DVDs of the Week

[Üncle Snake]

July 11, 2004: FIREFLY: THE COMPLETE SERIES



DVD Features:

* 14 episodes, including 3 that never aired
* Commentary on Serenity Part 1 & 2, The Train Job, Shindig, Out of Gas, War Stories, Objects in Space, and The Message
* Deleted scenes from Serenity, Our Mrs. Reynolds, Objects in Space
* Featurettes: "Here's How How It Was: The Making of Firefly," "Serenity: The 10th Character," "Joss Tours the Set"
* Alan Tudyk's audition
* Gag reel
* Joss sings the Firefly theme
* Easter egg: Adam Baldwin sings "Hero of Canton"
* Widescreen anamorphic format
* Number of discs: 4

Amazon.com
After you've seen all 14 episodes of Firefly contained in this smartly packaged DVD set, you'll be begging for more. The sad irony is, series creator Joss Whedon's ambitious science-fiction Western (Whedon's third series after Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel) was canceled after only eleven of these 14 produced episodes had aired on FOX, and its demise was woefully premature. Whedon's generic hybrid suffered an inaugural setback when network executives preferred an action-packed one-hour premiere ("The Train Job") over the intended two-hour pilot "Serenity" (oddly enough, the final episode aired), which provides a better introduction to the show's concept and splendid ensemble cast. Obsessive fans may debate the quirky, semi-fallible logic of combining spaceships with direct parallels to frontier America (it's 500 years in the future, and embattled humankind has expanded into the galaxy, where undeveloped "outer rim" planets struggle with the equivalent of Old West accommodations), but Whedon and his gifted co-writers and directors make it work, at least well enough to fashion a credible context from the incongruous culture-clashing of past, present, and future technologies, along with a polyglot language (the result of two dominant superpowers) that combines English with an abundance of Chinese slang.

What makes it work is Whedon's delightfully well-chosen cast and their nine subtly-developed characters (a typically Whedon-esque extended family), each providing a unique perspective on their adventures aboard Serenity, the junky but beloved "Firefly-class" starship they call home. As a veteran of the disadvantaged Independent faction's war against the all-powerful planetary Alliance (think of it as Underdogs vs. Overlords), Serenity captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) leads his compact crew on a quest for survival. They're renegades with an amoral agenda, taking any job that pays well, but Firefly's complex tapestry of right and wrong (and peace vs. violence) is richer and deeper than it first appears. By the time we've gathered tantalizing clues about Blue Sun (an insidious mega-corporation with an as-yet mysterious agenda), its ties to the Alliance, and the traumatizing use of Serenity's resident stowaway as a guinea pig in the development of advanced warfare, it's painfully clear that Firefly was heading for exciting revelations that never came to pass. Fortunately, Whedon was developing a Firefly movie as this DVD set was being released in January 2004, so the ultimate fate of Serenity's crew remains to be seen. In the meantime, these 14 episodes (and enjoyable bonus features) offer everything you'd expect from the creator of Buffy: action, drama, humor, hints of romance, suspense, fine acting, film-quality direction, dazzling special effects, and ample proof that Fox made a glaring mistake in canceling the series. --Jeff Shannon#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

This week's pick is in honor of Ozzfest...

July 18, 2004: BLACK SABBATH - THE LAST SUPPER



Amazon.com
There was something genuinely heartwarming about the decision by Black Sabbath's founding members to take to the road again in 1999. The fractious intra-band relationships that have characterized Black Sabbath's long career were a major inspiration for the writers of This Is Spinal Tap, and so the Sabs' reunion created something pleasingly symmetrical and evocative of the closing scenes of that fine film.

The concert footage was taken from six of the concerts on that tour. It is conclusive proof that the original quartet of Osbourne, Iommi, Butler, and Ward (or, in Osbourne's words, "four dickheads from Aston, near Birmingham") were every bit as exuberantly juvenile a rock & roll band in their early 50s as their late teens. Also included is a sketchy biography and interviews with the band by Henry Rollins, one of the countless contemporary musicians influenced by Sabbath. It's a nice idea, but the only real weakness of the package is that Ozzy is never granted time to wheel out any of his peerless reserve of grotesque rock & roll anecdotes. Nevertheless, the already formidable case for Osbourne's knighthood is strengthened further. --Andrew Mueller, Amazon.co.uk

Run Time: 120 min
DVD Features:
* Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
* Songs Include: Into the Void, Snowblind, Dirty Woman, Iron Man, Electric Funeral, Sweet Leaf, Black Sabbath, Paranoid, Children of the Grave, War Pigs, N.I.B., Fairies Wear Boots, After Forever, Spiral Architect.#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

July 25, 2004: HELLBOY



Amazon.com
In the ongoing deluge of comic-book adaptations, Hellboy ranks well above average. Having turned down an offer to helm Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in favor of bringing Hellboy's origin story to the big screen, the gifted Mexican director Guillermo del Toro compensates for the excesses of Blade II with a moodily effective, consistently entertaining action-packed fantasy, beginning in 1944 when the mad monk Rasputin--in cahoots with occult-buff Hitler and his Nazi thugs--opens a transdimensional portal through which a baby demon emerges, capable of destroying the world with his powers. Instead, the aptly named Hellboy is raised by the benevolent Prof. Bloom, founder of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, whose allied forces enlist the adult Hellboy (Ron Perlman, perfectly cast) to battle evil at every turn. While nursing a melancholy love for the comely firestarter Liz (Selma Blair), Hellboy files his demonic horns ("to fit in," says Bloom) and wreaks havoc on the bad guys. The action is occasionally routine (the movie suffers when compared to the similar X-Men blockbusters), but del Toro and Perlman have honored Mike Mignola's original Dark Horse comics with a lavish and loyal interpretation, retaining the amusing and sympathetic quirks of character that made the comic-book Hellboy a pop-culture original. He's red as a lobster, puffs stogies like Groucho Marx, and fights the good fight with a kind but troubled heart. What's not to like? --Jeff Shanno


DVD FEATURES

The Hellboy two-disc set is as loaded as our hero's Samaritan handgun. On the first commentary track, director Guillermo del Toro offers a lot of interesting information on the filming and background of the movie. Mike Mignola, creator of the comic book, is also on hand but seems content to wear his co-executive producer hat in support of del Toro rather than provide deep insight. Perhaps even more listenable is the actors' commentary, with Ron Perlman particularly good. Also on the disc are eight DVD comics (most of which are merely a screen of panels accompanied by rolling text) and behind-the-scenes footage--both of which are accessible through icons while the movie plays, or (thankfully) through separate indexes--along with storyboards and some of the "Gerald McBoing Boing" shorts that Hellboy watches in the movie.

The second disc is highlighted by a huge 147-minute making-of documentary that covers the original comic book, stunt work, visual effects, and more, separated into 27 clearly titled segments (kudos to the organization structure of Javier Soto's supplemental features). Deleted scenes, 3-D sculptures, animatics--there's too much else to mention, and yet there's more on the horizon. Enclosed is a mail-in rebate coupon good for $5 off the purchase of both this two-disc edition and a forthcoming director's cut. Yes, it's another double-dip DVD release, but give it some credit for being relatively up front about the follow-up release and for offering a rebate to those who end up buying both. --David Horiuchi

* Commentary by director Guillermo del Toro and co-executive producer Mike Mignola
* Commentary by Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Rupert Evans, and Jeffrey Tambor
* Theatrical trailer(s)
* All-new DVD comics: eight branching DVD comics by Mike Mignola
* "Hellboy: The Seeds of Creation": 27 documentaries
* "Right Hand of Doom: Set Visits": behind-the-scenes branching feature
* Four short films featuring the cartoons Hellboy himself recommends
* Feature-length storyboard track
* Four computer-generated animated scene breakdowns.
* Five Board-a-Matics: side-by-side comparison of scenes with the animated storyboards
* Three deleted scenes with optional commentary
* Scene deconstruction
* DVD-ROM: director's notebook, printable script, script supervisor's book
* Widescreen anamorphic format
* Number of discs: 2


MY REVIEW FROM THE STAR DEMOCRAT

If you're planning to take a comic book to the big screen, Guillermo del Toro is the man you want behind the camera. His artistic style — classy gothic architecture shot in deep blacks and rich, vivid color, over-the-top action set pieces powered by a kinetic energy — is largely responsible for making "Blade II" one of the best of the recent glut of comic book inspired films. He's returned to the genre as both director and screenwriter of "Hellboy," based on the comic book series created by Mike Mignola.

