DVDs of the Week

[Üncle Snake]

July 24, 2005: THE WILD BUNCH




This is not a new special edition or anything, just a classic Western I felt like recommending.

Amazon.com essential video
Here's how director Sam Peckinpah described his motivation behind The Wild Bunch at the time of the film's 1969 release: "I was trying to tell a simple story about bad men in changing times. The Wild Bunch is simply what happens when killers go to Mexico. The strange thing is you feel a great sense of loss when these killers reach the end of the line." All of these statements are true, but they don't begin to cover the impact that Peckinpah's film had on the evolution of American movies. Now the film is most widely recognized as a milestone event in the escalation of screen violence, but that's a label of limited perspective. Of course, Peckinpah's bloody climactic gunfight became a masterfully directed, photographed, and edited ballet of graphic violence that transcended the conventional Western and moved into a slow-motion realm of pure cinematic intensity. But the film--surely one of the greatest Westerns ever made--is also a richly thematic tale of, as Peckinpah said, "bad men in changing times." The year is 1913 and the fading band of thieves known as the Wild Bunch (led by William Holden as Pike) decide to pull one last job before retirement. But an ambush foils their plans, and Peckinpah's film becomes an epic yet intimate tale of betrayed loyalties, tenacious rivalry, and the bunch's dogged determination to maintain their fading code of honor among thieves. The 144-minute director's cut enhances the theme of male bonding that recurs in many of Peckinpah's films, restoring deleted scenes to deepen the viewer's understanding of the friendship turned rivalry between Pike and his former friend Deke Thornton (Robert Ryan), who now leads a posse in pursuit of the bunch, a dimension that adds resonance to an already classic American film. The Wild Bunch is a masterpiece that should not be defined strictly in terms of its violence, but as a story of mythic proportion, brimming with rich characters and dialogue and the bittersweet irony of outlaw traditions on the wane. --Jeff Shannon

[Üncle Snake]

Better late than never...

JULY 31, 2005: THE DEVIL'S REJECTS SOUNDTRACK (DUALDISC)




"Have fun scrapin' all them brains off the road!" That's just one of the lively quotes peppering the between-song crevices on the soundtrack to Devil's Rejects, Rob Zombie's sequel to his 2003 horror genre throwback House of 1000 Corpses. The dialogue snippets add character to the set, just like the blood, shotguns, and verité mug shots of its artwork. (To say nothing of the entirely separate album released from Banjo Sullivan, the film's fictional honky tonkers.) Yeah, you can say whatever you want about Zombie. Just don't ever call him unimaginative. Devil's Rejects adheres to its time period with a brace of rock from 1973 through around 1975, and blends the tracks from James Gang ("Funk 49"), Three Dog Night ("Shambala"), and the Allmans ("Midnight Rider") with classic honky tonk from Kitty Wells and Buck Owens. It's a great blend of album rock, air guitar faves, eccentric picks, and country ramble -- it would be like the perfect radio road trip down I-65, if radio in America actually still sounded like this. Devil's Rejects also features three selections from '60s British rock dark horse Terry Reid, "Brave Awakening," "Seed of Memory," and "To Be Treated." All three stand up well. They suggest Led Zeppelin's folksier side -- "Treated" sounds a lot like "Stairway to Heaven" -- but could also be templates for 21st century troubadours like Ryan Adams or Damien Rice. Reid's also a creative, evocative choice next to workhorses from Skynyrd ("Freebird") and Joe Walsh ("Rocky Mountain Way"). Devil's Rejects closes with some hokey "radio spots" and a bumpkin rustle called "I'm at Home Getting Hammered (While She's Out Getting Nailed)" from that fantasy Nashville duo Banjo Sullivan. Overall it's a thoroughly entertaining soundtrack, as happily crass and drive-in proud as the film itself. "And if you don't like it you can kiss my grits," as one of the BS spots concludes. [The DualDisc edition is the only one to feature audio clips of the film. Its additional DVD side included the album in high resolution and Dolby Digital stereo, as well as a making-of featurette.] ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide

[Üncle Snake]

AUGUST 7, 2005: KUNG FU HUSTLE




Amazon.com
Movie-kinetics genius. Kung Fu Hustle takes the gleeful mayhem of Hong Kong action movies, the deadpan physical humor of silent comedies, and the sheer elasticity of Wile E. Coyote cartoons and fuses them into a spectacle that is simple in its joys and mind-boggling in its orchestration. A run-down slum has been poor but peaceful until a bunch of black-suited gangsters called the Axe Gang show up to cause trouble--and discover that, hidden among the humble poor, are three kung fu masters trying to live an ordinary life. But after these martial artists repulse the gang with their flying fists and feet, the gang leader hires a pair of assassins, whose arrival leads to the unveiling of more secrets, until both the screen and the audience are dizzy with hyperbolic fight artistry (choreographed by Yuen Wo Ping, who also choreographed The Matrix). Weaving through this escalating fury is a loudmouthed loser (writer/director/actor Stephen Chow) who suddenly finds himself having to live up to his bragging. Kung Fu Hustle more than lives up to the promise of Chow's previous film, Shaolin Soccer--it's a movie made by an imagination unfettered by the laws of physics. Hugely entertaining. --Bret Fetzer

DVD Features:
- Available subtitles: English, French
- Available Audio Tracks: Cantonese (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
- Deleted Scenes
- Outtakes and Bloopers
- Audio Commentary with cast and crew
- TV Special - Behind the Scenes of KUNG FU HUSTLE Featurette
- Ric Meyers interview with Stephen Chow
- Photo gallery, TV spots, and previews

[Üncle Snake]

AUGUST 14, 2005: THE OFFICE - SEASON ONE




In this hilarious and faster-paced adaptation of the popular British comedy series, Steve Carell is Michael Scott, the egotistical, insensitive and almost supernaturally incompetent regional manager of the Dunder Mifflin paper supply company. Michael sees himself as the office funnyman, a fount of business wisdom and his employees' cool friend. He has no clue that his staff merely tolerates his inappropriate behavior because he signs their paychecks. Michael acts as the obnoxious tour guide for an omni-present documentary crew who unflinchingly capture his many shortcomings along with Dunder Mifflin's petty workplace politics, simmering romances and side-splittingly awkward moments.

