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Michael Giltz
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Los Lobos , Matt Damon , The Hunger Games , Animation , Disney , Documentaries , Dvds
, Entertainment NewsReact
Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyDVDs: Chimps Rule!
CHIMPANZEE ($39.99 BluRay combo; Disney) -- The political documentary 2016: Obama's America
is a huge hit for a film in its genre. But it's crazy to say it's the top documentary film of the year... except
for nature documentaries. That's the caveat news outlets must make, which is kind of like saying a movieis the top family film of the year... except for animated films. Or the top drama of the year... except forones with vampires. In fact, the top documentary of the year so far is Chimpanzee , the latest in what is
proving an annual event. Every year around Earth Day, Disney releases a new documentary about ourworld. This latest was directed by Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, both of whom can be found onthe credits of some of the best documentaries in history, namely the Blue Planet and Planet Earth TV
shows and their theatrical spinoffs. This one isn't quite up to the level of those, but it's an engaging lookat the life of a little chimpanzee from birth through traumatic events and the possibility of a happyfuture. Parents beware: nature throws our hero Oscar a few Bambi -like curves. It's presented as gently as
possible but is there nonetheless. The very sensitive and the very young might be upset by thoseMOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOST 1 of 2
Mitt Romney To Flood Victim:
'Go Home And Call 211'
Former 'SNL' Star Makes
Shocking Comments About
Rape And Gay Friends
Paul Ryan Admits Marathon
Lie
What's Up With Those
Circular Marks On Curiosity?
Eastwood Misfires
WATCH: Rachel Maddow At A
Loss For Words After Clint
Eastwood's RNC Speech
Celebs React To Eastwood's
Wild SPeech
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Sarah Palin May Be Done At
Fox News: Report
DON'T MISS HUFFPOST BLOGGERS 1 of 5FOLLOW USCelebrity TV Political Hollywood Features Hollywood Buzz Videos
September 1, 2012
Edition: U.S.
FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA CELEBRITY TV COMEDY FOOD STYLE ARTS BOOKS LIVE ALL SECTIONS
Dr. Peggy Drexler Gary Hart
Rep. Dennis Kucinich Kevin MaurerHOT ON THE BLOG
HuffPost Social Reading
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Posted: 08/27/2012 1:57 am
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moments, but the rest will discover a real-life adventure tale told with acute observation. I could have
done without narrator Tim Allen's jokey asides, but they're modest and brief. Those who have seen the
startling beauty of those other films won't be surprised when I say many of the shots -- especially the
opening scene setters -- are so striking I half wondered if they were special effects. James Cameronwould be jealous of the imagery on display. Overall, it is superior family entertainment and deservedlyshould be lauded as the biggest hit documentary film of the year, no matter what political party you'reregistered in.
THE HUNGER GAMES ($39.99 Bluray combo; Lionsgate) -- OK, now fans breathlessly waiting for the
second film installment in the series can watch and rewatch The Hunger Games . Some truths will
emerge. The pageant towards the beginning where the contestants are on display is an embarrassment --Katniss is supposed to be clothed in an outfit that bursts into simulated flames and the special effect is solame (even for a somewhat low budget film tackling such a big tale) that it's literally cringe-inducing. Itlooks like an effect a kid would produce for their home-made YouTube video. It's not a throw-away scenebut a key moment in the "selling" of Katniss to a TV audience that will ultimately have a hand in decidingher fate. It never, ever should have made it to screen in its present form. As a commercial decision, I
would have stuck with director Gary Ross who delivered a massive worldwide hit on a relative dime and
did a great job of finding his stars alongside casting director Debra Zane. However, Ross is much better
at the earlier dramatic scenes. So on an artistic level, the action portion of the film might improve
mightily. Finally, as if there were any question, Team Peeta, all the way.
A SEPARATION ($35.99 BluRay; Sony Pictures Classics) -- This sensational drama was my
introduction to the talents of director Asghar Farhadi. Rightful winner of the Academy Award for BestForeign Film (when will they change the name to Best International Film, by the way?) it's a penetrating,utterly involving drama of life in contemporary Iran. A wife who decides she wants a separation from herhusband begins a cascade of events that include hiring a woman to watch after her husband's elderlyfather and soon one action leads to another and the consequences become more and more dire. It'ssuperlative drama of the highest order and now that I've been able to see two more of Farhadi's films, Iknow it's not a fluke either. He's a world class director. Anyone interested in drama, cinema or just agood family drama should watch this immediately.
