DVDs of the Week

[Üncle Snake]

December 7, 2003: TENACIOUS D - THE COMPLETE MASTER WORKS



(FROM AMAZON.COM)
With pitchfork and shovel, Tenacious D has labored to finally unearth the first ever Tenacious D-VD from the fragrant bowels of Hades. For years, this turd has been spit-polished, massaged, and finally sanctified by both Jables and KG, and they are now ready release it to the world.

This highly provocative DVD contains the legendary and epic recital at London's Brixton Academy that was by chance recorded on November 3, 2002. Watch as Jack and Kyle slay the mighty dragon and treat the British public to a phenomenal performance that includes the now classic D melodies; Wonderboy, Explosivo, Kyle Quit The Band, Friendship, Kielbasa, Dio, The Cosmic Shame, F#*! Her Gently, Tribute and the ever popular Live Short Films that have been screened during The D's shows.

The Complete Masterworks also contains the groundbreaking, hard to get (legally), HBO episodes which tell the tale of The D in their early days on the road to stardom.

But that's not all! Act now and a bonus second disc will be gifted to the first twelve million loyal Tenacious D apostles, included is an intimate portrait of Jack and Kyle and their life of carnal debauchery on the road. Lucky owners of the DVD will catch rare and gruesome behind the scenes glimpses of the making of the Tribute & Wonderboy videos as well as never before seen footage of The D as they perform their secret backstage rituals. TENACIOUS D: THE COMPLETE MASTERWORKS is truly a harbinger of the good times ahead as we all await the coming apocalypse.


December 14, 2003: SCHIZOPOLIS (CRITERION COLLECTION)



(FROM AMAZON.COM)
Both a kind of home movie and a salute to the hip, pop-up sketch comedy of 1960s-early 1970s television--Laugh-In, Monty Python's Flying Circus, that sort of thing--Schizopolis is a hit-and-miss series of dada gags with vaguely connecting threads of Kafkaesque paranoia. Soderbergh himself stars as two people--one an ineffective dentist, the other a speechwriter for a cult movement called Eventualism, which has set out to "question all answers"--connected by their romances with the same woman, played by Soderbergh's real-life ex, Betsy Bramley. There isn't so much a story as a series of bits in which these characters often (though not necessarily) turn up, from press conferences on the subject of horse urination to old footage of nudists to a scene of an Eventualist exchange between husband and wife: "Generic greeting!" "Generic greeting returned!" None of this leads to a literal point, but after a while an undercurrent of disease about making sense of the modern world becomes apparent beneath the jokes. Soderbergh (sex, lies, and videotape, Out of Sight) is certainly a filmmaker who goes his own way in life, always hitting his target in one spot or another and occasionally getting a bull's-eye for his trouble. Schizopolis is no bull's-eye, and it has just as many detractors as admirers, but it's impossible not to appreciate Soderbergh's conviction that making a film out on the fringes is a worthy endeavor. --Tom Keogh

DVD features
If you're looking for the inside scoop on Steven Soderbergh's zany "home movie" comedy, don't listen to the filmmaker's commentary track. Soderbergh interviews himself--well, not himself, but some doppelganger named Steven Soderbergh who has made films, but is also the greatest egotist in the history of cinema. For those who found the movie thin on the funny stuff, you will find more good laughs from the commentary, starting right at the beginning when Soderbergh explains that the film was conceived as a project for David Lean. The other commentary track, by Soderbergh's loyal crew, does a better job of taking this strange project seriously, albeit that's a relative term. --Doug Thomas


December 21, 2003: ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (SPECIAL EDITION)



(FROM AMAZON.COM)
In the future, crime is out of control and New York City is a maximum security prison. Grabbing a bargaining chip right out of the air, convicts bring down the President's plane in bad old Gotham. Gruff Snake Plissken, a one-eyed warrior new to prison life, is coerced into bringing the President, and his cargo, out of this land of undesirables. Kurt Russell put his Disney days behind him as the nicest bad guy in the picture. All comic-book sensibilities and macho posturing, this is one of writer-director John Carpenter's better brainless escapes. There are snappy one-liners and explosive action scenes. However, the film lacks tension and some believability even within the realm of SF fantasy. Even when it fails to gel, though, it always manages to amuse, thanks in great part to a varied and unusual supporting cast (watch for Ernest Borgnine as a cabdriver). Followed in 1996 by Carpenter's overdone and campy Escape from L.A. --Rochelle O'Gorman

DVD features
Fans of the cult favorite have known about the original opening ever since the film debuted in 1980. Twenty-three years later, this first reel (about 8 minutes of footage) is seen, and folks, you didn't miss a thing. The opening robbery attempt (which lands hero Snake Plissken in the New York City jail) shows the low-key and cash-strapped production at its worst. On the optional commentary track, director John Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell talk about the opening and come to the conclusion it was something good to trim. Also on this two-disc set is a new, deft 25-minute featurette on the production, too many notes on the new comic book series, and two commentary tracks. The Carpenter-Russell one from the 1984 laser disc (before the sequel Escape from L.A. was made) is a detailed and delightful reminiscence; the new one from producer Debra Hill and production designer Joe Alves track is for die-hard fans only. Both the picture and sound have been souped up here, making the low-cost film look and sound better than its grassroots origins probably deserve. --Doug Thomas


December 28, 2003: BLACK LABEL SOCIETY - BOOZED, BROOZED & BROKEN-BONED



The first DVD release from Zakk and BLS features the now legendary Sept. 14, 2002 performance (the bar allegedly ran out of beer), an acoustic performance, a portion of a 2003 show in Japan, the Stillborn video, Zakk performing the national anthem, a guitar lesson and the appropriately titled "Stupid Shit."

[Üncle Snake]

January 4, 2004: LEWIS BLACK UNLEASHED



(FROM AMAZON.COM)
Comedy Central's jittery, apoplectic commentator on all things absurd in politics and culture is superb on this disc's collection of four half-hour cable specials and bonus features. Fans and newcomers get a chance to see how much the comic has grown since his delightful 1998 show, in which Black characteristically sputtered this bit of social-scientific criticism: "It's absolutely stupid that we've lost the ozone layer. We've got men, rockets, Saran Wrap--fix it!" Black attacks Bill Clinton for obscuring the meaning of infidelity (If curling is an Olympic sport, oral sex is adultery!), Y2K hype, flu shots, America's power elite, Ross Perot (He's the kid in Deliverance all growed-up!), and even delivers a "Taxes 101" college lecture (What would help IRS forms? Verbs!). Bonus features include Black's "Indecision 2000" inserts--caustic commentary about the last Republican and Democrat conventions--for Jon Stewart's show. Highly entertaining stuff. --Tom Keogh


January 11, 2004: SEVENDUST - RETROSPECT



This DVD covers the history of Sevendust up to the release of their third CD, "Animosity." Included are interviews with the band, music videos, live performances and studio footage.


