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A Slice of Life
by Francine Brokaw
MARCH 2009 DVD and Blu-ray Selections
Ace Ventura Jr.: Pet Detective
Like father, like son. This pint-size detective is full size fun. Young Ace sets out to find all kinds of missing and abducted animals, especially the missing baby panda from the zoo where his mother works. When she is suspected of having something to do with the missing panda, Ace is determined to get to the bottom of all the missing animals, and clear his mother of the crime. Ace Jr. is a chip off the old block. The DVD contains a featurette on the different animals in the film, a look at the pint-size character, a behind the scenes look at the fun of making the film, a cute feature on the little Terrier, Tyler, and a gag reel. Ace Ventura Jr. is a pet detective for the junior generation.
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
When a pampered pooch gets lost in Mexico, look out. This naïve little gal enlists the help of a brave German Shepherd who teaches her the ways of the world, and along with some others of her breed, Chloe learns about her Chihuahua heritage. Chihuahua’s as the only dogs indigenous to the western hemisphere. Chloe’s trip back to Beverly Hills is definitely not a day in the park, or a day on Rodeo Drive. But with her true love looking for her, she is sure to get back to the land of glitz and glamour.
Bolt
Friendship is the theme of this delightful animated film about a dog, a little girl, a cat, and a hamster. Bolt (voiced by John Travlota) is a TV hero. He’s even got special powers, making him much more talented than Rin Tin Tin and Lassie combined. This adorable mutt actually thinks he is the character he plays on TV, and the studio heads make sure he doesn’t know he is a regular dog. They think if he believes he is saving his “person” Penny (voiced by Miley Cyrus), then the expressions on his face and his bravery will translate on screen, which it does.
Then, one day, he accidentally gets into a box which then ends up in New York, which is a long way from Hollywood. Bolt sets out through the streets of NYC where he meets a cat who teams up with him in his search. Later they add a cute little hamster to their team. Their goal is to get Bolt back to Hollywood. While it is a sweet film, it is also heartfelt.
The Blu-ray set comes along with a Blu-ray version as well as a standard DVD. There are deleted scenes, a feature on creating the world of Bolt, a cute Bolt interactive game, and a short feature about Rhino, the little hamster.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Taken from the novel, this film tells the story of two eight year old boys who meet and form a friendship, even though they are not supposed to. They are on different sides of the electrified barbed wire in World War II Germany. The one little Jewish boy is confused about why he is stuck in the camp, and the other boy, the son of the camp commander, doesn’t understand about the camp. While I usually stay away from Holocaust films, this one is different. Yes, it is sad. Anything about this time in history is sad. But it is also a heartening film about innocence, tolerance, and humanity. Additional features on the DVD include deleted scenes as well as a look at the making of the film and how they created an atmosphere that was as close to the reality as they could.
Gigi - Blu-ray Edition
Lerner and Loewe’s classic musical comes to Blu-ray. This delightful story stars Leslie Caron in the title role,a young spirited girl who grows up into a charming woman, right before the eyes of Gaston (Louis Jourdan) who ends up falling in love with his “friend.” Memorable songs fill this 1958 film, including “The Night They Invented Champaign,” “Thank Heaven for Little Girls,” “I Remember it Well,” and the title song, “Gigi.” Maurice Chevalier and Hermione Gingold provide the supporting – and often humorous – cast. If you love musicals, and especially this one, you need to update your library to this Blu-ray edition.
Lilo and Stitch Big Wave Edition
This charming story captured the hearts of moviegoers everywhere. The lonely little girl and the misunderstood alien (experiment 626) are now part of pop culture. This new DVD edition includes many additional features, besides the classic film which spawned two sequels and a TV series.
There are deleted scenes, including a touching and dramatic scene in which Pudge the fish is killed. (You’ll need a Kleenex box handy for this one.) There is also a fun feature that follows Stitch through the Disney years, when he was trying to break into the movie business. And don’t forget those adorable “Inter-Stitch-Als” which were the trailers that had Stitch invading four other Disney films and causing havoc with the stars (Ariel, Aladdin, Belle, and Simba). There is a feature about Hawaii, the location of the story as well as music videos.
An in-depth documentary provides viewers with all the information they will ever need or want to know about the film from its inception through the filming. It’s interesting to see the progression of the story from start to finish, directly from the mouths of the filmmakers.
