The Wrap Up ...
Away From Her	Away From Her Video-store browsers may not be familiar with Sarah Polley's heart-wrenching adaptation of the Alice Munro short story, The Bear Came Over the Mountain, but, after Oscar and Globes nominations are announced, they'll trip over themselves to find a copy in DVD. Despite stellar reviews, Away From Her got hopelessly lost in the shuffle of blockbusters released ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. Launching a distinctly adult drama, about an elderly Canadian couple's struggle with the inevitability of one's Alzheimer's disease, seemed an unlikely candidate for box-office glory in the merry month of May. While it grossed enough to pay some bills at Lionsgate, Away From Her deserved to do much better business. So, what else is new? Magnificently regal at 66, a silver-haired Julie Christie delivered a performance that won't be ignored during awards season. She plays Fiona, the wife of a self-satisfied academic, Grant (Canadian stage fixture, Gordon Pinset), who has just begun to realize how much he'll lose when she voluntarily checks herself into a facility for long-term care. While fearful of the affects of her illness, Fiona has steeled herself for the journey into the unknown. Grant refuses to accept the cruel separation, even when his wife of 50 years becomes a stranger to him and essentially deserts him for an old flame, himself lost in a deep depressive state. If all this sounds too depressing for word, skeptical browsers should know that much joy can be derived from watching great actors work at the top of their game. This includes Michael Murphy's portrayal of the mute, wheelchair-bound patient who immediately draws Fiona's attention, and Olympia Dukakis' amazing portrait of his lonely and emotionally empty wife. Polley, a mainstay of American and Canadian indies, also excels in her dual role as writer and director. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Polley and all four of her primary actors were nominated for important awards in December and January. Polley and Christie add commentary and there are deleted scenes. -- Gary Dretzka
Lucky You	It's difficult to tell what went so wrong with Lucky You that its journey from completion to distribution would require two years to accomplish. Maybe, it had something to do with the lack of heat generated in love scenes between the ever-peppy Drew Barrymore and the terminally stressed-out Eric Bana (even though both actors were highly visible in 2005). As a boyfriend, he was a heck of a poker player. Or, perhaps, writer-director Curtis Hanson simply was the victim of a distributor unwilling to strike while the iron was hot. (The craze peaked last year, just before our benevolent Congress nearly made it impossible for beginners to test their skills using real money on the Internet.) Bana plays a championship-level poker player, and son of a two-time winner of the World Series of Poker (Robert Duvall). Naturally, there's lots of emotional baggage between them, and they'll eventually butt heads on the final table of the WSOP, circa 2003. Hanson gets around that cliché by enlisting a tournament's worth of actual poker players to make the settings look realistic, and asking Doyle Brunson to serve as an adviser (and by listening to him). The Bellagio, which, at the time, was upgrading its facility, even allowed set designers to re-create its poker room, using discarded furniture and fixtures. In a interview included on the DVD, Hanson said that he didn't want to give poker nerds an opportunity to nitpick every raise and call. To this end, he put the romantic storyline on the back burner and focused on the drama of tournament play. The featurettes are unusually informative and entertaining, as is a soundtrack that includes music by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley and Madeline Peyroux. -- Gary Dretzka
Knocked Up: Unrated: Two-Disc Collector's Edition	No one in Hollywood is riding a bigger wave of success than Judd Apatow, writer and director of two of the highest grossing and most profitable movies in recent memory. In addition to runaway hits The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, Apatow also produced Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy, Talladega Nights, Kicking & Screaming and Superbad. Along with Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller and Steve Carell, Apatow has redefined the sub-genre of slacker movies in which geeks and amiable losers find love and respect in the most unlikely of places. In Knocked Up, a deeply rooted couch potato named Ben (Seth Rogen) enjoys a one-night stand with a blond bombshell named Alison (Katherine Heigl). A couple of months later, Alison tracks down Ben to inform him of their impending parenthood. Instead of demanding that he pay for an abortion, Alison asks him to consider a trial relationship, which, at the least, could lead to some kind of joint-custody agreement. Normally, this sort of arrangement would be beyond the wildest dreams of a slob like Ben, and his first inclination would be to search for the hidden camera. Why, after all, would an up-and-coming reporter for E! risk having her child raised by a man whose foremost ambition is to create a porn website that couldn't possibly compete against the ones already on the Internet? Go figure. Something that elevates the best of these men-will-always-be-boys comedies is a complementary roster of supporting characters who can relieve the stars when the story begins to founder. Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann are actors who specialize in just this sort of thing. Here, they scare the heck out of Ben by showcasing the many ways a reasonably well-matched couple can fall out of love, with or without wonderful children. The DVD comes in all sorts of permutations: unrated, rated, widescreen, full-screen, HD-DVD. The one Ben and his buddies undoubtedly would chose would be the Unrated: Two-Disc Collector's Edition, if only for such goodies as the featurette Stripper Confidential, a gag reel and deleted scenes. There also is commentary with Apatow, Rogen and actor Bill Hader, a story about Gummy: The Lost Roommate, video diaries and a casting history. -- Gary Dretzka
