The Wrap Up ...
Breach	At its core, Breach is a cautionary tale about the bad things that can happen when a dedicated middle-management employee feels as if he's under-appreciated and that younger, less-experienced personnel have gotten perks owed to him. Most disgruntled drones lean more toward sarcasm than outright sabotage, but some can be dangerous. As portrayed in Breach by the formidable Chris Cooper, disgraced FBI counterintelligence agent Robert Hanssen was a human volcano. His rage neutralized any feelings of guilt over selling secrets to Soviet agents and outing undercover agents working for both sides. When his bosses became convinced of Hanssen's guilt, they recruited a young agent, Eric O'Neill (Ryan Phillippe), to gather the evidence necessary to convict him in court. It would be difficult to invent a more emotionally constipated and chronically uptight character than Cooper's Hanssen, and Phillippe's disillusioned operative is nearly as troubled. Assigned to be Hanssen's go-fer and chauffer, O'Neill is never completely trusted by his boss. The only thing they have in common, it seems, is the Catholic Church. Despite his sexual quirks, Hanssen is Opus Dei to the core, and, in O'Neill, he sees a potential convert. As the secrets and lies mount up, a chasm between the young man and his foreign-born wife also grows, along with his dissatisfaction with the bureau. Just when the investigation appears to be headed toward a dead-end, Hanssen's arrogance prompts him to make one last exchange. If it weren't for the immensity of the turncoat's ego, he might have retired and moved somewhere without an extradition treaty. Director and co-writer Billy Ray (Shattered Glass) plays things right down the middle, by paying agency brass (Laura Linney, Gary Cole, Dennis Haysbert) more respect than they're probably due, and allowing Cooper to infuse the meticulous counterintelligence expert with more dignity than he deserves. There's nothing romantic about the spying game played in Breach, and Hanssen would never be mistaken for James Bond. Considering the outcome is never in doubt, Ray has created a remarkably compelling procedural. The bonus material adds plenty of background information for those interested in looking further into the case. -- Gary Dretzka
Hannibal Rising: Unrated Edition	This critically reviled prequel to four previously released Hannibal Lecter thrillers proves, once again, that providing too much background information on a venerable character can be as self-defeating as not dispensing enough of it. Demonstrating how Lecter developed his taste for human flesh must have seemed like a good way to extent the extremely valuable franchise, but nothing in the earlier adaptations of Thomas Harris' best-sellers would lead us to believe that it would be explained away as a simple -- if especially grisly -- desire for revenge. Unlike most other such sociopaths, Lecter's choice of entrees wasn't triggered by corrupted genes, brain abnormalities or repeated sexual violations by trusted relatives. Here, it was traced to abominations he suffered along with his young sister at the hands of thuggish Lithuanian soldiers during some of the darkest periods of World War II. For accuracy' sake, he might as well have been bitten by a werewolf. After the war, Hannibal makes his way to Paris, where an insanely beautiful Asian aunt (Gong Li) educates him in the way of the sword, and he is able to study the medical and surgical procedures he will need later in life. Soon enough, Lecter (Gaspard Ulliel) begins to remember the disparate horrors that so damaged his subconscious. It causes him, first, to revisit the ruins of his Lithuanian home and, then, exact his own justice on the perpetrators, wherever he could find them. From here, Hannibal Rising becomes a chase flick that's heavy on atmosphere and light on logic. There's nothing wrong with the look of the film, as directed by Peter Webber (Girl With a Pearl Earring), but neither is there anything particularly right about anything else, including Harris' screenplay/novelization. While the bonus features add a bit to the legend and production, anyone interested in the pathology of cannibals would be better advised to seek out the true-crime docs on cable TV. They're much scarier, anyway. -- Gary Dretzka
