The Balcony Is Closed: Roger Ebert's Farewell to Ebert & Roeper

Gene and me in the 1980s. Looking at this photograph by Chicago's Victor Skrebneski, Gene said, "Even our mothers don't think we look that good."(Photo by Victor Skrebneski)

From Roger Ebert's Journal in The Chicago Sun-Times, published July 24, 2008. Scroll below for some hilarious (and R-rated) outtakes from Siskel and Ebert, circa 1987.

By Roger Ebert

I was surprised how depressed I felt all day on July 21, when Richard and I announced we were leaving the "Ebert and Roeper" program. To be sure, our departures were voluntary. We hadn't been fired. And because of my health troubles, I hadn't appeared on the show for two years. But I advised on co-hosts, suggested movies, stayed in close communication with Don DuPree, our beloved producer-director. The show remained in my life. Now, after 33 years, it was gone--taken in a "new direction." And I was fully realizing what a large empty space it left behind.Yes, we're planning to continue the traditional format in a new venue, and taking the thumbs along with us. I'm involved in that, and it will be a great consolation. But somehow I thought the show Gene Siskel and I began would roll on forever. How many other TV formats had survived so long?

I sat in my chair and day-dreamed. I remembered a Saturday afternoon, it must have been the winter of 1975-76, when Gene and I were eating hamburgers in Oxford's Pub on Lincoln Av. with Thea Flaum, a young woman who would produce the show for WTTW, the Chicago PBS station. You didn't read her name in the news coverage of our departures, but she was the real "creator" of the show, as TV uses that term.

She told us she would build a balcony for us, and sit us across the aisle from one another. She told us we couldn't wear suits and ties--no one wore them to the movies. She came up with the idea of Spot the Wonder Dog. The show was monthly at first. On Sunday afternoons before a taping, we would separately sit across her dining room table from her and rehearse our scripts. We had "discussion points" we tried to memorize.

We were bad at that. If one guy dropped a discussion point, the other guy got mad. "We can't remember these points," Gene said, "but we can talk to each other." During that first season (the show was called "Opening Soon at a Theater Near You"), the final format took shape. In the pub that day, Thea told us, "You boys have no idea how far this show is going to go. One day you'll be in national syndication. You'll be making real money. You wait and see."

Her prophecy came true. The day we fully realized it in our guts, I think, was the first time we were invited to appear with Johnny Carson. We were scared out of our minds. We'd been briefed on likely questions by one of the show's writers, but moments before airtime he popped his head into the dressing room and said, "Johnny may ask you for some of your favorite movies this year."

Gene and I stared at each other in horror. "What was one of your favorite movies this year?" he asked me. "Gone With the Wind," I said. The Doc Severinsen orchestra had started playing the famous "Tonight Show" theme. Neither one of us could think of a single movie. Gene called our office in Chicago. "Tell me some movies we liked this year," he said. This is a true story.

We began to catch on. Jack Nicholson told Gene, "Harry Dean Stanton called me and said there were a couple of guys discussing movies on TV and they didn't even look like they should be on TV." We didn't. Tall and thin, short and fat. Laurel and Hardy. We were parodied on SNL and by Bob Hope and Danny Thomas and, the ultimate honor, in the pages of Mad magazine.

One thing we never did, apart from an occasional special show, was depart from the format: Two critics debating the week's new movies. No "advance looks" at trailers for movies we hadn't even seen. No celebrity interviews. No red carpet sound bites. Just two guys talking about the movies. At one point, our show and two clones were on the air simultaneously. Then we were left alone again: The only show on TV that would actually tell you if we thought a movie was bad. There was one improvement; we retired Spot (and his successor, Aroma the Educated Skunk) to free up a segment for another review. I remember when we jumped to commercial syndication at Tribune Entertainment, and our new producer Joe Antelo, backed us in reviewing movies by Fassbinder, Truffaut, Herzog--"those guys. Where else they gonna hear about them?"
Did Gene and I hate each other? Yes. Did we love each other? Yes. Somehow an outtake from a promo session has found its way on YouTube, where in a single take you can see us bitterly sniping at one another and then happily joking together. It was like that. "You have the entire staff in terror of you," I told him. "That's funny," he said. "That's what they tell me about you." We were both terrible to work with. And great to work with.

We went to New Orleans for the national convention of syndicated TV. Tribune had been slow in renewing our contract. Leaving our hotel, we ran into Jamie Bennett, an executive Gene knew from Chicago. Jamie asked how we were doing. "Working without a contract," Gene said. "Let's have dinner," Jamie said, and on the spot he talked us into leaving Tribune and becoming the first program of the new Buena Vista syndication division.

Disney was great to work with. Everyone called everyone else by their first name, even the president, Michael Eisner. The wonderful Mary Kellogg was put in charge of our show, and was our cheerleader and den mother. Rich Frank was president of the Walt Disney Studio. When he gave a speech, he took along a reel of clips showing Gene and me trashing movies he had produced. Great jollity. Disney never once objected to our negative review of one of their pictures. Great class.

I began to notice that Gene, who had a laser-like intelligence, remembered every phone number he had ever heard and could do square roots in his head, started getting things out of order. Before a Jay Leno taping in Chicago, he closed himself in a dark room with a splitting headache. But he went to the Bulls game that night. I left the next day for the Cannes festival, where I got a phone call: Gene was sick, was in New York for treatment. He went through the agonies of hell during that final year, but he was heroic, and taped a show barely a week before his death. I missed him terribly. I still do.

