How to Spend $20
By Eric Hughes
June 9, 2009
Welcome to How to Spend $20, BOP's look at the latest DVDs to hit stores nationwide. This week: Clint Eastwood out-acts the Hmong, Wayne Brady tests his improv skills and '60s party animals have something to celebrate.Pick of the WeekFor people who find a nearly 80-year-old Clint Eastwood awfully threatening: Gran Torino
Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino would be a great movie, and not just a good one, had better actors been playing the Hmong neighbors to Eastwood's Walt Kowalski. I understand the idea that using actual Hmong people adds a realistic element to the movie. Yet their inexperience, and quite frankly, their inability to act, just ruined the movie for me. (Or at the very least, ruined many of the scenes in which they were a part).
Eastwood's best box office performer to date (even beating his second best, Million Dollar Baby, by nearly $50 million), Gran Torino follows the slow life of a bigoted, cranky old guy following the death of his wife. His morals improve, however, when he uses a scuffle between a gang and his Asian neighbors as an opportunity to do some good.
Disc includes: Manning the Wheel: The Meaning of Manhood as Reflected in American Car Culture featurette, Gran Torino: More than a Car: Visit Detroit and the Woodward Dream Cruise featurette
For people who think it's high time that Colin and Ryan just make out already: The Best of Whose Line is it Anyway?
Whose Line is it Anyway? was a hilarious show on ABC way back when. Reminiscing about it now, I've come to the conclusion that I just didn't watch the show enough. It was always comical when I watched it, yet I never had it on enough. It's an even bigger paradox than Dickens' "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
Wayne Brady was perhaps the show's best cast member, principally because of how annoyingly great he is at improv. Time and time again he'd go down on a knee and serenade an audience member with a song that pokes fun at their name, their profession and the like, as if he had spent the past week concocting the perfect music number.
Disc includes: Bonus hour-long episode
For people who like listening to great music: Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music (Collector's Edition)
Woodstock. I wasn't around for it – I still had to wait another 18 years to take even my first breath – but from what I gather I missed one hell of a rock show. (I'm using extreme sarcasm here. Of course I missed a good show. Why else are they still talking about the original Woodstock 40 years after it happened? You don't (or won't) see that happening with a DMB concert these days).
Available today is an anniversary edition gift set. And no matter how big of a Woodstock fan you are, you've got to feel like a total tool buying this thing in stores - what with it coming packaged with a Life magazine reprint, festival memorabilia and even an iron-on Woodstock patch. Your best bet is to buy this baby online.
To further celebrate Woodstock's 40th, check out Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock, expected to be in theaters (in a limited fashion, mind you), on August 14th. It earned my seal of approval way back in April when I handed Taking Woodstock's trailer a fresh A- grade.
Disc includes: The Museum At Bethel Woods: The Story Of The Sixties & Woodstock featurette, Woodstock: From Festival to Feature featurette, 60-page Life magazine reprint, Iron-on Woodstock patch, Woodstock fact sheet, Reproductions of festival memorabilia
For people who like to watch Clive Owen shoot people (in art museums, no less): The International
A rather bland actioner, The International is a good rental, but definitely wasn't worth the $10 or so I paid out of pocket to see it in theaters. Though I must admit I learned something rather valuable from this poorly executed title: Naomi Watts just isn't as big a box office draw as some people give her credit for. Unless, of course, the word "ring" is in the title.
I felt pretty bored throughout this one, except for the explosive action sequence in the Guggenheim. That thing was exciting. Too bad more of the movie's confrontations didn't happen inside museums.
Disc includes: Extended Scene Making featurette, Making The International featurette, Shooting at the Guggenheim featurette
June 9, 2009
Blu-ray
Baby on Board
Death Trance
Fatal Attraction
Fired Up (Unrated)
Gran Torino
Indecent Proposal
The International
Predator 2
Time Warp: Season 1
Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music
DVD
Aquarion Complete Series (Boxed Set)
Baby on Board
Casablanca (Special Edition)
The Cleaner: The First Season
Crossing Over (Widescreen)
Diana Ross: Live In Concert
Father Knows Best: Season 3
Fired Up (Unrated)
Get Smart: Season 3
Hair (2-Disc Edition)
Iron Maiden: Flight 666 (Deluxe Edition)
Nobel Son (Widescreen)
The Norman Lear Collection
Open All Hours: The Complete Series
Perry Mason: Season 4, Volume 1
The Shield: Season 7 (Widescreen)
Survivorman Season 3
Time Warp: Season 1
Waiting For God: Season 4
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