January 18, 2004: MR. SHOW: THE COMPLETE FIRST AND SECOND SEASONS & MR. SHOW: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON



(FROM AMAZON.COM)
FIRST AND SECOND SEASONS
Hey, everybody, it's Bob and David on DVD! In 1995 comics Bob Odenkirk and David Cross were simply "two people you've never seen before." Since then, each has insidiously entered the mainstream with appearances on TV (Just Shoot Me, The Drew Carey Show) and movies (Scary Movie 2, Dr. Dolittle 2, Men in Black 2). But to quote Odenkirk's bio (which is included on the first disc), Mr. Show is the thing you should see if you want to check them out. Like the late, lamented The Ben Stiller Show, on which both toiled, and Monty Python before that, this midnight-hour HBO series gave a subversive twist to the traditional sketch comedy series. Classic characters include Cross's white-trash poster boy Ronnie Dobbs, the superstar arrestee on a "Cops"-like TV show. Totally out of left field is an infomercial for an instructional video series by Van Hammersly, Champion Billiard Player, who at one point re-creates the 1974 Kentucky Derby with billiard balls (one of the equines is named If Mandy Patinkin Was a Horse). Punch lines? Mr. Show doesn't need no stinking punch lines, as one sketch flows into another.

Bob and David are ably supported by, among others, Second City veteran Jill Talley, Tom Kenny (the voice of Spongebob Squarepants!), Brian Posehn (the creepy guy on Just Shoot Me), Mary-Lynn Rajskub (from The Larry Sanders Show), Sarah Silverman (Greg the Bunny), and a pre-Saturday Night Live Jerry Minor, who enlivens one episode commentary with an impeccable Billy Dee Williams imitation. As with the Velvet Underground’s following, Mr. Show fans make up with fervor what they lack in numbers. According to Mr. Show’s own Web site, "non-fans outnumber our fans by the cajillions," but this essential set should change that. --Donald Liebenson

THIRD SEASON
Who knew that the "Ratings Man," repository of all records concerning television viewership, is actually Santa Claus? Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, stars of the frequently inspired sketch-comedy program Mr. Show, did, and they've got an absurdist skit to prove it on this DVD collection.

Culled from Bob and David's 1997 appearances on HBO, The Complete Third Season includes the wonderful "Hail Satan Network" (a "Praise the Lord" for devil-worshippers), bogus movie-of-the-week "The Bob Lamonta Story" (about an athlete with retarded parents), a Beatles parody (The Fad 3), and the hilarious "Hunger Strike" (in which a starving, Gandhi-esque leader wishes to be buried in mashed potatoes). Cross proves a superior performer who salvages several underdeveloped bits, while Odenkirk demonstrates fierce gifts as a mimic. (His puerile, Strom Thurmond-like senator is right on the money.) Don't miss the "Fantastic Newness" special feature, which includes brilliant highlights from Mr. Show's first season.


January 25, 2004: MELVIN GOES TO DINNER



(FROM AMAZON.COM)
A brisk, funny talkfest. Accidental meetings result in four people sharing dinner in a bistro, an encounter that becomes a bluntly honest discussion of sex, religion, and sex. Cutaways to other aspects of their lives bring visual variety (and afford opportunities for cameos by Jack Black and David Cross), but the meat of the meal is in how four people talk to, at, and against each other. The quartet is sharp and comic: screenwriter Michael Blieden and Matt Price play friends who haven't seen each other in a while, and Annabelle Gurwitch and Stephanie Courtney are the women they bump into. Their patter contains a couple of neat surprises, and ranges over a long menu of relationship issues. It's directed by comedian Bob Odenkirk (of Mr. Show fame), and he has two distinct directorial gifts: getting actors into a strong, naturalistic flow, and knowing where the jokes are. --Robert Horton#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

February 1, 2004: MÖTLEY CRÜE - GREATEST VIDEO HITS



All the classic videos, plus a brand new interview with Nikki and Tommy. No Crüe fan should be without it.

Here's how to access the Easter eggs, according to a review posted on Amazon.com:

1. Take Me To The Top
While on Main Page
Place Curser on Set-up
U,U,D,U,D,L,R

2. Public Enemy # 1
While on page 2 of Choose a Damn Video
Place Cursor on 1-7 (Looks that Kill is Playing)
D,R,U,L,U,R,D

3.Shout 97
Go to Extra Crap
Go To Discography
Go To Generation Swine
Place Cursor on Next
U,U,U
Push Play on the Pentagram that appears #nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

February 8, 2004: ANGEL - SEASON THREE



Possibly the best season (it's toss-up between this and season two for me) of the best show on television.

Here's the description from Amazon.com:

In the third season of Angel, the titular vampire with a soul was forced to stand alone thanks to the (temporary) death of his beloved Buffy and her show's move to a new network, with no crossover between the two allowed. He returns from seeking peace in a demon-haunted monastery to find the L.A. Angel Investigations team fighting supernatural crime in his absence. Fred is still haunted by the nightmare dimension from which they rescued her; Cordelia's visions get ever more painful and debilitating. The schemes of the evil law firm Wolfram and Hart become every more imaginative and dragon lady Lilah Morgan becomes even more of an enemy when lusting after Angel. Unbelievably, Darla, Angel's vampire sire and lover, turns up, pregnant with his child and is tortured by inexplicable motherly feelings as well as a raging thirst for human blood.

For a few episodes things go pretty well--but Angel's enemies, both those he has made in his quest for redemption and those he made when he was unadulterated evil, are still out there. Stephanie Romanov comes into her silky own in this series, making Lilah Morgan all the more seductively evil because she is clear about the choices she has made; the satanic law firm of Wolfram and Hart are this show's most inspired creation. As the season moves to its close, Wesley (Alexis Denisof) has hard choices to make. The devastating climax is compulsive viewing, and this season also contains one of the most impressive single episodes of the entire show: in "Waiting in the Wings," writer, director and creator Joss Whedon comes up with a classic ghost story as Angel and his crew go to the ballet and find a performance that is literally timeless. --Roz Kaveney

DVD Features:
* 22 episodes on 6 discs: Heartthrob, That Vision Thing, That Old Gang of Mine, Carpe Noctem, Fredless, Billy, Offspring, Quickening, Lullaby, Dad, Birthday, Provider, Waiting in the Wings, Couplet, Loyalty, Sleep Tight, Forgiving, Double or Nothing, The Price, A New World, Benediction, Tomorrow
* Commentary by Tim Minear and Jeffrey Bell on "Billy"
* Commentary by Tim Minear and Mere Smith on "Lullaby"
* Commentary by Joss Whedon on "Waiting in the Wings"
* Deleted scenes with commentary by Tim Minear and Mere Smith ("Birthday")
* Deleted scenes with commentary by Joss Whedon ("Waiting in the Wings")
* Featurettes: "Darla: Deliver Us from Evil," "Season 3 Overview," "Page to Screen"
* Series outtakes
* Screen tests for Amy Acker and Vincent Kartheiser
* Still gallery
* Widescreen anamorphic format
* Number of discs: 6#nosmileys#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

February 15, 2004: AMERICAN SPLENDOR



(www.amazon.com)

