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“DO THE RIGHT THING: 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION”
“JONAS BROTHERS: The 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE: DELUXE EXTENDED MOVIE”
“DOMINICK DUNNE: AFTER THE PARTY”
“STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN LI”
"ENTOURAGE: THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON"
“EASTBOUND & DOWN: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON”
“TOM AND JERRY: THE CHUCK JONES COLLECTION”
“PARKER LEWIS CAN'T LOSE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON”
“THE IT CROWD: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON”
Blu-ray widescreen and DVD widescreen, 2009, R for language, some sexuality and brief drug use
Best extra: Writer/director James Gray delivers yet another fascinating commentary, proving again that he's one of the most thoughtful and well-spoken directors in the business.
BEFORE JOAQUIN PHOENIX grew a giant beard and said he was quitting acting to become a rapper, he starred opposite Gwyneth Paltrow. This would be his third film with writer/director James Gray after "The Yards" and "We Own the Night."
Gray wrote the film, partially in an attempt to prove to Paltrow who he'd known socially for years, that he was capable of more than just making films about tough guys. The result is a lovely look at a lonely young man's search for love and is filled with moments that are both awkward and uncomfortable for the viewer, which Gray says was his intention.
The film, which received a small run in theaters, comes to Blu-ray with a very nice transfer, rich with detail and film grain and Gray's muted palette. The uncompressed audio is excellent and more immersive than one would expect. Gray credits the sound design to the team that mixed it at Skywalker Sound, whose attention to detail greatly impressed him.
Aside from the excellent commentary, the other extras, which include two short featurettes and three deleted scenes, are negligible.
"Two Lovers" is a wonderful gem that should be sought out.
— Josh Boone
“DO THE RIGHT THING: 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION”
Blu-ray widescreen and DVD widescreen, 1989, R for violence, language and nudity
Best extra: Universal has gone above and beyond the call of duty, providing all extras from the rich Criterion DVD (2001), while getting Spike Lee to record a new commentary.
WORD HAS IT that President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle saw "Do the Right Thing" on their first date back in 1989. Lee's film, set over the course of one hot day on a Brooklyn street, explores racial tensions with real humor and empathy, allowing you to see events from all sides. Lee wrote the script in two weeks and found his inspiration in a 1986 incident where three African-Americans were assaulted in the Queens neighborhood of Howard Beach, leaving one dead. The altercation began outside of a local pizzaria. Lee's imagination took off from there.
Lee's masterpiece, rated No. 96 in 2007 by the American Film Institute Greatest Movies of All Time list, comes to Blu-ray with an impressive hi-def transfer. It boasts beautiful warm colors employed by director of photography Ernest Dickerson to convey the hottest day of the summer. Detail and contrast are also excellent but the colors are the real stars here, radiating off the screen in nearly every shot. The uncompressed audio is solid as well for this dialogue and music-driven film with plenty of neighborhood sounds to immerse you in the film's universe.
It's wonderful to see the majority of the extras from the two-disc Criterion edition here including the 2001 commentary with Lee, Dickerson, production designer Wynn Thomas, and actor Joie Lee, the hour-long making-of documentary, and an additional hour of footage Lee shot covering everything from rehearsal to wrap, as well as a forty-five minute press conference from the Cannes Film Festival. The new special features, both the retrospective documentary "Do the Right Thing: 20 Years Later," shot at the Lincoln Center at a 20th Anniversary celebration, and a fresh batch of deleted scenes, are presented in hi-def. Although there is a lot of overlap between the commentaries and documentaries, everything is worth exploring.
This Blu-ray and DVD is one of the best of the year. It looks fantastic and is packed with hours of bonus features.
— Josh Boone
“JONAS BROTHERS: The 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE: DELUXE EXTENDED MOVIE”
Blu-ray widescreen and enhanced DVD widescreen, 2009, G
Best extra: "Up Close & Personal" with the Jonas Brothers throughout their tour last summer
FOR THEIR "BURNING UP" tour last year, the Jonas Brothers went all out to create a spectacular light show and special-effects extravaganza that looks great in high definition on Blu-ray and in 3D. The three-disc set also includes four pairs of 3D glasses.