Black Book	The thoroughly Americanized Dutch writer-director Paul Verhoeven had to return to Holland -- the setting for early successes, Turkish Delight, Soldier of Orange and Spetters -- to realize his 20-year dream of making a picture about the Nazi occupation of his homeland. The old-fashioned World War II thriller, Black Book not only marked a return to his cinematic roots, but it also led many critics to forgive him for Showgirls. Based on events that took place during the final months of the German occupation, during which he was a young boy, Black Book describes the transition of Dutch Jew Rachel Stein (Carice von Houten) from cabaret singer to resistance fighter. As the film opens, Stein is being sheltered by a farming family that, while courageous, would like nothing better than to convert her to Christianity. When an American bomber accidentally destroys her hideout, a friendly neighbor arranges for counterfeit papers and a visit to the Hague. Here, as Ellis de Vries, she's given an opportunity to escape into recently liberated territory with other Jews (including family members). A Nazi river patrol intercepts the boat with the refugees, killing and robbing everyone on board, except Ellis. This act of brutality hardens Ellis for the deadly game of cat-and-mouse that follows a chance encounter with a friendly German officer. Disguising her contempt for the Nazi elite, Ellis uses her access to Gestapo headquarters to plant a bug in her new friend's office. This allows Verhoeven to raise the stakes for Ellis and her comrades, who now must act on the intelligence gathered. He also tests our feelings about the compassionate captain, Müntze (Sebastian Hoch, The Lives of Others), who has put his life in jeopardy by falling in love with a woman he suspects may be Jewish and putting a stop to executions. It's no secret that the end is near for Hitler, after all, and Allied forces might look kindly on a reformed German officer. Nazis being Nazis, though, several of Müntze's cronies can't get enough of killing and torturing prisoners. They also would like to return to the Rheinland with the jewels, money and gold they stole from Jews they captured or murdered. Revealing any more of the plot wouldn't be fair to anyone thinking of renting this truly engrossing drama. Those who expect liberated Dutch citizens to declare Ellis a hero, however, are advised not to doze off after Canadian troops enter the city. In addition to turning out a period-perfect thriller, Verhoeven wanted Black Book to raise questions about entrenched European anti-Semitism, double-dealing Dutch citizens and vigilantism disguised as patriotism. A fascinating bonus featurette describes how the Gestapo headquarters -- which served as a cabaret, brothel, office building, fortress and torture chamber -- was conceived by set designers working on a strict budget. -- Gary Dretzka
Evening	Despite the estimable presence of Vanessa Redgrave and daughter Natasha Richardson, Meryl Streep and daughter Mamie Gummer, Glenn Close, Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Eileen Atkins, Patrick Wilson, Barry Bostwick and Hugh Dancy, this adaptation of Susan Minot's best-selling novel could hardly be less riveting. Helmed by Lajos Koltai (Malèna), and co-scripted by Minot and novelist Michael Cunningham (The Hours), Evening chronicles the life and lost opportunities of a borderline bohemian blue-blood, Ann Grant Lord (Redgrave and Danes), through extensive use of flashbacks and deathbed musings. Apparently, the pivotal moment in Ann's life occurred on the weekend she served as bridesmaid for her closest friend, Lila Wittenborn (Streep and Gummer). Before and after the wedding, both young women were forced to come to grips with their strong feelings for a handsome and charitably minded doctor, whose affections force them to decide between risk and expediency. Ann kept her regrets hidden from her daughters (Richardson, Collette), but lets his name slip in a Rosebud moment on the eve of her death. If only Ann's life were a tenth as fascinating as that of Charles Foster Kane, and the young doctor wasn't as wooden as the mogul's sled. Alas, neither is the case. Without having read the book, it's difficult to ascertain what went wrong with Evening. More likely than not, however, the problem can be reduced simply to too much detail being lost in the translation from print to screen. The actors did what they were paid to do, and no catfights over screen time were reported. If anything, the undernourished screenplay simply wasn't able to sustain the weight of our expectations from the all-star cast. The bonus features are limited to deleted scenes and the kind of back-patting interviews found in video press kits. -- Gary Dretzka
Jonathan Livingston Seagull	Of all the goofy artifacts left behind by college freshmen, weekend hippies and other sensitive types, the 1973 film adaptation of Richard Bach's fabulously successful novel, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, is among the rarest. I haven't seen it on television, in revival houses or in video stores, although a VHS edition apparently is extant. Bach based the character of his existential bird on an old pal who was a pioneer in aviation acrobatics and cross-country plane races. Like him, Bach's seagull wanted to break free from earthly chains and probe the borders of the sky. The book made a lot of money, but the hugely expensive film flopped like a pigeon with a heart attack. The lesson: tourists may elect to while away their time feeding bread to seagulls at the beach, but moviegoers won't … unless, perhaps, there are animated and can sing and dance. (Imagine Khalil Gibran's The Prophet, interpreted by emperor penguins, and you'll get the picture.) The seagulls in JLS were very real, but voiced by such actors as Richard Crenna, Halbrook, James Franciscus and Dorothy McGuire. The soaring soundtrack was provided by Neil Diamond, who, like Bach, would go on to sue the producers. Who said they don't make them like they used to? -- Gary Dretzka
The Jungle Book: Two-Disc 40th Anniversary Platinum Edition The Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland Collection Funny Face: 50th Anniversary Edition Bram Stoker's Dracula: Collector's Edition	Among the most beloved of all Disney-animation features, The Jungle Book may be most noteworthy for being the last one personally overseen by Uncle Walt before his death. His fingerprints are everywhere. After rejecting his animators' original story boards as being too dark and dramatic, Disney instructed them to focus less on the more realistic aspects of Rudyard Kipling's classic stories than on the sunnier material. The same held for songwriters, who also were told to brighten things up. Commercially, at least, his instincts were proven to be correct. Such timeless songs as "Bare Necessities" and "I Wanna Be Like You" sound as fresh today as they did 40 years ago, even if the names of the animal characters aren't as easily recalled. The Platinum Edition really piles on the extras, expanding greatly on those available in the previous Limited Edition. They include several making-of featurettes, as well as commentary from Disney, his animation team and contemporary animators who were influenced by The Jungle Book as children. Of special interest is the inclusion of a comic scene, featuring Rocky the Rhino (voiced by Frank Fontaine), which was deleted by Disney because it didn't fit the rhythm of the narrative. Another treat is hearing the distinctive voices of Phil Harris, Louis Prima, Sebastian Cabot, Sterling Holloway and George Sanders. One wonders if the amazing success of Disney's High School Musical might in some way be attributable to a predisposition in the genetic code of all Americans to support