David Lean Directs Noël Coward Blu-ray review

Actors: Noel Coward, Bernard Miles, Robert Newton, Celia Johnson, John Mills
Directors: Noel Coward, David Lean
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Number of discs: 4
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Criterion Collection
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Run Time: 407 minutes

            The title of this quartet of films is perhaps no more fitting than it is for In Which We Serve, in which famous playwright Noël Coward was both star and co-director. He was also the screenwriter, of course. At the time, David Lean was known as one of the best editors in Britain, having cut together the Powell and Pressburger propaganda film, The 49^th Parallel. Though he was paired up with the actor/writer Coward, most credit would not go to Lean for this first effort. His initial job was only to direct Coward, while the actor/screenwriter would direct the remainder of the cast, though it quickly became clear that Lean was capable on his own.

            By the time they rejoined for a second pairing, Lean was established as the director with Coward as the writer. With a history in theater, Coward was able to bring the strong influence of language to Lean’s cinematic experience. Together they would make four films, from 1942 to 1945. What began as a propaganda endeavor during World War II became a profitable partnership which helped to launch each into new career endeavors. All four films have been included in this spectacular Blu-ray collection, each with new high-definition digital transfers of the BFI National Archive’s 2008 restorations. In Which We Serve comes with a new interview by Coward scholar, Barry Day, as well as a short documentary about the making of the film which was created in 2000. The last feature is an audio recording from 1969 between Coward and supporting actor Richard Attenborough.

            After the gloriously sentimental propaganda film, Lean would have his first solo directorial credits in This Happy Breed (1944), Coward’s chronicle of a working class family living in a London suburb from the end of World War I to the start of World War II. The British domestic drama features Lean/Coward regular, Celia Johnson, who appears in all but one of the four films. Her debut was successfully delightful in In Which We Serve, playing opposite the screenwriter himself, and she is even more fitting for This Happy Breed. Robert Newton plays opposite as husband Frank Gibbons, and together the pair have three extremely different children who are blessed with joy and tragedy throughout the two decades of the film’s storyline. The disc’s special features include new interviews with Barry Day and cinematographer/screenwriter/producer Ronald Neame from 2010.

            The third film in the set is a supernatural comedy based on the record-breaking stage play by Coward. It stars Rex Harrison as a novelist who accidentally brings back the ghost of his dead first wife (Kay Hammond), much to the chagrin of his current wife (Constance Cummings). With Oscar-winning special effects, this supernatural comedy is filled with delightful banter and fun visuals. It also has a spectacular supporting performance from the amateur medium played by Margaret Rutherford. The disc’s special features include a new interview with Barry Day along with an episode of the British television series, “The Southbank Show” from 1992, which is about the career of Coward.

            The last in the collection is perhaps the most recognizable as well. Brief Encounters (1945) stars Celia Johnson as a married woman who happens to meet a married doctor (Trevor Howard) on a train platform one afternoon. They have a passionate flirtation with the possibility of an affair, though it inevitably ends with a whimper rather than a bang. Though tempted enough to meet each other on the train platform, neither are the type of person to have an affair. The interactions are simple and romantic without ever reaching a place of infidelity, making this a bittersweet love story about making the hard choices because they are the right ones. The disc’s special features include an audio commentary with film historian Bruce Eder, another new interview with Day and two short documentaries. One is on the making of the film while the other is a television documentary about Lean’s career.

             

The War Room Blu-ray review

Starring: James Carville, George Stephanopoulos, Bill Clinton, Heather Beckel, Paul Begala
Directors: D. A. Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Criterion Collection
Release Date: March 20, 2012
Run Time: 96 minutes

            These days another documentary wouldn’t mean all that much, especially due to the ever-increasing ease due to the advances in technology, but even more so due to the subsequent rise in popularity. These days we can easily forget that it wasn’t that long ago that documentaries were rarer onscreen than a foreign film in the United States. This changed with Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock, who have proved that even a blockbuster documentary is possible. When The War Room was made in the early 1990s, however, there was little attention to the medium or realism in general. This political documentary has seen many replicas since, but the mere trailblazing quality of it in 1993 is what makes it so significant.

            Directors D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, along with producers R.J. Cutler, Wendy Ettinger and Frazer Pennebaker began their filmmaking project with the hopes of getting access to Presidential candidate Bill Clinton during his 1992 campaign. They were denied access to the candidate, though they were instead giving access to film the war room in Little Rock, Arkansas, where James Carville directed the campaign. Having to change the focus of the film meant shifting from Clinton to the campaign staff. The focusing primarily remains on Carville and advisor George Stephanopoulos, both of whom have garnered quite successful and public careers since this film. 

            Though there are some gaps filled with footage of Clinton and his answers in response to the sexual relationship allegations of Gennifer Flowers, more attention is given to the manner in which the campaign workers are able to spin the bad news in a way that makes the Republicans look bad. Politics is entertainment and show business, and these two men are great at what they do. They even convince us that they aren’t aware of the camera being there the entire time.

