Geoff Setty

Rachel Getting Married

Family weddings are a normally strenuous time, even more so when you have someone like Kym (Anne Hathaway) running around having been recently released for the weekend from rehab or a ‘facility.’ This ex-model is going to close some gates at the expense of everyone else in the family. Her sister Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt) is marrying long-time beau Sidney (Tunde Adebimpe) and Kym is determined to, possibly inadvertently, leave her mark on this wedding and make it truly memorable.
This melodramatic viewing is quite good, watching Hathaway live up to all of the promise she’s had. She certainly looks haggard with a long cigarette often hanging from her lips and her exceptional expressions give Kym heavy weight. Direction from Jonathan Demme is very non-intrusive and the support cast, particularly Bill Irwin as Paul (father of the bride), add to the joy of the film.

The problems with this one lie in the running time. Too many long, drawn out, uninspiring shots, where nothing is happening but the camera meanders from wedding guest to wedding guest. As viewers we understand that there are issues going on, but a montage at a wedding with all kinds of dramas going down, from my perspective, got a little, well, boring.

The other issue is the bleakness of the film; these characters drip with hatred and contempt for each other on so many levels that repeat viewings are unlikely as there are no humorous moments to break up the heaviness.

That said, it is an interesting film and Hathaway looks stunning and deserves all of the plaudits she’s received.
Extra features include commentaries, behind the scenes stuff and deleted scenes.

Good film, but so little light relief in there.

3 Stars

DVDevotee - Bigger, Stronger, Faster

In America in the ‘80s everything was BIGGER. Greed was good, life was cheap and ‘roided up athletes (Hulk Hogan, Marion Jones etc) and film stars (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sly Stallone etc) were the order of the day. Growing up in this environment, documentarian Christopher Bell and his two brothers felt a dire need to keep up with the mass populace and started working out and then injecting steroids.

Bell ensures this movie takes a brave turn in turning the camera on his own life and possible addiction to steroids. I say “possible” as this film explores all facets of steroids and points out quite plainly, there may be no bad guy. It all depends on your perspective.

Interviewing key players in this ‘industry’ and reminiscing about key moments in American culture, Bigger Stronger Faster gives you a picture of a nation crumbling under the influence of a needle and the contents of a syringe.
In addition to not casting any villains, this film also doesn’t make any judgements on the possible use and abuse of steroids. The film looks beyond the steroid issue and asks if things like Tiger Woods having corrective eye surgery to improve his vision to 20/15 should be looked down upon in the same way.

Bigger Stronger Faster doesn’t pretend to have any answers but throws up some extremely pertinent questions and more cinema should do this.

The Wrestler

The world of The Wrestler is about as far removed from the glitz and glamour of World Wrestling Entertainment as you can get. Mickey Rourke is Randy “the Ram” Robinson, a seasoned pro-wrestler whose heyday was in the ‘80s. He has fucked up relationships with all of those around him which is contradicted by the dressing room where he is idolised by the other wrestlers. He is estranged from his daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood), who doesn’t like her father’s choice of lifestyle. His only positive light is Cassidy/Pam (Marisa Tomei), the stripper he visits on a regular basis. Finally Randy is offered the last chance to reclaim his glory and get back in the ring with his old nemesis, The Ayatollah.  This is a slight film, wonderfully directed by Darren Aranofsky (Requiem for a Dream) with fantastic performances from all involved. The interest in The Wrestler is in its exposition of a world totally foreign to most people – we don’t actually know what goes on in the crazy world of wrestling, but when The Ram fights a guy called Necro Butcher with light boxes, mirrors and all manner of items, you know this film isn’t for the squeamish. There is a sense of redemption through violence with Randy doing all he can to atone for previous sins by getting the shit beaten out of him night after night. This isn’t Rocky – this is hard-hitting and ultimately depressing stuff, with Randy facing a world of loneliness and alienation, due to illness, or the fact that he can’t relate to people unless he’s hitting them as hard as he can.Aranofsky lets the action unfold in front of you and doesn’t get heavy-handed with messages or morals. The Wrestler ultimately is the kind of movie you can only watch once without wanting to slit your wrists, but it’s a great watch.