Dr. Peggy Drexler
Why It’s Important To Let Your
Child Make Mistakes
Gary Hart
Welcome to the American
Republic, Mr. Eastwood
TOP VIDEO PICKS 1 of 8
MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW 1 of 2
HOT ON TWITTER 1 of 2
HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES
Movies
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Detroit Sports
Karl Rove
Serena
Williams
Barack ObamaWhat Is Gene Simmons Doing
With His Lips
Colin Ferguson Shows Up
At LA Premiere
Spencer Matthews TalksAbout The Bachelor Winner
Khloe
Celebs React To
Eastwood's Wild SPeech
PETA: Rihanna And Lady
Gaga Are 'Freaks'
aol
RetweetIn honor of Labor Day, here are
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http://t.co/XTjvtfGy via @HuffPostTV
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RetweetStaying in this Labor Day
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Georgia
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THE RESCUERS/THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER ($39.99 BluRay combo; Disney)
THE ARISTOCATS ($39.99 BluRay combo; Disney)
POCAHONTAS/POCAHONTAS II ($39.99 BluRay combo; Disney)
THE TIGGER MOVIE ($39.99 BluRay combo; Disney) -- The Rescuers and The Aristocats were made
during the dark days of Disney animation. They are cheaply produced, with flat, static backdrops and the
modest stories are geared strictly at tykes. It's depressing to see movies with the Disney name that haveanimation more appropriate for a cheap Saturday morning cartoon. But that's no excuse for the paucityof imagination on display, especially with fine voice actors like Bob Newhart and the inspired choice ofEva Gabor on tap. Even the Sherman Brothers can't rescue The Aristocats , despite a few decent songs.
Pocahontas is an overshadowed entry from Disney's second golden period (before they were outclassed
by Pixar). It's awfully politically correct but gorgeously animated and proudly embraces a rare downbeatending. It's puzzling and annoying that Disney doesn't allow fans the option to watch the movie with the
duet reinstated for the 10th Anniversary DVD. Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz always wanted it in
and they did it the last time around but now it's relegated to an extra. The movie doesn't become a classic
but it's certainly better without it. Like The Rescuers set, it includes an inferior sequel. Finally there's The
Tigger Movie , a glorified straight to DVD release that ended up being released theatrically and doing
quite well. It falls somewhere in the middle here, not a cheap sad tale but a good proving ground foryoung Disney talent, albeit not so good that it makes you forget how good Disney can truly be. Still, it
was the Sherman Brothers again to the rescue, with some superior songs.
LOS LOBOS KIKO LIVE ($16.98 DVD; Shout)
LOS LOBOS -- KIKO 20TH ANNIVERSARY ($9.99 CD; Shout) -- Los Lobos is a great roots rock
band that threw everyone for a loop with their sonic masterpiece Kiko . Fans and critics still haven't quite
recovered, and though it's a favorite of the cognoscenti, Kiko still hasn't entered the pantheon the way it
deserves. Let's face it, you wouldn't have expected a psychedelic masterpiece from Creedence ClearwaterRevival and you didn't expect this left-field beauty from the ferociously rocking band behind "Will TheWolf Survive?" But, boy is it a great album. It's been 20 years and people need to take a deep breath,listen to this album with fresh ears and realize what a landmark it is, every bit the equal of Wilco'sYankee Hotel Foxtrot, Radiohead's Kid A and other oddball classics. It's lyrical, shimmering, strange,
lovely and haunting. You can rock out to the CD (headphones preferred, thank you very much) or youcan buy the DVD and enjoy a live performance with the album played in its entirety. The band is at the
peak of their powers (though I'd love to see them again today -- they're touring on their own and with
Neil Young & Crazy Horse, which is a terrific double bill). The live DVD isn't edited crazily like so many
concert films and gets the job done. You can watch just the concert or a fuller version along withinterviews and other extras wrapped around the performance. In any format, you'll appreciate anew a
great American band and their greatest album.