            The Blu-ray release of The War Room includes a new, restored high definition digital transfer, approved by directors Hegedus and Pennebaker. There is also a 2008 documentary, Return of the War Room, in which many from the first film return to comment on the influence of their film on how campaigns are now run. There is also new interview footage, including details on the difficulties shooting a campaign. Also included is a booklet with an essay by writer Louis Menand.

Letter Never Sent Blu-ray review

Starring: Tatyana Samojlova, Yevgeni Urbansky, Innokenti Smoktunovsky, Vasili Livanov, Galina Kozhakina
Director: Mikhail Kalatozov
Format: Black & White, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: Russian
Subtitles: English
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Criterion Collection
Release Date: March 20, 2012
Run Time: 96 minutes

           

            Letter Never Sent was directed by Mikhail Kalatozov, with the distinct style of cinematographer Sergei Urusevsky. Their previous collaboration in 1957, The Cranes Are Flying, and a future one in 1964’s I Am Cuba are better known, but in between them was Letter Never Sent. In 1959 this pair made a tale of human perseverance though extreme difficulty, most unpredictably brought on by the elements of nature. Visually daring in the manner that the film was shot, Letter Never Sent may not be Kalatozov’s most memorable film, but it is one which cannot be dismissed its seat of significance in the history of filmmaking.

            Based on a story by Valeri Osipov and co-scripted by The Cranes Are Flying screenwriter Victor Rozov, Letter Never Sent is a tale of human expedition which turns into a story about survival in the wild. At the beginning of the tale, four geologists start their expedition in search of diamond beds in the wilderness of the Central Siberian Plateau. The group’s leader is Sabinin (Innokenti Smoktunovsky), whose title letter written homes to his wife is the film’s narration through voiceover for the first portion of the film. The expedition is also paired with a love triangle between the other three geologists on the expedition, which has a second unsent letter. Tanya (Tatyana Samoilova from The Cranes Are Flying) is in a relationship with the passive and peaceful Andrei (Vasili Livanov), while the brutish Sergei (Yevgeny Urbansky) is forced to write out his feelings in a letter which is never meant to be read.

            This sub-plot becomes somewhat irrelevant when the foursome is in a desperate struggle for their lives. Just as they are able to accomplish their goal and celebrate, their path for escaping the wilderness is threatened by a forest fire. The remainder of the film is a harrowing escape through the perils of the fire and into the equally deadly cold of the Siberian winter. After losing contact with their base camp, their only hope is to keep moving and hope for rescue. As their numbers dwindle down, the film becomes one about sacrifice for the greater good of society. They are each willing to lay down their lives to provide the world with their discovery.

           

            The Blu-ray release includes a new high definition digital restoration, with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack and new English subtitle translations. The package also comes with a booklet insert that has production still photos and an essay by film scholar Dina Iordanova.

Battle Royale: The Complete Collection Blu-ray review

Starring: Beat Takeshi, Chiaki Kuriyama
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Format: Widescreen
Language: Japanese
Subtitles: English, Japanese
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Number of discs: 4
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Anchor Bay
Release Date: March 20, 2012
Run Time: 368 minutes

            I grew tired of the hype behind The Hunger Games film about five minutes after it began. Popular fiction like The Hunger Games and the Twilight series may come with a built in audience of teenage girls, but the preferences of teen girls has never been an assurance of quality. Maybe these books really do have a compelling story which will come across well onscreen and make lots of money. The last thing that this film is, however, is original. The Hunger Games is simply a watered down rip-off of Japanese filmmaker Kinji Fukasaku’s 2000 film, Battle Royale, and its subsequent sequel. Though it was nominated for 10 Japanese Academy Awards and was critically praised as being poetically violent, only with the release of Hunger Games is this film series being released officially for the first time in North America. Bootlegs and imports are no longer necessary; now these modern foreign classics can be experienced on high definition Blu-ray.

            The films take place in the near future, where youth has lost all respect for adults. The attendance numbers in schools are down, which causes the government to implement a new law that allows punishment of a randomly selected school. This is the main plot point which makes little sense to me. If they are intending to punish children for not attending school, wouldn’t it be wiser to hunt down those not attending rather than those who still do? It seems that if there is a chance that a school trip will get you killed, it would be a deterrent from school. We join one Jr. High class as they are tricked into a game of Battle Royale, which is led by their former teacher (Takeshi “Beat” Kitano). Each of the students is equipped with an explosive collar, which will detonate if they try to leave the island or if more than one student is remaining at the end of the game. The point of the game is to kill everyone else, pitting an entire class of Jr. High kids against each other. Every student is given a back-pack with food, water and a variety of weapons, ranging from deadly to useless.

