Our DVDs start with an Italian flavor
DVDs for Oct.11 by Boo Allen
This week, we begin in Italy:
Boccaccio 70, Casanova 70
Kino Lorber gives Blu-ray debuts to two films that enjoyed great
popularity during the 1960s and offered many Americans their first
exposure to such internationally acclaimed directors as Federico
Fellini, Vittorio Di Sica, and Luchino Visconti. Lesser-known Mario
Monicelli directed Casanova 70
(1965, 115 minutes ) and also contributed “Renzo e Luciana” to
Baccaccio 70 (1962,
204 minutes), a previously unseen segment. Both unrated films
highlight the humor and the hypocrisy behind Italians’ sexual
attitudes and habits. The four aforementioned directors contribute to
Baccaccio 70,
with Fellini looking best with his “Temptation of Dr. Antonio,” a
wild spoof about a prudish Roman man’s efforts to remove a billboard
with Anita Ekberg promoting milk. The famously buxom actress comes to
life and haunts him. Marcello Mastroianni stars in Casanova
as a man who can only make love when faced with danger.
Dreams (****), Alex In Wonderland (**1/2)
On demand Warner Archive releases two overlooked, fairly recent
oddities. In Akira Kurosawa’s visual feast Dreams,
eight vignettes (“Crows,” “The Tunnel,” etc.) are all
supposedly based on his dreams. These environmentally conscious
segments focus on subjects such as pollution and, prophetically, the
danger of Japan’s use of nuclear energy. All dream-like sequences
burst with color, including one stunning segment with Martin Scorsese
playing Vincent Van Gogh. In documenting his dreams, Kurosawa leaves
viewers in a dreamlike state. In 1969, Paul Mazursky directed his
first film. The next year he directed Alex in Wonderland,
a pretentious, plodding film about a director who has directed one
film only to hesitate on his next film, a theme also similar to 8
1/2,
the masterpiece by Federico Fellini (who appears here
briefly). Donald Sutherland plays Alex, the befuddled Los Angeleno,
as he travels, meets with a studio executive (Mazursky), argues with
his wife (Ellen Burstyn), and meanders around, emptily pontificating
at random.
Dreams: rated PG, 120 minutes. The disc also contains cast and crew biographies.
Alex: rated R, 110 minutes.
Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On, The Pee Wee Herman Show on Broadway
In the first of these captured performances from two
stage veterans, Bette Midler performs at the Caesar’s Palace
Colosseum in Las Vegas. The Emmy-nominated production includes such
Midler hits as “The Rose” and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” On
the 25th anniversary of his “Pee Wee’s Playhouse,” the
elfin Herman reprises his recent Broadway performance which later
aired on HBO.
Neither is rated. Midler: 67 minutes. Pee Wee: 89 minutes, and includes commentary from Reubens and
others.
The Ledge (***)
An agnostic hotel manager, Gavin (Charlie Hunnam), becomes involved with one of his married neighbors, Shana (Liv Tyler), also an employee. Her fundamentalist husband (Patrick Wilson) learns of the affair, which circuitously leads to Gavin threatening to jump off a building ledge. Meanwhile, a police detective (Terrence Howard) tries to talk Gavin off the ledge while also dealing with his own family crisis. Director Matthew Chapman maintains interest while juggling these various plot elements.
Rated R, 101 minutes. The DVD, also on Blu-ray, contains five cast and crew
interviews.
And now, something for youngsters:
The Looney Tunes Show—volume one
Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck team up in this series of four extended episodes
which has them also joined by Porky Pig, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn
Leghorn, and others.
Not rated, 88 minutes.
Thomas and Friends: Merry Christmas Thomas, Barney: A Very Merry
Christmas—the movie, Angelina Ballerina: Dancing on Ice
Thomas the Tank, Barney, and Angelina Ballerina return
in these three separate, unrated, offerings featuring the popular
characters. Thomas includes four episodes and two bonus segments,
Barney has two, and Angelina and pals offer five.
Finally, a few late TV arrivals:
Bored to Death—second season
In our week’s top TV-Series-To-DVD, this sleeper, breakout series from HBO, which soon
returns on air, actually became funnier in this second season. Jason Schwartzman stars as Jonathan Ames, the world’s worst private detective. It is also the name of the series’ creator and writer of several episodes. But this Jonathan Ames is also a Brooklyn novelist, and this season he suffers from having his second novel rejected. But he receives comfort every week, of sorts, from his friends, marijuana-addicted columnist George (a hilarious Ted Danson) and comic book author Ray (Zach Galifianakis). Also with Oliver Platt, John Hodgman. The season’s guest stars include Kevin Bacon, Kristen Wiig, Mary Kay Place, and other. Unpredictable, odd, whimsical, and
usually quite funny.
Not rated, 203 minutes. The set includes commentaries,
deleted scenes, outtakes and “Inside the Episodes” featurettes on
individual segments, with Jonathan Ames giving brief informative lead-ins to the episode.
Kendra–seasons two and three
Kendra Wilkinson stars in this reality show with her NFL
football-playing husband Hank Baskett. Now a new mom, Kendra flirts
with writing a book, relocating to a new city, and taking trips to
Las Vegas and to Fashion Week.
Not rated, 575 minutes. Twenty-four episodes arrive on
three discs.
Call Me Fitz—first season
Jason Priestly breaks his image in this raucous series
in which he plays a sleazy used car salesman who will do anything to
make a buck. The 16 episodes of the alternately crass and funny
series come on three discs.
Not rated, 300 minutes. The set also includes two
featurettes on the genesis and the casting of the series, a blooper
reel, and a peek at season two.
Holly’s World—seasons one and two
In 19 episodes, on three discs, reality TV star and
former Playboy standout Holly Madison performs a variety of
eye-catching activities, including enlarging her breasts, meeting
Hugh Hefner, and other classy pursuits.
Not rated, 500 minutes.
Gettsyburg, Lee & Grant
These two recent programs from cable channel History
focus, first, on the epic three day Civil War battle in Pennsylvania.
The war’s two greatest generals are examined in the second release,
giving both personal and professional looks at these two American
icons. Both run 94 minutes.
Gettysburg: rated TV-14, Lee & Grant: rated TV-PG
Army Wives—season five
The military wives at Fort Marshall, South Carolina return with
additional dramas in their lives this season, including departures, arrivals in the form of a baby,
and the inevitable loss of loved ones. With Kim Delaney, Wendy Davis,
Catherine Bell, Drew Fuller.
Rated TV PG DLV, 551 minutes. The three disc set of
thirteen episodes includes an extended interview with cast members, a
whopping 18 deleted scenes, a blooper reel, and more.
Also on DVD: Disorganized Crime, Green Lantern, Horrible
Bosses, The Tree of Life, Zookeeper.