From the fans with oscillating glow sticks to the boys’ trip to Times Square in New York City to buy their freshly released CD, this 3D extended flick will entertain, especially the tween crowd (Tween idols Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift sing with the brothers in separate songs). Make sure you watch it with the lights out – it makes the effects pop even more.
The high-definition bonus feature, "Up Close & Personal," reveal that Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas remain fairly modest given their skyrocketing success in the past couple of years. They, as they say, are family when the day is done. The Blu-ray disc also contains a 2D version of the movie, bonus songs, "Love Bug" and "Shelf," and BDisney Live options if your Blu-ray is hooked up to the Internet.
A second disc offers the movie on DVD and a third offers a digital copy of it.
— Toni Guagenti
DVD widescreen, 2008, not rated
Best extra: Interview with producer/director Timothy Jolley.
HE’S AN ADMITTED Hollywood fanboy and producer. He’s a recovering addict, father of a murdered child, and a bestselling author and crime reporter. He’s Dominick “Nick” Dunne and “After the Party” is an absorbing documentary that will hold your attention through a steamy summer night.
At 82, Dunne is, admittedly, flawed – and he’ll tell you all about it starting with the abuse he endured at the hands of his father. “The sissy who never fit in” will also tell you about the time Frank Sinatra got a nightclub maitre’d to punch him out. And the time a gangster saved him from prison when Dunne “stupidly” brought marijuana across the border from Mexico to California. He goes into raptures about being invited by Bogie to his first big Hollywood party. All the screen legends were there – Bette Davis, David Niven and more. It ended with everyone jumping in to the swimming pool and was the best party he ever attended. Dunne spent a marriage, a fortune and almost a lifetime trying to recreate it. But never did.
Still, you’ll also learn about his reaction when his beloved daughter, Dominique Dunne, best known for her role in “Poltergeist,” was murdered by her boyfriend. The killer only served three years and Dunne found a new passion – for justice. He gloats over how he ruined the judge who, in Dunne’s opinion, kept key information from jurors.
From that moment, he went on to cover trials of the notoriously rich and famous for Vanity Fair including OJ Simpson, the Menendez brothers, and Phil Spector. He is scandalously biased for a professed reporter. “Who are his sources?” columnist Liz Smith demands. “Where are these documents he’s supposed to have?”
Fascinating – and highly recommended.
— Mike Reyonlds
Blu-ray widescreen and DVD widescreen, 2009, PG-13 & unrated with violence and language
Best extra: Unrated Version commentary by director Renny Harlin covers technical points and personal insight regarding filming in post-Katrina New Orleans.
“STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN LI”
Blu-ray widescreen and DVD widescreen, 2009, PG-13 & unrated with sequences of martial arts action and some sensuality
Best extra: “Street Fighter Round One: Fight!” full-length animated origins comic on third disc
FOX HAS TWO new flicks available for thundering, hot and heavy action viewing. Both “12 Rounds” and “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li” offer theatrical and extended unrated versions, hours of extras and digital copies.
They are very, very serious about the thundering, too. Because the effects – explosions, rockets, gunfire, fight scenes – out-blast everything on the soundtrack. Yep, there’s a great surround-sound effect, but it blows the dialogue away while rattling walls and shaking foundations.
Video is excellent on both. “12 Rounds” is filmed on location in New Orleans and “Street Fighter” has all those wonderful exotic, Hong Kong-like sets, fancy martial arts backgrounds and costuming. They’re a treat in Blu-ray providing rich color, deep blacks and brilliant effects.
The stories, however, are familiar. Too familiar Renny Harlin, who directed “Die Hard 2: Die Harder,” directs wrestler/actor John Cena (“The Marine”) in a tale about a good cop who runs afoul of a villain played by Aidan Gillen (“The Wire”). Cena must go 12 rounds in order to save his girlfriend from said-villain’s evil. Think 12 labors of Hercules with explosions, helicopters, falling elevators and gunfire.