elaborately staged song-and-dance extravaganzas produced by unnaturally enthusiastic amateurs. In such classic MGM films as Babes in Arms, Babes on Broadway, Girl Crazy and Strike Up the Band, Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland demonstrated how most of the world's problems could be solved by putting on a show, an idea that has endured for nearly 70 years and across most musical genres. This terrific set includes a treasure trove of commentary tracks, historical material, vintage shorts and cartoons, newsreels, radio broadcasts and publicity material. A fifth disc adds the TCM special, Private Screenings With Mickey Rooney, The Judy Garland Songbook and a gallery of photographs. Busby Berkeley served as director on three of the films, and music was provided by Rodgers and Hart, the Gershwins and the Tommy Dorsey and Paul Whiteman orchestras. In Funny Face, Fred Astaire played a fashion photographer and Audrey Hepburn was an employee in a Greenwich Village bookstore trashed by a bird-brained model in a photo shoot. After scanning his photographs, Astaire is attracted by the clerk's demeanor and convinces his editor to offer her an opportunity to fly to Paris for a magazine layout. Richard Avedon served as an adviser on Stanley Donen's musical, which also featured appearances by models Suzy Parker and Dovima. The anniversary edition has gotten a hi-def facelift and featurettes The Fashion Designer & His Muse, Parisian Dreams and Paramount in the '50s, from a previous version. The latest edition of Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of the Dracula legend was distinguished by some terrific special-effects work, unabashed eroticism and a wonderfully eccentric performance by Gary Oldman. It stuck much closer to the source material than previous adaptations, but added the kind of cinematic flourishes only Hollywood money could buy. This editions adds commentary, lots of deleted scenes and a making-of featurette. -- Gary Dretzka
The War A Film By Ken Burns and Lynn Novick	It seemed to take an eternity before PBS released Ken Burns' excellent documentary series on the Civil War and Major League baseball into VHS and DVD. It's only taken a week for The War to make the journey. Saves wear and tear on the TiVo, certainly. Six years in the making, The War was an imposing project for Burns and co-director Lynn Novick, made even more exhausting by the addition of material on the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the war effort. What is most striking, perhaps, is the documentary's insistence on showing how the war impacted on the lives of all Americans, no matter where they lived and to what station in life they were born. Contrast the great sacrifices made by citizens then, and what's happening now, and you wouldn't think Americans were in any danger of being killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. We know differently, of course, but seemingly the only people expected to make sacrifices are the parents of soldiers fighting for the President's right to be wrong. Otherwise … party on. The War doesn't wallow in the sentimentality generated by the greatest generation hoo-haw, even as it makes a solid circumstantial case for just such an assessment. In addition to the 15 hours of footage shown on PBS, the set includes a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, extensive commentaries and a companion book, The War: An Intimate History. -- Gary Dretzka
The TV Set	Now that the 2007-08 television season has officially begun, it's appropriate for a film that explains the creative process has been released on DVD. Ostensibly a satire, write-director Jake Kasdan's The TV Set could hardly be more accurate … or depressing. Kasdan is the son of multiple Oscar-nominees Lawrence and Meg Kasdan, and one of the creators of the fondly remembered Freaks and Geeks. His insider's view of the pilot process put The TV Set on the same turf as Network. When Paddy Chayefsky wrote that prophetic black comedy, however, audiences had yet to grasp just how cynical and anti-intellectual network programmers could be when entrusted with 22 hours of a viewer's life each week. The evening news shows were drawing large ratings and reality television was limited to Candid Camera. Today, of course, the bizarre schedule devised by Faye Dunaway's Diana Christensen in Network wouldn't raise anyone's eyebrow. Sigourney Weaver plays a television executive who might have patterned her career after the domineering Christensen. Immediately after asking a serious writer played by David Duchovny to develop a pilot for a semi-autobiographical series, her Lenny begins using demographic data as an excuse to tinker with nearly every one of his ideas. By the time the show is introduced to advertising executives at the May up-fronts, the writer is bed-ridden and too weak to protest the re-interpretation of his own life story. Indeed, the series has been dumbed-down to the point where executives and advertisers think it might actually become a hit equal to the network's reality-based Slut Wars. There's certainly nothing wrong with The TV Set. The acting is terrific, production values are exceptional and the satire cuts to the bone of the business. Like those carnivores who prefer not to know how their hot dogs are made, though, it's difficult to imagine mainstream audiences embracing a dissection of their chief source of entertainment. More open-minded viewers likely will use the story to validate their own contempt for network fare. Besides Duchovny and Weaver, the ensemble cast includes Judy Greer, Justine Bateman, Ioan Gruffudd (A&E's Hornblower series), Lucy Davis (BBC's The Office), Lindsay Sloane (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch) and Willie Garson (Sex and the City). Anyone in the mood for knowing parody of soap operas ought to re-visit the very funny, Soapdish (1992), with a cast that included Sally Field, Kevin Klein, Robert Downey Jr., Elisabeth Shue and Whoopi Goldberg and Garry Marshall. - Gary Dretzka