            In an interview with Hunger Games director Gary Ross moaned and complained that there was no relevance between comparing his film with Battle Royale. Though he admits to never having read the books by Koushun Takami or the films which followed, Ross was quoted as saying “I promise you, the main character in Battle Royale didn’t end up in a revolution and become a Joan of Arc leading an uprising.” The thing is, the survivors from Battle Royale return in the sequel to lead an uprising and revolution against the games and adults who started it. Ross is not only wrong, but he promises dissimilarities when he also admits not to have read or seen any material from Battle Royale to know anyway. During the production of Battle Royale II in 2003, director Kinjo Fukasaku passed away, leaving his son Kenta to finish the job as director. The sequel has new rules for the fighting 9^th graders, who are now sent in to fight against the leaders of the revolution, instead of against each other. If they can’t kill the revolutionaries, they will die themselves.

            The four-disc collection includes both the theatrical and the extended director’s cut of Battle Royale, each on their own disc. The third disc contains the sequel, with a fourth bonus DVD for over two hours of special features. There are so many special features that it is difficult to know where to begin. It seems easier to list what is missing. There are a number of documentaries which cover the making of the films, as well as a trailer gallery. There is also footage from the press for the film, including festival interviews. More behind-the-scenes footage can be found in the rehearsal footage as well as special effects comparisons. With over two hours of extras to peruse, we have gone from having no Battle Royale to an excess.   

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo DVD review

Starring: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer
Director: David Fincher
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment
DVD Release Date: March 20, 2012
Run Time: 158 minutes

            I can understand why David Fincher would be chosen as the director of a film adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s best-selling thriller. The storyline alone seems fitting the director’s best work, dealing with a series of unsolved murders and relentless investigating. Throw in some sexual deviancy and graphic violence and you have a Fincher film not unlike Seven or Zodiac. The only problem with this adaptation is not the choice of Fincher as the director, but the relevance of a North American film adaptation when one has only recently been made in the book’s home country of Sweden. All three of the novels have already been made, and although I appreciate Fincher’s stylistic choices and musical accompaniment much more than the Swedish version, another adaptation was wholly unnecessary to begin with.

            The film follows a number of rabbit holes as far as a plot is concerned, leading to a climactic sequence which is followed by another twenty-minutes of storyline. The basic storyline involves a forty-year-old missing person’s case, which is believed to be an unsolved murder. Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is hired by the victim’s uncle, Swedish Industrialist Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), who first hires professional hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) to investigate Blomkvist. Both impressed and horrified by the amount of personal information Salander was able to obtain, Blomkvist hires her as a research assistant in the investigation. This unlikely duo uncovers the secrets behind the Vanger family, most of which live together on an island without speaking to each other.

            Though I don’t necessarily recommend this film to anyone other than die hard Fincher fans such as myself, I may recommend it over the Swedish version. This is because of my personal preference to Fincher’s visual style, but even more so due to the spectacular score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Similar to their award-winning work on The Social Network, it is a lot of pulsing and droning which helps fuel the energy of an occasionally anticlimactic suspense thriller.

            The DVD includes a feature commentary track with Fincher, who is always articulate and entertaining in his explanations for filmmaking choices.

The Last Temptation of Christ Blu-ray review

Starring: Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, Harry Dean Stanton, David Bowie
Director: Martin Scorsese
Language: English
Region: Region 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Criterion Collection
Release Date: March 13, 2012
Run Time: 163 minutes

            The controversy surrounding The Last Temptation of Christ now seems more an unbelievable tale of Hollywood folklore than reality, as though the story behind the film were compelling enough to inspire a film of its own. It was a difficult film to sell, and one which was going against the flow of most mainstream cinema in the 1980s. Under the reign of Reagan’s economy and cultural mindset, audiences didn’t want to go to the movies to think anymore. That had passed with the 1970s, and the arrival of the blockbuster for which we owe Steven Spielberg and George Lucas much of the credit. Few serious filmmakers were able to survive in this market without making a blockbuster or two. Martin Scorsese would get there eventually as well, but with the power of his critical praise behind him, he set out to make a passion project of his own.

            The initial attempt to adapt Niko Kazantzakis’ novel was met with fierce resistance from the fundamentalist Christians, forcing the production to shut down a mere two weeks before shooting. This was in 1983, and Aiden Quinn was cast to play Jesus. It wasn’t until 1988 that the production was green lit and finally made, this time with Willem Dafoe cast in the main role. With the completion of the film, the controversy had only just begun. There were protests and flagrant accusations from conservative groups who felt that any type of altering in the biblical text was blasphemous. Regardless of the anger this film caused and the fact that it took fifteen years of work to finally complete, it is actually a rather tame film of honest and thought-provoking spiritual examination.

            The aspect of the storyline which most upset fundamentalist groups was the fact that Jesus (Dafoe) was seen to be more human in this version, given emotions and doubt. He is even given the moments of realization that his purpose might be something greater, and as the title suggests, he is given one last temptation of a life lived in peace and longevity. These images only take up a small portion of the film, though they add layers of humanity to Christ. Otherwise the story is much like many who objected had grown up hearing from the bible. This is not a film meant to question scripture or challenge faith, but a movie which asks questions and investigates faith by humanizing the relationships Jesus had. The relationship with Mary Magdalene (Barbara Hershey) takes on new meaning, as does the role of Judas (Harvey Keitel) in the life of Jesus.