HOUSE SEASON EIGHT ($74.98 BluRay; Universal)
THE CLOSER SEVENTH SEASON ($59.98 DVD; Warner Bros.)
GLEE THIRD SEASON ($59.98 DVD; FOX)
MIKE & MOLLY SEASON TWO ($44.98 DVD: Warner Bros.)
MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS SEASON 1 VOLUME 1 ($19.93 DVD; Shout)
REVENGE FIRST SEASON ($45.99 DVD: ABC)
DOCTOR WHO: THE GREATEST SHOW IN THE GALAXY /DOCTOR WHO: SPEARHEAD
FROM SPACE ($24.98 each on DVD; BBC) -- It's hard to know when to say goodbye. House clearly got
it wrong; one season earlier and I think fans and critics would have mourned the show more. As it was,
eight seasons was clearly more than enough, though that doesn't dim Hugh Laurie's fun in creating oneof TV's most indelible pains in the ass. The Closer , however, got it just right, with the show leaving at the
top of its game ratings-wise and Kyra Sedgwick brandishing that crazy Southern accent to great effectright up to the end. Glee can't say goodbye because it has something to prove after a creatively disastrous
season two and a not much better season three. Like clingy parents, they refuse to let go of key charactersafter they graduate and that does not bode well for season four. But here's hoping they get back on track.
(Start by insisting the songs actually have something to do with the scenes at hand, guys!) Mike & Molly
moved a bit beyond the incessant fat jokes to allow Melissa McCarthy to blossom even more as a full-
bodied woman in love. Fans of Power Rangers are ga-ga for the 20th anniversary reunion that's going to
bring together every surviving Power Ranger that they can for the ultimate showdown. Until then, thehardcore fans can begin again where it all started with this economical first half of season one. It
contains 30 episodes and no frills but who needs frills when you've got the MMPRs? The guilty pleasure
of last season deserves a wider audience and this DVD release of Season One of Revenge leaves you no
excuse. Dive in. Finally, I continue to plead for complete boxed sets for each Doctor, but fans will enjoy
these single releases of prior Doctor Who adventures with entire tales and loads (I do mean loads) ofextras. What better way to prep for the new season starting Saturday on BBC America?
GOOD WILL HUNTING ($14.99 BluRay; Miramax/Lionsgate) -- This is a corny sentimental film. But
if it makes you cry, who am I to spoil your pleasure? And it made Oscar-winning stars out of MattDamon and Ben Affleck, both of whom have acquitted themselves very nicely as actors and in Affleck'scase especially as a director. On the other hand, it gave the very talented director Gus Van Sant a dualtrack of intriguing indies and bland studio pictures. But since he uses his Hollywood juice to make flickslike Elephant , at least he's used his power for good. And I still quote the "How do you like them apples?"
line.
THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE NY GIANTS ($26.97 DVD; NFL/Vivendi) -- This is a rerelease
of the 2004 documentary about the Giants, modestly updated to fill in the last eight years. Strictly forfans, though NFL Films always has great footage you've never seen before in their releases. You used tohave to wait for a weekend TV broadcast; now fans can enjoy their access any time.
THE DICTATOR ($39.99 BluRay combo; Paramount)
SPACEBALLS ($19.99 BluRay; MGM)
POST MORTEM ($$29.95 DVD: Kino Lorber) -- What's a comedy? Here are three pretty radically
different responses. Sacha Baron Cohen likes to mix the forms of reality TV when mining his cultural
collisions between Western society and the "foreign," in this case a brutal dictator who is deposed andmust go to work in a health food store. I'm sure he and Mel Brooks would get along mightily, but Brooksis doing a very different sort of comedy with Spaceballs , his spoof of Star Wars and Alien and Indiana
Jones and anything else that comes to mind. He'd rather trade in one top drawer joke for ten cheap onesbecause a laugh is a laugh, right? Young Frankenstein it ain't but time has actually helped this one not
seem so out of step because when it first came out Star Wars seemed to be pretty passe as a target.