One of the most acclaimed films of 2003, American Splendor is also one of the most audaciously creative biographical movies ever made. Blending fact, fiction, and personal perspective from the comic books that inspired it, this marvelous portrait of Harvey Pekar--scowling curmudgeon, brow-beaten everyman, insightful chronicler of his own life, and frustrated file clerk at a Cleveland V.A. hospital--is an inspired amalgam of the media (comic books, TV, and film) that lifted Pekar from obscurity to the status of a pop-cultural icon. As played by Paul Giamatti in a master-stroke of casting, we see Pekar and his understanding wife (played by Hope Davis) as underdogs in a world full of obstacles, yet also infused with subtle hope and (gasp!) heartwarming perseverance. We also see the real Pekar, and this multifaceted commingling of "reel" and "real" turns American Splendor into a uniquely cinematic celebration of Pekar's life and, by extension, the tenacity of an unlikely American hero. --Jeff Shannon

DVD Features:
* Group Audio Commentary with Directors, Cast & Harvey Pekar
* Featurette: Sundance Channel's "Road to Splendor"
* Music Only Track : American Splendor Song
* "My Movie Year" 12 page Comic Insert That Appeared in "Entertainment Weekly"
* DVD ROM Features including Screen Saver
* Easter Eggs
* Widescreen anamorphic format#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

February 22, 2004: SUPERJOINT RITUAL - LIVE IN DALLAS, TX 2002



As Pony One, Muthagoose and Stomper can probably attest, no DVD can fully capture the intensity of a Superjoint live show. But this comes pretty close. You get Phil and friends performing a handful of songs from Use Once and Destroy in DTS, rambling between them as usual, interviews with the band and a couple videos. Now, if only someone would release a Down DVD ...#nosmileys#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

February 29, 2004: ON THE WATERFRONT



The time has come to pull out a classic.

Brando has been a joke for a long time, so I think many have forgotten what a brilliant actor he was at one time. Anyone who cares at all about acting or movies in general has to see On the Waterfront. With his performance here (and to a lesser extent in A Streetcar Named Desire) Brando did nothing less than change movie acting forever. This is one of the single greatest performances and best movies you will ever see.


Amazon.com essential video
Marlon Brando's famous "I coulda been a contenda" speech is such a warhorse by now that a lot of people probably feel they've seen this picture already, even if they haven't. And many of those who have seen it may have forgotten how flat-out thrilling it is. For all its great dramatic and cinematic qualities, and its fiery social criticism, Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront is also one of the most gripping melodramas of political corruption and individual heroism ever made in the United States, a five-star gut-grabber. Shot on location around the docks of Hoboken, New Jersey, in the mid-1950s, it tells the fact-based story of a longshoreman (Brando's Terry Malloy) who is blackballed and savagely beaten for informing against the mobsters who have taken over his union and sold it out to the bosses. (Karl Malden has a more conventional stalwart-hero role, as an idealistic priest who nurtures Terry's pangs of conscience.) Lee J. Cobb, who created the role of Willy Loman in Death of Salesman under Kazan's direction on Broadway, makes a formidable foe as a greedy union leader. --David Chute

DVD Features:

* Commentary by Film Critic/Writer Richard Schickel and Elia Kazan Biographer Jeff Young
* Production notes
* Theatrical trailer(s)
* Exclusive Featurette: "CONTENDER-Mastering the Method"
* Elia Kazan Interview
* Vintage Photo Gallery
* Talent Files (Elia Kazan, Writer Budd Schulberg, Marlon Brando, Rod Steiger Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb and Eva Marie Saint)
* Full-screen format#nosmileys#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

March 7, 2004: LOST IN TRANSLATION



Amazon.com
Like a good dream, Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation envelops you with an aura of fantastic light, moody sound, head-turning love, and a feeling of déjà vu, even though you've probably never been to this neon-fused version of Tokyo. Certainly Bob Harris has not. The 50-ish actor has signed on for big money shooting whiskey ads instead of doing something good for his career or his long-distance family. Jetlagged, helplessly lost with his Japanese-speaking director, and out of sync with the metropolis, Harris (Bill Murray, never better) befriends the married but lovelorn 25-year-old Charlotte (played with heaps of poise by 18-year-old Scarlett Johansson). Even before her photographer husband all but abandons her, she is adrift like Harris but in a total entrapment of youth. How Charlotte and Bill discover their soul mates will be cherished for years to come. Written and directed by Coppola (The Virgin Suicides), the film is far more atmospheric than plot-driven: we whiz through Tokyo parties, karaoke bars, and odd nightlife, always ending up in the impossibly posh hotel where the two are staying. The wisps of bittersweet loneliness of Bill and Charlotte are handled smartly and romantically, but unlike modern studio films, this isn't a May-November fling film. Surely and steadily, the film ends on a much-talked-about grace note, which may burn some, yet awards film lovers who "always had Paris" with another cinematic destination of the heart. --Doug Thomas

DVD Features:
* A conversation with director Sofia Coppola and actor Bill Murray
* "Lost on Location" - behind-the-scenes featurette including exclusive footage shot by the filmmakers
* Deleted scenes
* "Matthew's Best Hit TV" - an extended version of the Japanese TV show
* Music video
* Trailers
* Widescreen anamorphic format#nosmileys#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

March 14, 2004: 21 GRAMS



Amazon.com
Sean Penn and Benecio Del Toro, two of the most gripping actors around, play wildly different men linked through a grieving woman (Naomi Watts, Mulholland Drive, The Ring) in 21 Grams. Del Toro (Traffic, The Usual Suspects) delves deep into the role of an ex-con turned born-again Christian, a deeply conflicted man struggling to set right a terrible accident, even at the expense of his family. Penn (Mystic River, Dead Man Walking) captures a cynical, philandering professor in dire need of a heart transplant, which he gets from the death of Watts' husband. 21 Grams slips back in forth in time, creating an intricate emotional web out of the past and the present that slowly draws these three together; the result is remarkably fluid and compelling. The movie overreaches for metaphors towards the end, but that doesn't erase the power of the deeply felt performances. --Bret Fetzer

#nosmileys#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

March 21, 2004: GODSMACK - SMACK THIS!



Inspired by the Pantera home videos, this DVD offers a look at life on the road with Godsmack. I look forward to part two.#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

March 28, 2004: PANIC ROOM (3-DISC SPECIAL EDITION)



Amazon.com
An effective exercise in "confined cinema," Panic Room is a finely crafted thriller that ultimately transcends the thinness of its premise. David Koepp's screenplay is basically Wait Until Dark on steroids, so director David Fincher (Seven, The Game) compensates with elaborate CGI-assisted camera moves, jazzing up his visuals while a relocated New York divorcée (Jodie Foster) and her daughter (Kristen Stewart) fight for their lives against a trio of tenacious burglars (Jared Leto, Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam) in their new Manhattan townhouse. They're safe in a customized, impenetrable "panic room," but the burglars want what's in the room's safe, so mother and daughter (and Koepp and Fincher) must find clever ways to turn the tables and persevere. Suspense and intelligence are admirably maintained, with Foster (who replaced the then-injured Nicole Kidman) riffing on her Silence of the Lambs resourcefulness. It's not as viscerally satisfying as Fincher's previous thrillers, but Panic Room definitely holds your attention. --Jeff Shannon

DVD features
The three-disc special edition of Panic Room is a virtual film school that raises the bar on explaining everything that goes into the making of a movie. Everyone interviewed mentions how director David Fincher is a stickler for details, and it shows in this set, which even tops the loaded two-disc release of his Seven and more than makes up for the lack of features on the earlier Superbit DVD release. The second disc is mostly devoted to the pre-production process, particularly the "previs"--animated storyboards--that were used at a level unprecedented for a live-action film. Also noteworthy is a 52-minute production documentary comprised of good interview and "fly on the wall" footage. The third disc is anchored by 20 visual-effects featurettes totaling about an hour and a half (a play-all option would have been nice), plus scene breakdowns, spotlights on sound design and scoring, and more. A text-and-diagram explanation of Super-35 film gets a bit technical for the casual film fan, but offers useful insight into such oft-mentioned terms as "anamorphic widescreen," "pan and scan," and "matting."

