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Film and the Arts
June '11 Digital Week I
- Details
- Parent Category: Film and the Arts
- Category: Reviews
- Published on Monday, 06 June 2011 15:00
- Written by Kevin Filipski
Blu rays of the Week
A Clockwork Orange (Warners)
Stanley Kubrick’s classic remains as unnerving as it was in 1971. Welded to Malcolm McDowell’s spectacularly physical performance as the ultimate anti-hero, Kubrick’s sardonically funny and visually dazzling adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ cautionary novel is the ultimate feel-guilty-for-feeling-good movie. This 40th anniversary release sadly doesn’t upgrade the solid but unexciting transfer of the original Blu-ray, but does add two new retrospective featurettes and the feature-length career overview Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures to the previously-included full-length documentary about McDowell, O Lucky Malcolm, other featurettes and the actor’s chatty commentary.
The Big Bang (Anchor Bay) and Burning Palms (Image)
The seedier sides of Los Angeles are featured in these bizarre dramas. In The Big Bang, private eye Antonio Banderas investigates a missing woman and $30 million in diamonds, only to come up against Snoop
Dogg and super-sexy Autumn Reeser as a whip-smart tattooed waitress. Burning Palms offers five vignettes of dysfunctional relationships, including one in which a young woman feels guilty after sex with her boyfriend. Enjoyably crazed moments are scattered throughout both movies, yet neither coheres satisfactorily. Each receives a top-notch hi-def transfer, and Big Bang extras comprise a commentary, extended scenes and a making-of featurette (no Burning Palms extras).
Gettysburg (Warners) and Gods and Generals (Warners)
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, Warners lovingly packages on 
Blu-ray Ronald F. Maxwell’s sprawling films about pivotal moments during the War between the States: 1993’s Gettysburg, recounting the bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil; and 2002’s Gods and Generals, which shows how strategies (or lack of) led to that pivotal 1863 battle. These already long films have been lengthened even more, both clocking in at over 4-½ hours. History fans (like me) will love it: Gods even features an added subplot about actor John Wilkes Booth. Maxwell’s stodgy direction is helped by exemplary casts (Jeff Daniels, Tom Berenger and Martin Sheen in Gettysburg, Daniels, Stephen Lang and Robert Duvall in Gods). Extras include commentaries by Maxwell and several historians, featurettes and documentaries.
Gnomeo & Juliet (Disney)
If your and your kids’ tastes run to stale garden gnome and Shakespeare jokes, then Gnomeo & Juliet is for you. The colorful animation is all that kept me from nodding off, as neither dialogue nor songs (mostly Elton John retreads) were enough to hold my interest. This movie seemed to be created in a brief meeting: “Let’s do a take-off on Shakespeare!” “And let’ add Elton John music!” “OK, cool!” The clever animation really pops off the screen on Blu-ray; extras include two alternate endings, deleted scenes, Ozzy Osbourne interview, music featurette and a “Crocodile Rock” video.
The Great Dictator (Criterion)
Charlie Chaplin’s brilliantly hilarious Hitler satire was daring back in 1940, and today, even if
the edges have worn off, there’s so much comic inventiveness throughout that even Chaplin’s usual sentimentality doesn’t drag the film down but nicely balance things between bold audacity and sticky-sweetness. Criterion’s Blu-ray transfer is absolutely superb: rarely have I seen a 70-year-old film looking so pristine. The usual bountiful Criterion extras include an audio commentary; The Tramp and the Dictator, a 2001 documentary that parallels Chaplin and Hitler; two visual essays; color production footage; and silent-film sequences.
I Am Number Four (Disney)
Director D.J. Caruso’s standard-issue sci-fi fantasy tells a teen-friendly story of an alien who finds danger and love when his cover is blown. Decent action sequences butt heads with by-the-numbers teen romance it’s aimed at the audience that made Twilight such a smash, it’s unsurprising that there’s nothing novel about the whole enterprise. Still, an attractive young cast gamely does its job, and there’s enough to keep one’s interest from flagging. The movie looks terrific on Blu-ray, while extras include deleted scenes, the usual blooper reel and a making-of featurette.