DVD Features:
- Deleted scenes
- Commentary

[Üncle Snake]

AUGUST 21, 2005: THE TRUMAN SHOW (SPECIAL EDITION)




Amazon.com essential video
The whole world is watching--literally--every time Truman Burbank makes the slightest move. Unbeknownst to him, in this hauntingly funny film by Peter Weir, his entire life has been an unending soap opera for consumption by the rest of the world. And everyone he knows--including his mother, his wife, and his best friend--is really an actor, paid to be part of his life. In this intriguing and surprisingly touching 1998 film, writer Andrew Niccol imagines an ultimate kind of celebrity, then sees it brought to life with comic intensity and emotional honesty by Jim Carrey in what may be the performance of his career. Carrey has exceptional support from Laura Linney and Ed Harris, but it's his show, in a portrayal that demonstrates just what kind of range Carrey is capable of. --Marshall Fine

DVD Features:
- Two-Part Documentary: The Making of The Truman Show
- Four Deleted/Extended Scenes
- Photo Gallery
- Two Theatrical Trailers
- Two TV Spots

[Üncle Snake]

AUGUST 28, 2005: ONG-BAK: THE THAI WARRIOR




Amazon.com
No computer graphic can ever surpass what a real human body can do--and what the body can do is on spectacular display in Ong-Bak, a Thai action movie starring the lithe and flexible Tony Jaa. When the head is stolen from a holy statue in Jaa's rural village, he goes to Bangkok to get it back. Of course, it just so happens that the thief is connected to a bar where criminal big shots gamble over bare-knuckle brawls, and Jaa is--despite his virtuous efforts--drawn into the game. But that's only the beginning; a chase through the city streets rivals the ingenious acrobatics of Jackie Chan, with Jaa leaping between panes of glass, over a bicycle in motion, and through a wreath of barbed wire. Jaa's fighting prowess has been compared to Bruce Lee, Jet Li, and just about every other martial arts master, but he has an equal degree of charisma as well. He won't win acting awards, but his engaging presence carries the movie. One word of warning: The numerous fights will make you wince as much as gape in astonishment. Ong-Bak follows the action-flick tradition that the hero needs to be as battered as possible before he ultimately triumphs, and the battering is intense. --Bret Fetzer

DVD Features:
- Available subtitles: English, Spanish
- Available Audio Tracks: Thai (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
- Rap music video featuring Tony Jaa
- Making of the music video
- The 8 movements of Muay Thai
- Behind-the-scenes stunt footage
- Tony Jaa performance at French screening
- Tony Jaa performance at NBS game
- Promotional video featuring The RZA
- Trailer featuring The RZA
- Additional Trailers

[Üncle Snake]

SEPTEMBER 4, 2005

Two picks this week ...

CRASH



Amazon.com
Movie studios, by and large, avoid controversial subjects like race the way you might avoid a hive of angry bees. So it's remarkable that Crash even got made; that it's a rich, intelligent, and moving exploration of the interlocking lives of a dozen Los Angeles residents--black, white, latino, Asian, and Persian--is downright amazing. A politically nervous district attorney (Brendan Fraser) and his high-strung wife (Sandra Bullock, biting into a welcome change of pace from Miss Congeniality) get car-jacked by an oddly sociological pair of young black men (Larenz Tate and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges); a rich black T.V. director (Terrence Howard) and his wife (Thandie Newton) get pulled over by a white racist cop (Matt Dillon) and his reluctant partner (Ryan Phillipe); a detective (Don Cheadle) and his Latina partner and lover (Jennifer Esposito) investigate a white cop who shot a black cop--these are only three of the interlocking stories that reach up and down class lines. Writer/director Paul Haggis (who wrote the screenplay for Million Dollar Baby) spins every character in unpredictable directions, refusing to let anyone sink into a stereotype. The cast--ranging from the famous names above to lesser-known but just as capable actors like Michael Pena (Buffalo Soldiers) and Loretta Devine (Woman Thou Art Loosed)--meets the strong script head-on, delivering galvanizing performances in short vignettes, brief glimpses that build with gut-wrenching force. This sort of multi-character mosaic is hard to pull off; Crash rivals such classics as Nashville and Short Cuts. A knockout. --Bret Fetzer

DVD Features:
- DVD Introduction by Director Paul Haggis
- Crash Behind the Scenes
- Commentary with Paul Haggis, Don Cheadle, and Bobby Moresco
- Trailers


LOST - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON



Amazon.com
Along with Desperate Housewives, Lost was one of the two breakout shows in the fall of 2005. Mixing suspense and action with a sci-fi twist, it began with a thrilling pilot episode in which a jetliner traveling from Australia to Los Angeles crashes, leaving 48 survivors on an unidentified island with no sign of civilization or hope of imminent rescue. That may sound like Gilligan's Island meets Survivor, but Lost kept viewers tuning in every Wednesday night--and spending the rest of the week speculating on Web sites--with some irresistible hooks (not to mention the beautiful women). First, there's a huge ensemble cast of no fewer than 14 regular characters, and each episode fills in some of the back story on one of them. There's a doctor; an Iraqi soldier; a has-been rock star; a fugitive from justice; a self-absorbed young woman and her brother; a lottery winner; a father and son; a Korean couple; a pregnant woman; and others. Second, there's a host of unanswered questions: What is the mysterious beast that lurks in the jungle? Why do polar bears and wild boars live there? Why has a woman been transmitting an SOS message in French from somewhere on the island for the last 16 years? Why do impossible wishes seem to come true? Are they really on a physical island, or somewhere else? What is the significance of the recurring set of numbers? And will Kate ever give up her bad-boy fixation and hook up with Jack?

Lost did have some hiccups during the first season. Some plot threads were left dangling for weeks, and the "oh, it didn't really happen" card was played too often. But the strong writing and topnotch cast kept the show a cut above most network TV. The best-known actor at the time of the show's debut was Dominic Monaghan, fresh off his stint as Merry the Hobbit in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films. The rest of the cast is either unknowns or "where I have I seen that face before" supporting players, including Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly, who are the closest thing to leads. Other standouts include Naveen Andrews, Terry O'Quinn (who's made a nice career out of conspiracy-themed TV shows), Josh Holloway, Jorge Garcia, Yunjin Kim, Maggie Grace, and Emilie de Ravin, but there's really not a weak link in the cast. Co-created by J.J. Abrams (Alias), Lost left enough unanswered questions after its first season to keep viewers riveted for a second season. --David Horiuchi

DVD Features:
- 24 episodes on seven discs: Pilot part 1, Pilot part 2, Tabula Rasa, Walkabout, White Rabbit, House of the Rising Sun, The Moth, Confidence Man, Solitary, Raised by Another, All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues, Whatever the Case May Be, Hearts and Minds, Special, Homecoming, Outlaws, In Translation, Numbers, Deus Ex Machina, Do No Harm, The Greater Good, Born to Run, Exodus part 1, Exodus part 2
- Commentary by executive producers J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, and Bryan Burk on the pilot
- Commentary by executive producer Jack Bender, co-executive producer David Fury, and actor Terry O'Quinn on Walkabout
- Commentary by executive producers Damon Lindelof and Bryan Burk and actor Dominic Monaghan on The Moth
- Commentary by executive producer Carlton Cuse, supervising producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach, and actors Maggie Grace and Ian Sommerhalder on Hearts and Minds
- The Genesis of Lost
- Designing a Disaster
- Before They Were Lost: personal stories and audition tapes
- Welcome to Oahu: The Making of the Pilot
- The Art of Matthew Fox
- Lost@ComiCon
- Lost: On Location
- On Set with Jimmy Kimmel
- Backstage with Driveshaft
- The Lost Flashbacks: Claire at the Airport, Sayid at the Airport
- 13 deleted scenes
- Bloopers from the set
- Salute to Lost at the Museum of Television and Radio's 22nd Annual Paley Festival
- Number of discs: 7