Katharine Hepburn Collection James Cagney: The Signature Collection Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection: Vol. 2	Because American studios now seem content merely to turn out an endless stream of disposable ingénues, and aren't at all interested in creating worthwhile projects for mature actresses, movie lovers now are forced to turn their eyes to other shores for Best Leading Actress candidates. One wonders if Jane Fonda, for example, will soon be able to avoid playing only crazy mother-in-laws and put-upon grandmothers, before being assigned the Katharine Hepburn role in any remake of On Golden Pond. The same probably can be said for male actors, as well. Will any enjoy the same longevity and diversity of choices accorded James Cagney? Unless someone can convince Harrison Ford he's no longer 35, it's more likely that a Brit would be asked to fill the shoes of Henry Fonda in that same remake. Warner Home Video has compiled a half-dozen of Hepburn's lesser-known early titles from the RKO and MGM archives -- Morning Glory, Undercurrent, Sylvia Scarlett, Without Love and Dragon Seed -- along with the 1979 made-for-TV movie, The Corn Is Green. They're interesting for several reasons, not the least of which is being able to watch Hepburn play opposite such leading men as Cary Grant, Spenser Tracy, Robert Taylor, Robert Mitchum, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Adolphe Menjou (as well as Lucille Ball, in Without Love). For her work in Morning Glory, way back in 1933, Hepburn's portrayal of a stagestruck girl resulted in her first Best Actress Oscar. George Cukor's Sylvia Scarlett (1936) perplexed audiences and critics, alike, in its willingness to play off the sexual ambiguity of Hepburn's cross-dressing con artist. Lots of the usual Warners' TLC went into the project, which also includes vintage shorts and cartoons. The studio's collection of mid-century James Cagney titles includes The Bride Came C.O.D., Captains of the Clouds, The Fighting 69th, Torrid Zone and The West Point Story, as well as newsreels, cartoons and shorts. Although Cagney was still best known for his gangster chops, these films represent an almost decade-long respite from rat-a-tat-tat action, starting at the completion of The Roaring Twenties and continuing until the launch of White Heat. Considering this period also coincided with World War II, the titles are heavy on patriotic material. The second installment in Paramount's Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection adds 'You're Never Too Young, Artists and Models, Living It Up, Pardners and Hollywood or Bust, all released just before the pair would announce their acrimonious professional divorce. It also preceded Lewis' great leap into the world of auteur filmmaking and the millions of jokes inspired by French intellectuals' passion for his work … and, by the way, his making a fortune for everyone at Paramount. In some of the films, it's possible to sense the tension between the two entertainers, but not enough to detract from their basic shtick, which, by this time, was starting to wear on both of them. Among the supporting casts can be found Shirley MacLaine, busty Anita Ekberg, Eva Gabor, Dorothy Malone, Janet Leigh, Raymond Burr and such great character actors as Lon Chaney Jr., Jack Elam, Lee Van Cleef and Max Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom. There's not much in the way of extras. Other recent releases of catalog titles include, Carl Reiner's Spicoli-inspired Summer School: Life's a Beach Edition, in which Mark Harmon plays a teacher who doesn't want to spend his summer teaching any more than the kids want to be there themselves; Renny Harlin's disastrous pirate caper, Cutthroat Island; Roman Polanski's supernatural thriller, The Ninth Gate, which starred Johnny Depp and wasn't nearly as bad as many critics wanted you to think it was; and Jim Abrahams' Welcome Home, Roxy Charmichael, in which Winona Ryder played a misfit teen, living in Nowhereville, U.S.A., hoping for the return of a famous entertainer she believes to be her real mom. -- Gary Dretzka
Chasing October	In the endearing cult fantasy, King of Hearts, the costumed inmates of a French sanitarium take advantage of a gate left open by retreating German soldiers to return to the jobs, lovers and haunts they left behind when institutionalized. These oddball characters assume fantasy identities, oblivious to the reality of the surrounding conflagration. I was reminded of Philippe de Broca's film by Chasing October, Matt Liston's homage to the tens of millions of delusional Chicago Cubs fans who truly believe they'll live long enough to experience post-season glory. This mass psychosis normally presents itself in February, when snowbirds young and old descend on Mesa, Arizona, for spring training. It reaches a fever pitch by Opening Day, and, in most cases, is extinguished on the day the Cubs are mathematically eliminated from contention (historically, sometime in August). Chasing October represents one lifelong fan's efforts to get the players and owners to buy into the same miracle as the smiling loonies in the stands. Filmmaker Matt Liston insists he was inspired to make this surprisingly entertaining docu-comedy by the ghost of Harry Caray. In an extremely fortuitous coincidence, 2003 was the year chosen to chronicle the observations of friends, family, fans in the stands, fans in the bars, fans in Hollywood, players, coaches, team management and such familiar North Side eccentrics as Ronnie Woo. It was the season in which the Cubs made it to the playoffs and were 10 innings from