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JURASSIC PARK - On a remote island in the South Pacific a theme park is about to open. A theme park that features genetically engineered dinosaurs. Living, breathing dinosaurs. A paleontologist (Sam Neil), paleobotanist (Laura Dern) a chaotician (Jeff Goldblum) and the inventor's grandchildren venture into the park for a sneak peek, but something goes wrong, the dinos get out, and it becomes a race to survive. JURASSIC PARK, based on the best selling novel by Michael Chrichton, is notable for several things. First off, it successfully blended science fiction with science fact. The first forty minutes of the movie are an information filled science lesson, the last hour and fifteen minutes scream a minute thrill ride. (In fact, shortly after the film's release, scientists found a whole mosquito encased in amber dating back to the Crustaceans era.) It was also the first full blown use of digital technology. Oh, YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES had that computer animated stain glass knight, and THE ABYSS pioneered CGI with the psudo-pod, and T2 really showed what computers could do, but it was JURASSIC PARK that did it on a grand scale, with "living" creatures instead of abstract creations. Any one else feel just like Grant when we get our first look at the Brachiosaur on the hill top? One of the great moments in film history. The entire audience as a collective group mind thought, "Oh, wow. There's a dinosaur on screen."It is at these times when Spielberg is at his best, mixing childlike wonder with a sense of innocence. (One of my favorite Spielberg shots of all time is the movie's climax, where the T-Rex bellows a roar, and the "When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth" floats down to the floor.) Later, when things getchaotic, Spielberg returns to his JAWS roots with a compelling thrill ride that very seldom lets up. Oh, the characters may seem a bit wooden and underdeveloped at times, but when they're being picked off one at a time by Velociraptors, what else do you need to know about them? The DVD is fully loaded by Universal's standards, with over an hour of bonus footage including The making of JURASSIC PARK documentary, early preproduction meetings, storyboards, photos, conceptual paintings and design sketches, "Phil Tippett Animatics: Raptors in the kitchen" featurette, a dinosaur encyclopedia, production notes, DVD-ROM content, cast and crew BIOS, trailers, cool menus and more. The lack of Spielberg commentary prevents the disc from being tops, but otherwise great. BUYER BEWARE! Separate Pan-&-Scan and Widescreen versions available. Best line: Malcolm, in the back of a speeding jeep while a T-Rex tries to run them down: "Must go faster. Must go faster!"
JURASSIC PARK - Film -
DVD - THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK - Four years have passed since the incident in the park, and still Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) finds himself haunted by it. When Hammond (Richard Attenborough) announces the existence of "Site B" where the dinos have been allowed to roam free without interference from man, he tries to persuade Malcolm to be part of a team to document them. But a rival team lead by the new head of Ingen and a big game hunter (Pete Postlehwaite) has landed on the island in an attempt to capture and transport dinosaurs back to the States for exploitation to save the company. The teams both become stranded on the island, and the hunt begins anew. Costarring staring Julianne Moore, Arlis Howard and Vince Vaughn. THE LOST WORLD contains moments of brilliance and thrilling excitement, but doesn't really gel as a cohesive film. The overriding problem is that after the earth shattering and industry changing effects of the first JP, we expect more. You cannot simply throw dinosaurs up there on the screen and expect us to be wowed like we were the first time. It's also more preachy than the first on environmentalism and naturalism, noble causes and worthwhile pursuits, but not great film topics. Nevertheless, the trailer sequence with the pair of T-Rex is phenomenal excitement, the raptor chase in the middle is tense, and the T-Rex getting loose in San Diego is Speilberg's tongue-in-cheek take on GODZILLA. It was funny part, but a JP movie shouldn't really be funny. Unfortunately, the film doesn't live up to be the sum of it's parts. The DVD includes the documentary, "The making of THE LOST WORLD", 2 deleted scenes, storyboards, photos, conceptual paintings and design sketches, trailers, a dino encyclopedia, production notes, cast and crew BIOS, DVD-ROM content, cool menus and more, but again, no commentary. BUYER BEWARE! Separate Pan-&-Scan and Widescreen version available.Best line: Malcolm, after seeing his companion's first time reactions to the dinosaurs. "Oh, yeah sure. Oooh. Ahhh..., that's how it starts. But later there's running ... and screaming."
THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK - Film -
DVD - JURASSIC PARK III - Dr. Grant (Sam Neil) is persuaded by a wealthy couple (Tea Leone and William H. Macy) to act as their guide on a fly over of Isla Sorna, Ingen's "Site B." But in reality, they are searching for their son, who disappeared while para-sailing and is lost somewhere on the island. A hokey premise and a terrible convention for getting them to the island, but once there, JPIII does a U turn and becomes a great thrill ride. The idea that Grant would get on that plane is ludicrous at best. The filmmakers seemed to know this, and instead of dwelling on it or trying to explain it, opted to get to the action as quickly as possible to make us forget the first twenty minutes. Indeed, within five minutes of crashing on the island, two of the "red-shirt" no name actors have already been killed, and everyone else is being stalked. Surprisingly, that works great, and JURASSIC PARK III becomes more than just a sequel, but a legitimate pressure filled action film.It's not often you can repeat past performance let alone turn up the amps a few notches, but Director Joe Johnston (JUMANJI) does just that. He keeps the pace frantic and unrelenting (although he did rip off Spielberg and the first two movies with the plane crash sequence) as our intrepid group escapes one group of dinosaurs only to be faced with another. And being the third film in the franchise, we get new dinosaurs and supped up looks. The new kid on the block is the Spinosaurus, bigger even than the T-Rex and twice as viscous. If the Rex is the bad-ass on the island, Spino OWNS the island. And in one of the most compelling action pieces put on film, we finally get introduced to Pteradons, the winged dinos often promised but never realized before now. The Universal DVD comes fully loaded, with "The Making of JURASSIC PARK III" documentary, audio commentary with the special effects team, featurette "The New Dinosaurs of JURASSIC PARK III", a tour of the Stan Winston Studio, a visit to ILM, 3D Dinosaur turntables, Behind-the-scenes, storyboard comparisons, JPIII Archives, trailers, a visit to Jack Horner's dinosaur dig in Montana, DVD-ROM content, and more. Cool menus, but they lack the same style as those on the first two. BUYER BEWARE! Separate Pan-&-Scan and Widescreen versions available. Best line: Grant, looking at the screened-in catwalks, and in the mist sees a giant dome overhead. "My God. It's a birdcage."
