Hopefully, this concludes the catch up, and we’ll be back on track this week.
Enjoy and buy lots of DVDs!
Iron Man 2
Paramount/Running Time 124 Minutes
Sequels are tough. It’s always difficult to recapture the magic of a beloved film.
That being said, Iron Man 2 is not a sequel.
It’s the next issue.
Now, bear with me. If you set aside audience expectations of what a preconceived sequel should be, and examine it for what it actually is, Jon Favreau has put together the second issue extremely well. And if you examine the film under those qualifiers, Iron Man 2 is not only good, but it’s pretty damned fun.
Several months after outing himself as Iron Man, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is thinking an awful lot about legacies. He’s established peace as a one man deterrent and has stopped developing military weapons. He hands off his company to his assistant (Gwyneth Paltrow) and re-establishes his late father’s Stark World Expo, bringing together the smartest minds from around the globe to work together to leave the world a better place.
Tony’s doing this because the energy core that keeps him alive is also poisoning him. And he has a legacy to leave.
He’s not the only one.
There’s Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), a fellow industrialist who’s legacy might very well be to always stand in the shadow of Tony Stark; and Ivan Danko (Mickey Rourke), sporting Russian prison tattoos, who erroneously believes that Tony’s father Howard, stole work from his late father and he’s out for revenge. Danko believes his legacy is extract revenge in the name of his father, co-creator of the original arc reactor.
Tony’s search for his legacy also ties directly into his search for a cure to his terminal affliction. Also on board are director Favreau as Stark’s bodyguard “Happy” Hogan, Scarlett Johansson as The Black Widow, Don Cheadle stepping in for Terrence Howard’s James Rhodes, Clark Gregg as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson and Samuel L. Jackson as S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury.
Iron Man 2 also bridges the ever expanding continuity of the Marvel Comics movie universe, with dozens of Easter eggs scattered throughout. Iron Man 2 is a good sequel, but a fantastic chapter in the live action depiction of the life of Tony Stark. Extras include commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, music video and digital copy. Highly recommended.
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
Warner Home Video/Running Time 78 Minutes
The DC Universe animated films tend to only be as good as their source material. The latest, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is based on the comic book storyline by Jeph Loeb and the late Michael Turner. And therein lies the issue.
The story, which reimagined the arrival of Supergirl was one of the weaker storylines and unfortunately this adaptation didn’t strengthen the overall plot. Supergirl landing on Earth divides Superman and Batman as The Man of Steel is excited to establish a connection with his cousin, while both The Dark Knight and Wonder Woman question her timing and her virtually unlimited power with no training how to control it. The villainous Darkseid kidnaps The Maiden of Might intending to brainwash her to use her against the other heroes.
Voice work by regulars Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly was excellent, and Summer Glau did a good job as Supergirl, as did Andre Braugher as Darkseid (although I prefer Michael Ironside in the role). My biggest complaints were the script which tended to lag despite the brief running time and the character design (which is based on Turner’s distinctive unappealing style). Extras include DC Showcase: Green Arrow animated short, an extended preview of All-Star Superman, Supergirl featurette, and bonus animated episodes featuring Darkseid.
Complete Rich Man Poor Man
A & E Home Video/Running Time 1604 Minutes
A mammoth box set collecting both the original mini-series and the 22 hour series follow up, Rich Man, Poor Man was the first television event, paving the way for such ambitious projects as Roots, Shogun, The Thorn Birds and many others.
Rich Man, Poor Man chronicled the lives of the Jordache Brothers against historical events for over two decades. The series (and I’d imagine the source novel as well) uses the Cain and Abel archetype with success, pitting brothers Rudy (Peter Strauss) and Tommy (Nick Nolte) against one another. Packed with a powerhouse cast including Ed Asner, Dorothy McGuire, Susan Blakely, Robert Reed, Murray Hamilton, Norman Fell, Bill Bixby, Ray Milland, Gloria Grahame, Van Johnson, Steve Allen, Craig Stevens, Lynda Day George, Dennis Dugan and Talia Shire. Rich Man, Poor Man wasn’t just a television movie, but rather a cultural event, garnering 19 Emmy nominations and 4 wins.
The original mini-series is far better than the subsequent season, but that’s in no small part to Nick Nolte, who rocketed to stardom following the original and didn’t return for it’s follow-up. Rich Man, Poor Man is unbelievable in terms of not only it’s scope, but it’s success. Rich Man, Poor Man is as compelling a television drama today as it was almost thirty-five years ago. The initial mini-series is a must see, but curious fans might want to see the entire epic. Extras include a commentary on the mini-series’ first episode. Recommended.
