MARCH DVD WRAPUP

BORAT- CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN (Widescreen Edition)20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

When Borat works it’s magnificent, monumental, an edifice of comedic potential fulfilled. When it doesn’t work, which is fairly often during a scattershot 84 minutes, it reveals the weakness of Sasha Baron Cohen’s comedic method. Just like Michael Myers in the Austin Powers movies, or Jim Carey in almost any movie, Cohen’s relentless below the belt sexual references mostly fall flat. It isn’t that I’m offended and I certainly don’t mean none of his sexual material is funny, it’s just not as funny as most of the other hysterical bits in the film and seems to signal desperation rather than inspiration.

Still maybe it’s not as funny because ultimately it feels like Cohen is using those moments to take a breather from the equally relentless smart edge he rides while telling us the story of a young man from Kazakhstan made good. At first the film appears to be the lowest kind of sketch com-cum cinema featuring mainly a funny accent and impossible moustache playing the fish out of water. But by the time Cohen is handing a bag of his poop to a matron at a fancy dinner party and getting instructions on toilet use you realize that this is as good as improve gets. The deleted scenes are allowed to bravely showcase when improve doesn’t work. Just as amazing as seeing the number of people who fall hook line and sinker for Borat is seeing Cohen keep working at it even when he’s a had a whole day of people not falling for it.

Extras include a Kazakhstan "Bay Watch" Spoof, 5 Deleted Scenes and The "Best of" other Deleted Scenes Compilation, a Rodeo News Report following Cohen’s near lynching at a Texas rodeo, and a World Promotions Tour Featurette.

FULL MONTY FULLY EXPOSED EDITION
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

When I think of small comedies like The Full Monty I smile. My list of favorites is a long one. Waking Ned Devine, The Englishman Who Went Up The Hill and Came Down The Mountain, Local Hero all share a lightness, a fun sensibility, that sets them apart from their American comedic counterparts. As much as I love Will Ferrell it’s nice to encounter comedy that doesn’t go quite so broad even when its situation is as ridiculous The Full Monty. Maybe that’s why Full Monty still has (no pun intended) legs. Ultimately it’s not only character driven but offers breathing time in between the outrageous moments

As Special Editions go this is a very good one offering two discs that contain just about everything one could want. You get Commentary by Director Peter Cattaneo and Actor Mark Addy, deleted Footage w/optional commentary by Peter Cattaneo and Mark Addy, Original Publicity Campaign materials, a huge number of featurettes including one titles A Bigger Picture - A Look at the British Film Industry in the '90s.

HAWAII FIVE-O: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON
Paramount Home Entertainment

If you can finish this sentence “Book ‘em________” then nuff said. Throwaway TV it may be but Jack Lord and company still occupy that odd nostalgic place that brings me back to the Mod Squad, Police Woman and other oddball TV Police Shows. You all of the episodes of Season One on What Hawaii Five-O should really get the credit for is the obvious historical precedence it set for C.S.I. which took 5-Os use of exotic locale a step further. Five O wasn’t the only show of its kind just the best. You get All 24 episodes from the 1968 season on 7 discs and the original pilot movie "Cocoon" as well as a nice 45 minutes retrospective with James MacArthur" Emme's Island Moments: Memories of Hawaii Five-O" featurette from 1996, hosted by Emme Tomombang and James MacArthur.

THE HEMINGWAY CLASSICS COLLECTION (The Sun Also Rises / A Farewell to Arms / The Snows of Kilimanjaro / Under My Skin / Adventures of a Young Man)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

I’m leery of collections built around loose themes. One exception was the first Controversial Classics Collection Fox did a while ago and this is as well. While gathering disparate films together simply because they are based on source material from the same author seems like it would result in a seriously uneven collection at best. But Fox has scored again. Ernest Hemingway was lucky to see his work made into earthy A list films on a number of occasions and some of those films are collected here. The only thing that may leave fans unhappy is the fact that some of these titles have been released before and some are only available by buying the collection making this a pretty blatant double dip unless you consider the packaging worth the price. The box set includes bonus materials including commentaries, theatrical trailers, restoration comparisons and 'making of' featurettes.