The three commentary tracks accompanying the main feature are all excellent. Fincher offers background information and insight into his filmmaking process, and insists that his movie shouldn't be taken too seriously ("We're not curing cancer; we're just making a movie with actors pretending to be burglars"). Jodie Foster has the most to say on the actors' commentary, but Dwight Yoakam and to a lesser extent Forest Whitaker also contribute. They were recorded separately, though Foster and Yoakam acknowledge each other's comments now and then. Writer David Koepp is joined on his commentary by a "special guest" (hint), a fellow screenwriter who in an interesting interplay peppers Koepp with questions and prods him for answers. Everyone discusses the differences between Foster and the originally cast Nicole Kidman, but there's only one brief glimpse of a Kidman scene in the supplemental material. The DTS track is the biggest loss from the Superbit DVD, but the Dolby 5.1 track is powerful and immersive. --David Horiuchi #nosmileys#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

April 4, 2004: PENN & TELLER: BULLSHIT!



(from amazon.com)

Self-proclaimed pit-bulls of truth, Penn & Teller use their trademark humor, knowledge of carnival tricks, and hidden cameras to blow the lid off popular notions about second hand smoke ,self help products, diet claims, creationism, TV psychics, Feng Shui, bottled water and more!!!!

DVD Features:

* All 13 episodes plus a bonus episode ("The Ghost Segment")
* Deleted scenes and backstage outtakes
* James Randi interview with Penn & Teller
* Naked promo that did not air
* Behind the scenes
* Wraparounds
* Sneak peak at season 2
* Number of discs: 3#nosmileys#nosmileys#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

April 11, 2004: DAVID CROSS - LET AMERICA LAUGH



Amazon.com
Let America Laugh is an intermittently entertaining, fly-on-the-wall DVD sidebar to David Cross's live comedy CD from Sub Pop, Shut Up, You Fucking Baby! Shot on a low-tech, digital camcorder, Let America Laugh captures the ups and downs (mostly downs) of Cross's 2002 tour of North American clubs. Notable sequences find the Mr. Show star jerking around a rude and uncooperative Nashville club owner, attending a wee-hours party at a Memphis video store (it looks exactly as one might imagine), surviving a double booking in Vancouver, and shooting fireworks from a Minneapolis playground. Much of this looks like concert-tour hell, but there are highlights, too: A stop at Experience Music Project in Seattle, a funny encounter with Cross's comic partner, Bob Odenkirk, in a Los Angeles store, and a relaxed, hometown show in Atlanta. There are bits and pieces of routines here, but this DVD is more travelogue than showcase. --Tom Keogh

DVD Features:
* Pilar Tells a Story
* What Do Gay Men Like on Their Pizza?
* Ainsley McTree
* Deleted scenes
* Widescreen letterbox format
#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

April 18, 2004: MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD (COLLECTORS EDITION)



Amazon.com essential video
In the capable hands of director Peter Weir, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a seafaring adventure like no other, impeccably authentic, dynamically cast, and thrilling enough to give any classic swashbuckler a run for its money. In adapting two of Patrick O'Brian's enormously popular novels about British naval hero Capt. Jack Aubrey, Weir and cowriter John Collee have changed the timeframe from the British/American war of 1812 to the British/French opposition of 1805, where the HMS Surprise, under Aubrey's confident command, is patrolling the South Atlantic in pursuit of the Acheron, a French warship with the strategic advantage of greater size, speed, and artillery. Russell Crowe is outstanding as Aubrey, firm and fiercely loyal, focused on his prey even if it means locking horns with his friend and ship's surgeon, played by Crowe's A Beautiful Mind costar Paul Bettany. Employing a seamless combination of carefully matched ocean footage, detailed models, full-scale ships, and CGI enhancements, Weir pays exacting attention to every nautical detail, while maintaining a very human story of honor, warfare, and survival under wretched conditions. Raging storms and hull-shattering battles provide pulse-pounding action, and a visit to the Galapagos Islands lends a note of otherworldly wonder, adding yet another layer of historical perspective to this splendidly epic adventure. --Jeff Shannon

DVD Features:
- Theatrical trailer(s), TV spot(s)
- "The Hundred Days"
- "In the Wake of O'Brian"
- Cinematic Phasmids
- Sound design featurette
- Interactive sound recording demo
- Six deleted scenes
- HBO First Look
- Four multi-angle studies
- Split-screen vignette
- Four art galleries
- Widescreen anamorphic format
- Number of discs: 2#nosmileys#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

April 25, 2004: THE MONSTER LEGACY COLLECTION (FRANKENSTEIN/DRACULA/THE WOLF MAN)



Contains all 13 films of the "Legacy Collection" on six discs plus exclusive hand-cast busts from sculptor Mat Falls/Sideshow Collectibles

FRANKENSTEIN: Frankenstein / Bride of / Son of / Ghost of / House of

DVD Features:
* Contains five films on two discs
* Orignial documentary on the making of the films
* Additional commentary by film historian Rudy Behlmer
* Orignial documentary "The Frankenstein Files"

DRACULA: Dracula / Dracula (1931 Spanish Version) / Dracula's Daughter / Son of Dracula / House of Dracula

DVD Features:
* Contains four films on two discs
* The original documentary The Road to Dracula
* Feature film commentary by film historian David J. Skal
* New Phillip Glass score on Dracula

THE WOLF MAN: The Wolf Man / Werewolf of London / Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man / She-Wolf of London

DVD Features:
* Contains four films on two discs
* Commentary by film historian Tom Weaver
* Documentary on the making of The Wolf Man#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

May 2, 2004: THE LAST SAMURAI



DVD Features:
* Disc One
* Theatrical Film With Commentary by director Edward Zwick
* Disc Two
* Deleted Scenes with commentary
* History vs. Hollywood: The Last Samurai {History Channel Documentary
* Tom Cruise: A Warrior's Journey
* Edward Zwick: Director's Video Journal
* Making an Epic: A Conversation with Edward Zwick and Tom Cruise
* A World of Detail: Production Design with Lilly Kilvert
* Silk and Armor: Costume Design with Ngila Dickson
* Imperial Army Basic Training
* From Soldier to Samurai: The Weapons
* Japan Premieres {Tokyo & Kyoto red carpet)
* Theatrical Trailer
* Widescreen anamorphic format
* Number of discs: 2

