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ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRITY MEDIA COMEDY MUSIC TV CELEBRITY KIDS MOVIEFONE
Michael Giltz
Freelance writerGET UPDATES FROM MICHAEL GILTZ
Follow
Movies , TV Shows , Terrence Malick , Dvds , Entertainment News
1 93 0 3React
Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyDVDs: Malick's Latest Triumph Is
Also One For Brad Pitt
FOLLOW US
Funny
Thanksgiving
QuotesTurkey Day Parade
Michele's Makeup
MistakesObama Girls Are
Grown Up!EDITION: U.S.
November 24, 2011
Like 63
Posted: 10/16/11 02:39 AM ET
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FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT TECH MEDIA LIFE & STYLE CULTURE COMEDY HEALTHY LIVING WOMEN LOCAL MORELike 51KRihanna Movies Television The Oscars Armchair Detective More Log in
THE TREE OF LIFE ($39.99 BluRay DVD combo; FOX)
PLANET EARTH SPECIAL EDITION ($79.98 BluRay; BBC Earth) -- What a remarkable second act
director Terrence Malick has had. He made two truly great films in the 1970s and then disappeared for20 years. In 1998, he returned with The Thin Red Line and now he seems to be making movies better and
faster than ever. The New World came out in 2005 (the extended cut is a glory) and now The Tree Of Life
has garnered even more acclaim, with yet another film already in post-production and still another readyto go. As poetic and ambitious as ever, his Tree Of Life focuses mainly on a family in Texas during the
1950s. But it also goes back to the dawn of life on earth through the dinosaurs and into the afterlife. BradPitt gives the most restrained and focused performance of his career as a father who expects a discipline
from his children that only stifles their love. He's also frustrated in a career filled with setbacks and
diminished hopes. Above all, the film captures the sense of joy from children at play better than anyother movie. Have backyards and side streets ever seemed so wide open and dangerous and exciting?
Malick captures the beauty of life around us with such vivid ease, it's almost surprising he didn't turn into
a nature documentary filmmaker. You'll have to go to the films of Alastair Fothergill for similar show-stopping beauty. Planet Earth gets an eye-popping special edition on BluRay. It contains seven hours of
new features that almost double the length of the program. It and Blue Planet are the gold standard of
nature films; even Malick might be impressed by them.
MOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOST 1 of 2
Fox News Viewers Know Less
Than People Who Watch No
News: Study
Loyal Dog Refuses To Leave
Owner's Grave, Goes Week
Without Food
Charlie Angus What if They
Declared an Emergency and
No One Came?
Kris Humphries: Husband
From Hell?
Kirstie Alley Looking Good
Bourbon Distillery To Obama:
'Give Us The Bird'
Jenny From The Block's Fiat
Commercial A Sham
Justin Takes Paternity Test,
Then Serenades Selena
Jack Wagner Confronted By
Long Lost Daughter
DON'T MISS HUFFPOST BLOGGERS 1 of 5
Dr. Peggy Drexler
We Can Be Thankful for Each
Other
Dylan Ratigan
This Thanksgiving, Occupy
Yourself
Like 310K
Like 39K
Like 41K
Recommend 749
Like 192
Like 162
Like 3K
Recommend 597
Like 183
'G.I. Joe' Sequel Crew
Member Dies On Set
Jennifer Lopez's Love
For Bodysuits (Photos)
Cameron Crowe
Reveals How HeSeduced Matt Damon
TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON ($44.99 BluRay combo or $29.99 DVD; Paramount)
FAST FIVE ($34.98 BluRay combo or $29.98 DVD; Universal) -- You're gonna want the BluRay version
of T: DOTM so you can be as overwhelmed with the picture and sound as humanly possible. You
certainly don't want to focus on the plot or the characters or the dizzying and confusing action set pieces,
each more ludicrous and silly than the last. It's very very noisy and bad, but you keep going so they'll keep
making 'em. This has zero special features, so if you need the audio commentary, making-of docs and the
like, rent this and wait for the special editions that will presumably come out down the road. Strangely,Fast Five is just as stupid and loud and silly but somehow I didn't mind it nearly as much. If Paul Walker
and Vin Diesel ever say "no" to this franchise again, they are the dumbest men on earth.