LOOP SEASON ONE
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

The what? It’s a pity people still say that after all the hard work of this talented cast and crew. The Loop got nods from critics but is lucky to still be on the air in this age of ratings frenzy. I should probably also fess up though that I’m giving it a nod because it’s based in my notice Chi-Town. Nicknamed Thesis by his boss Sam Sullivan gets an upper management position right out of college only to find that everything opposes his success. His amorous older co-worker played by Mimi Rogers, screwy friends and a whacked out boss played by Philip Baker Hall don’t just stand in his way but seem to have some radar perfectly suited to tripping him up. You get all seven episodes and a featurette. Okay we all know The Office is still King but this harkens back to the days when sitcoms that didn't look like reality shows could also be smart.

NIGHT OF THE COMET
MGM Home Entertainment

How could this film have aged this well? I certainly don’t mean it’s modern in any sense. The special effects, score, hairdo’s and characters are straight out of the eighties but Night of the Comet is every bit as fun as I remember. I saw it on its first theatrical release and once on video and like everyone else have long admired its sense of style and light hearted zombie menace. The lack of extras is a darn, darn shame. The transfer of the film looks good enough but I’d have given my eye teeth for a commentary. This is one of my fondest moments of throw away theater going. If you don’t know Night of the Comet follows two self absorbed valley girl teens through a zombie apocalypse caused when a comet passes too close to the earth. Along the way they battle over what they think is the only guy left, zombies and a fast decaying government agency trying to track them down and use them as a blood bank because of their immunity. Bad hair and an above average soundtrack abound.

PETER PAN (2-Disc Platinum Edition)
Walt Disney Video

Good thing DVD’s don’t really wear out or this set would be in the ashcan right now. My kids can’t get enough and I confess I can’t either. I’m a big fan of the much darker source material for this beloved Disney Classic. In fact the Walt Disney Radio play was the only radio play that ever gave me nightmares with Peter’s dagger being put too much use as was his bloodcurdling cock’s crow. But even though it’s all sweetness and light it’s perfectly voice cast and a delight. As with all Disney Platinum releases extras abound. You get a restored original theatrical soundtrack and Hi res digital restoration. Also included are Camp Never Land: Explore Never Land with all-new multi-level games, Deleted songs, In Walt's Words: Walt Disney reveals "Why I Made Peter Pan," The Peter Pan Story: 1952 featurette, Sneak Peek of the all-new Tinker Bell movie, You Can Fly: The Making of Peter Pan, T-Squad music video: "The Second Star to the Right," Peter Pan virtual flight, Peter's Playful Prank DVD storybook and a Never-before-seen alternate opening. Completing the package is a commentary featuring Roy Disney.

REVENGE OF THE NERDS PANTY RAID EDITION
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

ROTN isn’t just an acronym of this films title. It’s actually a good descriptor of the film itself. I think Revenge of the Nerds helped popularize the dumber than dumb and cruder than crude teen sex comedy in a way that’s more akin to idiotic fare like Porky’s than smart edged satire like Animal House. You get an audio commentary by Jeff Kanew, Robert Carradine, Timothy Busfield and Curtis Armstrong, an "I'm a nerd, and I'm pretty proud of it" cast interview featurette and the "Revenge of the Nerds" television pilot as well as 6 deleted scenes trailer and a sneek peak of "Revenge of the Nerds 2: Nerds in Paradise." There was a point in American cinema where we started marketing teen comedies to the teen audience that were much more approrpiate, generally speaking, to an adult audience. That is another very important distinction between ROTN and Animal House.

SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON
Paramount Home Entertainment

Remember the first time you saw Bewitched? It was different. Like My Favorite Martian, it really ultimately was about its central conceit- a universe run almost entirely on a strong sense of whimsy presented by an unforgettable cast of great character actors bringing wonderfully colorful characters into being. Not profound but an important ingredient in the creation of the same fan culture that now goes out and buys DVD’s. Sabrina? This kiddie pap is barely worthy of a first viewing much less a second. As a Buffy/Angel fan I was amazed at just how uncreative Sabrina was given the supernatural premise of the show. It just goes to show how much that whole industry has changed. I’m predicting some mild nostalgia interest in the future but this stuff is in no way as good as the stuff that inspired it. Sabrina offers all 24 episodes from the 1996-1997 season on 4 discs

