“BURN NOTICE: SEASON ONE”
Enhanced widescreen, 2007, not rated but contains some sexuality and plenty of action violence
Best extra: Clever scene-specific commentary on several episodes with creator/writer/producer Matt Nix and stars Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell and Sharon Gless.
THERE’S MORE TO the spy business than James Bond or Jason Bourne has let on. But Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) has it down to a science and is willing to share tips: “Covert ops has its own perks. You travel, make your own hours and expense most of your meals. The down side? Lots of people want you dead.”
Westen is full of advice, courtesy of Matt Nix, delivered with wry, deadpan humor. This hit of last summer’s TV season mixes action, humor and lots of chemistry. The buddy kind of chemistry bounces between Westen and semi-retired spy Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell). Then there’s the sizzling tension between Westen and ex-girlfriend, and former IRA agent, Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar). Mom (Sharon Gless) drives it home.
Yes. Spies have families and Westen is quick to point out the benefits: “You can learn good self-defense fighting with students in a class, but great self-defense … that you pick up fighting with your family.”
Westen is the spy with a talent for mayhem and marshmallow resistance, whether it comes from weeping women or bullied 8-year-olds. A crack agent, he learns his services are no longer required mid-deal in Nigeria. Our own happy-go-lucky government drops his battered body back in Westen’s hometown of Miami, sans job, money, credit and passport. What’s a good spy going to do except fight back to regain his identity? Meanwhile, he’ll take on an odd case or three to spin us through a dazzling 11-episode season on four discs.
Additional features include a character montage, Miami Beach scenes with “Girls Gone Burn Notice,” an action montage, gag reel, audition footage with Donovan and Anwar, and a “Saving Grace” TV show music video. Bah. Give us a music video with Mike, Fi and Sam.
Season two airs July 10 on USA Network.
— Kay Reynolds
“BE KIND REWIND”
Blu-ray, enhanced widescreen and full-screen, 2008, PG-13 for sexual references
Best extra: “Passaic Mosaic” certainly deserves a prize for the best featurette title in a long while, and although there’s not much to it, it embodies the do-it-yourself, ethic of the movie itself.
IT’S A MICHEL Gondry movie, so there are two things you need to do before you hit play: Get ready for the Big Concept, and suspend disbelief.
Does “Be Kind Rewind” work? Well, maybe, if you’re in the right mood. This is the story: In an alternate-universe version of Passaic, N.J., a down-at-heel video store (yes, video) has all its VHS tapes accidentally erased by Jack Black, who has become magnetized in a power-plant sabotage experiment gone wrong.
What to do? In Gondry-land, it’s obvious. Black and Mos Def remake all those now-missing movies themselves, starring themselves, with special effects that rely heavily on plastic bags and party streamers. Weirdness ensues.
There’s only one extra on the regular release, although it’s oddly fitting. Rather than a star-centric puff piece, this ode to community, friendship and artistic expression has a 10-minute video essay on Passaic, which supplied both the location and many of the actors.
The Blu-ray disc, however, packs not only excellent visuals but a better collection of extras. It includes the complete Fats Waller biopic (featured in the Capra-esque finale), a jazz session with Gondry and Def, and a not-so-funny improvisation in which Def and Black mangle movie theme songs. There’s also a hilarious 30-minute “making of” documentary with several bizarre interviews, including one with co-star Mia Farrow, who’s busily checking out her eHarmony survey on the set, hoping to find her perfect match.
Sadly, neither disc includes the one extra that would be the movie’s perfect match: footage of the new, improved 20-minute versions of “Ghostbusters” and other box office hits that catapult these video-store artistes to local fame.
— Caroline Luzzatto
“WELCOME HOME ROSCOE JENKINS”
Enhanced widescreen, 2007, PG-13 for crude and sexual content, language and some drug references
Best extra: With a movie full of comedians, the outtakes are sure to be hilarious. Mo’Nique with no script – these outtakes are definitely worth watching.
MARTIN LAWRENCE, Mo’Nique, Mike Epps and Cedric the Entertainer in the same movie – that’s the ultimate recipe for laughs.
Lawrence stars as a big-time TV host who ventures back to his southern hometown where sparks fly in a hilarious cyclone of ongoing family feuds.
If you’re worried about a profanity overdose from the comical cast, rest easy. This film is surprisingly safe. So are the DVD extras.
