DVD Den From Paramount Home Entertainment:
€ The Executioner's Song - Written by Norman Mailer and directed by Lawrence Schiller, this acclaimed 1982 television mini-series told the true story of convicted killer Gary Gilmore (Tommy Lee Jones), whose execution marked the resumption of the death penalty in the United States after a moratorium of several years. Gilmore had demanded the execution by firing squad, rather than spend the rest of his life in prison.
The new DVD release features the "Director's Cut" of the movie, which includes scenes that were not seen in its television broadcast.
Jones delivers a gripping performance. Christine Lahti, Rosanna Arquette and Eli Wallach co-star.
€ Chicago 10 - Brett Morgen wrote and directed this clever, very unusual documentary that chronicles the real-life events surrounding the anti-war protest of the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Morgen uses some visually arresting animation, archival footage and the voices of Hank Azaria, Nick Nolte, Mark Ruffaalo, Roy Scheider, Liev Schreiber and others to tell this compelling story.
From Image Entertainment:
€ My Brother Is an Only Child - Directed by Daniele Luchetti, this quite touching Italian language (w/English subtitles) film is set in the 1960s during Italy's turbulent political transformation.
It tells the story of two feuding brothers from a dysfunctional working-class family, who do not get along because they belong to opposing political parties, and also because they are both interested in the same girl.
The film won four Italian Academy Awards, the Donatello, including ones for stars Elio Germano and Angela Finocchiaro.
€ The Secret - When Lili Taylor is killed in an automobile accident, her husband (David Duchovny) is devastated...until he discovers that her soul has inhabited the body of their teenage daughter (Olivia Thirlby)
Would you believe that this film, directed by Vincent Perex, is not a comedy? Indeed, it is a very disturbing drama.
DVD extras include interviews with the cast and "Behind the Scenes" footage.
€ Six Reasons Why - The brothers Campagna produced, wrote, directed and edited this ultra-low budget western that tries to emulate the style of Sergio Leone, but falls far short of that lofty goal. Indeed, the finished product is slow moving, pretentious and totally uninvolving. On the other hand, some of the cinematography is quite striking.
The story, which does contain an element of science-fiction, is set in the Badlands where four men meet to take part in a gunfight that will leave all but one of them dead. Multiple flashbacks define each man's reason for being there.
The cast, with the exception of Colm Feore who has a very small role, is virtually unknown.
DVD extras include audio commentary by the filmmakers and "Behind the Scenes" featurettes.
€ The Riddle - There's an intriguing supernatural element to this murder mystery in which Vinnie Jones stars as a London journalist, trying to find the killer of an old friend. As it turns out, the solution to this case parallels a murder that occurred back in the day of Charles Dickens, as described in a priceless, newly discovered manuscript by the famous 19th-century author.
Brendan Foley wrote and directed this smart thriller, which co-stars Derek Jacobi and Vanessa Redgrave.
€ Shark Week, Ocean of Fear - If you enjoy seeing footage of people who have been attacked by sharks, then this 2-disc set from The Discovery Channel is for you.
These six documentaries tell you just about everything you might want to know about sharks, and you even get to meet some "shark whisperers," shmucks who call in sharks without bait and then catch them by hand. There's also a film in this set about a guy who claims he can hypnotize sharks.
As you might surmise, sharks are not my thing. However, if you are interested in Jaws and his cousins, then I can't think of a better place to enjoy their frolicking than in these well-made documentaries.
€ Webs - Richard Grieco stars in this sci-fi thriller about a group of electrical workers sent to investigate a bizarre power source in an abandoned Chicago building and suddenly find themselves trapped in a mirror-like world where they are stalked by savage, cannibalistic humans with spider appendages. David Wu directed.
From Sony Pictures Home Entertainment:
€ Married Life - Directed by Ira Sachs, this engrossing picture is set in the late 1940s and stars Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper, Patricia Clarkson and Rachel McAdams.
Cooper and Clarkson (both pictured) are a long married couple, who still love each other even though that special "something" has disappeared from their relationship.
Cooper, in fact, is having an affair with McAdams, a war widow, and plans to leave Clarkson for her...but he doesn't quite know how to go about it. Then, after a chance meeting with a stranger, he comes up with the idea to murder his wife. That way, he won't have to hurt her emotionally when he leaves.
Nice guy, huh?
What Cooper doesn't know is that Brosnan, his best friend, has also been seeing McAdams.
Married Life is a well-made film with fine performances by the entire cast and a couple of surprising plot twists. It certainly held my interest.
My problem with it was that, after it was over, my reaction was "So what?"
The picture, adapted from a novel by John Bingham, seemed to have no point. I guess it was a drama, but perhaps it should have been more black comedy.
I'm not sure, and I don't think the filmmakers were sure either, since the DVD has three extended alternate endings.