Amazon.com
While Japan undergoes tumultuous transition to a more Westernized society in 1876-77, The Last Samurai gives epic sweep to an intimate story of cultures at a crossroads. In America, tormented Civil War veteran Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is coerced by a mercenary officer (Tony Goldwyn) to train the Japanese Emperor's troops in the use of modern weaponry. Opposing this "progress" is a rebellion of samurai warriors, holding fast to their traditions of honor despite strategic disadvantage. As a captive of the samurai leader (Ken Watanabe), Algren learns, appreciates, and adopts the samurai code, switching sides for a climactic battle that will put everyone's honor to the ultimate test. All of which makes director Edward Zwick's noble epic eminently worthwhile, even if its Hollywood trappings (including an all-too-conventional ending) prevent it from being the masterpiece that Zwick and screenwriter John Logan clearly wanted it to be. Instead, The Last Samurai is an elegant mainstream adventure, impressive in all aspects of its production. It may not engage the emotions as effectively as Logan's script for Gladiator, but like Cruise's character, it finds its own quality of honor. --Jeff Shannon

DVD features
No actor works harder to open a movie than Tom Cruise. His enthusiasm is throughout the DVD extras as he mirrors his samurai character by constantly talking about "loyalty" and "discipline" while working on the film. However as a post-movie experience, the top-line extras with Cruise and director Edward Zwick are repetitive and underwhelming, with too many clips from the film we assume DVD viewers have just seen. The History Channel show is also a pre-release promotional device that misses an opportunity to really dig into this intriguing time period. Better are segments on the costumes, the production design, and how you put together an Imperial army--in New Zealand, no less. Zwick's low-key and dense commentary (plus a "Video Journal") is not vital, but he illustrates many of the little peculiarities it took to make the wide-ranging film come together. There are two deleted scenes; a samurai's first appearance is particularly memorable. --Doug Thomas #nosmileys#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

May 9, 2004: ANTHRAX - MUSIC OF MASS DESTRUCTION - LIVE IN CHICAGO (DVD with bonus CD)



In every band's career they have that one show that stands out from the rest. Whether it is their breakthrough or their crowning glory, there is always one that stands the test of time. Be it Shea Stadium, Budokan, Madison Square Garden, or Red Rocks, some performances transcend the realms of the live concert experience.

For ANTHRAX, their show at a sold out Metro in Chicago on Friday December 5th 2003 will forever stand as the show to define the bands legendary career. And it was captured on film!

One band, eight cameras, and thousands of crazed fans all came together for what will prove to be one of the most lethal live albums and DVDs of all time. Ninety minutes of pure destruction covering the entire career of this influential band. From their raw debut Fistful Of Metal through their critically acclaimed latest We've Come For You All its all here. Songs like "Metal Thrashing Mad," "Caught In A Mosh," "Be All End All," "Only," and "Safe Home," and a slew of others were performed with all the power and passion that ANTHRAX has been known for throughout their 20 year career.

According to drummer Charlie Benante, "In the entire history of the band, this show was 'the one.' From the moment we went on until the very last note we played it was on." The drummer continues, "I'm really glad we documented this show, so everyone can see what I mean, it was so metal."

Titled MUSIC OF MASS DESTRUCTION, this DVD will feature a vast array of bonus materials including behind the scenes with separate band members segments, a featurette on famed comic book artist/painter/creator Alex Ross (Who, in addition to his amazing cover for last years WE'VE COME FOR YOU ALL, will be providing the art work for this release), 5.1 Surround Sound, two songs filmed in Hyper Angle, as well as a bunch of hidden extras.

This widescreen DVD package will also come with an audio CD that will include tracks from the show and is available in both standard CD and standard size DVD packaging.

The DVD tracklisting contains:
1) What Doesn't Die
2) Got The Time
3) Caught In A Mosh
4) Safe Home
5) Room For One More
6) Antisocial
7) Nobody Knows Anything
8) Belly of the Beast
9) Inside Out
10) Refuse To Be Denied
11) 604
12) I Am The Law
13) Only
14) Be All End All
15) Indians
16) Bring The Noise
BONUS CUTS
17) Fueled
18) Metal Thrashing Mad
And Behind The Scenes Featurettes

The CD counterpart contains:
1) What Doesn't Die
2) Got The Time
3) Caught In A Mosh
4) Safe Home
5) Room for One More
6) Antisocial
7) Nobody Knows Anything
8) Fueled
9) Inside Out
10) Refuse To Be Denied
11) I Am The Law
12) Only


All Music Guide Review:

Music of Mass Destruction captures a December 4, 2004, Anthrax gig at Chicago's Metro. The band definitely hits on all cylinders during Mass Destruction's audio portion — it runs through an athletic set of classics peppered with material from 2003's We've Come for You All, led by John Bush's powerful growl and the sold-out crowd, who the singer breaks into "Old Schoolers" and "New Schoolers" in a nod to Anthrax's newfound success at active rock radio. The single "Safe Home" is made more urgent by furious crowd participation, and "Nobody Knows Anything" — another highlight from the new record — features the double bass cannon fire of drummer Charlie Benante. The crowd rewards his song-ending drum solo with raucous chants of "Charlie! Charlie! Charlie!" With the audience acting as a sixth man throughout, as well as the inclusion of Bush's between-song rabble-rousing, Mass Destruction avoids the energy dissipation that often befalls live albums. Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano's guitars rip, and classics like "Caught in a Mosh," the infamous Joe Jackson cover "Got the Time," and "I Am the Law" more than make up for the few brief slips into utility metal dullness (most noticeably on "Inside Out"). Mass Destruction's audio portion wisely constricts the set that appears in full on the DVD; the minor editing makes Anthrax's gut-check warfare more visceral, tightening the grooves by excising filler. This isn't a self-congratulatory or bloated-by-fame live release — this is a high-five to the fans, devil horns back to the throng of outstretched arms. Besides including the 16-song entirety of the Metro gig (viewable from different camera angles), Mass Destruction's DVD offers bonus tracks recorded a few days later at Flint, MI's venerable metal outpost the Machine Shop. There are also extensive and creative bandmember interviews, and an interview with comic book artist Alex Ross, who worked on the album's colorful liners. — Johnny Loftus#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

May 16, 2004: KISS SYMPHONY



Amazon.com
KISS bassist/chief provocateur/world-class swagmeister Gene Simmons once infamously claimed that his cartoon shock-rockers were more influential than Dylan, though the driving sentiment behind this double-disc DVD chronicle of the band's liaison with the Melbourne Symphony seems to paraphrase "Love Minus Zero": "There's no success like excess / and excess is the best success of all." The history of the fusion of rock bands and orchestras is a long and notoriously spotted one, though matters of decorum have seldom concerned--or deterred--KISS. Disc 1 outlines the genesis of the project, with an earnest and typically irony-free Simmons meeting with perpetually bemused conductor David Campbell to discuss mutual musical quandaries, like synchronizing explosions and whether the orchestra can get their KISS makeup on with due haste. Rehearsal and preparation footage display an unusually affable orchestra and band, a mood that carries over into its pyrotechnic-punctuated greatest hits set with the band (Tommy Thayer ably filling the platforms of the departed Ace Frehley). It all works surprisingly well, if at some pitched, Vegas-showroom-in-hell level of bombast. It's a technically impressive show and package, if one that feels distinctly padded as a double-disc (the performance of the "Symphony"'s Act III is repeated on both discs). Less is more? Not here. --Jerry McCulley#nosmileys#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

May 23, 2004: THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (theatrical version)



Amazon.com
With The Return of the King, the greatest fantasy epic in film history draws to a grand and glorious conclusion. Director Peter Jackson's awe-inspiring adaptation of the Tolkien classic The Lord of the Rings could never fully satisfy those who remain exclusively loyal to Tolkien's expansive literature, but as a showcase for physical and technical craftsmanship it is unsurpassed in pure scale and ambition, setting milestone after cinematic milestone as the brave yet charmingly innocent Hobbit Frodo (Elijah Wood) continues his mission to Mordor, where he is destined to destroy the soul-corrupting One Ring of Power in the molten lava of Mount Doom. While the heir to the kingdom of Men, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), endures the massive battle at Minas Tirith with the allegiance of the elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom), the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) and the great wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Frodo and stalwart companion Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) must survive the schizoid deceptions of Gollum, who remains utterly convincing as a hybrid of performance (by Andy Serkis) and subtly nuanced computer animation.

