Aisle Seat Super Bowl Edition

by Andy Dursin
www.andyfilm.com
dursin.blogspot.com

Video games today obviously have come a very long way when compared to the arcade games many of us grew up with -- not to mention the battles on Atari and Intellivision systems we once waged as kids at home.

Though graphically games have made huge strides over the decades, the classic arcade games of yesterday have retained their appeal among many gamers, offering a hard-core challenge that truly separates the men from the boys. And certain grown men continue to try and one-up one another's high scores -- the battle for supremacy in the game of Nintendo's "Donkey Kong" forming the basis for the entertaining recent documentary THE KING OF KONG: A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS (***, 90 mins., 2007, PG-13; New Line).

Director Seth Gordon here deftly chronicles the world of competitive "classic gaming" by focusing on the efforts of Seattle high school teacher Steve Weibe, an affable family man who lands the world's high-score on "Donkey Kong" -- only to have that score rejected by the self- proclaimed governing body of video gaming records, Twin Galaxies. Undaunted, Weibe takes to flying cross-country to take on the reigning title-holder, Billy Mitchell, in a game of "Donkey Kong" in front of the Twin Galaxies officials.

"The King of Kong" is a vivid portrait of a guy driven to achieve greatness -- even if it's just in setting the high score for a nearly three-decades old video game -- as well as a cliquey organization looking to defend its turf and its "own guy" on said machine. It's hard not to feel sympathy for Weibe, who takes all the hits as they come like a good-natured pro, even if you'd wish he'd stand up for himself a bit more in front of the same folks who employ double-standards in accepting high score submissions. Yet Weibe keeps up the fight, making for an irresistible underdog story and a compelling, fun documentary that's understandably been optioned for a big- screen dramatization (I see Vince Vaughn and Johnny Depp as Weibe and Mitchell, respectively, myself).

New Line's DVD, available this week, includes a fine 16:9 transfer and plenty of extras, including commentary from Gordon, another commentary from assorted video game experts, extended interviews, deleted scenes, and an all-important update on the still on-going saga between Weibe and Mitchell...who are still attempting to out-do one another's latest score!

DAMAGES: Season 1 (2007, 581 mins., Sony): Well-performed, entertaining though increasingly absurd F/X series hits Blu-Ray in a superb presentation from Sony this week.

This edge-of-your-seat thriller stars Rose Byrne as Ellen Parsons, a young New York attorney who joins the firm of superstar litigator Patty Hewes (Glenn Close), whose current case is a high- profile class action suit involving millionaire Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson). Murder, mayhem, double-crossing and an endless succession of twists ensue in every episode of "Damages," which starts off as a taut, believable series and then spirals out of control in its later episodes, losing all semblance of reality along the way. It's all still fun and Close and Danson are terrific, but viewers new to the show should be prepared for a drop-off as the season progresses, with the coincidences coming at you so quickly that you can't help but expect yet another "twist" from one scene to the next.

Sony's Blu-Ray edition of "Damages" looks and sounds tremendous: the show is presented in 1080p (1.78) HD and looks spotless, the series' high production values coming across quite well in HD. The Dolby TrueHD soundtracks are likewise excellent, while a good sampling of extras including various commentaries, deleted scenes, and featurettes with cast and crew members. Recommended!

"Across the Universe" was the subject of much off-screen controversy last year, with studio executives sparring with Taymor over what many felt was the excessive length of her original cut. After much back and forth, the studio ended up releasing Taymor's shorter Director's Cut instead of their own 105-minute version, which allegedly tested better with preview audiences. Either way the movie is good-looking but fatally flawed with its cliched story and threadbare characters (how many times have we seen the innocent youths of the early '60s transformed into hippie radicals or war-scarred veterans on-screen?), the action being livened up by Bruno Delbonnel's cinematography and Taymor's sense of visuals, though even these can carry the film only so far with its bloated running time. Like a guest who stays too long at the party, "Across the Universe" eventually wears out its welcome (especially during its endless final 45 minutes), but musical buffs and Beatles fans in particular will still find it to be somewhat of interest, with musical cameos put in by Bono and Joe Cocker among others.

Sony's Blu-Ray release really shines with its AVC-encoded 1080p transfer and Dolby TrueHD sound. Extras include commentary from Taymor and her husband, composer Elliot Goldenthal, along with a deleted scene, five featurettes and a Blu-Ray exclusive art gallery.