Papillon (Warners)
Franklin J. Schaffner’s 1973 epic stars Steve McQueen as Henri “Papillon” Charriere, whose
attempts to escape from the notorious French colony of Devil's Island are recounted. Dustin Hoffman co-stars as his prison sidekick, and with two then-big stars front and center, this is a weird hybrid of Hollywood adventure and French art film. The movie is occasionally rousingly good fun, yet rarely reaches the gripping heights its amazing true story is capable of. Now that it’s finally on Blu-ray, the movie definitively hasn’t looked this good (lots of filmic grain, for starters) since it was first released. The lone extra is a featurette, The Extraordinary Rebel.
Platoon (MGM) and Rocky (MGM)
These classics won Best Picture Oscars ten years apart: Rocky, Sylvester Stallone’s one-two writing-acting knockout punch, in 1976; and Platoon, Oliver Stone’s personal recreation of his Vietnam experiences, in 1986. The gritty griminess of Rocky (recreated on the excellent Blu-ray) is as much director John G. Avildsen’s achievement as Stallone’s, while the 
you-are-there immediacy of Platoon (also given a satisfying Blu-ray transfer) is Stone’s lasting achievement. Shockingly, Rocky has no extras, except for a nice-looking digibook; Platoon includes the original DVD extras, including Stone’s commentary, deleted and extended scenes, featurettes and documentaries.
The Roommate (Sony)
I doubt anyone was clamoring for a remake of Single White Female, the creepy 1992 thriller starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Bridget Fonda (whatever happened to her?). But here is The Roommate, gliding along to its foregone conclusion slickly and unsurprisingly, with several attractive performers in the leads (including Minka Kelly, whose bigger claim to fame is being Derek Jeter's current girlfriend) and a solid hi-def transfer. The Roommate does its job for its intended audience: those under 25 who’ve never seen Single White Female on TV, video or DVD. Extras include an audio commentary, deleted/alternate scenes, and on-set featurettes.
Solaris (Criterion)
Inscrutable to those wanting more visceral sci-fi adventures, Russian master Andrei 
Tarkovsky's 1972 masterpiece is more about inner than outer space: the last word in psychological character study, this uncompromising glimpse at the minds of astronauts being controlled by a distant world they are exploring contains the usual Tarkovsky recipe of slow, steady and subtle effects, and if you don’t fall into a very deliberate frame of mind, you’ll never catch up. Evocative and genuinely beautiful visuals are rendered clearly on Criterion’s Blu-ray, with several B&W sequences color-coded correctly. Extras include Tarkovsky scholars‘ commentary, deleted/alternate scenes, video interviews with actress Natalaya Bondarchuk and the film’s cinematographer, art director and composer; and an excerpt from a documentary on Stanislaw Lem, whose novel inspired the film.
DVDs of the Week
Nenette, Every Little Thing, In the Land of the Deaf, Louvre City (Kino)
Nicholas Philibert, arguably the world’s finest documentary filmmaker, is represented by four of his characteristic films. 1990’s Louvre City displays 
the inner workings of the world’s most important art museum, 1992’s In the Land of the Deaf chronicles the lives of those cut off from the hearing world, and 1997’s Every Little Thing shows psychiatric inmates putting on a play. Philibert’s latest, Nenette, is an enchanting study of the Paris Zoo’s oldest resident: a female orangutan. Philibert’s films fill viewers with enchantment and wonderment while learning more about our world. Two bonus films are included on the Nenette disc: an 11-minute short, Night Falls on the Menagerie, and a 1996 feature about the stuffed animals in Paris’ natural history museum, Animals and More Animals.
CD of the Week
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Decca)
Rob Ashford’s revival of the classic musical unabashedly wears its datedness on its sleeve. Listening to the new Broadway cast recording reinforces that impression, as Frank Loesser’s memorable score has its share of time-capsule tunes like “Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm.” Still, standards like “Rosemary” and “I Believe in You” are there, and the energetic cast features Rose Hemingway’s sweet ingenue Rosemary and Tammy Blanchard’s hilarious bimbo Hedy La Rue. Star Daniel Radcliffe has a decent singing voice as our hero J. Pierrepont Finch, but not seeing his hard work onstage hampers him a bit. Still, this is an enjoyable listen.