THE HOUR ($39.98 BluRay or $34.98 DVD; BBC) -- What a marvelous setting for a TV show! This
BBC six-part drama is set in 1956 and follows a path-breaking news team as they fight the hideboundcorporate structure to launch a bold, 60 Minutes style show. It's smart, well written and exceptionally
well cast. Ben Whishaw is a marvelous stage actor who proves very appealing here. It's great fun to seeThe Wire's Dominic West speak with his native British accent and prove so sexy and commanding. A
genuine find is Romola Garai as the smart, beautiful woman who is named the show runner only because
higher ups wrongly imagined she would be easy to control. So the show had everything it needed.
Unfortunately, they added an utterly extraneous and unnecessary mystery with suicides, murder, spies,communists, and the like that becomes the obsession of Whishaw. Happily it ends in a satisfying, not toograndiose manner but the show would have been much better without it. Here's hoping season two lets
the show find all its suspense in delivering the news.TOP VIDEO PICKS 1 of 9
MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW 1of 2More Entertainment News at THR.com
More Celebrity News at People.comFor 'We Bought A Zoo';
Names His 5 FavoriteMovies
Miss Piggy KeepsPaparazzi at Bay byTossing Cupcakes
READ MORE
Melanie Amaro Reveals Her'True Self' on X Factor
READ MORE
Tiffani Thiessen: We Have'Built In' Babysitters
READ MORE
Justin Bieber Rocks Rockefeller
Plaza With Usher
Lady Gaga Closes the Show
on 'I Heart Radio'
Kim Kardashian and CelebsFeed Homeless
The Greatest Guitar Player
THE PEE-WEE HERMAN SHOW ON BROADWAY ($24.98 BluRay or $19.98 DVD; Image)
PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE ($19.98 BluRay; Warner Bros.) -- Seeing Pee-wee Herman's TV show
brought to life on Broadway was a trippy, goofy-grin treat and the pleasure the audience felt comes
across in this live film documenting it. It contains some nice updates, but a good chunk of this is drawnfrom that very first HBO special that launched Pee-wee into the movies and ultimately Saturday morning
stardom. So treat it like an old friend you haven't seen in a while. Sure, he repeats some of the same
stories but it's great to see him and hear those jokes one more time. But the peak for Pee-wee (at least tome) remains his very first (and bestest) feature film Pee-wee's Big Adventure . He never did anything
better and neither has director Tim Burton. It's out now on BluRay and just as winningly silly as ever.
Some people resist his charms, but I don't know how.
ORPHEUS ($39.95 BluRay or $29.95 DVD; Criterion) My movie friends in the IRAs (an annual
gathering that votes on the best films of the year) are preparing for their once a decade vote on the bestfilms of all time. This movie by Jean Cocteau popped up on a number of preliminary lists, when I might
have expected his Beauty and the Beast. So the timing of this release couldn't be better, giving me aHOT ON FACEBOOK 1 of 3
HOT ON TWITTER 1of 2
HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES
Holidays
Andrew
Lansley
Android Buy a link here Sponsored Links
57-Year-Old Mom Looks 25
Her clever $6 Wrinkle Therapy Angers Botox Doctors.
www.iconsumerknowledge.com
New Trick in TENNESSEE
If you drive 25 mi/day or less you better read this...
Insurance.Comparisons.org
Help feed a local senior
This holiday season donate $10 to feed a senior in
your community.
www.givelocal.drivetoendhunger.org
Of All Time Revealed!
Robert Wagner: Murder
Suspect On TV Tonight
The Smartest Show On TV
Proves It With Secret
Scene
Like 946
A 'Pete & Pete' Reunion!
Cast And Creators
Reunite For The First Time
Like 5K
theellenshow
RetweetI'm so thankful for @MarloThomas
and Jennifer Aniston and the
incredible work they do for children.You can help them. http://t.co/8e6dE
micaelsilva
RetweetFox News Viewers Know Less ThanPeople Who Don't Watch Any
News: Study http://t.co/QL8AVm9x
chance to see this retelling of the myth about Orpheus heading to the underworld to win back his love
Eurydice in Cocteau's haunting, dreamlike style. Needless to say, Criterion's BluRay print of this 1950
film is beautiful and filled with extras like a feature length documentary about Cocteau, a 40 minute chat
with the director from 1957 and much more. I saw composer Philip Glass's multi-media spin on this tale
(a chamber opera of sorts including much dance) and enough time has passed to let me meet it on its
own terms.