[Üncle Snake]

September 11, 2005: RICHARD LEWIS - CONCERTS FROM HELL - THE VINTAGE YEARS



The sun's too bright, the traffic's going to be bad, there's too many people out there - it's just easier to sit back on the couch and laugh with Richard Lewis. The reigning "Prince of Pain" finds the dark side of every topic - from his family and his love life to every phobia on the planet. Voted by Comedy Central as one of the top 50 stand-up comedians of all time, Richard Lewis climbed to fame with his many appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman and The Tonight Show. He went on to star in the popular TV series Anything But Love and currently can be seen in Larry David's award-winning Curb Your Enthusiasm. Beloved as America's favorite neurotic, he has sold out venues across the country, including New York City's Carnegie Hall. Come along on Richard's nervous breakdown with these two laugh-packed DVDs: Showtime's I'M IN PAIN and the cable ACE Award-nominated HBO specials I'M EXHAUSTED and I'M DOOMED. Join Richard with such celebrities as Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Rob Reiner, Garry Shandling, Dudley Moore, Howard Stern, Angie Dickinson, Robert Goulet, O.J. Simpson and more. With this triple dose of comedy, you'll be medicated heavily enough to laugh through the pain!

DVD Features:
- Exclusive 90-minute interview with Richard Lewis by celebrity biographer Bill Zehme
- Liner notes by writer Bill Zehme
- Number of discs: 2

[Üncle Snake]

September 18, 2005: DEAD & BREAKFAST



Six friends on a road trip stop for the night at a bed and breakfast in the sleepy town of Lovelock. After a night that leaves both the Inn's owner and chef dead, the gang finds themselves under suspicion by the local Sheriff. But that's only the beginning as nearly all of the town's quirky residents become possessed by an evil spirit and pin down the friends inside the B&B. In the vein of Evil Dead II and Dawn of the Dead.

DVD Features:
- Audio Commentary with writer/director Matthew Leutwyler, Special Effects Supervisor Michael Mosher and Actors Erik Palladino and Zach Selwyn
- Audio Commentary with writer/director Matthew Leutwyler and actors Ever Carradine, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Erik Palladino and Oz Perkins
- Bloopers
- Deleted & Extended Scenes
- Trailers
- Posters / Still Gallery

[Üncle Snake]

September 25, 2005: EVIL DEAD 2: BOOK OF THE DEAD LIMITED EDITION



DVD Features:
- Audio Commentary with Writer-Director Sam Raimi, Star Bruce Campbell, Co-Writer Scott Spiegel and Special Make-Up Effects Artist Greg Nicotero
- Evil Dead 2: Behind-The-Screams - Brand-new Featurette
- The Gore The Merrier Featurette
- Theatrical Trailer
- Talent Bios

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. --Dave McCoy

[Üncle Snake]

October 2, 2005: WALLACE & GROMIT in THREE AMAZING ADVENTURES



Amazon.com
The perfect gift set for the Wallace and Gromit fan. All three of animator Nick Park's first adventures featuring the dotty inventor and his loyal but laconic dog--The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave, and A Grand Day Out--come wrapped together and ready for multiple viewings. This is truly one of the rare gift sets that will entertain the entire family. --Doug Thomas

"A Grand Day Out"
Nominated for an Academy Award in 1990, this was the first short-film adventure starring Wallace & Gromit. This 24-minute comedy was created by clay animator Nick Park over a six-year period at the National Film and Television School in London and at the Aardman Animation studios, which Park boosted to international acclaim. In their debut adventure, Wallace and his furry pal Gromit find themselves desperate for "a nice bit of Gorgonzola," but their refrigerator's empty and the local cheese shop is closed for a holiday! Undeterred, Wallace comes up with an extreme solution to the cheese shortage: since the moon is made of cheese (we all know that's true, right?), he decides to build a rocket and blast off for a cheesy lunar picnic! Gromit's only too happy to help, and before long the inventive duo is on the moon, where they encounter a clever appliance that's part oven, part robot, part lunar skiing enthusiast... Well, you just have to see the movie to understand how any of this whimsical lunar-cy can make any sense! It's a grand tale of wonderful discoveries, fantastic inventions--and really great cheese!

"The Wrong Trousers"
Clay-animation master Nick Park deservedly won the 1993 Academy Award for Best Animated Short for this 30-minute masterpiece, in which the good-natured inventor Wallace and his trusty dog, Gromit, return for another grand adventure. It all begins on the morning of Gromit's birthday, when Wallace gives his beloved pooch the gift of his latest invention--a pair of mechanical "techno-trousers" that can be programmed to take Gromit out for "walkies" while Wallace sits comfortably at home. Gromit's not exactly thrilled with the new gadget, and things go from bad to worse when Wallace rents a room to a new boarder--a rather suspicious-looking penguin--to offset his rising expenses. As it turns out, the penguin's a notorious thief, and the amazing techno-trousers provide a foolproof method of pulling off a diamond heist! It's Gromit's big opportunity for canine heroics, and The Wrong Trousers turns into one of the funniest, most inventive caper-comedies ever made, with an action-packed climax on a speeding miniature train. Will the notorious "Feathers" wind up in jail, where he belongs? Will Gromit finally get his due recognition? Watch this amazing marvel of clay animation to see why Wallace & Gromit have become global celebrities--this is comedic ingenuity at its finest.

"A Close Shave"
Hot from the international triumph of The Wrong Trousers, clay animator Nick Park knew that his third Wallace & Gromit film was going to have to be the biggest and best adventure yet for the mild-mannered inventor Wallace and his perceptive pooch, Gromit. With the ambitiously zany plot of A Close Shave, Park and his fellow animators rose to the occasion, and their film won the 1995 Academy Award (Park's second Oscar) for Best Animated Short. This time out, Wallace & Gromit have teamed up to provide a window-washing service, and that's how Wallace meets the lovely Wendolene Ramsbottom, a wool-shop owner whose malevolent dog, Preston, turns out to be the mastermind of a sheep-napping scheme! Of course, no Wallace & Gromit adventure can be without a grandiose gadget, so Wallace's latest invention is the Knit-O-Matic, a yarn-making machine capable of shearing a whole flock of sheep just a bit too efficiently! When the villainous Preston gains control of the mechanical knitting marvel, Gromit must race to the rescue, and A Close Shave reaches new heights of clay-animation mastery. Every shot is a testament to Nick Park's patience, his clever ingenuity, and his filmmaking flair. The movie's so technically impressive, in fact, that the whole world wondered where Park could go next. It was clear that Wallace & Gromit would eventually star in an animated feature-length movie, since this marvelous 30-minute film represents its own kind of short-form perfection. --Jeff Shannon

