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New DVD reviews - July 30, 2008 |
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Written by Written by Lisa Miller/special to the World
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Wednesday, 30 July 2008 |
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 HAROLD AND KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY: Special Edition, DVD or Blu-Ray
(2008)
* *1/2
Directed by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
Starring John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Danneel Harris, Eric Winter, Rob Corddry, David Krumholtz, Eddie Kaye Thomas
New Line/Rated R/Comedy/102 min
There's a generosity of spirit to the latest "Harold & Kumar," a story presenting the hopeful thesis that toking leads to letting go and finding wisdom. The story focuses on denying civil rights to suspected terrorists incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay. Homeland Security gets barbecued while George W. (played by look-alike James Adomian) is portrayed as a cool party-dude attempting to escape the pushier members of his administration. Our heroes, Korean-American Harold (John Cho) and Indian-American Kumar (Kal Penn), are apolitical pot smokers. Though Kumar mourns losing Maria (Danneel Harris) to an aristocrat (Eric Winter), it's obvious that gentle Kumar and sweet Maria are meant to share many joints together. Kumar supports Harold's pursuit of love in Amsterdam -- land of legal pot. Having brought along a high-tech, smokeless bong to use during the overseas flight, Kumar gets himself and Harold busted for possessing a device mistaken for a bomb. The hostile head of Homeland Security (Ron Fox) theorizes the pair's ethnicity indicates Koreans are colluding with Al Qaeda and whisks the offenders off to Guantanamo Bay. The boys escape, heading for Texas to clear their names, necessitating a road trip through the Southern USA. Their experiences both challenge and reinforce widely held stereotypes while recognizing that Americans come in all shapes and races. Despite a lack of laugh-out-loud gags, we can't help but chuckle over their artless search for truth and the American way.
TWO FAT LADIES
(1996-1999)
* * * *
Directed by Patricia Llewellyn
Starring Jennifer Paterson, Clarissa Dickson Wright
Acorn Media/Not Rated/Documentary/731 min
Wearing soft leather helmet style head coverings and goggles, Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright ride in on a motorcycle and sidecar. You needn't cook, nor aspire to when watching this portly British duo do their thing. The liberal application of eggs, cream and butter to every dish is decadent, but perfectly in keeping with their shared appreciation of literature, music and royal scandal. When creating their feasts, the women insist on the freshest ingredients, often venturing to local farms. Menus are tailored to specific events (such as a cricket match), with each woman responsible for making several dishes while the other provides color commentary. They happily offer opinions such as "never trust a vegetarian." Their refusal to be politically correct made their show an instant BBC hit. 4-disc DVD features: bios of Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright, documentary tribute to Jennifer Patterson, recipe booklet, stereo English language track(s), full-screen.
100 MILLION BC
(2008)
* 1/2
Directed by Griff Furst
Starring Michael Gross, Christopher Atkins, Greg Evigan
Asylum Pictures/Not Rated/Sci-Fi/85 min
A made-for-TV creature feature, "100 Million BC" begins promisingly. Sixty years after sending a team of scientists back in time to the cretaceous period, an aging physicist (Gross) hires a group of mercenaries to help him find and retrieve his friends (including the physicist's brother, played by Atkins). The film carefully creates a plausible explanation for time travel, and puts together a fairly entertaining first half. Unfortunately, a T-Rex is accidentally brought to the present, bringing with it a script that descends into utter silliness. DVD features: deleted scenes, 100 million years back in time featurette, dino-evolution, blooper reel, DD 5.1 SS English language track(s), widescreen.
WAR GAMES: THE DEAD CODE
(2008)
*
Directed by Stuart Gillard
Starring Colm Feore, Matt Lanter, Amanda Walsh
Dramas, Action/Adventure, Action, Sequel, Conspiracies
Fox/Rated PG-13/Thriller/100 min
Ripley, a supercomputer, seeks to identify potential terrorists. The computer's strategy targets high school senior, Will (Lanter), after he successfully completes the online game: "Dead Code." While Matt is taking an innocent trip to Canada with galpal, Annie (Walsh), he discovers they are being hunted. Matt counters Ripley by finding Joshua -- the 25-year-old computer from the original "War Games," -- to match wits with Ripley. The ensuing battle of the titans is overwhelmed by illogical thinking and riddled with so many holes it would crash your Blackberry. DVD features: director commentary with actor Matt Lanter, Making-of featurette, stills and photos, DD 5.1 English, DD SS French or DD Stereo Spanish language track(s), widescreen.