The key departures from "Blade II" are "Hellboy"'s sense of humor and fun, and its more "human" superhero courtesy of a revelatory performance by Ron Perlman. "Hellboy" feels like the product of a director who loved every second of making it. I picture del Toro cackling with delight after each take. That joy translates to the screen and is so infectious it overcomes the nonsense plot.

Near the end of World War II, German soldiers attempt to open a portal and summon the Seven Gods of Chaos. American soldiers, under the guidance of Professor Bruttenholm, FDR's psychic advisor, thwart the Nazis' plans, and Rasputin (Karl Roden), the Germans' conspirator, is sucked through the portal. All that passes through in the other direction is a baby demon. He has red skin, horns, a tail and a giant right hand, but he's a loving creature, and the professor wins him over with a Baby Ruth candy bar. Nicknaming him "Hellboy," the professor takes him in and raises him to become the muscle of the FBI's super-secret Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense.

Sixty years later, the Nazi Ilsa (Bridget Hodson), who curiously has not aged, and the bizarre assassin Kroenen (Ladislav Beran) perform a ritual and bring back Rasputin. Their plan is to unleash upon the world a horde of nasty, multi-tentacled CGI beasties. But Professor Bruttenholm (John Hurt), now in his 80s and near death, learns of the plan and sends Hellboy (Perlman) and friends to stop it. Hellboy doesn't want help, but those tag along include an aquatic creature named Abraham Sapien (Doug Jones, voiced by David Hyde Pierce) and young FBI Agent John Myers (Rupert Evans).

Hellboy is not your typical superhero. Perlman, whom del Toro directed in "Blade II," plays him as a working class stiff. For him, being a superhero is just a job. He wants to be a regular guy (he uses an electric sander to grind his horns down every morning), but the FBI won't even let him out in public. It's a lonely life for Hellboy, and he longs for the girl of his dreams, Liz (Selma Blair), to return to him. Her entire body bursts into flames when she gets excited, and she checked herself into an institution because of her inability to control the power. Hellboy burns with jealousy when he suspects a budding romance between Liz and Myers. The scenes of him spying on them are funnier than anything in most comedies.

Perlman is the perfect actor for Hellboy. Many would disappear under the makeup, but not him. With his large features, he wears it well but never sits back and lets it do the acting for him. He creates an action hero who's memorable more for his tender side and one-liners than his otherworldly appearance and fighting skills. It also helps tremendously that Perlman has never been a star, though this role could certainly change that. Best known for the "Beauty and the Beast" TV series in the late 1980s, he's a working class actor with over 80 film and television credits. "Hellboy"'s success is due to him as much as it is to del Toro.
The rest of the cast and characters are mostly forgettable. I enjoyed Abe Sapien, but he's written out about halfway through the movie. Jeffrey Tambor has a few funny moments as FBI boss Tom Manning.

The storytelling isn't exactly gripping, but del Toro's style will draw you in, and Perlman will make you want to stay. ***#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

August 1, 2004: DROWNING POOL - SINEMA



This release follows the tragic death of Drowning Pool singer Dave Williams on Aug.14, 2002. As a way of paying tribute to the frontman, this package features over two hours of music and interview footage, showing how much the band meant to so many people. Dimebag Darrell, Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie and Zakk Wylde are just a few of the big names paying tribute. Some of the proceeds from the sales of this DVD went toward fulfilling Dave Williams's dream of buying his parents a house. (EDITOR'S NOTE: I never heard if that actually happened.)#nosmileys#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

August 8, 2004: THE EVIL DEAD



(I'm sure just about everyone here has seen this, but I just saw it for the first time, and with Horrorfind coming up, I wanted to pick a horror movie this week.)

Amazon.com essential video
In the fall of 1979, Sam Raimi and his merry band headed into the woods of rural Tennessee to make a movie. They emerged with a roller coaster of a film packed with shocks, gore, and wild humor, a film that remains a benchmark for the genre. Ash (cult favorite Bruce Campbell) and four friends arrive at a backwoods cabin for a vacation, where they find a tape recorder containing incantations from an ancient book of the dead. When they play the tape, evil forces are unleashed, and one by one the friends are possessed. Wouldn't you know it, the only way to kill a "deadite" is by total bodily dismemberment, and soon the blood starts to fly. Raimi injects tremendous energy into this simple plot, using the claustrophobic set, disorienting camera angles, and even the graininess of the film stock itself to create an atmosphere of dread, punctuated by a relentless series of jump-out-of-your-seat shocks. The Evil Dead lacks the more highly developed sense of the absurd that distinguish later entries in the series--Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness--but it is still much more than a gore movie. It marks the appearance of one of the most original and visually exciting directors of his generation, and it stands as a monument to the triumph of imagination over budget. --Simon Leake

DVD Features:
* Commentary by star Bruce Campbell
* Theatrical trailer(s)
* Behind the scenes footage and outtakes
* Poster and stills gallery
* TV spots
* 24 page collectible booklet featuring "The Ladies of Evil Dead"
* Widescreen anamorphic format#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

August 15, 2004: TAKING LIVES (Unrated Director's Cut)



Amazon.com
While it doesn't rank with such grim classics as The Silence of the Lambs and Seven, D.J. Caruso's Taking Lives offers similarly heavy atmosphere, beginning well before fizzling into absurdity. Freely adapted from the novel by Michael Pye, and set in Montreal (although it was filmed in Quebec City), the plot trades in several familiar tropes of the serial-killer genre, beginning with the FBI agent (Angelina Jolie) who brings her unique skills (and brooding, low-key demeanor) to the vexing case of a killer who, out of apparent self-loathing, steals the identities of his victims and lives their lives until it's time for the next gruesome murder. Ethan Hawke plays the killer's alleged next victim, and in a film filled with twists that grow increasingly unconvincing, Keifer Sutherland is menacingly cast as a shifty suspect. Caruso's previous film was the creepy drug thriller The Salton Sea, so he's well-qualified to infuse Taking Lives with a darkly stylish sense of dread and at least one good shock to keep your adrenaline flowing. The second half essentially betrays the promise of the first, but there's enough going on to hold your interest to the end. --Jeff Shannon

DVD Features:
* Unrated Director's Cut contains six additional minutes of footage
* Gag reel
* 4 making-of featurettes:
* "The Art of Collaboration" - cast and crew
* "Profiling a Director" - interview
* "Bodies of Evidence" - cast secrets
* "Puzzle Within a Puzzle" - with editor Anne V. Coates
* Widescreen anamorphic format#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

August 22, 2004: DREAM THEATER - IMAGES AND WORDS LIVE IN TOKYO/5 YEARS IN A LIVE TIME




With their progressive metal style and exceptional musicianship (learned at the Berklee School of Music) Dream Theater grew to prominence with their MTV hit "Pull Me Under" in 1992. During that time Dream Theater developed a rabid fan base that remains with them today-especially when it comes to their mind-blowing live shows. This 2 DVD set, Images And Words: Live In Tokyo/5 Years In A LIVEtime, is a must-own for any Dream Theater fan. The 2-DVD set is jam-packed with over 3 hours of footage: live performances along with 6 music videos and memorable behind-the-scenes interviews.

Disc One: Images And Words: Live In Tokyo is a riveting live performance captured in Tokyo, Japan, during Dream Theater's 1993 Music In Progress world tour. Also included are the videos for "Pull Me Under," "Take The Time," and "Another Day," plus band interviews and home video footage that takes you behind the scenes on their first world tour, the making of their album and videos, and much more.

Disc Two: Five Years In A LIVEtime is a concert collection spanning 5 years, including shows in Rotterdam and London, plus the 1994/1995 Waking Up The World tour and the 1997/1998 Touring Into Infinity world tour. It also features the videos for "Lie," "The Silent Man," and "Hollow Years," along with studio footage recorded during the "Awake" and "Falling Into Infinity" sessions.