Most of the show's original cast (Taye Diggs, Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal among them) returned here -- despite being quite a bit older than their characters' twentysomething ages -- and both director Columbus and writer Stephen Chbosky stay more or less faithful to Larson's original story: a modern take on "La Boheme" with ample doses of sex, drugs, tragedy, and plenty of rock 'n roll. Larson's effervescent score features plenty of highlights and catchy melodies, while Rob Cavallo's strong musical production opens up the arrangements for a larger backing while maintaining the tone of the original arrangements.

"Rent" is a product of the "grunge" era to some degree, and Menzel's "performance artist" character comes in and literally stops the movie cold during a sequence that could well have hit the cutting room floor. Elements like that do stamp "Rent" as a product of the mid '90s, but the central dramatic elements of the story still come across loud and clear, with Columbus excellently adapting the ensemble piece to a splashy, big-screen aspect ratio, with kudos also going out to cinematographer Stephen Goldblatt for his use of colors and textures.

For musical fans "Rent" is a rare treat and well worth catching on DVD, particularly in Sony's Blu-Ray disc, which sports a terrific 1080p transfer and 5.1 Dolby TrueHD and uncompressed PCM soundtracks. In addition to a fascinating commentary with Columbus, Rapp, and Pascal (one that divulges a great deal of background detail on the show and its transition to film), there's an excellent, feature-length documentary -- "No Day But Today" -- that chronicles the history of "Rent" from Larson's original conception to Columbus' film, with copious interviews and archival footage. Additional deleted scenes (including an alternate ending that ties in more directly with the start of the film) and PSA's round out the package.

With those elements failing to come together, you're left with a sorry excuse for a comedy, accentuated by the typically inadequate technical elements that mark every Farrelly picture, including a terribly unfunny, stiff supporting cast, interminable non-comic sequences establishing the plot, an annoying hard-rock soundtrack, and a cut-and-paste script that -- guess what? -- once again takes the form of a road trip movie, struggling to hold water from gag to gag and running on well past its welcome at 117 minutes.

Fox's Blu-Ray edition includes another serviceable MPEG-2 encoded transfer with DTS-MA audio, deleted scenes and commentary from the Farrelly Brothers.

Having grown up on the decidedly American exploits of Sho Kosugi (whose Cannon productions deserve some Special Edition DVD recognition, no question), I thoroughly enjoyed watching one of Kosugi's predecessors -- Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba -- in both of these kung-fu kicking efforts. "Killing Machine" is a bit more serious and the satisfying of the duo, while the overlong and somewhat slow-moving "Shogun's Ninja" only kicks into gear during its elaborate set-pieces.

Ninja fans and Chiba aficionados ought to get a kick (no pun intended) out of BCI's inaugural Blu-Ray release, both movies presented in 1080p widescreen and in their original Japanese dialogue with optional English subtitles (an English dubbed track is also available for both pictures).

ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE HD-DVD (**1/2, 115 mins., 2007, PG-13; Universal): Disappointing follow-up to Shekhar Kapur's "Elizabeth," which earned Cate Blanchett an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I. Blanchett has garnered yet another Oscar nod for her performance in this sequel, which met with mixed critical reaction last fall and is a definite come down from its predecessor, even with Kapur returning behind the camera, and Blanchett reuniting with co-star Geoffrey Rush and new cast member Clive Owen, here portraying Sir Walter Raleigh. The production values are more than adequate but the drama is stilted, complimented by a heavy-handed score by Craig Armstrong and AR Rahman that's easily one of the worst of its kind ever composed for a "period" film such as this. Universal's HD-DVD edition does, at least, boast a satisfying 1080p VC-1 encoded transfer with Dolby TrueHD audio and a number of extra features, all examining the film's production. Quite watchable in spite of its flaws, mainly due to Blanchett's reprieve of her star-making performance.