            The Blu-ray includes a restored and director-approved high-definition digital transfer, supervised by cinematographer Michael Ballhaus, Editor Thelma Schoonmaker and sound editor Skip Lievsay. The special features include an audio commentary with Scorsese and Dafoe, along with writers Paul Schrader and Jay Cocks. Also included are galleries of production stills, research materials and costume design. There is also some location production footage which was shot by Scorsese and an interview with composer Peter Gabriel. The insert includes a brief but impassioned essay by film critic David Ehrenstein.

@Suicide Room DVD review

Language: Polish
Subtitles: English
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Wolfe Video
DVD Release Date: March 13, 2012
Run Time: 110 minutes

 

            @Suicide Room teeters on the edge of many stylistic genre films before plummeting into semi-traditional drama and melodrama, no less effective in execution. An official selection at the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival and box-office hit in Poland, @Suicide Room is the latest from critically acclaimed writer/director Jan Komasa. It is a cautionary tale about school bullying and the ostracizing of homosexual teens, within the cybernetic world teens now socially live.

            Over-privileged teen Dominik (Jakub Gierszal) has plenty of friends until his sexuality becomes school gossip. At first a dare kiss turned into an online video is more flattering socially, but when an interaction with a friend turns into online bullying, Dominik escapes into solitude. Refusing to leave his room, Dominik instead spends all of his time in a virtual online world called the “Suicide Room.” Although he is near graduation, Dominik refuses to return to the ridicule of school.

           

            The sequences in which Dominik is lost online are shown through animation, bringing the audience into the virtual world. This world allows for the fantasy of release from the torments of real life, and Dominik is able to meet a follow tortured soul in this world. The saddest part of the film is the damaging ways in which the solitude inevitably takes over Dominik and pushes him over the edge rather than helping him to recover. The DVD includes a trailer.  

The Muppets Blu-ray review

Actors: Chris Cooper, Jason Segel
Language: English
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number of discs: 3
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Release Date: March 20, 2012
Run Time: 103 minutes

 

            I grew up watching “The Muppet Show” and each film which followed, only tapering by the 90s when some of the storylines stretched as far as outer space. By the time the last Muppet movie was made, it seemed that the initial inspiration had been lost. Long gone were even memories of the days when The Muppets were still attached to the variety show which was “The Muppet Show.” The revival film, The Muppets, brings back the variety aspect along with many storylines which are familiar to the first films as well. In short, this is clearly a film made by someone who also grew up watching and loving these unforgettable Jim Henson puppet characters.

            When Jason Segel wrote Forgetting Sarah Marshall, he specifically had Jim Henson’s company in mind for the creation of the puppets used in his musical production within the storyline. They were so impressed with this aspect of the film that Segel had an in to pitch his idea for a new Muppets movie. This is the result; a film in which Segel stars alongside Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, The Muppets and a gang of cameos. The postmodern, self-referential humor is classic Muppets, and even though Segel seems likely to match Big Bird in height, he fits right in with the beloved puppets.

            Segel plays Gary, the brother of a young man named Walter who looks suspiciously like a Muppet rather than a human. When Gary invites Walter along on an anniversary vacation with his girlfriend, Mary (Adams), they end up on a cross-country Muppet adventure. Walter is the world’s biggest Muppet fan, so he is disappointed to find that the Muppet studios are in danger of being destroyed in a search for oil by an evil tycoon (Cooper). In order to save the studio, Walter and Gary help Kermit the Frog round up all of the old gang for one last comeback show. All of the favorites are back, including The Great Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy all the way to Beaker and the chickens, it’s all here, and the Blu-ray combo pack has even more to offer older fans and younger children alike.

            The 3-disc combo pack includes a Blu-ray, a DVD and a digital copy of the film. The digital copy also includes a digital full-length original soundtrack for the film. The DVD includes the film along with the one featurette, “The Longest Blooper Reel Ever Made (In Muppet History—We Think).” This is also included on the Blu-ray, as well as a number of additional features. Among them is the groundbreaking “Disney Intermission” feature, in which the Muppets take over the screen when the film is paused during playback. There is also an extended version of the Tex Richman (Cooper) rap song, explaining his hatred of Muppets. Additional footage also includes eight deleted scenes. Jason Segel also provides a fantastic audio commentary along with director James Brolin and co-writer Nicholas Stoller.

My Week With Marilyn Blu-ray review

Starring: Michelle Williams, Emma Watson, Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Redmayne, Judi Dench
Director: Simon Curtis
Language: English
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: The Weinstein Company
Release Date: March 13, 2012
Run Time: 99 minutes

            This is another year-end performance piece, and it is Academy Award-nominee Michelle Williams who is in the must-watch role as a young Marilyn Monroe during her first trip to London. Anytime a historical person is embodied in a role by a movie star, it seems to be a clear choice for people to judge and often praise. These are the roles which seem to end up on the Best Actor and Best Actress lists, from Margaret Thatcher to J. Edgar Hoover. Williams garnered her third nomination from this true-life portrayal. Kenneth Branagh also received an Academy Award nomination in the supporting role as Sir Laurence Olivier.