Like in stand-up comedy, the impromptu laughs are the best. Mo’Nique steals the outtakes with jokes she can’t tell without cracking up. “On Location: Getting Down” is a witty look at the making of the film in Shreveport, La. These stars weren’t feeling the snakes and mosquitoes on the outdoor set. The deleted and extended scenes go on a little longer than needed, while “Going Home: Real Stories of the Cast” adds conversation about real trips back to the home front. The DVD also includes an alternative opening and commentary from the director and producers.
— DeAnne M. Bradley
“FOOL’S GOLD”
Blu-ray and enhanced widescreen, 2008, PG-13 for action violence, some sexual material, brief nudity and language
Best extra: The only one to choose from is a five-minute featurette that has about as much depth as the film itself. Oh, and it’s presented in standard-def.
JUST HOW TAN can Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson get? That’s the only question “Fool’s Gold,” a brain-dead comedy about bickering married treasure hunters seems to want to ask. Veering between comedy (if you want to call it that) and action film heroics (only marginally better than the comedy), “Fool’s Gold” is just further proof that McConaughey and Hudson have no further interest in acting anymore. Donald Sutherland turns in the only believable performance as an obscenely rich old man trying to reconnect with his daughter, and it’s a performance sadly wasted in this mess.
The Blu-ray release offers a decent 1080p/VC-1 transfer that didn't quite offer the level of detail one would expect with a brand new film. Luckily, the gorgeous oceans and beaches are just enough eye candy next to Hudson to make the transfer satisfying. In a growing trend, Warner Brothers continues to not offer lossless audio, a completely unacceptable choice that continues to turn potential buyers away from their releases. Skip it.
— Josh Boone
“MEN IN BLACK”
Blu-ray widescreen, 1997, PG-13 for language and sci-fi violence
Best extra: “Mystery Science Theater 3000”-style visual commentary originally on the DVD – with director Barry Sonnenfeld and actor Tommy Lee Jones. The guys are funny and sarcastic. Watch out for Sonnenfeld, who uses an electronic pointer like John Madden.
WILL SMITH’S TRACK record for July Fourth weekend speaks for itself: “Independence Day” (1996), “Men in Black” (1997), “Men in Black II” (2002) and his latest “Hancock,” premiering July 2.
So it’s no coincidence “MIB,” the buddy sci-fi adventure starring Smith and Jones debuts on Blu-ray this week, sporting the most sophisticated bonus feature to date: A fast-paced live trivia game. Test your intergalactic knowledge with up to seven other online players via your Playstation 3 or Blu-ray players via internet access.
Select the game button and login. Then, wait for enough players to join your match or join theirs. Every contestant sees the same multiple choice questions and video clips at exactly at the same time. Points are earned for correct answers and quick response. Obviously, the person with the most points WINS! This reviewer chocked up one victory and lost a second round.
The hi-def imagery is quite good with deep blacks, but with some amount of film grain. The winner is the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack that will give your subwoofer a big workout, especially from Danny Elfman’s pulsating score.
The enhanced visual commentary and the audio commentary are the same track. There are plenty of interesting stories, including how the original script had Agent K and Agent J monitoring and policing aliens in Kansas, Nevada, Los Angeles and New York City. But, Sonnenfeld demanded that the tale be moved to his hometown, The Big Apple, where he felt aliens would feel more at home.
The disc also includes three standard-def documentaries, extended and deleted scenes, storyboards, visual effects highlights, art and photo gallery, music video, technical commentary with FX team and deconstruction of the final bug battle.
A three-scene editing workshop is another carryover, where you become the filmmaker, piecing together shots and comparing your edit with the pros’.
And the best bonus – you can download a free ticket coupon valued at $7.50 to see “Hancock.” Not bad, since you can pick up a copy of “MIB” at one major electronic store for less than $20.
— Bill Kelley III
“THE SWORD IN THE STONE: 45TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION”
Full-screen, 1963, G
Best Extra: An episode of the TV series “Walt Disney Presents” that finds Walt talking about magic. Filmed in dazzling black and white, it shows that while Disney may have been a natural behind the camera, he was anything but while in front. Its hokey ’50s fun.
MANY BOOMERS REMEMBER this film as being one of the first they saw in a movie theater. Based on a book by E.B. White, Disney uses the Arthurian legends as basis for life lessons in a series of comedic scenes. The basic lessons they teach are good ones and not overly preachy. They don’t get in the way of the plot, that of an orphan squire who ends up becoming king of England.