Did they pick the right one for the movie? I don't know.
From Genius Entertainment:
€ Lonesome Dove - After almost 2 decades of being virtually dormant, the movie western became a "hot item" again, thanks primarily to this superb, multiple Emmy-winning 1988 television mini-series, adapted from the novel by Larry McMurtry.
Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Anjelica Huston, Danny Glover and Diane Lane star in the epic tale about two former Texas Rangers who take on a dangerous 2500-mile cattle drive. Simon Wincer directed.
The new 2-disc "Collector's Edition" contains a 50-minute "Behind the Scenes" featurette, plus interviews with Wincer, McMurtry and the cast.
From Anchor Bay Entertainment:
€ Virgin Territory - Cut from the same cloth as The Princess Bride, this likable action-adventure/comedy is set in 14th century Italy.
Hayden Christensen stars as a Don Juan-like soldier of fortune who, ultimately, loses his heart to the beautiful, virginal Mischa Barton. Unfortunately, she is also being pursued by a crazy nobleman (Tim Roth) and an obsessed Russian count (Matthew Rhys), thus if Hayden wants to win the lady he must come up with a devious plan.
David Leland wrote and directed the film, which co-stars Christopher Egan.
DVD extras include "Behind the Scenes" featurettes and some censored scenes.
From The Criterion Collection:
€ The Small Back Room - Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, this taut, suspense-filled 1949 drama takes place in England during WW2. It stars David Farrar as a crippled, alcoholic research scientist and military bomb-disposal expert, who finds himself fighting government bureaucracy and his own personal demons.
The scene in which he must defuse a strange German bomb dropped on a pebble-covered beach is a nail-biter.
Kathleen Byron co-stars as the woman he loves and Jack Hawkins is his loutish boss.
DVD extras include audio commentary by film scholar Charles Carr, a new video interview with the film's cinematographer and much more.
From First Look Studios:
€ An American Crime - This extremely well-acted drama revisits the true story of Gertrude Baniszewski (Catherine Keener), the seemingly ordinary housewife who imprisoned and tortured a beautiful teenager (Ellen Page) in the basement of her house.
The powerful drama was directed by Tomm O'Haver and co-stars Bradley Whitford.
€ Miss Conception - Heather Graham stars in this amusing comedy about a 33-year-old lady whose "biological clock" is running too fast and is determined to conceive before it is too late. Since her beau (Tom Ellis) doesn't want to step up to the plate, she enlists the help of best friend Mia Kirshner to help her find a sperm donor, be it via the internet, personal ads, bar-hopping or even a co-worker.
Eric Styles directed the script by Camilla Leslie.
€ Frank - The title character in this family comedy is a big, lovable pooch, the "terror" of the neighborhood, who is adopted by a family with problems and winds up turning their lives around.
John Gries, Cynthia Watros, Brittany Robertson and Garrett Morris star in the Douglas Cheney-directed film.
From WGBH Boston Video:
€ Lord of the Ants - Harrison Ford narrates this NOVA documentary about naturalist E.O. Wilson, who through his scientific study of ants, put forth the notion of Sociobiology, which states that evolutionary principles could explain social behavior throughout the animal kingdom, including in humans.
€ Flying the Secret Sky - This documentary tells the story of The Royal Air Force Ferry Command; of brave young pilots who flew needed aircraft from Canada across the perilous North Atlantic to England during the early days of WW2.
Narrated by Carlo Rota, the film incorporates interviews with the pilots, never-before-seen home movies and other rare footage to tell this amazing heroic story.
€ Absolutely Irish - Filmed at the Irish Arts Center in New York City, Irish music impresario and singer Mick Moloney presents three generations of brilliant Irish musicians, displaying their mastery on favorite songs and traditional tunes, rocking the hall with their passionate performances.
Among those appearing are flute player Mike Rafferty, dancer Jo McNamara, whistle player Joanie Madden, guitarist John Doyle, piper Jerry O'Sullivan, accordionist Billy McComiskey and many others.
€ The Secret Law of Attraction - Success coach Jack Canfield talks about his unique and modernized formulas for success, and how you can develop a clear, personal plan of action that will completely transform your life into exactly what you want it to be.
From Monarch:
€ Vampire Diary - Mark James and writer Phil O'Shea directed this unique vampire movie about a filmmaker shooting a movie about London's trendy neo vampires who wear fake fangs and heavy makeup for their wild and decadent weekends.
The rub is that one of these enigmatic folk claims to be the real thing.
Anna Walton, Morven Macbeth and Jamie King star.
From Emphasis Entertainment:
€ No Place Like Home - This gritty documentary by Courtney Fathom Sell was shot in New Orleans over a one month (or so) period after Hurricane Katrina. It documents the destruction and early attempts to rebuild the city.