SOLARBABIES
MGM Home Entertainment

Forget Rollerball. This is far worse and far more fun. Solar Babies manages to offend even the most jaded sensibility with its relentless brainlessness. Don’t say I didn’t warn you- to GO OUT AND BUY IT IMMEDIATELY. I can’t wait to get a big group of my friends together to watch this. A group of post apocalyptic ragtag orphans forms a rollerball styled sports team while simultaneously coming into possession of Bodi- a mystical ball that makes the deaf here and the inept be able to play sports better. There is a black character who makes endless references to his blackness, Charles Durning in a role that involves some serious slumming and a cast from bad movie heaven including a young Lukas Haas, Jamie Gertz and Jason Patric from the Lost Boys and Adrian Zmed whose last name is just fun to say over and over again. Whenever he comes onscreen, if you are bored just yell, “Hey! Isn’t that Adrian Zmed. Hows come he never made the big time with a great name like Zmed? What’s up with that Zmed?

SOUTH PARK THE COMPLETE NINTH SEASON
Paramount Home Entertainment

Let’s face it folks this show is seriously hit and miss and a lot of its novelty has worn off. You do get the Tom Cruise episode here as well as the Emmy Award winning, Best Friends Forever. Also present are all 14 episodes of the 2005 season on 3 discs and mini-commentaries on each episode by creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Lack of extras here is a bad sign in my opinion that whatever contract agreement Stone and Parker have they might well be better off getting to work on Team America 2. The new generation of TV animation comedy has gotten raunchier and even less funny than South Park at its worst. I'm a huge fan of clasic South Park, I own the whole series, even The Passion of the Jew but the time between great episodes is getting greater and greater.

STARGATE ATLANTIS THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON
MGM Home Entertainment

Spawn of Stargate anyone? Way to swim against the tide. Actually as spinoffs go this could be lots worse.The benefits of extending the universe of any narrative can be many if handled with a little finesse. I never followed Stargate much but it always struck me as one of the more interesting pieces of TV sci-fi and with Trek off the air and Battlestar Galactica stuck in a downward spiral fans of such fare should be grateful. You get all episodes of Season two plus a whopping load of Special Features that include commentaries featurettes and galleries. I wonder if scoffers of lesser TV sci-fi have taken into account how the popularity of those shows helps produce the environment that makes networks willing to risk A list sci-fi productions? My guess is this is going to be looked at as a truly golden period for fantastic TV but I wonder what that will mean? How much time do any of us have anymore to just sit in front of the screen? This is good stuff but is it good enough to warrant the effort on my part?

BOSOM BUDDIES THE FIRST SEASON
Paramount Home Entertainment

The only real question here is has it held up? Tom Hanks is the lynchpin and sorry to say I would put this firmly in the experimental phase of his career with stuff like Bachelor Party and Splash- they haven’t aged well either. Few of today’s movie stars (Hanks is one of the rare few who is both movie star and actor) can boast of a resume as richly diverse. Besides forgettable stuff like The Terminal and Castaway he’s also made true movie magic. I’m a huge The Money Pit fan and also love The Burbs. But this is as forgettable as sitcoms ever got in the eighties despite the ample charms Hanks and costar Peter Scolari bring to the screen. You get all 19 episodes from the 1980 season on 3 discs. Does anyone out there think a Bosom Buddies reunion is in order? I for one would pay cold hard cash to see Hanks at about 60 trying to squeeze into that girdle.

CASINO ROYALE
Sony Home Entertainment

Wow! I waited to see this on DVD- bad move. This begs to be seen on the big screen. From it’s fabulous opening action set piece to its basic reworking of the Bond character this is a movie for every Bond fan whether they like it or not. I’ve never liked Bond much. Sure the gadgets, villains and action we’re always cool but Bond himself was a jerk. We’re supposed to want to be this guy? Let’s see list of goals in my life- being emotionally distant and incapable of real human relationships, bring a lethal puppet at the hands of government, oh and promiscuous and a likely alcoholic. Daniel Craig’s new Bond goes back to the roots of the Fleming character to showcase a troubled man whose glamorous spy life hardly makes for the inner hi-life. For a two disc set the extras seem a little light, for such a great film they seem almost criminally so. You get Becoming Bond: An intimate look at how Daniel Craig stepped into the role of the 6th James Bond, James Bond: For Real: Inside look at action and stunts of film, Bond Girls Are Forever: Closer Look at Bond's Leading Ladies and Chris Cornell’s Music Video, “You Know My Name”