DVD Features:
- Available subtitles: English, Spanish, French
- Available Audio Tracks: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
- Cracking Contraptions
- Cracking Contraptions: Behind the Scenes
- Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of The Were-Rabbit: Sneak Preview

[Üncle Snake]

October 9, 2005

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT - SEASON TWO



Amazon.com
The axe of cancellation dangled perilously over Arrested Development during its second season, but the award-winning comedy fought against fate to deliver a hilarious if scattershot 18 episodes (reduced from the original show order of 22), and stayed alive for the beginning of a third season. Most likely, the creators and actors knew the clock was ticking down, so they didn't hesitate to throw their all into these manic, hilarious episodes, which have only the thinnest of plot arcs but an electrifying energy that makes them hard to resist. Some of the story antics were more of the same: good son Michael (Jason Bateman) tries to keep his company afloat, but is often foiled by older brother Gob (Will Arnett); the precarious marriage of Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) and Tobias (David Cross) undergoes a trial separation; and young George-Michael (Michael Cera) fights his attraction to his cousin Maeby (Alia Shawkat). Other show developments, though, were new and stunningly, uproariously bizarre: Buster (Tony Hale) joins the army, but later finds his hand bitten off by a seal (yes, a real seal), and Oscar (Jeffrey Tambor), the hippie brother of jailed George Sr. (also Tambor), rekindles an affair with sister-in-law Lucille (Jessica Walter), which may have resulted in Buster's conception years ago.

Jokes flew fast and furious, as did guest stars--Ben Stiller, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Christine Taylor, Thomas Jane, Ed Begley Jr., Ione Skye, and Zach Braff among them--making it hard to keep straight who was doing what and why. No matter, as each of the episodes was in and of itself was a perfect gem of comedy, strung together by sharp writing and fantastic performances. In addition to the regular cast, both Liza Minnelli, reprising her role as "Lucille Two," and Martin Short, as an, um, eccentric family friend, deserve special mention, with the episode both appeared in, "Ready, Aim, Marry Me," a frenetic exercise in slapstick farce. Typical examples of the show's offbeat humor were found in "Afternoon Delight," in which various members of the Bluth family discover the true meaning of the '70s ballad, "Meet the Veals," wherein the Bluths encounter the conservative parents of George Michael's girlfriend, and "Motherboy XXX," surrounding an unsettling mother-son traditional dance. The entire cast cohered perfectly through this season, and their give and take provided a perfect balance among the actors, all of whom were even better than the previous year. However, it's Bateman who should be singled out as the show's anchor, mixing dry sarcasm with impeccable comic timing. Despite plummeting ratings, Arrested Development didn't just keep its head above water, it swam with grace and hilarity. --Mark Englehart

DVD Features:
- 18 episodes on three discs
- Commentary by series creator Mitchell Hurwitz and actors Will Arnett, Michael Cera, David Cross, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, and Jessica Walter on "Good Grief," "Ready Aim Marry Me," and "The Righteous Brothers"
- Deleted/extended scenes
- "Season One in Three Minutes" overview
- Blooper reel
- "The Immaculate Election" campaign videos


VERONICA MARS - SEASON ONE



In the wealthy, seaside community of Neptune, California, the rich and powerful make the rules. Unfortunately for them, there's Veronica Mars, a smart, fearless 17-year-old apprentice private investigator dedicated to solving the town's toughest mysteries. Veronica used to be one of the popular girls, but it all came crumbling down around her after her best friend, Lilly, was murdered, and her then-sheriff father, Keith, was removed from office for naming Lilly's rich father as the lead suspect. During the day, Veronica must negotiate high school like any average teenage girl. But at night, she helps with her father's struggling, new private investigator business--and what she finds may tear the town of Neptune apart at the seams.

22 episodes on six discs, including an extended version of the pilot with an unaired opening sequence and more than 20 minutes of unaired scenes

[Üncle Snake]

October 16, 2005: BATMAN BEGINS (TWO-DISC DELUXE EDITION)



A new restart of the "Batman" franchise under the helm of "Memento" Director Chris Nolan and more in tone with the early "Batman: Year One" style comics. As a boy a young Bruce Wayne watched in horror as his millionaire parents were slain in front of his eyes, a trauma which led him to become obsessed with revenge but his chance is cruelly taken away from him by fate. After disappearing to the East where he seeks counsel with the dangerous but honorable ninja cult leader known as Ra's Al-Ghul, he returns to his now decaying Gotham City overrun by organised crime and dangerous individuals manipulating the system whilst the company he inherited is slowly being pulled out from under him. The discovery of a cave under his mansion, and a prototype armoured suit leads him to take on a new persona, one which will strike fear into the hearts of men who do wrong - he becomes, Batman. In the new guise, and with the help of rising cop Jim Gordon, Batman sets out to take down the various nefarious schemes in motion by individuals such as mafia don Falcone, the twisted doctor/drug dealer Jonathan 'The Scarecrow' Crane, and a mysterious third party that is quite familiar with Wayne and waiting to strike when the time is right.

DVD Features:
- MTV's Tankman Begins: a spoof
- Inner Demons comic: Explore the special features through an exclusive interactive comic book
- The Journey Begins: creative concepts, story development and casting
- Shaping Mind and Body: Christian Bale's transformation into Batman
- The Tumbler: reinvention of the Batmobile
- Gotham City Rises: production design of Gotham City, the Batcave, Wayne Manor, and more
- Saving Gotham City: the development of miniatures, CGI, and effects for the monorail chase scene
- Genesis of the Bat: A look at the Dark Knight's incarnation and influences on the film
- Confidential files: Go beyond the movie and discover facts and story points not in the film
- Theatrical trailer
- Cape and Cowl: the new batsuit
- Path to Discovery: filming in Iceland
- Confidential files
- Character/weaponry gallery
- Photo gallery
- DVD-ROM features: Batman Begins mobile game demo & Web links
- Exclusive collectible 72-page comic book containing: Detective Comics #27 (the very first Batman story), Batman: The Man Who Falls (a classic story that inspired Batman Begins), and an excerpt from Batman: The Long Halloween (a chilling story that also inspired the film)

[Üncle Snake]

OCTOBER 23, 2005: MÖTLEY CRÜE - CARNIVAL OF SINS



CLEAR CHANNEL ENTERTAINMENT HOME VIDEO AND VENTURA HOME ENTERTAINMENT PRESENT MOTLEY CRUE: CARNIVAL OF SINS

First Live DVD Featuring All Four Original Members
Double-Disc HD Film DVD Available on Oct 25th

New York, NY (September 27, 2005) - After more than six-years, the notorious metal band that rocked the world is back with the most extreme concert performance in years. Clear Channel Entertainment Home Video and Ventura Entertainment present the DVD release Motley Crüe: Carnival of Sins. The double disc DVD, produced in high-definition film and 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound captures the circus gone bad atmosphere with a 20-camera shoot filmed by an award-winning production team. The results are 210 minutes of an unparalleled music DVD experience.

