Full Article Text
Michael Giltz: DVDs: Wall-E Vs. Panda Death Match!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-wall-e-vs-panda-deat_b_144716.html [4/5/2009 1:04:39 PM]
APRIL 5, 2009
www.TheGodMovie.com Feedback - Ads by Google
HOME POLITICS MEDIA BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT LIVING STYLE GREEN WORLD CHICAGO
COMEDY 23/6 VIDEO BLOGGER INDEX ARCHIVE
Make HuffPost Your HomePage
Get Email Alerts
Twitter: Follow Us
BIG NEWS : Angelina Jolie | Madonna | Chris Brown & Rihanna | Paul McCartney | More...
LOG IN | SIGN UP
Michael Giltz
Posted November 18, 2008 | 04:27 PM (EST)
BIO
Become a
Fan
Get EmailAlerts
Bloggers'Index
DVDs: Wall-E Vs. Panda Death
Match!
Read More: Ben Stiller , Disney, Dvds, Jack Black , Lee
Marvin , Monty Python , Movies, Pixar, Sal Mineo , Star Wars , Tropic Thunder , Tv,
Entertainment News
My computer was at the Apple Store being
repaired so I'm cramming in two weeks ofcolumns in one week and I'll try to be less windythan usual. So here goes....
The Best TV Box Set of the Year -- Studio
One Anthology ($99.98; Koch/Archive Of
American Television) is easily one of the most
welcome TV boxed sets in years. Critics often talkknowingly of Jack Paar and Ernie Kovacs and theglory days of live television. But the truth is mostof us are too young to really know much of
anything about the early days of television except for what we've read in books. A classic exampleis Studio One, the great live drama anthology that ran on CBS for almost a decade from 1948 to
1958. This set contains 17 of the show's best hour-long dramas, including Sal Mineo in Dino , a
young Jack Lemmon in June Moon and the original 12 Angry Men. The prints are great, the set is
bursting with extras and we can finally WATCH these memorable performances rather than justread about them. And while I've always read that this series was especially focused on lively visuals(rather than just filming a stagey sort of performance), now I can see it for myself. This isn't justfor scholars: it's highly entertaining, whether you're watching Charlton Heston (almost apermanent member of the cast) in Wuthering Heights or the great but little known Francis L.
Sullivan as King Herod in Pontius Pilate. A feast.
Wall-E vs. Panda Death Match -- Two terrific animated films come to DVD. I knew Wall-E
($39.99 for the Special Edition; Disney) was a knock-out. The first 40 or so minutes are so pureand perfect I can't help feeling a little let down when we head to the spaceship and the movie startsbeing populated with people who talk. Wall-E's bleeps and blurps had me at bleep. But the overallstructure is solid and the switch to a more conventional storyline not so jarring on repeatedviewing. And this is a lovely film. The bounteous extras include a so-so short called "Burn-E,"about a robot trying to make repairs who is stymied in his efforts by the events of the main film.
Be the First to
Submit
This Story to Digg
Get Breaking News Alerts
Share
Print
Comments
never spam
Popular Stories on HuffPost
Fashion Face-Off!
Michelle Obama And
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy
Finally Meet In
France (VIDEO,
PHOTOS, POLL)
*Video, poll and slideshow
Levi Johnston TalksSafe Sex With Tyra
Banks (VIDEO)
***UPDATE*** 8:30pm:
People.com is reporting
that Sarah Palin has
issued...
Oscar de la Renta
Slams Michelle
Obama's Buckingham
Outfit As Major
Designers FeelIgnored
While Michelle Obamahas made lesser...
Verena von Pfetten 7
Lessons To BeLearned From Carla
Bruni
So here's the thing.There's no shortage of
articles dedicated to thatcertain je ne...
Huff TV Arianna
Discusses MichelleObama's "Fantastic"
Style On CBS'
Farrah Fawcett Is Hospitalized
Madonna Tot's Dad Found: 'At Last I
Can Be Part Of Mercy's Life'
Reality Show Choreographer Accused
Of Raping 4
Michael Giltz: DVDs: Wall-E Vs. Panda Death Match!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-wall-e-vs-panda-deat_b_144716.html [4/5/2009 1:04:39 PM]The real surprise for me was Kung Fu Panda Two Pack ($34.98; Dreamworks), a massive
blockbuster that I wanted to see but somehow missed. It turns out to be a delight as well. I didn't
expect it to rival Wall-E and it's not quite that good but it might very well make my list of the best
films of the year. The animation is slyly amusing, the storyline witty and sweet and -- here's thekicker -- the action set pieces are probably the best I've seen all year (including Indiana Jones andBond). The fight over a dumpling is a particular highlight. Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, and DavidCross are among the voice talents that shine. The only problem is that Angelina Jolie and Lucy Liuare stars but not voice actors and so their characters make little impression. Movie star does notequal talent for cartoons. This bonus set includes a separate DVD with most of the same talent in a24 minute short called Secrets of the Furious Five that is not as elaborately animated but engagingand fun, along with other extras.