going to the World Series. Sure victory turned into tragic defeat when an overanxious fan obstructed Moises Alou's ability to catch a foul ball. In a heartbeat, it seemed as if all the various Cubs curses returned from hiatus at once, and no amount of prayers would get them past Game 7. It also meant fans could begin their annual countdown to next year. Even though Chasing October clearly is a labor of love, and made on a tight budget, it doesn't look at all homemade or amateurish. Liston, who served as an assistant on Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, admits to being influenced by Larry David. This means his tongue was planted firmly in cheek throughout the entirety of the project. Even so, I came to feel more sorry for his long-suffering girlfriend -- who split in midseason -- than any of the disappointed fans. At the moment, Chasing October is available only at www.cubsmovie.com. -- Gary Dretzka
Norbit Coming to America/Trading Places: Special Collector's Editions The Cosby Show: Season 3/Season 4 The Best of Chappelle's Show: Uncensored	In Hollywood, an unexpectedly large box-office haul will trump the slings and arrows of critics and studio naysayers any day of the week. Pundits couldn't find enough insulting words to describe the Eddie Murphy vehicle, Norbit, and Paramount distanced itself from the DreamWorks property. And, yet, it still managed to opened to a stunning $34.1 million first-weekend haul, on its way to a $94-million tally at the domestic box office. Even so, some speculated that the critical reaction to Norbit may have cost Murphy the one or two votes he needed to cop an Oscar for his much-lauded performance in Dreamgirls. The money only started rolling in after ballots were counted, after all, so it had yet to talk loud enough to be heard in the far reaches of Bel-Aire. Here, Murphy plays the slightly built orphan, Norbit, who grows up to marry a gargantuan fartbag, Rasputia (also Murphy), as well as his adoptive father, Mr. Wong (ditto, Murphy). Norbit, who resembles a young Bill Cosby, accepts his fate as the husband of the woman who literally is the butt of the townfolks' nastiest jokes. When his childhood sweetheart (Thandie Newton) unexpectedly returns home to save the orphanage, Norbit realizes that his future needn't be governed by Rasputia, who's as nasty as she is elephantine. Meanwhile, plans are afoot to turn the orphanage into a strip club by his muscle-head brothers-in-law. Norbit has its funny moments, to be sure, but they're no more than that … moments. There's plenty here to enjoy, however, if you're partial to gags about flatulence, obesity, pimps and 'hos, and the kinds of racial stereotyping black writers can get away with every now and again, but whites are warned to avoid. Far more recommendable are new special editions of Trading Places and Coming to America, both of which are terrifically funny and extremely well made. Murphy's excellent, but a great deal of the credit belongs to director John Landis, whose comedic foresight told him to surround the comic with formidable actors and not put the weight of success or failure on his shoulders, alone. Murphy plays multiple roles in Coming to America, too, but makeup wizard Rick Baker also worked his skills on Arsenio Hall. And, incidentally, both pictures made plenty of money. At about the same time as those pictures were released, and Murphy was establishing himself as a movie star, The Cosby Show would begin its remarkable eight-year run on NBC. Seasons 4 and 5 have just been released in multi-disc DVD collections, which, among other things. demonstrate just how much the Huxtables evolved physically during their time together. It was about at this time, too, that Cosby called out Murphy for the language and racial characterizations in his comedy routines. Murphy prompted added that conversation to his act. Comedy Central hopes to extend what's left of its Dave Chappelle catalogue with a collection of 25 bits from the prematurely aborted sketch-comedy show. Devoted fans probably already have memorized every nuance of the selections here, but the disc can serve as a start-up kit for newcomers. If the material seems to owe a huge debt of gratitude to Murphy -- who single-handedly lit a fire under Saturday Night Live when he joined the cast -- it's only because his fingerprints are everywhere to be seen. His classic SNL bit, Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood, opened the door for nearly every sketch in this collection (and, of course, Murphy owed a similar debt to Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx and Cosby). And, yes, this DVD does contain Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories, along with some added recollections on his often-turbulent friendship with the late Rick James. -- Gary Dretzka