We carried on, as I believe Gene would have wanted us to do. Many critics filled the other chair, some gifted, some strange. One guy, in introducing himself, couldn't remember where he worked. I agreed with all the staff members that Richard Roeper was our choice. People thought he was chosen because we both worked at the Sun-Times. That had nothing to do with it--it worked against him, in fact. When the time came that I had to be replaced, Michael Phillips of the Tribune and A. O. Scott of the New York Times were my suggestions.

Now the time has come to awake from my daydream. That's all history--treasured history, but past and gone, all the same. I remember what Gene said to me in that dressing room before the Carson Show: "Roger, we're a couple of kids from the Midwest. We don't belong here."

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ONE DAY LIKE RAIN: Review by Terry Keefe

If you’re looking for a mind-altering cinematic experience this Friday night (that being July 25th) in Los Angeles, get thee to the screening of One Day Like Rain at the Dances With Films festival, pilgrim. I saw this second feature by director Paul Todisco somewhere in the neighborhood of a year ago at an early screening at Panavision. As you can imagine, I see a great deal of independent films, many of which never even make it to DVD. A common thread of what’s lacking in the glut of indie features, and has been for well over a decade, is that their creators have forgotten the best reason for making a film outside the studio system in the first place….to make a film that the studios would never frigging make, and to make it well. Todisco’s One Day Like Rain is on many levels for me everything that an indie feature should be: ballsy, experimental, and also pretty damn entertaining. In an earlier capsule review from last year, I compared ODLR to Donnie Darko, early David Lynch, and in particular, The Man Who Fell to Earth, a film which Todisco tips the hat clearly to. ODLR shares similarities to all of the aforementioned, in that it’s a sci-fi/fantasy story told with very little narrative exposition, a choice which I love. You’re thrown right into the storyline and have to catch up with the characters as they go about their own personal journeys, figuring out what’s going on without anyone ever explaining it onscreen, at least in a speech of any sort. Todisco provides enough breadcrumbs for you to assemble the larger storyline on your own though, but it takes work. I found the process rewarding, although I’m positive there are many, including avid filmgoers who should know better, who will simply be lost. The story is there and I found myself riveted to the screen as it unfolded. I can’t believe I’m about to quote Oliver Stone’s The Doors here, but there’s that opening scene when Jim Morrison is getting classroom feedback in film school to one of his avant-garde shorts and one of his defenders shouts to a group of detractors, “You want your art spoon fed to you!” And, likewise, if you’re one who likes everything tied up in a bow at the end, and in the beginning, and in the middle, this film isn’t for you. But there are many who it will simply rock for.

Samantha Figura

In a nutshell, the story follows a Southern California teen named Gina (Samantha Figura) who is growing up in suburban track home hell. As the tale unfolds, we learn that Gina isn’t exactly what she appears to be, and while we are never told exactly what she is, there are indications that she may be an alien visitor on earth with strong metaphysical powers. Gina speaks frequently with her definitely human pal Jennifer about her “master plan to save the world,” and while we never really learn the exact specifics of that plan, Gina seems to know them intimately, as she begins constructing some type of device made largely of giant crystals in her basement. Soon, an alternate reality of sorts starts to bleed into the world as we know it, and it becomes apparent that Gina may be bringing about the end of the world….in order to save it, in her eyes at least. Once again, much of what Gina is doing specifically is left open to interpretation, and therein lies the beauty. The film requires a great deal of mental participation from the audience, and its deliberate ambiguity would never work if Todisco and company didn’t deliver on the mood-setting visuals, editing, and sound design. At first glance, the suburban milieu looks appropriately bland, as in reality, and then you realize that it looks even blander than reality, by design, although a very subtle design. Which makes for a starker contrast with the metaphysical world that Gina’s machinations brings into confrontation with. It’s been a while since I saw the film, so specific songs escape me, but Todisco has peppered the soundtrack with some obscure but tasty 80s New Wave nuggets, all of which add a further otherworldly feel to a film which certainly isn’t a period piece.

The world of One Day Like Rain (below).

Todisco previously directed the feature Blowin’ Smoke (which had the much better festival title of Freak Talks About Sex), and which starred Steve Zahn. He has also written scripts for Bryan Singer (drafts of the Logan’s Run remake) and Guy Ritchie (I believe he and Ethan Gross were uncredited, but the actual writers, on Revolver), correct me if I’m wrong.

I have never done drugs and don’t advocate their use, but I keep thinking ODLR might be a Biblical experience on mushrooms or blotter acid. Those of you more daring in the audience can let me know if I’m correct.

SCREENING INFO:
When: Friday Jul 25, 2008
at 7:15 PM
Where: Sunset 5
8000 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, California

ONE DAY LIKE RAIN MySpace

Director Paul Todisco

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Donal MacIntyre does time with A VERY BRITISH GANGSTER

Gangster Dominic Noonan flanked by two of his "boys."

by Alex Simon

Born in Dublin in 1966, Irish filmmaker Donal MacIntyre made a name for himself as Britain's most daring investigative journalist, whose bold exposes have won him many awards and plaudits. His adventures have also put him in harm's way more than once, and over the last six years, he has endured death threats, kidnapping attempts, assaults, and been forced to live in safe houses with bodyguards after adrenaline-fueled reports from hot spots such as Beirut, Bosnia, the Congo, Belfast, and Burma. It was Donal's ten years of undercover work for the BBC, ITV, Sky and Five in the UK, which sealed his reputation as a reporter who was unafraid to venture where few dared to tread.