CIRCO ($27.95; First Run Features)
BUCK ($24.98; Sundance Selects/MPI) -- Circo is a treat that hopefully more people will discover on
DVD. It has an engaging story about the fading tradition of family-run circuses in Mexico. Director/DPAaron Schock follows the Ponce family and their Gran Circo Mexico from town to town as they struggleto make a living, with the strain on the ringmaster and his wife growing steadily. Their children are alittle wistful about the easy life of other kids who just go to school and play, but the circus is clearly in
their blood. Some relatives try to leave but they're so used to the gypsy life that they inevitably come
back. All you really need is a good subject to make a watchable documentary, but Circo has much more.
Schock has a marvelous eye and creates numerous memorable and unexpected images, aidedimmeasurably by editor Mark Becker and a marvelously subtle and empathetic score by two members of
the band Calexico. It's certainly one of the best documentaries of the year. Buck received a lot more
attention thanks to the remarkable story of horse whisperer Buck Brannaman, who was also a performer
as a child. His father was viciously cruel and beat his son, but Buck overcame that to become one of the
most in-demand horse trainers around, able to emotionally connect with damaged and out of control
animals and help them and their owners work together. It was a genuine word of mouth hit. But all it hasgoing for it is Buck's story. As a film, it merely gets the job done. Buck himself makes it worth a look. Butthe filmmaking talent behind Circo makes that movie worth a second and third look.
X Factor
Ed Miliband
eurozone crisis
Breast Cancer
Immigration
Christmas
MORE BIG NEWS PAGES »
GREEN LANTERN EXTENDED CUT ($34.99 BluRay combo or $28.98 DVD; Warner Bros.) -- If you
didn't like Green Lantern, don't worry -- there's even more of it on this BluRay edition. I do wish slapped
together extended cuts weren't so common now. But it's great to see a set like this make both the
extended cut and the theatrical version available in one set so fans don't have to choose. If you did think
Ryan Reynolds embodied Hal Jordan, you'll want to dive into the copious extras running some two
hours.
CUL-DE-SAC ($29.95; Criterion) -- With director Roman Polanski poised for more commercial success
with his new movie Carnage , it's a good time to explore this almost forgotten part of his filmography. In
1966, Polanski delivered this psychologically tricky tale of an unhappy, isolated couple (Donald Pleasance
and Francoise Dorleac) whose home is invaded by rough gangster Lionel Stander. Perverse games of one-up-manship ensue. It appeared right in the middle of films like Knife In the Water and Repulsion
(before) and Rosemary's Baby and Chinatown (after), so it's no wonder this movie has been
overshadowed. But it deserves reappraisal. This DVD will help and includes a feature lengthdocumentary from 2003 and a 1967 TV interview with Polanski.
SUBMARINE ($39.98 BluRay or $29.98 DVD; Anchor Bay)
THE TRIP ($24.98; IFC)
HORRIBLE BOSSES ($35.99 BluRay combo or $$28.98; New Line)
TERRI ($29.98 BluRay or $22.98; FOX) -- Here are four flawed movies of interest for one reason or
another. Based on a novel, Submarine has a strong visual style. Though the film has more tricks than
GoodFellas in telling its tale, the movie is quite faithful to the book while avoiding the more arch
moments in favor of genuine emotion. It ends in a lovely manner and would have been even better if it
wasn't so clear when characters were being "eccentric." The Trip is a two hour film edited down from six
half hour episodes that aired on British TV. You could write a dissertation on why a movie that is one
hour shorter than the TV series it came from actually feels longer. Still Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon
deliver some wicked impersonations and we'll just have to make do until the series comes out. HorribleBosses is a tiresome high concept comedy about offing your boss but Jennifer Anniston has a funny bit
and I always want Jason Bateman to succeed, even when he shows bad taste. Finally, Terri is a quirky
Sundance comedy, the sort that gets good attention there but disappears when released theatrically. ButJohn C. Reilly is invariably appealing in a sad sack way and you can't argue with a movie rooting for
misfits. Too bad it's a misfit as well.
SCREAM 4 ($39.99 BluRay or $29.98 DVD; Anchor Bay) -- Was there any reason to make this? No
there was not. Still, there is some delicious irony in the fact that a film based on knowingly mocking
horror movie conventions spawned a series just as predictable and formulaic as all the rest. More's the
pity.
CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST COMPLETE COLLECTION ($29.93; Shout) -- As a child, I
instinctively shied away from Casper. Harvey comics were "kiddie-ish" and uncool and Casper was far
too wimpy and nice and...well...friendly. Even the mean and scary ghosts in his cartoons weren't that
scary. Sometimes as an adult the impressions you had as a child are completely overturned. Not here.Casper is still rather dull and tiresome to me, right along with Richie Rich (who I did like as a child) and
other milquetoast heroes. But this set does an admirable job of collecting virtually all the Casper
cartoons, both the theatrical shorts and the 1963 TV series, along with solid extras and a nice booklet. Ifyou have fond memories of Casper, this does them justice.
'G.I. Joe' Crew
Member Died In
On-Set...
Lily Collins
Auditioned For
Kristen Stewart's
'Snow...
Katy Perry To Star
In 'My Week...
Sarah Silverman
Comedy Picked Up
By NBC
STRIKE ($29.95; Kino)
THE CIGARETTE GIRL OF MOSSELPROM ($29.95; Kino) -- Strike from 1925 is exactly what you
expect from Soviet cinema -- socially conscious, workers of the world unite-ish and visually bold. Sergei
Eisenstein's first movie is certainly that and it's a worthy companion piece to his even more electrifying
Battleship Potemkin. On a visual level, it's tremendous. Remember! As for The Cigarette Girl From
Mosselprom , it's exactly what you don't expect from Soviet cinema -- a light comedy. It's not a revelation,
but it's pleasant and a fun peek at life in Moscow. Our heroine is being courted by a cameraman, a nutty
accountant and an American capitalist. The capitalist doesn't stand a chance. And if SCTV never used
that title for a skit, they should have.
Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the co-host 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 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 also
available 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 to consider for review. He typically does not
guarantee coverage and invariably receives far more screeners and DVDs than he can cover eachweek.
Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz
Buy a link here Sponsored Links
57-Year-Old Mom Looks 25
Her clever $6 Wrinkle Therapy Angers Botox Doctors.
www.iconsumerknowledge.com
New Trick in TENNESSEE
If you drive 25 mi/day or less you better read this...
Insurance.Comparisons.org
Help feed a local senior
This holiday season donate $10 to feed a senior in your community.
www.givelocal.drivetoendhunger.org
Travel Guard© Insurance
20+ Years of Travel Experience! Coverage Starting at $30.
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ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRITY MEDIA COMEDY MUSIC TV CELEBRITY KIDS MOVIEFONE
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FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT TECH MEDIA LIFE & STYLE CULTURE COMEDY HEALTHY LIVING WOMEN LOCAL MORE
Michael Giltz
Freelance writerGET UPDATES FROM MICHAEL GILTZ
Follow
Movies , TV Shows , Terrence Malick , Dvds , Entertainment News
1 93 0 3React
Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyDVDs: Malick's Latest Triumph Is
Also One For Brad Pitt
FOLLOW US
Funny
Thanksgiving
QuotesTurkey Day Parade
Michele's Makeup
MistakesObama Girls Are
Grown Up!EDITION: U.S.
November 24, 2011
Like 63
Posted: 10/16/11 02:39 AM ET
SHARE THIS STORY
Submit this storyGet Entertainment Alerts
Sign UpPHOTO GALLERIESCONNECT
FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT TECH MEDIA LIFE & STYLE CULTURE COMEDY HEALTHY LIVING WOMEN LOCAL MORELike 51KRihanna Movies Television The Oscars Armchair Detective More Log in
THE TREE OF LIFE ($39.99 BluRay DVD combo; FOX)
PLANET EARTH SPECIAL EDITION ($79.98 BluRay; BBC Earth) -- What a remarkable second act
director Terrence Malick has had. He made two truly great films in the 1970s and then disappeared for20 years. In 1998, he returned with The Thin Red Line and now he seems to be making movies better and
faster than ever. The New World came out in 2005 (the extended cut is a glory) and now The Tree Of Life
has garnered even more acclaim, with yet another film already in post-production and still another readyto go. As poetic and ambitious as ever, his Tree Of Life focuses mainly on a family in Texas during the
1950s. But it also goes back to the dawn of life on earth through the dinosaurs and into the afterlife. BradPitt gives the most restrained and focused performance of his career as a father who expects a discipline
from his children that only stifles their love. He's also frustrated in a career filled with setbacks and
diminished hopes. Above all, the film captures the sense of joy from children at play better than anyother movie. Have backyards and side streets ever seemed so wide open and dangerous and exciting?