            Hollywood is riddled with rumors of the real person behind the celebrity, from TMZ to the countless paparazzi rags littering the newsstands. This has always been the case, if only a change in medium has occurred. During the filming of The Prince and the Showgirl, Colin Clark wrote a memoir about his experience working close to Marilyn Monroe, who was quickly becoming the biggest female movie star alive. Clark saw a different side of her and it became a sensational book, which has now been adapted into a fascinating film.

            It seems to be the year for nostalgia, films about filmmaking. From Best Picture winner The Artist to Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, this was the focus of most acclaimed films of 2011. My Week with Marilyn focuses on the difficulties on set of The Prince and the Showgirl, many having to do with Olivier’s impatience with Monroe’s insecurities and process of working. She arrives in London with her husband at the time, Arthur Miller, though this marriage dissolves quickly enough for Marilyn to begin a flirtatious relationship with 23-year-old Third Assistant Director Clark (Eddie Redmayne). This is discouraged by everyone involved in the production, to no avail.

            The Blu-ray combo pack comes with a DVD copy, both with a feature commentary track by director Simon Curtis and a featurette about Monroe.            

           

The Three Musketeers Blu-ray review

Starring: Orlando Bloom, Logan Lerman, Milla Jovovich
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Release Date: March 13, 2012
Run Time: 110 minutes

            It was only in the 1990s that Alexander Dumas’ swashbuckling heroes were last brought to screen, and many times in the decades before that as well. The difference this time is the integration of 3D into the action, making for a more explosive and spectacle-enhanced version of the classic. It has an element of camp to it as well, which doesn’t help as much as set it apart from the past adaptations.

            Logan Lerman from Percy Jackson & the Olympians heads up the cast as the cocky young D’Artagnan, son of a Musketeer and determined to become one himself. The king is instead surrounded by the Cardinal’s guards, headed up by a particularly brutal commander (Christopher Waltz). This is the man D’Artagnan first encounters, and he ends up insulting the three remaining Musketeers in his pursuit of justice. This is how he ends up befriending Athos (Matthew Macfadyen), Porthos (Ray Stevenson) and Aramis (Luke Evans).

            These four are all that stands in the way of an evil plan to bring down the king, led by the wiles of a wicked woman (Milla Jovovich) and her partner (Orlando Bloom). This is done with impressive acrobatics and the invention of a war ship which flies through the air instead of through the sea. The film ends in a climactic sequence in which two airborne war ships do battle, shooting cannons at each other. One must wonder why neither thinks to shoot up and merely hit the hot air balloon holding the whole contraption in the air.

            Logic is lost in the action and spectacle of the new The Three Musketeers, and all sense of literature gives way to simple storytelling. Even with the spectacular cast of actors, the nuances are lost in the fast-paced action. It does look and sound rather spectacular on high definition Blu-ray, however. The special feature also include an audio commentary with director Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil), deleted and extended scenes, cast and crew stories and a 17^th century action featurette. Exclusive to the Blu-ray disc is an interactive viewing experience which allows you to investigate the production aspects.

Game of Thrones DVD review

Starring: Harry Lloyd, Mark Addy, Alfie Allen, Sean Bean, Peter Dinklage
Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Subtitles: Chinese, English, French, Korean, Spanish
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number of discs: 5
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: HBO Studios
DVD Release Date: March 6, 2012
Run Time: 561 minutes

            HBO made a grab for the reigning title of television this past year, desperate to get back to the top where they remained for so many years before AMC started making original programming. Prior to “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad,” it always seemed to be HBO getting the attention and acclaim. Now with “Boardwalk Empire” and “Game of Thrones,” there are strong indications of a push for better television. Both of these series were highly successful in this endeavor.

            “Game of Thrones” is an elaborate and well executed medieval fantasy series, based on the best-selling book, A Song of Ice and Fire, written by R.R. Martin. From costumes to set pieces, it seems no expenses were spared in creating the fantasy world of “Game of Thrones.” It is a world in which the weather can stay the same for decades and brutally skilled creatures are in the forests. But this all falls secondary to the familiar politics over control of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.

            As the royal family members are shaken by betrayal and deceit in an ambitious reach for the Iron Throne, there are also supernatural forces taking place. The series is filled with many unexpectedly violent moments, amidst a solid storyline with well cast actors. This cast is headed up by Sean Bean as the patriarchal figure, Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark. The cast also includes Peter Dinklage, who won a Best Supporting Actor Emmy for his performance.

            The DVD release of season one includes a complete guide to Westeros, which is an interactive compendium of the noble houses, making the storyline much easier to follow. There is also a generic 30-minute making-of featurette and character profiles for fifteen of the essential roles and the actors who play them. Additional features cover the construction of the title sequence and the many aspects adapted from the book, from the Dothraki language to the patrol of men along the 700 foot ice wall. There are also audio commentaries on seven of the ten episodes that make up season one.