JURASSIC PARK III - Film -
DVD - BEYOND JURASSIC PARK - Available though a mail order form or in the JP box set, this bonus disc contains hours of goodies on each of the three films. Some of the featurettes are too short, but most include extra tidbits that are worth watching. JURASSIC PARK extras include the original featurette on the making of the film, "Animatics: The T-Rex Attack", a featurette on Hurricane Iniki, which hit Kauai during filming, and JURASSIC PARK featurette. LOST WORLD extras include the original featurette on the making of the film, an interview with Michael Crichton, "THE LOST WORLD: Before And After The Effects" and ILM's thank you to Spielberg. JURASSIC PARK III extras include the featurettes "The special effects of JPIII", "The sounds of JPIII", and "The art of JPIII", an Industrial Light and Magic press reel, and documentary on the building of "JURASSIC PARK: THE RIDE"
BEYOND JURASSIC PARK - Film -
DVD - THE KID - Bruce Willis stars in this comedic story about a busy executive who comes face to face with himself as an eight year old boy. The comedy and heart- warming story come from his analysis of himself as a kid, and how overweight, uncoordinated and embarrassing he was, while the eight year old version sees his older self as a looser who lives alone, has no wife, no dog and is not a pilot.This is a cute family movie with a few truly touching parts, but on the whole is really just a bit of light fluff. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
THE KID - KISS THE GIRLS - In the first of James Patterson's Alex Cross novels brought to the screen, Ashley Judd is a kidnap victim who escapes her captor and becomes an intricate part in the quest to capture him and find the other missing girls. Morgan Freeman stars as Alex Cross, the detective assigned to the case, who finds it a little more personal than he'd like when his neice turns up missing next. Freeman is awesome, and Judd became a star after this movie, which at times is one of the best manhunt / suspense thrillers ever made. Most times though, it is simply a competent thrill ride. Many critics said it was better than SEVEN, and although it is very good, it isn't that good. Hell, ALONG CAME A SPIDER was better. The DVD is typical Paramount, with only the theatrical trailer for an extra.
KISS THE GIRLS - A KNIGHT'S TALE - William Thatcher (Heath Ledger) passes himself off as a nobleman and takes the jousting world by storm, but evil Count Adhemar stands between him and victory. Full of half-truths and historical inaccuracies, (yes, you did have to be of noble birth to compete in the joust, but it's doubtful famous author Chaucer acted as a herald for a masquerading peasant) and surrounded by a scandal of "fake" review quotes thought up by the Sony marketing department to push the film, A KNIGHT'S TALE is nonetheless lots of fun. Second time director Brian Helgeland (PAYBACK) puts a lot of visual effort into his work. The jousting sequences are breathtaking. But it's also well written, no surprise when you look at his pedigree as a writer--see his OSCAR winning work in L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (Best Screenplay Adaptation) Then there's the music. The movie opens with Queen's "We Will Rock You" set to a joust, and although it's cheesy, it still works. Other rock and roll songs including Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Taking Care Of Business" and David Bowie's "Golden Years" weave their way through this tale of honor and love, and somehow it still works. The movie is a blast. Lots of action, thrills, laughs and more. Ledger is turning into a legitimate star, and is backed by a great supporting cast that includes Mark Addy (THE FULL MONTY) and Alan Tudyk (WONDER BOYS). His nemesis is the brilliantly cast Rufus Sewell (DARK CITY) who is a dark, brooding contrast to Ledgers golden boy persona. This is a great popcorn movie. Turn off your brain, kick back and enjoy! The DVD is laden with treasures, including pages of deleted scenes (most of which are interesting, but deservedly left out) with or without filmmaker commentary, an HBO Making-Of special, audio commentary, theatrical trailers, a Robbie Williams and Queen Music Video of "We Are The Champions", filmographies, production notes, DVD-ROM content and cool animated menus. There are also 11 behind-the-scenes featurettes, which is my only complaint. All the information presented here could have been combined into one documentary instead of short 3-5 minute snippets.
A KNIGHT'S TALE - LADY & THE TRAMP II: SCAMP'S ADVENTURE - First of all, Disney should immediately cease and desist with any more sequels to classic films. I don't have a problem with direct to video features, and a few have actually been worthwhile. But to do a sequel to an older film from the Walt era just seems...well, wrong. Having said that, TRAMP 2 is actually a fairly good movie. No, it doesn't have the same charm as the original, nor the epic "feel" of a Disney film. But it does take the classic charac- ters and move their story forward in a believable way, and the anima- tion is not the substandard "TV" animation of RETURN OF JAFAR. It's not movie quality either, but falls somewhere in-between. The story is of Scamp, Tramp's son who is disenchanted with life with the Darling family, and longs to be a wild dog, out on his own like dad. He escapes the house and lives the life of a junkyard dog, has adventures, meets new friends and enemies, and like so many other films, discovers there's no place like home.
LADY & THE TRAMP II: SCAMP'S ADVENTURE - THE LAST CASTLE - A General (Robert Redford) is sent to a military prison where the warden (James Gandolfini) is a bit too forceful of prisoners. More than one has died under his command. The prisoners begin to gravitate to the General, a well respected war hero, for help and leadership. Slowly and reluctantly, he begins rebuilding their ranks and self-esteem while witnessing first hand the warden's cruelty. Finally, they resort to take over the prison in hopes of getting the warden replaced. A great, character driven, flag waving, patriotic movie with intense performances. Redford is awesome as usual, Gandolfini is a weenie, but perfect in his roll and the showdown between the two of them makes for some great entertainment. Mark Ruffalo and Delroy Lindo costar. The DVD from DreamWorks includes audio commentary by director Rod Lurie, deleted scenes with commentary, the HBO special “Inside The Castle Walls”, the trailer, cast and crew BIOS, production notes and more. THE LAST CASTLE - LAWRENCE OF ARABIA - Click here LETHAL WEAPON 1 & 2 (Director's Cuts) - Richard Donner just went back and added bits and pieces of footage to these classics for their DVD release. The movies look great in widescreen, and the DVD's (although light in content) are welcome additions to anyone's collection. I especially liked the menu screen on LW2. Simple, but very effective. LETHAL WEAPON 3 is also out in this series, but I have not yet had time to review that one.
LETHAL WEAPON (DIRECTOR'S CUT) -
LETHAL WEAPON 2 (DIRECTOR'S CUT) - LITTLE NICKY - Lets face it. Adam Sandler movies are all stupid, but funny enough to make you fall off the couch, right? This one is about the same, about Nicky, who's Mom is an angel and dad is the devil. His two brothers have escaped hell to try and take over the Earth, and the resulting imbalance in good and evil is causing dad to disintegrate. (Harvey Kietel, as one of many big-name costars.) Nicky must travel to Earth & get the brothers to return to hell, and manages along the way to get killed five or six times, discover the joys of Popeye's chicken, fall in love with the girl of his dreams, pick up a few demonic followers, and cover Henry Winkler with bees. Trust me, you gotta see this one to believe it. Some humor--okay, most humor is crude in this one, and sure to offend someone, but just remember, it's an Adam Sandler movie. Which brings to mind the point if you've seen all his other stuff, you'll enjoy this one more. LOTS of sight gags and in-jokes.The DVD offers up an excellent selection of audio commentaries, deleted scenes, the trailer, and more, but the best part is the menu screen. Full of in jokes and dialogue from the film, don't play with it until you've seen the movie, or you won't get it.
