Knight at HOME at the Movies
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Heartbreakers, Heartstoppers
Two great heartbreakers, two great heartstoppers - in this edition of DVD Recommendations.
Two great heartbreakers, two great heartstoppers - in this edition of DVD Recommendations.
August Rush – From Warner Home Video. Handsome Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Keri
Russell (of Waitress) co-star along with current kid acting sensation Freddie Highmore in
this far fetched but nevertheless enchanting romantic drama that revolves around the
musical abilities of all three stars. Highmore plays an orphan and musical prodigy who is
convinced that his abilities will reunite him with his parents - who don't even know of his
existence. Robin Williams and Terence Howard co-star in this sweet movie that explores
the power of music to connect everyone. Schmaltzy and cow eyed, this is nevertheless a
great crowd pleaser - as long as the crowd isn't a cynical one. As a musician and
songwriter, you can guess what category I'm in. This modern day fairy tale has its share
of heartbreak but then delivers exactly the romantic movie bath one expects and hopes
for. Get ready for a sugar rush! Naturally, the music is terrific as well. An assortment of
deleted scenes are included, too.
Into the Wild – From Paramount comes this true story that is truly heartbreaking. Sean
Penn wrote the script and directs the story of Chris McCandless, the troubled son of a
wealthy couple (Marcia Gay Harden-William Hurt) with marital problems. Not happy with
the aesthetics of the modern day world Chris (beautifully played by newcomer Emile
Hirsch) decides to divest himself of the trappings of society and go back to nature. As he
crosses the country, heading for the Alaskan wilderness, Chris touches the lives of
everyone he meets. The tragic ending of his story (he survived a grueling winter once
he'd reached his destination only to succumb to starvation and accidental poisoning)
leaves a lot of questions unanswered. In such a competitive year the film got overlooked
- unjustly - at awards time but it's an extremely powerful drama filled with terrific acting
(Hal Holbrook and Catherine Keener are two standouts) and telling, subtle moments.
Penn's script, based on the best selling book (in turn based on the diary found with
McCandless' body) is a marvel. This two-disc special edition offers about 40 minutes of
behind the scenes material that is quite interesting.
I Am Legend – From Warner Home Video. Okay, now it's time for the two
heartstoppers. The first is Will Smith's latest box office triumph, the remake of Vincent
Price's Last Man on Earth and Charlton Heston's The Omega Man. I saw this film in the I-
Max and boy, was it tremendous on the big screen so I was a tad fearful that it wouldn't
work so well on DVD. Not a bit of it. The first half of the film in which Smith as the lone
survivor (or so it would seem) of a plague that has wiped out humanity in the concrete
canyons of Manhattan is eerie, powerful, and tense. Then when the zombies enter the
story it has the prerequisite suspense and action set pieces. The main quibble I had was
with the abrupt ending but Warner's two-disc version offers an alternate version that has
made me reconsider that! It's an eye opener that's for sure. You can also load the first
disc into your computer to access a slew of online making of featurettes and to make a
bonus copy. A fun ride which continues to cement Smith's unabated popularity.
Them – From Dark Sky Films. This won't actually show up on store shelves until March
25th but I wanted to get the word out early about what is one of the BEST thrillers I've
seen in eons. The film was a huge hit in France and got raves when it was released here
at the end of last summer. It focuses on a young couple who are restoring a huge
mansion in the country who get some unexpected, very unwelcome company one night.
I'll say no more, except to add that unlike the gore porn of Hostel, Saw, High Tension, and
other films of their ilk, Them relies on good old fashioned suspense and if this film
doesn't prove the power of the imagination over the literal in creating tension and fear in
an audience, then no movie does. The disc has two making of featurettes and another
about the film's music composer. In French with subtitles but don't let that put you off.
This is a movie that taps into universal fears about Things That Go Bump In The Night!
Russell (of Waitress) co-star along with current kid acting sensation Freddie Highmore in
this far fetched but nevertheless enchanting romantic drama that revolves around the
musical abilities of all three stars. Highmore plays an orphan and musical prodigy who is
convinced that his abilities will reunite him with his parents - who don't even know of his
existence. Robin Williams and Terence Howard co-star in this sweet movie that explores
the power of music to connect everyone. Schmaltzy and cow eyed, this is nevertheless a
great crowd pleaser - as long as the crowd isn't a cynical one. As a musician and
songwriter, you can guess what category I'm in. This modern day fairy tale has its share
of heartbreak but then delivers exactly the romantic movie bath one expects and hopes
for. Get ready for a sugar rush! Naturally, the music is terrific as well. An assortment of
deleted scenes are included, too.
Into the Wild – From Paramount comes this true story that is truly heartbreaking. Sean
Penn wrote the script and directs the story of Chris McCandless, the troubled son of a
wealthy couple (Marcia Gay Harden-William Hurt) with marital problems. Not happy with
the aesthetics of the modern day world Chris (beautifully played by newcomer Emile
Hirsch) decides to divest himself of the trappings of society and go back to nature. As he
crosses the country, heading for the Alaskan wilderness, Chris touches the lives of
everyone he meets. The tragic ending of his story (he survived a grueling winter once
he'd reached his destination only to succumb to starvation and accidental poisoning)
leaves a lot of questions unanswered. In such a competitive year the film got overlooked
- unjustly - at awards time but it's an extremely powerful drama filled with terrific acting
(Hal Holbrook and Catherine Keener are two standouts) and telling, subtle moments.
Penn's script, based on the best selling book (in turn based on the diary found with
McCandless' body) is a marvel. This two-disc special edition offers about 40 minutes of
behind the scenes material that is quite interesting.
I Am Legend – From Warner Home Video. Okay, now it's time for the two
heartstoppers. The first is Will Smith's latest box office triumph, the remake of Vincent
Price's Last Man on Earth and Charlton Heston's The Omega Man. I saw this film in the I-
Max and boy, was it tremendous on the big screen so I was a tad fearful that it wouldn't
work so well on DVD. Not a bit of it. The first half of the film in which Smith as the lone
survivor (or so it would seem) of a plague that has wiped out humanity in the concrete
canyons of Manhattan is eerie, powerful, and tense. Then when the zombies enter the
story it has the prerequisite suspense and action set pieces. The main quibble I had was
with the abrupt ending but Warner's two-disc version offers an alternate version that has
made me reconsider that! It's an eye opener that's for sure. You can also load the first
disc into your computer to access a slew of online making of featurettes and to make a
bonus copy. A fun ride which continues to cement Smith's unabated popularity.
Them – From Dark Sky Films. This won't actually show up on store shelves until March
25th but I wanted to get the word out early about what is one of the BEST thrillers I've
seen in eons. The film was a huge hit in France and got raves when it was released here
at the end of last summer. It focuses on a young couple who are restoring a huge
mansion in the country who get some unexpected, very unwelcome company one night.
I'll say no more, except to add that unlike the gore porn of Hostel, Saw, High Tension, and
other films of their ilk, Them relies on good old fashioned suspense and if this film
doesn't prove the power of the imagination over the literal in creating tension and fear in
an audience, then no movie does. The disc has two making of featurettes and another
about the film's music composer. In French with subtitles but don't let that put you off.
This is a movie that taps into universal fears about Things That Go Bump In The Night!