Frost / Nixon

The behind-the-scenes account of David Frost’s (Michael Sheen) 1977 interviews with Richard Nixon (Frank Langella)is excellent tense drama; a character study of what one man will do to adjust the law with director Ron Howard giving simple moments extreme gravitas. At nearly two hours it doesn’t slow down nor has a dull moment. Langella becomes Nixon without ever being a parody. Sheen is subservient in many ways to Nixon illustrating the young interviewer’s intimidation by this man. Credit goes to screenwriter Peter Morgan for telling a story both timely and necessary. This series of interviews set up David Frost for life as a serious interviewer and the talking heads/mocumentary style owes as much to comedy as it does the original texts itself. It’s my favourite film of 2008 due to the relevance it has to today’s political world with another ‘Nixonian’ despot having just left the Whitehouse. Don’t miss it. Extra features include a look at the real stoush and making of as well as interviews with key cast members.

DVDevotee - Slumdog Millionaire (Icon Films)

There is an expectation that the film awarded the Best Picture each year at the Academy Awards is going to have a reasonable stake to be just that, the best picture of the year.  And this year as in several others – I’m looking in your direction big boat movie and southern retard film – the Academy of motion pictures stuffed it up. That’s not to say that Slumdog Millionaire is a bad film, in fact it’s a very good film, just not as good, in my opinion as Frost/Nixon. Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of Jamal who as the film opens is being interrogated for suspected cheating on Who Wants to be a Millionaire – thankfully the Indian version as I couldn’t do with anymore Eddie Maguire. The story on how he knew the answers to all of the questions are told in flashback, extracting emotion from each one, until we find out exactly how this ’slumdog’ rose from zero to almost conquering hero in a small matter of time. Interwoven with this story is the love triangle between Jamal, his brother Salim and the beautiful Latika, who unfortunately is used as a pawn in Indian society.  The film progresses rather predictably towards a bit of an all singing all dancing finale. If this sounds like its Hollywood doing Bollywood, you’re just about spot on.

hat said, the direction from Danny Boyle (Trainspotting) is excellent and the young cast are doing a fantastic job of making you feel every moment of their love, pain and triumph at seeing this one through. Slumdog Millionaire is in interesting film, as like Gump it rewards the underdog.  You can actually smell the shit rising off the streets. All of that said though, Slumdog is far from the greatest film of 2008, and shouldn’t be lauded as such.  But, if you want an entertaining couple of hours with a bit of singing thrown in, Slumdog is just the ticket.

DVDevotee - Journey To the Centre of the Earth (Roadshow Films)

Brendan Fraser has recently inherited amusing action hero status in the mold of Harrison Ford. And like Harrison Ford’s latest film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, this one is plagued with problems. As a film, it was originally shot in 3D. You remember 3D, the brief and exceptionally forgettable movie fad of the ‘50s. Well in some ways it’s back, only to be forgettable once again. And that is one of the issues with this film; its hook is the 3D gimmick so there is an over-reliance on things popping out of the screen at the expense of plot, character development and a script that really delivers. Fraser plays Professor Trevor Anderson who is asked to look after his nephew Sean, played with teenage boredom by Josh Hutcherson, for a few days. Inspired by the Jules Verne novel, they head to Scandinavia after finding a shitload of loose change sitting in jars (is that as implausible as it sounds?), as opposed to skiing in Canada and meeting the exceptionally pretty Hannah, played by Anita Briem, who is fourteen years younger than Fraser in real life.

There is a bit of fun and witty dialogue with the three of them and they fall down a mountain and before you can say “shit, isn’t this The Mummy 4?”, they wind up somewhere near the centre of the earth. From there it seems to be about Hannah and Trevor hooking up – making many a viewer vomit in their mouths – while they find a way home. This film never really seems to get out of first gear and even the supposed action bits are lackluster, with the flick putting all of its eggs in the ‘wow 3D’ basket. The direction is competent from Eric Brevig, a former Xena: Warrior Princess director, but let’s make sure he never gets near a film camera again. While the three leads are all passable, the issue comes in with the relationship between Fraser and Briem. He looks old enough to be her preacher in church and that is truly scary. It would have been way more appropriate to see young love blossom between Sean and Hannah with Fraser doing some witty asides to camera. I guess the truth is, this could have been a lot worse – it could have been The Mummy 4.