LITTLE NICKY - LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS - An exotic potted plant arrives at Mushnick's Skid Row Flower Shop and business begins blooming, but the plant is a little more exotic than anyone realizes. Originally a 1960 Roger Corman movie, LITTLE SHOP was reincarnated as a smash 1980 off-Broadway musical. The 1986 version comes full circle as a faithful adaptation of the stage hit, complete with score my multiple Academy Award winners Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, who were responsible for Disney favorites THE LITTLE MERMAID and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Staring Rick Morranis, Ellen Greene, and Vincent Gardenia and Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops as the voice of Audrey II, a mean green mother from outer space. With special appearances by Steve Martin, James Belushi, John Candy, Christopher Guest, and Bill Murray. Directed by Frank Oz. You literally could not ask for a better cast or a more fun musical than this. Hilarious performances, great special effects, and a ton of brilliant musical numbers make this a complete package and a great movie. Another surprising DVD from Warner Bros. It includes audio commentary by Oz, outtakes and gags, cute menus, 2 trailers, production notes, cast and crew BIOS and more.
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS - THE LORD OF THE RINGS - No, not that one. Yet. This is the animated version, although animated may be the incorrect term. Segments of this film are traditionally animated, others appear to have been filmed live action and then painted over. Its an interesting technique, and gives the film a more unique appearance than plain animation could have accomplished, which fits right in with the darker subject matter of the story. (It's also easy to see where Director Peter Jackson got some of the shot set ups for his live action FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING) This version combines the first and most of the second novels in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers". The one ring of power has been handed off to Frodo Baggins of the Shire, where he embarks on a dangerous and hopeless quest to bring the ring to Mount Doom and destroy it. Joining the fellowship are Gandalf the Wizard, Arragon heir to the crown of Gondor, Legolas the Elf, Gimli the Troll, Merry, Pippin and Samwise, (all Hobbits) and Borimir of Gondor, as they fight the forces of darkness lead by the ringwraiths. Stars the voices of John Hurt and Anthony Daniels. Good stuff, but a bit bloody for kids despite its PG rating. Again Warner gives us a skimpy DVD, with limited cast and crew BIOS, and information on Elves and other races (which actually only features Elves and Trolls and doesn't have much info on either) but it gains a few extra points for it's widescreen presentation. THE LORD OF THE RINGS - MANHUNTER - Michael Mann's film based on the novel "Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris is just short of a masterpiece. The first film to feature Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter (Brian Cox) MANHUNTER is actually superior to THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. FBI agent Will Graham (William Peterson, CSI) has finally captured Lecter nearly loosing his mind in the process. But when he is called out of retirement to hunt the psychopath known as "The Tooth Fairy" (Tim Noonan) he must once again confront the horrors of insanity. Noonan is freaky creepy as the killer, Peterson radiates intensity, and while Cox's Lecter could not go the distance with Anthony Hopkins, here he fits in just right. Joan Allen and Dennis Farina round out the cast. Writer / Director Michael Mann (HEAT) has crafted one of the most unnerving serial killer movies ever made. It suffers just a bit from age, (it was released in 1986) but that shouldn't effect your enjoyment of it. The DVD has two featurettes, "The Manhunter Look" and "Inside Manhunter", the theatrical trailer, THX re-mastering, and detailed cast and crew talent BIOS. Alas, no audio commentary from Mann. Also see - Hannibal & Silence of the Lambs
MANHUNTER - MARY POPPINS - Julie Andrews plays the title role of a lovable nanny who flies out of the London skies and into the home of a no-nonsense banker (David Tomlinson) and his two mischievous children. Mary Poppins and jack of all trades Bert (Dick Van Dyke) turn tasks into games, jump in and out of chalk paintings, talk to animals, have tea parties on the ceiling and dance on the rooftops of London with chimney sweeps, all in an effort to bring a father and his children closer together. Walt Disney's masterpiece of film making only gets better with age. Spellbinding effects and wondrous song and dance numbers fill this beautiful fairy tale to the brim with magic moments. No childhood is complete without a viewing of MARY POPPINS, and no home library is complete without it.The DVD is less than supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, however. Features the widescreen version of the film, a trivia game, trailer, a documentary "The Making Of Mary Poppins" and the world premiere. Here's hoping that Disney releases a DVD version worthy of Mary Poppins herself -- "Practically Perfect in every way" soon.
MARY POPPINS - Film -
DVD - MEMENTO - Leonard (Guy Pierce) is a man possessed, searching for the man who rapped and murdered his wife. Shouldn't be too hard, except Leonard cannot make new memories. He does not have amnesia, since he remembers everything prior to his accident, but short term memories fade away. Thus every piece of information that comes his way is suspect. And someone else may be manipulating him to kill the wrong person. This chilling revenge thriller is hands-down, one of the best films of the year. Pierce is intensely confused as Leonard, and we are right there with him since the movie is edited together backwards. Every piece of information he gathers comes to us as it would come to him. Under suspect and in confusion. Carrie Anne Moss and Joe Paliantano costar in effective roles as the plot twists around them and folds up on itself leading to a startling conclusion. This is a MUST SEE, and probably should be seen more than once, just to make sure you caught everything. The DVD has lots of goodies, including trailers and TV spots, cast and crew BIOS, a gallery of all Leonard's tattoos, an IFC (Independent Film Channel) interview with writer/directer Chris Noland, and a really bizarre yet cool newspaper article with in-depth options leading into Leonard's notes and investigation. The disc really could have used a director's commentary though.
MEMENTO - MEN OF HONOR - Based on a true story of a Negro striving to succeed in the NAVY, Cuba Gooding Jr., on a fantastic performance (as usual) full of fire and passion. Robert DeNiro is also effective as a Master Chief diving instructor with a drinking problem. The film capably tells the struggles as Gooding fights through prejudice to become the first Negro diver in the NAVY, and his continued fight to rise to the rank of Master Chief, the highest rank for NAVY divers. A powerful film, that occasionally feels like a recruiting tool.The DVD is another Special Edition from Fox, who knows how to deliver. We get audio commentary, deleted scenes, neat menus, several documentary featurettes, and an interview with the real Master Chief the story is based on.
MEN OF HONOR - THE MEXICAN - Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts play a couple who are having problems. Most of their problems stem from his job for a mob boss. His last assignment is to travel to Mexico and retrieve a kid and an exquisitely crafted pistol. The kid accidentally gets killed, and the pistol accidentally gets stolen when's Pitt's rented car gets boosted. Thus ignites a series of mishaps and misadventures as he struggles to complete his mission. Julia meanwhile decides to leave her worthless boyfriend, only to be nabbed by a mob enforcer (the Soprano's James Gandolfini) who's job is to keep her under wraps until Brad comes through.What sounds like a trilling action movie is actually a laugh a minute thrill ride. Pitt is completely inept as a mob gopher, Julia has read one too many relationship self help books, and Gandolfini's character who's supposed to be this tough as nails guy is actually a sweet gay man struggling to maintain a balance between work and life. The film suffers a bit from not being able to decide if it's an action or a comedy, and sways back and forth repeatedly, but is still worth watching. The DVD is standard good stuff from DreamWorks, with deleted scenes, audio commentary, trailers, cast and crew BIOS, an HBO behind the scenes featurette, and more.