Diminishing Returns -- Several franchises faltered creatively. The animated Star Wars shorts
on TV were fun in small bites. But Star Wars: The Clone Wars Special Edition ($34.98; Warner
Bros.) proved repetitive and dull on the big screen. Hellboy II: The Golden Army ($34.98;
Universal) failed to capture the modest, B movie charm of the original, though I'm still confident
Guillermo Del Toro is the right man for The Hobbit. Both of these movies are stuffed with extras
and include a bonus digital copy you can download for your computer or other device. And The
Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2 ($28.98; Warner Bros.) was like a high school reunion.
Everyone's a little older and doing their own thing and you want to hang out but just don't have as
much in common anymore.
Comedy + Big Budgets = Disaster -- Why are big budgets the enemy of comedy? From the
exhausting all-star efforts of the 50s and 60s like It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World to Steven
Spielberg's 1941 and now Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder Director's Cut ($34.98; Dreamworks),
there's something about a big budget that just kills the spontaneity and lightness that comedy
demands. TT has a painfully convoluted plot (actors in a war movie on location are sent into the
jungle to be filmed while facing hardships only to be facing real drug runners who are actually big
fans of the action film star's godawful stab at an Oscar by playing a mentally challenged farm
hand...) that goes to a whole lot of bother for very little. Robert Downey Jr. is indeed hilarious
playing a Russell Crowe-type actor in black face but it's hardly worth slogging through the film to
see it. Do any big budget comedies work? Ghostbusters springs to mind, but precious little else.
Disney Gems -- Few studios do as good a job presenting the titles in their catalog with care and
enthusiasm as Disney. Case in point: their Walt Disney Treasures series, which packages cartoonsand TV shows and specials in tin collectable cases that make a fanboy's heart beat fast. The besthere is Dr. Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh ($32.99; Disney) a three-part TV special abouta British man of the cloth by day and smuggler by night in the 1700s who protects the villagers inhis seaside town from the rapacious King of England. Patrick McGoohan (just before Secret Agent
and The Prisoner ensured his fame) is notably good as the do-gooder. What's striking today is how
adult and mature this "family fare" seems. There's no comic relief, no pandering to children; just adaring tale told with seriousness. Extras include the UK theatrical edition. The Mickey Mouse ClubPresents Annette ($32.99; Disney) is the entire 20 episode series of shorts that aired during the
show's third season telling the story of a girl who moves from the country to the suburbs. Annettewas always the breakout star of the show and this showcased her perfectly, even launching hermusic career. Finally, The Chronological Donald Volume Four: 1951-1961 ($32.99; Disney)
contains 31 shorts, some of them Oscar-winning and shown in their widescreen format for the firsttime since originally airing in movie theaters.
TV Boxed Sets Done Right, Done Okay, and Done Horribly Wrong -- My campaign
against stupidly designed, bulky boxed sets that prove wildly impractical for the people who own
them continues. I Dream Of Jeannie: The Complete Series ($174.95; Sony) is an almost laughably
good/bad example of what I'm talking about. The show itself has a certain dated, sexy charm butfans will only be frustrated by this set's design. It's a cheap, cardboard giant genie bottle, completewith a goofy cardboard stopper to insert in the top. You'd literally have to clear off a mantle to putthis anywhere; it certainly won't fit on a bookcase or DVD rack. It's also very flimsy, with the DVDsthemselves resting in an accordion-style case that flops over and threatens to tear every time youtake it out. The DVDs are color-coded so you can see them by season but simply taking out a discto play it is a laborious, dangerous affair. Disastrous. Get Smart: The Complete Series is the exact
opposite. Yes, it's encased in a goofy sort of phone booth with doors that slide open or pull aside.But it fits neatly onto most shelving, takes up relatively little space and best of all each season iscontained in its own beautiful looking cases that can be pulled out and stored in your library with
"Washington
Unplugged"
Arianna was on CBS'
"Washington...
Alex Leo The "Real
Housewives Of New
York City" Flowchart
Of Hate
I'm a little embarrassed tolove this show as much
as...
"BRUNO" TRAILER!
Calamity, African
Babies, ChaseScenes And More
(NSFW VIDEO)
IT'S HERE! The trailer for
this July's Sacha BaronCohen...
NATO Leaders Focus
On Afghanistan, But
Most Reject Obama's
Plea For Troops
(SLIDESHOW)
STRASBOURG, France
— On the eve of the
NATO...
First Lady Fashion At
Friday's NATO
Concert (PHOTOS)
Another night, anotherfashion opportunity forNATO leaders and their
spouses! See...
Diana Palin, SarahPalin's Sister-In-Law,
Arrested ForBreaking Into Home
ANCHORAGE, Alaska —Police say Alaska Gov....
John Oliver Explains
The Real Reason You
Never Touch The
Queen (VIDEO)
John Oliver was upset
enough to drop his
monocle when he...
Obama Teases
Reporter From India
During Press
Conference (VIDEO)
Obama held a conferencepacked with press fromaround the world on
Thursday. He called...
Jim Cramer DeclaresThe Depression
"Over" (VIDEO)
On Thursday's episode of
"Mad Money" host Jim
Cramer declared that the
depression...
Scientists Find
Rocket Fuel
Chemical In Infant
Formula
ATLANTA — Traces of a
chemical used in rocket
fuel were found in
samples of...
