Knight at HOME at the Movies
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Stars on DVD
A lot of star wattage helps drive this week's trio of DVD recommendations. Enjoy!
A lot of star wattage helps drive this week's trio of DVD recommendations. Enjoy!
The courageous story of Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer – who was summarily
dismissed after 27 years of military service for being a lesbian – was made into the
outstanding TV movie, Serving in Silence, in 1995. Now Sony Pictures has
released a DVD of the film and has included some nice bonus features. In the
movie, Glenn Close portrays Cammermeyer and Judy Davis (in an Emmy award
winning performance) her lover Diane. The movie follows Cammermeyer’s decision
to appeal the Army’s decision while at the same time having to come out to her
family. Executive produced by Barbra Streisand, the film was aired on NBC (amidst
the usual protests of course) before the advent of Ellen, Will & Grace and other out
characters on television. It’s an inspiring film but is never preachy or strident –
thanks to sensitive, well rounded portrayals by Close and Davis – and a terrific
script. This could have easily fallen into Lifetime TV movie clichés but doesn’t.
The disc includes an informative making of documentary, vintage featurettes that
include premiere footage (at which Streisand makes an appearance and addresses
the crowd) and clips from the 1996 GLAAD Media Awards where, not surprisingly,
Serving in Silence was honored. Highly recommended.
From the inspirational we jump to an old fashioned romance. After teaming in Speed
years ago, Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves are together again onscreen. But The
Lake House, just out on DVD from Warner Home Video, couldn’t be any farther
from that testosterone driven flick. This slowly paced, sumptuously mounted
character study finds Bullock and Reeves inexplicably falling in love via their
connection to the glass house of the title. But the stumbling block for the would-be
lovers, unfortunately, is a separation in time of two years. Naturally, lovers of
Somewhere in Time and other movies of this ilk will take this bittersweet tale to their
love starved hearts. Though the film wasn’t a huge box office winner, according to
my romantic movie expert aka my partner JB, this is THE romantic movie winner of
the year. He’s already hijacked the screener, watched the deleted scenes (that and
a trailer are the disc’s only extras) and played the movie at least seven times. And
perhaps the best sign -- I’ve seen him reaching for the Kleenex box more than once
while watching. The beautifully filmed movie also has the added bonus of a
charming, romantic – but not treacly score – by Rachel Portman.
Last up this week is another version of one of the most popular musicals of all
times, 1978’s Grease. Paramount Home Video now gives us Grease – the
Rockin’ Rydell Edition. Cleverly packaged inside a zipped up black leather
jacket, this edition is going to make fans of the John Travolta-Olivia Newton-John
50s musical very happy. In addition to a new transfer of the movie, which was
filmed in bright Crayola crayon colors by gay director Randal Kleiser (and produced
by gay, caftan wearing impresario Alan Carr), this edition includes 11 deleted or
additional scenes (presented in black and white – they’re only existing form),
karaoke tracks of the songs, and a host of other fun features. My favorite is the
footage from the 2002 25th anniversary DVD party which gives us Travolta and
Newton-John onstage belting out songs from the score like there’s no tomorrow.
Grease – with its camp sensibility – has always been a favorite in the gay community
(what other group would love with such intensity a girl gang called the Pink Ladies
and a group of singing, dancing, leather jacket wearing tough guys and the acid
tongued, long in the tooth for a teenager Stockard Channing) – and makes for a
nice warm up until Travolta’s turn as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray arrives in theatres
next year. Travolta going from the strutting stud Danny to homemaker Edna -- the
mind boggles. My how time has flown!
dismissed after 27 years of military service for being a lesbian – was made into the
outstanding TV movie, Serving in Silence, in 1995. Now Sony Pictures has
released a DVD of the film and has included some nice bonus features. In the
movie, Glenn Close portrays Cammermeyer and Judy Davis (in an Emmy award
winning performance) her lover Diane. The movie follows Cammermeyer’s decision
to appeal the Army’s decision while at the same time having to come out to her
family. Executive produced by Barbra Streisand, the film was aired on NBC (amidst
the usual protests of course) before the advent of Ellen, Will & Grace and other out
characters on television. It’s an inspiring film but is never preachy or strident –
thanks to sensitive, well rounded portrayals by Close and Davis – and a terrific
script. This could have easily fallen into Lifetime TV movie clichés but doesn’t.
The disc includes an informative making of documentary, vintage featurettes that
include premiere footage (at which Streisand makes an appearance and addresses
the crowd) and clips from the 1996 GLAAD Media Awards where, not surprisingly,
Serving in Silence was honored. Highly recommended.
From the inspirational we jump to an old fashioned romance. After teaming in Speed
years ago, Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves are together again onscreen. But The
Lake House, just out on DVD from Warner Home Video, couldn’t be any farther
from that testosterone driven flick. This slowly paced, sumptuously mounted
character study finds Bullock and Reeves inexplicably falling in love via their
connection to the glass house of the title. But the stumbling block for the would-be
lovers, unfortunately, is a separation in time of two years. Naturally, lovers of
Somewhere in Time and other movies of this ilk will take this bittersweet tale to their
love starved hearts. Though the film wasn’t a huge box office winner, according to
my romantic movie expert aka my partner JB, this is THE romantic movie winner of
the year. He’s already hijacked the screener, watched the deleted scenes (that and
a trailer are the disc’s only extras) and played the movie at least seven times. And
perhaps the best sign -- I’ve seen him reaching for the Kleenex box more than once
while watching. The beautifully filmed movie also has the added bonus of a
charming, romantic – but not treacly score – by Rachel Portman.
Last up this week is another version of one of the most popular musicals of all
times, 1978’s Grease. Paramount Home Video now gives us Grease – the
Rockin’ Rydell Edition. Cleverly packaged inside a zipped up black leather
jacket, this edition is going to make fans of the John Travolta-Olivia Newton-John
50s musical very happy. In addition to a new transfer of the movie, which was
filmed in bright Crayola crayon colors by gay director Randal Kleiser (and produced
by gay, caftan wearing impresario Alan Carr), this edition includes 11 deleted or
additional scenes (presented in black and white – they’re only existing form),
karaoke tracks of the songs, and a host of other fun features. My favorite is the
footage from the 2002 25th anniversary DVD party which gives us Travolta and
Newton-John onstage belting out songs from the score like there’s no tomorrow.
Grease – with its camp sensibility – has always been a favorite in the gay community
(what other group would love with such intensity a girl gang called the Pink Ladies
and a group of singing, dancing, leather jacket wearing tough guys and the acid
tongued, long in the tooth for a teenager Stockard Channing) – and makes for a
nice warm up until Travolta’s turn as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray arrives in theatres
next year. Travolta going from the strutting stud Danny to homemaker Edna -- the
mind boggles. My how time has flown!
