“THE GODFATHER: THE COPPOLA RESTORATION”
Blu-ray and enhanced widescreen, 1972, 1974, 1990, R for violence, language and brief nudity
Best extra: "Emulsion Rescue: Revealing the Godfather" is a fascinating 20-minute documentary look at the restoration, with interviews from preservationist Robert A. Harris, legendary cinematographer Gordon Willis, Steven Spielberg and, of course, director Francis Coppola.
THIS IS THE END of the road for two of the finest movies ever committed to celluloid. That’s as far as home entertainment goes. The original “Godfather” and highly praised sequel underwent extensive frame-by-frame restoration utilizing state-of-the-art digital technology over the course of a year, under the direction of both Coppola and Willis. The masterpieces are dark and grainy, exactly how they're supposed to look, to mimic the theatrical prints from over three decades ago.
The collection is a vast improvement over the previous DVD box set (2001), especially with the Blu-ray version sporting finer detail and colors, making it one of the most important hi-def releases thus far, and clearly most important this year.
The third film of the trilogy, nowhere near as bad as its reputation, is also included, and although it wasn't part of the restoration, it looks quite strong. All three films benefit from a new reference Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. But for you purists, the original mono is included. All the extras from the original DVD box set have been carried over, including the insightful Coppola commentaries. And for the first time, there are 60-minutes of hi-def documentaries: chronicling the problems that plagued the first production (the studio didn’t want Marlon Brando or Al Pacino and nearly fired Coppola), the cultural impact, the editing process and the fabulous musical score. — Josh Boone
“SEX AND THE CITY: THE MOVIE – EXTENDED CUT”
Blu-ray and enhanced widescreen, 2008, not rated but includes strong sexual content, graphic nudity and language Best extra: "The Fabulous Fashion of 'Sex and the City' " documentary taped in hi-def.
IT’S FINALLY HERE. Only, like a so-so date with no spark, you're left wondering: Was it me? For a film that serves as the culmination of a veritable cult, the DVD version of "Sex and the City" falls a little flat. Yes, there are additional scenes only in standard-def, but not many. There is commentary with Sarah Jessica Parker and director Michael Patrick King, but even the most SATC obsessed will feel silly listening to a debate about where a Manolo Blahnik shoe would make its first appearance.
Where's the featurette about New York? Dating in the 21st century? The SATC phenomenon? The only real fireworks come in "The Fabulous Fashion of 'Sex and the City' ” wherein costumer Patricia Field walks viewers through her encyclopedic collection of clothes. Fans wanting a real bang should opt for the Blu-ray version, which offers interactive maps highlighting show landmarks with movie clips, and a “pop-up” trivia feature offering tidbits about the show, the girls and New York City.
The hi-def imagery is solid with detail and brilliant colors, highlighting the “Big Apple” and the hot fashion.
— Malcolm Venable
“LEATHERHEADS”
Blu-ray and enhanced widescreen, 2008, PG-13 for brief strong language
The best extra: The documentary "No Pads, No Fear: Creating the Rowdy Football Scenes" proves the most entertaining of a fairly impressive pack of extras.
WHILE PANNED BY most critics during its initial theatrical run, "Leatherheads" provides some good, muddy fun - and just in time for the heart of football season. While none of the male cast members prove truly believable as 1920s-era gridders - George Clooney (as grizzled football pro Dodge Connelly) is the most believable, if that tells you anything - the sets, wardrobe and a particularly strong soundtrack help effectively transport the viewer.
Female lead Renée Zellweger (as reporter Lexie Littleton) seems plucked straight out of an early talkie, while Clooney is at times at his zany, "O Brother Where Art Thou?" best. John Krasinski, star of TV's "The Office," seems miscast as war-hero-gone-college-star-gone-pro Carter Rutherford.
Still, all in all, "Leatherheads" is an entertaining dose of period escapism. The Blu-ray imagery is top notch with excellent sharpness and contrast, even with Clooney's decision to give the throwback screwball comedy a vintage sepia look, straight out of your grandmother's old photo album. All of the DVD extras are woven in an exclusive Blu-ray pop-up visual commentary, with dozens of behind the scenes and interview clips sprinkled throughout the movie, which was filmed in and around Charlotte, NC.
— Robert Hatfield
“RUN FATBOY RUN”
Blu-ray, enhanced widescreen and full screen, 2007, PG-13 for some rude and sexual humor, brief nudity, language and smoking Best extra: It’s hard not to love a bit of publicity footage in which Simon Pegg turns increasingly pink in the face as he realizes co-star Thandie Newton has replaced his water with vodka.