Cinefantastique Spotlight Podcast: X-Men: First Class
- Details
- Parent Category: Film and the Arts
- Category: Reviews
- Published on Monday, 06 June 2011 12:52
- Written by Daniel Persons
It isn't particularly well known, but mutants were with Washington when he crossed the Delaware, with Einstein when he developed the theory of relativity, and with Sarah Palin while she was waiting for Russia to raise its head above Alaska. Most specifically, they were directly engaged in the Cuban Missile Crisis -- the world-changing historical event that is the backdrop for the first meeting of the psychic Professor X a.k.a. Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and the magnetically-charged Erik Lehnsherr, otherwise known as Magneto (Michael Fassbender). Come join special guest Orenthal V. Hawkins as he sits in with Steve Biodrowski, Lawrence French, and Dan Persons to discuss X-Men: First Class, the latest installment of the Marvel film franchise that uses comic book action to address some potent social issues. Does this chapter live up to the standard established by Bryan Singer? Is the first team-up of mutants -- which includes Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones), and Darwin (Edi Gathegi) -- as impressive as the more famous ensemble of the previous films? And is Moria MacTaggert's (Rose Byrne) choice of lingerie government-issued, or does Victoria's Secret sell bullet-proof brassieres? Listen to the show and find out!
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Cinefantastique Spotlight Podcast: Kung Fu Panda 2
- Details
- Parent Category: Film and the Arts
- Category: Reviews
- Published on Tuesday, 31 May 2011 04:01
- Written by Daniel Persons
Ready for another visit from the most awesome martial arts master ever? Well, ready or not, Po, the legendary Dragon Warrior (and roly-poly panda) is back in this follow up to the well-received KUNG FU PANDA. And this time Po (voice of Jack Black) and his compatriots, the Furious Five — Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu), and Crane (David Cross) — are facing a challenge that threatens the whole of China: Lord Chen, a power-mad peacock with abandonment issues and a well-stocked armory of newly-invented cannons to back up his claim to the throne. Can Po overcome this threat by confronting the secret of his past that binds him inextricably to Lord Shen? And will audiences find KUNG FU PANDA 2 an exciting and innovative blend of Hong Kong action with energetic CG animation, or is this just another sequel that’s satisfied to serve up more of the same? Join Cinefantastique Online’s Steve Biodrowski, Lawrence French, and Dan Persons as they debate the issue.
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Kevin's May '11 Digital Week IV
- Details
- Parent Category: Film and the Arts
- Category: Reviews
- Published on Sunday, 29 May 2011 15:00
- Written by Kevin Filipski
Blu-rays of the Week
Farewell (Neoclassics)
Christian Carion’s cold war drama, based on a true story set in 1981, has two worthy adversaries: French actor Guillaume Canet and Serbian director Emir Kusturica play an engineer and KGB colonel who helped the West bring down the Iron Curtain. Drenched in an authentic period atmosphere (with amusing references to Freddie Mercury and Queen), Farewell is a taut thriller with a splendid cast, including Fred Ward as Ronald Reagan, of all people. The movie has a superior Blu-ray transfer; there are no extras.
Freedom Riders (PBS)
This enlightening documentary recounts the heroism of several brave American patriots in 
1961 who rode buses into the segregated South, where several were arrested and beaten. Still, they helped turn the tide against Jim Crow, which ended with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Insightful interviews with participants, others who witnessed the events and historians who provided needed context are featured, along with archival footage that gives immediacy to a long, painful struggle. The movie’s visuals have added sharpness on Blu-ray; there are no extras.
Grand Prix (Warners)
and
The Manchurian Candidate (MGM)
These films show director John Frankenheimer in his prime. 1962’s The Manchurian Candidate is a true nail-biting classic of the paranoid thriller genre, with hard-bitten portrayals by Frank Sinatra, Angela Lansbury and Laurence Harvey complementing a brilliantly created B&W world; 1966’s Grand Prix, however, is three hours of wooden dramatics and explosive car racing throughout Europe, with an attractive international cast (Yves Montand, James Garner, Jessica Harper, Brian Bedford) doing little. Both films have been transferred to Blu-ray with superb results, particularly Grand Prix’s 65mm widescreen panoramas. Extras include featurettes on both releases, with added interviews and a commentary on Candidate.