Finally, the very (very) different comedy Post Mortem is the second in a trilogy of films looking at Chilethrough a mordant, unexpected lens. It focuses on a man who takes notes during autopsies but is oftendaydreaming about his leftist neighbor. When the government is overthrown, the bodies of hercompatriots begin to dominate his job and the man can't keep political reality at bay any longer. No one,
I think, would like all three of these films. But hearing who likes which two and why would be
fascinating.
MY SON JOHN ($29.95 BluRay; Olive/Paramount)
CAPTAIN CAREY U.S.A. ($29.95 BluRay; Olive/Paramount)
PRIVATE HELL 36 ($29.95 BluRay; Olive/Paramount) -- Another batch of catalog titles from
Paramount rescued and brought to life by Olive Films. My Son John is a relic of the Cold War, with
parents Helen Hayes and Dean Jagger petrified that their eldest is a dirty commie. it's especially notable
for being the final film of Robert Walker, who died during production at the age of 32 years old, onereason at least the film is unsatisfying. Alan Ladd is very satisfying in Captain Carey, in which a WW II
operative returns to his stomping ground in Italy and discovers there are still wrongs to be righted anddeaths to be avenged. Finally, there's the trim noir Private Hell 36 in which two cops keep a stash of
money from a crime and are ridden with guilt. Ida Lupino co-wrote and stars; the more I see of herfascinating career, the more I like her.
*****
Most titles listed here will be available in multiple formats and in multiple combinations, includingDVD, Blu-ray, digital download, video on demand, streaming and the like. The format listed is theformat provided for review, not all the formats available. It is often the most expensive version with themost extras. Do check individual titles for availability in all their various guises and price points.
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Ohio...Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox , a weekly pop culture podcast that
reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinion
makers as guests. It's available for free on iTunes. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog .
Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and alsoavailable for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.
Note : Michael Giltz is provided with free copies of DVDs and Blu-rays with the understanding that he
would be considering them for review. Generally, he does not guarantee to review and he receives far
more titles than he can cover.
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Featuring fresh takes and real-time analysis from
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Michael Giltz
Freelance writerGET UPDATES FROM MICHAEL GILTZ
Read more
Los Lobos , Matt Damon , The Hunger Games , Animation , Disney , Documentaries , Dvds
, Entertainment NewsReact
Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyDVDs: Chimps Rule!
CHIMPANZEE ($39.99 BluRay combo; Disney) -- The political documentary 2016: Obama's America
is a huge hit for a film in its genre. But it's crazy to say it's the top documentary film of the year... except
for nature documentaries. That's the caveat news outlets must make, which is kind of like saying a movieis the top family film of the year... except for animated films. Or the top drama of the year... except forones with vampires. In fact, the top documentary of the year so far is Chimpanzee , the latest in what is
proving an annual event. Every year around Earth Day, Disney releases a new documentary about ourworld. This latest was directed by Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, both of whom can be found onthe credits of some of the best documentaries in history, namely the Blue Planet and Planet Earth TV
shows and their theatrical spinoffs. This one isn't quite up to the level of those, but it's an engaging lookat the life of a little chimpanzee from birth through traumatic events and the possibility of a happyfuture. Parents beware: nature throws our hero Oscar a few Bambi -like curves. It's presented as gently as
possible but is there nonetheless. The very sensitive and the very young might be upset by thoseMOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOST 1 of 2
Mitt Romney To Flood Victim:
'Go Home And Call 211'
Former 'SNL' Star Makes
Shocking Comments About
Rape And Gay Friends
Paul Ryan Admits Marathon
Lie
What's Up With Those
Circular Marks On Curiosity?
Eastwood Misfires
WATCH: Rachel Maddow At A
Loss For Words After Clint
Eastwood's RNC Speech
Celebs React To Eastwood's
Wild SPeech
35 Awesome 'Simpsons' GIFs
Sarah Palin May Be Done At
Fox News: Report
DON'T MISS HUFFPOST BLOGGERS 1 of 5FOLLOW USCelebrity TV Political Hollywood Features Hollywood Buzz Videos
September 1, 2012
Edition: U.S.
FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA CELEBRITY TV COMEDY FOOD STYLE ARTS BOOKS LIVE ALL SECTIONS
Dr. Peggy Drexler Gary Hart
Rep. Dennis Kucinich Kevin MaurerHOT ON THE BLOG
HuffPost Social Reading
Like 107
Posted: 08/27/2012 1:57 am
SHARE THIS STORY
Submit this storyLike 6k
Like 1k
Like 6k
Like 32
Like 4k
Like 2k
Like 201
Like 1k
Like 2kOscars 2013 iPhone app iPad app Android phone app Android tablet app More Log in Create Account
moments, but the rest will discover a real-life adventure tale told with acute observation. I could have
done without narrator Tim Allen's jokey asides, but they're modest and brief. Those who have seen the
startling beauty of those other films won't be surprised when I say many of the shots -- especially the
opening scene setters -- are so striking I half wondered if they were special effects. James Cameronwould be jealous of the imagery on display. Overall, it is superior family entertainment and deservedlyshould be lauded as the biggest hit documentary film of the year, no matter what political party you'reregistered in.
THE HUNGER GAMES ($39.99 Bluray combo; Lionsgate) -- OK, now fans breathlessly waiting for the
second film installment in the series can watch and rewatch The Hunger Games . Some truths will
emerge. The pageant towards the beginning where the contestants are on display is an embarrassment --Katniss is supposed to be clothed in an outfit that bursts into simulated flames and the special effect is solame (even for a somewhat low budget film tackling such a big tale) that it's literally cringe-inducing. Itlooks like an effect a kid would produce for their home-made YouTube video. It's not a throw-away scenebut a key moment in the "selling" of Katniss to a TV audience that will ultimately have a hand in decidingher fate. It never, ever should have made it to screen in its present form. As a commercial decision, I
would have stuck with director Gary Ross who delivered a massive worldwide hit on a relative dime and
did a great job of finding his stars alongside casting director Debra Zane. However, Ross is much better
at the earlier dramatic scenes. So on an artistic level, the action portion of the film might improve
mightily. Finally, as if there were any question, Team Peeta, all the way.
A SEPARATION ($35.99 BluRay; Sony Pictures Classics) -- This sensational drama was my
introduction to the talents of director Asghar Farhadi. Rightful winner of the Academy Award for BestForeign Film (when will they change the name to Best International Film, by the way?) it's a penetrating,utterly involving drama of life in contemporary Iran. A wife who decides she wants a separation from herhusband begins a cascade of events that include hiring a woman to watch after her husband's elderlyfather and soon one action leads to another and the consequences become more and more dire. It'ssuperlative drama of the highest order and now that I've been able to see two more of Farhadi's films, Iknow it's not a fluke either. He's a world class director. Anyone interested in drama, cinema or just agood family drama should watch this immediately.
Dr. Peggy Drexler
Why It’s Important To Let Your
Child Make Mistakes
Gary Hart
Welcome to the American
Republic, Mr. Eastwood
TOP VIDEO PICKS 1 of 8
MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW 1 of 2
HOT ON TWITTER 1 of 2
HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES
Movies
Most Popular
Detroit Sports
Karl Rove
Serena
Williams
Barack ObamaWhat Is Gene Simmons Doing
With His Lips
Colin Ferguson Shows Up
At LA Premiere
Spencer Matthews TalksAbout The Bachelor Winner
Khloe
Celebs React To
Eastwood's Wild SPeech
PETA: Rihanna And Lady
Gaga Are 'Freaks'
aol
RetweetIn honor of Labor Day, here are
some of TV's hardest workers
http://t.co/XTjvtfGy via @HuffPostTV
aol
RetweetStaying in this Labor Day
Weekend? Here's what to watch onTV http://t.co/Ygqtb4U6 via
@HuffPostTV
West Virginia
Iran
Georgia
MORE BIG NEWS PAGES »
THE RESCUERS/THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER ($39.99 BluRay combo; Disney)
THE ARISTOCATS ($39.99 BluRay combo; Disney)
POCAHONTAS/POCAHONTAS II ($39.99 BluRay combo; Disney)
THE TIGGER MOVIE ($39.99 BluRay combo; Disney) -- The Rescuers and The Aristocats were made
during the dark days of Disney animation. They are cheaply produced, with flat, static backdrops and the
modest stories are geared strictly at tykes. It's depressing to see movies with the Disney name that haveanimation more appropriate for a cheap Saturday morning cartoon. But that's no excuse for the paucityof imagination on display, especially with fine voice actors like Bob Newhart and the inspired choice ofEva Gabor on tap. Even the Sherman Brothers can't rescue The Aristocats , despite a few decent songs.
