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November 2007 - DVD Recommendations
Here's this month's recommended DVD selections brought to you by Playboy.
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The Sarah Silverman Program - Season One
Review:
The first season of The Sarah Silverman Progam on Comedy Central is exceptional. The first year was a brief run with only six episodes, but it promises to be one of funniest shows currently on TV during its second season(Wednesdays, check your listings). Sarah, her sister Laura, her large, orange neighbors, and other assorted characters are all interesting and unpredictable. Each episode usually has a few musical numbers by Sarah which are wonderful. There is some biting commentary such as the police officer who has a white female described as the perpetrator of a crime, but calls in a young black male out of habit. Personally, I could do with a little less bathroom humor, although 'The poop song' is hilarious.
The DVD has extra scenes, commentary, musical numbers, and even karaoke. They obviously put some love and care in releasing the show.
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Spider-Man 3
Review:
This film had awfully big shoes to fill with the highly successful Spider-Man 2 which is arguably the best comic-book film of all time. One can't fault the spidey team for trying to be ambitious here, but they just can't exceed, let alone match, their previous effort. This film is extremely satsifying and deserves to be the blockbuster that it is with its record setting $148 million opening weekend, outdoing Pirates 2 the previous opening weekend champ. Pirates 3 just missed outperforming Spidey 3 by about 10 million recently; therefore, Spidey 3 reigns champ for now on opening box-office revenue.
One has to consider the pressure on this team to continue a story in which they obviously have great affection and in addition to living up to great expectations, these folks also had to heavily consider that this could be the last Spider-Man film as both Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst have made it very clear that they want to move on past Spider-Man before it wrecks their careers like the superhero actors of the past. This may explain the overly complex storyline, the introduction of Gwen Stacey (for future romance should Dunst walk), multiple villains (under the notion that more is always better), and the over-reliance on special effects (which are outstanding). It's all a bit too much even though it is all entertaining, but if this is to be the last Spidey film, they wanted to give it all they had. Too bad it just isn't as good as their last effort, but it is still an outstanding film and great popcorn fun. You will have a blast with this film if you lower your expectations just a bit. I left the theater very satisfied.
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Jericho - The First Season
Review:
One of the few shows in many years that I have actually raced home each and every week to make sure I never missed a single episode!!
The acting abilities of the entire cast is amazing and will draw you in! Not to mention the plot (there actually is one!) and the storyline that will hold you enthralled once you do watch. Start from the beginning and fall in love with Jericho!
In a very subtle way it can also teach us all a thing or two about our friends, neighbors and how to work and live together as actual communities now.
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| Black Book
Review:
One of my special interests is WW II history, especially the Nazi era, and I have watched many fact-based movies dealing with the theme. Black Book is a first-rate thriller that depicts the trials and tribulations of a young Jewish woman in Nazi-occupied Holland. Rachel Stein the lead character is played consummately by the beguiling Carice Van Houten whose facial expressions do a lot more to convey fear, vulnerability, hatred and determination than mere dialogue alone. To ensure her continued survival and escape from certain death that awaits the Jewish populace, Rachel, having suffered the loss of her brother and parents, takes on the guise of an Aryan, Ellis de Vries, and is roped by the Resistance to seduce Ludwig Muntze [Sebastian Koch] a Gestapo officer and steal Nazi secrets.
The actors in this movie are well-cast - even the Gestapo officer, whose very title should inspire revulsion is portrayed with a certain sensitivity, and he shows a semblance of humanity, a rare trait for an officer of the Reich. Even knowing Rachel's true Jewish identity, he falls hopelessly in love with her, and this is portrayed with a level of credibility given the contradictions inherent in such a pairing.
The action is fast-paced, there is much violence, and yes, even explicit sex, but through it all, nothing detracts from the plot, only serves to enhance the story, and makes this a gripping, must-see WW II thriller.
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Casino Royale
Review:
There was never any doubt in my mind that Daniel Craig would make a sterling James Bond as I have seen most of his edgy, out of the box film roles in "Layer Cake," The Mother," Sylvia," "Munich," "Road to Perdition" to name several. Craig is and has always had weight, focus and importance on the screen. And as James Bond he brings all of these qualities to bear and "Casino Royale" is the better for it.
Many actors were rumored to have been considered for the re-inventing of James Bond and Daniel Craig was not a popular choice but his interpretation here should put all the naysayers at bay for Craig more than re-invents...he makes this part his own.
Martin Campbell ("Goldeneye," "Beyond Borders") stays clear of all the wham-bam, thank you M'am special effects of all the former James Bond films and concentrates on the things that make all films important: character, relationships and emotional commitment.
The action sequences are personal and physical (the kind that you never saw Brosnan do) as well as excitingly staged and produced. "Casino Royale" marks a change of direction and focus of the Bond franchise and from the evidence on the screen, I would have to say it looks like the producers have a winner in Daniel Craig and a homerun in their first outing with him.
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