Burn After Reading

The simple fact of the matter is The Coen Brothers make superb films. Their ability to get out-of-character performances from a range of actors is unequalled. In this one, they get unique performances from Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Tilda Swinton. It’s all about Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich), a former FBI agent who is writing his memoirs and Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand), who really wants a heap of plastic surgery. That’s about it, but the characters that revolve around them make this film a wild pastiche of spy movies with an eye on physical appearances and self-improvement.
The Coen Brothers are so prolific they are bound to release films that don’t always appeal, and while there are criticisms that this one starts a bit slow, there are enough wonderful surprises and character work for any discerning film watcher to enjoy.

With standout performances from all involved (particularly a Lothario George Clooney) this is a great film from my two favourite film-makers. The cameo role from the divine J.K Simmons as an FBI operative is delightful.

So learn something from this one, or don’t. Either way, it’s a fucking hoot. In an ideal world every single movie will be produced, directed and written by Joel and Ethan Coen.

DVDevotee Dirty Sexy Money (Walt Disney Studios)

Essentially your joy of Dirty Sexy Money depends on how much you like watching Peter Krause (Six Feet Under) and Donald Sutherland (MASH) perform, which in my case is a hell of a lot. Nick George (Peter Krause) never really knew his father Dutch, who was the lawyer for the wealthiest family in the history of forever - the Darling clan - led by patriarch Tripp Darling (Donald Sutherland). When Dutch, dies in a mysterious plane crash, Nick inherits this family. Channelling the spirit of The Royal Tenenbaums and with dollops of dark humour, Dirty Sexy Money is more fun than it should be, as we watch Nick take a trip down the road marked ‘shitloads of excess’.

The problem comes when the soap opera elements overwhelm the fun the viewer should have - the priest with the son he denies, then later really wants is more suitable to Home and Away than something that has the class of this. The other complaint is that there are too many characters, with the twins, in particular Juliet being a waste of space (I believe in the second season she appears only as a guest star, so that has probably begun to rectify the situation). A particularly brave step in a mainstream American television program is the inclusion of Carmelita (Candis Cayne), a transsexual who is having an affair with a married politician, Patrick Darling IV (William Baldwin). In general much of what is here is a huge bus ride of fun – particularly the mystery element of what actually happened to Dutch. Well shot, with magnificent scenery and great performances from Sutherland, Krause and Jill Clayburgh as matriarch Tish Darling, Dirty Sexy Money is, all up, a fun if mindless ride.

Extra features include a look at the sets, bloopers, a look at Candis Cayne, commentaries and a heap more.

DVDevotee Get Smart (Roadshow Home Video)

There is something extremely comforting about Get Smart as an entity; Max has to bumble and be a bit of an idiot, 99 has to be sexy and the chief has to be increasingly amazed at Max and his ineptitude. The new film, based on the hit series of the ’60s and ’70s works, but primarily due of the hard work of the key cast. Max (Steve Carrell) is an analyst who dreams of being a field agent. His dream is fulfilled through a comedy of errors, and he goes into the field, with 99 in tow, to fight KAOS and its new regime of terror. This is harmless fun, with Carell and Hathaway (99) both playing their roles to the hilt, but as is a recently recurring happening in Hollywood, both have their thunder well and truly stolen by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, whose charisma and charm is working overtime. There are certainly some character tweakings that may upset long-time fans, but with all the catchphrases and fun the cast and audience may have, it really doesn’t matter.

So as a comedy, this is a fine feature. It falls down, however, when it tries to up the action quota. Get Smart has never worked in the action stakes and perhaps this aspect of the modernisation doesn’t quite work. I think that if the rumoured sequel is to work, it must become more of a screwball comedy and leave the action stakes at home. Extra features on this one include deleted scenes and a blooper reel. This one was a lot of fun and I think that they deserve a second bite of the cherry to hone Max and crew a little bit better.