In this guise, Donal has tackled issues from old age home scandals to international trade in endangered animals, to the trafficking of sex slaves into Britain and illicit arms trading in Eastern Europe, to name but a few. Think of Donal as a more youthful version of 60 Minutes veteran Mike Wallace, and you get the picture: a man full of boundless curiosity, who is unafraid to go anywhere, face any potential interview subject, or ask any question, even if it means his life.

Donal MacIntyre's documentary feature debut comes in the form of A Very British Gangster, a fly-on-the-wall portrait of notorious Manchester gang boss Dominic Noonan, who legally changed his name to Lattlay Fottfoy, an acronym for the family motto: "Look after those that look after you, fuck off those that fuck off you."

A documentary that is chock full of the drama which defines fictional gangster classics such as The Godfather Trilogy and Goodfellas, A Very British Gangster was filmed over a three year period in the tough nothern English city which, as Dominic Noonan himself says "By day is run by the police, and by night is run by gangsters." The film opens in New York and L.A. July 18.

Donal MacIntyre spoke to us recently about his latest foray into the drama of truth, and vice-versa. Here's what was said:

How did you first learn about Dominic Noonan and his gang in Manchester?
The Noonan family were famous in the North West of England for their antics. They were famous for their security/drug operation at the Hacienda night club and their gangland peace keeping operations in Manchester - a well-known hub of crime in the UK.

You spent three years "embedded" with the Noonans in Manchester. When you initially met Dom, he said that his brother wanted to kill you, and you were threatened several times during the filming yourself, with one of the kids even saying he'd beat you senseless just "for the rush." At any time, did you feel in danger during your time with the Noonans?
I was nervous but maybe not truly terrified although it is all of a blur now. My greatest fear was an ethical one - that we might hear orwitness something that we would be bound or morally required (if not legally) to report. It was a very difficult film to make because of this. We felt that our team of robust current affairs journalists were up to the task...and my war zone experience and that of my producers also helped enormously in this regard.

A related question: how did you manage to gain Dom's trust so much and get him to reveal himself to you as he did? How did you gain the trust of his "boys" for the same?
When I first met Dominic he was at a low ebb. He was facing a major spell in prison for another drug trial and it looked very bad. He thought he was going down and thought that he would spend the rest of his adult life in jail. He used me as a confessional or a video last will and testament, and then he got off and the conversation continued. I always said that I would be fair to his world and that this was not a covert operation but he was warned that anything he said could be taken by the police as evidence. I had spent over ten years undercover on various assignments putting criminals like Dominic in jail with my evidence so it was a significant trust issue for him. In relation to the young men - Dominic’s imprimatur was important and they also knew me as an investigative reporter on TV, which gave me a bit of traction and connection to them.

One thing that struck me the first time I saw the film was that this was a classic ghetto story. In the States we're not used to seeing white faces in ghetto stories, yet the problems ghetto kids face are really universal, aren't they?
That is a very interesting point you make. The story is universal - white black, Asian etc. Their experience and links between poverty, crime, parenthood are clear. This is a world of children living lives foretold. When the film was shown at the Cognac Film Festival, it won the Grand Prix and the Police Jury award. The jury of senior officers fro around the world recognized the same dysfunctional dynamics in cites from Turin, Marseilles to Manchester with the same community fixers and gangland low rent and dangerous antics. The Manchester Police tried to ban the show while filming was in progress because they were afraid that the show was about them. Their court action was rejected by the High Court in London. The background to this is that I was one of the architects of the secret policeman an undercover investigation into the Manchester Police training school where evidence of recruits using racial slurs and wearing Ku Klux Klan hoods was exposed in a BAFTA award winning investigation. The Manchester police put me under investigation because they knew we had a recruit undercover but didn't know who. It was fair that some in the force had bad blood with me. Nonetheless since they have been very co-operative on other investigations I have done for television. The tension we have is one that journalists should have with the Police - like I have with Dominic - fair and reasonable but not a subservient or a poodle.

Director Donal MacIntyre.

Dominic is a parade of contradictions: swaggeringly macho, yet openly gay; foul-mouthed, sin-eating, yet devoutly Catholic; unrepentantly brutal and violent, yet very loving and gentle with those he cares for, particularly the kids who follow him. What were your impressions of his very complex psychology?
He is a very bright and very damaged individual. Charming and dangerous - the type of character who would be running a top finance house if given middle class opportunities, I have no doubt. The ability to run a major crime firm and avoid conviction on so many crimes with such overwhelming evidence against him demonstates a smartness and deftness that is remarkable.

Like The Godfather character that Brando played, Dominic is both a criminal on one hand, but a public servant on the other. He seems to serve the community in a way that police and public officials can't. What does it say when the city of Manchester shuts down during the funeral of a renowned gangster? Would this happen for a murdered cop, or public official?
It was significant that the city stops for the funeral of a hitman. I can say that it would not stop for the funeral of a policeman or pastor - but that community came out of fear and respect and sometimes friendship and loyalty. The brass band was made up of mostly retired police and firemen and Desmond, the deceased, had given to the firemen funds when they were on strike. The two tier justice system is something you expect in Little Italy, in prison or in Northern Ireland when the IRA ran a similar alternative justice system under the radar of the establishment. This system has just been acknowledged by Chief Inspector Matt Baggott of the Association of Chief Police Officers in the UK who has accepted for the fist time that some communities go to people like Dominic ahead of them. It is a remarkable admission in this day and age. I did an additional piece on the BBC for my radio show: www.bbc.co.uk/fiivelive/donal Macintyre. The pictures we filmed are the first time this phenomenon was photographed although it had been much discussed - seeing is believing.