SHINE A LIGHT, DVD or Blu-Ray
(2008)
* * *
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Starring Mick Jagger, Keith Richards
Paramount/Rated PG-13/Documentary/121 min
Senior citizen director, Martin Scorsese, captures senior rockers, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, preparing for and performing in concert at New York City's Beacon Theater during the Rolling Stones' 2006 "Big Bang Tour." The director intercuts the band's archived, youthful interviews with their present day performance, but seems happiest when filming, and worshipping, the band in concert. Visitors include the Clintons, Christina Aguilera, and throngs of rocking New Yorkers. DVD or Blu-ray features: Featurette, 4 bonus "Rolling Stone" Music Videos, DD 2.0 Plus, 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, 5.1 DTS SS English language track(s), widescreen.
DOOMSDAY, Rated or Unrated
(2008)
* *
Directed by Neil Marshall
Starring Rhona Mitra, Bob Hoskins, Adrian Lester, Alexander Siddig and Malcolm McDowell
Universal/Rated R/Action/105 min
Thirty years ago a killer virus swept through Britain. Unable to find a cure, authorities contained the sick behind high walls and left them to die. In the present day, another outbreak prompts officials to send an elite squad into the quarantined zone to gather clues for a cure. However, the abandoned have no desire to help their keepers. Rhona Mitra stars as captain of a mission leading a special ops unit into the closed city ruled by violence and hatred. Often compared to "Mad Max" and "28 Days," the film's apocalyptic action formula has earned it the nickname, "28 Days Beyond The Thunderdome." DVD features: Unrated and Theatrical versions, Snap Case with Slip Sleeve, Commentary Neil Marshall Director; Sean Pertwee, Darren Morfitt, Rick Warden, Les Simpson Cast, Featurettes: Anatomy of Catastrophe: Civilization on the Brink, the Visual Effects and Wizardry in Doomsday, Devices of Death: Guns, Gadgets and Vehicles of Destruction, DD 5.1 SS English language track, French or Spanish subtitles, widescreen.
NEVER BACK DOWN, DVD or Blu-Ray
(2008)
*
Directed by Jeff Wadlow
Starring Sean Faris, Amber Heard, Djimon Hounsou, Cam Gigandet, Evan Peters, Leslie Hope
Summit Entertainment/Rated PG-13/Drama/113 min
Two buffed high schoolers duke it out for a boxing title and the girl (Heard). Football jock, Jake (Faris), is lured into an underground fight club after taking a beating from Mixed-Martial Arts Champ, Ryan McCarthy (Gigandet). Having recently lost his father, Jake asks a well-known master, Jean Roqua (Hounsou), to train him, but the physical challenges are only half of a battle that requires Jake to control his anger. Every generation craves its own version of the "Karate Kid," in this case, beefcake for teens. We can only hope that one of these films will raise "Kid's" shopworn philosophy to the next level. 2-Disc DVD features: Commentary with Director and Cast, Deleted and Extended Scenes, Featurettes: Blow by Blow: Breaking down the fights with the director and MMA experts, Mix It Up: Bringing MMA to the Big Screen, Multi-angle Fight Scenes Mode, DD 5.1 SS English language track, Spanish subtitles, widescreen. Blu-ray Disc Features same as above plus: Original theatrical version and extended "Beat Down" version of the film, DTS-HD Master Audio English language track.
THE MESSENGERS, DVD or Blu-Ray
(2007)
*1/2
Directed by Oxide Pang, Danny Pang
Starring Penelope Ann Miller, John Corbett, Dylan McDermott, Kristen Stewart
Sony/Rated PG-13/Horror/90 min
After Roy and Denise (McDermott and Miller) purchase a rundown sunflower farm, the family throws itself into a renovation effort. A drifter (John Corbett) arrives and Roy inexplicably sinks into dark, unpredictable moods. Young Ben sees apparitions that are affecting his dad, but can the little boy's paranormal ability rescue his family? Nice touch casting Corbett against type, but haunted, isolated country houses have been done until the ghosts come home. DVD or Blu-Ray features: commentary with Kristin Stewart & Guest, Exhuming the Messengers: 7 Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes, bonus Digital Copy, DD 5.1 English or DD 2.0 French language track(s), widescreen.
LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT: Season Seven
(2005)
* * *
Created by Dick Wolf
Starring Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni, Richard Belzer, B.D. Wong, Ice-T, Dann Florek, Diane Neal, Tamara Tunie
Universal/Not Rated/Drama/935 min
This season, family problems push detective Stabler (Meloni) and Tutuola (Ice-T), to the brink of losing their jobs. A few episodes, seeking to expand these characters' history, are grasping, though, overall the writing remains uncommonly good. Hargitay returns as detective Olivia Benson, sometimes bumping heads with her destabilized partner -- you guessed it -- Stabler. Belzer's detective Munch, Florek's Captain Cragen and Wong's staff psychiatrist, are unsung heroes among the supporting cast. Dean Cain, Marcia Gay Harden, Brittany Snow and Mark McGrath guest star, though more than the show's usual quota of plots are disappointingly transparent. 5-disc DVD Boxset features: DD 5.1 English language track(s), Spanish subtitles, widescreen.
MUSHROOMS
(1995)
* *
Directed Alan Madden
Starring Julia Blake, Lynette Curran, Simon Chilvers, Brandon Burke
BFS Entertainment/Not Rated/Comedy/93 min
Blake and Curran portray Flo and Minnie, old biddies running a nearly empty boarding house. To make ends meet, Minnie pinches frozen food. Their finances are looking up when a fugitive pays big bucks to secretly rent a room. Harry (Simon Chilvers), an investigator on the eve of his retirement, also moves into the boarding house, and Flo's heart. When the fugitive dies accidently, the women, determined to keep the cash he has left behind, find a unique method of recycling the remains. The Aussie film earns points for quirkiness, but the story wallows and lurches awkwardly, and commits the cardinal sin when it becomes predictable. DVD features: DD English language track.
Released in New Formats
THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, Blu-Ray
(1990)
* * * *1/2
Directed by John McTiernan
Starring Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, James Earl Jones, Sam Neill, Tim Curry, Joss Ackland, Scott Glenn
Paramount/Rated PG/Thriller/135 min
CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Baldwin) butts heads with a submarine captain (Sam Neill) concerning a possible attack by a Soviet nuclear sub. Connery brings dazzle and flair to the abbreviated role of the Soviet captain, while Baldwin and Neill rachet up the tension with opposing opinions. A classic cold war film, this one depicts the role an analyst can play in discerning an opponent's intentions. Blu-Ray features: Beneath the Surface featurette, theatrical trailer, DD 5.1 TrueHD or DD SS English or DD SS French language track(s), widescreen.
CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER, Blu-Ray
(1994)
* * 1/2
Directed by Phillip Noyce
Starring Harrison Ford, Willem Dafoe
Paramount/Rated PG-13/Thriller/141 min
Ford returns as Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst who stands in for his ailing boss (James Earl Jones) as Acting Head of the CIA. Soon after accepting the job, Ryan uncovers a U.S. mission to Columbia, so covert even he is in the dark. He's off to Bogata where he plans to shut down the mission, but lands smack in the middle of some cloak and dagger intrigue he will be lucky to survive. DVD features: Behind the danger featurette, theatrical trailer. Blu-Ray features: Behind the Danger featurette, Original theatrical trailer, DD 5.1 True HD or DTS English DD Stereo French language track(s), Spanish subtitles, widescreen.
PATRIOT GAMES, Blu-Ray
(1992)
* * *
Directed by Phillip Noyce
Starring Harrison Ford, Anne Archer, James Earl Jones, Sean Bean, Thora Birch
Paramount/Rated R/Thriller/116 min
Retired CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Ford) and family are strolling London's streets when a British Royal's car is attacked by a handful of IRA terrorists. Ryan kills one of the attacker's brothers, and when the terrorists swear vengeance on Ryan's family, the analyst is forced out of retirement. It's a savvy look at our satellites' "Big Brother" capabilities. DVD features: Patriot Games Close up featurette, theatrical trailer, DD 5.1 DTS Surround English language track(s), French or Spanish subtitles, widescreen.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 30 July 2008 )
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