SIMON PEGG HAS tackled horror and buddy-cop movies, so what was left but romantic comedy? In “Fatboy,” as the seedy security guard who hopes to win back the woman he jilted (at the altar, pregnant, no less) by completing a marathon, he handles the comedy and charm with a light, sure touch.
The disc has a small collection of extras, including 14 deleted scenes and outtakes in hi-def, as well as a commentary with Pegg, Newton and director David Schwimmer. It offers a wealth of odd tidbits -- about Hank Azaria’s spectacular nude scene, Newton’s wig, Pegg’s “fat suit” and the London East End locations where the movie was filmed on the cheap. Here, too, are some hints about why the movie, though a bit predictable, works as well as it does.
It’s clear -- both from his comments about getting out of his actors’ ways and his almost narcoleptic manner as a commentator -- that Schwimmer (of “Friends” fame) is a collaborator who knows how to let his cast shine, as he does in this movie and the commentary, which is frequently hijacked by Pegg and Newton. It’s worth noting that the supporting cast, particularly Azaria and Harish Patel and Dylan Moran as Pegg’s “coaches,” is wonderful, and although they won plenty of praise in the commentary, they deserve extras of their own.
The Blu-ray imagery is solid, with plenty of detail showing off London, but overall the color palette seems too orange. The scenes look normal during the deleted scenes.
— Caroline Luzzatto
“L.A. CONFIDENTIAL”
Blu-ray widescreen, 1997, R for strong violence and language and for sexuality
Best extra: Did you know that Kiefer Sutherland starred in a 1999 pilot for a TV version of "L.A. Confidential?" Well, now you can watch it. The pilot, which was originally produced for HBO but not picked up, also features Melissa George and Pruitt Taylor Vince.
CURTIS HANSON’S critically acclaimed adaptation of James Ellroy's powerful novel introduced American audiences to both Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce and won Kim Basinger an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and Hanson and screenwriter Brian Helgeland Best Adapted Screenplay at the 1998 Oscars.
Warner Bros. has finally struck a hi-def print of the film and released it with a slew of special features. There is a commentary with critic/historian Andrew Sarris, producer Arnon Milchan and Michael Nathanson, novelist Ellroy, costume designer Ruth Myers, screenwriter Brian Helgeland, production designer Jeannine Oppewall, editor Peter Honess, director of photography Dante Spinotti, and actors Crowe, Kevin Spacey, Pearce, James Cromwell, David Strathairn, Basinger and Danny DeVito. Anytime you see a commentary with this many participants listed, it can only mean that this is a track sliced and diced from various interviews, which makes for a disjointed listen. Much better are the nearly two hours of new featurettes covering production, the re-creation of Los Angeles in the 1950s, the adaptation of the novel, the casting of the film, and interviews with the cast and crew. Sadly, none of the extras are in hi-def. In a strange move, Warner has included a CD sampler that features six songs from the film by artists such as Johnny Mercer, Chet Baker, Jackie Gleason and Dean Martin.
— Josh Boone
"Deception"
Blu-ray and enhanced widescreen, 2008, R for sexual content, language, brief violence and some drug use
Best extra: "A Passionate Process: Dissecting Deception," the Bonus-view Mode picture-in-picture track is the best way to sample the disc's bonus material even though it includes only a dozen brief bits.
YOU WOULD THINK a sexy suspense thriller starring Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor and Michelle Williams would be worth a watch. Unfortunately, "Deception" abuses its viewers with an extremely dumb script. Don't believe me? Check out Rotten Tomatoes where it received 11%, making it one of the year's critical bombs.
With that said, the film looks quite striking in hi-def considering the source is an HD camera manned by revered cinematographer Dante Spinnoti ("Heat," "The Insider"). The uncompressed DTS-HD Master Audio track is solid as well, but the mix itself is not particularly spectacular (dialogue and score make up most of the soundscape).
Extras include two brief featurettes, some deleted material, and a commentary by first-time director Marcel Langenegger, who spent 15 years shooting advertisements and music videos (though story doesn't seem to be his strong point). — Josh Boone
“RENO 911!: MIAMI: MORE BUSTED THAN EVER! UNRATED CUT!”
Enhanced widescreen, 2007, unrated but plenty of language, nudity and adult situations
Best extra: The commentary with director/writer Robert Ben Garant and writers Thomas Lennon and Kerri Kenney-Silver is hysterical and not for young ears.
THAT TROOP OF bumbling Reno sheriff’s deputies made their big-screen debut with "Reno 911!: Miami," and what a splash it was; the mishaps are even more outrageous and the crude factor is tenfold for the Comedy Central sitcom.