THUNDERBIRDS: 40th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR'S EDITION (1965, 30 hrs., A&E/New Video): Gerry Anderson's classic '60s sci-fi series in "Supermarionation" receives another DVD release courtesy of A&E Home Video. This slim-packaged, 12-disc set offers all 32 episodes of "Thunderbirds" in fresh, newly restored transfers from the Granada vaults, resulting in an alleged improvement on A&E's prior DVDs (and similar to the superior UK DVD versions). If that weren't enough, A&E has also thrown in a new bonus disc including a pop-up episode of the series ("Pit of Peril"), a new 40-minute interview with Anderson on the production of seven of his favorite series, two vintage Making Of segments, and various still galleries on the respective discs.

Overall, this is a must for "Thunderbirds" fans, though those who purchased the prior A&E discs may want to hold off to see how much of an upgrade these new "Videcolor" transfers are from the prior releases.

TUROK: SON OF STONE (2008, 73 mins., Unrated; Genius): The old-time comic book and recent video game franchise finally receives its own direct-to-vid feature with this decent production from co-director Curt Geda and The Weinstein Company. Here, Turok is a young Native American who travels to the "Savage Lands" to take on villainous Chichak, who fills the requisite "Thulsa Doom" of this story and slaughters most of Turok's tribe. Dinosaurs, cavemen, and other prehistoric beasts loom in this somewhat graphic effort (it's a must-to-avoid for horse fans), but die-hard Turok and comic book fans ought to enjoy the story, even if the animation isn't particularly elaborate. Genius Products' DVD offers a strong 16:9 (1.85) transfer with 5.1 audio, a "Total Turok" featurette examining the rich history of the character, and a commentary track with behind-the-scenes information on the film. Not recommended for young kids, but suitable for teenagers on up.

Fox's Special Edition DVD package is also a keeper: commentary from MacFarlane and assorted cast and crew members adorns the episode, while a Making Of segment examines how the show came together (with a major assist from Lucasfilm as it turns out), an interview with George Lucas, an animatic workprint version of the episode, an uncensored audio track, and a clip montage of other "Star Wars" gags from the "Family Guy" archives. The full-screen transfer and 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtracks are each top notch, while a second disc offers a digital, download- able verison for PCs and Macs (and your respective portable devices), complete with a serial number.

This vivid, highly entertaining youth picture doesn't condescend to its audience or muck up the drama with unnecessary comedic interludes -- a credit to the Shawn Schepps-Tina Gordon Chism script and director Charles Stone III, who does an excellent job capturing the intensity of the movie's dueling-band finale. The performances are also on the mark, especially Leonard Roberts as Cannon's frustrated line leader. John Powell's score also works well within the confines of the drama, and the 2.35 widescreen framing gives the movie a strong cinematic feel.

Fox's new Extended Edition DVD includes four minutes of extra footage re-incorporated into the film plus four additional deleted scenes, a commentary from the director and three new featurettes. Well worth a look!

At the top of the list is ZAPPED! (***, 98 mins., 1982, R), the memorable Scott Baio-Willie Aames teaming from the summer of '82 that finds nerdy high schooler Baio gaining the power of ESP after working in his bio lab. Baio and Aames aren't exactly comic gold together but they're darn close in this precursor to their later, long-running tandem on the popular sitcom "Charles in Charge," while Charles Fox provides a nice score and Felice Schachter the female interest in a movie that seems to have been shot for a PG rating and goosed up with later gratuitous, R-rated nude inserts (which lead co-star Heather Thomas to sue, as those naked assets on display aren't hers!). MGM's DVD is pretty ordinary with just 16:9 (1.85) and full-screen transfers plus stereo and mono sound, but for fans this long-overdue "Zapped!" DVD will be certainly worth the wait.

ALL-STAR FAMILY FEUD (BCI Eclipse): Richard Dawson's classic ABC game show hits DVD in a multi-disc set preserving a slew of prime-time specials that showcased various celebrities battling it out with one another. While I still hold out hope that we'll one day see a "Battle of the Network Stars" release on DVD, this nostalgic package from BCI is a solid substitute, with all kinds of late '70s/early '80s celebs duking it out for charity, from the casts of shows like "Family" and "Eight is Enough" to "The Love Boat" and "Barney Miller." The transfers are a little iffy -- looks like some heavy noise reduction was employed at times on top of the original video tape masters -- but fans will still be happy with this set, even if there's no listing for the individual episodes in the interior booklet. Game show devotees should note BCI has a "Price is Right" set due out soon and another volume of "Match Game" episodes slated for later in 2008.