The Divide Blu-ray review

            There are some moments of unnecessary melodrama that mostly contains a maddening amount of shouting, but the overall concept and execution of The Divide is spectacular. With all of the post-apocalyptic visions in recent cinema, The Divide takes a unique approach which is able to simplify the vision in a claustrophobic manner. Survivors of an unexpected nuclear attack by an unknown enemy are forced to barricade themselves in the basement of an apartment building in hopes of surviving.

            Some of what happens in the basement over time is rather predictable for anyone with a little bit of an imagination or previous viewing experience with post-apocalyptic films. Amidst this expected moments, however, are some shockingly unique and unexpected sequences. Even more fascinating is the film’s unwillingness to commit to any one genre. While it has elements of horror and suspense along with drama and melodrama, there is also a little bit of science fiction and action thrown into the mix. All that is really missing is humor. At just over two hours, this is a grueling viewing experience which may be too intense for some. Genre fans owe it to themselves to see this film, though it is just short of spectacular.

            There are nine strangers trapped in the basement together. They are both fortunate and unfortunate enough to have a resident superintendent living in the basement, who just happens to be an apocalypse fanatic. He has the basement stocked with food and water, though the provisions were meant for him and not all of his guests. The reality of having to share his supplies with ungrateful tenants unnerves him, causing problems with some of the more riled up survivors. Milo Ventimiglia (“Heroes”) is especially frightening in the transformation as time passes within the basement.

            The Blu-ray includes an audio commentary with director Xavier Gens, as well as actors Michael Beihn, Michael Eklund and Milo Ventimiglia. There is also a trailer, though the highlight is simply having this visual spectacle in high definition.

The Terror Experiment Blu-ray review

            The Terror Experiment is beyond just being bad. It is nearly so awful, so depraved of every single element of common-sense filmmaking, it almost becomes enjoyable. Almost. Not quite. Instead of making me laugh at the poor production values, the terrible script and the atrocious acting, I was simply cringing through the entire 82 minutes of embarrassment.

            I don’t mean to be cruel. I watch a lot of bad films. I’ve seen so many that I am almost surprised when a movie is actually good, especially in the horror genre. The Terror Experiment doesn’t even qualify as mildly amusing. It is an unoriginal concept with an offensively sloppy execution.

            When a deranged man sets off a biological weapon in a federal building, a group of strangers are forced to stick together in order to survive. This doesn’t work well and eventually they all seem to turn against each other anyway. There are also the victims of the biological weapon, which turns humans into violent zombie-like creatures fueled with pure aggression. The outside of the building is quarantined off and the survivors are forced to fend for themselves within the building.

            There are no special effects are make-up effects within The Terror Experiment which would warrant a high definition presentation. The Blu-ray is an unnecessary upgrade for a film like this. The special features include an audio commentary by executive producer /director George Mendeluk.

The Wicker Tree Blu-ray review

            The Wicker Man is on the BFI’s list of the top 100 British films. A film like that should not be touched or messed with, which is why I found the Nicholas Cage remake to be unnecessary. The Wicker Tree makes that remake look like a masterpiece. Original writer/director Robin Hardy returns to the subject, though this has only tarnished the image of the original. Even a guest appearance by The Wicker Man star Christopher Lee is unable to save this mess of a film.

            Part of the problem with this return to the same subject matter is that it can never live up to the shocking nature of the original. We already know from the very beginning that all of the villagers we meet are actually insane members of a pagan cult. This time it is a naïve young couple from Texas who are pulled into a ridiculous new ceremony in a rural Scottish community.

            The couple (played by Brittania Nicol and Henry Garrett) are on an odd missionary trip, attempting to spread the word of the Lord to the Scottish people. Apparently they have not heard of Christianity yet. She is a former sex-object teen pop star, turned born-again Christian artist. This seems like an odd choice for a person to kidnap and kill, but we are asked to accept this major plot hole from the very beginning.

            The Blu-ray offers very little excitement to an already unimpressive film. There is a making-of featurette as well as some deleted scenes and a trailer. The high definition is not altogether forgiving on the shoddy filmmaking, from the special effects to the simple production values. The only reason for the high definition seems to be in order to see the copious amounts of flesh as clearly as possible.

Let the Bullets Fly Blu-ray review

            Let the Bullets Fly is full of bullet ballet moments which seem inspired by a John Woo film, though it also has a plot that is worthy of a classic western and some slapstick which is often oddly closest to films like Kung-Fu Hustle. Not all of these elements always line up smoothly within the film, but individually there are some great sequences. The storyline is what truly makes the movie engaging, playing out like a chess game between two violent men.

            Legendary bandit Pocky Zhang (Jiang Wen) and his numbered gang members attempt to make easy money with train robberies. When they attack a carriage holding a con man governor (Ge You), Zhang is given the opportunity to make a great deal more money with a scheme. They enter the town as Goose Town as governor, but find that the town is under the iron fist of Master Huang (Chow Yun-Fat). Huang is rich and ruthless, soon giving Zhang reasons beyond money to destroy him. These two brilliant and violent men go to battle against each other passively, manipulating and maneuvering in secret until the final blowout.