* Over 3 hours of footage available on DVD for the first time.
* Disc One is a live performance filmed in Tokyo, Japan, along with behind-the-scenes footage and 3 music video clips.
* Disc Two is a collection of concerts and studio footage spanning 5 years, plus 3 music video clips.
* Includes the MTV hit music video for "Pull Me Under"-available on DVD for the first time!
* Dream Theater have an active touring base and have just completed a national U.S. theater tour.
* Only prior DVD release, 2001's Metropolis, was certified Gold.
* '92 CD release Images And Wordswas certified Gold. DVD Features
* Remastered in Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound
* New Audio Commentary Track

Tracks:
DISC 1
Live:
1. Under a Glass Moon
2. Wait For Sleep
3. Surrounded
4. Ytse Jam
5. To Live Forever
6. Take the Time
7. Pull Me Under
8. The Silent Man
Video Clips:
1. Pull Me Under
2. Take The Time
3. Another Day
DISC 2:
Videos:
1. Lie
2. The Silent Man
3. Hollow Years
Live Performances:
1. Burning My Soul
2. Cover My Eyes
3. Lie
4. 6:00
5. Voices
6. The Silent Man
7. Damage Inc.
8. Easter
9. Starship Trooper
10. Hollow Years
11. Puppies On Acid
12. Just Let Me Breathe
13. Perfect Strangers
14. Speak To Me
15. Lifting Shadows Off A Dream
16. Anna Lee
17. To Live Forever
18. Metropolis
19. Peruvian Skies
20. Learning To Live
21. A Change of Seasons VII
22. The Crimson Sunset
23. Have A Cigar
24. Enter Sandman
25. Siberean Khatru#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

August 29, 2004: CHRIS ROCK - NEVER SCARED



I saw Chris Rock on this tour last fall in Baltimore. It's not on the level of "Bring the Pain," but it is another great 90 minutes or so from one of the very best comedians around today.

Amazon.com
Chris Rock: Never Scared is the hot comic's fourth HBO special and proves as disciplined and trenchant as his previous cable concerts. Announcing he's a recent father, Rock proclaims his biggest job is keeping his daughter "off the pole," i.e., steering her away from the life of a stripper. Warming to the theme, Rock asks why so many strippers earn money to pay for expensive tuitions yet he's never received "a smart lap dance." Things turn topical as Rock argues that his government won't solve the murders of rappers. ("More people saw Tupac get shot than watched the last episode of Seinfeld.") After taking broadsides at Michael Jackson ("Ed Bradley tried his best to make Michael look like a mammal!") and David Blaine ("Are we so desperate we fall for a trickless magician?"), Rock builds to a near-lecture (funny, though) on why white America won't let people of color acquire real wealth. --Tom Keogh #nosmileys#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

September 5, 2004: ANGEL - SEASON 4




(Amazon.com)
As the fourth season of Angel starts, everything is still as we left it: Angel has been sunk to the bottom of the sea in an iron box by his inexplicable and vindictive son Connor and Cordelia has been summoned to higher realms to await orders. Gunn and Fred are left in the Hyperion Hotel, unsure about what has happened to their friends, and Lilah is working hard to seduce Wesley to the dark side. In the first few episodes, some of this is resolved but it's almost immediately replaced by far worse crises: prophesies of doom accumulate more rapidly even than usual in this wonderfully gloomy show and a horned rock-like beast rains fire on Los Angeles. This last year is Angel's most tightly dramatic season yet--with a story arc of surprising intensity punctuated by the show's usual wit and sexiness.


SPECIAL FEATURES

Commentary tracks:
Episode 4 - "The House Always Wins" - David Fury (writer) and Andy Hallett (Lorne)
Episode 6 - "Spin the Bottle" - Joss Whedon (writer/director) and Alexis Denisof (Wesley)
Episode 7 - "Apocalypse Nowish" - Vern Gillum (director) and Steven S. DeKnight (writer)
Episode 15 - "Orpheus" - Terrence O'Hara (director) and Jeffrey Bell (co-executive producer)
Episode 17 - "Inside Out" - Steven S. DeKnight (writer)
Episode 19 - "The Magic Bullet" - Jeffrey Bell (co-executive producer)
Episode 22 - "Home" - Tim Minear (writer/director)

Featurettes:
Angel and the Apocalypse (6:50)
Prophecies: Season 4 Overview (39:08)
Unplugged: Season 4 Outtakes (3:04)
Last Looks: The Hyperion Hotel (5:42)
Fatal Beauty and the Beast (6:06)
Malice in Wonderland: Wolfram & Hart (7:58)
#nosmileys#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

September 12, 2004: GODSMACK - CHANGES



Description
Changes, the new Godsmack DVD, gives an intimate portrayal of life on tour. Shot throughout their 2003-2004 "Faceless" Tour, the film lets viewers experience the rigors of being on the road, and includes 12 incredible live performances of their biggest hits. Features: * Twelve powerful songs * Exclusive documentary * Extensive photo gallery Audio Options: * PCM Stereo/SRS Circle Surround * 5.1 Multichannel * 5.1 DTS

1 Straight Out of Line
2 Awake
3 Faceless
4 Bad Religion
5 Moon Baby
6 Serenity
7 Re-Align
8 Changes
9 Keep
10 Voodoo
11 Batalla de los Tambores
12 Stand Alone

[Üncle Snake]

September 19, 2004: ROUNDERS (Collector's Series)



Academy Award winner Matt Damon (The Bourne Supremacy) andiEdward Norton (The Italian Job) stariin this story of passion, risk anditheiextreme price of friendship! After losingia high-stakes card game Mike (Damon) gives up gamblingifor law school andia fresh start with his girlfriend (Gretchen Mol - Cradle Will Rock). But then his best buddy (Norton) gets out of prison andiin over his head withia ruthless card shark (John Malkovich - Being John Malkovich). From there, Mike's string sense of loyalty 0 anditheilure of theigame - draws him backito theitables inia game he cannot affordito lose! Also starring John Turturro (O Brother, Where Art Thou?) andiOscar winner Martin landau (Ed Wood).

Features:
- Behind The Scenes Special
- Set Top Game - "Heads Up Texas Hold 'Em"
- Behind-The-Scenes Special
- Inside Professional Poker
- Feature Commentary With Professional Poker Players
- Feature Commentary With Director John Dahl, Screenwriters David Levien and Brian Koppelman, and Actor Edward Norton
- Championship Poker Tips (From Four Professionals)

[Üncle Snake]

September 26, 2004: ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND



Amazon.com
Screenwriters rarely develop a distinctive voice that can be recognized from movie to movie, but the ornate imagination of Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) has made him a unique and much-needed cinematic presence. In Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a guy decides to have the memories of his ex-girlfriend erased after she's had him erased from her own memory--but midway through the procedure, he changes his mind and struggles to hang on to their experiences together. In other hands, the premise of memory-erasing would become a trashy science-fiction thriller; Kaufman, along with director Michel Gondry, spins this idea into a funny, sad, structurally complex, and simply enthralling love story that juggles morality, identity, and heartbreak with confident skill. The entire cast--Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Wilkinson, and more--give superb performances, carefully pitched so that cleverness never trumps feeling. A great movie. --Bret Fetzer

DVD Features:
* Commentary by director Michel Gondry and writer Charlie Kaufman
* Making-of featurette
* A conversation with Jim Carrey and Michel Gondry
* Deleted scenes
* Lacuna infomercial
* Music video

[Üncle Snake]