Pocahontas is an overshadowed entry from Disney's second golden period (before they were outclassed
by Pixar). It's awfully politically correct but gorgeously animated and proudly embraces a rare downbeatending. It's puzzling and annoying that Disney doesn't allow fans the option to watch the movie with the
duet reinstated for the 10th Anniversary DVD. Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz always wanted it in
and they did it the last time around but now it's relegated to an extra. The movie doesn't become a classic
but it's certainly better without it. Like The Rescuers set, it includes an inferior sequel. Finally there's The
Tigger Movie , a glorified straight to DVD release that ended up being released theatrically and doing
quite well. It falls somewhere in the middle here, not a cheap sad tale but a good proving ground foryoung Disney talent, albeit not so good that it makes you forget how good Disney can truly be. Still, it
was the Sherman Brothers again to the rescue, with some superior songs.
LOS LOBOS KIKO LIVE ($16.98 DVD; Shout)
LOS LOBOS -- KIKO 20TH ANNIVERSARY ($9.99 CD; Shout) -- Los Lobos is a great roots rock
band that threw everyone for a loop with their sonic masterpiece Kiko . Fans and critics still haven't quite
recovered, and though it's a favorite of the cognoscenti, Kiko still hasn't entered the pantheon the way it
deserves. Let's face it, you wouldn't have expected a psychedelic masterpiece from Creedence ClearwaterRevival and you didn't expect this left-field beauty from the ferociously rocking band behind "Will TheWolf Survive?" But, boy is it a great album. It's been 20 years and people need to take a deep breath,listen to this album with fresh ears and realize what a landmark it is, every bit the equal of Wilco'sYankee Hotel Foxtrot, Radiohead's Kid A and other oddball classics. It's lyrical, shimmering, strange,
lovely and haunting. You can rock out to the CD (headphones preferred, thank you very much) or youcan buy the DVD and enjoy a live performance with the album played in its entirety. The band is at the
peak of their powers (though I'd love to see them again today -- they're touring on their own and with
Neil Young & Crazy Horse, which is a terrific double bill). The live DVD isn't edited crazily like so many
concert films and gets the job done. You can watch just the concert or a fuller version along withinterviews and other extras wrapped around the performance. In any format, you'll appreciate anew a
great American band and their greatest album.
HOUSE SEASON EIGHT ($74.98 BluRay; Universal)
THE CLOSER SEVENTH SEASON ($59.98 DVD; Warner Bros.)
GLEE THIRD SEASON ($59.98 DVD; FOX)
MIKE & MOLLY SEASON TWO ($44.98 DVD: Warner Bros.)
MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS SEASON 1 VOLUME 1 ($19.93 DVD; Shout)
REVENGE FIRST SEASON ($45.99 DVD: ABC)
DOCTOR WHO: THE GREATEST SHOW IN THE GALAXY /DOCTOR WHO: SPEARHEAD
FROM SPACE ($24.98 each on DVD; BBC) -- It's hard to know when to say goodbye. House clearly got
it wrong; one season earlier and I think fans and critics would have mourned the show more. As it was,
eight seasons was clearly more than enough, though that doesn't dim Hugh Laurie's fun in creating oneof TV's most indelible pains in the ass. The Closer , however, got it just right, with the show leaving at the
top of its game ratings-wise and Kyra Sedgwick brandishing that crazy Southern accent to great effectright up to the end. Glee can't say goodbye because it has something to prove after a creatively disastrous
season two and a not much better season three. Like clingy parents, they refuse to let go of key charactersafter they graduate and that does not bode well for season four. But here's hoping they get back on track.