Re-assembled for the first time the original Motley Crüe band members, Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars and Vince Neil, have come together for a live concert video event. Carnival of Sins is a concept show that sets a new standard for concert DVDs. Viewers will feel as if they are in the arena with a crowd too wild for words.

As The Cleveland Plain-Dealer exclaimed, "Spread the word: Motley Crüe is back!" The highly successful tour, "Red, White and Crue 2005: Better Live Than Dead," has drawn record sell-out crowds across 100 U.S. cities with another 55 dates added due to popular demand. The tour continues worldwide with show dates throughout Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia and Japan after its US run --- with even more US tour dates scheduled for Spring 2006.

Carnival of Sins delivers extreme new dimensions of Motley Crüe entertainment with a spectacular carnival-style show under a massive circus tent including one of the biggest pyrotechnic arrays on the road. Aerialist vixens swirling overhead, a fire-breathing midget ring-master, demonic clowns, and much more all add to the mayhem. The DVD package also includes special extra features on a 2nd bonus disc making this a must-have for both true fans and the curious. Bonus disc features a behind-the-scenes docCRUEmentary, exclusive interviews, a clay animation film starring Motley Cure, additional music video and many more extras.

Motley Crüe pounds out better-than-ever live performances of their greatest hits including Shout At The Devil, Girls, Girls, Girls, Dr Feel Good, and Looks That Kill. Also includes new hit songs off their current multi-platinum album, Red, White and Crue. This spectacular live presentation is directed by the acclaimed award-winning director, Hamish Hamilton (U2, Madonna and Peter Gabriel) and recorded and mixed by Grammy® award-winning John Harris, making this an award-winning production.

The Detroit Free Press proclaims, "Certain rock bands are infamous for their sins. Ozzy Osbourne is known for his drug past and Van Halen for firing lead singers. Kiss was known for womanizing; Marilyn Manson is allegedly a Satanist. However, L.A. metal quartet Motley Crüe is legendary for all of these vices, and then some."

Motley Crüe has released some of the most influential metal albums of all time. Now all four original band members are back at it to rock the world and once again perform ‘the loudest show on earth’ - captured on the October DVD release of "Motley Crue: Carnival of Sins."

[Üncle Snake]

OCTOBER 30, 2005

STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH



DVD Features:
- Available Subtitles: Spanish
- Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
- Commentary by: writer-director George Lucas, producer Rick McCallum, animation director Rob Coleman, and ILM visual effects supervisors John Knoll and Roger GuyettUnknown Format
- Exclusive deleted scenes with introductions by George Lucas and Rick McCallum
- "Within a Minute" documentary film about the making of the Mustafar battle
- "The Chosen One" featurette: George Lucas traces the myth of Darth Vader through episodes 1-6
- "It's All for Real: The Stunts of Episode III"
- A 15-part collection of Lucasfilm's Web documentaries
- Star Wars Battlefront II trailer and Xbox game demo
- Star Wars Empire at War PC game trailer
- "A Hero Falls" music video
- Poster and print campaign
- Trailers and TV spots
- Never-before-seen production photo gallery
- DVD-ROM content includes a free trial of Hyperspace, the ultimate online Star Wars experience


MILLIONS



Amazon.com
Millions wears its heart on its sleeve, and it wears it well. Two boys, still grieving the death of their mother, find themselves the unwitting benefactors of a bag of bank robbery loot in the week before the United Kingdom switches its official currency to the Euro. What's a kid to do? Director Danny Boyle takes a simple premise and, with the help of Frank Cottrell Boyce's sweet, smart script, finds something special to say about the hopes everyone has for the future of a changing world. Brothers Anthony and Damian have vastly different agendas for the stash, and then have to deal not only with the money's original thief but with the disarming woman who seems to be stealing their widowed father. The film is full of quirks that work--seven-year-old Damian (an endearing Alex Etel) has private conversations with a collection of eclectic religious saints--and a technically spirited way of commingling both the scary realities and fanciful imaginings of young minds. --Steve Wiecking

[Üncle Snake]

November 6, 2005: THE DEVIL'S REJECTS



Sequel to 'House of 1000 Corpses' is set some months later with the Texas State Police making a full-scale attack against the murderous Firefly family residence for the 1,000+ murders and disappearances of the past several years. But three of the family members escape, including Otis, Baby Firefly and Baby's father Captain Spaulding. The evil trio go on a road trip, leaving dozens of mangled bodies in their wake. Evading a massive Texas Rangers dragnet as well as a group of equally murderous bounty hunters led by Ken Dwyer (the brother of a policeman Otis killed in 'House of...') who's obsessed with finding the deadly killers, the surviving Firefly clan gather at a run-down amusement park owned by Captain Spaulding's half-brother, Charlie Altamont, whom offers them shelter and a new base of operations for their killing spree as Sheriff Dwyer, the Texas Rangers, the FBI and others slowly close in.

DVD Features:
- Audio commentary with Director Rob Zombie
- Actor Audio Commentary with Sid Haig, Bill Moseley and Sheri Moon Zombie
- Blooper Reel
- Morris Green Show - "Ruggsville's #1 talk show"
- Mary The Monkey Girl Commercial
- Spaulding Christmas Commercial
- Cheerleader Missing - The Otis Home Movie
- "Satan's Got To Get Along Without Me" - Buck Owens video
- Deleted Scenes
- Make Up Tests
- Matthew McGrory tribute
- Still Gallery
- Theatrical Trailer and TV spots

[Üncle Snake]

November 13, 2005

JUDAS PRIEST: RISING IN THE EAST



After more than 12 years apart Judas Priest and original lead vocalist Rob Halford reunited for a global live concert tour in 2004. They were a main attraction on the sell-out Ozzfest tour playing to enormous and enthusiastic audiences nationwide. Rising In the East was filmed in May 2005 at Tokyo's famous Budokan. The DVD captures the band at their metal best, performing all of the classics-"Electric Eye," "Breaking the Law," "Living After Midnight," "You've Got Another Thing Coming," and much more.

Track Listing: Hellion, Electric Eye, Metal Gods, Riding on the Wind, Ripper, Touch of Evil, Judas Rising, Revolution, Hot Rockin', Breaking the Law, I'm A Rocker, Diamonds and Rust, Worth Fighting For, Deal with the Devil, Beyond the Realms of Death, Turbo Lover, Hellrider, Victim of Changes, Exciter, Painkiller, Hell Bent For Leather, Living After Midnight, You've Got Another Thing Coming


SHADOWS FALL: THE ART OF TOURING



The highly-anticipated new SHADOWS FALL DVD, "The Art of Touring", is set for a November 15 release via Century Media. The disc effectively documents the rise of one of today's most influential and dominant metal bands. Brian Fair (vocals) describes what the DVD release means to him and how the band strived to create something special for their fans that would stand out from the pack: "This DVD will give viewers a quick look into the madness that is SHADOWS FALL on the road. It is not always pretty or perfect, but hell, neither are we. Everything you see on this DVD was filmed by either a band member, crew member or close friend. It is raw, unscripted and pure chaos.