High Road Blu-ray review

Starring: Ed Helms, Lizzy Caplan, James Pumphrey, Rob Riggle, Horatio Sanz
Director: Matt Walsh
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Millennium Media
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Run Time: 87 minutes

            Here comes yet another comedy with marijuana influencing the story and the sense of humor, though this one fits in the category of comedies which utilize weed as a pun in the title in such a way that implies far more drug use than actually exists. That’s right; a road-trip buddy comedy called High Road has a road trip in which absolutely no drugs are smoked. This deception alone will upset the target audience for a film such as this and it doesn’t even matter if the gimmick of a fully improvised feature film is successful or not.

            The film follows an underachiever named Glenn Fitzgerald (James F. Pumphrey), whose sole ambitions in life seem to be getting high and playing in his unsuccessful band. When they other band members (Zach Woods, Matt L. Jones, Lizzy Caplan) depart to pursue other goals, he is left with his attractive girlfriend, Monica (Abby Elliot), and morning bonding sessions with a 16-year old neighborhood kid named Jimmy (Dylan O’Brien). Glenn has no job and only sells weed for income. This fact somehow goes unnoticed by Monica until he becomes paranoid that the cops will arrest him after a large drug sale and flees town, taking Jimmy with him.

           

            Co-founder of the world-renowned comedy troupe Upright Citizens Brigade, Matt Walsh directs the free-flowing comedy of High Road. The result is low budget and low laughs. There are a few humorous lines and moments within the imagined screenplay, though they are often too spread out within the scene and film to help with the chaotic rhythms in the comedy. Part of the problem with the chaos seems to stem from the improvisation. With everyone trying to improvise the most humorous lines and a cast full of recognizable faces, there is a neediness in most of the performances which is difficult to watch.

             The Blu-ray includes interviews with the cast and crew.

           

Blade of Kings Blu-ray review

Starring: Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen, Bingbing Fan, Edison Chen, Jaycee Chan
Directors: Patrick Leung, Corey Yuen
Language: Chinese
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number of discs: 2
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Well Go USA Inc
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Run Time: 106 minutes

            This movie was awful, just offensively bad. The only moment worth mentioning is a fight sequence between Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan, which seems to hold at least a third of the entire budget for the film. Most of the bad effects are so awfully digitally rendered that they look like special effects for television look good. It is sub-par work, in a film with an awful fantasy concept better suited for a B-film.

            Taking place in an ancient land ruled by women and led by a cruel and heartless empress (Qu Ying), where men are subservient and slave-like in every regard. Her chief eunuch, Chiu Ngai (Daniel Wu), warns the empress that there is a prophecy which claims a man will rise up with the Excalibur sword and take control back for the men. All of the warlords and soldiers are sent to prevent this from happening, while the man who will make it possible is clueless still.

            Charcoal Head (Jaycee Chan) and his brother Blockhead (Chen Po-lin) perform in a traveling show until they find themselves in possession of a mysterious stone treasure map. On their journey for riches, these two cross paths with two female warriors, Blue Bird (Gillian Chung) and 13^th Young Master (Charlene Choi). These four are joined by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Donnie Yen) and all make a plan to destroy the evil empress.

            The effects are poor, the acting is sub-par and even the action has a great deal to be desired. The only reason for watching this film is a single fight sequence between two iconic action stars. Blade of Kings is otherwise easily dismissible. The Blu-ray special features include a making-of featurette and trailers.

Wyatt Earp’s Revenge DVD review

Starring: Val Kilmer, Shawn Roberts, Matt Dallas, Daniel Booko, Scott Whyte
Director: Michael Feifer
Language: English
Subtitles: Chinese, English, Korean 
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: March 6, 2012
Run Time: 93 minutes

            Another poorly constructed western makes its way onto home video, with little more than a whimper before dying on the shelves among so many others. Wyatt Earp’s Revenge only has a small role played by Val Kilmer to help it stand out amongst the rest of the poorly made westerns on home video.

            Kilmer barely appears as an older Wyatt Earp, reflecting to a young man about his past and an early moment when he assembled a posse to avenge the death of a woman he loved. Following the culprits on a murder spree from Dodge City to Mexico, Wyatt Earp and his crew of lawmen hunt the men responsible down. There is plenty of average action, though plenty more of the sub-par acting.

            Starring Shawn Roberts (Resident Evil franchise) and country music artist Trace Adkins (The Lincoln Lawyer), it is not surprising to see Val Kilmer pushed into the credits. With his role as Doc Holiday in Tombstone, he will always find work in a western, just like Robert Englund could always find something in the horror genre.

            The DVD special features include a “Riding Along with Wyatt Earp” featurette.

