Aisle Seat New Years Edition!

by Andy Dursin
www.andyfilm.com

The January issue of FSM ONLINE will be up by midday today. You'll get notification by email as soon as the issue is live. For those who want to purchase a subscription to FSM ONLINE, go here, click on the big yellow ìClick to Subscribe!" button and follow the instructions. And email us at support@filmscoremonthly.com if you have any questions.

And now, back to Andy...

2007 stands to be a pivotal one for the two high-definition DVD formats -- both of which we've covered here over the last few months.

Last week's Consumer Electronics Show didn't offer much in the way of revelations for fans of either format: Blu Ray trumpeted their upcoming titles while new, relatively more affordable HD- DVD players were announced by Toshiba. Warner Home Video, meanwhile, announced plans to release a single HD-DVD/Blu Ray "Combo" disc later in 2007 -- apparently in response to tepid sales of BOTH formats to date.

While many consumers may wait for the "format wars" to shake down (indeed, perhaps waiting for a "combo player" that can support both formats is a wise maneuver), a few new HD-DVD titles are due out this month from Paramount and Universal.

At the top of the list is one of the more noteworthy transfers I've seen from either format thus far: Ridley Scott's top-notch 1989 thriller BLACK RAIN (***1/2, 125 mins., R; Paramount).

Paramount previously issued a Special Edition DVD of the Michael Douglas Japanese travelogue a couple of months ago, but now the studio's HD-DVD edition hits store shelves this week in a sumptuous new 1080p presentation that blows the doors off all previous releases -- and shows how the advantages of a high-definition format can benefit a film with visual demands like "Black Rain."

Like so many of Ridley Scott's films, "Black Rain" offers contrasting shades of light and color, textures and shadows, making it difficult for home video to duplicate the film's actual cinematic appearance. Previous video versions of "Black Rain" -- even the movie's letterboxed laserdisc and initial DVD release -- were hazy and over-saturated, but now on HD-DVD, Jan DeBont's cinematography is rendered so perfectly that there are times when you think the action is going to leap off the screen.

The colors, depth of background detail, and image clarity are simply eye-popping, doing justice to Scott's eye for visual flair and adding what seems like a whole new layer to the movie. Visuals are a crucial part of Scott's work as a filmmaker, and if this HD-DVD is any indication, the director's output stands to benefit as much from high definition exhibition than any other director working today (I can't wait to see what "Blade Runner" looks like, should an HD-DVD of the upcoming Special Edition be issued by year's end).

Paramount's HD-DVD also includes all the extras from the Special Edition DVD, including commentary from Scott and a multi-part Making Of offering interviews with Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, Kate Capshaw, composer Hans Zimmer, Scott, and others (among the revelations: due to contractual obligations, Scott cut the film under two hours at one point, forcing Paramount execs to request he restore footage from a longer version since even they realized the shorter version was too much of a compromise). Produced by Laurent Bouzereau, this is the kind of comprehensive documentary one wishes we'd routinely encounter on disc, and the original trailer (in HD) puts a splendid cap on the entire package, presented here with 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus sound.

In a month that's relatively quiet in terms of big-ticket video releases, "Black Rain" is hands down one of the best HD-DVD discs I've seen to date -- a feast for the eyes and hopefully a great taste of what's to come for other Scott films in high-definition.

THE NIGHT LISTENER (**1/2, 2006, 81 mins., R; Miramax/Buena Vista): Robin Williams plays a New York talk show host/author who develops a friendship with a troubled teenage boy played by Rory Culkin. Culkin has just authored a manuscript detailing his tragic past that's been passed onto Williams by his literary agent friend (Joe Morton). Over time, though, Williams isn't sure as to whether or not the boy and his guardian/social worker (Toni Collette) are legit, prompting the writer to head to Wisconsin to uncover the truth.

"The Night Listener" was based on a novel by San Fransisco writer Armistead Maupin, who used a real incident for the basis of his story. The resulting film -- scripted by Maupin, his ex-partner Terry Anderson, and director Patrick Stettner -- is a strange, almost unfinished-feeling character study that never takes full advantage of its intriguing premise and superb performances (Williams is remarkably restrained and Collette creepy to a tee). In spite of its eerie set-up, the movie seems as if it's missing a third act completely and ends just when it starts to build a head of steam.

That said, "The Night Listener" is still worth a viewing: even in its current state, this is a creepy tale of deceit with dense psychological undertones and excellent performances that -- with a better and more effectively layered script -- could've been tremendously satisfying.

Miramax's DVD includes one deleted scene (wisely cut from the theatrical version) introduced by the director, plus a fairly good examination of the true story that formed the basis for the film. The 16:9 (1.85) transfer is excellent and the 5.1 Dolby Digital sound effective, sporting a satisfying, low-key score by Peter Nashel. Recommended with some reservations.