Least Wasteful Cities
In America
(SLIDESHOW)
It's great to love the cityyou live in, and better to
Michael Giltz: DVDs: Wall-E Vs. Panda Death Match!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-wall-e-vs-panda-deat_b_144716.html [4/5/2009 1:04:39 PM]ease. The show itself hasn't dated so well. A best-of disc would give me everything I want. But for
fans, this is lovingly presented, with commentary from Mel Brooks and Buck Henry among othersadding to the fun. Star Trek Season Three Remastered Edition ($84.98; Paramount) is the third
and last season of the original classic sci-fi show. I hate the new special effects they've added in to"spruce up" a show that didn't need any sprucing. Classic sci-fi doesn't endure because of cutting
edge special effects. It endures because of great characters and a great story. On top of that, the
casing for this is compact and well-sized but the DVDs themselves are a real pain to pull out. As
you can see, I like compact packaging and a low price with the entire series available in one set.
Sony came through with some classic TV shows, almost to a fault. NewsRadio, Good Times and
Sanford and Son ($59.95 each; Sony) fulfill all my wishes almost too well. The casing is a
cardboard exterior with the discs themselves housed in an ultra-cheap plastic tray with every discstacked on top of each other like LPs on a spindle. I'm not sure what that will mean for scratching
down the road. But you know what? I don't care. You get the entire series of each show for a very
cheap price and they'll fit on your shelf neatly and compactly with no fuss. Loads of extras come on
the discs themselves. Would a giant radio housing all of NewsRadio in a plastic case that would
have to go into my closet and bump up the price $20 more make it better? Not to me. Keep 'em
coming, I say.
Classic Movies -- "Mastered in HD" is the new calling card for reissues of classic films they want
you to buy again. And frankly, if you're a big fan of the films it's worth it since DVDs remastered
with care in high definition from an original camera negative do look terrific. I don't need any
other reason to watch Buster Keaton's The General again (($29.95; Kino). It's one of the all-time
greats (and maybe an example of a big budget comedy that actually works?) and this new HD print
includes three different scores to choose from, intros by Gloria Swanson and Orson Welles, video
tours of the train and filming locations and more. An essential. Paramount has three gems also
mastered in HD. More recent movies don't show as dramatic an improvement but they still look
great. Roman Holiday and Sabrina show Audrey Hepburn in top form (though I find Sabrina a
tad dated today, she still charms) and Sunset Boulevard is a gothic gem from Billy Wilder. All are
two-disc editions loaded with extras ($24.99; Paramount) but Sunset is the only one with a
commentary track, this one by my friend Ed Sikov, the author of the acclaimed, best-selling Wilder
biography On Sunset Boulevard: The Life and Times Of Billy Wilder. Roberto Rossellini: Director's
Series ($29.98; Lionsgate) contains two movies ( Where Is Freedom and Escape By Night ) from
the neo-realist director I've never been terribly fond of. I am however a huge fan of the iconoclastic
Derek Jarman Collection ($79.95; Kino), which includes three of his groundbreaking films
(Sebastiane, The Tempest and War Requiem ) and the loving 2008 documentary by his friends
Isaac Julien and Tilda Swinton. I confess I've yet to watch the classic French swashbuckler Fanfan
La Tulipe (($29.95; Criterion) because I can't get the awful recent remake with Penelope Cruz outof my head yet. But the print looks great and Criterion always take tremendous care. If you like TheThree Musketeers, check it out. Isabelle Huppert always pushes boundaries and that's never more
compelling than when the restrictions are great. Hence the success of her Madame Bovary($29.98; Koch) with Claude Chabrol. This new edition includes a substantial documentary onHuppert herself. Finally, The Boys In The Band ($26.98; Paramount) has had a strange career. It
began as a groundbreaking film, turned into a relic that people saw as horribly dated but has nowbecome a sometimes camp sometimes poignant record of a time and place when depicting gaypeople openly on screen (however self-hating) was revolutionary.
More TV Done Right -- The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus Collector's Edition
($159.95; A&E) is no more than the lads deserve, a new slightly more compact edition of their
groundbreaking, wall-breaking and indeed ceiling-breaking TV series, along with loads and loadsof extras. It's got some new fine extras, but if you have the previous slightly more sprawlingedition, you needn't feel envy. But if you don't own that one, this set is essential -- TV sketchcomedy doesn't get and won't get and couldn't get any better than this. But that's the sort of careyou'd expect someone to take with such a massively influential and popular show. How nice to seecare taken with something as relatively obscure as M Squad: The Complete Series ($119.98;
Timeless/Universal). Lee Marvin's no-nonsense cop show set in Chicago and running for 117episodes captures a grittiness and jazzy insouciance that later shows can't match despite all theirflailing camera angles. You get every episode in a nice compact box and even a CD soundtrackincluding the classic theme by Count Basie. Well done.
Can you think of any big budget comedies like Ghostbusters that were actually funny?