October 3, 2004: FAHRENHEIT 9/11



Amazon.com
To anyone who truly understands what it means to be an American, Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 should be seen as a triumph of patriotic freedom. Rarely has the First Amendment been exercised with such fervor and forthrightness of purpose: After subjecting himself to charges of factual errors in his gun-lobby exposé Bowling for Columbine, Moore armed himself with a platoon of reputable fact-checkers, an abundance of indisputable film and video footage, and his own ironically comedic sense of righteous indignation, with the singular intention of toppling the war-ravaged administration of President George W. Bush. It's the Bush presidency that Moore, with his provocative array of facts and figures, blames for corporate corruption, senseless death, unnecessary war, and political favoritism toward Osama Bin Laden's family and Saudi oil partners following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Moore's incendiary film earned Palme d'Or honors at Cannes and a predictable legion of detractors, but do yourself a favor: Ignore those who condemn the film without seeing it, and let the facts speak for themselves. By honoring American soldiers and the victims of 9/11 while condemning Bush's rationale for war in Iraq, Fahrenheit 9/11 may actually succeed in turning the tides of history. --Jeff Shannon

DVD Features:
* "The Release of Fahrenheit 9/11" featurette
* "Iraq, Pre-War" featurette: The people of Iraq on the eve of invasion
* "Homeland security, Miami style" featurette: Footage of the old men who patrol the Florida coast lookng for terrorists as part of the homeland security plan
* "Outside Abu Ghraib Prison"
* Eyewitness account from Samara, Iraq
* "Lila, D.C.": Lila Lipscomb at the Washington, D.C. premiere
* Arab-American comedians: Their acts and experiences after 9/11
* Extended interview: More with Abdul Henderson
* "Condi 9/11": Condoleezza Rice's 9/11 Commission testimony
* "Bush Rose Garden": George W. Bush's full press briefing after 9/11 Commission appearance

[Üncle Snake]

October 10, 2004: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD



There are about a million different DVDs of this movie. I'm recommending this latest release even though it's thin on extras and features a newly colorized version of the film (don't worry, the original black and white version of the movie is here too). I'm recommending this because it features a hilarious commentary track by MIKE NELSON of Mystery Science Theater 3000 fame. It's almost like the lost MST3K episode, and it's one of the best commentaries I've ever heard.

[Üncle Snake]

October 17, 2004: ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT - SEASON ONE



Amazon.com
Winner of the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy its first year out, Arrested Development is the kind of sitcom that gives you hope for television. A mockumentary-style exploration of the beleaguered Bluth family, it's one of those idiosyncratic shows that doesn't rely on a laugh track or a studio audience; it's shot more like a TV drama, albeit with an omniscient narrator (executive producer Ron Howard) overseeing the proceedings. Holding the Bluths together just barely is son Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman), the only normal guy in a family that's chock full of nuts. Hardworking and sensible, Michael's certain he's going to be given control of his family's Enron-style corporation upon the retirement of his father (Jeffrey Tambor). The fact that he's passed over instead for his mother (Jessica Walter) is only a blip when compared to his father's immediate arrest for dubious accounting practices, and the resulting freeze on the family's previously limitless wealth.

Bereft of money, and even less family love, the Bluths have to band together in their moment of need--not easy when everyone's looking out for number 1. In addition to his scabrous parents, Michael has to contend with his lothario older brother (Will Arnett), his basically useless younger brother (Tony Hale), his greedy twin sister (Portia DeRossi), and her sexually ambiguous husband (David Cross). Michael's only comrade in sanity is his son George Michael (Michael Cera), but then again, the teenage boy harbors a secret crush on his cousin (Alia Shawkat). A peerless ensemble led by the brilliant Bateman (who ever knew he could be this good?), all the actors are pitch-perfect in their roles, delivering the dryly funny, sometimes absurdist dialogue with the speed and flair of classic farce. The unusual tone of Arrested Development takes a bit of getting used to--it's far different from anything you'll see on TV, even HBO--but once you buy in to the Bluths' innumerable dysfunctions, you'll be laughing your head off for hours.--Mark Englehart

DVD Features:
- Commentary by series creator Mitchell Hurwitz, directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, and actor Jason Bateman on Extended Pilot'
- Commentary by series creator Mitchell Hurwitz and actors Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Wil Arnett, Tony Hale, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Jessica Walter, Jeffrey Tambor, and David Cross on Beef Consomme'
- Commentary by series creator Mitchell Hurwitz and actors Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Wil Arnett, Tony Hale, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Jessica Walter, Jeffrey Tambor, and David Cross on Let Them Eat Cake'
- 22 season 1 episodes, plus the never-aired extended pilot
- "Breaking Ground: Behind the Scenes of Arrested Development" featurette
- Ron Howard's inside look at Arrested Development
- Deleted/extended scenes
- The Museum of Television & Radio cast panel discussion
- Original songs by David Schwarz
- "Arrested Development: The Making of a Future Classic" TV Land featurette
- "TV Land Awards: The Future Classic Award" featurette
- Promo spot
- Number of discs: 3

[Üncle Snake]

October 24, 2004: EVIL DEAD II



Amazon.com
Writer-director Sam Raimi's extremely stylized, blood-soaked follow-up to his creepy Evil Dead isn't really a sequel; rather, it's a remake on a better budget. It also isn't really a horror film (though there are plenty of decapitations, zombies, supernatural demons, and gore) as much as it is a hilarious, sophisticated slapstick send-up of the terror genre. Raimi takes every horror convention that exists and exaggerates it with mind-blowing special effects, crossed with mocking Three Stooges humor. The plot alone is a genre cliché right out of any number of horror films. Several teens (including our hero, Ash, played by Bruce Campbell in a manic tour-de-force of physical comedy) visit a broken-down cottage in the woods--miles from civilization--find a copy of the Book of the Dead, and unleash supernatural powers that gut every character in sight. All, that is, except Ash, who takes this very personally and spends much of the of the film getting his head smashed while battling the unseen forces. Raimi uses this bare-bones story as a stage to showcase dazzling special effects and eye-popping visuals, including some of the most spectacular point-of-view Steadicam work ever (done by Peter Deming). Although it went unnoticed in the theaters, the film has since become an influential cult-video favorite, paving the way for over-the-top comic gross-out films like Peter Jackson's Dead Alive.

DVD Features:
- Audio commentary with writer-director Sam Raimi, star Bruce Campbell, co-writer Scott Spiegel and makeup effects artist Greg Nicotero
- Featurette: "The Gore the Merrier"
- "Evil Dead: Hail to the King" Video Game Preview
- Theatrical trailer
- Still galleries
- Talent bios

[Üncle Snake]

October 31, 2004: DAVID BOWIE - A REALITY TOUR



The official press release

"…Bowie still manages to project more charisma during one song than most modern-day stars manage in a career…The songs sound as fresh as ever…" --Maurice O’Brien, IRISH INDEPENDENT (Dublin), November 24, 2003

DAVID BOWIE will release "DAVID BOWIE - A REALITY TOUR" DVD October 19 (ISO/Columbia) to commemorate his first major world tour in nearly a decade. Filmed last November 22 and 23 in front of emotionally charged audiences at the Point Depot in Dublin, Ireland, the DVD marks the influential rock legend’s first concert film in over 15 years. 30 songs spanning BOWIE’s illustrious career--including "Five Years" and "Hang On To Yourself," which BOWIE hasn’t played live in over 20 years--are featured in a riveting state-of-the-art sound and light stage production that was conceived by BOWIE and utilizes enormous LED screens and animation. The program runs 140 minutes, and a ten-page booklet filled with amazing live photos from the event is included in the package.

Feeding off the overwhelming response from the Dublin audience, BOWIE said on the first night: "If we're going to film a DVD anywhere, this is the place to do it. I know it, you know it and they (the film crew) know it!" "DAVID BOWIE - A REALITY TOUR" is produced by Blink TV, edited by Emmy Award winner Guy Harding and the Creative Director is Marcus Viner. The DVD’s 5.1 surround sound mix was engineered by Tony Visconti, BOWIE's long-time producer of such classic albums as THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD, YOUNG AMERICANS and HEROES; Visconti also co-produced with BOWIE his most recent critically revered albums HEATHEN (2002) and REALITY (2003).