We Are Marshall Gracie	Now that football is back to distract Americans from everything else going on in the world, it's fitting that McG's inspirational, against-all-odds sports drama, We Are Marshall, finally has been released in DVD. It premiered last December in Huntington, W, Va., to more than the usual amount of rah-rah publicity, so it would have been expected to arrive in DVD in late spring, as it was in Europe, South America and Asia. No matter, piggy-backing on the hype surrounding the start of another season of NCAA football is the smart way to go. We Are Marshall doesn't break a great deal of new ground as it documents the sad and difficult period following a 1970 plane crash that claimed the lives of 75 people, including 37 members of Marshall University's football team and all but one member of the coaching staff. Matthew McConaughey does a nice job as Jack Lengyel, whose task it is to convince university officials to re-commit to a football program, and, that accomplished, make it competitive. Followers of college sports already know the Thundering Herd would go on to become something of a small-college powerhouse in the '90s, so that element of surprise is missing. Instead, We Are Marshall is propelled by raw emotion and the usual array of well-staged game and practice sequences. The bonus features add Legendary Coaches, in which real-life coach Jack Lengyel recalls the incidents depicted in the movie, and several other successful coaches are interviewed. Likewise, ESPN has taken the opportunity of the new football season to launch the first two volumes of its a new highlights series, ESPNU Honor Roll: The Best of College Football. Host Rece Davis uses the College Football Hall of Fame as the starting point for this comprehensive collection of gridiron memories and highly subjective lists of the greatest players in the positions, coaches and games. Gracie describes one soccer-crazy girl's campaign to open her high school's varsity team to qualified players of both genders. The film was inspired by events in the life of Oscar-nominated actor Elisabeth Shue, who learned the game alongside her talented brother, Andrew, who later would combine an acting career with a stint on the Los Angeles Galaxy. After an extensive search, up-and-comer Carly Schroeder (Lizzy McQuire) came out ahead of 2,000 girls also seeking the high-profile role. The 5-foot-8, blond Hoosier does a very capable job as the feisty and determined teen whose own father rejects her crusade. His attention is focused tightly on Gracie's brother, who is more sympathetic to her cause. Gracie wasn't embraced by critics, who, by now, have been forced to watch dozens of inspirational sports dramas. Most of them, however, wouldn't know a football from a foot fetish. Fact is, it's a perfectly decent film. Kids who feel shackled by the parents, teachers or coaches certainly will enjoy Gracie, even if a few overbearing dads try to bury themselves under pillows on the couch. -- Gary Dretzka
Brooklyn Rules This undernourished coming-of-age story recalls at least a dozen other movies in which boys grow into men in the long shadow of the Mafia. In Brooklyn Rules, a trio of street-hardened kids -- Freddie Prinze Jr., Jerry Turtle Ferrara and Scott Caan -- bounce verbal jabs off each other, succumb to grown-up temptations and commit the kinds of crimes that could only be considered petty in New York City. After graduating from high school, the lads embark on divergent career paths to manhood. One, of course, stays in the old neighborhood, where he falls under the spell of a mob captain played by Alec Baldwin, while the others try more legit routes. Brooklyn Rules was written by Terence Winter, who also labored on scripts for The Sopranos. The dialogue and period color are fine, as far as that goes, but they stop short of adding anything new to the wise guy repertoire. Only fans of the genre, and Baldwin completists, won't miss the 99 minutes of their lives they've invested in Brooklyn Rules. For almost everyone else, Robert DeNiro's Bronx Tale and Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas do the same thing, only better. -- Gary Dretzka
Jindabyne If the plot of Australian director Ray Lawrence's Jindabyne sounds familiar, it's because the powerful drama was influenced by the same Raymond Carver short story, So Much Water So Close to Home, borrowed by Robert Altman for Short Cuts. It involves a group of four Aussie anglers, who, shortly after arriving at their favorite fishing hole, discover the body of a young Aboriginal woman floating in the water. Instead of immediately informing local police, stationed a mere 11 miles away, they decided to secure her body to a tree and keep fishing. Once home, and this abhorrent behavior was revealed in the press, the men were forced to come to grips with their indifference. An Irish transplant to New South Wales (Gabriel Byrne) is punished additionally by the rage of his wife (Laura Linney), an American with serious emotional problems of her own. Because the murder victim was an Aborigine, Jindabyne, is furthered informed by Australia's long history of racial tensions between the native inhabitants and whites. The polar opposite of prolific, Lawrence has also directed the cult fantasy, Bliss (1985), and urban-thriller, Lantana (2001). Both are terrific entertainments. -- Gary Dretzka
Closing Escrow Of all the American blood sports, the selling and buying of homes may be the most cruel. Few can avoid participating in the game, once in their lives, at least, even knowing the stakes are high enough to induce nosebleed, anxiety, nausea, rage and heart failure. Closing Escrow is a comedy that describes the process through the experiences of three anxious couples and several bloodthirsty sales reps. The movie resembles the unscripted workplace sitcoms, Reno 911! and Lovespring International, SCTV and the films of Christopher Guest. The gifted improv actor Wendi McClendon-Covey -- sex-crazed Deputy Clementine Johnson of Reno 911! -- is front and center during most of the shenanigans. The clients of her jaded character, Hillary, include an upwardly mobile black couple who have decided it's time to invest in a more comfortable home. Hilary remains gung-ho as the couple debates exactly what type of house they want. No sooner do they all agree on an in-town loft, however, than the wife discovers she's pregnant. Suddenly, they're desirous of a more suburban setting, and the hunt must begin again. It's moments like these that test the patience and civility of real-estate agents. Freaked out, Hilary offers to find a clinic where she can fix the problem, saving everyone a headache (except the fetus, presumably). The wife, a lawyer, doesn't take the bait, however. Finally, all three couples agree on an ideal new home. Unfortunately, it's the same one. This results in a bidding war only one or two degrees less intense than the one in Iraq. Closing Escrow was written and directed by Armen Kaprelian and Kent G. Llewellyn, veterans of HGTV's reality series, Home Hunters. Their background informs the movie, which probably would have made a very funny TV sitcom, but, at 93 minutes, outlasts the really funny material. Those who have recently engaged in house-hunting will find Closing Escrow far more amusing than those about to embark on the same journey. -- Gary Dretzka