The great thing about this two-disc DVD release (one disc is a digital copy) is you not only get the cinema version, you get the "Lost Version" of the movie, which is entirely different, yet the same in its antics, offense factor and downright improvisational genius. Extras include a special introduction to the "Lost Version," four extended scenes with optional commentary with Garant, Lennon and Kenney-Silver, bloopers and three "public service announcements" from the gang about turning off your cell phone during a movie, not talking during a movie and joining the Reno Sheriff’s Department.
The gem of the flick is the commentary by Garant (Deputy Travis Junior), Lennon (Lt. Jim Dangle) and Kenney-Silver (Deputy Trudy Wiegel). You don’t realize how ad-libbed "Reno 911!" is until you listen to the three talk about basically being scriptless during the shooting and having more than three hours of footage, edited and ready to go, after all was said and done. That all obviously had to be cut into the 87-minute version that hit theaters. Overall, if you’ve loved these actors, some of whom worked in "The State" in the 1990s on MTV, then you’ll enjoy their foray onto the silver screen, as long as you’re not sensitive to whales blowing up and some other raunchy sight gags.
— Toni Guagenti
“BROTHERS AND SISTERS: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON”
Enhanced widescreen, 2007-2008, not rated
Best extra: By seeking generous input from the large cast, "Guest Book," a look at acting luminaries throughout the season, satisfyingly delivers.
ACTRESS EMILY ROSE believes the staying power of her show "Brothers and Sisters" lies in the show's realism and unpredictability, a trait that most large families face.
She's on to something -- and if its third-season renewal is any indication, so is a large chunk of the viewing public. Featuring one of the most seasoned acting ensembles on television, the show follows widowed matriarch Nora Walker (Sally Field) and her large brood, including politician's fiancee Kitty (Calista Flockhart), soon-to-be divorcee Sarah (Rachel Griffiths) and new dad Tommy (Balthazar Getty).
Add Rob Lowe, Patricia Wettig, Ron Rifkin and other talented newcomers to the mix, and you have a group that not only knows good dialogue but how to deliver it. Producer Ken Olin worked with Wettig back when "thirtysomething" was all the rage, and the dynamic of that show -- older siblings and their relatives dealing with modern problems -- is reproduced here, with a dramatic heft that rarely feels overwrought.
In addition to audio commentaries with cast and crew, the five-disc, 16-episode set offers several featurettes. "Guest Book" offers engaging interviews with guest stars that include Danny Glover, Garry Marshall and Chevy Chase. (Nice to see Chase working again.) "TV Dinners" talks with the show's "food stylist" on how the meals fit into the dynamic of the show, while "Open House" looks at a few of the 700 sets designed per season, notably the Walker house and its strategically designed, oversized kitchen. The deleted scenes are quality, as is the blooper reel, in which you'll learn that even the great Danny Glover flubs his lines from time to time. Now THAT'S realism.
— Carl Hott
“SAMANTHA WHO?: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON”
Enhanced widescreen, 2007-08, TV-PG
Best extra: A commentary with "The Pilot" episode with star Christina Applegate (Samantha Newly) and executive producers Donald Todd and Peter Traugott.
IF YOU WANT to get a look at Jean Smart, who just won an Emmy for best-supporting actress in a comedy series for playing Sam’s mom, Regina Newly, in "Samantha Who?", now’s your chance to get the 15 episodes of Season 1 and watch that relationship blossom, or not.
The story’s about Sam, who is hit by a car and gets amnesia. She doesn’t know who she is, but as things come back to her, she realizes she wasn’t the nicest person on the planet, and she’s determined to change things. In addition to Smart, the cast is perfect to complement Applegate’s character as she embarks on finding out who she is. The bonus features are no great shakes, including deleted scenes, bloopers and a pamphlet of sorts included with the disc on love, life and career written by Samantha, Andrea (Jennifer Esposito) And Dena (Melissa McCarthy). It’s just quotes from various characters from the show on those certain subjects. The commentary is the keeper, with Applegate, Todd and Traugott mixing it up and explaining how the show got its start, how Christina had to audition for one particular scene and how the show has evolved. Here’s looking forward to season two.
— Toni Guagenti
“THIS AMERICAN LIFE: THE FIRST SEASON”
Enhanced widescreen, 2008, unrated
Best extra: There really aren’t any extras to speak of on this DVD. There’s just a short little bio of host Ira Glass that anyone could have found online.