Armed with a rotating list of 60 songs, BOWIE and his band — Gerry Leonard (band leader/guitar/vocals), Sterling Campbell (drums/vocals), Earl Slick (guitar), Gail Ann Dorsey (bass guitar/vocals), Catherine Russell (keyboards/vocals/percussion/guitar) and Mike Garson (keyboards) — made their mark with shows constituting what many described as one of the best treks in his career. The hugely successful and critically acclaimed "A Reality Tour" began last October in Europe, visiting countries all over the world while attracting over 700,000 fans and earning the tour #1 top-grossing honors for the first half of 2004, according to Billboard Boxscore. It was also hailed as "Best Tour: #2 (after Radiohead)" in the "Critics’ Picks" section in the ROLLING STONE "Music Awards 2003" poll (2/5/04).

"DAVID BOWIE - A REALITY TOUR" mixes an array of classics and deep album cuts with songs from BOWIE’s most recent works, HEATHEN and REALITY, both of which critics ranked among his best works. HEATHEN entered the top 15 in 14 countries, including the U.S., while REALITY claimed the #1 position on Billboard’s Pan European chart, debuting in the Top 10 in 15 countries. BOWIE truly continues to raise the standard for ongoing adventurousness and artistry in popular music.

The complete "DAVID BOWIE - A REALITY TOUR" track listing:

01 Rebel Rebel
02 New Killer Star
03 Reality
04 Fame
05 Cactus
06 Sister Midnight
07 Afraid
08 All The Young Dudes
09 Be My Wife
10 The Loneliest Guy
11 The Man Who Sold The World
12 Fantastic Voyage
13 Hallo Spaceboy
14 Sunday
15 Under Pressure
16 Life On Mars?
17 Battle For Britain (The Letter)
18 Ashes To Ashes
19 The Motel
20 Loving The Alien
21 Never Get Old
22 Changes
23 I'm Afraid Of Americans
24 "Heroes"
25 Bring Me The Disco King
26 Slip Away
27 Heathen (The Rays)
28 Five Years
29 Hang On To Yourself
30 Ziggy Stardust

[Üncle Snake]

NOVEMBER 7, 2004: THE COMPLETE DENIS LEARY



"THE COMPLETE DENIS LEARY: NO CURE FOR CANCER and LOCK N' LOAD"

Hits the Streets on November 2nd by Melee Entertainment

(PRWEB) October 7, 2004 -- On November 2nd, Melee Entertainment will release the DVD, "THE COMPLETE DENIS LEARY: NO CURE FOR CANCER and LOCK N' LOAD," the most complete collection of Denis Leary's best live shows. "Lock N' Load" was seen by over 16 million people on HBO, while the theme song for "No Cure for Cancer," appropriately titled "A**hole," became an international hit on radio and MTV. The 140-minute DVD will also feature bonus extras including a music video and behind the scenes footage.

Denis Leary is one of the world's most recognizable actors/ comedians and has appeared in over 25 motion pictures including "The Ref," "Wag the Dog," "A Bug's Life," and the Oscar nominated "Ice Age." Currently he stars on FX's hit show "Rescue Me," which he co-created and serves as executive producer, writer and star of. The series debuted to over 4 million viewers for the premiere episode and beat out prime time shows on ABC, the WB and UPN!


Review from DVDtalk.com

The Shows:

Dennis Leary first gained notoriety as a fast talking, chain smoking, angry comic in a series of 30 second shorts that MTV would play between videos. (This was way back when MTV actually played music videos of course.) Over the years he honed his skills as a comic (as well as an actor) and has produced two stand-up specials, one for Showtime and another for HBO. Now the pair of these hour long performances, as well as a few other nice tidbits are available in one package: The Complete Dennis Leary. Both of these shows are very funny and will thrill fans of his fast paced comedy.

No Cure for Cancer:

In 1990 Dennis and his five month pregnant wife traveled to England for some performances that he had booked there. Unfortunately, her water broke and she gave birth prematurely to their son. At birth, he weighed a little over two pounds, and was in the hospital for quite a while. Effectively stranded in a foreign country with no means of support, Dennis took the time he found he had to write a one-man-play/stand-up routine No Cure for Cancer. It started slowly but gained popularity as time went by and he eventually took the piece to New York where it also did very well. In 1992 Showtime taped the show for broadcast.

The show prepares viewers for what the evening is going to be like by opening with his song Asshole. This tribute to doing whatever the hell you want, and making fun of suburban America at the same time is both funny and lyrical. He then launches into his stand-up, ranting and railing about many topics including drugs: “Yeah, I'd like to do some cocaine. I'd like to do a drug that makes my penis small, makes my nose bleed, makes my heart explode, and sucks all my money out of the bank.”

Smoking: “It doesn't matter how big the warnings on the cigarettes are; you could have a black pack, with a skull and crossbones on the front, called TUMORS, and smokers would be around the block going, ‘I can't wait to get my hands on these fucking things! I bet ya get a tumor as soon as you light up!’”

Vegetarianism: “Not eating meat is a decision. Eating meat is an instinct!”

and music: “We live in a country where John Lennon takes six bullets in the chest, Yoko Ono was standing right next to him, not ONE FUCKING BULLET! Explain that to me!”

He calms down a little in the second half and tells some great stories about how tough and rugged his father was as well as what happened when he as his brother played William Tell when they were kids. This was my favorite section of the show.

He finishes the show off with some more rants and another song, which doesn’t work as well as Asshole but is still fairly amusing.

This show has aged a little, and it’s not as edgy as it was 10 years ago. Some of his bits look a little stupid today, such as when he is prancing around the stage in circles making fun of the pronunciation of the word “croissant.” Overall the show holds up very well, and Leary’s rapid fire rants and ‘take no prisoners’ attitude give these stand-up routines quite a kick.

Lock ‘N Load:

Leary’s other TV special, broadcast on HBO, wasn’t filmed until five years later in 1997. In this one he turns his eye to more mainstream cultural trends, and it works well. He covers such topics as Michael Flatley: “Lord of the Dance? Who has the balls to call himself the Lord of anything? Last guy called himself Lord on this planet was crucified, Michael, okay? And we know where the hammer and the nails are.”

Child rearing: “ I try to bring them up the right way, not spanking them. I find that I don't have to spank them. I find that waving the gun around pretty much gets the same job done!”

And flavored coffee: “Is it impossible to get a cup of coffee-flavored coffee? You can get every other flavor except coffee-flavored coffee! They got mochachino, cappuchino, frappachino, Al Pacino, what the fuck?”

While this more recent special is more sedate than No Cure for Cancer, it still has a good amount of invective to it and I preferred it to his first show. The rant he gives at the end about the Catholic Church, and the new religion he wants to start is worth the price of admission. The bit about his daughter being outside drawing is also priceless. A very funny show.

The DVD:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These two specials come on a single sided DVD. I was disappointed to find that there are no chapter stops in the shows themselves.

Audio:

Both shows come with a stereo soundtrack that does the job. Since these are spoken monologues, there isn’t much need for a lot of dynamic range. Leary’s dialog comes through clearly, though there are a couple of spots where it sounds a little muddled. Not a great sounding disc, but appropriate for the material.

Video:

The full frame video hasn’t aged too well. In No Cure for Cancer, the image was pretty soft and looked a little blurry. The colors were also off slightly. Dennis’ face looked a little pale and yellow, which could have been partially due to the lighting.

Lock ‘N Load looked a little better, with the image being sharper and the colors looking more accurate. There were some spots and dirt though, and surprisingly a couple of video dropouts. Given that this is a stand-up routine, it isn’t a big deal, but I was hoping that these shows would look better.

Extras:

This DVD comes with some great supplementary material. First off is The Making of No Cure for Cancer. This has interviews with Leary and his co-writers, as well as some home movies and tapes of the early performances of this show. They talk about some of the problems they encountered and how the adverse English press actually helped the show. A good featurette.

There are also two music videos that Dennis did: Asshole and Love Barge. While the first one is great and really compliments the two concerts on the disc, Love Barge was actually pretty bad. Only completists need view it.

Final Thoughts:

Dennis Leary is one funny comedian, and this DVD has some of his best bits. Leary’s fast paced rants and chain smoking persona make for some hard hitting comedy. A very nice package with both of his cable specials and two music videos as well as a making of documentary, this DVD is a must by for his fans. Highly Recommended. Now lets hope that Leary's aborted TV series, The Job, gets released on DVD soon!