The Valet French writer-director Francis Veber has enjoyed a pretty swell career turning out the kind of light comedies and teasing farces Hollywood loves to interpret using watered-down English. Among the Americanized titles have been The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe, The Man With One Red Shoe, Three Fugitives, The Birdcage, The Toy and My Father the Hero. If it hasn't been optioned already, The Valet almost certainly will be. The plot is simplicity, itself, and the characters are recognizable in any language. I have no way of knowing if Veber is one of those French filmmakers who freely admit to being influenced by Jerry Lewis, but the zany comic's stamp can be found on many of his hapless protagonists and broadly comedic plots. Here, an extremely wealthy businessman, Pierre (Daniel Auteuil), is cheating on his attractive and suspicious wife, Christine (Kristin Scott Thomas), with one of the most recognizable supermodels in the world, Elena (Alice Taglioni). When a photograph of the couple appears in a local scandal sheet, the mogul attempts to convince his wife that the model actually was with the third man in the picture, François (Gad Elmaleh), a none-too-handsome employee of a valet-parking service located in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. To avoid a costly divorce, Pierre agrees to pay his mistress a small fortune to move into the attendant's bachelor pad and pretend they're lovers. He hopes to fool the private detective, who was hired by Christine to get the goods on her husband. In an American adaptation, the supermodel and the doofus probably would fall in love and, if not get married, engage in some PG-13 sex. Instead, here, Francois is too depressed over his girlfriend's rejection of his marriage proposal to fully appreciate or take advantage of his great good fortune. (Hey, if you were rejected by Virginie Ledoyen, you'd be depressed, too.) Light and easy to digest, The Valet doesn't require much more of its audience than a willingness to read a few subtitles, which is just as well. Paris holds its own as a setting for romantic confusion, while the actors are extremely easy on the eyes. Neither does one have to be a Francophile to have a very enjoyable time with The Valet. -- Gary Dretzka
Cruising: Deluxe Edition Even before William Friedkin began production on Cruising, he know the shoot would be different than that on any of his other films. From Day One, it was accompanied by an unprecedented amount of debate, outrage and concerted efforts to shut down production. At its essence, Cruising was intended to be little more than a thriller about serial killer who preyed on unsuspecting lovers. It was based on a novel by New York Times police reporter Gerald Walker, who used New York's underground S&M and leather scene as a setting for murder and police corruption. AIDS was less an epidemic than a rumor in 1980, so Friedkin couldn't be accused of exploiting the disease for entertainment purposes. As adapted, the film's primary focus was on an undercover cop who attempted to disappear within the whips-and-leather fetishists, so as to find the perpetrator of a string of grisly murders of gay men. At the time, Hollywood's approach to gay-and-lesbian culture was limited pretty much to dramas about self-loathing closet cases and limp-wristed Judy Garland wanna-bes. Adapting such Broadway plays as Boys in the Band (also directed by Friedkin), The Ritz, Steambath, Norman … Is That You? and Cabaret was acceptable, within limits, but serious portrayals were limited to British adaptations of D.H. Lawrence novels and such then-shocking rarities as Sunday Bloody Sunday. It was always OK, though, to insinuate that a killer was confused about his sexual identity (lesbians only existed in German movies). Thus, when production began on Cruising, protesters reasonably assumed that the denizens of leather bars would be portrayed as freaks, monsters and representative of the gay community at large … which Friedkin had no intention of doing. It was as much a protest against Hollywood as the movie, itself. When it finally did arrive, Cruising stuck out like a sore thumb in an ad for hand lotions and potential viewers were too intimidated by the hype to sample it. In fact, the S&M culture was extensively researched and had received the blessings of a large segment of that community. Depictions of the Dionysian bar crowds were exceptionally well rendered, and made a frighteningly believable hunting ground for a depraved killer. What the protesters saw, however, was another attempt by Hollywood to paint an unbalanced and politically loaded portrait of gay life, even with 11 years between it and the Stonewall riots. Today, with the benefit of 25 years of hindsight, it's possible agree with both arguments: Cruising was an engrossing and well-informed thriller, distinguished by a fine, understated performance by Al Pacino. On the other hand, despite the honors bestowed on Brokeback Mountain, Hollywood is still reluctant to test the limits of red-state America's homophobia on either the large or small screen. Those films, they've deduced, play better on the arthouse circuit and cable TV. Friedkin and several other key players in the production address the controversy, along with the usual casting, design and directorial decisions, in a pair of backgrounders. -- Gary Dretzka
The History Channel Presents Jesse James: American Outlaw The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid Among the things one can count on in this line of work is the arrival of DVDs promising an accurate accounting of the myths perpetrated in Hollywood, whenever a new based on a true story epic is released. Such cable services as the History Channel and Discovery usually are ahead of the pack, whether the movies are based pirates, dinosaurs or ancient Greek warriors. The release of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford inspired the History Channel to revisit the legend of the infamous outlaw, as well as the questions that continue to surround his death. Archival photographs accompany the thoughts of historians and folklorists. Also included is The James Gang: Outlaw Brothers, from the A&E series Biography. The James and Younger gangs also figure in Philip Kaufman's terrific introduction to Hollywood filmmaking, The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid. Along with McCabe and Mrs. Miller and The Wild Bunch, the Chicago native's revisionist western re-defined traditional concepts of heroism and honor. If nothing else, his outlaws were made to resemble photos of their long-ago counterparts, and that historical corrective has continued. Robert Duvall and Cliff Robertson did a fine job as Jesse James and Cole Younger, but it was the depiction of Northfield and its growing immigrant community that was most memorable. James and Younger may have been heroes to folks in Missouri and Kansas, where railroad interests were given free rein to drive farmers from their land, but these Yankees weren't about to turn over their hard-earned savings to a bunch of gun-slingers. No fan of westerns should go through life without seeing The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid. -- Gary Dretzka