And you know from the first scene how it’s going to end.
“Chun-Li” follows the heartaches and martial arts training of a girl-to-woman, ultimately played by Kristin Kreuk (“Smallville”). Her villain, Neal McDonough (“Desperate Housewives,” “Tin Man”), kidnaps her father and is responsible for – gasp! – the death of her teacher.
You know how this will end, too.
Add in extras such as deleted scenes, effects and production featurettes, and commentaries, and you have films you might rent.
— Mike Reyonlds
"ENTOURAGE: THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON"
DVD widescreen, 2008, TV-MA
Best extra: "Celebrity Factor" weighs in on the season's many cameos from "Sopranos" star Jamie Lynn Sigler to Giovanni Ribisi and Lukas Haas.
"ENTOURAGE’S” FIFTH SEASON is one of its strongest yet, with movie star Vincent Chase down on his luck and trying to regain his former glory after the Pablo Escobar biopic debacle. He and his buddies, along with Emmy Award Winner Jeremy Piven as his agent, ride the Hollywood roller coaster. Whether they're living it up on Mexican beach or battling Werner Herzog on the set of an out of control movie or trying to get Vince a part in the new Gus Van Sant flick, friendship is always the first priority.
As with the previous seasons, the DVDs don't offer much in the way of extras. The three commentary tracks, although lively, are filled with too many participants and not enough focus. Most of the comments highlight celebrity cameos and how much fun was had during the shoot. Everyone seems to really get along, which is a plus since HBO has picked up the show for several more seasons.
Recommended for fans.
The sixth season of "Entourage" will premiere on HBO July 12th.
— Josh Boone
Blu-ray widescreen, 2003, PG-13 for some sexual content and some crude humor
Best extra: Commentary with director Tom Shadyac, which would have been better if Jim Carrey (Bruce) would have participated.
THE SPECIAL EFFECTS for "Bruce Almighty" are seamless in high definition. Exploding fire hydrants. Walking on water. Butt-birthing monkeys. Those and more make this movie hilarious, but more vivid in HD.
Although the bonus features are transferred from the DVD version, Universal has added Blu-ray customization, including the opportunity to bookmark favorite scenes. For those with Internet access, you can visit more features with BD-Live.
In addition to Shadyac’s sometimes boring commentary, viewers can watch more than 35 minutes of deleted scenes and outtakes and a short on the creative mind of Carrey, who worked with Shadyac in "Liar Liar." The man can certainly riff.
— Toni Guagenti
Blu-ray widescreen, 2007, R for language and some violent content
Best extra: As with the standard DVD, the only extra are five deleted and extended scenes and the theatrical trailer (all in HD).
RYAN GOSLING FACES off against Anthony Hopkins (who handpicked the young actor for the role) in a twisting mystery about an attorney trying to bring a murderer to justice.
"Fracture" comes to Blu-ray with a pleasing hi-def transfer with strong colors and a nice 3D pop that trumps the previous DVD release. The lossless audio track is excellent as well, although the film is almost entirely dialogue driven with a quieter sound design; there is a nice ambience to the mix.
For fans, this is a clear upgrade over the DVD version in both picture and audio quality. Still, it would have been nice to see more extras on the release.
— Josh Boone
Blu-ray widescreen, 1987, PG for mild language
Best extra: Commentary with director/writer/actor Mel Brooks
"SPACEBALLS" IS A Blu-ray bonanza!
Loaded with bonus features, this quintessential parody of "Star Wars" is worth watching in high definition not just for its hysterical characters, including Princess Vespa, Dot Matrix, Dark Helmet, Yogurt, Lone Starr, Barf and Pizza the Hut, a nasty, gooey bad buy oozing cheese, but for the way it never takes itself seriously.
The transfer to Blu-ray is nearly impeccable and the soundtrack is virtually flawless. A bonus disc gives you the DVD version of the movie that includes Brooks’ commentary, the original theatrical trailer and special behind-scenes footage.
