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New DVD reviews - July 22, 2008 |
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Written by Lisa Miller/special to the World
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Tuesday, 22 July 2008 |
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(Ratings out of four stars)
21
(2008)
* *1/2
Directed by Robert Luketic
Starring Kate Bosworth, Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Laurence Fishburne, Aaron Yoo, Liza Lapira, Jacob Pitts
Sony/Rated PG-13/Drama/123 min
Stylishly directed, "21" pits omnipresent MIT professor, Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), against card-counting, blackjack protege, Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess). The film reveals enough about card-counting to make the practice appealing, but it virtually ignores the difficult computations used by the actual MIT team, statistical analysis that the script concludes would baffle the average viewer. The movie tries but fails to amp up tension by having team members appear in disguise -- mainly glitzy outfits worn by team member, Jill (Kate Bosworth). Most closely studied is the face of casino security expert, Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne), shown unraveling the team's secret communication strategy. In a succession of swanky suites, professor Rosa lectures his young players on self-discipline while he hogs an unfair share of the profits and ruins team morale. Director Robert Luketic's nifty cinematography is meant to depict the highs of winning and lows of losing, but his slick camera trickery fails to convey the emotional impact on these young players. The film version is retrofitted with a fluffy ending, but the MIT team's actual undoing is marvelously instructive. Having won 10 million dollars posing as stand alone players, the team was spotted hanging out at a casino swimming pool. As is so often the case, truth trumps fiction.
TURN THE RIVER
(2007)
* *1/2
Directed by Chris Eigeman
Starring Rip Torn, Famke Janssen, Matt Ross, Jaymie Dornan, Lois Smith, Terry Kinney
Universal/Rated R/Drama/92 min
Kailey (Janssen), a talented pool hustler brought low by her self-destructive habits, is tortured by her reckless past. The action heats up when Gully (Dornan), Kailey's young son in the custody of her ex, can't explain his broken arm. Knowing her ex (Ross) to be a hothead, Kailey plans a move to Canada with the lad. Beginning their new life requires $70,000 -- mainly for forged papers. Helped by her pool hall operating friend, Quinn (Torn), Kailey plots to take down a monied, egocentric pool shark. The movie quietly observes the pressure of living on the fringe and remaining functional while battling bad habits and regrets. This first feature effort from writer-director Chris Eigeman, makes the most of its cast, especially Janssen who infuses her performance with thoughtful extras. DVD features: Director's Commentary, Featurette Final Shot, DD 5.1 SS English language track, Spanish subtitles, widescreen.
RENO 911!: Season Five Uncensored
(2007)
* * *
Created by Robert Ben Garant, Kerri Kenney, Thomas Lennon
Starring Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon, Kerri Kenney, Cedric Yarbrough, Carlos Alazraqui, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Niecy Nash
Paramount/Unrated/Comedy/352 Minutes
"Reno 911!" gives off an absurd sense of spontaneity that adds to its already outlandish sense of humor. The low budget look goes perfectly with a sheriff's office of misfits unable to resolve any 911 call to anyone's satisfaction. Thomas Lennon appears as Lieutenant Jim Dangle, insisting that making his trousers into hot pants increases his freedom of movement. Deputy Travis Junior (Garant), is the force's resident hostile, affecting a redneck pose and a glare you can feel right through his black sunglasses. Deputy Trudy Wiegel (Kenney) resolves to auction her baby to the highest bidder, and Deputy Raineesha Williams (Nash) parades her big nose and outsize hinder where it doesn't belong. Rounding out the unit is a trailer trash hottie (McLendon-Covey), Yarbrough as a ladies man (in the brotherly tradition), and a racist Mexican (Alazraqui). This season the deputies sell snacks door-to-door, Dangle reconnects with the black branch of his family and the deputies learn that Kevlar vests, specially made for women, stop bullets while starting other problems. Conceived as the anti-cops show, "Reno 911!" accomplishes its mission and then some. DVD features: Commentary, Extended Scenes, featurettes: Dangle and Wiegel at the Mr. Mchuggle's Warehouse, Clown Car Tragedy, Garcia and Junior Join a Militia, Jackie's Last Will and Testament, Cop Psychology - Inside the Minds of Reno's Deputies, DD Stereo English language track, full-screen.
L.A. INK: Season One
(2007)
*1/2
Kat Von D, Pixie Acia, Corey Miller, Kim Saigh, Hannah Aitchison
Genius/Not Rated/Reality TV/544 min
Ink lovers have flocked to the latest reality tattooing show starring Kat Von D. After Kat's dramatic firing from the shop featured on TLC's "Miami Ink," the 25-year-old got her own Los Angeles inkery along with a reality show. During early episodes, she flies cross country to recruit tattooists, affecting a laid back, party girl persona, when in fact she's all about being a big success. Clearly aware she's garnered as much interest for her smokey, dark-haired looks as for her work, Kat appeared on Lettermen in a micro-mini that displayed many of the tats covering 75% of her body. Other cosmetic alterations interest Kat too. She can be seen hawking her new make up line on YouTube or refashioning T-shirts to make rocker-girl wear. Beneath her black eye shadow, this mediocre talent is a fast learner who has found herself in the right place at the right time. 3-disc DVD set features: One-on-one with the cast of LA Ink: Kim, Hannah, Pixie, Corey, DD Stereo English language track, widescreen.