"This DVD was filmed when our lives were changing dramatically as 'The Art Of Balance' was beginning to pick up steam and we were zigzagging across the world on a break neck schedule of tours. We were a band trying to leave our mark on the world and get our hands on as many free drinks as possible. The only footage that is not from that era is the tribute we put together for our departed brother in arms 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott. The six weeks we spent on tour with our boys in DAMAGEPLAN were some of the best times of my life. We were lucky enough to share some of his last days on this earth and we wanted to share some of those memories with the fans that loved and respected him. This footage is proof that the man lived everyday with a smile on his face and a drink in his hand.

"We wanted to capture the mindset the band was in during this period, which was full steam ahead, kicking ass and taking names. There are no overproduced multi camera shots like you see in most DVDs these days. We didn't want to add one more glossy DVD release to an already over-saturated market. This was our attempt to re-create the vibe found on home videos like 'Cliff 'Em All' by METALLICA and 'Oh Say Can You Scream' by SKID ROW. Those were videos that showed a band in its purest form. That is what 'The Art of Touring' is all about. This is bootleg-style guerilla film making fueled by alcohol and lack of sleep. As dizzying as some of the editing may be, trust me, this is almost exactly how we saw the world over these two years."

"The Art of Touring" features over two hours of on-the-road antics and live performances filmed from 2002 through 2004 on "The Art of Balance" album touring cycle while on the road in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Also featured here are all six of the band's promotional videos to date, from "Thoughts without Words" to "Inspiration On Demand". Several guest appearances, rare cover songs and a special tribute to Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott that features a live jam of the classic PANTERA track "Walk" (performed by DAMAGEPLAN and SHADOWS FALL in the fall of 2004) round out the DVD.

[Üncle Snake]

November 20, 2005: SEINFELD SEASONS 5 & 6 GIFT SET



DVD Features:
- Includes Seasons 5 & 6, a puffy shirt collectible, and a reproduction of a handwritten script from Jerry Seinfeld
- Features over 26 hours of all-new bonus materials
- Featurette: Jason + Larry = George
- Behind-the-scenes: Running with the Egg
- Yada, Yada, Yada: Commentaries
- In The Vault: Deleted Scenes
- Inside Looks: Behind the Scenes
- Sponsored by Vandelay Industries: (NBC Promos & Trailers)
- Not That There's Anything Wrong With That: Bloopers
- Notes About Nothing: Subtitled Trivia Tracks on All Episodes
- Master of His Domain: Exclusive Stand-Up Comedy Footage
- Sein-imation

SEASON 5
DISC 1 THE MANGO- Jerry learns Elaine faked orgasms with him and pleads for another chance. Kramer's banned from his local fruit stand and George discovers the sexual power of mango. THE GLASSES-George loses his glasses and thinks he sees Jerry's girlfriend with his cousin. A strange dog bites Elaine and Kramer helps Jerry buy a powerful air conditioner. THE PUFFY SHIRT-During dinner with Kramer's low-talking girlfriend, Jerry unwittingly agrees to wear a puffy pirate shirt for his upcoming "The Today Show" appearance. THE SNIFFING ACCOUNTANT-Jerry thinks his accountant is a drug addict. Jerry, Kramer and Newman plot a stakeout. George plans another career change: bra salesman. THE BRIS-Jerry and Elaine agree to be godparents to their friends' newborn boy. They find a shaky mohel to perform the bris. Kramer is convinced he saw a pigman at the hospital. ]DISC 2 THE LIP READER-George tries to get Jerry's deaf girlfriend to read lips at a party. Kramer becomes a ball boy at the U.S. Open. THE NON-FAT YOGURT-Jerry and Elaine try to confirm that their favorite frozen yogurt is non-fat. Their research causes a stir during the NYC mayoral election. Elaine dates George's boyhood nemesis. Now, for the first time, see two versions of this episode! THE BARBER-Jerry frets over leaving his incompetent barber. Elaine enlists Kramer to participate in a bachelor auction. THE MASSEUSE-Jerry's masseuse girlfriend won't give him a massage. Elaine dates Joel Rifkin - not the mass murderer. THE CIGAR STORE INDIAN-Jerry offends Elaine's friend with a cigar store Indian. Kramer sells his coffee table book idea to Elaine's boss. DISC 3 THE CONVERSION-George converts to the Latvian Orthodox religion for a girl. Jerry spots a suspicious ointment in his girlfriend's medicine cabinet. THE STALL-Elaine agonizes over a woman's refusal to pass toilet paper under the stall of a public restroom. Kramer convinces Jerry that his girlfriend makes a living as a phone sex operator. George befriends Elaine's "mimbo" boyfriend. THE MARINE BIOLOGIST-George starts dating an old classmate when Jerry tells her that George is a successful marine biologist. Elaine's electronic organizer injures a passerby when her Russian novelist client launches it from their limo. Kramer golfs on the beach. THE DINNER PARTY-En route to a dinner party, Elaine and Jerry pair off to buy a babka. George's jacket gets in the way at the liquor store where he and Kramer look for a bottle of wine. THE PIE-Jerry meets his girlfriend's father and loses his appetite. Elaine discovers that a mannequin resembling her has been showing up in window displays. George plots to buy a suit on sale. Kramer dates a Monk's cashier. THE STAND-IN-Kramer is hired as a stand-in on a soap opera. He encourages Mickey to put lifts in his shoes, but his advice doesn't sit well with the other little people. George is ready to break up with his girlfriend until he discovers that she's being urged to call it quits with him. DISC 4 THE WIFE-Jerry lets his girlfriend pose as his wife so that she can receive his dry-cleaning discount, but the scam backfires when his family learns of his "marriage." Elaine's health club boyfriend wants to turn George in for peeing in the shower. THE FIRE-George panics during a fire at his girlfriend's son's birthday party and bolts for an escape route. Kramer saves Elaine's co-worker's pinky toe. THE RAINCOATS (PARTS 1 & 2)-Elaine dates a "close talker" who loves spending time with Jerry's parents. Jerry is caught making out during Schindler's List. Morty and Kramer go into business together. THE HAMPTONS-A weekend getaway to the Hamptons spins out of control when Jerry's girlfriend sees George, a victim of "shrinkage," naked. THE OPPOSITE-George decides to do the opposite of his instincts and everything falls into place, even a job with the Yankees. Meanwhile, Elaine loses her boyfriend and her job, but Jerry remains "even Steven."