Dark Night Of The Scarecrow
VCI Entertainment/Running Time 96 Minutes
I’ve heard quite a bit about this 1981 television film and thankfully, VCI Entertainment decided to change all that and beautifully remaster it for all to see. It’s a story that you’ve seen before, cobbled together from various sources, yet it’s a pretty entertaining viewing experience. When a developmentally challenged man Bubba (Larry Darke) is wrongfully accused of killing a young girl, which results in four townspeople (led by postman Charles Durning) deciding to extract vigilante justice. Bubba is hunted into a cornfield and is gunned down while hiding inside the scarecrow. Soon, the townsfolk learn their erroneous accusation, but not before they are stalked by a revenge-seeking scarecrow in a deadly game of cat & mouse.
Dark Night of the Scarecrow isn’t particularly a very good movie, but it’s an awful lot of fun and despite the fact that television’s censors didn’t allow an awful lot of gore or violence, I would it to be an excellent thriller filled with tension and suspense. Extras include commentary, network premiere promo and trailers. Recommended.
Ellery Queen: The Complete Series
E1 Entertainment/Running Time 1176 Minutes
Jim Hutton plays mystery writer/consummate detective Ellery Queen in 23 episodes of this beloved cult series. Queen is a writer who assists his police detective father (David Wayne) in solving various crimes in late 1940’s New York.
I had never seen the series before and was quickly charmed by it’s gimmick. Each episode presents the clues to the audience and invites them to solve the mystery prior to Queen revealing the solution. I’m not sure how well it played when it initially aired, but seeing the stylized forties produced during the seventies with a stellar guest cast (Betty White, Larry Hagman, Ed McMahon, Sal Mineo, Cesar Romero, Dick Sargent, Vincent Price, Ray Milland, Don Ameche, Joan Collins, Ida Lupino, Tom Bosley, Eve Arden, Robert Loggia, Roddy McDowell, Murray Hamilton, Orson Bean, George Burns, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Victor Buono, Norman Fell, Bob Crane, Carolyn Jones, Eve Arden, Tab Hunter, and Gary Burghoff) makes this series an immediate recommendation from me.
E1 Entertainment has put together a really phenomenal box set that might not appeal to everyone, but for fans of the series or of smart detective television, Ellery Queen is a must have. Extras include an interview with co-creator William Link and a booklet. Highly recommended.
Frozen
Anchor Bay/Running Time 93 Minutes
I don’t generally find movies scary. Suspenseful, sure, but scary?
I generally think that in order for a movie to be scary, there has to be a little bit of truth. Unlikely or improbable works, but if all of the circumstances line up, it could happen.
Frozen is a scary movie.
Three college students go on a ski trip and get stuck on the lift as the lodge closes for the week. A storm rolls in and the trio must either figure out a way to get down or slowly freeze to death.
It’s a pretty basic premise and writer/director Adam Green keeps the situation grounded in reality as the situation quickly becomes dark. Both realistic and terrifying, the decisions that these characters make and the ramifications of those decisions stay with you long after the film ends. Frozen is intense and effectively suspenseful and terrifying. Extras include commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes and a trailer. Recommended.
Get Him to the Greek (2-Disc Edition)
Universal/Running Time 109 Minutes
Russell Brand reprises his Aldous Snow character (from Forgetting Sarah Marshall) in this loose remake of My Favorite Year. When Jonah Hill’s Aaron Green pitches to his music executive boss (A very funny P. Diddy) the idea to stage a 10th anniversary concert for Snow’s most successful album, he is assigned to retrieve the self-destructive rocker and bring him to Los Angeles. Snow is off the wagon following the release of his flop, “African Child” and the breakup with his longtime companion, Jackie (Rose Byrne). Once Green arrives, the duo start their journey back to the States along a raunchy road of excess and depravity.
Brand’s Snow is a manipulative charming Lothario and Get Him To The Greek is a fantastically entertaining film and gets better with each viewing. Extras include both theatrical and unrated versions of the film, commentary, 3 documentaries, 5 Music Videos, Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes, Infant Sorrow performances, gag reel and a digital copy of the film. Highly recommended.
The Killer Inside Me
MPI Home Video/Running Time 109 Minutes
Not the noir film I was expecting, but rather an exercise in torture porn, with gratuitous violence toward women, The Killer Inside Me was a disappointment. Casey Affleck plays Deputy Sheriff Lou Ford who is tasked with escorting prostitute Joyce Lakeland (Jessica Alba) out of town. It seems that Ms. Alba intends to elope with the son of tycoon Ned Beatty, and it falls on Ford to see that she leaves. Of course Ford and Joyce fall in love, plan a scheme to milk Beatty out of money and that’s when things go bad.
Ford decides to turn to murder.
All of this (despite the grisly murders) makes good crime fiction.
Sometimes though, when the action is distilled through live action performances, things don’t always seem the way originally imagined.
Alba gets beaten in the film. It’s bloody, brutal, excessive, unforgiving and realistic.