           

           

Jack and Jill Blu-ray review

Starring: Adam Sandler, Al Pacino
Language: English
Subtitles: English, French
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Run Time: 91 minutes

            Some movies are so bad that they must be analyzed and examined. It seems imperative to the intelligence of humanity to discover what went so terribly wrong and take every precaution to prevent it from occurring again. Happy Madison productions have gotten quite lazy over the last few years, though Jack and Jill sinks to new levels of low. Nearly everyone involved only seems to be halfway committed to their roles, almost knowing how ridiculous the whole concept is from the start. If I put as much effort into this review as they did the film, I would have no need to write further.

            If possible, the person who seems to be least committed to the concept is Adam Sandler. This is the poison which spreads throughout the entire film, because Sandler is in the two largest roles of the film. As Jack Sadelstein, Sandler is dialing in the frustrated family man routine. The manner in which the film’s screenplay is written never fully explains his anger properly, making him an unlikable protagonist. His attitude is mostly directed at his visiting twin sister, Jill (Sandler in drag). This performance is a lazy and irreverent portrayal of a tough woman from the Bronx. Mostly he just gives her a speech impediment and a slightly higher octave than Jack.

            Besides being bad, the story for Jack and Jill just gets weird. Al Pacino has once again sold out to make any film that he is wanted for, but his odd addition to the film adds more carnage to the train wreck. Pacino plays himself, and throughout the course of the film Jack is trying to get him to make a Starbucks commercial. Pacino is more interested in dating Jill. These are the unbelievable and ridiculous moments that make up the otherwise easily predictable storyline that is Jack and Jill. Oh yes, and Katie Holmes is useless thrown into the cast as Jack’s wife.

            The Blu-ray includes exclusive featurettes, including the one on the Royal Caribbean cruise, which is featured like a commercial during a portion of the film. Also included are some deleted scenes which are even less humorous than the film, a blooper reel which is mildly funny at moments, and two additional featurettes. The better of the two is about the film’s more impressive cameos, whereas the other is just about the cross-dressing storyline. 

Monty Python and the Holy Grail Blu-ray review

Starring: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle
Director: Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam
Language: English
Subtitles: Chinese, English, Korean, Spanish
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Run Time: 91 minutes

 

            This is the Monty Python at its best. Everyone who has seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail has their favorite moments, and there are a great many to choose from. Packed with more off-beat humor than seems possible, this film is endlessly bounding from one gag to the next. There is hardly a moment’s rest from all the laughter in this brilliant film from Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, not to mention the rest of the Monty Python gang.

            Gilliam and Jones took the job of directing the film, but all of the humor is owed to the entire troop of talented writers and performers that also include Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle and Michael Palin. The group was already known for irreverent humor, but this film would skyrocket that success. The story follows King Arthur and his knights on a search for the Holy Grail, making for one of the few medieval comedies to work. David Gordon Green should have taken note before making Your Highness.

            From killer rabbits to coconuts, Monty Python and the Holy Grail has never looked more spectacular than it does on high definition Blu-ray. More importantly, however, is the amount of material which is fit onto this concise disc. The larger DVD special edition box sets used much more space to essentially include the same. There are also a few features that are exclusive to this Blu-ray disc. There is a second-screen viewing experience for the film’s playback, and a number of deleted scenes and animation sequences, with introductions by Gilliam and Jones.

The Human Centipede 2 Blu-ray review

            The Human Centipede was a horrendous little horror film which was based entirely on a premise of medical accuracy. It was vulgar and disgusting in many ways, though there was an element of professionalism carried out by the mad scientist at the center of the film. The sequel pushes the boundaries in another direction, replacing mad scientist with simply mad. There is little brilliance and much more instability, and medical accuracy has flown out of the storyline entirely.

            The manner in which the storyline from the original is continued is quite clever, although there are so many unnecessary and inappropriate boundaries pushed in this sequel that it overshadows positive or clever qualities. The Human Centipede was about a mad German scientist, Dr. Heiter, who was obsessed with a medical experiment connecting the digestive track of three human beings. The Human Centipede 2 is about a man obsessed with the film, determined to make his own full sequence human centipede.

            Martin (Lawrence R. Harvey) is a parking garage security guard with mother issues and an unhealthy obsession with one particular horror film. We join Martin amidst his silent planning for his own experiment. The reason it is silent is because Martin never speaks throughout the film, which is a stark change from the medical lectures of Dr. Heiter. Instead, Martin just grunts and groans. He makes farting noises.

The silence in interesting and impressive, but the restraint in dialogue is expended in the other elements of the film, from foul feces sequences to a graphic rape. Most is done in absolute bad taste. Even the classier elements of the film are eventually fouled. For example, this time around the film is shot nearly entirely in black and white cinematography. I say almost entirely, because filmmaker Tom Six somehow saw it necessary to make the feces spurting from the victims to be one of the only colorized objects in the film.   

The Blu-ray includes an interview with Six, along with a commentary that has the director and his star, Harvey. There are three other small featurettes and some deleted scenes. The marketing material makes up a large portion of the special features. This film was promoted and pushed on audiences, though I have pity on anyone enduring this graphic and tasteless unrated director’s cut.