William Shakespeare's Hamlet: Two-Disc Special Edition As You Like It Lately, I've had a heck of a time keeping track of my Shakespeare adaptations. They're arriving fast and furiously from countries near and far. One constant in contemporary versions is the firm hand of Kenneth Branagh, who never takes the material or his audience for granted. At four hours, Branagh's Hamlet is able to retain the material typically eliminated in abridged versions. The 70mm format also adds a refreshingly lush look to the tragic proceedings. It's possible, though, to wonder what the Bard would have made of casting Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Charlton Heston and Jack Lemmon in small parts. Kate Winslet, circa 1996, seemed a far more logical choice as the fragile Ophelia. Last year, Branagh elected to set As You Like It in feudal Japan, even though his decidedly Western characters lived in a enclave established by British merchants. Further confusing the conceit, Branagh adds ninjas, sumo wrestlers, beautiful Japanese costumes and tranquil Zen gardens. As with most Shakespeare productions, the going gets easier after one gets used to the rhythms and cadences adopted by the adapter. Among the actors are Bryce Dallas Howard, David Oyelowo, Kevin Kline, and Alfred Molina. -- Gary Dretzka
All My Loving When rock 'n' roll exploded on the American scene in the mid-'50s, preachers and politicians took it upon themselves to rage against music they considered to be godless, communistic, perverted and an invitation to mixed-race dancing. Their self-righteous crusade wasn't totally rejected until Sergeant E-5 Elvis Aron Presley returned home from Germany (with a new haircut and a drug habit) and those lovable Liverpudlian moptops appeared on Ed Sullivan. A decade later, middle-class Brits would worry that long hair, short skirts and loud, vacuous music were Satan's way of telling kids they weren't having enough fun. In 1968, just as this youthquake was about to crack the cultural firmament, the BBC commissioned a young Cambridge grad, Tony Palmer, to create a documentary explaining the phenomenon to parents and naysayers, alike. After it was completed, network dweebs deemed the 55-minute-long All My Loving unfit for mainstream consumption, and consigned it to a remote timeslot. Balanced to an almost comical degree, All My Loving introduced his wee-hours audience to dozens of American and homegrown rockers who would dominate the scene for many years to come. It was Palmer's great good fortune to have interviewed and befriended John Lennon as a student, and it was the Beatle who opened the filmmaker's eyes and ears to such artists as Jimi Hendrix, Cream, the Who, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, Donovan, Manfred Mann, the Animals and Lulu. Dated, to be sure, All My Loving nonetheless is a delightful footnote to 20th Century cultural history. The music is terrific, and, somehow, the interviews remain insightful … especially Zappa's observations about the counterculture (or, in his case, the counter-counterculture). If 60 Minutes had done the same sort of thing when hip-hop exploded, middle-class Americans wouldn't fear the day their kids begged for tickets to a Lil Jon concert. But, then, Palmer was fresh out of college when he made All My Loving, and that would make him 40 years too young get a gig on 60 Minutes.
Crazylove The popularity of movies about young adults who meet and fall in love in mental facilities probably can be traced directly back to 1962, with the release of Frank and Eleanor Perry's low-budget David and Lisa. Ellie Kanner's Crazylove can't hold a candle to that longtime campus favorite, but viewers partial to stories of star-crossed lovers will find several things in it to like. The appealing Reiko Ellsworth (24) plays a neat-freak teacher who experiences a nervous breakdown while attempting to find her father's favorite brand of olives in a supermarket. When Letty wakes up from her nightmare, she is surprised to discover not only that she's in a hospital but being interrogated by a patient posing as a doctor, as well. Turns out, the stunt is part of a betting game popular with longtime residents, which requires them to guess each newcomer's symptoms. The most outgoing of the crowd is Michael, a handsome, if devious schizophrenic played by Bruno Campos (Nip/Tuck). Although Letty had recently become engaged to a family-approved boyfriend, she ultimately succumbs to Michael's empathy and charm. What Letty fails to take into account when she is released and moves in with Michael, of course, is his dependence on medication to keep his demons in check. Feeling better, and in love, Michael elects to stop taking his pills. It isn't difficult to imagine what happens next, if only because the undernourished script can't handle much more psychodrama and still satisfy the mainstream requirements of Lifetime Television. Anyone who can't get enough of this sort of thing probably will find something to like in Crazylove. Those unfamiliar with David and Lisa, however, are advised to find a copy of the recently released DVD. -- Gary Dretzka
The Boss of It All Severance One needn't be familiar with Lars von Trier's body of work -- or the intricacies of Dogma 95, for that matter -- to enjoy this beyond-offbeat workplace comedy, but it sure helps. The eccentric Danish auteur has a reputation for pushing the limits of the medium, whether it involves reinterpreting American history on a nearly bare stage, or asking his mentor to jump through hoops to re-make his landmark film. The Boss of It All imagines a scenario in which the owner of a Danish IT company wants to sell the business to Icelandic interests, but not share his profits with co-founders. Not wishing to look unsympathetic, Ravn leads his senior staff to believe the sale has been dictated by their absentee boss of it all. When the incoming owner demands of Ravn that he produce said boss, so his signature appears on the contracts, he hires an actor to pretend he's the reclusive executive. Unbeknownst to the actor, Kristoffer, Ravn has told the managers six different lies about their boss. For example, one randy woman is led believes he is gay, while another is led to believe he will propose to her. Imagine The Office, if Ricky Gervais was hired by his American counterpart, Steve Carell, to announce the elimination of the jobs of six of his employees and friends (not an unlikely scenario, actually). Then, two or three days later, Gervais would sense that his new office mates were getting a raw deal, and try to get Carell to admit to his deceit. In begging their forgiveness, Carell says he only doing the dirty work of the boss of the boss of it all: Gervais. The managers, all of whom are nutty to one degree or another, turn their backs on the actor and take pity on Carell. The real boss of it all, however, is the filmmaker (Von Trier) who is manipulating his puppets from a platform on a crane outside the office building. Now imagine Big Brother, as directed by a sadist. (Again, not a bnad idea.) Trying to figure out who's doing what to whom, and for what reasons, is most of the fun here. The complexity is exaggerated by Von Trier's decision to employ a new camera system, Automavision, which turns over the demands of cinematography to a computer. Whew! It's fitting that the bonus making-of featurettes are mini-mockumentaries, as