DVDs include 'Batman: Gotham Knight,' 'Penelope' and 'Step Up 2: The Streets'

“THE BANK JOB”

Best extra: A 15-minute standard-def documentary, "The Baker Street Bank Raid" with interviews, old 1970s footage and historical background on the actual caper.

 

JASON STATHAM HAS MADE action flicks cool. He's always playing some smooth guy who's perpetually in trouble, but only so much trouble, because he'll eventually find a slick way out. And doing all this with his lady-killin' accent, well, that's even cooler.

This time an old flame approaches him with knowledge of a bank that's vulnerable to being pilfered. Never mind that Statham's character has never actually robbed a bank. His rag-tag bunch will fumble their way through it.

 

Other than general clumsiness, though, the thieves' biggest problem turns out to be several very powerful – and very dangerous – people whose goods (and secrets) are in the looted safety deposit boxes. Trouble ensues.

 

The film is an excellent throwback and the Blu-ray and DVD pulls its weight, too. Along with the true-story piece – and no, it's not likely all a true story – we get a well-rounded, three-man commentary and nearly 17-minute "Inside the Bank Job," a standard but solid making-of featurette. Six minutes of deleted scenes are unspectacular, but there are a few extra sparks between Statham's character and his old flame. If you like this flick enough to watch it over and over, you can put it on your iPod or iPhone thanks to Disc 2, a digital copy of the movie.

 

Sadly, none of the extras are in hi-def on the Blu-ray, but the film has notably better picture with great contrast and color highlighting the streets of London.

 

 

 

Best extra: "The Making of 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'" is a comprehensive documentary that examines the winding road Ken Kesey's bestselling novel took on its way to the big screen.

 

WINNER OF FIVE OSCARS (Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Screenplay), “Cuckoo’s Nest” is an American classic. The mental institution system is the battleground: Jack Nicholson wins his first Oscar playing R.P. McMurphy and Louise Fletcher, also an Oscar winner, as the unbreakable Nurse Ratched.

Kirk Douglas starred in the 1963 Broadway version, originally tried to get the film made, passed the book rights to his son Michael Douglas, who decided his father was too old for the movie and offered it to James Caan, Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman, before finally landing Nicholson. 

 

"Cuckoo's Nest" comes to Blu-ray in sparkling new hi-def transfer from a clean print and looks better than it ever has before; showcasing Bill Butler's (who replaced Haskell Wexler) cinematography.  Warner has decided against lossless audio for this title because of the stark simplicity of the film's sound design, opting for Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and original mono mix.

 

Although there are no new extras (everything is duplicated from the two-disc DVD), what's here is uniformly excellent, including a commentary by director Milos Forman and producers Saul Zaentz and Michael Douglas, a selection of deleted scenes, and a new, 32-page collectible booklet with tons of pictures.

 

 

Best extra:  Only one on the disc related to the film: “The Making of a Modern-Day Tale”

 

SHE’S NOT THAT hideous, but she shocks the men who she supposedly needs to marry to break a century-old curse that said that the first girl born into the family would have the nose of a pig. And, she did.

 

Starring Christina Ricci as Penelope, James McAvoy as her knight in shining armor, Catherine O’Hara as her overprotective mother and Reese Witherspoon as her accepting friend, “Penelope” is about loving yourself unconditionally, no matter how you look.

 

The only extra is no great shakes in the land of bonus features, but it does give you an idea of why Witherspoon liked the script and wanted to produce the movie. The bonus also explains why the creators wanted Ricci’s nose to blend in with her face and not be too overwhelming, to show people’s ridiculous reaction to it.

 

 

Best extra: “Meet the 410” a mini-doc highlighting the breakdance and hip hop dancers, whose moves are nothing short of acrobatic. We get a peek into how these extraordinarily nimble people move.

“STEP UP 2” doesn’t offer much by way of plot—this sequel is essentially a rehash of its massively successful predecessor. Both channel bottle teenage, peer rivalries and the tyranny of adults into urban music and dancing, and in this film the latter two are the stars. In that vein, the megawatt, sometimes astonishing dance sequences are the highlight of the extras.

 

There are eight deleted scenes all in hi-def, one of which features a routine by the Jabbawockeez, the b-boy, mask-wearing team that won MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew” and is occasionally in Hampton Roads. Speaking of, Missy Elliot’s video for “Ching-A-Ling” is here, among four other music videos, not in hi-def from hot recording artists including Plies and Flo Rida.

 

Singer Cassie, who displays surprisingly solid acting chops in the film, also does a song from the outtakes and there’s a ‘making of’ taped in hi-def. The Blu-ray version features top notch picture and sound from first-time director Jon Chu. Make sure your speakers are in good working order—this movie brings the BOOM.

