DVD Playhouse--December 2008

DVD PLAYHOUSE—DECEMBER 2008 By
Allen Gardner

WALL*E (Disney) Captivating animated story from Disney/Pixar Studios, one of their best in years. When a curios and lovable robot encounters another android after hundreds of years of solitary existence, he goes on a fantastic journey across the universe, experiencing close encounters of the delightful kind with a variety of life forms and adventures. 3 disc set also features a digital copy of the film, as well as: All-new animated shorts; Deleted scenes; Featurettes; Commentary by director Andrew Stanton. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
CHUNGKING EXPRESS (Criterion) Wong Kar Wai’s arthouse hit that helped put Hong Kong cinema on the map in the 1990s tells the story of two heartsick cops, both dumped by their lovers, who form a friendship at a take-out restaurant stand. So unique it almost defies description. Gloriously shot; Inventively conceived. Bonuses: Commentary by Asian cinema scholar Tony Rayns; Interviews with Wong and cinematographer Christopher Doyle; Trailer; Improved English subtitle translation. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 stereo.
THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD (Criterion) Martin Ritt’s cold, brilliant, unsentimental adaptation of John Le Carre’s cold, brilliant and unsentimental novel about the spy game, a sort of anti-007 made during the height of the genre’s craze in 1965. Richard Burton delivers one of his best turns as a burnt-out covert op who tries to find redemption in his relationship with a beautiful librarian (Claire Bloom) while putting his head around a final mission into East Germany. A knockout. Two-disc set. Bonuses: Interview with Le Carre: Scene specific commentary with cinematographer Oswald Morris; Documentary on Le Carre; Archival interview with Burton by Kenneth Tynan; Audio conversation between Ritt and film scholar Patrick McGilligan; Set design gallery. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 stereo.
MAN ON WIRE (Magnolia) Remarkable documentary about Frenchman Phillipe Petit who, on August 7, 1974 walked a high-wire strung illegally between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. As Petit walks the audience through his elaborate plot to pull the stunt off, we the audience are treated to a film that is part social document, and part suspense thriller. A truly unique work, like its subject. Bonuses: Archival footage of Petit; Interview with Petit; Animated short. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
SANGRE DE MI SANGRE (BLOOD OF MY BLOOD) Winner of the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, this Spanish-language film tells the powerful story of a young man who flees the slums of Mexico to find refuge in New York. Once there, a shrewd thief steals his identity, and schemes to rob the father he’s been desperately searching out. Powerful study of the dark side of the American dream. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
STEPBROTHERS (Sony) Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly play two middle-aged losers forced to co-habitate when their parents marry. Alternately funny and cringe-inducing comedy, co-written by Ferrell, owes an awful lot to The Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy, with physical sight gags galore. From the Judd Apatow comedy factory (he co-produced), which seems to specialize in films about adolescents or those who choose to be stuck there. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Two disc set features R-rated and unrated versions of the film. Bonuses: Extended and alternate scenes; Gag reel; Music video; Commentary by Reilly, Ferrell, co-writer Adam McKay, NBA star Baron Davis; Deleted scenes; Featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
KUNG-FU PANDA (Paramount/Dreamworks) Jack Black provides the lead voice in this charming animated comedy as Po, a noodle-slurping, slacker Panda Bear, who finds self-esteem and personal growth under the tutelage of a wise martial arts master (voice of Dustin Hoffman) to battle an evil-doer that threatens the land. Two-disc set also features the direct-to-video sequel Secrets of the Furious Five. Other bonuses: Filmmaker commentary; Featurettes; Trailers. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
PREGNANT IN AMERICA (Intention Media) Fascinating documentary about the “business” of childbirth in America, and how doctors and hospitals often don’t take the mother or child’s best interests to heart in favor of commerce. Directed by first-time father Steve Buonaugurio, this incendiary look at hospitals, insurance companies, and the medical community is sure to stir a few pots and raise some eyebrows. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono.
CRUEL BUT NECESSARY (Somerville House) Directed by actor Saul Rubinek, this nifty comedy/drama follows a housewife (writer Wendel Meldrum)’s mental disintegration after she discovers her husband is having an affair. Once she begins videotaping every aspect of her privileged existence, she quickly realizes that she’s been living a lie long before her husband started stepping out on her. A big hit on the festival circuit, and smart stuff all the way around. Bonuses: Deleted scenes; Commentary by Rubinek, Meldrum; Cast and crew interviews. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 stereo.