Again, like the characters in classic gangster films, Dominic and his band have a very clear moral code, very black and white, whereas those of us in law-abiding society must deal with shades of grey on a daily basis. Is it possible that their world has a greater clarity than our own?
Well he sees the world in black and white when it suits him. Although he has so-called "gangster family values," he does operate in the grey when it comes to religion and his use of confession. I am sure that the rules of confession were not designed to be used like that.

It's fascinating, ironic and quite brilliant that Dominic decided to enter the very fields that help put him behind bars: security and banking! Your thoughts on this. Some would say that that world is full of criminals, too. Clearly he was going to take advantage of his banking prowess for some ill-gotten gain, but much of what he did overtly was to annoy the police and send them a message wrapped up in irony and a smirk.

How does Dominic feel about the film and about you? Several times in the film in voice-over, you refer to him as things like "a dangerous racketeer," and so on. Was he upset about this?
In the film we do not take a moral stance - we do not call him a bad man - we simply and factually report his crimes and his deeds -these descriptions were factual and he had no problems with it. Some people wanted me to take a moral position with him in the film but I simply wanted to report and reveal his world without an editorial prism from current affairs or news which requires balance and alternative views. It is very much a social documentary - an historical slice of life - but it is also a picture of one community and their world and that was my aim and intention to depict. It is a very tradional Fred Wiseman documentary with influences from Studs Terkel, In Cold Blood, and Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. These images went through my head when I was on the ground in Manchester.

When the two boys are fishing and discussing what they'd be willing to go to prison over, it struck me that it's the same sort of conversation a middle class kid like me had with his friends at that age, discussing what we'd be willing to join the army over. Prison to them is as acceptable as joining the military for people like us, whereas to us, the idea of prison isn't even on our radars.
You are right. But do note the stands of loyalty and honor from (Dominic's son) Bugsy - "to help my family," but alson note that Bugsy also was smart enough to suggest that he would get other people to do his dirty work like his dad. That is my favorite scene in the film, when we set up the crane and just filmed the guys. The last bit in the crane shot is in-sync...their language is wonderful and a joy for any apiring Manchester Beckett watching.


Dominic Noonan (left) and director Donal MacIntyre (right).

Another thought I had while watching the film: if it weren't Dominic influencing these kids, it would be someone else. You can take Dom out of the picture, but he'll just be replaced. It's the sociology of the ghetto, and that's that.
Their are plenty of dubious role models out there in place of Dominic. In fact young Paul really did descend into personal chaos after he left Dominic's scene. As imperfect as he was, he was still a better role model than most around.

What's happened to Dominic and the other "characters" in the film over the last two years since you completed filming?
Dominic and most of his cohorts remain in jail. Bugsy has a girlfriend and is now in the same special school that Dominic was in 30 years ago. He is doing well in sports there by all accounts. I am in contact wihth him. Dominic continues to appeal his guilty verdict.

Let's talk about your background. You made your bones as an investigative journalist before you started making films.
Yes. I am primarily a current affairs reporter having spent most of my working life investigating and making edgy shows for some of Britain's broadcasters, including the BBC. I also have done a lot of antropology and adventure shows for my soul and fun, which oddly helped me recognise the tribal qualities of the Manchester world. In addition, I write for newspapers. My old boss said I operated best when my life was under threat and I feel he probably is right.

Trailer for A Very British Gangster.

On that note, you are renowned as Britain's top investigative journalist who's made a name for himself by putting yourself in harm's way more than once. What's the most dangerous situation you've found yourself in thus far, and why do you keep putting yourself in these situations? Do you, like Dominic's kids, get off on the "pure adrenalin rush"?
It's funny, an ex-boyfirend of my wife said that marrying was my most dangerous assignment yet. That may be true...

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William Shatner's "Rocket...Man..."

A bit of hubris from pop history, circa 1978. Enjoy!