The original ending was redone for the theatrical version as it had Stitch hijacking a 747 and flying through the streets of Honolulu while trying to rescue Lilo, but after the events of 9/11, the powers that be at Disney decided this was too traumatic for audiences so they altered the scene which made it more enjoyable for viewers.
Tons of bonus features, along with the memorable story of friendship and family combine to make this a wonderful addition for any video library.
Master of the Game
Based on the bestselling novel by Sidney Sheldon, Dyan Cannon stars as the matriarch of a family and the head of an international empire. As Kate Blackwell, she wields more power and money than almost anyone else on earth, and she uses them to manipulate people, including her own son. Spanning over a century, and several generations, this TV miniseries shows the ultimate power trip of one woman intent on getting everything she wants – her own way! Beginning in the dirt of South Africa where diamonds began the Blackwell Empire, the story of this family is filled with deceit, power, love, and manipulation. On two discs, this saga is the ultimate drama, starting with Kate’s father and ending with her great-grandson. Some of them are kind, but others are very evil, but that’s what made it a popular story.
Milk
Sean Penn won the Academy Award for his performance as Harvey Milk in this film and he so deserved it. His performance is masterful, to say the least. The film captures the essence of this gay rights advocate and the emotions in the country in the 1970s. The story encompasses the riveting career of this man who bravely fought for equality, the people he touched in his life, and all he achieved in the one year he was in office. His legacy lives on, just as those of the many others who have been martyred in their struggle for justice. The DVD contains a look at the life of Harvey Milk, some deleted scenes, filming the movie in San Francisco where the actual events occurred, and how the filmmakers gathered throngs of people to reenact the marches – many of which were actually there in the 1970s. It also looks at the people who were portrayed in the film and how the actors worked to make their performances as close to the real people as possible.
The Other End of the Line
This adorable story brings to the screen a situation that we all know about. How many times do you call a company and end up speaking to someone in India? Well, Priya (Shriya Saran) works as a telephone operator for a big bank, and she lives in Mumbai. Her company trains her to speak with an American accent and learn everything she can about the slang, customs, and the American city they assign to her. Her clients are supposed to think she lives in San Francisco, so when one of her clients with whom she has had some witty conversations informs her he will be visiting San Francisco on business, she is faced with a situation. She has feelings for Granger (Jesse Metcalfe) even though they have only spoken on the phone. She has googled him and knows about him. Yet she is engaged, albeit to someone her family has chosen and someone she does not love. So, she feels the tug to take off for San Francisco and enjoy one last fling before she is forced into the marriage. What she and Granger discover is that love happens when you least expect it. With a mix-up of identities, they end up meeting, and the rest is a cute story.
Pinocchio: 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition
Loveable little Pinocchio is 70 years old. The new 2-disc edition contains the delightful story of the little wooden toy who wanted to be a real boy, as well as some fabulous bonus features. Pinocchio was Disney’s second animated feature and was based on a series of stories. You might not know that in the original story the cricket, aka Jiminy Cricket, was killed by Pinocchio. But thankfully Disney changed that and Jiminy Cricket has been a beloved character and part of pop culture.
There is a feature on some of today’s toymakers, and modern-day Geppettos. As one of them (Cyril Hobbins, master toymaker) says, he loves “creating something from a block of wood.” He insists that “once you’ve painted that face, the doll is alive.” Another says these toys are “art for children.”
The Disney View on blu-ray editions is an alternative way to view the film. Disney had artists create drawings that fill in the black sides of the film and these borders change as the scenes change. The integrated borders blend beautifully with the story and Disney plans to continue this practice replacing the blank black sides when the films can’t be stretched to fill in the screen without taking away from the story. Storyboards, deleted scenes, puzzles, a making-of feature and more make this a must-have DVD. Dick Jones, the voice of Pinocchio, says when comparing the original film to the remastered edition, it’s “like night and day.” And finally, let’s not forget about the memorable story of life, love, wishes and dreams. After all, when you wish upon a star your dreams come true.
The Return of the Man From U.N.C.L.E.
1983 - fifteen years after they left the spy business – and their TV series – Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) and Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum) teamed up once again to save the world from destruction. With THRUSH making a comeback, the former superspys are recalled to help find and disarm a nuclear weapon before it blows up Chicago. They also must find the new THRUSH headquarters. This full length movie has all the same elements of the original series, plus a little more humor. And even the James Bond of the day, George Lazenby, makes an appearance to assist fellow spy Solo in a dangerous situation. This is just as hokey as the series, speaking from a 2009 perspective, yet it is definitely something all UNCLE fans will want for their collection.