Jackson and cowriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens have much ground to cover; that they do so with intense pacing and epic sweep is impressive enough, but by investing greater depth and consequence in the actions of fellow Hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd), they ensure that The Return of the King maintains the trilogy's emphasis on intimate fellowship. While several major characters appear only briefly, and one (Christopher Lee's evil wizard, Saruman) was relegated entirely to the extended-version DVD, Jackson is to be commended for his editorial acumen; like Legolas the archer, his aim as a filmmaker is consistently true, and he remains faithful to Tolkien's overall vision. If Return suffers from too many endings, as some critic suggested, it's only because the epic's conclusion is so loyally inclusive of the actors--most notably Astin--who gave it such strength to begin with. By ending the LOTR trilogy with noble integrity and faith in the power of imaginative storytelling, The Return of the King, like its predecessors, will stand as an adventure for the ages. --Jeff Shannon

DVD features
Like the first two Lord of the Rings installments, the theatrical-release DVD of The Return of the King has superior picture and sound quality, and that's the important thing. The features on disc 2, however, fall a little short. Two brief documentaries (23 and 28 minutes) chronicle the making of the trilogy and have some good information, but they're best suited to those who aren't very familiar with the films, and some of the material overlaps. A surprise is the complete National Geographic Beyond the Movie program, but it's mostly an excuse for film clips as it draws rather tenuous connections between Tolkien and history, such as comparing Aragorn to William Wallace or Gandalf to Ben Franklin. The six lordoftherings.net featurettes (17 minutes total) are part recap and part making-of, and the Eowyn and digital-horse segments have some appeal. Also included are trailers (including the trilogy supertrailer), TV spots, and a pitch for the related video games (the already-released Return of the King plus the upcoming Battle for Middle-Earth). Unfortunately, some of the more enticing features of the previous theatrical releases are missing: no music video, no preview of an upcoming movie (obviously, because all the films have been released), and no preview of the inevitable extended edition (presumably because there's a longer time between the release of the ROTK theatrical version and the release of the extended version). Still, the film doesn't really need any extras to make it a worthwhile pickup. --David Horiuchi #nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

May 30, 2004: MAY



From http://www.imdb.com:
May is a young strange girl who had a very disturbed childhood and does not still know the meaning of true friendship or love. She works at a pet clinic and lives alone with her only "true friend"; a doll her mother gave her when she was a little girl. When she fails to find the "perfect man" that will make her happy, she decides to construct him herself, using parts from different people.


Roger Ebert gave May four stars. Here's his review from June 6, 2003. (Copyright © Chicago Sun-Times Inc.)

"May" is a horror film and something more and deeper, something disturbing and oddly moving. It begins as the story of a strange young woman, it goes for laughs and gets them, it functions as a black comedy, but then it glides past the comedy and slides slowly down into a portrait of madness and sadness. The title performance by Angela Bettis is crucial to the film's success. She plays a twisted character who might easily go over the top into parody, and makes her believable, sympathetic and terrifying.

The movie will inevitably be compared to "Carrie," not least because Bettis starred in the 2002 TV version of that story. Like "Carrie," it is about a woman who has been wounded by society, and finds a deadly revenge. But "May" is not a supernatural film. It follows the traditional outlines of a horror or slasher film, up to a point--and then it fearlessly follows its character into full madness. We expect some kind of a U-turn or cop-out, but no; the writer and director, Lucky McKee, never turns back from his story's implacable logic. This is his solo directing debut, and it's kind of amazing. You get the feeling he's the real thing.

Bettis plays May Canady, who as a girl had a "lazy eye" that made her an outcast at school. After a brief prologue, we meet her in her 20s, as an assistant in a veterinary clinic. She is shy, quirky, askew, but in a curiously sexy way, so that when she meets the good-looking Adam Stubbs (Jeremy Sisto), he is intrigued. "I'm weird," she tells him. "I like weird," he says. "I like weird a lot."

Uh, huh. His idea of weird is attending the revival of a Dario Argento horror film. He shows May his own student film, that begins with a young couple kissing and caressing and then moves on inexorably into mutual cannibalism. May likes it. She snuggles closer to him on the sofa. Afterward, she gives him her review: "I don't think that she could have gotten his whole finger in one bite, though. That part was kind of far-fetched."

Bettis makes May peculiar but fully human. There are scenes here of such close observation, of such control of body language, voice and behavior, evoking such ferocity and obsession, that we are reminded of Lady Macbeth. It is as hard to be excellent in a horror film as in Shakespeare. Harder, maybe, because the audience isn't expecting it. Sisto's performance as Adam is carefully calibrated to show an intelligent guy who is intrigued, up to a point, and then smart enough to prudently back away. He's not one of those horror movie dumbos who makes stupid mistakes. Notice the look in his eye after he asks her to describe some of the weird stuff that goes on at the animal hospital, and she does, more graphically than he requires.

May's colleague at the clinic is Polly (Anna Faris), a lesbian, always open to new experiences. One day when May cuts herself with a scalpel, Polly is fascinated. Then May unexpectedly cuts her. Polly recoils, screams, considers, and says, "I kind of liked it. Do me again." Like Adam, she is erotically stirred by May's oddness--up to a point. There is an erotic sequence involving May and Polly, not explicit but very evocative, and it's not just a "sex scene," but a way to show that for Polly sex is entertainment and for May it is of fundamental importance.

McKee uses various fetishes in an understated way. May is not a smoker, but she treasures a pack of cigarettes that Adam gave her, and the precious cigarettes are measured out one by one as accomplices to her actions. She has a doll from childhood that gazes from its glass cabinet; in a lesser movie, it would come alive, but in this one it does all the necessary living within May's mind. When May volunteers to work with blind kids, we fear some kind of exploitation, but the scenes are handled to engender suspense, not disrespect.

The movie subtly darkens its tone until, when the horrifying ending arrives, we can see how we got there. There is a final shot that would get laughs in another kind of film, but "May" earns the right to it, and it works, and we understand it.