            There is plenty of action in Let the Bullets Fly, but the focus remains much more on the maneuvering of the two men than it does gunplay. There is far less spectacle than I was expecting, and fans of gun films may find themselves a bit disappointed in that respect. Fortunately, there are enough other strong elements to make up for the minimal gunplay within a film with bullets in the title.

            The high definition does look spectacular, as the film has great production values even with less action than hoped for. The special features are lacking, however, including only trailers and an English Language track for those too lazy to read subtitles.

War Horse Blu-ray review

Actors: Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writers: Lee Hall, Michael Morpurgo, Richard Curtis

Producers: Adam Somner, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, Revel Guest

Language: English

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 4

Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: Touchstone / Disney

Release Date: April 3, 2012

Run Time: 146 minutes

            I was right there alongside the title horse, captivated from opening frame to the close of the film. It wasn’t until the lights came up in the theater that I had the distinct feeling that I had been manipulated by the best. Steven Spielberg knows how to speak to audiences; he is a master at drawing the chosen feelings from his audience members. The problem with this effective method in the case of War Horse is the point behind it. We can all understand the point of a difficult film like Schindler’s List or even Saving Private Ryan, just like we can understand the viewing enjoyment of E.T. or Jaws. But where does War Horse fit in? It has little to say about war beyond the abuse of animals, and there is little enjoyment to be found with so much abuse to the animals dominating the storyline.

            Although there are human characters within the storyline, the only constant throughout the film is the silent protagonist. This horse is first bought by a farmer, despite being better suited for a more luxurious lifestyle as the horse of a rich man. The initial friendship between a young man and this horse sets the backdrop for the remainder of the film, during which the horse is put through dreadful scenario after another in the battles of World War I. The horse’s name is Joey initially, but he changes owners so often throughout the war that names become insignificant.

            War Horse is based on the Tony award-winning Broadway play, fully realized in the cinematic mind of Spielberg. There are some magnificently sweeping moments of cinematography which make it difficult to imagine this story onstage. Then there is the overwhelmingly manipulative melodrama which appears inexplicably at every turn of the film’s storyline. This would be much easier to accept in theater, where a certain level of disbelief suspension is required to begin with.

National Lampoon's The Legend of Awesomest Maximus

Actors: Will Sasso, Ian Ziering, Kristanna Loken, Sophie Monk, Tony Cox

Director: Jeff Kanew

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT

Release Date: March 20, 2012

Run Time: 91 minutes

            I laughed more during Immortals than I did watching the epic spoof, The Legend of Awesomest Maximus. What’s more, the films which are spoofed in the latest lazy entry from the National Lampoon gang are all old enough to no longer seem relevant. There are no Immortals jokes, but instead the most recent film to be poked fun of is 300, which much of the film instead focusing on Troy and Gladiator for inspiration.

            General Awesomest Maximus (Will Sasso) is destined to be great, so he has turned into a slacker in the kingdom of Horny King Looney of Troy (Rip Torn). The overall incompetence leads to a rivalry with King Erotic of Greece when Prince Orlando steals the King’s wife, Ellen (Sophie Monk). The great warrior Testiclees (Ian Ziering) is sent after them to retrieve Ellen and glory, while General Awesomest Maximus must prepare for his destiny.

            The Legend of Awesomest Maximus is directed by Jess Kanew, best known for Revenge of the Nerds. There have certainly been worse spoof films in the recent past, but just because this film is better than Epic Movie doesn’t make it anywhere near the quality I would be comfortable recommending. Then again, I can’t remember the last spoof which I found deserving of praise, so I suppose this could just be a genre I could do without. Too bad we have passed the days of Naked Gun and Airplane.

           

The Iron Lady Blu-ray review

Actors: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent

Director: Phyllida Lloyd

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: The Weinstein Company

Release Date: April 10, 2012

Run Time: 105 minutes

            Margaret Thatcher is one of the most controversial figures in recent British politics, a UK equivalent to Ronald Reagan by many accounts. She made many decisions which were highly questionable, and yet the biopic about her has been limited to the controversy over her being female and the relationship she had with her husband, Denis (Jim Broadbent). These gender-based themes are only making more out of the fact that she was female than the effect that she had on the country. While it is true that she was the first and only female Prime Minister, Thatcher’s politics speak far more volumes than her sex.

           

            Along with gender issues, The Iron Lady seems more than anything else determined to showcase Meryl Streep’s acting abilities. We all know that Streep can act. This was her third Academy-Award-winning performance, but she has been nominated for many more. We have all seen that Streep can act; now I would like to see her in some movies which show more than just that. The showcasing of her abilities seems to overshadow plot or direction in filmmaking for The Iron Lady.

            Director Phyllida Lloyd’s first feature was Mamma Mia! This wasn’t a particularly high point in Streep’s career, but apparently they built enough of a relationship during that project to recommit for this one. I’m sure it sounded good on paper, but the film lacks any direction whatsoever. With a political figure who inspires strong opinions in everyone who was around to experience her unprecedented three terms, it is surprising to find that Lloyd and screenwriter Abi Morgan seem to have nothing clear to say about Thatcher or her politics.