And it ruins the movie for me.
The Killer Inside Me isn’t a bad film, moments in fact, are quite fantastic. Several actors are miscast and the excessive violence is fairly brief. But, it’s the realistic nature of the violence that stayed with me after the movie ended. Extras include trailer and “Making of” featurettes.
Marvel Knights Astonishing X-Men: Gifted
Shout! Factory/Running Time 60 Minutes
Motion comics are a relatively new medium, blending the printed page with video presentation.
Some, like last year’s release of Watchmen The Motion Comic, had a single narrator, and added limited animation to the published work, leaving word balloons intact and a less than successful attempt.
Which brings us to this release, which collects the previously released Astonishing X-Men motion comics in a single volume. Gifted, is an adaptation of the original storyline by writer Joss Whedon and artist John Cassaday and to say that it’s fantastic would be a ridiculous understatement. Using extremely well executed animation with solid voice work and score, Gifted is engaging, funny and surprisingly watchable. Part of it’s success is that Whedon writes dialogue heavy, which allows the limited animation more subtlety. I read the original storyline when it came out and was surprised that I actually enjoyed experiencing this story in this format considerably more. Extras include a featurette featuring Joe Quesada and Neal Adams, a history of the X-Men, a music video and trailers. Highly recommended.
Perrier’s Bounty
MPI Home Video/Running Time 88 Minutes
A dynamite cast including Brendan Gleeson, Cillian Murphy, Jim Broadbent, Jodie Whittaker and Gabriel Byrne as the voice of the Grim Reaper should be reason enough to see Perrier’s Bounty.
Thankfully, there are others.
An Irish crime film, Perrier’s Bounty is about a gangster looking to exact his revenge on the three fugitives who caused the accidental death of a member of his crew, and although it doesn’t break new ground in the world of crime films, it is an enjoyable watch. Reminiscent of In Bruges and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Perrier’s Bounty is a crime film that is both intense and at times, purely ridiculous, with the story zigging and zagging without much logical success. Perrirer’s Bounty is forgettable, but the cast and energy make it worth your time to check it out Extras include a trailer and interviews.
The Real National Treasure
A & E Home Video/Running Time 47 Minutes
A far too brief look at the largest library in the world, The Real National Treasure focuses on the United States Library of Congress. Originally presented as an episode of the History Channel’s Modern Marvels series, this overview is fascinating and whets the appetite for an even more detailed look. The Library’s staff of 4,000 oversee and maintain 145 million items. The fascinating documentary also depicts how the Library has evolved through modern technology and the web. Extras include a brief introduction. Highly recommended.
Secret Agent: The Complete Collection
A & E Home Video/Running Time 3420 Minutes
Collecting both the original Danger Man and it’s sequel series, Secret Agent (which occurred after the release and runaway success of the first James Bond film, Dr. No) The Complete Collection stars Patrick McGoohan as international spy John Drake in 86 episodes. The tone is more cerebral than action packed as Drake travels the world ferreting out bad guys and saving the day. Unfortunately, when this series was produced, episodic television was designed to be self-contained, so there really isn’t any progression or evolution of character. The look did evolve over it’s run, embracing the pop sensibilities of the late 1960’s, which refreshingly brought some change to the sometimes monotonous show. McGoohan is excellent as Drake and the series (in many opinions) was a prequel to the even better The Prisoner. Nevertheless, Secret Agent is a must have for fans of the genre and an excellent look at intelligent espionage television that was ahead of it’s time, influencing such series as 24, Spooks, and Alias. Extras include a Patrick McGoohan Biography and Filmography.
South Park: A Little Box of Butters
Comedy Central/Running Time 286 Minutes
Poor Butters.
As South Park‘s naive, sweet, trusting, blond headed scamp he continuously plays victim to Eric Cartman. And in some respects, his greatest adversary.
In the fifth season, Butters became a central character on South Park and is the focus of several truly fantastic episodes. South Park: A Little Box of Butters is redundant for the hard core fan, but as a casual viewer, I found it hysterical and a definite must buy. Extras include a trivia game. Included within the box set are mock newspaper clippings, a copy of the manuscript for The Poop That Took a Pee, a fake check from Paris Hilton, a bracelet, an Inspector Butters badge, and a gold pimp necklace. Highly recommended.
Suck
E1 Entertainment/Running Time 96 Minutes
- Legitimate musicians: Appearances include Alice Cooper, Henry Rollins, Carol Pope, Iggy Pop and Moby.
- Malcolm McDowell as legendary vampire hunter Eddie Van Helsing. And Dave Foley.
- Considering how many vampire movies are being released, this one is actually watchable.
- The stunning Jessica Paré.
- That despite a fairly cliche plot, it’s executed fairly well. Modern rock musicals are tough to pull off, and Suck does pull it off.
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