Full Article Text
92
E o u ....;
Vl 0°_
.~
C
.....
Vl o a.
.:.: Lo >-
~ The Station Agent * * *1/2
z Miramax, $29.99
This thoughtful indie drama follows small-town folk who form
bonds despite their best efforts to remain alone. Peter Dinklage
gets the role of a lifetime as a trainspotter, Patricia Clarkson is
typically wonderful and Bobby Cannavale practically steals the
show as a man who won't take no for an answer. Extras include
commentary by all three plus the director and deleted scenes.
Ronald Reagan: The
Great Communicator ***1/2 MPI, $39.98
This 7 '/2 hour,
double-disc set
has been in the
works for a long
time, so don't
peg it as a
quickie attempt
to capitalize on
Reagan's passing. You get four
documentaries covering every
facet of the Gipper's career (in
Hollywood as well as politics).
But it's the extras you'll feast
on: generous excerpts from
dozens of career highlights ,
including that speech before
the Berlin Wall, the D-Day
memorial speech, his response
to the Challenger disaster and
much more. Touching and
stirring.
Secret Window/
Bad Santa *** each Columbia TriStar/Dimension,
$28.95/$29.99
"Secret Window" has several
factors working in its favor to
achieve cult status: Johnny
Depp's quirky performance, a
score by Philip Glass and being
based on a short story by
Stephen King. "Bad Santa" has
black humor (cynicism ages
very well) and a holiday theme,
which makes it perfect for
annual revival. Both come with modest extras (deleted scenes,
etc.) and the aura of flicks that
may be appreciated much more
10 years from now than they
are today.
The Lower Depths ***1/2
Criterion, $39.95
Who else but Criterion would
take the time and effort to
beautifully remaster Jean
Renoir's 1936 version of "The
Lower Depths," Akira
Kurosawa's 1957 take on the
same tale, commission new
subtitling and package them
with essays and other extras
(most notably a 33-minute
documentary about Kurosawa's
film pulled from a longer work)
all for a reasonable price?
Certainly no one else would do
it-better.
Reno911!
Complete First Season
*** Paramount, $26.99
Is this "Police Academy" for
smart people? "Cops" for
people who need to laugh? A
reality spoof for people who
don't like reality? Reno, Nev., is
the site for this semi
improvised comedy about
buffoons at a tiny police station
that may very well have
exhausted every possibility in
its first season. Can you enjoy a
show but not look forward to
more episodes?
E o u ....;
Vl 0°_
.~
C
.....
Vl o a.
.:.: Lo >-
~ The Station Agent * * *1/2
z Miramax, $29.99
This thoughtful indie drama follows small-town folk who form
bonds despite their best efforts to remain alone. Peter Dinklage
gets the role of a lifetime as a trainspotter, Patricia Clarkson is
typically wonderful and Bobby Cannavale practically steals the
show as a man who won't take no for an answer. Extras include
commentary by all three plus the director and deleted scenes.
Ronald Reagan: The
Great Communicator ***1/2 MPI, $39.98
This 7 '/2 hour,
double-disc set
has been in the
works for a long
time, so don't
peg it as a
quickie attempt
to capitalize on
Reagan's passing. You get four
documentaries covering every
facet of the Gipper's career (in
Hollywood as well as politics).
But it's the extras you'll feast
on: generous excerpts from
dozens of career highlights ,
including that speech before
the Berlin Wall, the D-Day
memorial speech, his response
to the Challenger disaster and
much more. Touching and
stirring.
Secret Window/
Bad Santa *** each Columbia TriStar/Dimension,
$28.95/$29.99
"Secret Window" has several
factors working in its favor to
achieve cult status: Johnny
Depp's quirky performance, a
score by Philip Glass and being
based on a short story by
Stephen King. "Bad Santa" has
black humor (cynicism ages
very well) and a holiday theme,
which makes it perfect for
annual revival. Both come with modest extras (deleted scenes,
etc.) and the aura of flicks that
may be appreciated much more
10 years from now than they
are today.
The Lower Depths ***1/2
Criterion, $39.95
Who else but Criterion would
take the time and effort to
beautifully remaster Jean
Renoir's 1936 version of "The
Lower Depths," Akira
Kurosawa's 1957 take on the
same tale, commission new
subtitling and package them
with essays and other extras
(most notably a 33-minute
documentary about Kurosawa's
film pulled from a longer work)
all for a reasonable price?
Certainly no one else would do
it-better.
Reno911!
Complete First Season
*** Paramount, $26.99
Is this "Police Academy" for
smart people? "Cops" for
people who need to laugh? A
reality spoof for people who
don't like reality? Reno, Nev., is
the site for this semi
improvised comedy about
buffoons at a tiny police station
that may very well have
exhausted every possibility in
its first season. Can you enjoy a
show but not look forward to
more episodes?