &
Cody” offers four shows from the series, with special guests
Jesse McCartney (today’s Davy Jones I’m guessing) and Zac
Efron, one of which has yet to be broadcast; while “That’s
So Raven” similarly contains a program that has yet to air, with
four shows from the program comprising the disc. Both discs contain
colorful full-screen transfers and 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtracks, with
“Zack & Cody” also boasting a behind-the-scenes
featurette while “Raven” contains a trivia quiz for its
young fans.
TSOTSI (***,
2005, 94 mins., R; Miramax/Buena Vista): 2005's Oscar-winner for
Foreign Language Film, “Tsotsi” is a powerful tale from
South African filmmaker Gavin Hood, following a young urban gang leader
on the streets of Johannesburg (played by Presley Chweneyagae).
Hood’s modern interpretation of a novel by Athol Fugard offers
its initially repellent lead character a chance for salvation by his
discovery of a baby in the backseat of a carjacked auto; strong
performances and taut direction from Hood compensate for a somewhat
thin narrative that feels a bit manipulative, but nevertheless pulls
you in. Miramax’s DVD includes both deleted scenes and alternate
endings with commentary from Hood; a feature commentary track with the
director; a Making Of featurette, and the filmmaker’s short movie
“The Storekeeper.” The 16:9 (2.35) transfer and 5.1 Dolby
Digital sound are both excellent, with the movie offered in its native
language with both English and Spanish subtitles. New From Tartan
CELLO (2005,
92 mins., R, Tartan): South Korean chiller with Sung-Hyun-Ah as
a musician who has nightmares and believes the supernatural is after
her family following an accident that claimed the life of her friend.
Scares that have become, by now, well-worn cliches in Asian horror mar
this otherwise sturdy, if predictable, chiller, which Tartan has done a
splendid job packaging on DVD. The label’s disc offers subtitled
commentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette, the original trailer and a
TV spot, plus English and Spanish subtitles. As usual with
Tartan’s releases, the disc sports 5.1 DTS and Dolby Digital
soundtracks as well as a strong 16:9 (1.85) widescreen transfer.
THE HIDDEN
BLADE (2004, 132 mins., R, Tartan, available August 8th):
Exciting samurai drama about a warrior named Munezo, sent to
assassinate a former friend after a failed political coup. Yoji
Yamada’s epic film was well-received in Japan, where it was
nominated for some 12 Japanese Academy Awards, but failed to make a lot
of noise on this side of the pond, despite receiving generally
enthusiastic reviews. Tartan’s excellent DVD presentation
includes an a 1.85 (16:9) transfer with 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS sound
(preserving a fine score by Isao Tomita), a behind-the-scenes
featurette, international premiere footage and both Japanese and U.S.
trailers. New & Recent on DVD
30 DAYS (Fox,
2005, 270 minutes): Morgan Spurlock -- best known as the
star-director behind “Super Size Me” -- took to the small
screen in this insightful, refreshing F/X cable series, with Spurlock
meeting a diverse array of people across America and chronicling their
respective situations. The episode where a young homophobic man goes to
San Fransisco and works in the Castro District is fascinating, as is
another show where Spurlock and his fiancee try to maintain a budget on
minimum wage jobs. Commentary on selected episodes and a “Diary
Cam” add to Fox’s two-disc package, which sports
full-screen transfers and 2.0 Dolby Stereo soundtracks. Recommended!
BLACKBALLED:
The Bobby Dukes Story (**½, 91 mins., Shout Factory):
“Daily Show” regular Rob Corddry plays a disgraced
paintballer who returns to the sport after a 10-year ban, only to find
his pastime being over-hyped by marketing firms and his teammates
unwilling to join him. This Brant Sersen-directed
“mockumentary” tries doing for paintball what Christopher
Guest’s ersatz documentaries did for, say, dog shows and rock
groups, and there are numerous belly laughs scattered across
“Blackballed.” Sadly, the feature tends to run out of gas
about midway through, and some of the obviously-improvised bits come
across as tired and forced. Nevertheless, “Blackballed” has
enough hits to outweigh its misfired gags, with Shout Factory’s
DVD including outtakes, deleted scenes, and two commentary tracks. The
non-anamorphic 1.85 transfer will disappoint some viewers. NEXT
TIME: The first discs of August (not
already!!), including I'LL ALWAYS KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, ROAD
HOUSE 2, and More!Don't
forget
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any emails to the
link
above and
we'll catch you
then. Cheers everyone!
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Dursin