By the time of this film’s release, Disney was spending more time planning theme parks than paying attention to his animated feature films. Most of the work was entrusted to a small group of directors and animators who became known as the “nine old men.” While the film is charming, and some of its animation remarkably beautiful, the film seems a bit formulaic for those familiar with Disney features. Still, it’s an entertaining work and one of the last films Disney would be involved with.
— Larry Printz
“THE SIGNAL”
Blu-ray and enhanced widescreen, 2007, R for strong brutal bloody violence throughout, pervasive language and brief nudity
Best extra: "The Signal" opens with a clip of another short horror flick, "The Hap Hapgood Story," which was directed by Signal contributor Jake Gentry. The DVD goodie bag lets us watch the whole, horrifying 10-minute Hapgood short.
FOR ALMOST NO MONEY – reportedly less than six figures – and in under two weeks, three directors hammered out a very different, very cool scary movie. It's one you've likely never seen or heard of, considering it made only about $250,000 on a festival tour and brief theatrical release. But if you love being freaked out, it's a must.
The basics: A major metropolitan city is driven mad by a signal that's transmitting through phones, radios and televisions. It's turning people into murderous mad men (and women). There's a love triangle, some trippy hallucinations and lots and lots of bashed heads.
Among its many unique qualities, "The Signal" is odd in that it's directed by three different guys – Gentry, David Bruckner and Dan Bush – and each takes his turn to direct one of the chapters (or "transmissions").
The trio talks about how they pulled it off in an excellent commentary and a 15-minute making-of featurette. Other extras include three deleted scenes and three "webisodes," which show us the signal's impact on parts of the city outside the small group of people the film follows.
The Blu-ray version, though, adds little else. There are no new extras and because of the low-budget production, the hi-def imagery really isn't a dramatic improvement over the DVD.
— Kyle Tucker
“CALIFORNICATION: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON”
Enhanced widescreen, 2007, not rated (but certainly not for anyone younger than 18)
Best extra: Just biographies and a photo gallery, unless you have a DVD-capable PC
WATCH YOUR BACK, HBO: Showtime is gaining ground on you, and fast. With HBO's loss of tent poles "The Sopranos," "Deadwood" and "Six Feet Under," Showtime has swooped in to fill the primetime late-night cable gap. Currently going strong on the network are such gems as "Dexter," "Weeds," "The Tudors," "Brotherhood" and "This American Life." But the coup de grace for HBO may be this show, one perfectly suited to the talents of David Duchovny after his "X Files" exodus.
One can easily imagine the Hollywood pitch: "A male "Sex and the City" version of Carrie Bradshaw, only in L.A. instead of New York, and with absolutely no morals or common sense whatsoever." Like F/X's "nip/tuck," the sexual content is extreme, but only in the context of how empty the life of the main character, one-hit novelist wonder Hank Moody, is.
By having Hank divorce his wife before the series begins, his attempt to win her and his daughter back before she weds another man provides the heart, and wonderfully offbeat humor, that sets the wheels of this series in motion.
Showtime has widely varied the extras on its DVD releases. Season One of "Weeds" was given no fewer than eight audio commentaries, and "Dexter" got two. This set, however gets none. Duchovny can be forgiven if he's shooting the new "X Files" film, but why is series writer/creator Tom Kapinos MIA? PC DVD owners will have to settle for an option that unlocks the first two episodes of "Dexter."
— Carl Hott
“MEERKAT MANOR: SEASON 3”
Enhanced widescreen, 2007, not rated but contains intense nature drama.
No extras. Again.
“MEERKAT MANOR: THE STORY BEGINS”
Enhanced widescreen, 2008, not rated but contains intense nature drama.
Best extra: “The Science of Meerkat Manor” shows how the series was filmed.
SO IT'S NOT ENOUGH that we lost Flower and Mozart in season three, the show’s producer, Carolyn Hawkins had to take Sean Astin from us, too. Fans had every reason to expect Astin to return to narrate future seasons – and specials such as “The Story Begins.”
Apparently, we are wrong. A letter from Animal Planet advises that human meerkat management decided it was time for women to take over narration duties. Management – read that “marketing” – wanted a lighter tone: “With ... Flower's passing the show's producer wanted to signal a change for the Whiskers clan and felt the best way to do that was with a new narrator. When Meerkat Manor premieres ... Emmy-award winning Stockard Channing will lend a headstrong voice to the Manor.”