PICTURE THIS
(2008)
* *
Directed by Stephen Herek
Starring Ashley Tisdale, Robbie Amell, Kevin Pollack, Lauren Collins
Fox/Not Rated/Comedy/92 min
Another teenybopper made-for-TV yawner, this one capitalizes on "High School Musical's" youth cache by starring Ashley Tisdale as Mandy. Supposedly an ugly duckling, Mandy attracts the attention of high school dreamboat, Drew (Amell). When he invites Mandy to his much hyped party, she uses her videophone to persuade her overprotective dad (Pollack) that she's studying at a girlfriend's house. By-the-numbers antics ensue. Fortunately for Pollack, slumming here as Mandy's gullable dad, few viewers of this mush are likely to be familiar with his more challenging work. DVD features: commentary between Shenae and Lauren, Selected Cell Phone Text, featurettes: Making Of, Cell Phone Confessions, Music Video, Interactive Game, DD SS 5.1 English language track, French or Spanish subtitles, widescreen.
ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS
(2007)
* * *
Created by Seth Green, Matthew Senreich
Voices of George Lucas, Mark Hamill, Donald Faison, Hulk Hogan, James Van Der Beek, Joey Fatone, Conan O'Brien, Seth Green,
Warner/Not Rated/Comedy/23 min
Assuming you're a "Star Wars" geek, the "Robot Chicken" treatment of the franchise is not to be missed. These collected clips send up all six films. In one snippet, Jar Jar Binks is flushed out of a spaceship's airlock, in another, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia enjoy some postcoital pillow talk. The special effects are surprisingly good, propping up the stop and go animation. Lest you balk at the prospect of paying for a 23-minute program that has already aired on TV, consider the two hours of special features. Both the panel discussion and an animation meeting reveal the thought processes informing these birdbrains. DVD features: episode commentary, Chicken Nuggets, Animation Meeting, On-air Bumps, deleted scenes, behind the scenes, production design, time lapse, panel discussions, alternate audio, trailers, DD English language track, full-screen.
Rereleased in New Editions and Formats
THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE: Unrated, Blu-Ray
(2005)
* * *
Directed by Scott Derrickson
Starring Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Campbell Scott
Sony/Rated PG-13/Horror/122 min
Based on real events, a priest is tried for manslaughter after exorcizing a young woman who subsequently dies. Linney appears as attorney Erin Bruner, hired to defend the priest (Wilkinson) without sullying the Catholic Church's reputation. Eerie flashbacks of a possible demonic possession are expertly woven into this tightly knit tale. Blu-Ray features: director commentary, deleted scene, featurettes: Genesis of the Story, Casting the Movie, Visual Design, DD 5.1 English, French, Portuguese, Spanish or Thai language track(s), Chinese, Indonesian or Korean subtitles, widescreen.
THE SCORPION KING, Blu-Ray
(2002)
*1/2
Directed by Chuck Russell
Starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Steven Brand, Kelly Hu, Michael Clarke Duncan, Grant Heslov
Universal/Rated PG-13/Action, Fantasy/92 min
Set 2000 years prior to "The Mummy," this prequel stars WWF wrestling icon, The Rock. The film's action format utilizes cheap special effects and tacky camera angles. Playing an assassin trying to kill a warlord (Steven Brand), The Rock's stage name best describes his inert performance. Blu-Ray features: director commentary, Free Movie Ticket Offer to The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor ($7.50 value), DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English, or DTS 5.1 SS French or Spanish language track(s), widescreen.
SECRETARY: Collector's Ed.
(2002)
* * *
Directed by Steven Shainberg
Starring James Spader, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Lily Knight, Amy Locane, Michael Mantell Jeremy Davies, Lesley Ann Warren
Lions Gate/Rated R/Comedy/111 min
Lee (Gyllenhaal) is a mentally unbalanced office worker made sexually self-aware when her otherwise restrained boss (James Spader) begins spanking her as punishment for her secretarial errors. Gyllenhaal enchants as the naive young woman grooving on the corporal punishment as an avenue to explore her dark fantasies. Though sadomasochism seems an unlikely springboard for romance, it works thanks in sharp satire. DVD features: commentary with director and writer Erin Cressida Wilson, behind the scenes featurette, photo gallery, DD English language track, Spanish subtitles, widescreen.
THE PERFECT STORM, Blu-Ray
(2000)
* * *
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
Starring George Clooney Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane
Warner/Rated PG-13/Drama/130 min
Based on the true story causing the Andrea Gail's disaster at sea, the film depicts the conjunction of three storms recording 80-foot swells off the Eastern Seaboard. From Sebastian Junger's best selling book, the storm and gigantic wave effects are incredible, though the 45 minutes constructing the fisherman's back stories, contributes little. Blu-Ray features: DD SS 5.1 English, French or Spanish language track(s), widescreen.
URBAN LEGEND, Blu-Ray
(1998)
*1/2
Directed by Jamie Blanks
Starring Jared Leto, Alicia Witt, Rebecca Gayheart, Robert Englund, Tara Reid, Loretta Devine, Joshua Jackson
Sony/Rated R/Horror/99 min
"Urban Legend" places a group of young people in the path of a killer who is reenacting murders well known to them all. Students of a New England college Urban Legends class speculate about a series of 30-year-old unsolved campus killings. When someone begins to reenact the murders, bodies of dead students accumulate as the film lurches toward its own demise. Where are the chillingly inventive murders? What happened to the sympathetic heroine? Where oh where has the brilliant resolution gone? Blu-Ray features: DD 5.1 English, French, Portuguese, Spanish or Thai language track(s), Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, French, Indonesian, Korean, subtitles, widescreen.
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