SEASON 6
DISC 1 THE CHAPERONE-When Jerry dates a beauty contestant, Kramer wants to chaperone. Mr. Pitt hires Elaine. George encourages the Yankees to make cotton jerseys. THE BIG SALAD-George has issues when his girlfriend takes credit for buying Elaine a salad. Jerry is disturbed that his girlfriend was Newman's ex. Kramer gets involved in a slow-speed chase with a suspected murderer. THE PLEDGE DRIVE-Elaine sees Mr. Pitt eating a candy bar with a knife and fork, starting a trend. George thinks everyone's giving him the finger. Jerry hosts a PBS pledge drive. THE CHINESE WOMAN-George's phone lines get crossed with Donna Chang's and Jerry dates her - but she's not Chinese. THE COUCH-Elaine dates a hunky moving man. Kramer and Poppie go into the pizza business. George tries to rent Breakfast at Tiffany's instead of reading it to impress his girlfriend. Poppie pees on Jerry's couch. THE GYMNAST-Jerry dates a Romanian gymnast. Elaine tries to tear Mr. Pitt from a 3-D poster. George's girlfriend's mother catches him eating from the trash. DISC 2 THE MOM & POP STORE-George thinks he bought Jon Voight's car. Kramer tries to save a store. Jerry crashes a party to watch the Macy's parade. THE SOUP-Kenny Bania offers Jerry a suit in exchange for a meal, but soup doesn't count. THE SECRETARY-Jerry sees his dry cleaner wearing his jacket. George's secretary out-earns him. Kramer gets Uma Thurman's phone number. Elaine finds that Barneys uses skinny mirrors. THE SWITCH-Jerry tries to pull the roommate switch. George dates a bulimic. Elaine agonizes over Mr. Pitt's busted racket. Kramer's first name is revealed and we meet his mother. THE RACE-Superman fan Jerry dates a woman named Lois, whose boss is his high-school nemesis. Elaine dates a Communist; now George wants to. Kramer works as a Santa with Mickey as his elf. Jerry races his nemesis again to settle their score. THE LABEL MAKER-Elaine and Jerry find that Tim Whatley "re-gifted" a label maker. Kramer and Newman play Risk. George is threatened by his girlfriend's male roommate. Everyone has Super Bowl fever and Jerry's sick over who joins him at the game. DISC 3 THE SCOFFLAW-George learns the truth about a friend's illness. Kramer brings in a notorious scofflaw. THE HIGHLIGHTS OF 100 (PARTS 1&2)-An hour-long look at highlights from the first 100 episodes. THE BEARD-Elaine poses as a beard for a gay man and tries to convert him. George wears a toupee and turns down a bald woman. Kramer makes money posing in police lineups. Jerry takes a lie detector test to prove he's not a fan of "Melrose Place." THE KISS HELLO-Elaine's friend loves to "kiss hello" but Jerry hates it. Kramer adorns the apartment lobby with photos to encourage tenants to know their neighbors. THE DOORMAN-Mr. Pitt's doorman intimidates Jerry. Elaine and Jerry cover themselves when a couch is stolen from the lobby. Frank Costanza moves into George's apartment. Kramer and Frank make a bra for men but argue over the name. DISC 4 THE JIMMY-George goes into business with a buddy who refers to himself in the third person. Jerry discovers his dentist keeps Penthouse in his waiting room. Kramer comes off as mentally challenged at a benefit. THE DOODLE-George is upset by his girlfriend's sketch of him. Jerry's flea-infested apartment forces his parents into Elaine's hotel. THE FUSILLI JERRY-Elaine's boyfriend uses one of Jerry's moves. Kramer mistakenly receives license plates that read "Assman." THE DIPLOMAT'S CLUB-Jerry's plan to meet a gorgeous model is derailed. George proves that he's not racist. Elaine plans to quit her job, until she realizes she's in her boss's will. THE FACE PAINTER-Puddy paints his face for a hockey game. George tells his girlfriend he loves her. THE UNDERSTUDY-Jerry and George are accused of injuring Bette Midler so Jerry's girlfriend can take the stage in their Broadway show. Elaine has Frank translate her manicurist's conversations. Elaine meets J. Peterman and lands herself a new job.

[Chick-O-Stick]

Two enthusiastic thumbs up for this weeks pick.

In looking at some previous picks I see you also chose "American Splendor". Heh, I thought I was the only person to see that one.

[Üncle Snake]

November 27, 2005: SKY HIGH



EDITOR'S NOTE: This was one of the big surprises of the summer. Disney's advertising made it look awful, but it actually is a smart, funny movie. Though it is in the mold of The Incredibles, it is not a blatant retread. And you can't go wrong with a cast that includes Kurt Russell and Bruce Campbell.

Plot Synopsis:
It all begins at a secret school in the clouds like none on earth: Sky High, the first and only high school for kids with super-human powers going through crime-fighting puberty. At Sky High, the student body throw flames with their footballs, study Villainy with their Chemistry and are divided into Heroes and Sidekicks instead of jocks and geeks. It's an out-of-this-world yet completely recognizable place where cool gadgetry, rampant bravery and awe-inspiring magical skills mix it up with parental battles, peer pressure and dating trouble--with explosively fun results. This year's class features some of the best, brightest and most powerfully gifted super-teens ever assembled. And then there's Will Stronghold. When you're the son of the world's most legendary super heroes, The Commander and Jetstream, people expect you to live up to the family name The problem is that Will is starting with no superpowers of his own and, worst of all, instead of joining the ranks of the Hero class, he finds himself relegated to being a Sidekick. Now he must somehow survive his freshman year while dealing with an overbearing gym coach, a bully with super speed and a dangerous rebel with a grudge (and the ability to shoot fire from his hands)--not to mention the usual angst, parental expectations and girl problems that accompany teenage life. But when an evil villain threatens his family, friends and the very sanctity of Sky High, Will must use his newfound superpowers to save the day and prove himself a Hero worthy of the family tradition.