AMERICAN TEEN (Paramount) One year in the life of students at a Midwestern American high school, each one a classic archetype of the teen years: rebel; stud; jock; princess; geek. Director Nanette Burnstein has fashioned a remarkably candid portrait of growing up, with her young non-actors commendably revealing themselves, warts and all, for the camera. Makes this viewer grateful that those years are long ago and far away! Bonuses: Cast interviews; Hannahs’ blogs; Trailers; Deleted scenes. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
WHITE DOG (Criterion) Director Sam Fuller’s indictment of racism in America was misunderstood and shelved upon completion in 1982. Child star Kristy McNichol stars as a young actress who rescues a stray German Shepherd only to discover that the dog has been trained to attack African-Americans. Paul Winfield plays the animal trainer who tries to deprogram the dog. Has Fuller’s pulp sensibility all over it, but is still strong stuff, with a knowing script co-written by Fuller and Curtis Hanson, based upon Romain Gary’s story. Bonuses: Interviews with producer Jon Davidson, Hanson, Fuller’s widow Christa Lang-Fuller; Interview with dog trainer Karl Lewis Miller; Photo gallery. Widescreen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
EUROPA (Criterion) Another of Lars Von Trier’s odd, cinematic pastiches, this one a self-described “fever dream” in which an American pacifist stumbles into a job as a sleeping car conductor for the Zentropa railways in a Kafkaesque postwar Frankfurt. Not for all tastes, to be sure, but gorgeously shot in black & white, with wild costumes, sets and set pieces. Two-disc set. Bonuses: Commentary (in Danish) by Von Trier and producer Peter Aalbaek Jensen; Documentary on the film’s production; Trailer; Two additional documentaries; Interview with Von Trier. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 surround.
BURN AFTER READING (Universal) After the gravity of No Country for Old Men, the Coen Brothers return to lighter territory with this zany comedy of misunderstanding that begins when a disgruntled CIA operative (John Malkovich, at his most wonderfully neurotic) misplaces a computer disc at his gym. When two dim-witted gym workers (Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt, who does a hilarious turn as one of the screen’s greatest all-time doofuses) find the disc, they think they’ve stumbled onto top secret government files, and foresee making big bucks from their discovery. That’s just the beginning in this zany joyride, which also stars George Clooney and Tilda Swinton. Bonuses: Three featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
HORROR DOUBLE FEATURE Warner Bros. releases two drive-in classics from the ‘60s: Chamber of Horrors starring Patrick O’Neal as a condemned man who chops off his ‘cuffed hand, then outfits the stump with a variety of deadly tools to wreak havoc on those who betrayed him; and The Brides of Fu-Manchu, starring horror icon Christopher Lee as the notorious underworld kingpin who kidnaps the (conveniently) nubile daughters of the world’s leading scientists, blackmailing them to build him a death-ray! Great, cheesy fun. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 mono.
THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (20th Century Fox) Sci-fi classic from director Robert Wise about what happens when a spaceship lands in the middle of Washington D.C. When the alien emissary (Michael Rennie) refuses to disclose his mission to any government officials, panic spreads and millions of people begin to wait in fear, expecting the worst. Only a young mother and her son (Patricia Neal and Billy Gray) seem to be able to connect with the alien, and may be the only thing saving the world from oblivion. Nifty blend of science fiction and social commentary still holds up quite well. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Two-disc set bonuses include: Commentary by Wise and Nicholas Meyer, and film scholars and historians; Featurettes; Fox Movietone news; Trailers; Pressbook and still galleries. Full screen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
300 LIMITED COLLECTORS EDITION (Warner Bros.) Three disc set of the epic film, based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel rendition of the classic tale of the 300 Spartan soldiers who fought, greatly outnumbered, against the massive Persian army who tried to invade their homeland. Handsome boxed set contains the original release version of the film with commentary by director Zack Snyder, cast and crew, as well as hours of bonuses, including featurettes; deleted scenes; trailers and documentaries on the film’s production, as well as a new documentary on the legend of the 300 Spartans, and how it’s been passed down through history. Disc three is a digital copy of the film. Also included in the box: a 52 page art and photo book; Six photo cards of the theatrical poster campaign, and a Lucite display cube with an actual frame from the film. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