 

 

 

Best extra: "A Mirror for the Bat," only available in standard-def, talking about Batman's rogues gallery

 

JUST IN TIME FOR the release of "The Dark Knight" comes "Batman: Gotham Knight," an animated movie set in the period between "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight." The movie is split into six chapters, each telling a story that can stand on its own, though they also tie loosely together. Each chapter is directed, written and animated by a different group of people, so each has its own style.

 

Visually, the movie has a somewhat anime feel (particularly in the third chapter, "Field Test"), which can be an adjustment for those used to the other animated Batman incarnations. The Blu-ray imagery is somewhat disappointing, with low contrast and slightly soft picture for hi-def. Not the visual pop of Disney/Pixar’s “Ratatouille.” While the first chapter is a little weak, the stories get better from there, culminating with a battle between Batman and villain Deadshot.

 

The Blu-ray or the two-disc special edition DVD features a commentary with DC Comics' Gregory Noveck, former Batman editor Dennis O'Neil and Kevin Conroy, who voiced Batman. There's the usual talk of how the film came together, but Conroy also has an interesting story about the effect Batman has had on popular culture.

 

There are two standard-def featurettes, as well. "A Mirror for the Bat" features interviews with various people discussing the villains that Batman has faced over the years and how they reflect aspects of Batman or serve as an opposite to his strengths. They talk about some of their motivations and the importance of layered villains, making the claim that Batman has the best cast of villains of any superhero. The other featurette is the documentary "Batman and Me: The Bob Kane Story," which examines the life of the creator of Batman, which has a lot of interesting information about his influences in creating the character and the success that followed and how it affected his life.

 

Also included on the disc is a sneak peek at the animated "Wonder Woman" movie and four episodes from the excellent "Batman: The Animated Series."

 

 

Best extra:  Feature-length commentary with star Raven-Symone and director Roger Kumble

 

RAVEN-SYMONE AND Lawrence Martin play a daughter/father team in Disney’s nostalgic, somewhat funny look at sending your little girl off to college.

The bonus features on this disc are nothing new for Disney, including a gag real, an alternate opening and two alternate endings (with optional director commentary), “Double Dutch Bus” music video and a making-of that video, 10 deleted scenes (also with optional director commentary) and a Raven video diary.

 

The Blu-ray version is typical Disney at its best: great contrast, color, sharpness with a full soundstage, but it’s a waste on such a mediocre comedy.

All extras, including Raven’s video diary, are taped in high-def.

 

The Blu-ray and DVD also have two commentaries, an energetic one with Raven and Kumble, and a yawner with writers Emi Mochizuki and Carrie Evans. It’s interesting to hear Kumble talk about how he got Donny Osmond to play a father in the film after being away from movies for 30 years.

 

 

 

Best extra: A commentary with director/writer Paul Schrader and producer Alan Poul

 

 

Best extra: An archival interview with Mishima for Japanese TV

 

AFTER FINISHING “Taxi Driver,” Paul Schrader had another “suicidal script” in mind, this one about Hank Williams.

Instead, he turned to Yukio Mishima, the celebrated Japanese author who, in 1970 at age 45, committed seppuku (ritual suicide) by disemboweling himself. With members of his private army in tow, Mishima went to the headquarters of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and took an officer hostage. A nationalist who angered the left and right, he tried to rally the troops. He was jeered.

 

While fans can only imagine Schrader’s treatment of Ol’ Hank, the tradeoff is more than fair. “Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters” is as daring and challenging and striking today as it was 23 years ago.

 

Mishima, Schrader says in a commentary with producer Alan Poul, was “afflicted with the same pathology of suicidal glory” as Bickle. Some critics, however, saw Bickle as too easy a subject for the screenwriter’s “suicidal neuroses.” Mishima was educated and accomplished and from a different culture.

While that may explain Schrader’s motivations, Mishima is a mystery. Enter Criterion, which has outdone itself with this superb, gorgeously remastered two-disc set.

 

Besides Schrader’s revealing commentary, it includes interviews with Mishima biographer John Nathan, the author’s friend (and Criterion regular) Donald Richie, cinematographer John Bailey and composer Philip Glass. In a 1966 interview for French TV, Mishima talks about writing. A handsome booklet collects essays and production stills.

 

But start with “The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima.”  The 1985 British documentary opens with footage of his speech on the day of his suicide and includes recollections of his friends and associates.

While the reasons for Mishima’s last act are still debated, there is no question that it was carefully and deliberately orchestrated. “Patriotism” is all the evidence you need.

 

The 27-minute film, which Mishima wrote, directed, produced and starred in, was his lone foray into filmmaking. Based on his own short story, it is about an army officer and his young wife who take their lives. Its austerity befits its setting on the Noh stage.

Criterion also has loaded this disc with extras: a lengthy making-of documentary, audio of Mishima speaking to Japanese journalists and a booklet that includes an essay, Mishima’s production notes and his short story.

