The week’s DVDs begin in Dorset:
DVDs for April 8 by Boo Allen
This week, we begin in Dorset:
Broadchurch—season one
This popular British series, first broadcast here on BBC-America, features esteemed Shakespearean actor David Tennant as Alec Hardy, a grumpy, disheveled detective sent to the small coastal town of Broadchurch to investigate the murder of an 11 year-old boy. The more the viewer learns of Hardy, the more it becomes apparent how his own troubled history plays a part in the investigation. The inquiry itself helps tear the town apart, particularly since Hardy’s partner, Elle Miller (Olivia Colman), lives in Broadchurch with her husband and young son. The series’ eight episodes (on three discs) grippingly build to the final revealing the murderer, as various inhabitants fall aside in devious ways. The series has been renewed for a second season, but first Tennant and Anna Gunn are slated to appear in a U.S. adaptation of the series.
Not rated, 390 minutes.
Extras: a 27 minute “behind-the-scenes” featurette, and 27 minutes of deleted scenes.
Fargo (****1/2)
As TV channel F/X sets to premier its series with the same name and loosely based on this 1996 Coen brothers classic, the original has been remastered for a new Blu-ray edition. Roger Deakins’ glimmering cinematography perfectly captures the bleak Minnesota landscapes, as well as the hapless maneuverings of car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy). He hires two hit men (Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife to finance a hair-brained scheme. But, things go terribly wrong. Frances McDormand nabbed a deserving Best Actress Oscar for her memorable portrayal as Marge, the pregnant police chief on the trail. This hilarious, frightening, and letter-perfect film grows better with every viewing. You betcha’.
Rated R, 98 minutes.
Extras: commentary with Deakins, a 28 minute “making of” featurette with extensive cast and crew interviews, a trivia track, photo gallery and abundant stills, and more.
Black Jack (***) The Cohen Film Collection has rescued for a Blu-ray debut one of the first, rarely seen, films from Scottish treasure Ken Loach. The early rough edges show but so does the director’s budding concern for social justice, even if it is seen in a time and place unusual for Loach. In the Yorkshire district of 1750 England, a lumbering Frenchman, Jack (Jean Franval), escapes hanging by a ruse. He then abducts and joins up with young Tolly (Stephen Hirst) for a series of picaresque adventures. They give shelter to a girl sidetracked on her way to an asylum, join a traveling side-show, and even become involved in a murder. In one of his earlier films, noted cinematographer Chris Menges uses mostly natural light in capturing the filled faces of non-professional actors and the overgrown back roads on which they travel.
Not rated, 102 minutes. The film originally ran 109 minutes, but in his own “director’s cut,” Loach actually made the film shorter.
Extras: six minutes of deleted scenes.
Cavemen (**1/2)
Youth is served in this predictable but erratically funny look at a subset of Los Angeles’ twenty-somethings. Herschel Faber directs from his own script, a wordy effort with dialogue mixing frat-house irreverence with superficial diatribes on love, relationships and the like. Skylar Astin plays Dean, an aspiring screenwriter working as a bartender. And, if needed, he baby-sits his nine year-old nephew for his sister. In between, he spends time with his close group of male friends, free-spirited cavemen who seem to have only one thing on their minds—and it’s not long-term relationships. But Dean is different. Really. He wants true love and not just flings for empty sex. He confides with his best friend Tess (Camilla Belle). Once Tess is introduced, Cavemen follows a fairly formulaic route before drawing to its obvious ending. But before, the energetic characters and the sophomoric humor make this trifle passably entertaining.
Rated R, 87 minutes.
Snake and Mongoose (**)
The rivalry between race car icons Don “The Snake” Prudhomme (Jesse Williams) and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen (Richard Blake) stands at the center of this action drama filled with racing footage. Director Wayne Holloway mixes in archival footage dating back to the 1960s of the duo’s infamous battles.
Rated PG-13, 102 minutes.
Extras: The featurette “Snake and Mongoose: Behind the movie.”
And, finally, for kids this week:
Barney: Happy Birthday Barney!, Thomas and Friends: Railway Mischief, Thomas and Friends: Trouble on the Tracks.
In the three unrated episodes of Barney: Happy Birthday Barney! (65 minutes), the purple one celebrates his birthday with friends and then returns the favor when it is Layla’s big day. The disc also holds two games.
Both of the new, unrated Thomas releases, Thomas and Friends: Railway Mischief (56 minutes) and Thomas and Friends: Trouble on the Tracks (57 minutes), contain five episodes along with games, music videos and puzzles.
The Jungle Book 2 (***)
Following on the heels of the recent Diamond Edition of the original Jungle Book, this 2003 sequel makes its Blu-ray debut, with the new high definition disc giving added vibrancy to the jungle settings. John Goodman voices Baloo the lovable bear, who misses his buddy Mowgli (Haley Joel Osment), who has gone to live in the “man-village.” They reunite for further jungle adventures and are joined by Bagheera (Bob Joles), the not-so-frightening panther. Eventually Mowgli must confront evil Shere Khan (Tony Jay). Mae Whitman voices Shanti, with additional voices by Phil Collins, Jess Harnell, Baron Davis, and others.
Rated G, 72 minutes. Available in downloads, combo packs, and various formats.
Extras: two deleted scenes, a featurette on “The Legacy of The Jungle Book,” sing-along songs, three music videos, and more.
Also on DVD: Black Nativity, Copperhead, The End of Time, Holy Ghost People, The Suspect, Wrong Cops.