Unfortunately, on Blu-ray the bonus features are in standard-def, including "Spaceballs: The Documentary," "In Conversation with Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan," "John Candy: Comic Spirit," still photos, film flubs, still galleries, storyboard to film comparison and the original theatrical trailer.
Regardless, the sound and picture quality are top-notch and worth reliving in HD or sharing with folks who have never seen it.
May the Schwartz be with you.
—Toni Guagenti
“EASTBOUND & DOWN: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON”
DVD widescreen, unrated but containing language, drug usage, violent images and nudity
Best extra: “Making Eastbound and Down,” a 12-minute featurette, offers revealing insight from the creative team behind the series.
FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE pitcher Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) may be the archetypical American hero, circa 2009: a lazy, rude, ignorant shell of his former self, boasting a sense of entitlement as wide as his native North Carolina. A less endearing protagonist would be tough to find. But, at his lowest points, Powers’ hidden humanity shines through.
Still, humanity’s not exactly the order of the day for a premium-cable comedy from the minds of McBride and Jody Hill, co-creaters and executive producers along with Will Ferrell. Truthfully, there’s probably more shock value than true comedy in many of the show’s gags. But, again, it is HBO, after all.
Powers, a fallen, flash-in-the-pan relief pitcher for Atlanta (think John Rocker) returns to his hometown of Shelby, N.C. to teach middle school physical education. His high-school flame April (Katy Mixon) also teaches there. Hilarity ensues. Sometimes.
Truthfully, this two-disc set’s six episodes and handful of extras is a mixed bag. There’s some real comedy gold in there, but it’s fleeting. That’s to be expected in semi-improvisational humor. Sometimes, it’s brilliant. Others, it’s just awkward, offensive and weird. Still, McBride’s portrayal of Powers rings true. Whether intentional or not, the character is a statement of sorts on everything from the state of the union to overly-pampered pro athletes.
Beyond the “making of” featurette and the commentary, the extras don’t add a great deal. The deleted scenes and outtakes certainly don’t muster up a major-leagues worthy batting average.
— Robert Hatfield
“TOM AND JERRY: THE CHUCK JONES COLLECTION”
DVD widescreen, 2008, not rated
Best extra: “Chuck Jones: Memories of a Childhood”
“TOM AND JERRY’S GREATEST CHASES: VOLUME TWO”
DVD full-screen, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951 not rated
Best extra: None
WHILE THESE TWO releases showcase the same cartoon stars, their approach is different. Tom and Jerry were created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, who would later make their mark in the world of TV animation. But before that, the pair produced this cat and mouse series for almost two decades before MGM shut down their animation unit. “Greatest Chases” captures their work nicely, but to no great distinction. The extras are advertisements for other DVDs; the cartoons are clustered without rhyme or reason, typical of the sloppy reissues that Warner Bros. continues to release.
Yet amazingly enough, “The Chuck Jones Collection” is exactly the opposite; 34 shorts collected along with two superb extras. One documentary traces director Chuck Jones’ career and how he happened to direct MGM’s famous duo after a long and distinguished tenure at Warner Bros. The more insightful feature interviews the director and delves into his childhood revealing much of the inspiration for his funniest work. Yet for all of the firepower Jones brought to his subjects, the finest writers, animators and voice artist, one gets the sense he never quite understood his characters. This is backed up by the cartoons which are amusing, but never as funny as the chaotic and haphazardly assembled work on “Greatest Chases”
— Larry Printz
“PARKER LEWIS CAN'T LOSE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON”
DVD full-screen, 1990-1991, not rated
Best extra: The only one of note is a half-hour retrospective.
UP TO AND INCLUDING the number of syllables in its title, "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" seemed in every way like a blatant theft of the John Hughes classic "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." And perhaps, for a fledgling Fox network in search of a sure thing, it was. But the best testament to the originality of the high school sitcom's three-season run was the blissfully surreal camera work representing the thoughts of Corin Nemec's title character – camera and sound work that future comedies like "Scrubs" have made commonplace.