Women's
Rights
Michelle
Obama
Europe
Newspapers
Cars
War Wire
Video
Financial
Crisis
Barack
Obama
MORE BIG NEWS PAGES
»
Books by this author
A cabin of one's own: New
England's MacDowellColony celebrates 100years of artistic utopia.And the gay and lesbianartists who prosperedthere celebrate ... (Thenational gay & lesbiannewsmagazine)
by Michael Giltz
Affairs to remember:Farley Granger beddedAva Gardner, ShelleyWinters, and LeonardBernstein. In hisautobiography, IncludeMe Out, Hitchcock's muse... (The national gay &lesbian newsmagazine)
by Michael Giltzlove it for a reason like
being green!
FastCompany...
HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES
This Blogger's Books from
Michael Giltz: DVDs: Wall-E Vs. Panda Death Match!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-wall-e-vs-panda-deat_b_144716.html [4/5/2009 1:04:39 PM]
Michelle Obama's Clothing
Has Sean Hannity All Out OfSorts
RICHARD POPLAWSKI,Pittsburgh Gunman, Kills 3Police Officers
Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld: DoesIran Harbor Osama binLaden?
John Demjanjuk, Ohio ManAccused Of Being NaziGuard, Avoids Deportation
Comments 6 Pending Comments 0
Reality Star Jade
Goody Buried In
Lavish...
Robert De Niro
Nanny Sues For
$40,000
The Earth (Movie)
Will Blow Your Mind
Demi Moore's
Twitter-Based
Suicide Intervention
More in Entertainment...
HuffPost Stories Surging Right Now
Ads by Google
Jason Lewis on Lifetime
Based on Nora Roberts' "Tribute" Watch Jason
Lewis Apr. 11 at 9/8c!
www.myLifetime.com
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being
approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
View Comments: Newest
First Expand All
kevinem2 See Profile I'm a Fan of kevinem2 permalink
P.S.- I loved both Wall-e and Kung Fu Panda.
kevinem2 See Profile I'm a Fan of kevinem2 permalink
Do animated films count? I presume "The Incredibles" was expensive; but it's the funniest thing I've
seen since "Groundhog Day".
pizzmoe See Profile I'm a Fan of pizzmoe permalink
I might give a pass to the original "Around The World In 80 Days". Not sure if it was a comedy, epci,travelogue, or all of the above, but it was very entertaining and had practically every great British actorworking at that moment, and it was damn funny and clever. (That, and anything Pixar does)But overall, you are absolutely right. Big budgets generally ruin comedy.
OttoMann See Profile I'm a Fan of OttoMann permalink
Good point about big budget comedies. There's no reason for a big budget, because even withGhostbusters, that's not where the funny lies. The special effects weren't funny -- what was funny wasthe interaction between Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver, or Bill Murray and the other Ghostbusters,or the opening bit where Murray is zapping the guy who's actually clairvoyant, while flirting with the cute
Favorite
Flag as abusive Posted 09:29 PM on 11/22/2008
Favorite
Flag as abusive Posted 09:26 PM on 11/22/2008
Favorite
Flag as abusive Posted 01:10 PM on 11/22/2008
Michael Giltz: DVDs: Wall-E Vs. Panda Death Match!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-wall-e-vs-panda-deat_b_144716.html [4/5/2009 1:04:39 PM]
HOME POLITICS MEDIA BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT LIVING GREEN STYLE WORLD CHICAGO COMEDY FUNDRACE
ARCHIVE
Advertise | Login | Make HuffPost your Home Page | RSS | Jobs | FAQ: Comments & Moderation | FAQ: Huffpost Accounts | Contact Us
Copyright © 2009 HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | Archive | User Agreement | Privacy | Comment Policy | About Us | Powered by Movable Type
See Michael Giltz's
Profile
Comments are closed for this entry
blonde, or when he's in the Mayor's office ranting about cats and dogs falling from the sky.
In fact, even with dramas, the big budgets are often misplaced. We're at the point now where studios
have convinced themselves that any big franchise film MUST have a huge budget. I'll bet the new StarTrek will be a huge disappointment, because it should be about the characters, but instead they'll makeit all about the whiz bang effects.
Most people don't watch movies to see a fireworks display -- that's what the 4th of July is for. You don't
need a huge budget to make comedy, nor to create suspense and tension.
Michael Giltz - Huffpost Blogger I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
Thanks for reading. I have to admit the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Mandoes make me giggle though.... And yes, movies would be far betterif their budgets were lower and people were freer to concentrate oncharacter and story rather than elaborate set-ups.
richchaplin See Profile I'm a Fan of richchaplin permalink
If it doesn't have fireworks, i'll wait until it's on TV. And I bet I'm not alone in that. I
haven't paid retail to see a comedy in decades, but I paid 8 times to watch The
Matrix in the theatre. So if box offfice matters (and it still does), movies will continue
to have expensive FX.
