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A Slice of Life
by Francine Brokaw
March 2007 DVD Selections
Blood Diamond
Here we think of diamonds as “bling, bling.” In parts of Africa they think of them as “bling, bang!” Leonardo DiCaprio stars in this story of the civil war in Sierra Leone in 1999. People were being executed by the rebel forces, and those who were strong were put to work mining for diamonds. Diamonds were the currency used to supply their arms. Djimon Hounsou also stars as a fisherman who finds a large diamond and hides it for safekeeping. In the meantime, his son is captured and he and Leonardo are on missions to retrieve the diamond and the boy. This is a brutal story. The bonus features include a look at how a diamond is turned from a rough stone to what we see in the jewelry stores. There is a bonus feature on the women journalists who cover war, and a profile on DiCaprio.
Everyone's Hero
This final project of Christopher Reeve’s was close to his heart. This adorable animated film shows what true grit, determination, and love can do, much like the life of Reeve himself. Set in 1932, the time of the Depression, this film is anything but depressing.
It’s the story of Little Yankee Irving, This little kid lives and breathes baseball, and Babe Ruth is his hero. His dad is a janitor at Yankee Stadium, which is pretty cool to the little guy. However when Babe’s special bat is stolen on Mr. Irving’s watch, he’s fired from his job. Yankee saw who took the bat and in a flash is off on a wild trek from New York to Chicago to hunt down the culprit and restore his dad’s job and reputation. With the assistance of his wisecracking “talking” baseball, Yankee sets out to get the bat back in the hands of the famous slugger.
In no time Yankee finds the bat, but also finds himself on a train headed out of town. Now the trio – Yankee, Screwie the ball, and Darlin the “talking” bat – must keep one step ahead of Lefty who is hot on their trail, bent on getting the bat once and for all. But can Yankee get the bat to Babe Ruth in time for the decisive game of the World Series?
The bonus features include a look at the making of the film and why it was so important to the Reeves. The theme is keep on swinging, which was exactly what Christopher Reeve did, even though he faced hard times. Just keep on swinging.
Ghost - Special Edition
This touching story focuses on a couple, Molly and Sam (Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze) who suffer a terrible tragedy and are separated forever. But after his death, Sam’s spirit remains. He has something left to accomplish. He won’t rest until he finds out who killed him, and also helps Molly get on with her life. With the help of a psychic (Whoopi Goldberg), Sam finally is able to get through to Molly.
This classic film from 1990 is still a beloved favorite for many people. The new special edition contains some wonderful bonus features. There is a “making of” featurette as well as a look at the world of the paranormal. Things happen that we cannot explain away. Sometimes we just have to put things in the paranormal category. There is also an inside look at the famous pottery romance scene. Demi Moore actually learned how to do pottery because she wanted to look credible. Another wonderful feature on this DVD is “Cinema’s Great Romances.” This highlights some of the silver screen’s best couples. This is from the “AFI’s 100 Years – 100 Passions,” highlighting great passions, heat, and romance between characters, whether they end up together or not: Roman Holiday, Love Story, Witness, Grease, To Catch a Thief and more all included heart warming feelings between their characters.
Happy Feet
This is a fun story about a little penguin named Mumble (Elijah Wood), who cannot sing worth a darn. But he sure can dance. However in the nation of the Emperor Penguins singing is essential because without a “heartsong” a penguin may never find true love. Mumble’s toe tapping makes him different from the others, and soon he is ostracized. While on his own he comes across a group of Adelie Penguins who befriend the little guy. Adelies are different from Emperors and have no problem with Mumble’s dancing abilities. The Adelie Amigos, led by Ramon (Robin Williams) are a cool group who sing and dance, and take Mumble under their wing, so to speak.
Happy Feet will have you tapping your toes and singing the praises of Mumble, the sweet little penguin who discovers that it doesn’t matter how different you are, but who you are in your heart that counts.
The DVD contains two new sequences which will delight fans of the film, a private dance lessons so you can learn to dance like Mumble, two music videos and a cartoon.
The Ernest Hemingway Film Collection
Ernest Hemingway was one of the preeminent writers of the 1920’s. Along with F. Scott Fitzgerald and Sinclair Lewis, plus several others, Hemingway wrote the great literature of the time. This new DVD box set contains five Hemingway stories brought to life: A Farewell to Arms, Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, The Sun Also Rises, and Under My Skin.
If you are not a fan of Hemingway, you might not enjoy the stories. They are definitely Hemingway, all the way. Some of the additional features give the viewers more in-depth looks at the movies, and at the author. Restoration comparisons show the way the films have been restored to their bright and brilliant form.
