Knight at HOME at the Movies
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Love Is In The Air
Four romantic movies to help kick start your Valentine's Day celebration are in this edition of DVD Recommendations.
Four romantic movies to help kick start your Valentine's Day celebration are in this edition of DVD Recommendations.
I Could Never Be Your Woman – From Weinstein Company. Michelle Pfeiffer and
Paul Rudd star in this latest effort from Clueless writer-director Amy Heckerling. The film
had several feature release dates and then, unfairly, has gone straight to DVD. But don't
let that stop you from immediately seeking out one of the freshest rom coms I've seen in
ages. Pfeiffer plays the head writer of an insipid sitcom (called "You Go Girl") and one
day while casting the part of a nerd in walks Rudd who shows the same wacky sensibility
of a young Dick Van Dyke. Pfeiffer plays Rosie who is divorced (from Jon Lovitz) and
struggling with how to deal with her tween daughter (Saorise Ronan who plays the little
sister who causes all the trouble in Atonement), single parenthood, and perhaps, finding
another relationship. Rudd is Adam, the 29 year-old affable actor who is effortlessly
funny and inventive who is immediately drawn to Rosie. Against her better instincts (and
the loud warnings of Tracy Ullman as Rosie's conscience - a sort of Mother Earth figure),
Rosie and Adam begin a romance. As the relationship plays out, Heckerling peppers her
script with charming and hilarious insights into the television business and the life of a
single woman at that Certain Age. Though the film does have perhaps too many jokes
about the May-December conundrum, Hecklerling's characters are mostly winning. As
usual, she also adds some terrific, offbeat songs to the soundtrack that help the movie
percolate. Pfeiffer plays with expert finesse (no surprise there) and no matter her age is
simply a stunner. Rudd brings a winning optimism, matched with crack physical timing to
his role (the sequence when the two go to a club and he dances alone is priceless). The
movie is a delightful cream puff - a rare comedy with smart writing, good performances,
and a minimum of the mean spirited jokes that now seem to pervade American film
comedies. Hecklerling gives us a gentle romantic comedy with a zany edge that is a true
breath of fresh air. An assortment of extras from deleted scenes to comentaries are
included as a nice bonus.
Romance and Cigarettes – From Sony Pictures. I think this offbeat 2005 effort from
writer-director John Turturro has to be one of my new favorite films. Don't ask me why but
I resisted seeing it when it was (all to briefly) in theatres and it stayed a low priority in my
DVD stack. But one night, I got the urge and popped it in. I was entranced from the
opening scene and giggled and sighed and laughed out loud all through this messy,
profane, wonderful little movie. What energy and creativity! Turturro's story is set in
Brooklyn and revolves around the affair that James Gandolfini is having with hot tootsie
Tula (Kate Winslet) and the rage and despair of his no-nonsense wife Susan Sarandon
and his three daughters (Mary-Louise Parker, Mandy Moore and Aida Turturro) when they
find out. To express their rage, fear, desire, love, and 26 other flavors of emotion,
Turturro stages choreographed musical numbers in which the characters sing along with a
batch of hot 60s soul and pop classics - everything from THREE versions of "Piece of My
Heart" (with Dusty Springfield's topping the list for me as always) to Englebert
Humperdinck's "A Man Without Love." Eventually, the film takes a serious turn (as do the
songs) and I sorta missed the craziness of the opening half - but then with a late scene
involving Gandolfini and Sarandon's next door neighbors, the black comedy returns. This
story of the bumpy road of love is fresh and fun - something offbeat for Valentine's Day.
A nice making of featurette is also included.
You've Got Mail (Deluxe Edition) – From Warner Home Video. This 1998 re-
teaming of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks after their spectacular success in Sleepless in Seattle
is now getting the deluxe home edition treatment. Both stars again placed themselves in
the capable hands of writer-director Nora Ephron who came up with a computer age update
and variation on two previous versions of the same story: The Shop Around the Corner
(Jimmy Stewart-Margaret Sullivan) and In the Good Old Summertime (Judy Garland-Van
Johnson). In all three versions, the two leads play sworn enemies by day and unrequited
(and unknown to each other) pen pals by night. Ephron's version, of course, turns them
into email buddies.