[Üncle Snake]

November 14, 2004: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON SEVEN



Amazon.com
The seventh and final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer begins with a mystery: someone is murdering teenage girls all over the world and something is trying hard to drive Spike mad. Buffy is considerably more cheerful in these episodes than we have seen her during the previous year as she trains Dawn and gets a job as student counselor at the newly rebuilt Sunnydale High. Willow is recovering from the magical addiction which almost led her to destroy the world, but all is not yet well with her, or with Anya, who has returned to being a Vengeance demon in "Same Time, Same Place" and "Selfless," and both women are haunted by their decisions.

Haunting of a different kind comes in the excellent "Conversations with Dead People" (one of the show's most terrifying episodes ever), in which a mysterious song is making Spike kill again in spite of his soul and his chip. Giles turns up in "Bring on the Night" and Buffy has to fight one of the deadliest vampires of her career in "Showtime". In "Potential" Dawn faces a fundamental reassessment of her purpose in life.

Buffy was always a show about female empowerment, but it was also a show about how ordinary people can decide to make a difference alongside people who are special. And it was also a show about people making up for past errors and crimes. So, for example, we have the excellent episodes "Storyteller", in which the former geek/supervillain Andrew sorts out his redemption while making a video diary about life with Buffy; and "Lies My Parents Told Me," in which we find out why a particular folk song sends Spike crazy. Redemption abounds as Faith returns to Sunnydale and the friends she once betrayed, and Willow finds herself turning into the man she flayed. Above all, this was always Buffy's show: Sarah Michelle Gellar does extraordinary work here both as Buffy and as her ultimate shadow, the First Evil, who takes her face to mock her. This is a fine ending to one of television's most remarkable shows. --Roz Kaveney

DVD Features:
* 22 episodes on six discs: Lessons, Beneath You, Same Time Same Place, Help, Selfless, Him, Conversations with Dead People, Sleeper, Never Leave Me, Bring On the Night, Showtime, Potential, The Killer in Me, First Date, Get It Done, Storyteller, Lies My Parents Told Me, Dirty Girls, Empty Places, Touched, End of Days, Chosen
* Commentary by Joss Whedon and director/co-executive producer David Solomon on "Help"
* Commentary by director/co-executive producer David Solomon and writer Drew Goddard on "Selfless"
* Commentary by director Nick Marck, writer/co-executive producer Jane Espenson, writer Drew Goddard, Danny Strong, and Tom Lenk on "Conversations with Dead People"
* Commentary by David Solomon and writer Drew Z. Greenberg on "The Killer in Me"
* Commentary by director David Fury, writer Drew Goddard, James Marsters ("Spike"), and D.B. Woodside ("Principal Wood") on "Lies My Parents Told Me"
* Commentary by Drew Goddard and Nicholas Brendon ("Xander") on "Dirty Girls"
* Commentary by Joss Whedon on "Chosen"
* Featurettes: Buffy: It's Always Been About the Fans, Buffy 101: Studying the Slayer, Generation S, The Last Sundown
* Season 7 overview: "Buffy: Full Circle"
* Outtakes reel
* Buffy Wraps
* DVD-ROM: Willow Demon Guide
* Number of discs: 6

[Üncle Snake]

November 21, 2004: SEINFELD SEASONS 1 & 2 and SEINFELD SEASON 3




SEASONS 1 & 2

Amazon.com
Nothing? Seinfeld is a show about everything! It's about the appeal of the posse and coma etiquette. It's about importing and exporting. It's about sneaking a peek, and seeing the baby. It's about this, that, and the other. TV Guide ranked Seinfeld the best TV series of all time. It has become the master of its syndication domain. Its most devoted fans can quote each episode chapter and verse; their absorption of each scene's minutiae anything but a trivial pursuit. With such fervent devotion to the show, and demand for its DVD release, series creators Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David could have easily just OK'd a bare-bones set containing nothing but the episodes. Not that there would have been anything wrong with that, but instead, the creative team came together to create extensive and encyclopedic features that make this four-disc set buy-worthy. The candid and revealing audio commentaries and interviews, deleted scenes and original episode promos, and optional "Notes About Nothing" pop-ups are as irresistible as a Drake's coffee cake.

It's always fun and instructive to return to the humble beginnings of a series that became a pop culture benchmark. Here are Kramer's first not-so-grand entrance, Jerry's first contemptuous "Hello, Newman," and Elaine's first "Get Out!" shove. But what is most revelatory about these episodes from the first two seasons is what Jason Alexander, during his commentary for the episode "The Revenge," calls a "sweet quality" that somehow redeems these characters' more base instincts. Consider the scene in which Jerry gives a freshly unemployed George some career guidance, or Jerry and Elaine's palpably affectionate banter throughout. The "Inside Look" episode intros offer fascinating insights into this singular show that subverted sitcom convention with such now-classic episodes as "The Chinese Restaurant," in which Jerry, George, and Elaine wait in vain for a table. We learn, for example, why movie tough guy Lawrence Tierney, who guest starred in "The Jacket," never reprised his role as Elaine's father. All of this, of course, is yadda yadda yadda to Seinfeld fans, whose patience for the show's DVD debut has been amply rewarded. As Elaine screams in the third-season episode, "The Subway," "It's not nothing, it's something!" --Donald Liebenson

Description
-All 18 episodes from the first two seasons: Good News Bad News (pilot), The Stakeout, The Robbery, Male Unbonding, The Stock Tip, The Ex-Girlfriend, The Pony Remark, The Jacket, The Phone Message, The Apartment, The Statue, The Revenge, The Heart Attack, The Deal, The Baby Shower, The Chinese Restaurant, The Busboy
-Featuring the original (1-2 minutes longer) NBC network versions of each episode
-Two versions of the pilot episode
-Remastered in high definition
-Inside Looks: Interviews with the cast and creators about what was happening behind the scenes as the episodes were created and filmed
I-n the Vault: Saved from the cutting room floor... deleted scenes - never seen!
-Not That There's Anything Wrong with That: Never-before-seen-outtakes and bloopers
-Master of His Domain: See Jerry in exclusive stand-up comedy footage, shot for the show but never used
-Sponsored by Vandelay Industries: Original NBC promotional ads and trailers
-Notes About Nothing: Behind-the-scenes scoop and production notes
-How It Began: An hour-long look at how Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David first came up with the idea for the show, how it almost didn't get made and how they emerged with the show that changed the face of television forever
-Tonight Show footage


SEASON 3

Amazon.com
For Seinfeld, the third season's--for want of a better word--the charm. The show has found its misanthropic voice (by season's end, a fed-up Elaine tells herself, "I gotta get some new friends"), the ensemble has a firmer grasp of their characters, and the writers rise to the occasion with episodes that have entered the Seinfeld pantheon, including the Seinfeld equivalent of a Very Special Episode, "The Boyfriend," with Keith Hernandez and the J.F.K. parody, "The Library," featuring Philip Baker Hall channeling Jack Webb as library bookhound Bookman, "The Pez Dispenser," and "The Keys," with an L.A.-bound Kramer winding up on Murphy Brown. Michael Richards, especially, comes into his own this season as Kramer. The first two seasons built up the mystique of this "man-child"/"parasite." So while he was absent in season 2's "The Chinese Restaurant," he is now out and about with the close-knit, albeit dysfunctional, trio. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has some of her giddiest golden moments, zonked on painkillers in "The Pen," or, as a bored party guest in "The Stranded," telling an obnoxious bride-to-be that "Maybe the dingo ate your baby." And don't get us started on Jason Alexander as George, series co-creator Larry David's neurotic and angst-ridden alter-ego. To paraphrase what Julia Roberts said of Denzel Washington, we don't want to live in a world where Alexander doesn't have an Emmy.

