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The Godfather Trilogy: The Coppola Restoration

Starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Marlon Brando, and James Caan

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

Rated R

Appropriate for ages 17+

Available September 23, 2008 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc

The year was 1972 and two very important thing happened: I was born (yes, I am a legend in my own mind) and The Godfather hit theaters and changed the movie world.  The first time I watched the Godfather films was on VHS while in high school.  Like much of the world, I was truly blown away and didn’t know that it could look and sound better.  Then came the DVD collection, and those of us that missed the films in theaters were able to see the movies almost like they were meant to be seen.  But after 36 years, the film negatives were damaged and flawed and a serious restoration had to occur in order to get the movie looking like it first did in 72.  This new collection showcases those efforts to restore the film and their efforts were not in vain.  The look and sound of the film are now flawless, and according to one of the documentaries in the set, this new restoration might be better.  All I know is that this new set provides 10 hours of pure heaven for movie lovers (while the third film is flawed, it still caps off the trilogy nicely).  The special extras include three insightful commentaries and many short documentaries.  The must watch extra is the featurette The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t, which shows how close we got to not having The Godfather at all.  Movies: A+     Extras: A-

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Collector’s Edition


Rated PG for some scary images

Appropriate for all ages

Available August 26, 2008 on DVD and Blu-ray disc
 
Believe it or not, this classic Disney film is now 15 years-old.  A couple of years ago, Disney decided to re-release it into theaters with a new 3-D print.  Gone here is the 3-D, but the movie looks and sounds better than ever with this new transfer (especially on Blu-ray).  In case you haven’t seen, Nightmare tells the story of Pumpkin King Jack Skellington as he tries to hijack Christmas from Santa Clause.  The result of this cross between Halloween and Christmas is one of the greatest animated films of all time as well one of the best musicals ever put to film.  The features are largely the same as were on the special edition launched a few years back.  What makes this one worth buying is the new commentary with Tim Burton and composer Danny Elfman, as well as the original poem and concept art the film was based on, read by Christopher Lee.  The Blu-ray and Collector’s Edition DVD also include a digital copy for your Ipod or other movie device.  Movie: A+     Extras: A

The Presidents Collection

Available August 26, 2008 on DVD

Now that the Olympics are officially over, it’s time that the world puts it’s eye on who will be the next American President.  Just in time for the race to heat up, PBS home video is releasing this huge box set containing bios of Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Truman, The Kennedys, LBJ, Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Reagan, and George H.W. Bush.  15 discs in all, this set will provide the history buffs out there with about 35 hours worth of great documentaries.  I can’t say I made it all the way through the collection, but I certainly plan to by the time November rolls around and I’m very thankful that the set has been made available like this.  A

What Happens in Vegas


Starring Ashton Kutcher, Cameron Diaz, and Rob Cordry

Rated PG-13 for some sexual and crude content, and language, including a drug reference

Appropriate for ages 15+
Available August 26, 2008 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc

Joy and Jack (Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher) are two lonely souls that get way to drunk one night in Las Vegas and end up married to each other.  The regretful couple decide on a divorce, until Jack wins $3 million dollars on a slot machine.  Without being able to end the marriage amicably, a judge orders the two to live together for six months and attend marriage counseling, or neither get any money.  In order to get the other to quit and walk away, they each set up strategies and traps.

With a plot like this, the movie can’t help but be a predictable mess.  Anyone could read the above summary and be able to guess where the film ends up.  Since there is no way to make the film unpredictable, you would think that they would at least make the movie funny.  Unfortunately, Diaz is unconvincing in her role and almost seems incapable of adding humor to the mix here.  Instead, the filmmakers inject humor by relying on Kutcher, his loser friend and attorney Rob Cordry, and their hanger-on Zach Galifianakis.  This formula provides for a couple of laughs, but gets old quick and makes you wish the film would end sooner.  I will admit that there are a couple of good bits by Rob and Zach on the extra features, but not enough to make it worth the rental, purchase, or the time spent watching.  Movie: D     Extras: C

South Park: The Complete Eleventh Season

Appropriate for ages 17+

Available August 12, 2008 on DVD
 
Ten years ago if you would have told me that South Park, the immature but funny cartoon about a group of delinquents living in South Park, Colorado would still be making clever, witty, social commentaries in 2007, I would have scoffed.  After all, how long can people watch a show about fart jokes and crude humor?  Now, over a decade later, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are still churning out thought-provoking yet hilarious episodes season after season.  This season touched on such social issues as homelessness, racism, homosexuality, the presidential race, and the destruction of our imaginations.  Of course, the silly stuff like the world’s largest fecal output, guitar hero, and head lice are still making us laugh as well.  While the special features are scarce, I highly recommend you watch each episode with it’s respective mini-commentary.  Instead of long, drawn-out ramblings from the creators, Trey and Matt give us great insight into the season through 5-minute-long discussions at each episode’s beginning.  Episodes: A     Extras: A-

CJ7

Directed by and starring Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle)

Rated PG for language, thematic material, some rude humor, and brief smoking

Appropriate for all ages

Available August 12, 2008 on DVD and Blu-ray disc
 
In case the Olympic games in Beijing fail to give you your China fix, never fear – famed Chinese director/actor Stephen Chow is here to give us his version of ET.  With big adult hits like Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer behind him, he decided to make a childrens film next.  But this is no ordinary kid flick.  CJ7 follows the life of a father and his son living in extreme poverty in China.  The father, played by Chow, works hard at a construction job so that his son can go to a private school and have great opportunities.  When he is unable to buy his son a popular toy that he wants, he stumbles across a strange alien pet in a junkyard.  Calling it CJ7, the alien befriends the boy, causes tons of mischief, and teaches everyone a lesson in life.  This is a truly weird little film that is worth watching not because of it’s terrific filmmaking or storytelling (it has neither) but rather for it’s creativity and uniqueness.  The pic is in Chinese with subtitles as well an English dub for those that either can’t read yet, or don’t want to.  Movie: B     Extras: C-