The Hawk Is Dying	Harry Crews is one of America's greatest living novelists, but his name rarely comes up in conversation and only one adaptation has made it all the way to the screen. While it's anyone's guess as to why this is the case, the omission might actually be for the best. It's likely that Crews' redneck protagonists are far too freakish -- and his storylines too portentous -- to stand up to easy translation in the two hours allotted most filmmakers. Certainly, Hollywood can create highly recognizable Southern Gothic architecture and kudzu-covered landscapes, but it has trouble working around the edges of characters obsessed with such fanatical pursuits as competitive car-eating, ritualized snake-wrangling, extreme female body building, scar-worship and faith-healing for fun and profit. But, then, few of Flannery O'Connor's similarly grounded stories have been adapted, either. In Strand Releasing's The Hawk is Dying Paul Giamatti plays George Gattling, a disaffected Gainesville auto upholster who connects to society only through his passion for falconry (and the occasional dalliance with a psychology student/hooker). Alongside his mentally ill nephew, George captures hawks and other birds of prey, even knowing they're likely to starve themselves to death rather than accept food while tethered to a backyard perch. After the nephew dies in a freakish accident in his own bedroom, George decides he will train the bird to eat, even if he has to starve himself in the process. This scenario hardly qualified The Hawk Is Dying for consideration as a summer tent-pole release, or a can't-miss indie sensation, either. Julian Goldberger's adaptation deserves an A for effort -- as does Giamatti -- but only those already familiar with Crews' novel are likely to get much out of the movie. The background features are informative and worth perusing. -- Gary Dretzka
The Murder of Fred Hampton American Revolution 2 So much baloney has been ground out about the political and cultural climate of the 1960s, it's become impossible for anyone who wasn't there to comprehend why anyone should care about its legacy. Today, a stroll through the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- along with a perusal of The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test -- can provide enough evidence to form a fairly accurate portrait of the music, fashions and intoxicants favored by Boomer parents. Likewise, the Vietnam War has been examined exhaustively by scholars, politicians, filmmakers, journalists and ex-soldiers. Apart from news footage from campus riots, Moratorium marches and the 1968 Democratic Convention, the war at home has been covered in a far more cursory manner. The more radical groups didn't exactly welcome filmmakers to document their strategy sessions and political debates, so much of the history of the resistance movement simply doesn't exist. The access granted Mike Gray and Howard Alk during the filming of The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971) and American Revolution 2 (1969) was extraordinary, and it showcased a sector of the New Left that wasn't dominated by Yippies, Zippies or grandstanding Hollywood ingénues. Unencumbered by the selective memories of middle-age ex-hippies and academics, these no-frills documentaries describe what happened in Chicago after all those tear-gassed students went back to college and the networks re-focused their attention on retrograde presidential candidates. Looking back after 35 years of great social upheaval and middle-class retrenchment, these vérité studies of a revolution in the making reflect an urgency and commitment to ideals sadly lacking today. The Murder of Fred Hampton also clearly demonstrated what was at stake when threats of violence were met with real guns and bullets. Hampton, one of the most charismatic of all Black Panther Party leaders, made no secret of his Maoist leanings and willingness to use arms against police and FBI. It was Gray and Alk's original intention to showcase Hampton's speeches and the less-threatening programs of the Illinois BPP, but a murderous police raid forced them to focus on the investigation into his death, instead. The result was a damning indictment of vengeful cops, a deceitful state's attorney and media only too willing to perpetuate an official account so flimsy nail-heads were identified and accepted as being Panther bullets. (It's interesting to see U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush among the Panthers, and to remember he was one of the cops' primary targets.) In American Revolution 2, Gray documented how Chicago's Black Panthers, Latin Kings and Young Patriots (a group of Appalachian whites living in the city) came together after the convention to form the Rainbow Coalition -- a name later borrowed by Jesse Jackson -- to fight prejudice and injustice in the city. Also included in the Hampton doc is Cicero March, a short film that chronicled what happened when a group of blacks marched into the predominantly white suburb. You can almost taste the venom of the residents' unrestrained racism.