DVD Features:
- Alternate opening
- Super bloopers
- Breaking down the walls: The stunts of Sky High
- Welcome to Sky High: Behind-the-scenes at making the movie with cast and crew
- Bowling for Soup music video: "I Melt With You"

[Üncle Snake]

December 4, 2005

CINDERELLA MAN: COLLECTOR'S EDITION



Amazon.com
Cinderella Man is a wholesome slice of old-fashioned Americana, offering welcomed relief from the shallowness of many summer blockbusters. In dramatizing the legendary Depression-era comeback of impoverished boxer Jim Braddock, director Ron Howard benefits from another superb collaboration with his A Beautiful Mind star Russell Crowe, whose portrayal of Braddock is simultaneously warm, noble, and tenacious without resorting to even the slightest hint of sentimental melodrama. The desperate struggle of the Depression is more keenly felt here than it was in Seabiscuit, and Howard shows its economic impact in ways that strengthen the bonds between Braddock, his supportive wife (Renée Zellweger) and three young children, and his loyal manager (Paul Giamatti); all are forced to make sacrifices leading up to Braddock's title bout against heavyweight champion Max Baer (Craig Bierko) in one of greatest boxing matches in the history of the sport. Boasting the finest production design, cinematography and editing that Hollywood can offer, this is a feel-good film that never begs for your affection; it's just good, classical American filmmaking, brimming with qualities of decency and fortitude that have grown all too rare in the big-studio mainstream. --Jeff Shannon

DVD Features:
- Feature Commentary with Director Ron Howard; Feature Commentary with Writer Akiva Goldsman; Feature Commentary with Writer Cliff Hollingsworth
- Deleted Scenes with (On/Off) Commentary by Director Ron Howard
- The Fight Card: Casting Cinderella Man
- The Man, The Movie, The Legend: A Filmmaking Journey
- For the Record: A History in Boxing
- Ringside Seats
- Jim Braddock: The Friends & Family Behind The Legend
- Kodak Partner Spot
- Additional deleted scenes with (On/Off) Commentary by Director Ron Howard
- Video Diary: On The Set With Russell Crowe
- Pre-Fight Preparations
- Lights, Camera, Action: The Fight From Every Angle
- The Sound of the Bell
- Braddock VS. Baer Fight Footage
- Photo Montage
- Cinderella Music Man Featurette


24: SEASON FOUR



DVD Features:
- Exclusive Season 5 Prequel Bridging Seasons 4 & 5
- Cast/ Crew Commentary on Selected Episodes
- 39 Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary
- A Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
- "24: Conspiracy" Cell Phone Mobisodes

[Üncle Snake]

A little late on this one, but here it is ...

December 11, 2005: THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN



Andy Stitzer has a nice life complete with an action figure collection and a cushy job at an electronics store. But the only thing is, he's a 40 year old virgin who has just fallen in love with a woman, who doesn't want sex in the relationship.

DVD Features:
- 17 minutes longer
- You Know How I Know You're Gay? (with Optional Commentaries)
- Andy's Fantasies (with Optional Commentaries)
- Cal & Paula (with Optional Commentaries)
- Advice from Mooj
- Deleted Scenes (with Optional Commentaries)
- Waxing Doc
- Date-A-Palooza
- Line-O-Rama
- My Dinner with Stormy
- Gag Reel
- Feature Commentary with Director / Co-Writer Judd Apato, Actor / Co-Writer Steve Carell

[Üncle Snake]

You had to know this one was coming ...

December 18, 2005: SERENITY



Amazon.com
Serenity offers perfect proof that Firefly deserved a better fate than premature TV cancellation. Joss Whedon's acclaimed sci-fi Western hybrid series was ideally suited (in Browncoats, of course) for a big-screen conversion, and this action-packed adventure allows Whedon to fill in the Firefly backstory, especially the history and mystery of the spaceship Serenity's volatile and traumatized stowaway, River Tam (Summer Glau). Her lethal skills as a programmed "weapon" makes her a coveted prize for the power-hungry planetary Alliance, represented here by an Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who'll stop at nothing to retrieve River from Serenity's protective crew. We still get all the quip-filled dialogue and ass-kicking action that we've come to expect from the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but Whedon goes a talented step further here, blessing his established ensemble cast with a more fully-developed dynamic of endearing relationships. Serenity's cast is led with well-balanced depth and humor by Nathan Fillion as Captain Mal Reynolds, whose maverick spirit is matched by his devotion to crewmates Wash (Alan Tudyk), Zoe (Gina Torres), fun-loving fighter Jayne (Adam Baldwin), engineer Kaylee (Jewel Staite), doctor Simon (Sean Maher), and Mal's former flame Inara (Morena Baccarin), who plays a pivotal role in Whedon's briskly-paced plot. As many critics agreed, Serenity offered all the fun and breezy excitement that was missing from George Lucas's latter-day Star Wars epics, and Whedon leaves an opening for a continuing franchise that never feels cheap or commercially opportunistic. With the mega-corporate mysteries of Blue Sun yet to be explored, it's a safe bet we haven't seen the last of the good ship Serenity. --Jeff Shannon

DVD Features:
- Commentary by: Writer/Director Joss Whedon
- Deleted scenes and outtakes
- Future History: The Story of Earth That Was
- What's in a Firefly
- Re-Lighting the Firefly
- Joss Whedon Introduction

[Üncle Snake]

December 25, 2005: GRIZZLY MAN



I haven't seen this, but it looks interesting.

Amazon.com
Grizzly Man could easily have been sensational and exploitative, but in the hands of Werner Herzog, it becomes something extraordinary. Herzog was granted exclusive access to over 100 hours of video shot by amateur naturalist, wildlife advocate and troubled loner Timothy Treadwell, who spent 13 summers in Alaska's Katmai National Park, where he grew to know and love the grizzly bears that lived there. He was also killed by one of them, in October 2003, along with his girlfriend Amie Huguenard, and that seemingly inevitable fate informs every minute of Herzog's riveting combination of Treadwell's video with his own expert filmmaking and unique vision of nature and man. Whereas Treadwell was a naïve nature-lover and social outcast whose sanity was slowly slipping away, Herzog is a pragmatic mythologist who views nature primarily in terms of "chaos, hostility, and murder," and the disparity of their vision results in a magnetic attraction that makes the sum of Grizzly Man greater than its parts. We come to admire the dreamer, the idealist, the failed actor and recovered alcoholic man-child that was Treadwell, and we equally admire the seeker of truth and wisdom that is Herzog. They belong together, in some world beyond our world, where visionaries join forces to create life after death. --Jeff Shannon

[Üncle Snake]

January 1, 2006: BROKEN FLOWERS




Amazon.com
Bill Murray gives yet another simple, seemingly effortless, yet illuminating performance in Jim Jarmusch's Broken Flowers. Don Johnston (Murray, Lost in Translation, Rushmore) receives an anonymous letter telling him that he has a 19 year old son who's looking for him. Don only decides to investigate at the prompting of his neighbor Winston (the indispensable Jeffrey Wright, Shaft, Basquiat), who not only tracks down the current addresses of the possible mothers, he plans Don's entire trip down to the rental cars. Almost against his will, Don finds himself knocking at the doors of four very different women (Sharon Stone, The Quick and the Dead; Frances Conroy, Six Feet Under; Jessica Lange, Sweet Dreams; and Tilda Swinton, The Deep End) who were once his lovers. Part road movie, part detective story, part existential meditation, Broken Flowers is even more minimalist than most Jarmusch movies (Stranger Than Paradise, Dead Man, Mystery Train)--anyone looking for an easy resolution should look elsewhere. But for anyone willing to let a movie be a poem as much as a story--i.e., let it observe behavior without explaining it--Broken Flowers will offer a wealth of mysteries, gestures, and Bill Murray's soulful eyes. It's a movie that's wonderfully eloquent about what's not being said. --Bret Fetzer