Full Article Text
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The Manchurian
candidate
*'/2
Paramount, $29.95
Anyone who has seen the
1962 original will know what
an utterly unnecessary and
uninvolving remake this
Jonathan Demme movie is.
Meryl Streep has a little fun as
the political mom-from-hell
(and just got a GQlden Globe
nomination) but' Liev
Schrieber is far too intelligent
a prese~<;e to play her passive,
brainwashed son. There are
deleted scenes ~d outtakes
all with commentary by ,
Demme, who at least did a
mildly better job here than
with that still-born "Charade"
remake.
De-Lovely
* MGM,$26.98
This'Irwin Winkler biopic is
just as timid towards Cole
Porter's sex life as 1946's
"Night and Day" starring Cary
Grant (a movie they have the
temerity to mock). Yes, "De
Lovely" actually admits Porter
was gay (a dapper Kevin Kline
is occasionally seen in bed
with men) but it insists the
love of his life was Linda
(Ashley Judd), who was really
more of a motherly figure to
the composer. Shouldn't they
know better? One scene with
John Barrowman has a little
heat (Porter teaches him to The Simpsons
Complete F'1fth
Season
**** Fox, $49.98
Watching the bril
liant fifth season of
"The Simpsons" (with
episodes like "Homer
Loves Flanders" and
"Marge On The Lam")
throws into sharp relief
how tepid the show has
become. It's still good
for a few laughs, but
please end "The
Simpsons" now so it
can still maintain a lit
tle dignity. Also out:
"Fat Albert and the
Cosby Kids"
(UrbanWorks, $14.99)
and "Family Guy: The
Freakin' Sweet
Collection" (Fox,
$19.98).
sing "Night and Day") and the
musical performances by
Robbie Williams, Diana Krall
and others keep it bearable.
Napoleon Dynamite **'/2
Fox, $29.99
This eccen
tric comedy
about a high
school nerd
extraordinaire
was a genuine
word of mouth
hit that ran for
months in the
aters. Pluses: a nicely dorky
score. Minuses: our hero (Jon
Heder) spends most of the
movie with his eyes half shut.
It's no "Rushmore," but it is
harmless fun. The extras
include two short films and
commentary by the director
and star.
White Thunder
*** Image, $29.99
Robert Flaherty (1922's
"Nanook of the North") wasn't
the only early filmmaker head
ing off to exotic lands to cap
ture a vanishing way of life.
New Yorker Varick Frissell
did the same in the '20s and
this documentary details his
final, ill-fated voyage to
Newfoundland in 1931.
The real treats are the
extras: three complete shorts
by Frissell.
~ o
Co >s::
8
N
en .....
...
QI
..0 E
QI
.(J
o
~
"C
C
:::l III
'!if o
Cl.
~ ... o >
~ z
The Manchurian
candidate
*'/2
Paramount, $29.95
Anyone who has seen the
1962 original will know what
an utterly unnecessary and
uninvolving remake this
Jonathan Demme movie is.
Meryl Streep has a little fun as
the political mom-from-hell
(and just got a GQlden Globe
nomination) but' Liev
Schrieber is far too intelligent
a prese~<;e to play her passive,
brainwashed son. There are
deleted scenes ~d outtakes
all with commentary by ,
Demme, who at least did a
mildly better job here than
with that still-born "Charade"
remake.
De-Lovely
* MGM,$26.98
This'Irwin Winkler biopic is
just as timid towards Cole
Porter's sex life as 1946's
"Night and Day" starring Cary
Grant (a movie they have the
temerity to mock). Yes, "De
Lovely" actually admits Porter
was gay (a dapper Kevin Kline
is occasionally seen in bed
with men) but it insists the
love of his life was Linda
(Ashley Judd), who was really
more of a motherly figure to
the composer. Shouldn't they
know better? One scene with
John Barrowman has a little
heat (Porter teaches him to The Simpsons
Complete F'1fth
Season
**** Fox, $49.98
Watching the bril
liant fifth season of
"The Simpsons" (with
episodes like "Homer
Loves Flanders" and
"Marge On The Lam")
throws into sharp relief
how tepid the show has
become. It's still good
for a few laughs, but
please end "The
Simpsons" now so it
can still maintain a lit
tle dignity. Also out:
"Fat Albert and the
Cosby Kids"
(UrbanWorks, $14.99)
and "Family Guy: The
Freakin' Sweet
Collection" (Fox,
$19.98).
sing "Night and Day") and the
musical performances by
Robbie Williams, Diana Krall
and others keep it bearable.
Napoleon Dynamite **'/2
Fox, $29.99
This eccen
tric comedy
about a high
school nerd
extraordinaire
was a genuine
word of mouth
hit that ran for
months in the
aters. Pluses: a nicely dorky
score. Minuses: our hero (Jon
Heder) spends most of the
movie with his eyes half shut.
It's no "Rushmore," but it is
harmless fun. The extras
include two short films and
commentary by the director
and star.
White Thunder
*** Image, $29.99
Robert Flaherty (1922's
"Nanook of the North") wasn't
the only early filmmaker head
ing off to exotic lands to cap
ture a vanishing way of life.
New Yorker Varick Frissell
did the same in the '20s and
this documentary details his
final, ill-fated voyage to
Newfoundland in 1931.
The real treats are the
extras: three complete shorts
by Frissell.