The Mirror of the Soul: The Forough Farrokhzad Trilogy Decades before rabid followers of the Ayotollah Khomeini put Iran in the international spotlight by using the Koran as a sledgehammer against western culture and co-religionists, the nation provided an unsteady platform for intellectual thought and artistic freedom. Women were allowed significant, if closely monitored latitude to pursue an education and careers. It was through this window of opportunity that Forough Farrokhzad emerged as a poet and filmmaker of tremendous significance in Iran and throughout Europe. Her voice also was heard in places that didn't much value the opinions of women and other free-thinkers. Although her accidental death 40 years ago, at 32, wasn't suspicious, the three-part documentary makes one wonder how long this complex woman would have been able to work freely. Her poetry defied Islamic prohibitions against questioning God and waxing rhapsodic about human sexuality, while her theatrical pieces and best-known documentary (an in-your-face examination of how lepers were treated in Iran) challenged the shah's government. In its dissection of Farrokhzad's upbringing, marriages, emotional problems and art, The Mirror of the Soul is at once extremely sad and profoundly revelatory. Nasser Saffarian employs grainy sepia-tinged interviews with Farrokhzad (shot by Bernardo Bertolucci) and the recollections of surviving family members, friends and fellow artists to tell her story. He also uses readings, archival newsreel footage and film clips to place her work into the context of the times. This remarkable 2002 document is available through Facets Video. -- Gary Dretzka
Desert Hearts: Two-Disc Vintage Collection Big Dreams in Little Hope/SunKissed Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds Dante's Cove/Noah's Ark: The Complete Second Season At the time of its release, in 1986, Desert Hearts was seen by critics and indie audiences as a movie noteworthy primarily for taking a decidedly non-exploitative and non-judgmental approach to lesbian romance. This was deemed unusual because distributors mightily feared ruffling the feathers of conservative policymakers and Middle American viewers. For their part, A- and B-list actors faced threats of being blacklisted by casting directors for trading spit in a homosexual way. Even such pioneering low-budget indies as Personal Best, Parting Glances and Lianna seemed to place the risks associated with forbidden love, including AIDS, social ostracism and personal shame, over its pleasures. Donna Deitch's Desert Hearts was unusual -- and ultimately ground-breaking -- in that it was the opposites-attract story of a tweedy East Coast professor, Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver), who had little trouble accepting her love connection with the lusty cowgirl, Cay (Patricia Charbonneau). As such, it played out pretty much like a standard period (1950s Nevada) romance. No barriers were loudly shattered, or closets abruptly ripped open. One could argue, however, that Desert Hearts -- more than any other film -- set the table for the mainstream success of The L Word, two decades later. Vivian and Cay's first sexual encounter -- which probably accounted for the decent box-office return -- is every bit as hot today, as it was in 1986. Nice, then, that the Strand DVD re-incarnation includes even more sweat-inducing action and commentary about it (among other goodies). Desert Hearts is no mere artifact, however, as it remains reasonably entertaining and historically relevant. Today, of course, the market for non-pornographic queer cinema is hugely lucrative, and expanding rapidly. While cross-over success is never guaranteed, neither is it entirely surprising anymore, either. Niche filmmakers, however, still are required to work within tight budgetary constraints and accept lower production values and some not-ready-for-prime-time acting. As the market grows, so, too, the willingness of investors to throw money at more ambitious projects. (Certainly, the risk shouldered by backers of the XXX Pirates paid off handsomely enough to prompt a sequel and an R-rated edition.) Moreover, the films no longer need to be particularly steamy to attract a gay audience. A case in point is Big Dreams in Little Hope (a.k.a., Mom). In this self-described lesbian