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DVD PLAYHOUSE: JULY 2008

DVD PLAYHOUSE JULY/AUG. 2008
By
Allen Gardner

MISHIMA: A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS (Criterion) Paul Schrader’s masterful, visually-stunning look at controversial author and playwright Yukio Mishima (Ken Ogata, superb), a tortured genius of the highest order whose demons collided in a dramatic act of self-destruction. Part biography, part allegory, with heavy doses of fantasy and surrealism, Mishima is a masterful work by one of cinema’s greatest artists. 2 disc set bonuses include: English and Japanese voice-overs, by Roy Scheider and Ken Ogata; Commentary by Schrader and producer Alan Poul; Trailer; Interviews with cast, crew and Mishima scholars; Archival interview with Mishima; BBC documentary on Mishima. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 surround. Also, Criterion releases Mishima’s rarely-seen short PATRIOTISM, which foreshadowed the author’s own death in its portrait of a Japanese army officer who commits ritual suicide by seppuku. Contains both the English and Japanese versions of the film, both from 1966. Bonuses: Audio recording of Mishima speech; Documentary on film’s production; Interviews with Mishima. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION (City Lights) Delightful coming-of-age story set in 1970s Brazil, follows a young boy living in Sao Paulo during the height of the country’s soccer craze, as Pele led the national team to World Cup victory. Honest portrait of adolescence is refreshingly sweet-natured and lacking in the bitterness that seems to lurk in so many films of the genre that have been made of late. Bonuses: Featurette; Interviews with cast and crew; Extended scenes and outtakes; Trailers. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
THE FURIES (Criterion) One of director Anthony Mann’s great Freudian westerns of the 1950s, based on Niven Busch’s novel (which is included with the DVD), stars Barbara Stanwyck as the strong-willed daughter of a megalomaniacal rancher (Walter Huston, in his last role) who clashes with her father over virtually everything. Heavy-handed somewhat by today’s standards, but if looked at through the lens of the time in which it was made (1950), it’s a masterpiece, years ahead of its time. Bonuses: Commentary by film historian Jim Kitses; Interview with Mann; Archival 1931 interview with Huston; Interview with Nina Mann, the director’s daughter; Photo gallery; Trailer. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
BEFORE THE RAIN (Criterion) The first film made in the independent Republic of Macedonia, director Milcho Manchevski’s drama crosscuts between the stories of an orthodox Christian monk (Gregoire Colin), a British photo agent (the late Katrin Cartlidge, sorely missed), and a Macedonian photojournalist (Rade Serbedzija). Shot during the height of the war in the Balkans, the film is a powerful document of man’s inhumanity to man. Bonuses: Commentary by Manchevski and film scholar Annette Insdorf; Interview with Serbedzija; Documentary short about film’s production; Behind-the-scenes footage, photos and storyboards; Music video. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 surround.
DRILLBIT TAYLOR: EXTENDED SURVIVAL EDITION (Paramount) Owen Wilson plays a slacker solider of fortune who tries to teach self-defense and self-confidence to a group of nerdy kids who finds themselves the targets of school bullies. Some cute moments in what is essentially a one-joke premise. Would have made a great “SNL” sketch, but simply doesn’t have enough substance for a movie that runs 109 minutes! Features extra footage, not shown in theaters. Bonuses: Commentary by writers and filmmakers; 13 deleted and extended scenes; Gag reel; Five featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
THE SWORD IN THE STONE: 45th ANNIVERSARY EDITION (Disney) Charming animated retelling of the King Arthur legend follows young “Wart” as he is schooled by sage Merlin the magician in the ways which will make him grow into England’s greatest king. Timeless classic sure to be enjoyed by all ages. Bonuses: Interactive game; Animated shorts; Disney song collection; Featurettes; Trailers. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
ANDRE TECHINE: 4 FILM COLLECTION (Lions Gate) Four films from the French master, starting with HOTEL AMERICA, a riveting romantic drama starring Catherine Deneuve as a physician who falls into a self-destructive affair with an unstable man (Patrick Deware). I DON’T KISS stars Manuel Blanc (who won the Cesar Award for his performance) as a naïve young man who enters the world of gay prostitution in Paris. MY FAVORITE SEASON tells the story of an estranged brother and sister (Deneuve and Daniel Auteuil) drawn together after their mother’s stroke. WILD REEDS is considered by many to be Techine’s masterpiece, a coming-of-age drama set during the Algerian war that follows four teens in Provence and their divergent political and personal viewpoints. All are widescreen, Dolby 2.0 mono.
NEVER FOREVER (Arts Alliance America) Vera Farmiga stars as a housewife who enters into an affair with a Korean immigrant to make up for her lack of ability to conceive a child with her husband (David McInnis). What begins as a casual affair, soon turns into love. Powerful, understated drama, with fine turns from an expert cast. Bonuses: Deleted scenes; Blooper reel; Featurette. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 stereo.
WAR GAMES: 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION (MGM/Fox) John Badham’s engaging film succeeds both as a coming-of-age drama and a nail-biting thriller. When a teenage computer geek (Matthew Broderick) accidentally hacks into the Defense Department’s war computer, he inadvertently initiates WW III between the U.S. and Russia! Fine support from Ally Sheedy, John Wood and Dabney Coleman, and watch out for Michael Madsen in his film debut in the film’s opening! Bonuses: Documentary; Three featurettes; Photo gallery; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
21 (Sony) Mostly-successful film (based on fact) about a group of MIT students who, looking for a way to pay their rising tuition, hatch a daring plot to break every casino in Vegas through an ingenious system of counting cards invented by the group’s ringleader (Jim Sturgess). Kate Bosworth provides attractive support and veteran thespians Laurence Fishburne and Kevin Spacey raise the game up several notches with their seemingly-effortless presence. Bonuses: Filmmaker commentary; Three featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