Malick captures the beauty of life around us with such vivid ease, it's almost surprising he didn't turn into
a nature documentary filmmaker. You'll have to go to the films of Alastair Fothergill for similar show-stopping beauty. Planet Earth gets an eye-popping special edition on BluRay. It contains seven hours of
new features that almost double the length of the program. It and Blue Planet are the gold standard of
nature films; even Malick might be impressed by them.
MOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOST 1 of 2
Fox News Viewers Know Less
Than People Who Watch No
News: Study
Loyal Dog Refuses To Leave
Owner's Grave, Goes Week
Without Food
Charlie Angus What if They
Declared an Emergency and
No One Came?
Kris Humphries: Husband
From Hell?
Kirstie Alley Looking Good
Bourbon Distillery To Obama:
'Give Us The Bird'
Jenny From The Block's Fiat
Commercial A Sham
Justin Takes Paternity Test,
Then Serenades Selena
Jack Wagner Confronted By
Long Lost Daughter
DON'T MISS HUFFPOST BLOGGERS 1 of 5
Dr. Peggy Drexler
We Can Be Thankful for Each
Other
Dylan Ratigan
This Thanksgiving, Occupy
Yourself
Like 310K
Like 39K
Like 41K
Recommend 749
Like 192
Like 162
Like 3K
Recommend 597
Like 183
'G.I. Joe' Sequel Crew
Member Dies On Set
Jennifer Lopez's Love
For Bodysuits (Photos)
Cameron Crowe
Reveals How HeSeduced Matt Damon
TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON ($44.99 BluRay combo or $29.99 DVD; Paramount)
FAST FIVE ($34.98 BluRay combo or $29.98 DVD; Universal) -- You're gonna want the BluRay version
of T: DOTM so you can be as overwhelmed with the picture and sound as humanly possible. You
certainly don't want to focus on the plot or the characters or the dizzying and confusing action set pieces,
each more ludicrous and silly than the last. It's very very noisy and bad, but you keep going so they'll keep
making 'em. This has zero special features, so if you need the audio commentary, making-of docs and the
like, rent this and wait for the special editions that will presumably come out down the road. Strangely,Fast Five is just as stupid and loud and silly but somehow I didn't mind it nearly as much. If Paul Walker
and Vin Diesel ever say "no" to this franchise again, they are the dumbest men on earth.
THE HOUR ($39.98 BluRay or $34.98 DVD; BBC) -- What a marvelous setting for a TV show! This
BBC six-part drama is set in 1956 and follows a path-breaking news team as they fight the hideboundcorporate structure to launch a bold, 60 Minutes style show. It's smart, well written and exceptionally
well cast. Ben Whishaw is a marvelous stage actor who proves very appealing here. It's great fun to seeThe Wire's Dominic West speak with his native British accent and prove so sexy and commanding. A
genuine find is Romola Garai as the smart, beautiful woman who is named the show runner only because
higher ups wrongly imagined she would be easy to control. So the show had everything it needed.
Unfortunately, they added an utterly extraneous and unnecessary mystery with suicides, murder, spies,communists, and the like that becomes the obsession of Whishaw. Happily it ends in a satisfying, not toograndiose manner but the show would have been much better without it. Here's hoping season two lets
the show find all its suspense in delivering the news.TOP VIDEO PICKS 1 of 9
MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW 1of 2More Entertainment News at THR.com
More Celebrity News at People.comFor 'We Bought A Zoo';
Names His 5 FavoriteMovies
Miss Piggy KeepsPaparazzi at Bay byTossing Cupcakes
READ MORE
Melanie Amaro Reveals Her'True Self' on X Factor
READ MORE
Tiffani Thiessen: We Have'Built In' Babysitters
READ MORE
Justin Bieber Rocks Rockefeller
Plaza With Usher
Lady Gaga Closes the Show
on 'I Heart Radio'
Kim Kardashian and CelebsFeed Homeless
The Greatest Guitar Player
THE PEE-WEE HERMAN SHOW ON BROADWAY ($24.98 BluRay or $19.98 DVD; Image)
PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE ($19.98 BluRay; Warner Bros.) -- Seeing Pee-wee Herman's TV show
brought to life on Broadway was a trippy, goofy-grin treat and the pleasure the audience felt comes
across in this live film documenting it. It contains some nice updates, but a good chunk of this is drawnfrom that very first HBO special that launched Pee-wee into the movies and ultimately Saturday morning
stardom. So treat it like an old friend you haven't seen in a while. Sure, he repeats some of the same
stories but it's great to see him and hear those jokes one more time. But the peak for Pee-wee (at least tome) remains his very first (and bestest) feature film Pee-wee's Big Adventure . He never did anything
better and neither has director Tim Burton. It's out now on BluRay and just as winningly silly as ever.