THE MEXICAN -
MISS CONGENIALITY - Sandra Bullock plays a tough-as-nails FBI agent who must go undercover at a beauty pageant to uncover a terrorist plot. Along the way, she must be converted into a believable contestant. Another fish out of water story, this is a good, funny movie. I was hoping for a little bit more though.Bullock is radiant and funny as usual, and supporting characters Ernie Hudson and Candace Bergen are solid performers. There are two stars of this movie, however. The first is Michael Caine playing a Yoda-like pageant preparer, who is hired by the FBI to polish Bullock into a shining diamond. The other is William (but I can call him Bill) Shatner, playing the pageant host, Mr. Miss United States. An absolute riot.The DVD is solid. Two documentaries, audio commentary, the trailer, and a handful of additional extras. Best line: Shatner, just after Bullock has been named one of the top ten contestants, and falls flat on her face as she walks down stage. "Oh, shit."
MISS CONGENIALITY - MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2 - A group of terrorists lead by a renegade agent (Dougray Scott) steal a deadly toxin and threaten chemical warfare. A more athletic and scruffier Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the IMF team must recruit a beautiful thief (Thandie Newton) and former lover, to infiltrait the group and avert disaster. Ving Rhames returns as computer wiz Luther, and Anthony Hopkins joins the cast as the head of IMF operations. (Uh, why is the obviously English Hopkins head of an American agency?) The plot is a little week, but the movie succeeds because of three things: John Woo, John Woo, and John Woo. (For the un-enlightened, John Woo is a director from Hong Kong who specializes in action films featuring slow-motion shootouts and birds flapping their wings.) We get lots of both in M:I 2, along with yet another fantasic areal acrobatics scene that even gets poked fun at. M:I 2 feels like a cross between the original Mission: Impossible and The Matrix. Granted, Mission: Impossible was slow moving, with a plot so convoluted nobody got it, but that's what Mission: Impossible is supposed to be! Misdirection, confusion, and the IMF team coming out on top because of some "impossible" to pull off plan. M:I 2 has sacrificed that in exchange for more action, but it doesn't really hurt the movie, and besides, executive producer Tom Cruise wanted each installment to feel and look different. Going from Brian DePalma to John Woo definitely accomplished that. This is one of a handful of Paramount produced DVD's that actually has some extras on it! Cool Stuff too, including commentary by directer Woo, Metalica's "I Dissapear" music video, an alternate title sequence, "Behind The Mission" cast and crew interviews, "Impossible Shots" - 11 seperate stunt sequences, DVD-ROM content, MTV's Movie Awards skit "Mission: Improbable" and very cool menus.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2 - MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL - What can be said about one of the funniest movies of all time? Well, for starters, it's one of the funniest movies of all time. When Monty Python's Flying Circus made the leap from the BBC to the big screen, it was really the first time a movie would be made off of a TV show. The Pythons have made other, successful films since, but HOLY GRAIL is the cornerstone of the church of Python, the one where their firing on all six cylinders. King Arthur of Camelot and his band of brave knights are sent on a holy quest by God to seek out and find the Holy Grail. They must face killer rabbits, black knights, three headed monsters, a castle full of seductresses, the bridge of death, the dreaded knights who say "ni" and most dangerous of all ... their own ineptitude. The Python players take several of England's most treasured histories and skewer them as only they can. Lancelot was too gung ho. Camelot is a silly place. French taunting hurts. This is a masterpiece of inspired lunacy, and definitely a MUST SEE. The first HOLY GRAIL DVD sucked big ones. The new and improved version (WARNING! Same cover art, it just comes in the holographic slip sleeve) is billed as "the ultimate, definitive and final special edition dvd" and it is all of those things and more. The high def. transfer is the best this old film has ever looked, and includes a juicy 24 seconds of extra footage. The menus are fully animated, taken from Gilliam's own sketch drawings, 2 audio commentaries, onscreen screenplay, subtitles taken from Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part II, your choice of either a new Dolby 5.1 sound mix or the original mono, a "follow the killer rabbit" feature, and options for the hard of hearing. And all of that is just on disc one! The second disc includes an educational film from the ministry of foods "How To Use Your Coconuts", behind-the-scenes photos, unused ideas, clips dubbed in Japanese with English subtitles, Michael Palin and Terry Jones in "The Quest for the Holy Grail locations" documentary, "On location with the Pythons" a 1974 BBC documentary, three sing-alongs, an interactive cast directory, trailers, weblinks, and the knights of the round table skit done in Lego, which has to be scene to be believed. (Trust me, just run out and buy this without even thinking about it.)
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL - Film - THE MUMMY - Wise cracking American Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) leads a group of fortune seekers into the deserts of Egypt to the city of Hamanaptra, the city of the dead. There they discover an ancient evil which Evie (Rachel Weisz) accidentally awakens in the form of the Mummy Imhotep, (Arnold Vosloo) who loved the Pharaoh's wife and was forever cursed for it.Harking back to the good old adventure films of Ray Harryhousen more than the Universal horror classic for which it is named, THE MUMMY is one of those summer popcorn films, all flash and no substance. The digitally created monsters don't lurch through scenes but through the half baked plot designed to ignore all practicality in order to get to the action faster. There is a lot of unexpected humor here, most of which comes from Fraser, who does a passable INDIANA JONES impersonation, but still seems like a fish out of water surrounded by all these action set pieces. But he's got a good supporting cast to lean on. THE MUMMY is an interesting anomaly, sometimes a breathtaking vision of the future of filmmaking, sometimes an abomination of the digital age. But despite all this, it is mildly entertaining and enjoyable. The original Collector's Edition DVD contained several bonus features, but was blown out of the water by the Ultimate Edition DVD. It's problem, however, was that is was a DVD designed to promote the theatrical release of THE MUMMY RETURNS, and half the features on it are dedicated to that film. The 2 disc set does contain 3 audio commentaries, deleted scenes, both the widescreen and Pan-&-Scan versions of the film, text class Egyptology 101, visual effects featurettes, trailers, the documentary "Building A Better Mummy" and more. Poor menus, but otherwise tops.