LOYAL LISTENERS OF public radio’s award-winning “This American Life” already know about the weekly one-hour show’s quality. But would the same storytelling translate to a half-hour cable TV show? The answer is yes and no. Like its predecessor, the TV show explores a single theme during each episode by telling a few stories about real people. The larger themes for the first TV season were familiar: growth, life change, consequences, etc. But the stories were a bit shorter and there were fewer of them. Oh yes, and you could see them going on. Some were visually interesting; graphic novelist Chris Ware illustrates one story, while others are clearly re-enacted. And while listeners may not be ecstatic over the new format (who needs the picture when you already get the thousand words?), cable TV viewers will find that it’s one of the best things there. There are six episodes on the DVD, with no real extras. — Judy Le
“SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK: ELECTION COLLECTION”
Full-screen, 1970s and 1980s, unrated
Best extra: Not on the DVD, but included with it, a presidential election map so you can track the votes in November with red or blue dots by placing the appropriately colored dot on the state as each goes either Democrat (blue) or Republican (red).
FOR THOSE OF US who grew up in the 1970s, "School House Rock" was a staple during Saturday morning cartoons on ABC. Each was a short, musical video with a lesson, either about math, government, grammar, science, history and economics. Many of us know the preamble to the Constitution because of "School House Rock.”
You can let your children hear (and learn) that and more with Disney’s "Election Collection" of 15 classic songs that pertain to either the election or politics in general, from "No More Kings" about America’s fight for independence during the Revolutionary War to "Tyrannosaurus Debt" about how the United States got into debt in the first place, "School House Rock" takes sometimes mundane subjects and makes them memorable.
The disc includes one new DVD song, "Presidential Minute," which has two versions - each with a different ending. Although the specifications say that these songs are in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, the audio still wasn’t up to 21st-century standards. Nonetheless, take time to watch this with your kids, and for heaven’s sake, sing along!
— Toni Guagenti
“HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2: 2-DISC DELUXE DANCE EDITION”
Enhanced widescreen, 2007, TV-G
Best extra: A free movie ticket, which has to be obtained by registering online, for "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" hitting theaters in October.
Exclusive bonus features! Interactive dance along! A sneak peak at "High School Musical 3: Senior Year!"
WHAT ELSE COULD you ask for when Disney releases once again "High School Musical 2," but this time with a second disc packed with hours of extras that will make any tween swoon.
The free movie ticket to the next installment is just icing on the cake.
The first disc of the two-disc set is the same as the first one released late last year. It’s the second disc that kids are clamoring to watch. This includes an interactive dance-along with the cast of the show, slowly, then quickly, showing kids how to dance to their favorite songs from the musical; a making of an exclusive dance scene; deleted scenes; cast favorites like ice cream and music; a tour of the kitchen set - the first dance number in the movie; and a ton of shorts about the cast and crew and director/choreographer Kenny Ortega labeled "High School Confidential," a never-before-seen scrapbook.
There are also 19 music videos from around the world of other international artists performing songs from the movie - from Korea to Turkey.
All-in-all, this two-disc set should get kids pumped up for "High School Musical 3" as the East High teens graduate and move on to the next phase of their lives, one that hopefully Disney won’t do a movie about. — Toni Guagenti
“GANGLAND: THE COMPLETE SEASON ONE”
Enhanced widescreen, 2007, not rated, but due to the graphic nature of this DVD boxed set, viewer discretion is advised.
Best Extra: The extra features to this four-disc DVD set are on the light side. There is some “extra footage” on disc 4, which, frankly, the set could have done without. It neither adds nor detracts from the power of this show.
“GANGLAND” GOES INTO the dark world of America, where criminals live and die. And it’s not a pretty picture, because this life-and-death situation is depicted on “Gangland: The Complete Season One” in the raw.
The History Channel provides some unprecedented access to some of the country’s most feared gangs, and with the in-depth historical background and interviews with law enforcement specialists, the show presents a compelling picture.
You can almost hear the gunshots and smell the blood.
The first season opens up with the history — the rituals, symbols, territory, leadership and favored crimes — of 13 notorious gangs, from the heroin kingpins of back-in-the-day Harlem to today's most insidious group, the absolutely terrifying MS-13. These deadly organizations infect society in ways that are just becoming properly identified.
“Gangland: The Complete Season One” episodes include:
“American Gangster”
“You Rat, You Die”
“Code of Conduct”
“Behind Enemy Lines”
“Race Wars”
“Kings of New York”
“Stone to the Bone”
“Hate Nation”
“Gangster City”
“Blood In, Blood Out”
“Basic Training”
“Blood Oath”
“Root of All Evil”
“Gangland” puts you there, even though you might not want to be.
— Cliff Redding
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