well. The Boss of It All isn't for everyone, but those willing to cut Von Trier some creative slack will find it to be a hoot. You can play the same Office game with the German/British co-production, Severance. Here, the gang would have a team-building excursion ruined not by the antics of their goofball boss or drunken confessions -- again -- but by a cadre of vicious proto-military killers. Set in a dense Hungarian forest, employees of an armaments company are forced by their dim-witted supervisor to ignore warnings and venture forth independently to the host resort. Instead, their boss demands they take shelter in a dilapidated chalet he insists is the correct destination. He is, of course, dead wrong. Despite some extremely gory encounters, Severance is surprisingly funny and engaging. In this way, it resembles Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and the first edition of Scream. Co-writer-director Christopher Smith successfully maintains a delicate balance between comedy and horror, homage and parody. I'd point out that most critics also liked Severance, but that would suggest it is more cerebral than casual genre fans would tolerate. -- Gary Dretzka
The Gymnast Ostensibly targeted at lesbian and gay audiences, The Gymnast is another one of those festival-to-DVD pictures that deserved a shot at a theatrical run, if only to determine if it could attract crossover business. Marketing costs would have been prohibitive, of course, but it would look better on the large screen than it does on television, and the largely unknown actors actually turn in a credible performances. More to the point, the sexy characters and comparatively mild erotic interludes are interesting enough to keep adults of all sexual persuasions entertained. The protagonist is a middle-age massage therapist, Jane (Dreya Weber), who long ago lost any chance of pursuing a gymnastics career after suffering a serious injury, but still keeps herself in tip-top shape. Her marriage is far less than perfect, so it's no surprise when she finds herself attracted to a much younger gymnast, Serena (Addie Yungmee), conversant in the sensual pleasures of the sort of aerial trapeze performed on long silky ribbons. Along with another woman, Jane and Serena are encouraged to create an act worthy of Cirque du Soleil's Zumanity … or, failing that, the Spearmint Rhino. Rehearsing sensual acrobatics in such close proximity to each other inevitably leads to romance and sex, which is at once tasteful, hot and intrinsic to the plot. The trapeze work is fun to watch, as well. Given the crossover appeal of The L Word, it would have been interesting to see if The Gymnast enjoyed a bit of success in urban and collegiate markets, before being relegated to the gay-and-lesbian shelves of the local video store. - Gary Dretzka
Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act Brothers and Sisters: The Complete First Season Two Weeks The least surprising winner at last week's Emmy ceremony was Helen Mirren, who appears to have a lock on the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie. Last year, it was for her work in Elizabeth I, and, in 1999, it was for The Passion of Ayn Rand. Her portrayal of Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect 4 was similarly honored, along with nominations for parts 2, 3, 5 and 6. Maybe she'll go for the hat trick next year. I know I wouldn't bet against her. In The Final Act, Tennison is nearing retirement and attempting to deal with the imminent death of her father, all the while fighting demons associated with alcoholism. She's a mess, and a difficult investigation into the murder of a schoolgirl only makes things worse. We'll miss Tennison, even if Mirren isn't showing any signs of slowing down. Let's hope the superintendent will be required to come out of retirement and return to the beat, if only for a week or two. Poor Sally Field: it's been 22 years since she profusely thanked Oscar voters for liking her, and comedians haven't let her forget a single word. Last week, she won her third Emmy for her portrayal of the Walker family matriarch in Brothers and Sisters, and the meatballs at Fox censored her acceptance speech. You'd think she had invited Osama Bin Laden to accept it in her place. Brothers and Sisters was one of the surprise hits of the last television season. Airing after Desperate Housewives, the series definitely benefited from the large number of viewers too lazy to pick up the remote control and change channels. After a few months, though, ABC tested its strength by running it after non-Housewives programming and reruns. The show maintained its high ratings and was praised on its own merits. It would take a week to explain what happened in Season One. Suffice it to say, the Walkers make the Ewings look like the Brady Bunch. For those who came in late, the extras included in this boxed set were designed to get you up to speed in time for the second-season premiere. Field also stars in Two Weeks, playing a woman whose death is imminent. As her grown children gather to say farewell and prepare for the funeral, Field's Anita decides she isn't ready to kick the bucket just yet, and hangs around for a few more days. This allows her children plenty of time to dredge up sad and funny memories and re-ignite old feuds. Field's fans are advised to keep a box of Kleenex handy. -- Gary Dretzka
Roger Corman Collection Deliverance: Deluxe Edition Cheech & Chong's: Up in Smoke: Special Collector's Edition The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Friendship Edition The Nightcomers Any cultural history of 20th Century America that doesn't include at least a footnote on Roger Corman's contributions probably wouldn't be worth the price placed on it in a remainder bin. Beyond any significance earned as the producer and director of The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent, the so-called King of the Bs was responsible for introducing a style of prolific filmmaking that was economical, efficient, creative and popular with highly targeted market sectors. Translated, this means Corman and an army of his adoring students were able to churn out an astonishing number of low-cost, genre-specific pictures, most of which were aimed at drive-in patrons less interested in what was on the screen than what was waiting for them in the back seat. The films represented in MGM's The Roger Corman Collection include Bloody Mama, A Bucket of Blood, The Trip, Premature Burial, The Young Racers, The Wild Angels, Gas-s-s and X: The Man With the X-Ray Eyes. They were produced and directed by Corman between 1959 and 1972, and include horror, sci-fi, biker, hippie, gangster and political satire. Among the stars are Ray Milland, Bruce Dern, Peter Fonda, Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, Talia Shire, Cindy Williams, Dennis Hopper, Susan Strasberg, Ben Vereen and Shelly Winters. A requisite adaptation of a story by Corman-favorite, Edgar Allen Poe, is also included. In 1972, Corman