THE MUMMY - THE MUMMY RETURNS - 8 years after the events of THE MUMMY, the now married Rick and Evie O'Connell (Fraser and Weisz) and their son are still globe trotting across Egypt digging up trouble. When their son Alex puts on the recovered bracelet of Anubis, he unwittingly sets in motion an epic race. In five days the legendary Scorpion King (The Rock) will awaken and with the army of Anubis will conquer the world. The reincarnated Anaksonamoon seeks to resurrect Imhotep as the only force powerful enough to stop the Scorpion King, but if he succeeds, he'll use the army to take over the Earth. Only the O'Connell's can stop both forces, return Anubis' army to the underworld, and save their son. The entire cast (right down to the guy playing the Pharaoh) reunites for a larger, grander tale that fills in some of the back story to THE MUMMY while moving in a new direction. And contrary to popular belief, The Rock can act. He doesn't have much to do, but when he is on screen, he commands it. The story mixes reincarnation and Egyptian mythology and special effects with gleeful abandon, but is full of unexplained holes, even for a sequel. (I have a few questions about the tattoo O'Connell sports on his arm which he supposedly got in an orphanage as a child, but was nowhere to be seen in the first film. The tattoo marks him as a warrior for God, destined to stop the abominations of evil. Okay, whatever.) Much like it's predecessor, the film still jumps from action scene to action scene, stopping only to fill in some necessary plot development. Director Stephen Sommers is apparently a Spielberg fan, for most of those action scenes are ripped from other films. ET, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, THE LOST WORLD, INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM are all thrown in here. Hell, one segment recreates a scene from THE MUMMY. More digital magic from ILM populates the movie with virtual monsters and monstrosities, none more interesting than the Scorpion King himself, who looks like he stepped out of the mind of Harryhousen. For all the technical wizardry going into these films, they are really just updated remakes of the adventure serials like JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS or SINBAD. THE MUMMY RETURNS is a rarity however, one of the few Hollywood sequels that is actually superior to the film that originated it. Turn off your brain, pop some popcorn. The Collector's Edition DVD from Universal resembles their Ultimate Edition DVD for the first film, in that many of the extras are dedicated to another movie. This time it's THE SCORPION KING, summer 2002's MUMMY prequel staring The Rock. Other features include a spotlight on location documentary, audio commentary, outtakes, "Forever May Not Be Long Enough" music video by Live, the theatrical trailer, DVD-ROM content, visual and special effects formation featurettes, and Egyptology 201, the follow up documentary to one on THE MUMMY. Kick ass menus too, but when THE SCORPION KING comes out next summer, will they turn around and release a 2 disc Ultimate Edition DVD of THE MUMMY RETURNS like the did before?
THE MUMMY RETURNS - MURDER 101 - Successful mystery and true-crime writer Professor Charles Lattimore (Pierce Brosnan) assigns his English class to plan the perfect murder. But after he is tricked into a romantic rendezvous with an ambitious student, someone strangles her and leaves him without an alibi. What follows is a cat and mouse hunt as Lattimore must stay one step ahead of the cops and find out if one of his students is taking the assignment too seriously.An enjoyable thriller that debuted on the USA Network, this made-for-television movie boasts the talent of Bill Condon, director and Academy Award winning writer of GODS AND MONSTERS. The Goodtimes DVD features only 2.0 dolby surround and standards like scene selection and subtitles, but for a telefilm to even be on DVD is a testiment to how good it is.
MURDER 101 - Film - MY BLUE HEAVEN - Steve Martin plays a gangster, Rick Moranis a federal agent. Martin is in the witness protection plan, but can't clean up his act and soon reverts to his old ways. Joan Cusack co-stars as an Assistant DA who wants to prosecute Martin, while falling in love with Moranis. This is a great, funny movie, one of the eternal "cute" films that I will always enjoy. It's also one in a new line of "cheap" DVD's from Warner Bros, priced between $14.99 and $9.99. Now, it's great that Warner is giving us cheap prices. Unfortunatley, they're also giving us cheap product. MY BLUE HEAVEN has no extras aside from a French Language Track. The static menu is the box art reduex. And, tradgey above all, the movie is not in widescreen. This is a VHS-version DVD. And it sucks. Perhaps this sould fall under the old addage "you get what you pay for." But maybe Warner should suck it up on the cutting cost side, and release DVD's that actually have content that make us want to buy them. And if the price is good, well, so much the better. Buyer Beware!!!!
MY BLUE HEAVEN - THE NUTTY PROFESSOR II: THE KLUMPS The first Nutty Prof was cute and funny, but the standout scenes involved the Klump family sitting around the dinner table. Those two scenes made for some of the funniest on film. Ap- parently; Universal thought so too, for the sequel takes the Klumps up from around that table and builds them into fully realized characters. We always knew Eddie Murphy was talented, but to see this movie and realize that he plays 6 different characters who all have different manorisims and speech patterns and characteristics, yet all related, proves his abilities go far beyond what he's been credited with thus far. The movie's plot is a little silly dealing with genetic engineering enabling Klump's alter-ego Buddy Love to come to life on his own; and then try to steal a "youth formula" Klump has developed. The Klump family gets dragged into the mayhem, and that's where the fun starts. Like most comedies released AP (After Pie - as in American Pie) the humor is crude and in some areas tasteless. Like when a giant hamster has his way with the school dean played by Larry Miller. Funny? Sure. but did we really need that? The DVD includes lots of good stuff, including two time-lapse sequences of Murphy getting into make-up; (minimum of 3 hrs for each character.) a Spotlight On Location documentary, outtakes, and more.
THE NUTTY PROFESSOR II: THE KLUMPS - O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? - Set in Mississippi during the depression, three men (George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson) escape from a chain gang and begin an adventure filled journey, based on Homer's THE ODYSSEY. This film has all the pieces of the epic, just with different set dressings. They encounter the sirens re-imagined as a trio of female bounty hunters, and the cyclops becomes a one-eyed bible salesman (John Goodman). This is a fun film, although it is off the beaten path a bit and southern stereo types run rampant throughout. But it is well made, and funny. The DVD is a bit of a let down however, static menus, and only a few extras: a production featurette, script to storyboard comparison and the music video of "A Man Of Constant Sorrow" by the Soggy Bottom Boys. The highlight of the disc is an effects featurette, showing how O BROTHER was the first film to be completely film processed digitally. This allowed the Coen Brothers full control over the shading and colors on screen. Unfortunately, it only wets the appetite for more extras and more information about the movie. Where's the audio comentary? Universal has done better.
O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? - THE ONE - There is not just one universe, there are multiple. There is not just one you, there are multiple. Jet Li plays a multiuniverse agent who was forced to defend himself against another version of himself and killed the other one. When that happened, he discovered the life energy was split up between the remaining living versions and all of them got stronger. He goes rouge and begins assassinating all the other muliple versions of himself, becoming faster, stronger and better. He seeks to be the one and only. Delroy Lindo (rapidly becoming one of my favorite actors) is another agent assigned to track him down. This leads them both to our universe, and a showdown of man vs. himself. Confused yet? Actually, this is a pretty nifty concept, brought to you by Glen Morgan and James Wong, two of the minds that brought you most of the good episodes of The X-Files, so you know it wont suck. Think HIGHLANDER meets THE MATRIX and add Jet Li. It could have been awesome, but for some reason the whole Jet Li fighting himself thing feels like a bad Van Dame movie. Its also a bit too short (clocking in at an hour twenty). I would have liked a bit more, but still good fun. The Columbia special edition DVD includes both widescreen and Pan-&-Scan versions, director and crew audio commentary, multiple making-of featurettes, trailers, animatic comparisons, detailed filmographies, and more. THE ONE - ONE NIGHT AT McCOOL'S - Liv Tyler, Matt Dillon, John Goodman, Paul Reiser, and Michael Douglas star in this dark comedy about a femme fatale (Tyler) who just wants the perfect home. And then wants her boyfriend to go out and steal from the guys she seduces to fill it full of things the perfect home needs. Like a big screen TV and DVD player. Because you can't have a top of the line entertainment set up without a DVD player.McCOOL'S is uneven, parts being hysterically funny, parts being really really dark. But I guess that's the definition of dark comedy. Maybe I just don't get it, cause I didn't like WAR OF THE ROSES either. If you liked that film, you'll probably like this one. The entire cast is great, especially Goodman and Tyler, (has John Goodman ever made a bad film? Wait, let me rephrase. Has John Goodman ever been bad in a film? I don't think so.) The DVD features deleted scenes, trailers, The Making of McCool's, wardrobe, make-up and hair tests, location maps, storyboard to film comparisons, the very first cast read through, and two music videos, "Velvet" by a-ha, and "Love Is Alive" by Joan Osborne.