Some people resist his charms, but I don't know how.
ORPHEUS ($39.95 BluRay or $29.95 DVD; Criterion) My movie friends in the IRAs (an annual
gathering that votes on the best films of the year) are preparing for their once a decade vote on the bestfilms of all time. This movie by Jean Cocteau popped up on a number of preliminary lists, when I might
have expected his Beauty and the Beast. So the timing of this release couldn't be better, giving me aHOT ON FACEBOOK 1 of 3
HOT ON TWITTER 1of 2
HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES
Holidays
Andrew
Lansley
Android Buy a link here Sponsored Links
57-Year-Old Mom Looks 25
Her clever $6 Wrinkle Therapy Angers Botox Doctors.
www.iconsumerknowledge.com
New Trick in TENNESSEE
If you drive 25 mi/day or less you better read this...
Insurance.Comparisons.org
Help feed a local senior
This holiday season donate $10 to feed a senior in
your community.
www.givelocal.drivetoendhunger.org
Of All Time Revealed!
Robert Wagner: Murder
Suspect On TV Tonight
The Smartest Show On TV
Proves It With Secret
Scene
Like 946
A 'Pete & Pete' Reunion!
Cast And Creators
Reunite For The First Time
Like 5K
theellenshow
RetweetI'm so thankful for @MarloThomas
and Jennifer Aniston and the
incredible work they do for children.You can help them. http://t.co/8e6dE
micaelsilva
RetweetFox News Viewers Know Less ThanPeople Who Don't Watch Any
News: Study http://t.co/QL8AVm9x
chance to see this retelling of the myth about Orpheus heading to the underworld to win back his love
Eurydice in Cocteau's haunting, dreamlike style. Needless to say, Criterion's BluRay print of this 1950
film is beautiful and filled with extras like a feature length documentary about Cocteau, a 40 minute chat
with the director from 1957 and much more. I saw composer Philip Glass's multi-media spin on this tale
(a chamber opera of sorts including much dance) and enough time has passed to let me meet it on its
own terms.
CIRCO ($27.95; First Run Features)
BUCK ($24.98; Sundance Selects/MPI) -- Circo is a treat that hopefully more people will discover on
DVD. It has an engaging story about the fading tradition of family-run circuses in Mexico. Director/DPAaron Schock follows the Ponce family and their Gran Circo Mexico from town to town as they struggleto make a living, with the strain on the ringmaster and his wife growing steadily. Their children are alittle wistful about the easy life of other kids who just go to school and play, but the circus is clearly in
their blood. Some relatives try to leave but they're so used to the gypsy life that they inevitably come
back. All you really need is a good subject to make a watchable documentary, but Circo has much more.
Schock has a marvelous eye and creates numerous memorable and unexpected images, aidedimmeasurably by editor Mark Becker and a marvelously subtle and empathetic score by two members of
the band Calexico. It's certainly one of the best documentaries of the year. Buck received a lot more
attention thanks to the remarkable story of horse whisperer Buck Brannaman, who was also a performer
as a child. His father was viciously cruel and beat his son, but Buck overcame that to become one of the
most in-demand horse trainers around, able to emotionally connect with damaged and out of control
animals and help them and their owners work together. It was a genuine word of mouth hit. But all it hasgoing for it is Buck's story. As a film, it merely gets the job done. Buck himself makes it worth a look. Butthe filmmaking talent behind Circo makes that movie worth a second and third look.
X Factor
Ed Miliband
eurozone crisis
Breast Cancer
Immigration
Christmas
MORE BIG NEWS PAGES »
GREEN LANTERN EXTENDED CUT ($34.99 BluRay combo or $28.98 DVD; Warner Bros.) -- If you
didn't like Green Lantern, don't worry -- there's even more of it on this BluRay edition. I do wish slapped
together extended cuts weren't so common now. But it's great to see a set like this make both the
extended cut and the theatrical version available in one set so fans don't have to choose. If you did think
Ryan Reynolds embodied Hal Jordan, you'll want to dive into the copious extras running some two
hours.