There are so many bad horror movies. A good one is incredibly hard to make. It has to feel a fundamental sympathy for its monster, as movies as different as "Frankenstein," "Carrie" and "The Silence of the Lambs" did. It has to see that they suffer, too. The crimes of too many horror monsters seem to be for their own entertainment, or ours. In the best horror movies, the crimes are inescapable, and the monsters are driven toward them by the merciless urgency of their natures. #nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

June 6, 2004: MYSTIC RIVER



Amazon.com
Superior acting, writing, and direction are on impressive display in the critically acclaimed Mystic River, Clint Eastwood's 24th directorial outing and one of the finest films of 2003. Sharply adapted by L.A. Confidential Oscar-winner Brian Helgeland from the novel by Dennis Lehane, this chilling mystery revolves around three boyhood friends in working-class Boston--played as adults by Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, and Kevin Bacon--drawn together by a crime from the past and a murder (of the Penn character's 19-year-old daughter) in the present. These dual tragedies arouse a vicious cycle of suspicion, guilt, and repressed anxieties, primed to explode with devastating and unpredictable results. Eastwood is perfectly in tune with this brooding material, giving his flawless cast (including Laura Linney, Marcia Gay Harden and Laurence Fishburne) ample opportunity to plumb the depths of a resonant human tragedy, leading to an ambiguous ending that qualifies Mystic River for contemporary classic status. --Jeff Shannon

DVD features
There's two extra discs plus a commentary track on this deluxe set. One disc is the same CD soundtrack of Clint Eastwood's moody score. The two featurettes--about 40 minutes--have interview bits from all the major talents, including Sean Penn succulently telling us why he doesn't like doing interviews. All the actors speak about what Eastwood calls "good old-fashioned ensemble acting" and author Dennis Lehane and screenwriter Brian Helgeland delve into their inspirations. The bulk of the second disc is two hours of interviews from The Charlie Rose Show with (separately) Eastwood, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon. They often go off on other tangents such as Eastwood's early career and Robbins's political activism. Robbins and Bacon team up for the commentary track, and even though it would have been nice to have the writers or director, the two actors give a solid deconstruction of what's so special about an Eastwood set and how that shows up onscreen. One has to wonder if there was more marked for this special edition: the box mentions a tour of Boston by author Lehman that does not exist. --Doug Thomas

Features:
Commentary by actors Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon
"Beneath the Surface" - featurette with cast and crew interviews
"From Page to Screen" - making of the film featurette
Selections from "The Charlie Rose Show" - full-length interviews with Clint Eastwood, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon
Two trailers
Complete CD soundtrack
Widescreen anamorphic format
Number of discs: 3#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

June 13, 2004: THE STATION AGENT



Amazon.com
A strong ensemble and director Tom McCarthy's sweetly low-key observations make Sundance fave "The Station Agent" a treat. The film revolves around a reserved, somber dwarf (Peter Dinklage, immortalized by his brilliant ticked-off tirade in Living in Oblivion), a train enthusiast who inherits a small depot in rural New Jersey. He makes friends, somewhat reluctantly, with a group of eccentric locals: the guy at the coffee stand (buoyant Bobby Cannavale), an artist (Patricia Clarkson, impeccable as usual), a librarian (Michelle Williams). A few of the plot strands feel forced, but whenever the actors are simply playing off each other with McCarthy's nicely understated dialogue--which is most of the time--it ambles along winningly. You'll also learn more than you ever thought you'd want to know about trains. The key is Dinklage's smoldering performance, one of those reminders that a single scowl is worth pages of conversation. --Robert Horton

DVD Features:
* Commentary by director Tom McCarthy and actors Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson & Bobby Cannavale
* Deleted scenes
* Widescreen anamorphic format


Underfunded rookie director without high concept rocks anyway

By: GREG MAKI , Staff Writer 12/15/2003

Finbar McBride (Peter Dinklage), the hero of "The Station Agent," the debut film from writer-director Thomas McCarthy, is a "simple, boring person" who just wants to be left alone.

But he's a dwarf, and children make Snow White jokes. Grocery shoppers point him out and laugh. A convenience store clerk snaps his picture when he comes in to buy toilet paper.

Fin's defense is to cut himself off from everyone, even those to whom his height is meaningless. He prefers to spend his days in solitude with his one true love: trains. He works in a model train store and at night, he gathers with other train enthusiasts to screen films they've made of trains. Train chasing, it's called. His idea of a good time is taking a stroll along old train tracks ("walking the right-of-way") or sitting on a park bench for hours on end to watch trains roll by.

So when Fin's only friend, Henry Styles (Paul Benjamin), the owner of the train shop, dies and leaves him an old railroad depot in Newfoundland, N.J., he doesn't hesitate to pack up and move into the dilapidated building. The fact that it's in the middle of nowhere is probably as appealing to him as the idea of living at a train station.

But Fin isn't the only lonely soul in Newfoundland. There's Joe (Bobby Cannavale), who, unlike Fin, is not a loner by choice. Joe runs his ailing father's coffee/hot dog stand and sets up every day in front of Fin's train station even though he only has three or four regular customers. One of them is Olivia (Patricia Clarkson), an artist enduring a painful divorce. She's come to Newfoundland seeking an escape from the endless pity that came her way following the death of her young son.

Against Fin's wishes, Joe and Olivia both worm their way into his life.

Possessed of an indefatigable enthusiasm, boundless energy and a compulsive need for conversation, Joe has no conception of what it's like to be alone. He takes to Fin immediately, not out of prejudice or curiosity but because he wants a friend. "Do you people have clubs?" he asks, with "you people" meaning people who like trains.

Olivia's entrance is more dramatic. She nearly runs Fin over with her SUV twice in a matter of hours. To apologize, she shows up at the depot with a bottle of bourbon. Perhaps she sees in Fin both the son and husband she has recently lost.

These three disparate individuals with nothing in common but their loneliness come together and gradually form an almost familial bond. Soon the old depot where Fin hoped to hide away from the world is a relatively bustling hub of activity.

Cleo (Raven Goodwin), an African-American girl, is an occasional visitor. At first, she thinks Fin is a boy, and when she learns that he is not, she asks him to come to her school to talk about trains. There's also Emily (Michelle Williams), a sweet young librarian who shows more than a passing interest in Fin.

Though I'm hesitant to call it a comedy, "The Station Agent" possesses a wonderfully deadpan sense of humor. It all begins with Dinklage, who should emerge as one of the year's breakout stars. (He also had a small but memorable role in Elf, as the irascible kid-lit genius Miles Finch.) It's in the flashing of his dark eyes and his brusque retorts delivered in a rich baritone, both of which suggest a man who knows no peace except within himself. It's not that Fin doesn't like other people; he's simply given up on them. It all builds to a scene that vividly illustrates why Fin hates going to bars.

Dinklage heads an outstanding ensemble cast. Cannavale's humor is more overt than Dinklage's, and his incessant optimism creates a nice contrast between their characters. Clarkson has been a fixture in independent films this year, also appearing in "All the Real Girls" and "Pieces of April." It's easy to why she's so sought-after: she effortlessly switches between slapstick humor and heart-wrenching drama. In one of the most poignant scenes, Olivia sees a boy about the same age as her son, and Clarkson conveys her pain and anguish without saying a word. In their smaller roles, Goodwin and Williams are equally effective.

Clearly, "The Station Agent" defies Hollywood high-concept and simple one- or two-sentence descriptions. It's no surprise then that McCarthy made it for only $500,000, cast his friends, then sold the distribution rights to Miramax only after his little movie was one of the big winners at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

McCarthy treats its characters, not as constructs to move the plot forward, but as complex individuals with real needs and desires. He addresses issues we've all faced at some point in our lives: loneliness and the need for companionship. The Station Agent is about a dwarf, but you don't have to be 4'5" tall to get its message.