buddy film, an uptight fem TV reporter takes to the road with an uninhibited butch camerawoman. Kelly (Emily Burton) dreams of making the big time, but her reports from the field lack passion and fascinating subject matter. A chili cook-off in a stereotypically middle-class town -- albeit, one with a surprising number of lesbians, both out and closeted -- provides such an opportunity. If it were to put before the MPAA board, it could easily pass for PG-13. Also from Wolfe Video comes the anemic, soft-core psycho-drama, Sun Kissed, which is noteworthy primary for being written and directed by Patrick McGuinn, son of Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn. That, and an overwhelming number of scenes in which sun-baked young men quite literally hose each other down. Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds is being marketed as the first American gay sequel … ever (ellipses, mine). The conceit in Part I required Kyle (Jim Verraros) to play gay to get the girl, while, here, he pretends to be straight to get the new guy on campus, Troy. To this end, Kyle is assisted by a couple of straight, if unabashedly horny women friends (one can only get off if she's imagining men having sex with each other). Laughter ensues … if one is into such soft-core amusements, and is willing to lower his/her standards. The acting wouldn't even pass muster on MTV, but there are moments when the humor cuts through the amateurish direction (especially in a 12-step sexual-rehab session, during which gay college students in recovery squeamishly describe their efforts to have straight sex). Cable's Logo channel is dedicated to gay and lesbian programming, much of which could just as easily be found on less niche-y services. In addition to movies, documentaries and short films, Logo also offers prime-time soaps, two of which are represented this week in second-season DVD compilations. Dante's Cove is set on an island paradise, where supernatural forces complicate the lives of gay and lesbian hotties working in or visiting an old, haunted hotel. Noah's Arc follows the exploits of four black men, as they make their way around L.A. looking for work in the entertainment industry, hitting the bars and chasing stray men … and some straight ones, as well. - Gary Dretzka
Tim Buckley: My Fleeting House The Killers: Leaving Las Vegas Mott the Hoople: Under Review U2: The DVD Collector's Box Hardcore fans with an insatiable appetite for the minutiae and detritus of rock will find a visit to MVD Entertainment Group's website to be as exhilarating as discovering a kick-ass used-record store within walking distance of their new apartment. The DVDs and CDs available here not only run the gamut from the sublime to the ridiculous, but also from the truly bizarre to the absolutely essential. The company's most recent crop of DVD releases is particularly eclectic. Longtime devotees of Tim Buckley's almost impossibly ethereal voice and deeply poetic imagery will be enchanted by the rarely seen performances collected in My Fleeting House, as well as the revelatory interviews with musical collaborators, critics and friends. Even those who knew Buckley only as the estranged parent of the similarly gifted singer-songwriter-guitarist, Jeff -- who died in a swimming accident 22 years after his father's fatal overdose, in 1975 -- will find much to enjoy here. The influential British glam-rock ensemble, Mott the Hoople, is the latest iconic group to be put under the critical microscope in MVD's often quite stimulating Under Review series. The producers of the unauthorized documentaries, The Killers: Leaving Las Vegas and U2: The DVD Collector's Box, were forced to rely on interviews with friends, associates and critics, as well as second-source concert footage, photos and videos. Leaving Las Vegas is a bit of an oddity, even for MVD, in that the Killers -- once categorized as the best British rock group from America -- may still have a lot of tread left on their tires. In addition to being unsupported by the musicians themselves, their hits are represented only in cover versions and personal video clips of former band mates and club owners. Otherwise, conversations are taken from MTV and other television shows, while clips from a live e performances came from a Canadian outlet. What will be of primary interest to hometown fans are the first-person accounts of the Las Vegas music scene from deejays, writers and academics, who also speculate on how the Killers evolved from a quirky local phenomenon to chart-topping international superstars. - Gary Dretzka
