The week’s DVDs begin in Rumania:
DVDs and streaming for May 26 by Boo Allen
This week, we begin in Rumania:
So Bright is the View (***)
Brother-directors Joel Levy Florescu and Michael Levy Florescu paint a bleak portrait of their native Bucharest, Rumania in this probing character study. As usual in Rumanian films that reach here, this one has long, indulgent shots with little editing (the opening shot lasts more than ten minutes). The main character, Estera (Bianca Valea), wavers between immigrating to Israel to be with her mother, or to take a job in America if offered, or to stay in her current dead-end position with a computer firm. Her pregnancy and her relationship with her boyfriend, Vlad (Robi Urs), complicate the decision. But the directors give her time to think it out and talk it out, while revealing Estera to be an intelligent, thoughtful person, regardless of her decision.
Not rated, 102 minutes.
Kid Glove Killer (***) The Scorpio Letters (**1/2)
On Demand Warner Archives releases a pair of crime dramas, both notable but for different reasons. Kid Glove Killer (1942, 74 minutes) remains significant today for being the first film from four time Oscar winning director Fred Zinnemann (From Here to Eternity, High Noon, Julia, A Man For All Seasons, The Nun’s Story, The Search, Day of the Jackal). The Austrian immigrant never developed a unique visual style but excelled when examining loners of different stripes. In addition, Zinnemann always qualified as a director who could simply tell a story well, while coaxing fine performances from his cast. This ability resulted in 18 actors garnering Oscar acting nominations under him. Thirty-two year-old Van Heflin starred as Gordon McKay in Kid Glove Killer, playing what would now be called a forensic scientist, or investigator. McKay works in a town with a hidden crime boss who turns out to be his friend Jerry Ladimer (Lee Bowman), an ambitious lawyer bent on using the town’s corruption to his advantage. McKay works with his expert assistant, Mitchell (Marsha Hunt), who falls under Ladimer’s spell while unwittingly working to unmask him. Decently entertaining film distinguished by its pedigree. Once popular Alex Cord starred in The Scorpio Letters (1967, 97 minutes) as Joe Christopher, an American ex-cop who goes undercover in London when hired by a British intelligence agency. They want him to uncover the identity of Scorpio, a clandestine foe who blackmailed a British agent, forcing him to commit suicide. Christopher teams up with another agent, Phoebe Stewart, played by Shirley Eaton, best known today for being the golden body in Goldfinger. Richard Thorpe directed from Victor Canning’s novel, and, while the director doesn’t exactly render a raucous production, the drama unfolds surely and methodically.
Looney Tunes Musical Masterpieces
Eighteen cartoons filled with inspired Looney Tunes lunacy have been packed onto this single disc. In viewing, it reminds how much of the humor found in these Chuck Jones and Fritz Freleng classics depended on music. Included here is the sublime “What’s Opera Doc?” (“Kill the wabbit”), along with the memorable “One Froggy Evening” and “Rabbit of Seville.” The others also offer finely executed animation complemented by jaunty music scores.
Not rated, 133 minutes.
Extras: a featurette on “The Story Behind ‘One Froggy Evening,’” a featurette on the making of “What’s Opera Doc?,” a sing-along, and cartoon music audio.
And, finally, from this week’s TV arrivals:
CPO Sharkey—season one
Before he became America’s favorite curmudgeon, Don Rickles had a legitimate acting career. He appeared in this NBC network comedy that ran for 37 episodes from 1976 to 1978. Rickles, a navy veteran of World War II, played Chief Petty Officer Otto Sharkey, an acerbic seaman in charge of new recruits at the San Diego naval base. The broad laughs are delivered non-stop as Sharkey takes his men through a variety of challenges, many unique to the military. The inclusion of the intrusive laugh-track can be questioned however. The 15 episodes of this initial season come on three discs.
Not rated, 374 minutes.
Extras: a hilarious four minute clip of Johnny Carson leaving the set of his own show and walking down the hall to Rickels’ set and harassing him about a cigarette box he, Rickels, had broken the night before.
Ray Donovan—second season
Liev Schreiber stars as the title character in this Showtime series that has gained its own cult following. In the season’s 12 episodes, on four discs, Ray must deal with the hangover from season one’s misdeeds, such as somehow bringing Mickey (Jon Voight) back from Mexico, juggling an F.B.I. investigation from Cochran (Hank Azaria), and warding off Cookie (Omar Dorsey), who murders one person and wants to kill more, all leading to the season’s explosive finale. At home, Ray’s children hop from one disaster to another, while his wife, Abby (Paula Malcolmson), flirts with an affair. Overall, the body count piles impressively high for Ray, a scary figure who works Los Angeles’ seamier sides for his high profile clients.
Not rated, 636 minutes.
Extras: the fourth disc is devoted to supplements, including an eight minute “making of” featurette, three minutes with Schreiber discussing his role, and two minutes on Voight discussing Mickey. Plus, separate biographies and the first two episodes of three Showtime series: “The Affair,” “Penny Dreadful,” and “Happyish.”
Major Crimes—season three
As one of cable’s most consistently popular series, its seasons, like many cables series, break down into separate seasonal halves. But all of season three’s 19 episodes now arrive intact on four discs. The season has its usual menu of grisly and unsolved murders, but everything works up to Captain Raydor’s now adopted son, Rusty (Graham Patrick Martin), having to testify against master criminal Phillip Stroh (Billy Burke). Before that finale, however, Los Angeles’ Major Crimes Division opens old cases, untangles a terrorism plot, discovers why a teen girl is killed, tracks down a sniper, thwarts a stalker, and faces many other challenges. And of course, personal crises play out, such as the daughter (Torrey DeVitto) of Lt. Flynn (Tony Denison) visiting, Sharon Rydor’s ex-husband (Tom Berenger) causing trouble, and more.
Not rated, 802 minutes.
Extras: two deleted scenes appear on two separate episodes, and a four minute gag reel.
The Wonder Years—season three
In this eventful season of the popular series that ran from 1988 to 1993, Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) has his first kiss but still finds relationships a challenge, particularly with Winnie (Danica McKellar). This season, the Arnolds travel to Ocean City, brother Wayne (Jason Hervey) acts the big shot when he qualifies for a driver’s license, Kevin has trouble in math class but joins the school play, all while the Arnolds enter the 1970s.
Not rated, 520 minutes.
Extras: extended interview with Savage, McKellar, Savage and Josh Saviano, along with four separate interviews. Plus, the “behind-the-scenes” featurette “A Family Affair: At Home With the Arnolds.”
Also on DVD and streaming: Cut Bank, The Loft, Nightlight, Seventh Son.