Side Effects
Katherine Heigl stars as Karly Hert, a pharmaceutical sales rep in this story that delves into the ethics within the industry. The public relies on their doctors to prescribe the correct medication, but many doctors rely on the sales reps who color their presentations to persuade them to write the prescriptions for their company’s drugs. At the heart of it all is the payout. Not the health and well being of the patients, but the profit the company can make from their drugs. Karly is torn between the perks of the job and the money she is making, and her conscience, especially when she discovers a drug she has been promoting is dangerous. This will make you think twice the next time you’re in your doctor’s office and a sales rep gets ushered into the inner sanctum. Is their drug really good for you or is it just good for the company’s profits?
South Pacific Blu-ray Edition
This new edition includes the theatrical version of the musical as well as the extended road show version which has 15 additional minutes. Bonus features include some stage scenes and Mitzi Gaynor’s screen test. There is also an incredible and complete “making of” feature. And there is a featurette about the story itself, which includes prejudice in the time of World War II. A highlight is a feature with Diane Sawyer who takes author James Michener back to the islands where he first was inspired to write his “Tales of the South Pacific” novel, which was the inspiration for this story.
South Pacific is a beautiful story of love, passion, and prejudice. Set in WW II on a South Pacific island, an American nurse (Gaynor) falls in love with a Frenchman (Rossano Brazzi), who happens to have two Polynesian kids. And an American soldier falls in love with a Tongan woman. These two Americans struggle with their inner prejudices while the war looms in the distance.
The music is unforgettable. “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair,” “Bali Hai,” “Cockeyed Optimist,” and other memorable songs lend themselves beautifully to this classic musical. This new edition is a must-have for anyone who loves this movie. South Pacific is 50 years old, but it is just as enjoyable and timely today as it was when it was originally produced.
Stephen Hawking and the Theory of Everything
Why are we here? How did we get here? How did the universe begin? These are just some of the questions physicist Stephen Hawking has been trying to solve his entire life. This documentary delves into the work he has been doing that is unlocking the secrets of, well, just about everything. His goal was to merge the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics to explain the universe. Hawking suffers from Lou Gehrig’s disease and is confined to a wheelchair, but that does not stop his mind from continuing with his work. If you have ever wondered about the universe, black holes, bending space, and more, this is the show for you. With computer graphics, interviews, and demonstrations by experts, most of this is fairly easy to understand. Of course, they did all the hard work.
To Catch a Thief - Centennial Edition
This edition of the Hitchcock masterpiece includes not only the incredible film but a second disc of bonus features. The movie stars Cary Grant and Grace Kelly in a story of suspense and romance as Grant’s character is suspected of being the new jewel thief on the French Riviera, and Kelly’s character is intrigued by the man. The bonus features add a lot to the film as viewers learn about the making of the film (half of which was shot on location in the South of France and the other half back on the Paramount lot in Hollywood), the life and careers of the two stars, the writing and casting of the film, and a look at the costume designer Edith Head who spent 40 of her 60 years in the business designing for Paramount titles. There is also a piece from November 2008 which shows Alfred Hitchcock’s daughter and granddaughter answering questions at USC from students in the Hitchcock class. Yes, there are classes devoted to the famous director. The director’s granddaughter explains that Hitchcock was a “fun-loving” man. He loved mysteries and suspense, and wanted to bring his audiences along for the ride. There’s also a look at how the filmmakers had to work closely to obey the production code of the time (1955). This is a classic Hitchcock film with all the elements for which he is known – suspense, romance, humor, and enjoyment.
A Woman Called Golda
Golda Meir was a forceful woman who helped in the creation of the state of Israel. This incredible film stars Ingrid Bergman as “The Mother of Israel” and shows her journey from a young child through the rest of her life, her dedication to a Jewish homeland, and her compassion for her people. Bergman’s portrayal is astonishing and viewers will forget they’re seeing a dramatization. She exemplifies Meir with every movement and sentence. Originally a television mini-series, this film won Emmy Awards as well as a Golden Globe, and it deserved them. It is a fascinating account of the creation of Israel, but more it is also a beautiful portrayal of Gold Meir. A must-see for everyone. This woman dedicated her life to her country and to forging peace with her neighbors.
© 2009 Francine Brokaw
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