CUL-DE-SAC ($29.95; Criterion) -- With director Roman Polanski poised for more commercial success
with his new movie Carnage , it's a good time to explore this almost forgotten part of his filmography. In
1966, Polanski delivered this psychologically tricky tale of an unhappy, isolated couple (Donald Pleasance
and Francoise Dorleac) whose home is invaded by rough gangster Lionel Stander. Perverse games of one-up-manship ensue. It appeared right in the middle of films like Knife In the Water and Repulsion
(before) and Rosemary's Baby and Chinatown (after), so it's no wonder this movie has been
overshadowed. But it deserves reappraisal. This DVD will help and includes a feature lengthdocumentary from 2003 and a 1967 TV interview with Polanski.
SUBMARINE ($39.98 BluRay or $29.98 DVD; Anchor Bay)
THE TRIP ($24.98; IFC)
HORRIBLE BOSSES ($35.99 BluRay combo or $$28.98; New Line)
TERRI ($29.98 BluRay or $22.98; FOX) -- Here are four flawed movies of interest for one reason or
another. Based on a novel, Submarine has a strong visual style. Though the film has more tricks than
GoodFellas in telling its tale, the movie is quite faithful to the book while avoiding the more arch
moments in favor of genuine emotion. It ends in a lovely manner and would have been even better if it
wasn't so clear when characters were being "eccentric." The Trip is a two hour film edited down from six
half hour episodes that aired on British TV. You could write a dissertation on why a movie that is one
hour shorter than the TV series it came from actually feels longer. Still Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon
deliver some wicked impersonations and we'll just have to make do until the series comes out. HorribleBosses is a tiresome high concept comedy about offing your boss but Jennifer Anniston has a funny bit
and I always want Jason Bateman to succeed, even when he shows bad taste. Finally, Terri is a quirky
Sundance comedy, the sort that gets good attention there but disappears when released theatrically. ButJohn C. Reilly is invariably appealing in a sad sack way and you can't argue with a movie rooting for
misfits. Too bad it's a misfit as well.
SCREAM 4 ($39.99 BluRay or $29.98 DVD; Anchor Bay) -- Was there any reason to make this? No
there was not. Still, there is some delicious irony in the fact that a film based on knowingly mocking
horror movie conventions spawned a series just as predictable and formulaic as all the rest. More's the
pity.
CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST COMPLETE COLLECTION ($29.93; Shout) -- As a child, I
instinctively shied away from Casper. Harvey comics were "kiddie-ish" and uncool and Casper was far
too wimpy and nice and...well...friendly. Even the mean and scary ghosts in his cartoons weren't that
scary. Sometimes as an adult the impressions you had as a child are completely overturned. Not here.Casper is still rather dull and tiresome to me, right along with Richie Rich (who I did like as a child) and
other milquetoast heroes. But this set does an admirable job of collecting virtually all the Casper
cartoons, both the theatrical shorts and the 1963 TV series, along with solid extras and a nice booklet. Ifyou have fond memories of Casper, this does them justice.
'G.I. Joe' Crew
Member Died In
On-Set...
Lily Collins
Auditioned For
Kristen Stewart's
'Snow...
Katy Perry To Star
In 'My Week...
Sarah Silverman
Comedy Picked Up
By NBC
STRIKE ($29.95; Kino)
THE CIGARETTE GIRL OF MOSSELPROM ($29.95; Kino) -- Strike from 1925 is exactly what you
expect from Soviet cinema -- socially conscious, workers of the world unite-ish and visually bold. Sergei
Eisenstein's first movie is certainly that and it's a worthy companion piece to his even more electrifying
Battleship Potemkin. On a visual level, it's tremendous. Remember! As for The Cigarette Girl From
Mosselprom , it's exactly what you don't expect from Soviet cinema -- a light comedy. It's not a revelation,
but it's pleasant and a fun peek at life in Moscow. Our heroine is being courted by a cameraman, a nutty
accountant and an American capitalist. The capitalist doesn't stand a chance. And if SCTV never used
that title for a skit, they should have.
Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the co-host 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 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 also
available 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 to consider for review. He typically does not
guarantee coverage and invariably receives far more screeners and DVDs than he can cover eachweek.
Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz
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