Nice call on the “lighter tone” for women, folks. Thanks bunches.
Here’s the gripe. Why tamper with perfection? “Meerkat Manor” has become an Animal Planet icon. Ratings are heads and tails better than spin offs such as “Orangutan Island” and the, frankly, offensive “Lemur Kingdom” that cites its critters with stereotypical hip hop characteristics. Not a show I’d want children to watch.
I love Whoopi Goldberg, who narrates “The Story Begins,” the story of young Flower. I also enjoy and respect Stockard Channing, but neither have Astin’s resonance. Couple Goldberg’s voice with the saccharine sweet score that accompanies “Story” and you’ve got a nauseating 75 minutes to get through.
Meerkat fans should be sure to pick up season three with its incredible true life story and compassionate narrator, who leads us through the triumphs and tragedies of the Kalahari. Don’t insult the journey with the new marketing.
— Kay Reynolds
“CITY SLICKERS: COLLECTOR’S EDITION”
Enhanced widescreen, 1991, PG-13 for language
Best extra: Audio commentary from director Ron Underwood and stars Billy Crystal and Daniel Stern.
WHEN A NEW YORKER who is quickly closing in on 30 decides it’s time for him and his two best friends to get back in touch with themselves by way of going western, the laughs are already in store before anybody steps foot out of the city.
Mitch Robbins (Crystal) and his friends, played by Stern and the late Bruno Kirby, head to a gut-busting two-week Southwestern cattle drive that tests their mettle and it is on the drive that the trio hooks up with Curly (Jack Palance), a tough-to-the-bone, real-deal cowboy.
This DVD is loaded with deleted scenes, a making-of featurette and more.
Head ’em out!
— Cliff Redding
“COMEDY CENTRAL’S HOME GROWN”
Full-screen, 2008, Not rated (but there is a parental advisory)
Best Extra: “Comedy Central Quickies.” Be sure to check out “Date with God” from “The Sarah Silverman Program” and “Policetek 2000” from “Reno 911!”
IF YOU ARE A FAN OF Comedy Central, then you will go crazy over “Home Grown,” which is a compilation of some of the network’s most hilarious offerings.
“Chappelle’s Show,” “The Sarah Silverman Program,” “Drawn Together” and “Crank Yankers” are all included in this DVD. The disc is organized by sections titled “Buds,” “Stems” and “Seeds.” Get it? If you don’t, then you probably won’t want to spend any time with this DVD. It ain’t for you. But if, on the other hand, you do get it, then you will be laughing your you-know-what off as you watch some of these episodes.
The comedy on this DVD from Paramount is cutting-edge and not very PC. Do not think the kids can sit down and watch it with you.
But it is funny – funny enough you’ll be trying to tell some of your co-workers about it.
Just don’t try to perform the skits when the in-laws come over.
— Cliff Redding
“KING”
Enhanced widescreen, 2008, not rated
Best extra: Without a doubt, “Voices From the Civil Rights,” which shows ordinary people who lived through the civil rights period telling their stories. Listening to them, black baby boomers for the most part, tell what it was like to live during the tumultuous times of racial inequality brings the whole story home.
THE REV. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. was a young Baptist minister, not even in his 30s, when he was given the task of being the spokesman for a citywide bus boycott in Birmingham, Ala., and with it the voice of the civil rights movement.
In “King,” produced by the History Channel, we learn about his role in the civil rights movement, but the DVD goes much further. It talks about King the man, as well. We hear his son Martin Luther King III talk about what it was like to have him around the house as “daddy,” before the young King would learn of his father’s role in history.
A very cool feature of this documentary is how the producers inserted cutaways of people such as Bill Clinton, Bono, Condoleezza Rice, Chuck D., Forest Whitaker and others talk about King and what he means to them.
Through interviews and archival footage, you will come away with a deeper understanding of the man who led the civil rights movement.
This one is worth keeping in your DVD collection.
— Cliff Redding
“SOPHIA LOREN: A FILM COLLECTION”
Enhanced widescreen, not rated
Best Extra: “Sophia Loren: Popolana” is the informative featurette included in this three-disc set that talks about Loren’s very humble beginnings in Southern Italy and how she got the attention of producer Carlo Ponti in her teens, and, under Ponti’s guidance, became a superstar.
