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~. Th'is week's ~' DVDs By MICHAEl:~ILtz
Io >-
?: Wonder Woman: Complete First Season * *
~ Warner Bros., $39.98
A campy delight, "Wonder Woman" sets the tone right away with
its theme song: "In her satin tights, fighting for her rights, and the
old Red, White and Blue!" The pilot and 13 episodes are true to the
comic books (down to the World War II setting) and Lynda Carter
was perfect casting -she's wholesome and sexy at the same time.
Extras include Carter's commentary and a documentary.
Cold Mountain /
The English Patient
**/*** Miramax, $29.99 each
Both of these sweeping epic
films use war as a setting for
romantic tales ("Cold
Mountain" takes place during
the Civil War, "English" during
World War I1). And the best
element of both is their music.
Gabriel Yared composed both
scores, with a delicate but
stirring approach for "English
Patient" and a more spare style
for "Mountain." But the best
"Cold Mountain" music comes
from the songs overseen by T
Bone Burnett and featuring
cast member Jack White and
bluegrass star Alison Krauss.
Among the extras: a 90-minute
concert film/staged reading.
South Park: Complete
Fourth Season **1/,
Paramount, $49.99
It never has the
sustained
brilliance of
"The
Simpsons," but
every episode
of 'South Park"
is guaranteed
to have something truly
offensive and truly funny (often
at the same time). This season
they introduce Timmy, tackle
attention-deficit disorder and
make Cartman a member of NAMBLA. The minimal extras
include brief comments from
creators Trey Parker and Matt
Stone.
Blazing Saddles:
30th Anniversary
*** Warner Bros., $19.97
Both this Western spoof and the
brilliant "Young Frankenstein"
came out in 1974, making this
the peak year for Mel Brooks.
"Blazing" is cruder and not as
funny, but it's the template for
every send-up that followed -
lots of jokes, the more obvious
the better. Plus you can't go
wrong with Madeline Kahn.
Extras include commentary by
Brooks and the pilot episode
from the proposed TV spinoff
"Black Bart."
The Times
of Harvey Milk
***'/' New Yorker, $29.95
This documentary about the
assassinated California
politician Harvey Milk gets a
20th anniversary edition
stuffed with three hours of
extras. Other titles worth
checking out this week include
reality show "Boy Meets Boy:
Season One" (Bravo, $39.95)
and Ang Lee's breakthrough hit
"The Wedding Banquet"
(MGM, $14.95).
E o u ...;
VI o
.Q. ..,.,
c:
~ o
N
r-:
N
OJ c:
:::J .....
tf o a.
.;,:: ~ ..
~. Th'is week's ~' DVDs By MICHAEl:~ILtz
Io >-
?: Wonder Woman: Complete First Season * *
~ Warner Bros., $39.98
A campy delight, "Wonder Woman" sets the tone right away with
its theme song: "In her satin tights, fighting for her rights, and the
old Red, White and Blue!" The pilot and 13 episodes are true to the
comic books (down to the World War II setting) and Lynda Carter
was perfect casting -she's wholesome and sexy at the same time.
Extras include Carter's commentary and a documentary.
Cold Mountain /
The English Patient
**/*** Miramax, $29.99 each
Both of these sweeping epic
films use war as a setting for
romantic tales ("Cold
Mountain" takes place during
the Civil War, "English" during
World War I1). And the best
element of both is their music.
Gabriel Yared composed both
scores, with a delicate but
stirring approach for "English
Patient" and a more spare style
for "Mountain." But the best
"Cold Mountain" music comes
from the songs overseen by T
Bone Burnett and featuring
cast member Jack White and
bluegrass star Alison Krauss.
Among the extras: a 90-minute
concert film/staged reading.
South Park: Complete
Fourth Season **1/,
Paramount, $49.99
It never has the
sustained
brilliance of
"The
Simpsons," but
every episode
of 'South Park"
is guaranteed
to have something truly
offensive and truly funny (often
at the same time). This season
they introduce Timmy, tackle
attention-deficit disorder and
make Cartman a member of NAMBLA. The minimal extras
include brief comments from
creators Trey Parker and Matt
Stone.
Blazing Saddles:
30th Anniversary
*** Warner Bros., $19.97
Both this Western spoof and the
brilliant "Young Frankenstein"
came out in 1974, making this
the peak year for Mel Brooks.
"Blazing" is cruder and not as
funny, but it's the template for
every send-up that followed -
lots of jokes, the more obvious
the better. Plus you can't go
wrong with Madeline Kahn.
Extras include commentary by
Brooks and the pilot episode
from the proposed TV spinoff
"Black Bart."
The Times
of Harvey Milk
***'/' New Yorker, $29.95
This documentary about the
assassinated California
politician Harvey Milk gets a
20th anniversary edition
stuffed with three hours of
extras. Other titles worth
checking out this week include
reality show "Boy Meets Boy:
Season One" (Bravo, $39.95)
and Ang Lee's breakthrough hit
"The Wedding Banquet"
(MGM, $14.95).