You must be logged in to reply to this comment. Log in or
Ads by Google
Jason Lewis on Lifetime
Based on Nora Roberts' "Tribute" Watch Jason
Lewis Apr. 11 at 9/8c!
www.myLifetime.com
Favorite
Flag as abusive Posted 03:47 AM on 11/19/2008
Favorite
Flag as abusive Posted 12:21 PM on 11/19/2008
Favorite
Flag as abusive Posted 10:31 PM on 11/21/2008
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-wall-e-vs-panda-deat_b_144716.html [4/5/2009 1:04:39 PM]
APRIL 5, 2009
www.TheGodMovie.com Feedback - Ads by Google
HOME POLITICS MEDIA BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT LIVING STYLE GREEN WORLD CHICAGO
COMEDY 23/6 VIDEO BLOGGER INDEX ARCHIVE
Make HuffPost Your HomePage
Get Email Alerts
Twitter: Follow Us
BIG NEWS : Angelina Jolie | Madonna | Chris Brown & Rihanna | Paul McCartney | More...
LOG IN | SIGN UP
Michael Giltz
Posted November 18, 2008 | 04:27 PM (EST)
BIO
Become a
Fan
Get EmailAlerts
Bloggers'Index
DVDs: Wall-E Vs. Panda Death
Match!
Read More: Ben Stiller , Disney, Dvds, Jack Black , Lee
Marvin , Monty Python , Movies, Pixar, Sal Mineo , Star Wars , Tropic Thunder , Tv,
Entertainment News
My computer was at the Apple Store being
repaired so I'm cramming in two weeks ofcolumns in one week and I'll try to be less windythan usual. So here goes....
The Best TV Box Set of the Year -- Studio
One Anthology ($99.98; Koch/Archive Of
American Television) is easily one of the most
welcome TV boxed sets in years. Critics often talkknowingly of Jack Paar and Ernie Kovacs and theglory days of live television. But the truth is mostof us are too young to really know much of
anything about the early days of television except for what we've read in books. A classic exampleis Studio One, the great live drama anthology that ran on CBS for almost a decade from 1948 to
1958. This set contains 17 of the show's best hour-long dramas, including Sal Mineo in Dino , a
young Jack Lemmon in June Moon and the original 12 Angry Men. The prints are great, the set is
bursting with extras and we can finally WATCH these memorable performances rather than justread about them. And while I've always read that this series was especially focused on lively visuals(rather than just filming a stagey sort of performance), now I can see it for myself. This isn't justfor scholars: it's highly entertaining, whether you're watching Charlton Heston (almost apermanent member of the cast) in Wuthering Heights or the great but little known Francis L.
Sullivan as King Herod in Pontius Pilate. A feast.
Wall-E vs. Panda Death Match -- Two terrific animated films come to DVD. I knew Wall-E
($39.99 for the Special Edition; Disney) was a knock-out. The first 40 or so minutes are so pureand perfect I can't help feeling a little let down when we head to the spaceship and the movie startsbeing populated with people who talk. Wall-E's bleeps and blurps had me at bleep. But the overallstructure is solid and the switch to a more conventional storyline not so jarring on repeatedviewing. And this is a lovely film. The bounteous extras include a so-so short called "Burn-E,"about a robot trying to make repairs who is stymied in his efforts by the events of the main film.
Be the First to
Submit
This Story to Digg
Get Breaking News Alerts
Share
Comments
never spam
Popular Stories on HuffPost
Fashion Face-Off!
Michelle Obama And
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy
Finally Meet In
France (VIDEO,
PHOTOS, POLL)
*Video, poll and slideshow
Levi Johnston TalksSafe Sex With Tyra
Banks (VIDEO)
***UPDATE*** 8:30pm:
People.com is reporting
that Sarah Palin has
issued...
Oscar de la Renta
Slams Michelle
Obama's Buckingham
Outfit As Major
Designers FeelIgnored
While Michelle Obamahas made lesser...
Verena von Pfetten 7
Lessons To BeLearned From Carla
Bruni
So here's the thing.There's no shortage of
articles dedicated to thatcertain je ne...
Huff TV Arianna
Discusses MichelleObama's "Fantastic"
Style On CBS'
Farrah Fawcett Is Hospitalized
Madonna Tot's Dad Found: 'At Last I
Can Be Part Of Mercy's Life'
Reality Show Choreographer Accused
Of Raping 4
Michael Giltz: DVDs: Wall-E Vs. Panda Death Match!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-wall-e-vs-panda-deat_b_144716.html [4/5/2009 1:04:39 PM]The real surprise for me was Kung Fu Panda Two Pack ($34.98; Dreamworks), a massive
blockbuster that I wanted to see but somehow missed. It turns out to be a delight as well. I didn't
expect it to rival Wall-E and it's not quite that good but it might very well make my list of the best
films of the year. The animation is slyly amusing, the storyline witty and sweet and -- here's thekicker -- the action set pieces are probably the best I've seen all year (including Indiana Jones andBond). The fight over a dumpling is a particular highlight. Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, and DavidCross are among the voice talents that shine. The only problem is that Angelina Jolie and Lucy Liuare stars but not voice actors and so their characters make little impression. Movie star does notequal talent for cartoons. This bonus set includes a separate DVD with most of the same talent in a24 minute short called Secrets of the Furious Five that is not as elaborately animated but engagingand fun, along with other extras.