THE TYRONE POWER MATINEE IDOL COLLECTION (20th Century Fox) Ten films on five discs, all double-features, from one of the cinema’s most dashing leading men: GIRLS’ DORMITORY is a 1938 college comedy paired with CAFÉ METROPOLE, another comedy with Power as a con man wooing the ladies by posing as a Russian prince; LOVE IS NEWS co-stars Power with Don Ameche and Loretta Young and THAT WONDERFUL URGE features Power teaming with Gene Tierney and Reginald Gardiner in another romantic comedy. THIS ABOVE ALL stars Power in one of his first dramas as an embittered U.S. soldier finding love with English rose Joan Fontaine. SECOND HONEYMOON stars Power with Loretta Young in a sweeping romance. DAY-TIME WIFE stars Power with Linda Darnell in another romantic pairing, and JOHNNY APOLLO features Power as a good-hearted guy who turns gangster, much to the chagrin of girlfriend Dorothy Lamour. THE LUCK OF THE IRISH teams Power with Anne Baxter and Cecil Kellaway, and I’LL NEVER FORGET YOU, co-stars Power with Ann Blyth and Michael Rennie. Bonuses: Four featurettes on Power; Deleted scenes; Poster galleries. All are full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono.
HEATHERS 20th HIGH SCHOOL REUNION EDITION (Anchor Bay) Gleefully subversive black comedy about a mysterious loner (Christian Slater) who transfers into a suburban high school and proceeds to turn its social pecking order upside down, by murdering its most malicious leaders, all of whom are named Heather! Winona Ryder co-stars in this touchstone of ‘80s nihilism, a kind of anti-John Hughes comic nightmare. 2 disc set bonuses include: Commentary by director Michael Lehmann, producer Denise De Novi and writer Daniel Waters; Two featurettes; Original ending screenplay excerpt (DVD-ROM); Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. And from Heathers scribe Daniel Waters comes SEX AND DEATH 101, another black comedy starring Simon Baker as a successful yuppie who has his life turned upside upon receiving an email that contains the names of every woman he has, or will go to bed with! Waters’ muse Winona Ryder returns as the mysterious femme fatale behind the movement to target the world’s misogynists. Bonuses: Commentary by Waters; Featurette; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. Also from director Michael Lehmann, IFC/Genius Products releases FLAKES, starring Zooey Deschanel as a young woman who wants her boyfriend to ditch his dead-end job, so she goes to work for the competition! Hit-and-miss comedy has its moments. Bonuses: Deleted scenes; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
SLEEPWALKING (Anchor Bay) After her mother (Charlize Theron) suddenly leaves town, a young girl (AnnaSophia Robb) develops a strong bond with her uncle (Nick Stahl), a troubled soul who discovers his own identity through his precocious niece. Fine support from Dennis Hopper and Woody Harrelson. Bonuses: Featurette; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
THE BAND’S VISIT (Sony) A fading Egyptian police band arrives in Israel to play at the Arab Cultural Center, only to take the wrong bus and wind up in a rural Israeli village, where the Arabs and Israelis find a mutual bond through their love of music and life. Heartwarming and heart-felt, but never maudlin, a fine drama about the universality of the human spirit. Special features: Featurette; Photo gallery. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
MUMMY DEAREST Universal revisits its legendary Mummy franchise on the eve of part III hitting screens this summer. Starting with Universal Legacy Series’ THE MUMMY: SPECIAL EDITION, the 1932 horror masterpiece starring Boris Karloff as a mummified Egyptian prince who is reanimated after 3700, and goes on an obsessive, and murderous, quest to find his true love. 2 disc set bonuses include: 4 documentaries; Commentary by film historians; Poster and photo galleries; Trailer gallery. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. Brendan Fraser helped reawaken his own mummy in the 1999 remake, THE MUMMY: 2-DISC DELUXE EDITION, a fun update that’s more reminiscent of the Indiana Jones adventures than the 1932 original, bug still offers an entertaining ride, with Rachel Weisz fine in support. The same can’t be said for THE MUMMY RETURNS: 2-DISC SPECIAL EDITION, a tired re-tread of the first film (and many before it) where even the special effects people seemed to be phoning it in. Bonuses on both: Deleted scenes; Commentary by cast and crew; Featurettes; Digital copies of the film; Storyboard galleries; Outtakes and deleted scenes. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. Both are also available in Blu-ray format.
JET LI’S FEARLESS: DIRECTOR’S CUT (Universal) Exciting martial arts action starring the great Jet Li in a story inspired by a real legend of karate who takes on the most skilled martial artists in the world on a path to personal redemption. Featuring three versions of the film (Director’s Cut, with 35 extra minutes of footage, unrated version and theatrical version), Fearless marks Li’s final martial arts outing, and his finest work to date. Bonuses: Featurette; Deleted scene. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
STOP-LOSS (Paramount) After finishing his tour of duty in Iraq, a decorated young solider (Ryan Phillippe) returns to his small Texas town, only to find himself called back into action by the military. Intriguing “kitchen sink” drama from director Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry) is mostly successful, in spite of some obvious moments of earnestness. Overall, fine work across the board, with Phillippe delivering what may be his best performance. Fine supporting cast includes Abbie Cornish, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ciaran Hinds, and Timothy Olyphant. Bonuses: Commentary by Peirce and co-writer Mark Richard; Featurettes; 11 deleted scenes. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
VANTAGE POINT (Sony) The U.S. President is assassinated during state visit to Spain, and eight disparate people have a perfect view of the murder. Attempt at blending Rashomon with the paranoid thrillers of the ‘70s might have sounded great as a one-line pitch, but results in an utterly empty and tepid film, especially considering that the movie’s biggest plot twist was given away in its trailer! Fine cast, including William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Forest Whittaker and Dennis Quaid are utterly wasted. Bonuses: Outtake; Interviews with cast and crew; Two featurettes; Commentary by director Pete Travis. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
PENELOPE (Summit) Christina Ricci stars as a lonely heiress who has spent her life trying to break a family curse which has left her with a pig’s snout for a nose. When she falls in love with a handsome blue-blood (James McAvoy), who seems unperturbed by her prominent proboscis, Penelope learns that loving herself is more important than breaking the family curse. Sweet-natured family entertainment. Bonuses: Featurette. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