CHiPs: The Complete First Season The Henry Rollins Show: Season One Mission: Impossible: The Second TV Season Hogan's Heroes: The Sixth & Final Season For millions of American TV viewers in the years between 1977 and 1983, CHiPS represented real day-to-day law-enforcement in California. Dragnet was between incarnations, and, however entertaining to watch, Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry was about as easy to buy as a representative of the San Francisco Police Department as the Mod Squad would be for the Omaha PD. No, these looked like very much like the guys who wouldn't cut you a break if you were caught speeding on the way to the hospital and happily sent you to driving school for a rolling stop. The only thing missing was the screenplay many cops were rumored to carry in their pockets, in case they pulled over an agent or producer willing to trade a meeting for a free pass. Fortunately for the show's ratings, motorcycle officers Jon Baker and Frank Ponch Poncherello were far more willing to demonstrate such human traits as humor and forgiveness than most other CHiPies. This is exactly the kind of procedural that would disappear from television in the years between Hill Street Blues and Cops. At first glance, Henry Rollins seemed to be an unlikely candidate to host a television talk show, even on premium cable's IFC channel. The hard-core rocker, poet and tattoo-bearer could be expected to bite the head off a guest before agreeing to pimp for any new movie, TV show or CD. Well, surprise, surprise. The Henry Rollins Show is far more entertaining and provocative than most such shows on the air, and Rollins has proven to be a knowledgeable and congenial host to a diverse array of filmmakers, actors and musicians. A companion DVD, Henry Rollins: Uncut From NYC represents a tour stop on his Spoken Word Tour, which mixed commentary on politics and pop culture, with anecdotes from his recording career. In the second season of Mission:Impossible, Peter Graves took over from Stephen Hill as head of the unit. As Jim Phelps, he would stay with the series another six years. Unlike the movie franchise, in which Tom Cruise was required to save the world himself, each member of the M:I crew had a skill crucial to the success of a mission. Neither could the producers afford to stage elaborate car and helicopter chases, or blow up anything larger than a door or wall. Even so limited, it was more fun than the movie versions. In the final season of Hogan's Heroes, the most noteworthy change came when Sgt. Kinchloe (Ivan Dixon) left and Sgt. Richard Baker (Kenneth Washington) arrived. The show, which by now had lasted two years longer than the entire European campaign, not surprisingly was on its last legs creatively. Even so, completists will want to add this volume to their collection. . - Gary Dretzka
Great Russian Writers/The Rembrandt Collection Maxed Out/Fired! Yo Soy Boricua, Pa'Que Tu Lo Sepas Visions of Scotland For several generations of American students, CliffsNotes and Classics Illustrated comics provided all the background material they were likely to need to get C's in their English-lit classes. Any mark higher than that might require actually reading more than half of a book, and only English majors were willing to expend that much effort. As adults, some would come to appreciate the classics, anyway, but most other Americans remain willing to wait for the movie. Today, of course, the same mediocre grades can achieved with the help of audio-books and film adaptations on video and DVD (which even come with learned commentary). You don't have to be a slacker, however, to enjoy Kulture International Films' very rewarding series of biographical DVDs on Russian authors from the Golden Age. The writers included are Alexander Blok, Anton Chekhov, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Maxim Gorky, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Boris Pasternak, Alexander Pushkin and Leo Tolstoy. In addition to biographies, each 30-minute segment ($19.99) offers substantial insight into the