At the end of the movie, I was disappointed. I wasn't ready to part with Fin, Joe and Olivia yet. They're so endearing that I wanted to spend more time with them. But maybe now that they've finally found a place where they belong, they've earned their privacy. The ending left me with the impression that they're still out there, idly passing the time at Joe's hot dog stand, Fin's train depot or Olivia's porch. If you're feeling a bit lonely, or if you just want to see an extraordinary film, pay them a visit. I don't think you'll be disappointed.#nosmileys#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

June 20, 2004: SECRET WINDOW



DVD Features:
Commentary by writer-director David Koepp
Theatrical trailer(s)
Four deleted scenes with optional director's commentary
"From Book to Film" featurette
"A Look Through It" featurette
"Secrets Revealed" featurette
Animated storyboards: Opening Credits, Pushing Car Off Cliff, Twist Revealed, Into the Garden
Widescreen anamorphic format


Here's my review that ran in The Star Democrat earlier this year:

By: GREG MAKI, Staff Writer

The tone of Secret Window, one of the best psychological thrillers in years, is set in a complicated early shot.

The camera glides across a lake, heading toward an isolated cabin in the woods, reaches the shore and continues forward, entering the cabin through a window. Meandering about, it gazes at various rooms and objects, including a laptop computer with a decidedly dull paragraph written on it, before settling on a large mirror. The camera pulls in ever closer until the reflection of a man asleep on a couch has become a real room.

The elaborate staging instantly brings to mind the slick stylization of David Fincher, not surprising considering Secret Window’s writer-director, David Koepp, wrote Fincher’s Panic Room. The transition through the mirror pulls us inside the world of the film, a world that seems slightly off-kilter compared to our own.

The slumbering man is Mort Rainey, played by Johnny Depp with an eccentricity that goes beyond his frazzled hair, black-rimmed glasses and tattered bathrobe. Alone in his cabin, he talks to his dog and carries on a running conversation with himself, asking questions in his thoughts – we hear them in voiceover – and answering them aloud. He’s a writer (a successful one if he’s able to do it full-time), but he appears to have done very little work of late.

He’s awakened by a knock on his door from a tall, imposing man wearing a black hat calling himself John Shooter (John Turturro). “You stole my story,” he says in a Mississippi drawl. Rainey dismisses Shooter’s claim and settles back into his couch. “Now where was I?” he asks himself before dozing off again.

But, sure enough, the manuscript Shooter leaves behind matches Rainey’s short story “Secret Window” almost word for word. It tells the story of a man who murders his wife and buries her in her garden.

“I didn’t steal that story … I don’t think,” Rainey says to himself, doubts creeping into his mind even though he knows he wrote “Secret Window” in 1994 and Shooter says he wrote his story in 1997. He may even have a copy of the magazine that published the story in June 1995.

Shooter gives Rainey three days to track down the magazine. In the meantime, the mind games begin. Shooter leaves behind threatening notes, appears to shadow Rainey’s every move and has an alarming amount of information on Rainey’s personal life. The remote cabin setting provides ample opportunities for Rainey to investigate strange noises in the dark, and in the ultimate sign of movie evil, his dog meets an unfortunate end. When the local police are no help (the sheriff [Len Cariou] does needlepoint at the office), Rainey enlists the aid of a private detective (Charles S. Dutton). The search for the magazine leads Rainey back to his estranged wife (The Cooler’s Maria Bello), who still lives in their picturesque suburban home. Her new beau, Ted (Timothy Hutton), is about as likable as Shooter.

That’s about as far as I can go with the plot without spoiling the movie’s fun.

Secret Window is based on a novella by Stephen King called Secret Window, Secret Garden, which appears in his book Four Past Midnight. Mostly due to its writer protagonist, it recalls Misery, one of the best film adaptations of King’s work.

The movie follows the classic Hitchcockian formula of the innocent man wrongly accused. But Depp is too original a performer and Koepp, who wrote the screenplays for Spider-Man and the first two Jurassic Park movies and directed Stir of Echoes, is too stylish a director to stick to that straightforward approach. It’s a rare occurrence where the imagination of both the filmmakers and actors matches that of King. As evidenced by a long list of failures (Dreamcatcher, most recently), that’s no easy feat.#nosmileys#nosmileys#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

June 27, 2004: BLAZING SADDLES 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION



DVD Features:
Theatrical trailer(s)
All-new digital transfer and remastered Dolby 5.1 sound
Scene-specific commentary by director/co-writer Mel Brooks
Cast/Crew Reunion documentary "Back in the Saddle"
Excerpt of "Intimate Protrait: Madeline Kahn Remembers"
"Black Bart" 1975 TV Pilot that inspired the film
Additional scenes
Widescreen anamorphic format

Amazon.com essential video
Mel Brooks scored his first commercial hit with this raucous Western spoof starring the late Cleavon Little as the newly hired (and conspicuously black) sheriff of Rock Ridge. Sheriff Bart teams up with deputy Jim (Gene Wilder) to foil the railroad-building scheme of the nefarious Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman). The simple plot is just an excuse for a steady stream of gags, many of them unabashedly tasteless, that Brooks and his wacky cast pull off with side-splitting success. The humor is so juvenile and crude that you just have to surrender to it; highlights abound, from the lunkheaded Alex Karras as the ox-riding Mongo to Madeline Kahn's uproarious send-up of Marlene Dietrich as saloon songstress Lili Von Shtupp. Adding to the comedic excess is the infamous campfire scene involving a bunch of hungry cowboys, heaping servings of baked beans and, well, you get the idea. --Jeff Shan#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

July 4, 2004: SPIDER-MAN (3-DISC DELUXE EDITION)



DVD Features:

DISC 1
- Commentary by director Sam Raimi, Kirsten Dunst, producer Laura Ziskin, and co-producer Grant Curtis
- Commentary by special effects designer John Dykstra and visual-effects crew
- Theatrical trailer(s), TV spot(s)
- "Weaving the Web": subtitled pop-on production notes and historical facts
- Branching web-isodes
- Music videos: Hero (Chad Kroeger featuring Josey Scott), What We're All About (Sum 41)
- Filmographies & character files
- DVD-ROM: Comic/feature comparison; record Your own commentary; countdown to Spider-Man 2; Weblinks

DISC 2
- HBO Making of Spider-Man
- Spider-Mania: An E! Entertainment Special
- Director profile: Sam Raimi
- Composer profile: Danny Elfman
- Screen tests: Tobey Maguire, J.K. Simmons & CGI Spider-Man
- Costume and makeup tests
- Gag/outtake reel
- Conceptual art & production design gallery

DISC 3
- Costume design featurette
- Designing the World of Spider-Man featurette
- Spider-Wrangler featurette
- Wrestling match featurette
- World Unity Festival featurette
- Oscorp Lab featurette
- Goblin's Arsenal featurette
- "An Exclusive Sneak Peek at Spider-Man 2" featurette
- Spider-Man 2 theatrical teaser trailer
- Activision's Spider-Man 2 PlayStation 2 game teaser trailer
- DVD-ROM: Spider-Man 2 Activision PC game: play multiple levels from the upcoming game#nosmileys#nosmileys#nosmileys