How to Spend $20
By Les Winan
November 2, 2004
Taking a look ahead at the week's DVD releases is always dicey for your wallet. Nearly every week, there's a disc that would fit nicely into any size collection. When it comes time to decide what to buy, there are really two determining factors: how much you love the content and the quality of the extra features on the disc.
As a result, decisions will be totally subjective (I bought the full run of the unjustly canceled ABC dramedy Sports Night, no matter that the discs are featureless, The Criterion Collection edition of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a disc I had been dreaming of for years). The massive unreleased studio (film and television) back-catalogue means that every week there's likely something for every film fan.
More important than buying any of these DVDs is something that everyone should do today: vote. I won’t use this space to make any specific endorsement, I just ask that you all go out and vote. Here are a few good reasons why you should:
-Voting is one of your constitutional rights
-Otherwise, you really can’t complain about the outcome
-To not vote is to not take responsibility for the future
-Everyone should stand in a long line with their neighbors at least once!
-Kerry, Bush or other, you’ll find a candidate ideologically similar to you
-Even two hours in line is worth choosing who will lead for four years
-Republicans and Democrats both want you to vote, despite what the media says
-Really, your vote does count
-You have the right, exercise it
Now, back to the other major business at hand…it’s time for this week’s list of new DVDs. An Orwell adaptation, Dr. Strangelove and the third season of The West Wing all released on Election Day? The DVD scheduling gods DO have a sense of humor! Actually, the scheduling gods aren’t the only ones with a sense of humor, as movie studios go fishing for suckers on what seems to be the unofficial “get screwed by the man day” at your local electronics superstore.
For people who want to get mildly screwed: Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Special Edition) (Widescreen) (1982)
The first of the three releases out this week designed to screw over fans, Fast Times at Ridgemont High’s “Special Edition” is in no way special. At least not any more special than the last release of the film on DVD, which had, wait for it…the exact same features. If you’re still going to run out and get this disc, you’ll get to partake in the audio commentary with director Amy Heckerling and screenwriter Cameron Crowe and two featurettes.
For people who want to get moderately screwed: Pirates of the Caribbean (3-Disc Special Edition) (2003)
When the reason for a new edition of a previously released DVD is “a third disc of eight never-before-seen features!”, you know you’re in trouble. Of course, if the eight never-before-seen features all involve Keira Knightly in various states of undress, well, then that’s a different story. However, if that were the case, we would have heard about it by now. As it is, unless Pirates of the Caribbean is your all-time favorite movie AND you don’t already own the film on DVD, don’t bother to go out and get this “new” edition.
For people who want to get really screwed: Dazed and Confused (Widescreen Flashback Edition) (1993)
The biggest crime of the day is the sad treatment of Dazed and Confused on DVD. Previously relegated to a feature-less one disc edition, the DVD is being re-released as the “Flashback Party Edition”, which features the following: nine deleted scenes; production notes; retro public service announcements; and a featurette. Where are the audio commentaries with the cast and crew? Given the film’s status as the American Graffiti of the '90s, wouldn’t it be fascinating to hear an audio commentary from some of those with careers launched by Dazed and Confused? Just imagine the involved cast drinking beer and talking about the film: Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Matthew McConaughy, Renee Zelwegger, Cole Hauser, Milla Jovovich, Joey Lauren Adams, Adam Goldberg, Wiley Wiggins and Kicky Katt. Add that to a commentary with writer/director Richard Linklater and you have a DVD actually worth buying. But don’t look too hard, it doesn’t exist.
For people who want to watch a bad movie: Around the World in 80 Days (Widescreen) (2004)
I only include this because one of the features is the “never-before-seen director's alternate beginning”, which begs the question: if there was a “never-before-seen director’s alternate movie”, would it be any better?
For people interested in what the next four years could be like: Dr. Strangelove (40th Anniversary Edition) (1964)
I keep looking for signs that Peter Sellers is participating in the current electoral process, but alas, it’s real. Dr. Strangelove’s third different DVD release is in honor of the Kubrick classic’s 40th anniversary. Why am I not bashing the multiple versions of the film? First and foremost, it actually has new and different features. Second, it’s Dr. Strangelove. But most importantly: new and different features. Included on the disc are a new documentary including interviews with Bob Woodward, Robert McNamara, Roger Ebert, and Spike Lee; an interview with McNamara; a collectible scrapbook with original production photos and an essay written by Roger Ebert; multiple featurettes; an original with Sellers and George C. Scott; a gallery of advertising from the original release and a variety of other features. It’s a great package that makes up for the multiple releases.