 

Most revealing, though, is “Mishima on Mishima,” a 1966 interview for Japanese TV in which he says that modern man no longer dies a heroic death. Instead, he dies in a hospital room, like a bee in a honeycomb cell.

The way of the samurai, he says, is found in death.

 

 

 

 

Best extra: “The Director: Masayuki Ochiai Featurette.” Always interesting to discover more about directors.

 

IF YOU’VE SEEN the trailer for “Shutter,” you’ve caught the whole story in just under 60 seconds. That’s too bad because this ghost story, based again on an Asian horror film, has some good moments. There ought to be a special place in purgatory for marketers who spoil a film before it gets to the theater.

 

The original movie was conceived and filmed in Thailand.  This new version was made for a Western audience and, yes, we’re rooting for the American newly weds on their honeymoon in Japan. Still, we know something’s amiss even before we see the spooky images that appear on their photos.

 

The DVD is loaded with extras, both the Blu-ray and standard-def, including a featurette on the culture shock of Westerners filming in Japan. That stranger-in-a-strange-place is an effect that Rachael Taylor plays to. Her husband, a photographer, works while she tours Tokyo and it’s not as much fun as other films would have us think.

 

Additional extras include commentary and interviews with cast and crew. But for those interested in ghostly phenomena, featurettes explore differences in Asian and Western ghosts and spirit photography. Both DVD presentations offers an excellent picture and sound with the Blu-ray coming out on top, as usual, with top of the line clarity. Still, most viewers will not be disappointed in the standard-def presentation.

 

 

 

 

 

Best extra: Conversation with executive producer Gary Randall

 

THE CONCEPT OF angels visiting mortals isn't new. "Highway to Heaven," "Touched by an Angel" and others did it. But what sets "Saving Grace" apart from them is that Grace Hanadarko (Holly Hunter) is beyond a skeptic: she is, as Earl (Leon Rippy), her angel, tells her, on the highway to hell and he is there to save her.

 

Hunter's character is given the challenge of investigating God and religion as intensely as she investigates major crimes in Oklahoma City, where Hanadarko is a member of the police force.

 

Randall talks about how the series evolved from the idea of being about a reluctant saint to being about a flawed character who is dealing with her own inner demons who is met by a last-chance angel. He also talks about how the crimes are used to teach her things as she struggles to deal with her encounters with Earl and her new questions about religion.

 

Writer and creator Nancy Miller and a couple of colleagues do commentaries on the first and last episodes. They tend to focus on how great the actors are, but Miller does shed a little light on how the clues that Earl leaves behind were a factor in her mind and how they came together by happenstance. Viewers will pick up a few details -- how they decided to do Earl's wings, for example, why people's last names are town in Oklahoma and the information about Earl's clues -- but the bulk of the conversation on the commentaries is idle chatter. The finale's is slightly more substantive than the pilot's, though they provide no hint as to how Grace will conclude her business with the pedophile priest. That's left to find out in Season Two, which started this week.

 

The other extras are short featurettes with cast members talking about their feelings about the show.

 

 

Best extra: A commentary with director, cinematographer and lead actor

 

AN UNPREDICTABLE LITTLE indy film, made on location in what is known as the bleakest neighborhood in New York City, “Chop Shop” is reminiscent of the best of the Italian Neo-Realists. The big difference is that, while the life of Alejandro, the adolescent protagonist who lives in a Queens auto junkyard, seems hopeless, he manages to be a positive force.

 

In the commentary, director Ramin Bahrani describes his working method, which was to find talented non-actors in New York, give them a script and then let them improvise on it. He says the film’s theme is “someone who loves someone too much,” referring to Alejandro’s affection for his older sister. Everything he does, much of it in vain, is geared to making her happy and keeping her out of harm’s way. While its production values are obviously low-budget, this is a beautiful, inspirational piece of work, with inventive camera work and deeply endearing characterizations.

 

 

Best extra: No extras

 

SET IN MADRID the story of three friends who decide to steal from their own families in order to raise money to open a bar begins with entertaining potential. Unfortunately, it dissolves into absurd implausibility. Javier Bardem, always charismatic and fun to watch, plays Rober, who impersonates his friend Max in order to claim to be the son of a successful stage director.

 

The idea is to get close to the wealthy man and then steal his art and antiques collection. But when the father develops an affection for his fake son, and even gives him the lead role in his upcoming play, Rober begins having second thoughts. And that’s when the real trouble begins.

 

 

 

 

Best extra: No extras

 

ANOTHER FILM SET in Madrid, this one has some charm as it follows the rather sad paths of three adolescent working-class boys over the course of one summer. There’s a certain self-conscious “Stand By Me” feeling about the film, with its vignettes of the boys musing about sex, money and going to the beach, a distant dream for these underprivileged 15-year-olds. They can’t wait to grow up, but the ones who manage to grow up too quickly find anything but happiness.