BLU-RAY TITLES HBO leads the pack this month with the hotly-anticipated release of BAND OF BROTHERS, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks’ epic miniseries telling the story of Easy Company, an elite rifle company whose tour in WW II lasted from D-Day through the surrender and occupation of Europe. The ten-part series features bonuses of a documentary on Easy Company and two featurettes, as well as the most striking feature: picture-in-picture commentary by the actual survivors of Easy Company and an interactive field guide. Widescreen. DTS-HD master audio. New Line releases THE AUSTIN POWERS COLLECTION, featuring all three Austin Powers titles: International Man of Mystery, The Spy Who Shagged Me and Goldmember. Bonuses include: Commentary by creator/star Mike Myers; Featurettes; Music videos; Deleted scenes; Fact tracks. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. 20th Century Fox releases the zany comedies DODGEBALL starring Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn as rival dodge ball team captains who aim right for each other’s…well, you know. Bonuses: Commentary by Stiller, Vaughn, director/writer Rawson Thurber; Deleted scenes; Featurettes; Blooper/gag reel. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround. SUPER TROOPERS follows the adventures of a bumbling group of Vermont Highway Patrolmen who owe a lot to the Keystone Cops. Bonuses: Commentary by director/co-writer/actor Jay Chandrasekhar, co-writer/actor Erik Stolhanske, cast and crew; PIP commentary; Outtakes and extended scenes; Featurettes; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround. Image releases Werner Herzog’s ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD a dazzling documentary about life in Antarctica. Bonuses: Commentary by Herzog, cast and crew; Featurettes; Interview with Herzog by Jonathan Demme; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-HD 5.1 surround. Warner Bros. releases the summer hit THE DARK KNIGHT, the continuation of the Batman saga starring Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader and the late Heath Ledger (in what’s sure to be an Oscar-nominated turn) as his nemesis The Joker. The best comic-to-screen adaptation ever made. Two disc set bonuses include: Documentary on the film’s production; Featurettes; Art galleries; Trailers and TV spots. Widescreen. Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround. Blue Underground releases Dario Argento’s THE STENDAHL SYNDROME, the Italian horror maestro’s latest cinematic gorefest starring his daughter, Asia, as a police detective investigating the trial of a serial killer. Uncut version. Bonuses: Featurettes; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 7.1 surround. Universal releases the dynamite political thriller THE KINGDOM about a crack squad of FBI agents sent to Saudi Arabia to track down and destroy a terrorist cell. Bonuses: Blu-ray exclusive features include a Mission Dossier, that allows the viewer to read about the investigation while film plays; Different POVs during the apartment shootout; Picture-in-picture (PIP) features. Also: Deleted scenes; Featurettes. Commentary by director Peter Berg. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround. INVINCIBLE stars Jet Li in the director’s cut of his final martial arts epic, where Li must face off against the world’s greatest karate masters on his path to redemption. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround. MPI releases Hal Wallis’ classic BECKET, starring Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole as King Henry II and his trusted advisor Thomas Becket. Nominated for 12 Oscars, one of the finest historical epics ever produced. Bonuses: Commentary by O’Toole; Trailer; Photo gallery; Interviews with editor Anne V. Coates and composer Laurence Rosenthal; TV spot. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. The late George Carlin’s final HBO special IT’S BAD FOR YA, features the comic waxing on topics ranging from growing older to religion, politics, and American culture. Bonuses: Extra Carlin clips, including one from “The Jackie Gleason Show” in 1969; Interviews with Carlin. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 stereo.
DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL! More of TV’s greatest hits arrive on DVD this month: Universal releases SNL: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON 1978-79, featuring some of the show’s most classic moments, including Steve Martin’s “King Tut,” and Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi’s The Blues Brothers. Bonuses: Archival interview footage. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. LAW & ORDER: THE SIXTH YEAR 1995-96, features 23 episodes of the now-classic procedural show, with guest turns by the likes of Jennifer Garner, Peter Sarsgaard and Michael Imperioli. Bonuses: Episode of Homicide: Life on the Street. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. Paramount releases classic titles such as: PETTICOAT JUNCTION: THE FIRST SEASON, about a hotel in a small hamlet that’s on the Hooterville Cannonball rail line. Bonuses: Intros by the stars; Interviews with cast and crew; Original sponsor spots; Photo gallery. RAWHIDE: THE THIRD SEASON, VOL. 2 features more western adventure with Clint Eastwood; GUNSMOKE: THE THIRD SEASON, VOL. 1 continues television’s longest-running western series and the adventures of Marshall Matt Dillon (James Arness); HAPPY DAYS: THE FOURTH SEASON offers more 1950s high-jinks with Richie, Fonzie and the gang at Arnold’s; CANNON: SEASON ONE, VOL. 2 stars William Conrad as a corpulent, and cultured L.A. private eye; and PERRY MASON: SEASON 3, VOL. 2 features courtroom drama starring Raymond Burr as an intrepid defense attorney. All are full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. Finally, Acorn Media releases CHILDREN OF THE STONES, a sci-fi thriller about an astrophysicist and his son who investigate a megalithic stone circle that surrounds an English village. Bonuses: Interviews with cast and crew; Photo gallery. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono. THE LAST DETECTIVE: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION features all 17 episodes of the hit UK series, about a bumbling, nebbish detective (Peter Davison) who gets stuck with the cases nobody wants and rarely gets noticed when he solves them brilliantly. Bonuses: Dangerous Davies: The Last Detective, the 1981 movie the series is based on. Also: Interviews with cast and crew; Photo galleries; Cast filmographies. Widescreen and full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo and mono.