would hand over the reins to such then-unknown directors as Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Monte Hellman, Paul Bartel, Jonathan Demme, James Cameron, Peter Bogdanovich, Joe Dante and Ron Howard. This set serves as a time capsule for an era when teenagers ruled the streets, beaches, drag strips and malt shops, if not yet mainstream Hollywood. On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Deliverance, Warner Home Video has released a re-mastered, bonus-heavy edition of the film that made a generation American outdoorsmen afraid to venture into the Appalachian wilderness, for fear they'd be made to squeal to like a pig by an in-bred hillbilly. Adapted from the James Dickey novel, John Boorman's truly creepy Southern gothic is every bit as much fun to experience today, as it was in 1972. In it, a quartet of city slickers from Atlanta attempts to take one last ride on a wild river about to be tamed by a dam. Each of the four represents a different stereotype of American manhood, but all will find their masculinity sorely tested before the end of their journey back to civilization. The commemorative set includes commentary by John Boorman, a dissection of the dueling banjos scene, as well as a full-length documentary featuring the recollections of Jon Voight, Ronnie Cox, Ned Beatty, Burt Reynolds, cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmund and the author's son, Christopher Dickey. There's no scarcity of Cheech & Chong movies already in the marketplace, so the value in this package comes primarily in commentary by Cheech Marin and director Lou Adler (the hippie who sits next to Jack Nicholson at Laker games); better sound; deleted scenes; the featurette, Lighting Up: A Look at 'Up In Smoke'; the animated video for Earache My Eye; and some original marketing material. How well one recalls what happens in Up in Smoke depends on how high that person was while watching it. The more one smoked, of course, the less important became the plot. For stoners of the day, Up in Smoke was a Zap Comix come to life. Hollywood saw the long-established comedy team more as a cross between Hope & Crosby and Laurel & Hardy. It attempted to squeeze every profitable puff from their lungs with a series of decreasingly humorous follow-ups. Up in Smoke does remain criminally funny, though. ("Cheech: Hey, how am I driving, man? Chong, looking around: I think we're parked.") In fact, in the homes of some baby boomers, it might even be considered family entertainment. The latest video incarnation of Disney's The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh arrived during the summer, but I see no harm in correcting an oversight caused by an untidy desk. Typical of the studio, the Friendship Edition adds a few more treats to what was made available a few years ago, in the 25th anniversary package. They include an episode from the new TV series, My Friends Tigger & Pooh and various songs, games, art and making-of material. Today, the entire voicing cast would be comprised of familiar movie and TV stars. Thirty years ago, the biggest names were Sebastian Cabot, ventriloquist Paul Winchell and, I suppose, Clint Howard (Ron's brother). Somehow, that was just fine. Of all the various Marlon Brandos who manifest themselves in more than 50 years of movie-making, Creepy Marlon was one of my favorites. He can be found in Michael Winner's barely known Nightcomers, which was released just months before Brando's comeback film, The Godfather. In the years leading up to that Oscar-winning performance, the actor had gained a reputation of being extremely picky and only slightly less nutty than Howard Hughes. Nightcomers, conceived as a prequel to Henry James' Turn of the Screw, isn't a great movie. It does, however, contain another terrific performance by Creepy Marlon, along with psycho-kids moments and scenes of rough sex between Brando and Stephanie Beacham. Creepy Marlon also stars alongside Elizabeth Taylor -- a real broad, if there ever was one -- in John Huston's under-appreciated Reflections in a Golden Eye. Meanwhile the parade of re-issues and special editions keeps marching by: It's difficult to believe 10 years have passed since Jennifer Lopez made her breakthrough performance in Selena, the high-profile biopic of tejano-singing sensation, Selena Quintanilla-Perez. So many tabloid headlines and diva moments have occurred in the meantime, it actually seems she's been with us for an eternity. Selena: The 10th Anniversary Two-Disc Special Edition includes an extended version of the film, deleted scenes and other features. It's difficult to imagine what new incarnations of Flashdance and Saturday Night Fever could offer that previous versions didn't, but rabid fans almost certainly will appreciate the new commentaries, dance lessons, interviews, perspectives and dissections of the music, which was the secret ingredient in both films. John Travolta re-teamed with John Woo in the action-thriller, Face/Off, which also is being released in a Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition for its 10th anniversary. Since its release, medical science has caught up with the film's central gimmick, a face transplant. Paramount also celebrates the 10th anniversary of John Grisham's The Rainmaker in a Special Collector's Edition. It was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and featured an eccentric cast that included a fresh-faced Matt Damon, Danny De Vito, Elisabeth Shue, Claire Danes and an off-the-charts Mickey Rourke. Also upgraded is Robert Altman's Dr. T & The Women, in which Richard Gere played an overworked gynecologist (as if …) favored by Dallas' social set. It isn't among the best of Altman's films, but he's always treated Texas as if it were a sociological experiment and it's still fun to watch. The Special Edition adds an interview with the late director, as well as commentary by several of the actors and making-of material. There's almost no way to describe The Dark Backward: Special Edition without making it sound as if the story was a hoax: a garbage man, Marty (Judd Nelson), decides to try his hand at standup comedy, but only finds success after a third arm grows from his back. His pal Gus (Bill Paxton) teaches the arm to play the accordion and accompany Marty in a one-man freak show. Laura Flynn Boyle and Robb Lowe also appear in this entirely bizarre black comedy. It's also difficult to imagine finding Max Von Sydow's name and likeness attached to something called Flash Gordon: Saviour of the Universe Edition, but there it is. Cultists will appreciate the bonus features included in this updating of the primitive sci-fi serials. Fans who held out for the inevitable super-dooper edition of Serenity are being rewarded with the two-disc Collector's Edition. It adds extended scenes, tours of the space craft, looks at story development and cinematography, commentary, Internet shorts and an in-depth look at how the film was spun off a canceled television show. -- Gary Dretzka