For people who want to feel good about themselves, no matter what they look like (and other oversimplified, trite ideas): Shrek 2 (2004)
Cutting edge as ever, the most “exciting” feature on this disc is a Shrek version of American Idol. As I didn’t care for the first film and am one of approximately 12 Americans who didn’t see this one, clearly I’m missing something about the appeal of the film. Is it Mike Myers’ over-the-top love of Mike Myers? Is it Eddie Murphy being sassy? It can’t be Cameron Diaz, whom nobody loves as a star because of her voice. Is it the less-impressive-than Pixar production values? Is it the less-intelligent-and-clever-than-Pixar script? Something has to be appealing and the American Idol inclusion may be the tipoff. Is it that Shrek is designed specifically to appeal to the dull, mindless masses with broad jokes and easy-to-follow moral-of-the-story plotting? We have a winner! If, rather than simply going to a theater and seeing the likely superior The Incredibles this Friday, you go and pick up the Shrek 2 DVD, you’ll likely enjoy some extremely broad extra features like: an audio commentary with directors Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon, producer Aron Warner, and editor Mike Andrews; bloopers; interactive games and maps, and featurettes. I’m less excited than Eddie Murphy after being caught with that male prostitute.
For people who just can’t get rid of that wascally wabbit: The Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2 (4-DVD Set) (2004)
Looney Tunes fans have waited for this day for a long time. Unlike today’s television shows, where it’s easy to compile full seasons of a show, back in the Looney Tunes heyday, things weren’t so simple. Like most children of the '60s, '70s and '80s, I grew up seeing Bugs Bunny and friends in random places: Saturday mornings, after school, before school, but never in one real block . Now, with the release of this second collection, Looney Tunes fans will have the opportunity to own two full volumes of their favorite cartoons. In addition to the featurettes, a documentary, and behind-the-scenes footage included on this disc, fans will find 60 classic Looney Tunes cartoons on four discs (disc 1: Bugs Bunny, discs 2+3: Road Runner/Tweety, disc 4: All-Star Cavalcade of Hollywood Parodies) along with commentary tracks from the creative teams on 30 of those cartoons. It’s an outstanding package for such a timeless collection.
For everyone who just can’t get enough of election day: The West Wing: The Complete Third Season (4-DVD Set) (2002)
On this Election Day, there is no easier pick for the DVD Pick of the Week than The West Wing: The Complete Third Season. Not only is this the last season of true greatness for The West Wing, but it also spends a consider amount of the 22 episodes on the fictional President’s re-election campaign.
Not only does the beginning of the season finish off the outstanding Two Cathedrals episode that ended season two with the beginnings of Bartlet’s re-election campaign, it includes creator Aaron Sorkin’s misguided attempt at having The West Wing deal with the attacks of September 11, 2001. The season is significantly more uneven than previous seasons, largely due to the careening between campaign, potential impeachment, the fictional nation of Qumar and the White House. Even now, in the post-Sorkin sixth season of the show, a bad episode of The West Wing is still better than most things on television.
Fans of the show will have a great time with the extra features included in the four-disc set. Most interesting is a documentary special on former Personal Aide to the Presidents, comparing the show’s Charlie with men who have held the job in real life. Also included are a making-of featurette; and audio commentary on three episodes with Sorkin. It’s a nice package for the DVD Pick of the Week.
November 2, 2004
2009: Lost Memories (2002)
Animal Farm (50th Anniversary Edition) (1955)
Around the World in 80 Days (Full Frame) (2004)
Around the World in 80 Days (Widescreen) (2004)
Babes in Toyland (1997)
California Split (1974)
Comfort and Joy (2003)
The Complete Denis Leary (2004)
Da Block Party (2004)
Dazed and Confused (Full Frame Flashback Edition) (1993)
Dazed and Confused (Widescreen Flashback Edition) (1993)
Dr. Strangelove (40th Anniversary Edition) (1964)
Facing Windows (2004)
Farmingville (2004)
Fate (2003)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Special Edition) (Full Frame) (1982)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Special Edition) (Widescreen) (1982)
Festival Express (2003)
The Grissom Gang (1971)
A Home at the End of the World (2004)
The Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2 (4-DVD Set) (2004)
Monster Island (2004)
The More the Merrier (1943)
Mulholland Falls (1996)
Northern Exposure: The Complete Second Season (2-DVD Set) (1991)
Philadelphia (Anniversary Edition) (1993)
Pirates of the Caribbean (3-Disc Special Edition) (2003)
Renegade (2004)
The Simpsons: Christmas With the Simpsons 2 (2004)
SpongeBob Squarepants: Sponge for Hire (2004)
Star Trek: The Complete Second Season (8-DVD Set) (1967)
Sunday (1997)
Ten (2002)
Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)
The West Wing: The Complete Third Season (4-DVD Set) (2002)
Zapata: Amor en Rebeldia (2004)
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