How to Spend $20
By Les Winan
March 23, 2005
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.
For people who…oh, why bother?: Fat Albert (2004)
My love of Bill Cosby does not extend to two things: being fondled and this movie. If ever there seems like a larger (no pun intended) waste of a decent concept, it’s this movie, which looks approximately as creative as the director’s previous work on My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Bill Cosby has not had a good year, and it’s a shame, because The Cosby Show (original, not Doug E. Doug version) still holds up, and both audiences and peers genuinely revere the man as a stand-up comic. Unfortunately, his cameo in this film has been the highlight of his recent film career. Maybe his pride won’t allow it, but it does seem like there must be a decent supporting role that Cosby could fill in a well-made movie. Can’t you just see him as Morgan Freeman’s brother? In any case, if you happen to be related to a Fat Albert cast member and feel obliged to buy the DVD, you’ll “enjoy” an audio commentary with director Joel Zwick and producer John Davis, a featurette and extended scenes. How is it possible they couldn’t talk Cosby into doing an audio commentary? Maybe he’s smart enough to run in terror from further involvement in this film.
For everyone who never saw the first movie: Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)
By all accounts, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is a Gus Vant Sant version of the original film. Soon, my wife will subject me to a viewing of the apparent shot-by-shot remake of the first film, which was actually quite not bad and I’ll be “lucky” enough to remove the “by all accounts” from my description of the film (this could be a record-breaking weekend, as I may also be dragged to Miss Congeniality 2, kill me now). It’s a shame that the filmmakers involved can’t spend enough time coming up with a new plot for the sequel, which apparently involves the title character freaking out about her new relationship with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) and considering her former boyfriend (Hugh Grant). While it’s always entertaining to watch Renee Zellweger frantically gain weight to play Bridget, it’s far more entertaining to watch her even more frantically lose weight. There’s always a point where she overdoes it and looks like she’d stab you for a sandwich, and that’s when I chuckle at the absurdity of it all, particularly for a movie that was a massive disappointment. If your wife forces you to watch this DVD, don’t punish yourself further by watching the extra features. When she turns them on, run from the audio commentary with director Beeban Kidron; interview with Bridget Jones interviewing actor Colin Firth; deleted scenes and featurettes.
For people who like buying the same special features multiple times: Stand by Me (Deluxe Edition) (1986)
Memo to everyone who bought the previous special edition and then ran out to buy the Deluxe Edition: you’re a sucker. When the only features different from the “special” edition are a collectible booklet and a bonus music CD, you’ve been rooked. So please, if you haven’t already returned this, do so now. And if you haven’t bought Stand By Me in any form, run out and see if you can find a cheap copy of the Special Edition. Don’t give the studio the satisfaction. Otherwise you’ll soon by lining up to buy the “Stupendous Edition” of a whole lot of DVDs you already have. In addition to the collectible booklet and CD, extra features on this disc include an audio commentary with director Rob Reiner; a music video and a featurette. It’s a shameful re-packaging of a film that would otherwise be (and once was) the DVD Pick of the Week.
For people wondering what it’s like to have newborn twins: Being Julia (2004)
One can only hope that Annette Bening someday gives a great performance in a year when Hilary Swank is busy at her old trailer park, if only so she can get the Oscar she so deserved for American Beauty. If you remain angry about that injustice and, perhaps, this year’s, you’ll enjoy the extra features on the Being Julia DVD, which include an audio commentary with Bening, co-star Jeremy Irons, and director Istvan Szabo; deleted scenes and two featurettes
For anyone interested in a terrific acting performance by a child: Finding Neverland (2004)
I know someone who wept during the trailer for this film…on at least two separate occasions. She then went on to weep through the last 30 minutes of this film. That alone is enough to make me assume that a significant portion of female ticket-buyers to Finding Neverland staged violent raids on Best Buy stores around the country to purchase this DVD en masse. All of this glosses over the salient discussion points about the film: was J.M. Barrie a pedophile? Was Freddie Highmore robbed of an Oscar nomination? Does the fact that this movie includes a number of small children explain why Kate Winslet’s nudity streak ended? Did anyone else attend a showing where women threw panties at the screen whenever Johnny Depp was on screen?
Finding Neverland, an extremely well made exploration of the inspiration for author J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, is the DVD Pick of the Week. Featuring an Oscar-nominated performance by Johnny Depp and Oscar-nomination worthy performances by Kate Winslet and Freddie Highmore (who parlayed his work on Neverland into the lead with Depp in Tim Burton’s upcoming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), the film is very good, with effective supporting performances from Julie Christie and Radha Mitchell. The film explores playwright J.M. Barrie’s life as he writes the now classic Peter Pan. Included on the DVD are an audio commentary with director Marc Forster; deleted scenes; outtakes and featurettes. It’s a great package for an outstanding film.
March 22, 2005
Acts of Worship (2001)
Art Heist (2004)
Being Julia (2004)
Blood Angels (2004)
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)
Crack House (1989)
Death4Told (2004)
Distant (2002)
Dora the Explorer: Big Sister Dora (2005)
The Dust Factory (2004)
Elektra Glide in Blue (1973)
Face of Terror (2003)
Fat Albert (2004)
The Final Cut (2004)
Finding Neverland (2004)
Firewalker (1986)
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Vol. 5) (2002)
Krakatoa: East of Java (1969)
Love Chronicles (2003)
Mickey (2004)
Open My Heart (2003)
Paradise (2004)
The Pirate Movie (1984)
The Pretender: The Complete First Season (4-DVD Set) (1996)
Red Lights (2004)
Remember Me, My Love (2003)
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)
She Gets What She Wants (2002)
Stand by Me (Deluxe Edition) (1986)
Star Wars: Clone Wars (Volume 1) (2003)
Undercover Kids (2004)
Volcano High (2001)
Without a Trace (1983)
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