DVD Digest for November 18, 2008

Paul Clark — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:00:00 GMT

This week, some of summer’s biggest hits arrive in stores in time for the holiday shopping season, along with a handful of choice classics.

DVD of the week: With all the care Pixar devotes to creating their theatrical releases, it’s amazing that they have any time left for their DVDs. However, Pixar’s DVD editions are almost invariably first-rate, and this week’s release of WALL-E would appear to be no exception. We begin, of course, with the razor-sharp transfer of the movie itself, which comes directly from the digital master, making it arguably crisper than could be found in the theatre. But that’s only the beginning, with two animated shorts (one seen in theatres, the other a DVD original), featurettes on the film’s sound design, visual design, music, character design, and more. Finally, there are a number of features on WALL-E that take viewers into the world of the film, including a documentary about the movie’s robotic cast, and short films about the nefarious “Buy N Large” corporation from its inception to their Earth Exit plan, and beyond. Needless to say, WALL-E is an ideal DVD for kids, but it’s also a must-have even if you don’t have a family to buy for this holiday season.

Other recent releases coming to DVD this week: Ben Stiller’s Hollywood action satire Tropic Thunder (Paramount, also Blu-Ray); America Ferrara, Amber Tamblyn and friends in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (Warner, also Blu-Ray); and a quartet of acclaimed indie films- Werner Herzog’s Encounters at the End of the World (Image); the documentary Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson (Magnolia); Harmony Korine’s Mister Lonely (Genius); and Audrey Tautou in Priceless (First Look).

On the classics front, the big release this week is David Lynch: The Lime Green Box Set (Absurda), which includes the new-to-DVD Industrial Symphony No. 1, plus the remastered Eraserhead, a Lynch-approved 5.1-surround version of Blue Velvet, The Elephant Man, Wild at Heart, The Short Films of David Lynch, Dumbland, along with new extras for Elephant Man and Wild at Heart, the Eraserhead soundtrack, and a “Mystery Disc” full of exclusive Lynch goodies. Or if you’re looking for something a little more “classical”, pick up the new Criterion editions of Martin Ritt’s masterful adaptation of the John le Carre novel, The Spy Who Came In From the Cold, or the French swashbuckler Fanfan la Tulipe. Also worth mentioning is the release of Fred Schepisi’s long-unavailable classic of Australian cinema, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (Ryko Distribution).

In a slow week for TV on DVD, the most noteworthy title is Bones Season 3 (Fox).

Finally, this week presents the most definitive argument that Blu-Ray has really arrived, with a plethora of mostly crappy Blu-Ray only releases. The exceptions are Curtis Hanson’s pretty-good Eminem vehicle 8 Mile (Universal) and the Neil Gaiman-scripted Mirrormask (Sony). But other than that, it’s looking pretty dire, with the Martin Lawrence double feature of Blue Streak (Sony) and National Security (Sony), Guy Ritchie’s Revolver (Sony), and Richard Kelly’s Southland Tales (Sony), which if nothing else remains the most definitive cinematic statement about the ongoing war over teen horniness. I’m for decriminalization, by the way.

Morning Deal Report: Dark Knight Fends Off Pineapple Express

Scott Von Doviak — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:00:00 GMT

The Dark Knight’s latest challenger fell short as the Bat-epic remained atop the box office charts with a weekend haul of $26 million, bringing its grand total to $441.5 million. That pushes it past Shrek 2 into third place on the all-time domestic box office list – and who knew Shrek 2 had been third on that list until now? Knight should pass Star Wars and move into second place next week, which should trigger another digitally enhanced re-issue from Lucasfilm, perhaps with the enthralling Biggs storyline restored. Those lovable stoners from Pineapple Express took second place with $22.4 million, for a total of $40.4 million since its Wednesday opening. That’s a lot of dime bags. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 took in $10.8 million, which is good since those pants are getting awful stanky.

It’s official: Brad Pitt is an Inglorious Bastard. Pitt closed his deal for the Quentin Tarantino WWII picture, while Nastassja Kinski may become QT’s latest reclamation project in one of the film’s few female roles. According to Variety, “Much of the pic's dialogue is in French or German, and subtitles will be used, though Pitt will speak English in his role as a Tennessee hillbilly who assembles a team of eight Jewish-American soldiers to take on the Nazis.” Ah, finally an opportunity for Pitt to revive his Kalifornia accent.

And here’s one for the “Whatever happened to Don Johnson?” crowd. (Come on, you know you’re out there.) Per the Hollywood Reporter, “Johnson is making a return to studio movies with a turn in Disney's When in Rome. He also will pop up in the indie comedy A Good Old Fashioned Orgy.” The use of the term “pop up” in that context is something I wish I hadn’t read before breakfast.

Related:
Screengrab Review: Pineapple Express
Barack Obama and Brad Pitt: Separated at Birth?

The Screengrab : the sisterhood of the traveling pants 2

DVD Digest for November 18, 2008

Morning Deal Report: Dark Knight Fends Off Pineapple Express