ONE NIGHT AT McCOOL'S - THE ORIGINAL KINGS OF COMEDY - Steve Harvey, Cedric The Entertainer, Bernie Mac and D.L. Hugley comprise four of the funniest black comedians working today. The sheer force of their comedy is reminiscent of the early days of Richard Pryor, or Eddie Murphy RAW. Not for family viewing, the Kings are vulgar, foul mouthed, and crude, but undeniably funny. It's good to see director Spike Lee attaching himself to a project like this if for no other reason than to get wider recognition. The DVD is typical from Paramount, the theatrical trailer (which is no where near as good or as funny as the short TV trailers, which are no where to be seen) and a bevy of deleted scenes and jokes, but they're just different takes of the same jokes in the show. Yawn.
THE ORIGINAL KINGS OF COMEDY - THE PATRIOT - Starring Mel Gibson as William Wallace in a strugle for freedom--whoops, wrong movie. Okay, so yes, THE PATRIOT does at times rip off BRAVEHEART, (right down to that sceen of Mel on a horse with a flag riding along a line of troops before battle) but give this one a try, because it's a great film. Remember, this is from Dean Devlin and Rolland Emmerich, the team that brought us STARGATE, INDEPENDENCE DAY and (oh yeah, GODZILLA) but forget that one. The story is that of Benjamin Martin, a family man who has no interest in inviting a war to his doorstep, in part because of his family (seven kids) and in part because of his past. He's seen carnage, and doesn't wish to do so again. Naturally, his place is the first one the Red Coats show up at, and after a few killings, Mad Max is unleashed. The Revolutionary War has always been one of my favorite time periods, and this film is detailed to a fault, thanks to the Smithsonian. It's a great movie, not on par with BRAVEHEART, but a must see none-the-less. The DVD has tons of extras on it, (my favorite is the anatomy of the cannon ball sceen) and very cool menus to back it all up.
THE PATRIOT - PAY IT FORWARD - Can one idea change the world? Let's say you do something nice for someone. And instead of paying you back, they have to pay it forward to three other people. And each of those three has to pay it forward to three more, and so on. Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment give great performances that highlight this story of the ultimate pyramid scheme. A tad preachy at times, especially the end, but a thoroughly good film with an important message. The DVD has an HBO First Look at the film, commentary by director Mimi Leader (DEEP IMPACT) and more, but as with most Warner Releases, boring menu screens.
PAY IT FORWARD - THE PERFECT STORM - Another well made movie from director Wolfgang Peterson(AIR FORCE ONE, IN THE LINE OF FIRE), this one stars George Cloone as a Sword Fish Boat Captain who's crew gets caught up in "The Perfect Storm" - a convergence of three freaks of meteorology. Based on a true story, these are down on their luck, needing a big score sailors from a small sailing community, and the movie does a good job of letting us in on what the New England fishing community is all about. Towards the end of the movie it gets a little redundant as wave after wave crashes into the boat on their way home, to the point where you want to scream "Enough, already! We understand they're in peril! Move along!" One other complaint is the music from composer James Horner. It's very haunting and moving, but it's also been cannibalized from two of Horner's previous film scores, APOLLO 13 and TITANIC. (Yea, I know I'm the only freak in the world who would notice something like that, but if it makes any difference, Carrie said it before I did!) All in all The Perfect Storm is a good movie, and tells a good story, but it wasn't the end all, be all film everyone made it out to be this summer.
THE PERFECT STORM - PITCH BLACK - A group of people crash on a remote planet with three suns only to find nocturnal aliens live below ground ready to kill them all. And oh, did I forget to mention the upcoming eclipse? PITCH BLACK plays like a B movie, but a really good B movie. It is at the same time suspenseful and scary and a hell of a lot of fun. It's a decent sci-fi premise that plays on one of our most basic fears - the fear of the dark. Give this one a try!
PITCH BLACK - PLANET OF THE APES For the sake of consistancy, we have decided to group the Planet of the Apes series together, since the films are available in a special boxed set. PLANET OF THE APES - If you haven't heard of or seen this one I can only ask what planet you're from because you certainly don't hail from around here. Three astronauts crash on a strange planet only to discover it's run by apes and humans are the beasts of the jungle. When it's discovered that Taylor (Charlton Heston) is intelligent and can talk, it sets off a series of events that will shake Ape society to it's very foundations. Religion, science and more clash over what is believed, and what is true. Taylor is helped by a pair of sympathetic Chimpanzees, Cornelius and Zira (played by the series' cornerstones Roddy McDowell and Kim Hunter). This is a science fiction masterpiece, CO-written by Rod Serling (THE TWILIGHT ZONE) and has one of the best "surprise" endings of all time. Heston gives one of the great performances as anti-hero Taylor, trying to figure out this upside down world he's crashed onto, and how on Earth is he going to get back. A MUST SEE. The DVD contains a pristine widescreen print that may be the best the movie has ever looked. THX remastering, a photo gallery, web link, trailers for all 5 movies and a cross promotion trailer. All the discs in the set are skimpy on extras, but that's why Fox gave us the BEHIND THE PLANET OF THE APES documentary disc. Still, audio commentary would have been nice. Best Line: Taylor (okay, I know this is cliche, but it really is the best line. This is the reason we watch the movie) "Get your stinking paws off me you damn dirty ape!"
PLANET OF THE APES - BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES - A rescue mission from Earth brings astronaut James Franciscus to the Planet of the Apes to find Taylor. He joins up with Linda Harrison's Nova, and encounters the same sites & thrills as the original, including Cornelius and Zira (the ever returning Roddy McDowell and Kim Hunter). They help him escape to the forbidden zone, where he finds a lost tribe of telepathic mutant humans who warship a doomsday atom bomb. Things get hairy (sorry, couldn't resist that one) when a Gorilla army arrives to exterminate them all. Telepathic mutant humans living in subterranean caverns? This is the stuff of bad sci-fi serials, of which BENEATH is definitely one. But it's also a a social commentary warning of the dangers of nuclear war. Fun, although a little bleak at the end. If nothing else, BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES gains a few bonus points because it has a much more impressive pedigree than most serials. This DVD contains the same features as PLANET, mainly, THX remastering, web link, a photo gallery and trailers. Unfortunately, the same 6 trailers are on all the discs.
BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES - ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES - Cornelius and Zira have escaped from the (oh, you got that from the title, didn't you?) Anyway, they land on present day earth, just 2 years after Taylor left on his mission. (Interesting that untrained apes were able to land the spacecraft when two sets of highly specialized astronauts both crashed.) The talking apes are instant sensations until a sinister plot by the President's science advisor (Eric Braeden) forces them to run for their lives. This one is more for kids than anything else, but it's still lighthearted fun with social commentary. Turning the tables on the first two, Cornelius and Zira are subjected to some of the same prejudices from their own time.We don't even get the photo gallery this time out, so it's just THX, a web link and trailers.
ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES - CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES - In the near future (1991) humanity has replaced cats and dogs with apes for pets and servants. Caesar (Roddy McDowell playing his character's own son), the intelligent ape child of Cornelius and Zira, has survived their death and begins to imagine a world without ape slavery. As tensions mount and conditions become more and more dire, he leads an ape rebellion against the humans. CONQUEST is the most action orientated of the films, but it is also the worst of them. Dark and foreboding, the fun is lost as we get more social commentary than we need. Sometimes the issue is clear enough we don't need it spelled out to us. THX, trailers, web link.
CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES - BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES - Set in 2001 after the atomic wars that obliterated much of the planet, Caesar leads a group of humans and apes in relative peace. The humans are not superior or even equal to apes now, something that General Atar (Claude Akins) constantly reminds them. When a band of mutant humans from the ruined city attacks, everyone, Human and Ape must team up to defeat them. Roddy McDowell returns once again, and for all it's preachiness about love and peace, this is one of the better films in the series. Even more interesting, is the symmetry that actually does exist between the five films. Taylor jumps forward in time (PLANET) escapes and gets lost in the forbidden zone. He is followed by James (BENEATH) and in the ensuing struggle between Apes and man, he destroys the planet. Before the complete destruction of Earth Cornelius and Zira travel back in time (ESCAPE) where they are persecuted for what may happen if their progeny were to take over, which eventually does happen (CONQUEST). By traveling forward in time, Taylor is the instrument of both the rise of the Apes, and the destruction of the Earth, and yet he's the hero? And even more interesting is BATTLE's last scene: Humans and Apes living together in peace. An ape child pushes a human one, she pushes back. The camera zooms in on a statue of Caesar that is weeping. Does the statue weep because the children are playing, and humans and apes can live together in peace, meaning we have changed future history? Or does the statue weep because it sees the innate instinct of both species can never be changed, and it knows that the complete domination of man and subsequent destruction of the planet are inevitable? We'll never know. THX, trailers, web link. Yawn.
BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES - BEHIND THE PLANET OF THE APES - Now here is the reason to buy the boxset. 20th Century Fox in cooperation with American Movie Classics have opened the vaults and put together a 2 hour documentary chronicling the behind the scenes of the Apes phenomenon. Roddy McDowell hosts your decent into the most comprehensive history of the Apes ever created. Film by film, to the short lived television series and cartoons and beyond, see makeup sessions, interviews with Charlton Heston and Kim Hunter, archival photos, never-before seen footage and more. (Side note: Is it fair of me to grade the APES DVD's on substance when it is all included here on one disc? I struggled for a long time on that one, and finally decided that since PLANET OF THE APES is available individually on disc without the goodies, they should all be graded individually.) Fox has also just introduced a 2 disc version with an additional 3 hours of content. If you're into APES, this is a MUST HAVE.
BEHIND THE PLANET OF THE APES - THE PRINCE OF EGYPT - So The SKG of DreamWorks SKG (Steven Spielberg, Jeffery Katzenberg & David Geffin) are sitting around discussing what makes a great animated film. First and formost, you need a good story. And Spielberg leans in and says, "Like the Ten Commandments?" Thus began the quest to make THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, one of the most ambitious animated films ever created. It tells the story of Moses, set adrift in a basket to be spared slaughter, rescued and raised by a Pharoh, only to be told by God he is the one who will free the slaves of Egypt. Good story indeed. Now populate that story with a great cast. How about Val Kilmer, Patrick Stewart, Ralph Finnes, Sandra Bullock, Michelle Pfiefer, Danny Glover, Jeff Goldblum, Martin Short, and Steve Martin? Now write some great songs that carry the emotional content of the film. Simple, just hire Hans Zimmer and Stephen Schwartz and win an Academy Award. Next you gotta have great animation. Done. THE PRINCE OF EGYPT succeedes on every level. But what impresses me most about this film is DreamWorks unwillingness to pull punches. When you tell a relgious story, especially as an animated film, you have to decide are you making a spiritual story, or a popular entertainment? How much of the religious overtones are you willing to trim so as not to offend anyone? DreamWorks answer is none. They tell the story of Moses from birth to the parting of the Red Sea (One of the films more spectacular moments) without missing a beat, even going so far as to refer people to The Bible and the book of Exodous for more information. My favorite part in the film is the angel of death coming for the first born children of Egypt. Let's face it, that is some weighty subject matter for an animated film, but it was done tastefully, artistically, and the very fact that it was in the movie at all earned DreamWorks every ounce of respect I can give them. This is A MUST SEE. DreamWorks Signature collection DVD contains audio commmentary, "The Making Of The Prince Of Egypt" documentary, Basics of Animation: The Chariot Race, 2 trailers, cast and crew bios, produciton notes, "When You Believe" music video, a foucs on technical effects and more.