GHOST SPECIAL EDITION
Paramount Home Entertainment

March really was SE paradise for me and topping that list was a nice new copy of a classic mainstream ghost story I’d never managed to see before. Patrick Swayze has notably appeared in some pretty good movies over the course of his career and many of the ones that weren’t that good remain a lot of fun. Next of Kin anyone? Red Dawn? But this is the vintage pinup Swayze you wither love or hate and he’ starring with that great love or hate eighties icon Demi “Pre-Ashton” Moore. Extras include a Jerry Zucker and Bruce Joel Commentary and a retrospective featurette. Ghost hasn't aged well there's no doubt but fantasies from this period generally haven't. What is interesting is looking back on the tenacious hold ghost cinema has on the viewing public. There could have been great features here delving into that but oh well.

I LOVE LUCY THE COMPLETE SEASONS 7-9
Paramount Home Entertainment

What’s left to say? This is the cream of the crop of early American sitcoms and if you’re a fan you should run out and buy it immediately. Paramount has done a great job with these sets and offers a ton of extras for the fan willing to purchase them all. Also nice is getting the last three seasons in one cheap package. Extras here include a Desilu/Westinghouse Sponsor Presentation, an uncut version of "Lucy Takes a Cruise to Havana" (not seen since original broadcast), deleted scenes, flubs, original cast commercials, color footage from the set from 1951, original series openings and closings. It doesn't get much better than Lucy and I'm especially fond of the experimental last three seasons of the show.

MILE HIGH THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON
Koch Vision

Meh. Shows like these seem a dime a dozen these days after the success of The Office and Footballers Wives. I’m not exactly a devotee of Brit TV but enjoy much of it more than most. That makes reviewing stuff like this pretty difficult. My instinct is that unless you are already a fan you would do well to start with some of the classics like, oh, I don’t know- what about The Office or Footballers Wives? You get not a whole lot here besides the complete first season. One thing that could be mentioned here is the way corporate thinking poisons creativity. Formula has often been called the death of comedy and corporate structures are good for little else. Mile High could certainly be a lot worse but it's hard to imagine someone wanting to watch this again in 10 or 15 years.

MICHAEL SHAYNE- PRIVATE DETECTIVE COLLECTION 1
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

This attractively priced and packaged set of noir showcases four of the Michael Shayne films from the early forties. Created by novelist Brett Halliday the show isn’t remembered by anyone except historians and enthusiasts but artist Robert McGinnis helped create some of noirs most striking images for the cover of Halliday’s Shayne mysteries. 3 original featurettes, interactive trivia guide and restoration comparisons make this a great budget buy. With the way noir has been pouring out of the studios I'm frankly amazed this wasn't released as single discs barebones and all. This just proves how devoted Fox is to their back catalogue.

WILD WILD WEST COMPLETE SECOND SEASON
Paramount Home Entertainment

Why is it that everyone who’s laid a hand on this show since its original broadcast ended has ruined it? A bad TV movie followed, years later, by an even worse big screen adaptation, has all but left fans bereft. What someone really needs to do is go low tech with the presentation of effects and high concept with the characters instead of the other way around. While Paramount did some nice extras with the first season this is a bare bones presentation of season two and will no doubt leave some fans clamoring for more bang for their classic TV buck. Still can I be anything but grateful for more of James West and Artemis Gordon? Future generations of spy show, western and even fantasy based TV fans have a lot to thank Wild Wild West for.