(Start by insisting the songs actually have something to do with the scenes at hand, guys!) Mike & Molly
moved a bit beyond the incessant fat jokes to allow Melissa McCarthy to blossom even more as a full-
bodied woman in love. Fans of Power Rangers are ga-ga for the 20th anniversary reunion that's going to
bring together every surviving Power Ranger that they can for the ultimate showdown. Until then, thehardcore fans can begin again where it all started with this economical first half of season one. It
contains 30 episodes and no frills but who needs frills when you've got the MMPRs? The guilty pleasure
of last season deserves a wider audience and this DVD release of Season One of Revenge leaves you no
excuse. Dive in. Finally, I continue to plead for complete boxed sets for each Doctor, but fans will enjoy
these single releases of prior Doctor Who adventures with entire tales and loads (I do mean loads) ofextras. What better way to prep for the new season starting Saturday on BBC America?
GOOD WILL HUNTING ($14.99 BluRay; Miramax/Lionsgate) -- This is a corny sentimental film. But
if it makes you cry, who am I to spoil your pleasure? And it made Oscar-winning stars out of MattDamon and Ben Affleck, both of whom have acquitted themselves very nicely as actors and in Affleck'scase especially as a director. On the other hand, it gave the very talented director Gus Van Sant a dualtrack of intriguing indies and bland studio pictures. But since he uses his Hollywood juice to make flickslike Elephant , at least he's used his power for good. And I still quote the "How do you like them apples?"
line.
THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE NY GIANTS ($26.97 DVD; NFL/Vivendi) -- This is a rerelease
of the 2004 documentary about the Giants, modestly updated to fill in the last eight years. Strictly forfans, though NFL Films always has great footage you've never seen before in their releases. You used tohave to wait for a weekend TV broadcast; now fans can enjoy their access any time.
THE DICTATOR ($39.99 BluRay combo; Paramount)
SPACEBALLS ($19.99 BluRay; MGM)
POST MORTEM ($$29.95 DVD: Kino Lorber) -- What's a comedy? Here are three pretty radically
different responses. Sacha Baron Cohen likes to mix the forms of reality TV when mining his cultural
collisions between Western society and the "foreign," in this case a brutal dictator who is deposed andmust go to work in a health food store. I'm sure he and Mel Brooks would get along mightily, but Brooksis doing a very different sort of comedy with Spaceballs , his spoof of Star Wars and Alien and Indiana
Jones and anything else that comes to mind. He'd rather trade in one top drawer joke for ten cheap onesbecause a laugh is a laugh, right? Young Frankenstein it ain't but time has actually helped this one not
seem so out of step because when it first came out Star Wars seemed to be pretty passe as a target.
Finally, the very (very) different comedy Post Mortem is the second in a trilogy of films looking at Chilethrough a mordant, unexpected lens. It focuses on a man who takes notes during autopsies but is oftendaydreaming about his leftist neighbor. When the government is overthrown, the bodies of hercompatriots begin to dominate his job and the man can't keep political reality at bay any longer. No one,
I think, would like all three of these films. But hearing who likes which two and why would be
fascinating.
MY SON JOHN ($29.95 BluRay; Olive/Paramount)
CAPTAIN CAREY U.S.A. ($29.95 BluRay; Olive/Paramount)
PRIVATE HELL 36 ($29.95 BluRay; Olive/Paramount) -- Another batch of catalog titles from
Paramount rescued and brought to life by Olive Films. My Son John is a relic of the Cold War, with
parents Helen Hayes and Dean Jagger petrified that their eldest is a dirty commie. it's especially notable
for being the final film of Robert Walker, who died during production at the age of 32 years old, onereason at least the film is unsatisfying. Alan Ladd is very satisfying in Captain Carey, in which a WW II
operative returns to his stomping ground in Italy and discovers there are still wrongs to be righted anddeaths to be avenged. Finally, there's the trim noir Private Hell 36 in which two cops keep a stash of
money from a crime and are ridden with guilt. Ida Lupino co-wrote and stars; the more I see of herfascinating career, the more I like her.
*****
Most titles listed here will be available in multiple formats and in multiple combinations, includingDVD, Blu-ray, digital download, video on demand, streaming and the like. The format listed is theformat provided for review, not all the formats available. It is often the most expensive version with themost extras. Do check individual titles for availability in all their various guises and price points.
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Ohio...Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox , a weekly pop culture podcast that
reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinion
makers as guests. It's available for free on iTunes. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog .
Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and alsoavailable for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.
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