            The Blu-ray includes a making up featurette, as well as four bonus featurettes about everything from costuming to Thatcher’s husband, Denis. The combo pack includes a Blu-ray disc, a DVD and a digital copy of the film.

Splintered Blu-ray review

Actors: Stephen Walters, Holly Weston, Sacha Dhawan, Jonathan Readwin

Director: Simeon Halligan

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: March 20, 2012

Run Time: 85 minutes

            Splintered is just another one of those awful horror films attempting to latch on to the rise in popularity in the genre. For every successful mainstream vampire movie, we have two dozen straight to home entertainment. With Splintered it is the werewolf film which has been unnecessarily pillaged, and it is being done by UK director Simeon Halligan.

            Splintered begins like so many other horror films, with a group of teens traveling to the woods for a weekend trip. Troubled Sophie (Holly Weston) is convinced that there is a beast lurking in the wilderness, one which is half human and half man. They bring a camera in hopes of discovering the legend, but instead find themselves hunted down one-by-one. There are few surprises within the film, except for how slowly it moves at times.

            There is some action and some suspense, but a surprisingly small amount of scares for a horror film. While there are moments of expected violence and gore, it is so slow in reaching these moments that they are hardly as effective once they arrive. The Blu-ray high definition also does little for the unimpressive cinematography and effects. The special features include a behind-the-scenes featurette, as well as deleted scenes and a trailer.

In the Land of Blood and Honey Blu-ray review

Actors: Zana Marjanovic, Goran Kostic, Rade Serbedzija, Nikola Djuricko, Goran Jevtic
Director: Angelina Jolie
Writer: Angelina Jolie
Producers: Angelina Jolie, Graham King, Holly Goline, Simon Crane, Tim Headington
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number of discs: 2
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: March 27, 2012

            It is no surprise to find Angelina Jolie’s writer/director debut to come in the form of a message film, and the horrible sexual crimes committed by the Serbians during the Bosnian War is as good of a subject as any. This aspect of the film would have been uncomfortable and unpleasant enough, but the odd addition of a star-crossed lover’s storyline is unbearably abysmal by the film’s close. There is enough fact within the film to retain a valuable message, despite the fact that Jolie’s storytelling disturbs me.

            Before the beginning of the war, Ajla (Zana Marjanovic) was just a simple Muslim artist and Danijel (Goran Kostic) was a Serb police officer. With the beginning of the Bosnian War, this all changed. However conveniently, Danijel turns out to be the son of a high ranking military leader in the surge against the Muslim people. This prevents him from rebelling entirely for his love, but he does all that he can to protect her just the same. At a certain point, however, she appears more of a sex slave than a lover.

            The storyline itself is rather absurd, despite being set in a backdrop of very real events. Instead of facts, we are forced to endure poor melodrama between a few insignificant characters. This has moments of success, mostly due to good acting, though the film often lacks any direction. There are also many technical errors in the construction of the film which will bother all but the most ignorant viewers, who should not be watching this film anyway. Suffering during war has been minimized to horribly explicit sequences of rape. The Blu-ray offers them all in high definition.

            The special features include a making-of featurette, and deleted scenes. The film was shot in Hungary because of the controversial views within the somewhat one-sided film. Exclusive to the Blu-ray is also a Q&A with Jolie and actress Vanessa Glodjo.

           

Corman’s World Blu-ray review

Directors: Alex Stapleton

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: ANCHOR BAY

Release Date: March 27, 2012

Run Time: 89 minutes

            Roger Corman is a name synonymous with the B-films, the drive in disaster films which often featured creatures and bikini clad women. As the rating system was administered this turned into gore and nudity, as this unique filmmaker learned a way to make money off of bad filmmaking. This trick came in the form of genre pictures, which were made mainstream and big budget with the Blockbuster’s arrival in the late 70s and early 80s. Roger Corman was ahead of his time, often starting the career of many great actors and filmmakers, from Martin Scorsese to Jack Nicholson.

            These and many more are here to give commentary on the man behind 60 years of filmmaking. Working as a writer, director, producer and any other job which would save on money if he did it himself, Corman once made 10 films in a single year. He was able to turn a profit on nearly everything he made, and continues to make films to this day. Director Alex Stapleton mixes together interviews with icons who worked with Corman along with archival footage and appropriate clips from some of the better (and worse) films.

            Like a typical Roger Corman film, this documentary moves fast and wastes no time. It jumps through Corman’s career with the speed of solid entertainment. Most of the people being interviewed seem to be having so much fun talking about the legendary filmmaker that it becomes contagiously enjoyable to watch. The exception is Scorsese, who seems a bit too scholarly for this type of interview. It would have been nice if they had been able to get him to lighten up a bit more.

            The Blu-ray includes a few bonus features, such as extended interviews from the film and a special message to Roger. There is also a trailer.

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.