This being 1998 and the height of AOL's overwhelming hold on net newbies, that is the
web provider of the two principals (naturally, with AOL and Warner both part of the same
corporate giant). Ryan plays the owner of a small children's bookstore, a bastion of
charm and playfulness while Hanks is the wealthy son of a corporate giant (ala Donald
Trump or Rupert Murdoch) whose Fox Books opens near Ryan's book nook (in a charming
nod to the original film version, her store is called "The Shop Around the Corner"). Both
Ryan and Hanks are aided in their cranky urban banter/email musings by a crack
supporting cast that includes Dabney Coleman, Greg Kinnear, Parker Posey, Jean
Stapleton, and Steve Zahn. All the special features from the previous release are
included along with two new ones. In the first, Ephron sits and recalls the making of the
film with stars Hanks and Ryan and in the second, there's a mini-history of classic
romantic movie couples that features with a lot of great clips and an interview with Mickey
Rooney. Each of these new segments is about 30 minutes in length and makes the
upgrade more than worth it.
When Harry Met Sally (Collector's Edition) – From MGM DVD. Nearly 10 years
before You've Got Mail Meg Ryan became a full fledged star with this 1989 romantic
comedy that was scripted by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner. Ryan co-stars with
Billy Crystal in what many have called the ultimate 80s romance film. The movie follows
the friendship of the title duo Harry and Sally who slowly over the years come to realize
that fate has brought them together for more than friendship. The film is a series of
clever vignettes tracing the course of the relationship through the years (allowing Ryan
and Crystal the chance to wear some hilarious retro fashions) and at times seems like a
more streamlined version of Annie Hall. The vignettes are interspersed with the charming
stories of courtship from a parade of elderly couples. Ryan and Crystal are ably
supported by Carrie Fisher and the late Bruno Kirby. New features include a three-way
commentary with Reiner, Ephron and Crystal that is funny and informative, deleted
scenes, SEVEN new featurettes - all very chatty and informative with the participation of
everyone but Ryan (or so it seems). A half hour making of featurette from the previous
version isn't included, however, nor is there a mention of the recent passing of Kirby.
Still, it's a worthy upgrade over the previous disc.
Paul Rudd star in this latest effort from Clueless writer-director Amy Heckerling. The film
had several feature release dates and then, unfairly, has gone straight to DVD. But don't
let that stop you from immediately seeking out one of the freshest rom coms I've seen in
ages. Pfeiffer plays the head writer of an insipid sitcom (called "You Go Girl") and one
day while casting the part of a nerd in walks Rudd who shows the same wacky sensibility
of a young Dick Van Dyke. Pfeiffer plays Rosie who is divorced (from Jon Lovitz) and
struggling with how to deal with her tween daughter (Saorise Ronan who plays the little
sister who causes all the trouble in Atonement), single parenthood, and perhaps, finding
another relationship. Rudd is Adam, the 29 year-old affable actor who is effortlessly
funny and inventive who is immediately drawn to Rosie. Against her better instincts (and
the loud warnings of Tracy Ullman as Rosie's conscience - a sort of Mother Earth figure),
Rosie and Adam begin a romance. As the relationship plays out, Heckerling peppers her
script with charming and hilarious insights into the television business and the life of a
single woman at that Certain Age. Though the film does have perhaps too many jokes
about the May-December conundrum, Hecklerling's characters are mostly winning. As
usual, she also adds some terrific, offbeat songs to the soundtrack that help the movie
percolate. Pfeiffer plays with expert finesse (no surprise there) and no matter her age is
simply a stunner. Rudd brings a winning optimism, matched with crack physical timing to
his role (the sequence when the two go to a club and he dances alone is priceless). The
movie is a delightful cream puff - a rare comedy with smart writing, good performances,
and a minimum of the mean spirited jokes that now seem to pervade American film
comedies. Hecklerling gives us a gentle romantic comedy with a zany edge that is a true
breath of fresh air. An assortment of extras from deleted scenes to comentaries are
included as a nice bonus.