7TH HEAVEN THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON
Paramount Home Entertainment

No extras but you do get all 22 season four episodes on six discs in a single disc case. It seems forever ago that this show first aired and season four caught the Camden family at their most evangelically iconic. Some loved it some hated it but it was entertaining and made for a reasonable alternative for those unwilling to start parental dialogue with Ozzy Osbourne. Can anyone explain to me why there was never a Buffy Sommers crossover episode? I understand they were going to work out a Touched By An Angel crossover episode where the Angel of Death tells Eric that he needs to forgive Jessica Biel for having a much more illustrious career than him but then she stars in Blade III and dies from humiliation allowing her to play the ghost girl in The Illusionist. Somehow, I’m not sure why, that just never worked out. Must have been a behind the scenes thing with their agents.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY VOLUME 2
MGM Home Entertainment

Keep your fingers crossed and your wallets out and we may just get all the episodes of another classic must have TV show before this is through. The Addams Family was genius through and through and I hate to say so, but if I had to choose which was fundamentally better, more entertaining TV, this or The Munsters, I’d have to go with Gomez and Morticia. You get an awful lot of special features here including Commentary: On select scenes by Thing and Cousin Itt, Commentary: On "Morticia Meets Royalty" by Steven Cox, author of "The Addams Chronicles", a featurette "Mad About The Addams" trivia game, and more.

CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
Sony Pictures Classics

Uh…over the top in every possible sense film anyone? I really enjoyed this movie but can’t help thinkin’ that someone got a huge whoopin’ for going over budget. This is the most beautiful series of set pieces ever set against a Shakespeare via soap opera storyline I’ve ever seen. There’s no denying the power of Golden Flower’s visuals but they don’t lend weight to its equally overwrought storyline. That said I ain’t gettin’ rid of my copy- this film is just too beautiful to look at. Did Crouching Tiger ruin Chow Yun-Fat’s ability to choose projects? Does everything the man attempts need to be larger than life? You get a behind the scenes featurette “Secrets Within” and footage from the Los Angeles Premiere where I believe Fat had a wardrobe malfunction resulting in a nipple slip.

SHIELD THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON 5
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Season six just launched so it’s a little late to play catch up but there’s no doubt that Fox puts out some of the best TV DVD. There are extras galore here including commentaries, featurettes, music vids, boocoo deleted scenes and much more. I remain uncertain exactly what the fuss is all about since I haven’t been a faithful watcher but I have friends who swear by this mainstream mix of corruption meets effective law enforcement. Until Chiklis gets a better gig than Fantastic Four sequels at least The Shield will keep him on the air. I think the really interesting thing about the show is the way it goes beyond the typical good cop bad cop scenario of Homicide etc. to present complex characters who aren't always so sure of their beliefs or ethics.

SHIRLEY TEMPLE- AMERICA’S SWEETHEART COLLECTION, VOL. 5
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Takashi Miike fans take note. The man owes everything to this little moppet. Clearly she’s the inspiration for Audition. But psychoanalysis aside I really don’t have much to say. It’s nice to have The Little Princess in it’s original color and the set is available at a nice price but where are the extras? You get 2 other films and "Shirley Temple Theater: The Little Princess" featurette but didn’t this girl do lots of radio work, commercials etc. temple is primarily of note as a historical figure in film and that is what is truly lacking in the DVD market right now.

TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL- THE FOURTH SEASON, VOL. 1
Paramount Home Entertainment

Folks tend to love or hate this show and to be fair it did get progressively worse as it went along. But it also provided people, especially religious types like myself, the constant reminder that how you treat others is the best possible extension for what you believe. Unfortunately paramount is not treating fans that well with this bare bones edition of Season Four. I, for one, am still hoping for a commentary sung by the inimitable Della Reese accompanied by a River Dancing Roma Downey. Barring that I would settle for something a little more inspiring but when it comes to these kinds of TV releases it seems that creativity goes out the window on Angel’s wings.

WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY SEASONS1 & 2
A&E Home Entertainment

The seminal version of this show, the British version, is even better than the American by all accounts and given the cast one shouldn’t be surprised. Making guest appearances are notable like Jonathan Pryce and Stephen Fry. You get a whopping 30 episodes of improv here coming in at just under 13 hours. The lack of special features (all we get is an interview with Lines creators) is hardly a reason not to pick this up as it plays funnier virtually every time you watch it. I grew up watching the comedy scene explode and have always had a very soft spot for solid improve. It’s a craft only the bravest performers make a name at and here you get to watch the very best in one of the most important comedy shows in the history of TV.