Diminishing Returns -- Several franchises faltered creatively. The animated Star Wars shorts
on TV were fun in small bites. But Star Wars: The Clone Wars Special Edition ($34.98; Warner
Bros.) proved repetitive and dull on the big screen. Hellboy II: The Golden Army ($34.98;
Universal) failed to capture the modest, B movie charm of the original, though I'm still confident
Guillermo Del Toro is the right man for The Hobbit. Both of these movies are stuffed with extras
and include a bonus digital copy you can download for your computer or other device. And The
Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2 ($28.98; Warner Bros.) was like a high school reunion.
Everyone's a little older and doing their own thing and you want to hang out but just don't have as
much in common anymore.
Comedy + Big Budgets = Disaster -- Why are big budgets the enemy of comedy? From the
exhausting all-star efforts of the 50s and 60s like It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World to Steven
Spielberg's 1941 and now Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder Director's Cut ($34.98; Dreamworks),
there's something about a big budget that just kills the spontaneity and lightness that comedy
demands. TT has a painfully convoluted plot (actors in a war movie on location are sent into the
jungle to be filmed while facing hardships only to be facing real drug runners who are actually big
fans of the action film star's godawful stab at an Oscar by playing a mentally challenged farm
hand...) that goes to a whole lot of bother for very little. Robert Downey Jr. is indeed hilarious
playing a Russell Crowe-type actor in black face but it's hardly worth slogging through the film to
see it. Do any big budget comedies work? Ghostbusters springs to mind, but precious little else.
Disney Gems -- Few studios do as good a job presenting the titles in their catalog with care and
enthusiasm as Disney. Case in point: their Walt Disney Treasures series, which packages cartoonsand TV shows and specials in tin collectable cases that make a fanboy's heart beat fast. The besthere is Dr. Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh ($32.99; Disney) a three-part TV special abouta British man of the cloth by day and smuggler by night in the 1700s who protects the villagers inhis seaside town from the rapacious King of England. Patrick McGoohan (just before Secret Agent
and The Prisoner ensured his fame) is notably good as the do-gooder. What's striking today is how
adult and mature this "family fare" seems. There's no comic relief, no pandering to children; just adaring tale told with seriousness. Extras include the UK theatrical edition. The Mickey Mouse ClubPresents Annette ($32.99; Disney) is the entire 20 episode series of shorts that aired during the
show's third season telling the story of a girl who moves from the country to the suburbs. Annettewas always the breakout star of the show and this showcased her perfectly, even launching hermusic career. Finally, The Chronological Donald Volume Four: 1951-1961 ($32.99; Disney)
contains 31 shorts, some of them Oscar-winning and shown in their widescreen format for the firsttime since originally airing in movie theaters.
TV Boxed Sets Done Right, Done Okay, and Done Horribly Wrong -- My campaign
against stupidly designed, bulky boxed sets that prove wildly impractical for the people who own
them continues. I Dream Of Jeannie: The Complete Series ($174.95; Sony) is an almost laughably
good/bad example of what I'm talking about. The show itself has a certain dated, sexy charm butfans will only be frustrated by this set's design. It's a cheap, cardboard giant genie bottle, completewith a goofy cardboard stopper to insert in the top. You'd literally have to clear off a mantle to putthis anywhere; it certainly won't fit on a bookcase or DVD rack. It's also very flimsy, with the DVDsthemselves resting in an accordion-style case that flops over and threatens to tear every time youtake it out. The DVDs are color-coded so you can see them by season but simply taking out a discto play it is a laborious, dangerous affair. Disastrous. Get Smart: The Complete Series is the exact
opposite. Yes, it's encased in a goofy sort of phone booth with doors that slide open or pull aside.But it fits neatly onto most shelving, takes up relatively little space and best of all each season iscontained in its own beautiful looking cases that can be pulled out and stored in your library with
"Washington
Unplugged"
Arianna was on CBS'
"Washington...
Alex Leo The "Real
Housewives Of New
York City" Flowchart
Of Hate
I'm a little embarrassed tolove this show as much
as...
"BRUNO" TRAILER!
Calamity, African
Babies, ChaseScenes And More
(NSFW VIDEO)
IT'S HERE! The trailer for
this July's Sacha BaronCohen...
NATO Leaders Focus
On Afghanistan, But
Most Reject Obama's
Plea For Troops
(SLIDESHOW)
STRASBOURG, France
— On the eve of the
NATO...
First Lady Fashion At
Friday's NATO
Concert (PHOTOS)
Another night, anotherfashion opportunity forNATO leaders and their
spouses! See...
Diana Palin, SarahPalin's Sister-In-Law,
Arrested ForBreaking Into Home
ANCHORAGE, Alaska —Police say Alaska Gov....
John Oliver Explains
The Real Reason You
Never Touch The
Queen (VIDEO)
John Oliver was upset
enough to drop his
monocle when he...
Obama Teases
Reporter From India
During Press
Conference (VIDEO)
Obama held a conferencepacked with press fromaround the world on
Thursday. He called...
Jim Cramer DeclaresThe Depression
"Over" (VIDEO)
On Thursday's episode of
"Mad Money" host Jim
Cramer declared that the
depression...
Scientists Find
Rocket Fuel
Chemical In Infant
Formula
ATLANTA — Traces of a
chemical used in rocket
fuel were found in
samples of...