THE PRINCE OF EGYPT - THE PRINCESS BRIDE - Once upon a time, William Goldman was a young boy, who's father used to read a book called The Princess Bride by S. Morgenstern to him. Grown with children of his own, he searched for years for a copy of the book he had loved so much. Finally he succeeded, and settled down to read it to his kids. The story was terrible, frightening and more. He stopped and began scanning through the book. Apparently, his father had skipped a good portion of the story, and read only "The good parts" which he embellished a bit. Goldman sat down and rewrote the story he remembered, using the novel as it's basis. "The good parts version" is the one that came to be filmed. Or so the story goes anyway. The story is of the beautiful Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright) who falls in love with farm boy Wesley (Cary Elwes). Wesley goes off to seek his fortune and is apparently killed, only to return later and rescue Buttercup because... "death cannot stop true love." Is that all? No. I think Peter Falk's character describes it best. "Fencing, fighting, giants, monsters, true love, death, revenge." Yep, it's all in here, including a dream cast that also includes Andre The Giant, Wallace Shawn, Christopher Guest, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Carol Kane, and Billy Crystal. This is a new classic, kind of the modern day version of THE WIZARD OF OZ. With a truly timeless story that appeals to everyone--kids, adults, boys, girls--Director Rob Reiner has crafted a masterpiece of storytelling that is the ultimate definition of fairy tale, and yet punctures holes in it's own myth. It's contemporary, and very funny. It's the first film I ever saw that so successfully combined action and humor to this degree. There is lots of both. If you are one of the rare individuals who has still never discovered this gem of a movie, run out to the video store this instant and pick it up. A MUST SEE. The original DVD release uh...sucked. So it's a good thing MGM has unveiled the special edition DVD, with an all new "As You Wish" documentary, audio commentary from Reiner, and a second commentary with author Goldman, Cary Elwes' home movies taken during production, 2 older featurettes on the making of the movie, trailer, production photos, beautiful menus, and more. Best Line: Mandy Patinkin as Indigo: "Hello. My name is Indigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
THE PRINCESS BRIDE - THE PRINCESS DIARIES - When an awkward sixteen year old girl (Anne Hathaway) finds out she is the princess of a tiny European country, her life gets turned upside down. Does she stay a San Franciscan teen, or leave with her grandmother (Julie Andrews) to become the leader they wish she was? Director Gary Marshall has visited this area before with PRETTY WOMAN. Hector Elizondo even stars as a spy for the country who acts more like a hotel concierge. Basically, this is just an updated version of CINDERELLA. But for all its familiarity, THE PRINCESS DIARIES is a very fun, cute movie, and worth a look. You could find worse ways to spend an evening. The Disney DVD features include 2 audio commentaries, one with director Gary Marshall and one with Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews, 8 deleted scenes introduced by Marshall, "A New Princess" behind-the-scenes featurette, "Miracles Happen" music video by Mrya, "SuperGirl" music video by Krystal, THX certification and more. THE PRINCESS DIARIES - THE PRISONER (SET 1) - Ever since it's CBS debut in the summer of 1968, Patrick McGoohan's classic British TV series THE PRISONER has mesmerized American viewers. Even my mother once remarked to me while passing by the tapes in a local video store, "Oh, that's the show where this guy is trapped and a giant ball follows him around." That simple statement should have been enough to pique my curiosity, and it did, but I'm afraid I'm a late bloomer to the world of The Village.But looking at A&E's absolutely gorgeous first box set, perhaps that's not a bad thing. The show, about an agent who resigns from a top-secret position and is then abducted from his home and taken to a mysterious location known as The Village, looks fantastic. Filled with bright colors and characters, the DVD's paint a picturesque vision of The Village and it's assortment of residents who are known only by number.There are two episodes to a disc, and appear in the fan-preferred viewing order, which follows a chronological succession of events and dialogue within the episodes. They also contain a handful of extras like an interactive map of The Village, Trivia games, scene selection, rare footage, the alternate version of the episode "The Chimes of Big Ben," and the original broadcast trailers. The only thing missing is audio commentary from The Prisoner himself, but to quote Number 2, "That would be telling." I'm holding my breath for the other volumes.
THE PRISONER (SET 1) - PROOF OF LIFE - Somewhere between GLADIATOR's theatrical release and the Meg Ryan / Dennis Quaid break up, people got tired of Russell Crowe. This is the movie that caused the break up, this is the one where reportedly Ryan and Crowe fell in love. There should be, if nothing else, morbid curiosity with this title. But instead, nobody remembers it, has heard of it or seemingly wants to see it. Perhaps America has grown tired of Crowe's bad boy behavior, perhaps they blame Ryan for ruining our "America's Sweethearts" thinking and boycott it. Which is really too bad, because it's an awesome movie, all behind the scenes shenanigans aside. David Morse plays an engineer in a third world nation who gets kidnapped by militant rebels. His company calls in Russell Crowe, a hostage retrieval expert to work with his wife Meg Ryan. In the process of playing the game of extortion, Crowe and Ryan's characters begin to fall in love. This is a taut, thought-provoking film with great performances and a good story. Be sure to check this one out! The Warner Bros. DVD has a behind-the-scenes documentary, audio commentary, the theatrical trailer, cast and crew BIOS, and stylish (if boring) menus.
PROOF OF LIFE - PEARL HARBOR - Set in the days leading up to December 7, 1941, PEARL HARBOR focuses on the budding romance of an ace pilot (Ben Affleck) and a nurse (Kate Beckinsale) but when he is shipped off to England and presumed dead in a dogfight, she falls in love with his best friend and fellow pilot (Josh Harnett). When he returns on the night of December 6th, all thier worlds begin to unravel, and are ultimately destoryed by the subsquent events. The aeral dogfights and battle scenes of the Japanese attack on Pearl are some of the most extrordinary and visual ever put on film. The devistation unfolds unrelentingly, as supporting cast Cuba Gooding Jr. and Tom Sizemore fight to stay alive in the chaos. Disney tried to hit the ball out of the park by making the next TITANIC, and wound up with a good movie that could have been great. The romance drags on too long, and winds up destracting us from the showcase piece of the attack. Unlike TITANIC, where the love story engulfed you so completely when the tradgedy started you were torn apart with the leads, unlike SAVING PRIVATE RYAN where the battle footage is so intense you felt like you were there, PEARL HARBOR is an awesome specical, but you are merely watching the events unfold instead of participating in them. Two performances of note: Jon Voight as Roosevelt deserves an Academy Nomination, and Alec Baldwin as John Doolittle, who's daring raid turned the course of the war. His grit and determination reminds you we are Americans. Nobody better mess with us. Ultimately, this is another movie that was very enjoyable, and worth watching, but could have been better. I will be very currious to see Michael Bay's Director's Cut on the 3 disc Vista Series edition, due out in May next year. And while I hate to bring it up, this movie is extremly hard to watch without thinking of September 11, another day that will live in infamy. The sneak attacks on Pearl and the World Trade Center were both terrible, both costly in terms of American lives, and both beneficial in waking this nation from the lethargicness we were in. Sleeping Gaint indeed! But when listening to Roosevelt's speach about how this sort of thing will never happen again, one can only think we didn't learn our lesson the first time. The 2 disc 60th Anniversary Commemorative DVD features THX mastering, The History Channel documentary "Unsung Heroes", "Journey To The Screen: The Making Of PEARL HARBOR" documentary, DVD-ROM content, Faith Hill's music video "There You'll Be", and a Dolby headphone soundtrack.
PEARL HARBOR - Film - Vista Series Director's Cut DVD - TBD THE QUEENS OF COMEDY - Like it's counterpart THE ORIGINAL KINGS OF COMEDY, this is a recording of one of the touring stage shows. Like the KINGS, the ladies are fast, furious, funny, and foul-mouthed. Being a man, (the gender targeted by most of their jokes) I was amused by some, put off by others. My wife laughed through the whole thing. Maybe it's a girl thing?The DVD, like the KINGS, is another in a series of disappointments from Paramount. Only a few deleted scenes (again, more alternate sequences from the movie) and a behind the scenes look at the women as they spend their day gearing up for the show that night. Nothing spectacular. Leave it to Paramount to take an ordinary DVD and make it...ordinary.
THE QUEENS OF COMEDY - QUILLS - Based on the true life story of the Maquis, DE Sade, who wrote what many consider to be the first "Pulp" novels full of explicit sex and violence and was institutionalized for it. Geoffrey Rush gives a powerful performance as the Maquis, almost overpowering both Kate Winslet and Joaquin Phoenix. Only veteran Michael Caine stands a chance against his acting chops, but Caine is simply replaying his Ebenezer Scrooge character from the Muppet Christmas Carol. The result is Rush running away with the film. Erotic, violent and disturbing, QUILLS is a great movie and well worth the rent (especially since the local theaters didn't bother picking it up until after the academy nominations were out).The DVD has several in-depth documentaries that look at the experience of making QUILLS, from the ornate costuming to the efforts to make the time period look authentic. A well made movie coupled with a good DVD presentation. Worth a buy.
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