Romance and Cigarettes – From Sony Pictures. I think this offbeat 2005 effort from
writer-director John Turturro has to be one of my new favorite films. Don't ask me why but
I resisted seeing it when it was (all to briefly) in theatres and it stayed a low priority in my
DVD stack. But one night, I got the urge and popped it in. I was entranced from the
opening scene and giggled and sighed and laughed out loud all through this messy,
profane, wonderful little movie. What energy and creativity! Turturro's story is set in
Brooklyn and revolves around the affair that James Gandolfini is having with hot tootsie
Tula (Kate Winslet) and the rage and despair of his no-nonsense wife Susan Sarandon
and his three daughters (Mary-Louise Parker, Mandy Moore and Aida Turturro) when they
find out. To express their rage, fear, desire, love, and 26 other flavors of emotion,
Turturro stages choreographed musical numbers in which the characters sing along with a
batch of hot 60s soul and pop classics - everything from THREE versions of "Piece of My
Heart" (with Dusty Springfield's topping the list for me as always) to Englebert
Humperdinck's "A Man Without Love." Eventually, the film takes a serious turn (as do the
songs) and I sorta missed the craziness of the opening half - but then with a late scene
involving Gandolfini and Sarandon's next door neighbors, the black comedy returns. This
story of the bumpy road of love is fresh and fun - something offbeat for Valentine's Day.
A nice making of featurette is also included.
You've Got Mail (Deluxe Edition) – From Warner Home Video. This 1998 re-
teaming of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks after their spectacular success in Sleepless in Seattle
is now getting the deluxe home edition treatment. Both stars again placed themselves in
the capable hands of writer-director Nora Ephron who came up with a computer age update
and variation on two previous versions of the same story: The Shop Around the Corner
(Jimmy Stewart-Margaret Sullivan) and In the Good Old Summertime (Judy Garland-Van
Johnson). In all three versions, the two leads play sworn enemies by day and unrequited
(and unknown to each other) pen pals by night. Ephron's version, of course, turns them
into email buddies.
This being 1998 and the height of AOL's overwhelming hold on net newbies, that is the
web provider of the two principals (naturally, with AOL and Warner both part of the same
corporate giant). Ryan plays the owner of a small children's bookstore, a bastion of
charm and playfulness while Hanks is the wealthy son of a corporate giant (ala Donald
Trump or Rupert Murdoch) whose Fox Books opens near Ryan's book nook (in a charming
nod to the original film version, her store is called "The Shop Around the Corner"). Both
Ryan and Hanks are aided in their cranky urban banter/email musings by a crack
supporting cast that includes Dabney Coleman, Greg Kinnear, Parker Posey, Jean
Stapleton, and Steve Zahn. All the special features from the previous release are
included along with two new ones. In the first, Ephron sits and recalls the making of the
film with stars Hanks and Ryan and in the second, there's a mini-history of classic
romantic movie couples that features with a lot of great clips and an interview with Mickey
Rooney. Each of these new segments is about 30 minutes in length and makes the
upgrade more than worth it.
When Harry Met Sally (Collector's Edition) – From MGM DVD. Nearly 10 years
before You've Got Mail Meg Ryan became a full fledged star with this 1989 romantic
comedy that was scripted by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner. Ryan co-stars with
Billy Crystal in what many have called the ultimate 80s romance film. The movie follows
the friendship of the title duo Harry and Sally who slowly over the years come to realize
that fate has brought them together for more than friendship. The film is a series of
clever vignettes tracing the course of the relationship through the years (allowing Ryan
and Crystal the chance to wear some hilarious retro fashions) and at times seems like a
more streamlined version of Annie Hall. The vignettes are interspersed with the charming
stories of courtship from a parade of elderly couples. Ryan and Crystal are ably
supported by Carrie Fisher and the late Bruno Kirby. New features include a three-way
commentary with Reiner, Ephron and Crystal that is funny and informative, deleted
scenes, SEVEN new featurettes - all very chatty and informative with the participation of
everyone but Ryan (or so it seems). A half hour making of featurette from the previous
version isn't included, however, nor is there a mention of the recent passing of Kirby.
Still, it's a worthy upgrade over the previous disc.
