How to Spend $20
By Stephanie Star Smith
January 10, 2006
Taking a look ahead at the week's DVD releases is always dicey for your wallet. Nearly every week, there's a disc that would fit nicely into any size collection. When it comes time to decide what to buy, there are really two determining factors: how much you love the content and the quality of the extra features on the disc. The unreleased studio (film and television) back-catalogue means that every week there's likely something for you.
The post-holiday slump that typifies January theatrical and DVD releases continues, but amidst all the exercise DVDs, one can still find a gem or two if one searches for it. At BOP, we've done the searching so you don't have to.
For those who like those old MGM musicals: Cabin in the Sky
Previously unavailable on DVD, this musical is from the heyday of screen musicals, and stars Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Lena Horne and Ethel Waters in a tale of a wife's struggle to get her husband to give up gambling and lead a righteous life. Just when it seems Petunia Jackson (Waters) has finally succeeded in getting husband Joe (Anderson) onto the straight-and-narrow, he falls off the proverbial wagon, and finds himself at the center of a battle between God and Satan for his immortal soul, as well as the object of the somewhat-fickle affections of bad-girl Georgia Brown (Horne). Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington also lend their musical talents to the flick.
The first credited directorial outing for Vicente Minnelli - yes, that's Liza's dad and Judy Garland's second husband, for those keeping score at home - Cabin in the Sky is a classic example of the MGM musical, and although its all-black cast was considered revolutionary for the time, some today might find its Stepin-Fetchit-like stereotypes a bit tough to take. But viewers who can set their minds to remembering the prevailing attitudes in the ‘40s will find a treasure trove of great music from the era and elaborate production numbers; there's even an uncredited turn by Busby Berkley, he of the elaborate dance numbers in Warner Bros' musicals, who provides choreography for one of the sequences.
The DVD features commentary tracks from black cultural historians, the wife and daughter of Anderson, and interview excerpt from Lena Horne. There is also a short from the era, Studio Visit, an audio-only outtake of Louis Armstrong's performance Ain't It the Truth, and the theatrical trailer.
For those who like their musicals modern but missed it in theatres (which judging by box office is pretty much all of you): Hustle & Flow
Hustle & Flow is the story of Memphis pimp DJay who teams up with friends to make a rap demo that will hopefully get them out of the street life and onto Easy Street. Their goal is to impress local boy-turned-rap superstar Skinny Black with their music when Black returns to the hometown area for the Fourth of July. The film received a fair amount of buzz when it was released last July, particularly for the performance of Terrence Howard as DJay, which has also garnered some year-end awards notice.
The DVD features include commentary by writer/director Craig Brewer, behind-the-scenes and Memphis premiere features, several featurettes, and promo spots for the film. There's also a UMD mini for PSP version being released, which doesn't include the extra features.
For members of the Academy who don't like to go out to the movies: The Constant Gardener
The Constant Gardener had Oscar buzz almost from the moment it was released last August, but while critics hailed the film at the time, the year-end awards so far haven't quite measured up to that original enthusiasm. Ralph Fiennes stars as Justin Quayle, an English diplomat whose wife is murdered in Kenya. Though made to look like a crime of passion, Quayle isn't ready to accept his wife's infidelity, nor is he content to let the authorities handle the investigation. Beginning his own inquiry, Quayle quickly discovers that his wife was doing some investigating of her own into corruption in a major drug company based in Kenya. As Quayle gets closer to the truth, his probe into the crime becomes more dangerous, ultimately putting him in jeopardy of meeting the same fate as his wife.
The DVD features deleted and extended scenes, as well as a documentary on filming in Kenya, one on John Le Carre, on whose book the film is based, and a behind-the-scenes/making-of documentary. The film is also receiving a full-screen release to satisfy those who feel if they view a film in its original aspect ratio they're somehow missing something.
For those who like classic Westerns based on Akira Kurosawa films: The Magnificent Seven (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Of all the American remakes of foreign films, The Magnificent Seven may be the best fit, as the Code of the Old West Hollywood-style and the code of the samurai warrior were quite similar. The film's mighty-protect-the-weak theme is also universal, and although the samurai are generally seen as honorable warriors and gunfighters as outlaws, there is certainly a film tradition of gunfighters fighting for noble causes.
This Collector's Edition release is an HD transfer and contains four featurettes, including one on the composer of the film's classic score, Elmer Bernstein, plus a commentary track by film historian Christopher Frayling. What this release doesn't contain, unfortunately, are the commentary tracks from the first release, which included tracks by stars James Coburn and Eli Wallach. While the HD transfer weighs in favor of this latest DVD version, the lack of commentary tracks by stars weighs against it; either way, fans of the movie in particular, or Westerns in general, have a bit of a tough choice to make, whether they already own The Magnificent Seven or not.