But it's the extensive bonus features that give this four-disc set "hand" over other TV-on-DVD releases. The "Inside Look" episode intros, optional pop-up "Notes About Nothing," and candid, albeit a little too casual, commentaries offer a fount of information to even the most obsessive Seinfeld fans. We learn that even the most outrageous episodes, such as "The Pez Dispenser," were inspired by real-life events. Especially telling is Alexander's observation that Jerry never really socialized with the other ensemble members. This has extended to the commentaries: Seinfeld pairs with David on some episodes, while Alexander, Richards and Dreyfus team up on others. They are gracious to the guest stars and extras, and mostly mum on Jer. --Donald Liebenson

Description
-23 episodes on four discs: The Note, The Truth, The Pen, The Dog, The Library, The Parking Garage, The Cafe, The Tape, The Nose Job, The Stranded, The Alternate Side, The Red Dot, The Subway, The Pez Dispenser, The Suicide, The Fix-Up, The Boyfriend (1), The Boyfriend (2), The Limo, The Good Samaritan, The Letter, The Parking Space, The Keys
-Featuring the original (1-2 minutes longer) NBC network Versions of each episode
-Two versions of the pilot episode
-Remastered in high definition
-Inside Looks: Interviews with the cast and creators about what was happening behind the scenes as the episodes were created and filmed
-In the Vault: Saved from the cutting room floor... deleted scenes - never seen!
-Not That There's Anything Wrong with That: Never-before-seen-outtakes and bloopers
-Master of His Domain: See Jerry in exclusive stand-up comedy footage, shot for the show but never used
-Sponsored by Vandelay Industries: Original NBC promotional ads and trailers
-Notes About Nothing: Behind-the-scenes scoop and production notes
-Kramer vs. Kramer: Kenny to Cosmo: meet the real Kramer... Kenny Kramer!

[Üncle Snake]

November 28, 2004: BAD(DER) SANTA (The Unrated Version)




Instantly qualifying as a perennial cult favorite, Bad Santa is as nasty as it wants to be, and there's something to be said for comedy without compromise. The Coen brothers conceived the basic idea and served as executive producers, but it's director Terry Zwigoff (Crumb, Ghost World) who brings his unique affinity for losers and outcasts to the twisted tale of Willie T. Stokes (Billy Bob Thornton), a hard-drinking, chain-smoking, foul-mouthed sexaholic safe-cracker who targets a different department store every holiday season, playing Santa while he cases the joint with his dwarf elf-partner Marcus (Tony Cox). With comedic support from Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham, Cloris Leachman, and John Ritter in his final film, Thornton milks the lowbrow laughs with a slovenly lack of sentiment, warming Bad Santa's pickled heart just enough to please a chubby misfit (Brett Kelly, hilariously deadpan) who may or may not be mentally challenged. As dry as an arid martini and blacker than morning-after coffee, Bad Santa is an instant cure for yuletide schmaltz, and if you think this appropriately R-rated comedy is suitable for kids, your parenting skills are no better than Willie's. --Jeff Shannon (Amazon.com)

DVD Features:
- 5 minutes of extra footage incorporated into the film
- "Badder Santa" gag reel
- Behind-the-scenes feature
- Deleted & alternate scenes
- Outtakes

[Üncle Snake]

December 5, 2004: BEHIND THE MUSIC - MOTLEY CRUE



Still the best Behind the Music episode ...

Who better than L.A.'s tattooed bad boys Motley Crue to represent the sordid but compelling brew of sex, drugs, and debauchery that personifies VH-1's Behind the Music? In a tale told (in 2000) through interviews, film clips, and, of course, really loud music, the four Cruemen (Vince Neil, Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx, and Mick Mars, who nowadays looks like a denizen of the planet he's named after) travel the familiar road from runaway success to a drug-and-alcohol-fueled crash and burn, only to come back sober and strong, ready to tell the world just how f***ed up (the show's censored, too) it all was. Only this time it's even juicier, what with Neil's vehicular manslaughter conviction and Lee's many merry misadventures with Pamela Anderson. Throw in a music video (for "Enslaved") and some other minor extras, and you've got a guilty pleasure that virtually parodies itself. --Sam Graham (Amazon.com)

[Üncle Snake]

December 12, 2004: THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING EXTENDED EDITION



DVD Features:

- Available subtitles: English, Spanish, French
- Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS 6.1 ES Discrete), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
- Collectible polystone sculpture/keepsake box of Minas Tirith created by J.R.R. Tolkien illustrator Alan Lee
- Bonus DVD: Howard Shore: Creating "The Lord of The Rings" Symphony – A Composers Journey Through Middle-earth (52 mins.)

DISCS 1-2: The Feature:

- A new version of the third installment includes 50 minutes of never-before-seen footage incorporated into the film. (approx. 250 minutes)
- Commentary by The Director and Writers: Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens
- Commentary by The Design Team: Grant Major, Ngila Dickson, Richard Taylor, Alan Lee, John Howe, Dan Hennah, Chris Hennah, Tania Rodger
- Commentary by The Production/Post-Production Team: Barrie M. Osborne, Mark Ordesky, Jamie Selkirk, Annie Collins, Rick Porras, Howard Shore, Jim Rygiel, Ethan Van der Ryn, Mike Hopkins, Christian Rivers, Alex Funke, Joe Letteri, Randy Cook, Brian Van't Hul
- Commentary by The Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, John Rhys-Davies, Bernard Hill, Christopher Lee, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, David Wenham, Karl Urban, John Noble, Andy Serkis, Lawrence Makoare, Smeagol & Gollum

DISCS 3-4: The Appendices:

Disc Three: The Appendices Part Five – "The War of the Ring"
- Peter Jackson Intro
- "J.R.R. Tolkien: The Legacy of Middle-earth" documentary
- "From Book to Script – Forging the Final Chapter" documentary
- Abandoned Concept: Aragorn Battles Sauron
- Designing and Building Middle-earth
- "Designing Middle-earth" documentary
- "Big-atures" documentary
- "Weta Workshop" documentary
- "Costume Design" documentary
- Design Galleries (2,123 images): The Peoples of Middle-earth (galleries with docent audio), The Realms of Middle-earth (galleries with docent audio), Miniatures (galleries with docent audio)
- "Home of the Horse Lords" documentary
- "Middle-earth Atlas: Tracing the Journeys of the Fellowship" interactive map
- "New Zealand as Middle-earth" interactive map with on-location footage

Disc Four: The Appendices Part Six – "The Passing of an Age"
- Elijah Wood/Sean Astin/Billy Boyd/Dominic Monaghan intro
- Filming The Return of the King
- "Cameras in Middle-earth" documentary
- Production Photos (gallery) – 69 images
- "Weta Digital" documentary
- "The Mûmakil Battle" demonstration/interactive feature
- "Editorial: Completing the Trilogy" documentary
- "Music for Middle-earth" documentary
- "The Soundscapes of Middle-earth" documentary
- "The End of All Things" documentary
- "The Passing of an Age" documentary
- "Cameron Duncan: The Inspiration for 'Into the West'" documentary
- "DFK6498" short film
- "Strike Zone" short film

All four discs are DVD-ROM enabled, featuring a link to lordoftherings.net and access to exclusive online features.

[Üncle Snake]

December 19, 2004: SHAUN OF THE DEAD




DVD Features:
- MISSING BITS (29 mins) - extended scenes, deleted scenes, hilarious outtakes of Simon & Nick portraying Sean Connery & Michael Caine, re-dubbed outtakes of Shaun's flatmate Pete and plot holes that fill in the gaps on what happens to Lucy, Simon & Nick's characters.
- RAW MEAT (35 mins) - casting tapes (U.S. Exclusive!), Simon Pegg's video diary, Edgar & Simon's pitch to the studio using flip charts (hilarious), special effects comparison, make-up tests and an EPK featurette.
- TV BITS (7 mins) - extended scenes of the television shows that Shaun watches in the film - including shows that Shaun & Ed show up in. Interview with Coldplay
- ZOMBIE GALLERY - photo gallery, ad campaigns & theatrical poster design concepts
- U.S. THEATRICAL TRAILER (2 mins)
- ZOMB-O-METER - Zombie Trivia


Here is my review published earlier this year in The Star Democrat:

Shaun will tickle your funny bone and chill your blood

By GREG MAKI
Staff Writer

I have seen the best comedy and the best horror movie so far in 2004. Guess what? They’re the same movie.