SOPHIA LOREN is one of the world’s most beautiful women, but beyond her beauty is a talent that makes her deserving of the term “icon.”
“Sophia Loren: A Film Collection” includes four of Loren’s films that demonstrate just how viable she has been as a cinematic mainstay.
“Attila” (1954) — Loren promises to wed Attila the Hun (Anthony Quinn) if he gets her hated brother out of power as the emperor of Italy.
“Carosello Napoletano” (1954) — Loren makes a guest appearance in this musical, which featured many of Italy’s stars of the day.
“Madame Sans-Gene” (1962) — Loren is a rambunctious laundress who becomes part of Napoleon’s court.
“I Girasoli (Sunflower)” (1970) — Loren attempts to find her husband, who is MIA in World War II while fighting in Russia. She journeys to Russia to learn the truth.
Pop some popcorn and be prepared enjoy the range of Loren in her cinematic splendor.
— Cliff Redding
“SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER”
Blu-ray and enhanced widescreen, 1993, PG-13 for nudity, language and mock terror
Best extra: How can a DVD be billed on the front cover as a special edition and contain no bonus features? We’re not sure either. Ask Sony.
Mike Meyers stars in one of his earlier comedic vehicles as a poet who gets involved with a woman who may be – you guessed it – an axe murderer. The best comedy in the film comes from the protagonist's relationship with his very Scottish family (Meyers plays several roles here).
Fans of the film will appreciate the video and audio upgrade. Bright and colorful with a wonderful amount of detail, "Axe Murderer" probably looks better than it did when it was in theaters. The lossless audio track is also welcome considering the amount of pop songs and score used in the film.
As stated before, this erroneously labeled "special edition" isn't special at all. The BD-Live link on the menu is also inaccessible.
— Josh Boone
“THE JUNGLE BOOK 2: SPECIAL EDITION”
Enhanced widescreen, 2003, G
Best extra: “The Legacy of the Jungle Book,” a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this sequel and the impact the first movie had on all involved in its production.
Nothing like repackaging an already-released-on-DVD movie and calling it “special.” With Disney’s latest re-release of “The Jungle Book 2,” nothing on the disc is that.
The story of Mowgli picks up where the original ended, Mowgli living in the man village with the girl Shanti and her family. It’s a decent sequel, but most of the DVD’s extras come directly from the first release in 2003.
They include two deleted scenes to story boards with commentary, “Mowgli’s Jungle Ruins Maze,” three music videos including Smash Mouth’s rendition of “I Wanna Be Like You,” on-screen lyrics, Disney song selection and a synopsis of the original movie, “The Jungle Book” (1967).
The new game is “Mowgli’s Story Time Adventure.” It takes scenes from the beginning of the movie and makes it into a game where players need to help Mowgli tell the story using the arrow buttons on their remote control. It’s confusing.
The behind-the-scenes feature is a good look at inspirations behind the latest tale and a look at how things are different for animators in the 21st century compared to 40-plus years ago when the original film was made. A lot certainly has changed, just in the color palette alone.
If you already own the 2003 version, don’t worry about picking up this “special edition.”
— Toni Guagenti
‘THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK & CODY: LIP SYNCHIN’ IN THE RAIN’
Full-screen, 2008, TV-G
Best extra: “Twin-Tastic” – what’s it like to be twins Cole and Dylan Sprouse?
SO, IT’S ONLY A short bonus on “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody’s” latest DVD release, but “Twin-Tastic” is still a cute look at the Sprouse brothers and what it’s like to be a twin. They even try to dispel some myths, like all twins are the exact same. Plus, Brenda Song, who plays London Tipton on the show and interviews the boys on the bonus, has to withstand some questions of her own.
This four-episode collection features the show where the young casts’ high school has auditions for Disney’s megahit “High School Musical.” It’s funny to see Ashley Tisdale as Maddie trying to land the role of Sharpay because everyone tells her she looks like that actress. Everyone’s response: “I don’t see it.” Other shows are: “Arwin that Came to Dinner,” “Orchestra” and “A Tale of Two Houses.”
Other than this bonus, the disc features a short gag reel from the show’s second season. It elicits a laugh here and there.
Keep mass producing those compilations, Disney; people will keep buying them.
— Toni Guagenti
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