works, putting them into the context of their times and showing how they influenced future generations. Also newly available from Kulture is The Rembrandt Collection, a 125-minute art-history seminar broken into four parts: Rembrandt, Painter of Man, Restoration of the Nightwatch, Rembrandt's Masterly Brushstrokes and Rembrandt and His World. The restoration section analyzes the surgery performed on one of his masterpieces, immediately after it was vandalized in 1975. The eight-month job required afixing a new canvas, removing old varnish, repairing previous damage and a thorough cleaning. The hard-times documentaries Maxed Out and Fired! aren't intended to be seen as companion pieces, but it's difficult not to put 1 and 1 together and come up with 2. Although James D. Scurlock's film is somewhat lacking in finesse and excitement, Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders easily can be interpreted as a modern horror story. The monster here is America's debt crisis, which is creeping up on us with all the certainty, stealth and ferocity of a Great White shark. The shopaholic victims of predatory financial institutions are represented by real people with huge problems. The villains also are real, and protected from justice by laws designed to both shield and benefit greedy capitalists. Their greatest crime, perhaps, is coaxing already vastly overdrawn Americans to keep right on spending money on everything from hamburgers to automobiles, and bribing politicians to prevent any lowering of usurious interest rates. Even though new records are being set everyday on Wall Street, workers are being laid off at a startling rate. For Fired!, actress Annabelle Gurwitch turned the occasion of her being canned from a play, by Woody Allen, into a series of funny, sad and bittersweet anecdotes from entertainers who likewise were terminated … the theory being, I suppose, that misery loves company. Some have argued that New York has become a suburb of Puerto Rico, while others consider it to be just another borough … Staten Island with palm trees. Rosie Perez and Liz Garbus' documentary Yo Soy Boricua, Pa'Que Tu Lo Sepas argues that the two no longer can be seen as separate organisms. New York is full of people of Puerto Rican background who have neither set foot on the island nor can speak Spanish fluently. And, yet, their contributions to a merged culture can't be ignored or ghetto-ized (barrio-ized?). This phenomenon is most visible in the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade, an event that would look very different if it were to be held in San Juan. The ever-enthusiastic Perez borrows from her own memory bank for examples and anecdotes, while Jimmy Smits provides narration of a more historical sort. Visions of Scotland, like Visions of England, extends the conceit of such glossy coffee-table books as Above New York and Above Chicago, by slapping a HD camera on a helicopter and taking pictures of this gorgeous country from the air. Among the sights seen: Edinburgh's Castle Rock, Glasgow's smokestack industries, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Loch Ness and numerous picturesque villages and highlands meadows. It comes accompanied by music and readings. - Gary Dretzka
WWE: The Ladder Match The Most Powerful Families in Wrestling Backlash 2007 Before the arrival of the packet containing the latest DVDs from my good friends at the WWE, I had never heard of a ladder match, let alone witnessed one in person or on video. Shame, on me. I now know it requires wrestlers to compete for the opportunity to climb to the top of a tall ladder and retrieve a bag or object they assume is worth the effort. WWE: The Ladder Match offers a historical stroll down memory lane, as well as 21 complete matches. The Powerful Family collection reminds fans of the various dynasties -- more than two generations in any sport represents a dynasty -- that have ruled professional wrestling through the ages. They included the Wild Samoans, from whom sprang The Rock, as well as the various Von Erichs, Funks, Dorys, Harts, Guerreros, Ortons, Gagnes, Colons, DiBiases, Rhodes and Lawlers. (Reggie The Crusher Lisowski, not featured here, was the father and grandfather of terrific prep wrestlers.) Backlash continues storylines begun in the heat of WrestleMania 23. - Gary Dretzka