Least Wasteful Cities
In America
(SLIDESHOW)
It's great to love the cityyou live in, and better to
Michael Giltz: DVDs: Wall-E Vs. Panda Death Match!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-wall-e-vs-panda-deat_b_144716.html [4/5/2009 1:04:39 PM]ease. The show itself hasn't dated so well. A best-of disc would give me everything I want. But for
fans, this is lovingly presented, with commentary from Mel Brooks and Buck Henry among othersadding to the fun. Star Trek Season Three Remastered Edition ($84.98; Paramount) is the third
and last season of the original classic sci-fi show. I hate the new special effects they've added in to"spruce up" a show that didn't need any sprucing. Classic sci-fi doesn't endure because of cutting
edge special effects. It endures because of great characters and a great story. On top of that, the
casing for this is compact and well-sized but the DVDs themselves are a real pain to pull out. As
you can see, I like compact packaging and a low price with the entire series available in one set.
Sony came through with some classic TV shows, almost to a fault. NewsRadio, Good Times and
Sanford and Son ($59.95 each; Sony) fulfill all my wishes almost too well. The casing is a
cardboard exterior with the discs themselves housed in an ultra-cheap plastic tray with every discstacked on top of each other like LPs on a spindle. I'm not sure what that will mean for scratching
down the road. But you know what? I don't care. You get the entire series of each show for a very
cheap price and they'll fit on your shelf neatly and compactly with no fuss. Loads of extras come on
the discs themselves. Would a giant radio housing all of NewsRadio in a plastic case that would
have to go into my closet and bump up the price $20 more make it better? Not to me. Keep 'em
coming, I say.
Classic Movies -- "Mastered in HD" is the new calling card for reissues of classic films they want
you to buy again. And frankly, if you're a big fan of the films it's worth it since DVDs remastered
with care in high definition from an original camera negative do look terrific. I don't need any
other reason to watch Buster Keaton's The General again (($29.95; Kino). It's one of the all-time
greats (and maybe an example of a big budget comedy that actually works?) and this new HD print
includes three different scores to choose from, intros by Gloria Swanson and Orson Welles, video
tours of the train and filming locations and more. An essential. Paramount has three gems also
mastered in HD. More recent movies don't show as dramatic an improvement but they still look
great. Roman Holiday and Sabrina show Audrey Hepburn in top form (though I find Sabrina a
tad dated today, she still charms) and Sunset Boulevard is a gothic gem from Billy Wilder. All are
two-disc editions loaded with extras ($24.99; Paramount) but Sunset is the only one with a
commentary track, this one by my friend Ed Sikov, the author of the acclaimed, best-selling Wilder
biography On Sunset Boulevard: The Life and Times Of Billy Wilder. Roberto Rossellini: Director's
Series ($29.98; Lionsgate) contains two movies ( Where Is Freedom and Escape By Night ) from
the neo-realist director I've never been terribly fond of. I am however a huge fan of the iconoclastic
Derek Jarman Collection ($79.95; Kino), which includes three of his groundbreaking films
(Sebastiane, The Tempest and War Requiem ) and the loving 2008 documentary by his friends
Isaac Julien and Tilda Swinton. I confess I've yet to watch the classic French swashbuckler Fanfan
La Tulipe (($29.95; Criterion) because I can't get the awful recent remake with Penelope Cruz outof my head yet. But the print looks great and Criterion always take tremendous care. If you like TheThree Musketeers, check it out. Isabelle Huppert always pushes boundaries and that's never more
compelling than when the restrictions are great. Hence the success of her Madame Bovary($29.98; Koch) with Claude Chabrol. This new edition includes a substantial documentary onHuppert herself. Finally, The Boys In The Band ($26.98; Paramount) has had a strange career. It
began as a groundbreaking film, turned into a relic that people saw as horribly dated but has nowbecome a sometimes camp sometimes poignant record of a time and place when depicting gaypeople openly on screen (however self-hating) was revolutionary.
More TV Done Right -- The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus Collector's Edition
($159.95; A&E) is no more than the lads deserve, a new slightly more compact edition of their
groundbreaking, wall-breaking and indeed ceiling-breaking TV series, along with loads and loadsof extras. It's got some new fine extras, but if you have the previous slightly more sprawlingedition, you needn't feel envy. But if you don't own that one, this set is essential -- TV sketchcomedy doesn't get and won't get and couldn't get any better than this. But that's the sort of careyou'd expect someone to take with such a massively influential and popular show. How nice to seecare taken with something as relatively obscure as M Squad: The Complete Series ($119.98;
Timeless/Universal). Lee Marvin's no-nonsense cop show set in Chicago and running for 117episodes captures a grittiness and jazzy insouciance that later shows can't match despite all theirflailing camera angles. You get every episode in a nice compact box and even a CD soundtrackincluding the classic theme by Count Basie. Well done.
Can you think of any big budget comedies like Ghostbusters that were actually funny?