I Saw the Devil (Magnet)
and
Vanishing on 7th Street (Magnet)
These horror films approach their stories from opposite angles. Kim Ji Woon’s I Saw the Devil jumps into gory violence from the beginning, as a terrorizing serial killer gets his eventual (and bloody) comeuppance, while Brad Anderson’s Vanishing uses suggestiveness rather than gore to extract suspense from a blackout that causes people to disappear mysteriously. Both movies work on their own terms, although Devil’s bludgeoning wearies and Vanishing’s reticence induces dullness; both also look terrific on Blu-ray. Extras on Devil include behind-the-scenes featurette and deleted scenes; extras on Vanishing include featurettes, interviews and alternate endings.
The Misfits (MGM)
and
Some Like It Hot (MGM)
Two of Marilyn Monroe’s seminal roles (one dramatic, the other comedic) arrive on hi-def: John Huston’s The Misfits (1961), from Arthur Miller’s treacly script, stars Monroe and Clark Gable in their final onscreen appearances; Billy Wilder’s Some Like It Hot (1959), one of Hollywood’s all-time classics, finds Monroe keeping up with the breakneck pace of Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis‘s comic chops. Both black and white films look better than on DVD but are not visual knockouts. There are no extras on Misfits; Hot’s DVD extras (commentary and featurettes) are included on the Blu-ray.
The Other Woman (IFC)
Natalie Portman won the Oscar for her tour de force in the ridiculous Black Swan, but that recognition buried any praise for her equally superb work in this tragic character study of a young woman who loses her newborn child and tries to come to terms with how the baby’s death affects her relationship with her husband and stepson and his ex-wife. Portman’s sympathetic portrayal, as in Black Swan, allows us to care about an unlikable woman, even if writer-director Don Roos eventually leaves her (and us) hanging. The film is given a solid Blu-ray transfer; there are no extras.
Pale Flower (Criterion)
Masahiro Shinoda’s Japanese New Wave classic is a strange but compelling drama about a yakuza who, just released from jail, falls in with a compulisve and irresistible gambler. Shinoda’s unerring camera eye, coupled with Toru Takemitsu’s unerring ear (in which natural sounds and silence are as important as his music), make this a powerful experience, even for those already familiar with Shinoda’s better known films like Double Suicide. Criterion’s first-rate transfer, in which the moody B&W photography positively shimmers, does Shinoda proud. Extras include a new Shinoda interview and commentary by Takemitsu expert Peter Grilli.
The Rite (Warners)
On the Blu-ray cover, Anthony Hopkins looks like a demented Hannibal Lecter, which gives
the false impression that this somber, unexciting drama is about the unorthodox priest that he plays; rather, it’s about a seminary student learning about exorcism. Either way, it’s basically one long tease: it’s neither intensely scary nor psychologically probing, which makes it vastly inferior to The Exorcist, if you were wondering. The clinical visuals are for the most part rendered acceptably on Blu-ray; extras include deleted scenes, alternate ending, and interview with the priest whose story is told in the film.
DVDs of the Week
British Royal Weddings of the 20th Century (Strike Force)
The Royal Wedding: William & Catherine (BBC)
William & Kate: Planning a Royal Wedding (PBS)
There’s been an unsurprising run of releases related to the recent Royal Wedding, as most Americans can’t get enough of all things William and Kate (mostly Kate, and her sister Pippa too). British Royal Weddings of the 20th Century is smartly done, with vintage archival footage of royal weddings from Patricia and Alexander in 1919 to Edward and Sophie in 1999. In all, 17 weddings are featured in three hours. The PBS special Planning a Royal Wedding is a decent 45-minute overview that includes interviews with “experts” about what to expect on the big day. The BBC disc The Royal Wedding is the real thing, however: two hours of BBC’s own wedding coverage in HD, and with a satisfying bonus: a 50-minute special, William & Kate: A Royal Engagement, an informative and entertaining look at the couple’s history together.
CD of the Week
Nino Rota: Symphony No. 3, Etc. (Chandos)
Best known for his Fellini film scores and Godfather music, Nino Rota was also an accomplished composer of concert music, ballets and operas. This disc features three orchestral works, each a wonderful example of Rota’s instantly recognizable style. The Concerto soiree for piano and orchestra is rhythmically lively and just plain catchy, the Divertimento Concertante (for the unlikely combo of double-bass and orchestra) is both light on its feet and seriously thoughtful, and the Symphony No. 3, with less weightiness than its predecessors, nevertheless is another beautifully structured work. The Turin Philharmonic, led by conductor Gianandrea Noseda, makes it all sound effortless and flavorful, the highest compliment to Rota and his music.