While some labels slow down during the month of January, Criterion is at it once again with a full line-up of sensational new titles.

This month's most notable new release from the label is a double-feature re-issue of Akira Surosawa's tremendous samurai classics YOJIMBO and SANJURO (1961-62, 110 and 96 mins., Criterion), starring Toshiro Mifune as Sanjuro, the wandering samurai who turns the tables on warring clans to his advantage in the original (a Dashiell Hammett reworking later remade as the Leone- Eastwood classic "A Fistful of Dollars" and Bruce Willis' forgettable "Last Man Standing"). The sequel is a bit breezier with more comedic elements, but it's still a worthy companion to its predecessor.

Criterion's new box-set is similar to their recent, excellent Special Edition of "The Seven Samurai": both films have been remastered from high-definition elements and look markedly fresh in their original Tohoscope (2.35) aspect ratios, while the sound has been preserved in 3.0 Dolby Digital to simulate the original "Perspecta" simulated stereo effects (mono tracks are also available). Abundant extras include commentaries by historian Stephen Prince; documentary extracts from the "Toho Masterworks" series "Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful To Create"; new subtitles; and extensive booklet notes.

Boris Karloff stars in two of the four entries: 1958's "The Haunted Strangler" (79 mins.) and his entertaining 1959 collaboration with co-star Christopher Lee, "Corridors of Blood" (87 mins.), with Karloff in fine form in both.

The sci-fi portion of the quadruple-header, meanwhile, includes the 72-minute, 1959 release "The Atomic Submarine" and the entertaining, if silly, 1959 effort "First Man Into Space" (1959, 77 mins.), which I had read about for years but never actually seen until this Criterion set. The latter offers a cautionary tale of an astronaut who returns home from outer space...as a bloodthirsty monster!

With the exception of "The Blob" and "Robinson Crusoe on Mars," Criterion hasn't released too many genre films over the years and particularly few on DVD, which makes this colorfully presented anthology so appealing for fans. An attractively designed box is complimented by digitally remastered transfers (in full-screen black-and-white), commentaries by producers Richard and Alex Gordon and historian Tom Weaver, trailers, and new video interviews with assorted cast and crew members. Recommended!

"Border Radio" was a "postpunk diary" that stars Chris D. of the group Flesh Eaters as the lead, in a bizarre, black-and-white offering that almost plays like a student film (which, of course, it was). Still, if you're a fan of the music you'll probably enjoy Criterion's DVD regardless, which boasts a pair of commentaries, a 2002 documentary, deleted scenes, a music video, and more. The movie was shot on a low-low budget in full-screen black-and-white, and the sound is monaural as well. For Flesh Eaters buffs only.

SEVEN SWORDS (2005, 153 mins., Not Rated; Weinstein/Genius): Special edition of the popular 2005 Tsui Hark epic stars Donnie Yen in a "Seven Samurai" martial arts variation, properly presented here by Weinstein as part of their new "Dragon Dynasty" DVD line. Commentary from Hark and HK expert Bey Logan is on-hand, as are deleted and extended scenes, a Making Of featurette, other featurettes, interviews, trailers, 5.1 DTS and Dolby Digital sound (in English and Cantonese/Mandarin) and English and Spanish subtitles.

MOSAIC (72 mins., 2006, Anchor Bay)
LIGHTSPEED (88 mins., 2005, Anchor Bay): Stan "The Man" Lee has vacated Marvel and leased his name out to several independent features hoping to launch the next big super-hero. Sadly, the results of Lee's efforts thus far have been anything BUT "super."

The animated "Mosaic" is the comparatively better of Lee's two new features, focusing on a young female student (voiced by Anna Paquin) who gains shapeshifting powers after a storm and a mysterious rune stone combine to work their magic. The animation is simplistic but this is a decent enough feature for young viewers, with Anchor Bay's DVD including a nifty 16:9 transfer, 5.1 Dolby Digital sound, interviews with Lee and director Roy Allen Smith, and a limited edition comic.

"Lightspeed," meanwhile, is a total misfire -- a Sci-Fi Channel live-action premiere with Jason Connery as a secret agent who becomes a lightspeed-moving freak in order to battle a mutated terrorist named Python. Not even the presence of cute Nicole Eggert makes this fumbled vehicle work, with Anchor Bay's bare-bones DVD offering a 1.78 (16:9) transfer and 2.0 Dolby Stereo sound. 'Nuff said, indeed!

JESUS CAMP (2006, 84 mins., Magnolia): Fascinating and sometimes disturbing account of an Evangelical Christian camp for kids, who display their reverence for the Lord with sometimes overly passionate zest. Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's controversial documentary tries to remain objective and certainly makes for a compelling 84 minutes. Magnolia's DVD includes a full-screen transfer, deleted scenes, commentary, and 2.0 Dolby stereo sound.