THE DEAL (Genius Products/Weinstein Co.) Originally produced for Channel 4 in Britain, this fine drama tells the true story of the tenuous friendship between Labour Party leaders Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) and Gordon Brown (David Morrissey) on the eve of their party’s rise back to power in the UK, and the extraordinary “deal” they struck to make it happen. A prequel of sorts to director Stephen Frears’ The Queen, made three years later and also penned by Peter Morgan. Bonuses: Commentary by Morgan and producer Christine Langan; Interview with Frears; Biographies. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 stereo.
CLASSIC BRITISH THRILLERS MPI releases three low budget gems on one disc, the first two from the legendary Michael Powell: THE PHANTOM LIGHT tells the eerie story of two sleuths trying to solve the mystery of two lighthouse keepers on the coast of Wales, while RED ENSIGN tells a fact-based story of corruption and sabotage in the British shipping industry. THE UPTURNED GLASS stars a young James Mason as a surgeon turned sleuth in a gripping tale of revenge and murder. All are full screen, Dolby 2.0 mono.
CITY OF MEN (Miramax) Producer Fernando Meirelles’ long-awaited follow-up to his acclaimed City of God, tells another story of the Brazilian slums and two friends who find themselves on opposite sides of a gang war. Stunning cinematography makes the viewer feel as if he or she is right in the middle of the action. Almost on the same par with its 2003 predecessor, great stuff. Bonuses: Featurette. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
DOCUMENTARY DAYS A few of the best documentaries hitting disc this month include: THE GITS (Liberation Entertainment) Tragic and riveting look at the legendary Seattle punk band that nearly exploded nationally in the early ‘90s, and then collapsed after lead singer Mia Zapata was found brutally murdered. At turns a whodunit, exhilarating musical biography and timeless social document, The Gits takes a close look at a very different time and how one senseless act nearly dashed the hopes of an artistic community. Bonuses: Commentary by director Kerri O’Kane and producer Jessica Bender; Featurette; Photo gallery; Trailers; Deleted scenes. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. Disinformation releases UNCOUNTED, a scathing look at how the 2004 election was tampered with, via many of the electronic voting machines throughout the country, while OUTFOXED: THE FOX ATTACKS SPEICAL EDITION, offers in addition to the original, award-winning film about how Fox News and the influence of corporations has permanently blurred the line between tabloid and legitimate journalism, a series of 18 videos that highlight examples of Fox’s biased, dishonest reportage. Both are full screen, Dolby 2.0 mono. The History Channel and New Video release KING, an outstanding portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., hosted by Tom Brokaw and featuring interviews with King family members, as well as dozens of King’s associates and those he touched. A HISTORY OF BRITAIN is a handsome, 5 DVD set that traces Britain’s origins from the dawn of civilization through the 20th century, written and hosted by renowned historian Simon Schama, this 15 hour masterpiece was produced originally for the BBC. Both are full screen, Dolby 2.0 stereo. A&E releases THE STRAUSS FAMILY, a 2 disc set that holds the eight part miniseries about one of history’s most influential musical families. Derek Jacobi and Jane Seymour head the cast, with beautiful renditions of the Strauss’ work by the London Symphony Orchestra. Bonuses: Cast bios; Selected list of compositions. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. The bio. series releases hour-long docs on presidential hopefuls BARACK OBAMA and JOHN MCCAIN, taking a look at the trials and tribulations that put both men in the on-deck position to hold the land’s highest office. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. Finally, Koch Vision brings us SHERYL CROW: LIVE, a terrific record of her one-night-only Soundstage performance, featuring nearly 20 of her greatest hits. Beautifully shot in Hi-def video. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
BLU-RAY TITLES Blu-ray technology offers a new standard in DVD viewing and the home theater experience: 1080p resolution; Lossless audio, which delivers the finest uncompressed digital sound available; and Smart Menu Technology, which floats on-screen during playback so you never leave the film. Just a few of the titles arriving on Blu-Ray this month include: Disney releases COLLGE ROAD TRIP, starring Martin Lawrence and Raven-Symone as a father and daughter who take to the road to check out colleges, only to have everything that could go wrong…you get the idea. Bonuses: Gag reel; Alternate opening and ending; Deleted scenes; Commentary by cast and crew; Music video. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. STEP UP 2 THE STREETS tells the musical fable of a rebellious street dancer who teams up with a sophisticated modern dancer to create some hot moves of their own. Bonuses: Deleted scenes; Music videos; Outtakes; Featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. 20th Century Fox releases BATMAN: THE MOVIE, the hilarious 1966 feature inspired by the equally campy TV hit, starring Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin, the boy wonder, who must do battle with Gotham City’s most dastardly villains in order to save its innocent denizens. Still crazy after all these years…Bonuses: Commentary by Ward and West, screenwriter Lorenzo Semple, Jr.; Five featurettes; Teaser and trailer; Trivia track. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround. Universal releases THE SCORPION KING, starring The Rock as an ancient warrior who basically gets into fights and kicks butt for 90 high octane minutes. Great fun, providing you can shut off your brain. Bonuses: Commentary by director Chuck Russell. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround. DOOMSDAY tells the action-packed story of an elite fighting unit that must save humanity from a raging epidemic in a post-apocalyptic zone controlled by a society of murderous renegades. Unrated and R-rated versions available, neither of which are for the faint-of-heart! Bonuses: Commentary by cast and crew. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL! More great TV titles arrive on disc this month, including: Warner Bros. offers up FASTLANE: THE COMPLETE SERIES, about two undercover cops with more bling than the criminals they arrest! Bonuses: Unaired and extended scenes; 5 featurettes; Outtakes and bloopers. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 surround. WITCHBLADE: THE COMPLETE SERIES, stars Yancy Butler as a NYPD homicide detective who fights crime with an otherworldly living weapon called The Witchblade. Neat blend of fantasy and gritty police action. Bonuses: Three featurettes; Casting session footage. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 surround. MGM/Fox releases STARGATE ATLANTIS: SEASON FOUR, which follows the continuing adventures of Col. Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and her team, defending their city from the deadly Replicators. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. THE X-FILES: REVELATIONS, features eight handpicked episodes by series creator Chris Carter, which he views as essential viewing for the upcoming X-Files movie. Bonuses: Introductions by Carter and executive producer Frank Spotnitz; Interviews with cast and crew; Trailer for X-Files movie. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 surround. SAVING GRACE: SEASON ONE, stars Holly Hunter as a hard-living Oklahoma City detective who is given a second chance at life by a gruff, tobacco-chewing angel named Earl. Bonuses: 5 featurettes; Selected episode commentary; Music video. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. A&E/New Video releases A WOMAN OF INDEPENDENT MEANS, starring Sally Field (who also produced) as a young widow who struggles to keep her family, and family’s business intact over seven decades. Bonuses: Biographies. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. TLC/Genius Entertainment releases L.A. INK: SEASON ONE, VOL. ONE, which follows tattoo artist Kat Von D and her adventures as Hollywood’s top tat wizard! Bonuses: Interviews with cast. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. Koch Vision releases WIRE IN THE BLOOD: THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON, a four disc set which continues the adventures of clinical psychologist Dr. Tony Hill (Robson Green), and his extraordinary insight into the criminal mind. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 mono. MPI releases DARK SHADOWS: THE BEGINNING, 34 episodes of the classic series’ first season, from 1967, about a family of vampires in modern times. Bonuses: Interviews with cast and crew. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. Sony releases I DREAM OF JEANNIE: THE COMPLETE FIFTH AND FINAL SEASON, which finds Jeannie (Barbara Eden) and Col. Nelson (Larry Hagman) finally tying the knot! Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. Acorn Media releases BLUE MURDER: SET 3, starring Caroline Quentin as Chief Inspector of Manchester’s homicide squad. Features 3 episodes. Bonuses: Documentary; Cast filmographies. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. THE RACING GAME, based on Dick Francis’ thriller, is a 1979 BBC miniseries about a former jockey who finds a new life as a private detective. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. FOLYLE’S WAR: SET 5, stars Michael Kitchen as a WW II era British detective investigating crimes in a seaside town. 3 episodes. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. Paramount brings us TRANSFORMERS CYBERTRON: THE ULTIMATE EDITION, featuring a seven disc collection of the animated adventure series, sure to thrill kids of all ages! Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. RENO 911! THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON UNCENSORED, contains three discs featuring the adventures of the most inept group of law enforcers this side of the keystone cops! Bonuses: Over 40 minutes of extended scenes; Featurette; Commentary by the cast. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. COMEDY CENTRAL’S TV FUNHOUSE, features highlights from the outrageous variety series that combines sketch comedy, animation and general irreverence to create a unique blend of humor that borders on anarchy. Bonuses: Commentary by series’ creators; Outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. SOUL FOOD: THE FINAL SEASON, contains 4 discs of the acclaimed series that follows the ups and downs of the Joseph family of Chicago, a close knit, African-American clan whose daily struggles are filled with drama, laughs and inspiration. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. EVENING SHADE: SEASON ONE, follows the comedic adventures of Burt Reynolds’ former NFL star-turned-high school football coach in the sleepy town of Evening Shade, AR. Smart, and funny, with 24 episodes on 5 discs. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. CANNON: SEASON ONE, VOL. ONE, stars venerable William Conrad as the biggest, and best paid, private eye in L.A. Great fun from the early ‘70s, the height of the TV private eye era! Bonuses: Episodic promos. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. Conrad went on to star as a take-no-prisoners District Attorney in the hit JAKE AND THE FATMAN: SEASON ONE, VOL. ONE in 1987, joined by Joe Penny as a dashing private eye whom the D.A. employs. Bonuses: Episodic promos. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. WALKER TEXAS RANGER: THE FIFTH SEASON, brings more high-kickin’, butt-stompin’ fun from Chuck Norris as Texas’ toughest law enforcer. 7 disc set contains 25 episodes. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. Universal releases LAS VEGAS: SEASON FIVE, the final run of the hit series about Sin City’s Montecristo hotel and casino. Tom Selleck steps into the lead as the head of the hotel’s surveillance team. Bonuses: Gag reel; Featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. JAMES A. MICHNER’S CENTENNIAL, is the legendary, 20 hour miniseries event from 1978 about the denizens of Centennial, CO., from its inception in 1795 through the 20th century. All-star cast includes Robert Conrad, Timothy Dalton, Richard Chamberlain, Mark Harmon and many more. Bonuses: Retrospective documentary. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. EUREKA: SEASON 2 is a three disc set that follows the adventures of a small town populated by the world’s greatest scientific minds where the exasperated Sheriff (Colin Ferguson) must struggle to keep order. Bonuses: Featurettes; Deleted scenes; Gag reel. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. PSYCH: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON, follows the comic misadventures of phony police psychic Shawn Spencer (James Roday) and his skeptical partner in crime (Dule Hill). Four disc set bonuses include: Deleted scenes; Audio commentaries; Featurette. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. Finally, MONK: SEASON SIX, features more obsessive-compulsive fun from Tony Shalhoub’s brilliant, but phobia-ridden detective. Four disc set bonuses include: Commentaries by cast and crew. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 mono.

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