Either you love or you hate Hemingway. That’s all there is to it. But if you love him, then this is the set for you. With A-list stars (Ava Gardner, Tyrone Power, Diane Baker, Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, Rock Hudson, Jennifer Jones and more), these stories are brought to life for viewers to enjoy.
The Holiday
Imagine taking a break from your life. When things get rough we’ve all thought about just going away somewhere to get a new perspective on life. Most of us make reservations at a hotel, but Iris (Kate Winslet) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz) found a new way to escape from their lives. After meeting online they decide to change places. Iris would leave her cottage in England and move into Amanda’s house in Los Angeles and Amanda would move into Iris’ cottage for two weeks. This seems like the perfect solution for two women who have recently had tragic episodes in their love lives.
Because the two simply “vacate” their lives, they are free to be themselves and dump the emotional baggage they are carrying around. It is in their new surroundings that they discover they are not the losers they think they are.
While not at all planning or thinking about new relationships, Iris meets Miles (Jack Black), who is sympathetic, fun, and easy to be with. And Amanda meets Graham (Jude Law), who sweeps her off her feet; although she insists she has both feet firmly on the ground.
The DVD contains a “making of” featurette. Face it. How many times have you thought – even briefly – about a short escape from your daily life and stress? This is a nice get-away movie. It’s like an old-fashioned feel good film. Enjoy.
Love Wrecked
When Jenny (Amanda Bynes) takes a summer job at a fancy Caribbean resort, the last thing she has in mind is that her music idol, Jason Masters (Chris Carmack) will be visiting the resort. When he arrives, like any teen with a big crush, she wants to meet him. So she takes a job on the dinner cruise and things get a little out of hand. Jason falls over during a storm and Jenny dives in to rescue him. They later discover they are on a deserted island. Well, not really. While foraging for food, Jenny learns they are only a short walk from the resort, but she keeps this little tidbit to herself. How long can she keep up the charade? Long enough to have Jason fall in love with her? Or will her conscience get the better of her? The DVD contains some deleted scenes from the film. This is definitely a movie teen girls will love.
Noisy Nora … and more stories about mischief
This DVD contains five stories brought to the screen from classic children’s tales. Besides the story of Nora, the little mouse, there is “T is for Terrible,” about a T Rex dinosaur, “Cannonball,” about a little dog and the circus clown who befriends him, “Goggles,” the story of two boys who try to keep their newfound treasure from some bullies, and an additional story of “Munro,” an absolutely adorable little four year old boy who was drafted by the army! This is from the Scholastic Video Collection so you know the stories are appropriate for ages 3-9. The DVD contains a Read Along option as well so kids can read along with the stories. These are stories that kids will enjoy over and over again. Parents will even enjoy them too! They’re fun and entertaining.
Peter Pan
The Platinum Edition of this family favorite is now available. This newly restored 2-disc set contains the delightful story of the boy who never grew up as well as several bonus features. There’s a featurette about the story, a “making of” feature, some deleted songs, as well as a never-before-seen opening sequence. There is also a fun DVD storybook and a game in which players can explore Never Land. There is also a sneak peek at the new movie Tinker Bell. Join Peter, Wendy and the boys in this delightful and perennial favorite story which has entertained audiences on screen for over a half a century.
Shirley Temple - Volume 5
The little mop-top is back with three films in this box set. The Blue Bird, (1940) The Little Princess, (1939) and Stand Up and Cheer (1943) are three favorite films of Temple fans. For several years Shirley was “The World’s Most Popular Personality,” and in The Little Princess, Shirley meets Queen Victoria. This was Temple’s first Technicolor film. All these movies are filled with delightful songs (“Baby Take a Bow,” “Someday you’ll Find Your Bluebird” and more) and plenty of wholesome entertainment. After all, they star the little princess of the screen, Shirley Temple. If you’re collecting the entire collection, this set includes volumes 13, 14 and 15. Granted, these are old movies, but quality never goes out of style, and kids still enjoy watching Shirley Temple sing and dance.
Stranger Than Fiction
Will Ferrell takes on a dramatic role in this strange story of a man who is haunted by a narrating voice. It’s like he’s living in a story. Actually, he is. His movements are given narration, but he’s the only one who can hear it. He seeks out help, first in the form of a psychiatrist, then from a literary professor (Dustin Hoffman), who, strangely enough, doesn’t think the man is crazy. He tries to narrow down which author is writing about this man. The thing is, the author is about to kill off the character. Can he find the author in time to persuade her to keep him alive? This story definitely lives up to its title. It is stranger than fiction. The DVD bonus features include deleted scenes and some inside looks at making the film.
© 2007 Francine Brokaw
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