"The (episode) directors basically tried to outdo each other every week," a producer explains.
The show's freshman season featured guest spots for beloved sitcom family heroes of the past (Jerry Mathers and Barbara Billingsley, "Leave It To Beaver"), and up-and-coming ones (David Faustino, "Married With Children"). Donny Osmond, Ozzy Ozbourne and rubber-faced comedian Ryan Stiles also made appearances on this lighthearted, good natured, and fun show that earns its cult classic status.
The half-hour retrospective brings back almost everyone involved with the show except Melanie Chartoff (Principal Musso), who's sadly M.I.A. Asked mostly to recall their favorite memories of fellow cast members, the half-hour blast of nostalgia still manages to go on about 10 minutes too long. Most interesting tidbits: Abraham Benrubi (who played Kubiak, the towering bully) and Taj Johnson (who played the principal's lackey, Lemmer), were once roadies for the band "No Doubt"; and Maia Brewton, the annoying little Thor worshipper from "Adventures in Babysitting," had to break her contract with another show to nab the role of Parker Lewis' sister.
The four-disc set also includes seven commentaries with cast and crew, all incredibly cordial and heavy on the reminiscence that comes with a reunion after two decades. "It was said we out-Ferrised Ferris Bueller," Taj Johnson notes, giving one of the few nods to the show's inspiration. Well said, Lemmer.
— Carl Hott
“THE IT CROWD: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON”
DVD full-screen, 2007, not rated
Best extra: "Recording The IT Crowd" is a fine introduction to a show that's beloved by its fan base.
GRAHAM LINEHAN is one of the England's most productive television writers. With several hit shows already under his belt as a writer, director and series creator, he offers up "The IT Crowd," a decidedly amusing peek behind the curtain of three tech nerds trapped in a company basement.
The show, like its leads, not only has an undeniable charm, it's a computer nerd's delight (the title screen offers its own twisted game versions of the violent "Mortal Kombat" and the classically bad "Zero Hour").
Lineham offers commentary on all six episodes, but you have to hop through them in order with the fast forward button to hear them. There's also an outtake reel and a short featurette showing a taping in front of a live audience.
In his commentaries, Linehan explains how he wanted to get the clueless main characters out of the office and into the real world after the first season, and how the studio audience laughed little until the characters were established. In the second season (or "series," in British parlance), he had the opposite problem; the audience laughed almost too much.
If you're looking for a new offbeat sitcom to supplement "The Big Bang Theory," you may find this quirky trio growing on you.
— Carl Hott
DVD widescreen, 2009, not rated
Best extra: The three-disc DVD “The Queens of Country” does not have any of the extras that usually accompany a DVD — no bloopers, deleted scenes or anything of that nature. The entire set is, if you will, an extra. With legends Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn performing, you don’t need any “extras.”
FOR COUNTRY MUSIC fans, the three-disc DVD “The Queens of Country: Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline” is a DVD that is definitely a keeper. Country music legends Cline, Lynn and Parton are featured in a three-hour format that contains highlights from their careers.
Cline, whose hit song “Crazy” (and other), is shown during a TV performance of “Sweet Dreams” — days before her tragic death in a plane crash. “I Fall to Pieces” gets me going each time I hear it.
And then there’s Dolly Parton offering up numbers such as “Joshua” and “My Funny Valentine.” Amazing. She’s also featured on her show “Dolly,” which was televised from 1977-78, where she’s joined by guest stars such as Linda Ronstadt, Kenny Rogers and Emmylou Harris.
No discussion, presentation or DVD compilation of country music would be complete without Loretta Lynn, The Coal Miner’s Daughter. Lynn is featured singing gospel staples such as “How Great Thou Art,” “The Old Rugged Cross” and “In the Garden” — songs she performed as a regular on “The Wilburn Brothers Show.”
Regrettably, none of Lynn’s more contemporary and popular hits are included, but the DVD set is still a must-have for lovers of country music.
— Cliff Redding
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