Starring: Laurence Harvey, Ashlynn Yennie, Maddi Black
Director: Tom Six
Format: Widescreen
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1 
Rated: Unrated
Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
Release Date: February 14, 2012
Run Time: 91 minutes

Rabies DVD review

Starring: Ania Bukstein, Lior Ashkenazi, Danny Geva
Directors: Aharon Keshales, Navot Papushado
Language: Hebrew
Subtitles: English
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Rated: Unrated
Studio: IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
DVD Release Date: February 28, 2012
Run Time: 93 minutes

            In many ways Rabies appears to be a slasher film of the most generic sorts. A group of attractive co-eds get lost in the woods and stumble across a psychotic hunter’s many traps. One of which entraps the sister of a man named Ofer (Henry David), who wanders wounded from the forest begging for assistance. What makes this Hebrew horror film so innovative is the fact that the man who sets all of the violence in action disappears before long. The remainder of the film pits each of the victims against each other.

            There are plenty of reasons for these characters to fight with each other. There is a love square between two guys, a lesbian and an attractive young blonde. There is a sexually assaulting police officer, and another who is having romantic problems. Each of these characters have reasons to fight with each other, but their reactions become far more extreme than normal when in the woods. They also must beware of random traps that are set in the woods, from hunting snares to land mines.

            The inexplicable nature of the violence is part of the charm, adding shock value back to the slasher film where it long since vanished. After the 80s it seemed easy to predict killers and their motives, but Rabies makes the whole endeavor seem much more random. The effects are also quite innovative, especially in the practical use rather than computer generated nonsense.

           

The DVD has no real special features to speak of. 

The BBC Natural History Collection Review

It only takes one hit in any subject and suddenly a subject can become a pop culture phenomenon. It may sound strange to refer to a nature program as pop culture, but there seems no more fitting description for Planet Earth. Watched by everyone, young and old, stoned or sober, Planet Earth became a remarkable success because of the images alone, and as audiences sat mesmerized by what the high definition cameras had captured knowledge easily pours in like medicine disguised with a cup full of sugar. It also isn’t entirely fair to call Planet Earth a sudden subject, as it was a large undertaking to make this remarkably detailed series, but it is important to acknowledge how significant it has managed to become. Since Planet Earth’s success there has been the follow-up Blue Planet, as well as a newfound discovery of many other nature programs hosted by David Attenborough. This set contains four of such programs, including Planet Earth, The Blue Planet, The Life of Mammals and The Life of Birds.

Planet Earth

Planet Earth quite literally changed how we saw the world, or at least the way we watched nature programs. Planet Earth takes a high-definition camera into the strangest and most secluded parts of wildlife and wilderness whether using a hot-air balloon, helicopter or crane to approach animals in ways that has never been done before. Nearly every episode we are informed that this is the first time something has been witness, captured on film, or both. Extensive missions are needed in order to catch some of these animals, including an incredible and dedicated mission to see a Snow Leopard in the wild. The time it took to find one is amazing, and this is shown as all of the fascinating behind-the-scenes information is given; at the end of each episode. With the Planet Earth Diary segment giving a behind-the scenes look at the amazing footage, special features are irrelevant. This is a definitive set that will be shown to our children, and possibly their children if something better is planned soon. The undertaking of this program alone is monumentally impressive and the footage is breathtaking and remarkable. The special edition is featured in this collection, which adds an extra disc and more footage.

The Blue Planet

Boasting the same producers as Planet Earth, as well as the familiar narrator David Attenborough, The Blue Planet fails to mention that the missing element is the incredible equipment used in Planet Earth. This doesn’t mean that the footage isn’t still remarkable, but it is remarkable how much the visuals can affect how engaging the program is. The show is also hit-and-miss, but this just may be my own claustrophobic feelings about the deep ocean. Although I found each episode entertaining, the moments above the water were often too brief to keep me wanting more. This is my own personal bias, but I will say that I sincerely found The Blue Planet to be far better produced than the two remaining sets in the box.

The Life of Mammals

If anything keeps this series interesting it is the focused ways they choose to look at mammals each episode. For instance, there is an episode entirely looking at the mammals that eat insects. Another looks at the plant eaters while another takes the meat eaters, but the distinction is not only by food choice, but by location as well. There is also time to take a look at the human connection, examining animals that have human qualities, and even looking at humans. There are ten episodes on four discs.

The Life of Birds

Birds aren’t quite as varied as mammals, allowing for a much closer look at the way that they work. Each episode looks specifically at aspects that distinguish them all, including flight (or non-flight), different ways of feeding, and the eggs that must be protected. The episodes use some graphics to show past estimations, which is somewhat cheesy and off-putting, but the information behind the stiff filmmaking is mostly interesting.

Format: Box set, Color, DVD, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Number of discs: 18
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: BBC Warner
DVD Release Date: March 27, 2012
Run Time: 2022 minutes