Women's
Rights
Michelle
Obama
Europe
Newspapers
Cars
War Wire
Video
Financial
Crisis
Barack
Obama
MORE BIG NEWS PAGES
»
Books by this author
A cabin of one's own: New
England's MacDowellColony celebrates 100years of artistic utopia.And the gay and lesbianartists who prosperedthere celebrate ... (Thenational gay & lesbiannewsmagazine)
by Michael Giltz
Affairs to remember:Farley Granger beddedAva Gardner, ShelleyWinters, and LeonardBernstein. In hisautobiography, IncludeMe Out, Hitchcock's muse... (The national gay &lesbian newsmagazine)
by Michael Giltzlove it for a reason like
being green!
FastCompany...
HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES
This Blogger's Books from
Michael Giltz: DVDs: Wall-E Vs. Panda Death Match!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-wall-e-vs-panda-deat_b_144716.html [4/5/2009 1:04:39 PM]
Michelle Obama's Clothing
Has Sean Hannity All Out OfSorts
RICHARD POPLAWSKI,Pittsburgh Gunman, Kills 3Police Officers
Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld: DoesIran Harbor Osama binLaden?
John Demjanjuk, Ohio ManAccused Of Being NaziGuard, Avoids Deportation
Comments 6 Pending Comments 0
Reality Star Jade
Goody Buried In
Lavish...
Robert De Niro
Nanny Sues For
$40,000
The Earth (Movie)
Will Blow Your Mind
Demi Moore's
Twitter-Based
Suicide Intervention
More in Entertainment...
HuffPost Stories Surging Right Now
Ads by Google
Jason Lewis on Lifetime
Based on Nora Roberts' "Tribute" Watch Jason
Lewis Apr. 11 at 9/8c!
www.myLifetime.com
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being
approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
View Comments: Newest
First Expand All
kevinem2 See Profile I'm a Fan of kevinem2 permalink
P.S.- I loved both Wall-e and Kung Fu Panda.
kevinem2 See Profile I'm a Fan of kevinem2 permalink
Do animated films count? I presume "The Incredibles" was expensive; but it's the funniest thing I've
seen since "Groundhog Day".
pizzmoe See Profile I'm a Fan of pizzmoe permalink
I might give a pass to the original "Around The World In 80 Days". Not sure if it was a comedy, epci,travelogue, or all of the above, but it was very entertaining and had practically every great British actorworking at that moment, and it was damn funny and clever. (That, and anything Pixar does)But overall, you are absolutely right. Big budgets generally ruin comedy.
OttoMann See Profile I'm a Fan of OttoMann permalink
Good point about big budget comedies. There's no reason for a big budget, because even withGhostbusters, that's not where the funny lies. The special effects weren't funny -- what was funny wasthe interaction between Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver, or Bill Murray and the other Ghostbusters,or the opening bit where Murray is zapping the guy who's actually clairvoyant, while flirting with the cute
Favorite
Flag as abusive Posted 09:29 PM on 11/22/2008
Favorite
Flag as abusive Posted 09:26 PM on 11/22/2008
Favorite
Flag as abusive Posted 01:10 PM on 11/22/2008
Michael Giltz: DVDs: Wall-E Vs. Panda Death Match!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-wall-e-vs-panda-deat_b_144716.html [4/5/2009 1:04:39 PM]
HOME POLITICS MEDIA BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT LIVING GREEN STYLE WORLD CHICAGO COMEDY FUNDRACE
ARCHIVE
Advertise | Login | Make HuffPost your Home Page | RSS | Jobs | FAQ: Comments & Moderation | FAQ: Huffpost Accounts | Contact Us
Copyright © 2009 HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | Archive | User Agreement | Privacy | Comment Policy | About Us | Powered by Movable Type
See Michael Giltz's
Profile
Comments are closed for this entry
blonde, or when he's in the Mayor's office ranting about cats and dogs falling from the sky.
In fact, even with dramas, the big budgets are often misplaced. We're at the point now where studios
have convinced themselves that any big franchise film MUST have a huge budget. I'll bet the new StarTrek will be a huge disappointment, because it should be about the characters, but instead they'll makeit all about the whiz bang effects.
Most people don't watch movies to see a fireworks display -- that's what the 4th of July is for. You don't
need a huge budget to make comedy, nor to create suspense and tension.
Michael Giltz - Huffpost Blogger I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
Thanks for reading. I have to admit the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Mandoes make me giggle though.... And yes, movies would be far betterif their budgets were lower and people were freer to concentrate oncharacter and story rather than elaborate set-ups.
richchaplin See Profile I'm a Fan of richchaplin permalink
If it doesn't have fireworks, i'll wait until it's on TV. And I bet I'm not alone in that. I
haven't paid retail to see a comedy in decades, but I paid 8 times to watch The
Matrix in the theatre. So if box offfice matters (and it still does), movies will continue
to have expensive FX.
You must be logged in to reply to this comment. Log in or
Ads by Google
Jason Lewis on Lifetime
Based on Nora Roberts' "Tribute" Watch Jason
Lewis Apr. 11 at 9/8c!
www.myLifetime.com
Favorite
Flag as abusive Posted 03:47 AM on 11/19/2008
Favorite
Flag as abusive Posted 12:21 PM on 11/19/2008
Favorite
Flag as abusive Posted 10:31 PM on 11/21/2008