Simply put, I loved virtually every frame of “Shaun of the Dead.” Possessed of a crackling British wit and sharp social commentary, it simultaneously gets big laughs and is a credible entry in the recently revived zombie subgenre. Many horror films these days play more like comedies, but in those cases we’re usually laughing at the movie. In “Shaun of the Dead,” we’re laughing with the filmmakers.

“Shaun” draws heavily on George Romero’s famous zombie trilogy (“Night of the Living Dead,” “Dawn of the Dead” and “Day of the Dead”) but with an obvious respect. Co-writers Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright (Wright also directed) have said “Shaun” is intended to be a companion piece to Romero’s films. Its zombies aren’t the new-fangled, corpses on speed of “28 Days Later” and the “Dawn of the Dead” remake. The undead here are the moaning, shuffling variety that can be conveniently dispatched with a well-placed blow to the head.

The monsters themselves are not interesting, and the filmmakers know this. So until the final showdown, the zombies are little more than an afterthought. Instead the focus is on Shaun (Pegg), a 29-year-old appliance salesman in the London suburbs. For Shaun, life is lounging about his flat watching TV or playing video games with his best friend, the slovenly Ed (Nick Frost), hanging out and having drinks at the local pub, and little else. Every morning, it’s the same routine: he walks across the street to get a Coke at a convenience store, passing the same homeless man, tripping on the same curb. He literally doesn’t take note of the death and destruction around him until it reaches his own backyard. Somehow, he has a girlfriend, Liz (Kate Ashfield), but she dumps him just before the mayhem begins. When Shaun and Ed finally wake up to the terror around them, they quickly formulate a plan: retrieve Liz and Shaun’s mother (Penelope Wilton), and barricade themselves inside an impenetrable fortress, in other words, the pub. Along the way, they also pick up Liz’s flatmates, Dianne (Lucy Davis) and David (Dylan Moran), and Shaun’s stepfather (Bill Nighy).

The plot follows the simple zombie movie pattern, yet it never feels formulaic. There is always something interesting happening. I don’t want to spoil the jokes, but much of the humor arises from social satire. While Romero equates zombies with consumerism, Pegg and Wright, creators of the sitcom “Spaced,” a British cult hit, take the metaphor even further. Shaun and Ed have become such victims of modern life and their own lack of ambition that they are already zombies themselves. It’s not for lack of imagination or an editing decision that the source of the zombie plague is not revealed.

Whenever we become just a little too comfortable with the comedy, we’re reminded this is still a horror movie with a healthy dose of blood and gore. It’s grislier than I expected, but because the zombies aren’t scary, it’s necessary for the film to continue working on its multiple levels.

Even more unexpected is the depth of the film’s emotional content. The filmmakers refer to “Shaun” as a “rom-zom-com” – romantic zombie comedy. Winning Liz back is more important to Shaun than whacking zombies with his trusty cricket bat. Meanwhile, Shaun’s heroism – he’s taking charge in his life for maybe the first time – changes him in Liz’s eyes, justifying a love we get the feeling she has had to work hard to maintain. Shaun's interactions with his mother and stepfather give the movie another emotional level.

The most touching relationship, though, is that of Shaun and Ed. When Liz breaks up with Shaun, she complains that Ed is always around. But Shaun is not about to abandon him, even for her. Shaun and Ed share a wonderful scene late in the film, and the coda includes a hilarious, heart-warming payoff. Pegg and Frost play Shaun and Ed more like sitcom characters than heroes in a zombie film. I'd never advocate sitcoms as high art, but that is one of "Shaun"'s great strengths. It feels as though Shaun, Ed, Liz and all the others have lives that extend beyond the scope of the film. The cast brings them and their relationships to life. They seem like a group of people you might actually find somewhere in London rather than characters created to serve the plot.

I have probably been too kind to some horror movies in the past. I’m not doing that now. “Shaun of the Dead” is an ambitious film that accomplishes all it sets out to do. It is not good for a movie with zombies -- it is a great film.#nosmileys#nosmileys#nosmileys

[Üncle Snake]

December 26, 2004: GARDEN STATE




DVD Features:
- Commentary by writer-director-actor Zach Braff and Natalie Portman
- Commentary by writer-director-actor Zach Braff, director of photography Lawrence Sher, editor Myron Kerstein, and production designer Judy Becker
- 16 deleted scenes with optional commentary
- Making-of featurette
- Outtakes and bloopers


MY REVIEW FROM THE STAR DEMOCRAT (published in September 2004):

Imagine if Benjamin Braddock had taken the advice and gone into "plastics." Five years later, he hasn't found the answers he seeks. So he goes home. But home is now an unfamiliar place. He has a distant relationship with his family. He's cut off from the world around him. He's no more sure of his path in life now than he was when he graduated from college.

Though Benjamin is replaced by Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) and plastics by prescription drugs, this essentially is the scenario of "Garden State." It bears much in common with "The Graduate," and unlike so many films that have followed the 1967 classic, it is worthy of the comparison.

Andrew, or "Large" as he is known to friends, is a 20-something actor trying to make it on his own in L.A. His only claim to fame is a role on a TV movie as a "retarded quarterback." Because his psychiatrist father (Ian Holm) has kept him heavily medicated since he was 10, Large lives in sort of a waking coma, numb to everyone around him. He is a waiter at a Vietnamese restaurant and lives in a one-room apartment which is empty except for a bed and an answering machine. On that machine, Large's father tells him his mother has died.

So, for the first time in nearly a decade, Large returns home, where he does his best to avoid his father. At the funeral, he finds two old high school friends, one of whom is a stoner played to perfection by Peter Sarsgaard, digging the grave. He reconnects with them and another friend who made a fortune by inventing silent Velcro. While waiting to see a neurologist, Large meets Sam (an irresistible Natalie Portman), loquacious, cute, quirky and a nearly pathological liar. Due to her influence and the absence of drugs from his system — he's gone cold turkey after 16 years — Large gradually opens himself up to the world around him. For the first time as an adult, he is able to feel. The source of the rift between Large and his father is revealed only after Large's head has cleared enough for him come to grips with it. Braff, best known for the TV show "Scrubs," plays the transformation with such subtlety that by the time we pause to consider it we've already watched it happen.

Actor is just one of three hats Braff wears in "Garden State." He also wrote and directed the film, taking on each responsibility for the first time. His accomplishments in any of his trio of roles are impressive on their own, but combined they represent an astounding achievement. While carefully modulating his own performance, he's doing the same for his castmates as a director. If played wrong, any one of them could overpower the others. With Sam's eccentricities and incessant prattle, Portman easily could have slipped in overacting mode. But she deftly avoids it, turning her volume down and back up again at just the right moments. Looking back, I realize we learn very little about Sam and what we do know may be unreliable. But I also realize that I don't care. Sam, like every other character, is exceedingly well written, and Portman creates a charming, endearing character. It's one of finest performances of the year, full of both humor and warmth.

"Garden State" is one of the funniest movies I've seen in awhile, but I hesitate to call it a comedy. Perhaps that's because comedies are often considered lightweight and disposable. Neither description applies to "Garden State." The laugh-out-loud moments, of which there are plenty, never undermine the film's dramatic content. Braff proves to be nimble as writer, director and actor, switching from comedy to drama and back again without missing a beat.

Braff also has an eye for clever sight gags: Large arriving at work to find the pump still in his car's gas tank; Large standing in front of floral wallpaper wearing a shirt made from the same material; a man sitting at a table eating cereal in a full suit of armor (he's a knight at Medieval Times).

Whether it's with a visual treat, a funny line of dialogue or something else altogether, Braff never gives us quite what we expect. His direction is assured, confident. We may not know where the story will take us, but he does.

At its heart, "Garden State" is simply a story about life and love, and how one can lead to the other. This kind of material has been beaten to death over the years, but Braff, taking it in unconventional directions, finds something new and immensely satisfying.

Because so many have tried, it's unlikely any film will have as great an impact as "The Graduate." But it's nearly four decades old, and I can't relate to it like I can to "Garden State" (Large is 26, I'll be 25 next month). "Garden State" is a movie for this generation. It left me feeling better about life than any I have seen in a long time.