For those who like their Westerns more violent and/or Sam Peckinpah fans: Sam Peckinpah's Legendary Westerns Collection (The Wild Bunch/Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid/Ride the High Country/The Ballad of Cable Hogue)
This is probably the best deal economically in this week's releases, especially if you're a Sam Peckinpah fan and/or a big fan of Westerns, although it, too, offers a bit of a tough choice. The Legendary Westerns Collection offers four Peckinpah films - three of which have never been on DVD before - plus a slew of extra features. Certainly if one was interested in getting any two of these films and didn't already have The Wild Bunch, this collection is the route to go. And if you're a big Peckinpah fan, it would be money well spent to add this set to your collection, too, as the Special Edition Wild Bunch DVD here contains a load of features the original didn't, including outtakes, additional scenes and three new documentaries. In fact, all the DVDs in this set include a decent amount of special features, and all four have commentary tracks from three Peckinpah biographers.
And if your one and only favorite Sam Peckinpah/Western film is Ride the High Country...then you're out of luck for now, as that film isn't also receiving a separate release and is currently unavailable on DVD.
For those who are afraid to fly and want something to help justify their reluctance: Red Eye (Widescreen Edition) (also being released full-screen)
Horror icon Wes Craven took a run at directing a non-horror film with this 2005 tale of a young woman who is blackmailed into helping an assassin kill a member of the President's Cabinet in order to keep her father from being murdered. The action takes place during a late-night flight - hence the film's title - from Dallas to Miami, adding an additional level of helplessness to the already-constraining scenario.
The DVD features a commentary track by Wes Craven, as well as commentaries from the film's producer and editor, plus a making-of feature, a gag reel, and a feature on the director himself. There are also previews on this disk, although for what is anybody's guess.
Oh, and there's also a full-screen version of the DVD being released, too, for those of you who prefer pan-and-scan versions of films.
For those who are afraid Steve Martin is making a really, really big mistake: Return of the Pink Panther
Fans of both Steve Martin and the Pink Panther series view the release of the upcoming Pink Panther remake with a mixture of anticipation and dread. After all, Peter Sellers' woefully-inept but somehow still successful Inspector Jacques Clouseau is a classic screen character, incorporating the timing and physical comedy that were signatures of Sellers' comedic style. The possibility that someone else could effectively follow in those unique footsteps seems ludicrous, and certainly the evidence presented in Son of the Pink Panther would tend to give credence to this.
But while we all wait to see if Steve Martin can successfully make Inspector Clouseau his own - and if the trailer is any indication, there does seem to be that possibility - MGM/UA have re-released the third film in the series on DVD. Surprisingly, this latest edition doesn't have any more features than the first release, which is to say...none (unless you count subtitles in French and Spanish as "features", which we don't). There isn't any indication that the transfer itself is in any way superior to the original release, either. In fact, the only difference - other than the subtitles - between the two releases is the company putting out the DVD; however, since this film wasn't in the 2004 Pink Panther Collection box set due to rights issues, this is a chance for those who bought that to complete their collection of Sellers' outings as Clouseau. But if you've already got Return, you don't really need to bother.
For Jason Statham fans: Transporter 2
This sequel to the surprise 2002 hit again finds Frank Martin taking a break from moving packages from Point A to Point B to play chauffeur to a drug-control policy wonk and his family as a favor to a friend. When the family's young son is kidnapped, Martin is initially suspected, and swings into action to not only clear his name but save the boy as well.
The DVD includes a nice bundle of extras, including the theatrical trailer, deleted scenes and extended fight sequences and the near-obligatory making-of feature; there are also previews for two upcoming films, Eragon and Night Watch. And as seems to be de rigeur these days, there is not only a wide-screen but a pan-and-scan version, too.
For those still wondering where that whole vampire/werewolf war idea came from: Underworld
Sure, Underworld has been out on DVD before, but this repackaging comes with the sequel, Underworld: Evolution. Now that might not seem like it's a big deal...except Underworld: Evolution isn't being released into theatres until January 20th. Which seems like a very strange thing for Sony to do, unless they've got almost no confidence in the sequel, but are contractually obligated to release it in theatres anyway. Still, blunting whatever audience there may be for the follow-up doesn't make good business sense, unless Sony's testing the waters for same day/date releases.
At any rate, if you haven't seen the first film in what I guess is now going to be a series, you had your basic Romeo and Juliet story, with Selene (Kate Beckinsale, the sole name star in these films) the vampire falling in love with Michael (Scott Speedman, whose name you don't recognize any more now than you did three years ago) the werewolf in the middle of that epic vampire/werewolf war that nobody heard about before this movie. The sequel is supposed to explain to us why there's a war, as well as give further details on the histories of the two main characters as they try to bring the bitter feud to an end. Since this DVD doesn't contain extra features for either film, the only selling point is having the as-yet-unreleased sequel, allowing you to buy it now so you won't have to bother going to the theatre in ten days.
If you ever cared to in the first place, that is.
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