DVDevotee Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Paramount)

Like many people my age, the prospect of a new Indiana Jones film took me back to my childhood, and the excitement that lie therein. I really wanted to think that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was going to be a call-back to the fantastic adventures ‘Indi’ had during the mid-’80s and beyond. Oh man, was I wrong. This isn’t just a bad Indiana Jones film, it’s a bad film period. The ingredients are there, but like Harrison Ford’s wrinkled and grey façade, everything in this film comes across as being old. The plot revolves around an old friend of our heroes’, who finds a skull and he has to return it to the resting place. That’s about it really. Throw in some hammy acting and that’s yer film. Ray Winstone, John Hurt and Jim Broadbent all may as well not be there, and Cate Blanchett as the villain is somewhat wasted, particularly when you have to listen to the most aggravating Russian accent ever. But really the Indiana Jones films have always been about Ford and in this film he never really seems to be doing any more than going through the motions. Certainly he swaggers and drops the requisite one-liners, but beyond that there seems to be no effort. The relationships with those around him seem forced and uninspiring. Karen Allen as Marion makes a pleasant return, but it really is unnecessary, and lacks the spark of the original. The ridiculous ‘passing of the torch’ to Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) is predictable and trite. The direction is pedestrian with Spielberg directing clichéd action sequences, and the writing from David Koepp based on a story by George “should have quit after I fucked up Star Wars” Lucas is beyond a joke.

The main problem with this is that the filmmakers set up a lot of consistencies in the Indiana Jones universe that are not held true in the latest instalment. For example, having drunk from the Holy Grail (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), Indiana should be immortal. Not even mentioned in this film which makes all that happened in the past facile and irrelevant, much like this truly bad film.

Goldfrapp @ The Belvoir Ampitheatre, Thursday October 2

You always know something special is going to happen at certain venues. The Belvoir Ampitheatre, Cockatoo Island and above all a special place is reserved for the Sydney Opera House. Goldfrapp certainly didn’t disappoint and at one juncture Alison even said “I’ve been dreaming about this gig for ages.” Opening up for a short set, Bertie Blackman played a half hour that was all too similar to Goldfrapp. I’ve always believed the support act should be a bit like the headliner, but not too similar as to make sure the audience doesn’t lose interest. The fact that the concert room was only about a third full explains the lack of relevance Bertie had on the night.
After an over-priced Opera House beer, it was on to the main event. The first thing you noticed was the twelve-piece string section all dressed in white and looking amazing. Then the band came on, and finally Alison Goldfrapp herself. She looked absolutely stunning with legs all the way up, and in a shy style she often covered her face. They blistered through a set that featured many songs from the new album Seventh Tree, while taking nothing away from numerous hits from their back catalogue - Ooh La la, Utopia and Strict Machine all sounded amazing. The string section, which was exclusive to Sydney, added so much to songs like Black Cherry and Eat Yourself. At one point Alison requested we all ‘step up’, and many in the audience did with several remaining seated to enjoy the lightshow and atmosphere. It was almost like we’d stumbled on a most amazing group of musicians and that voice in the middle of a forest. With one of most incredible voices in music, there is no way that Goldfrapp themselves didn’t step up on this night.  A simply spellbinding and brilliant show.

DVDevotee Dexter Season Two (Paramount)

After catching and ridding Miami of the Ice Truck Killer, Dexter (Michael C. Hall) returns to combat the Bay Harbour Butcher. Dexter Season 2 is good to watch with the voiceover as it is less irritating than in Season One and the humour expressed through this device is more of a focus. The second season of Dexter has the title character examining himself, and the way he operates, as the relationship he has with the Bay Harbour Butcher is exceptionally personal. The supporting cast are all excellent with Keith Carradine joining the cast as Special Agent Frank Lundy from the FBI. He is hunting down the Bay Harbour Butcher and developing a relationship with Deb – Dexter’s sister (Jennifer Carpenter). Of course Doakes (Erik King) is still aware that Dexter is a ‘fucking freak’, and won’t let anything stand in his way in an effort to take him down. All of this is relatively serene in Dexter’s world, and then in walks Lila (Jamie Murray); she immediately has the viewer on edge and as the series progresses, more and more is revealed as to why (both figuratively and literally). The problem with this one is that, unlike Season One there are a couple of episodes where things lag, before ramping back up for a great conclusion. Perhaps they could have done two six episode storylines instead of a twelve part saga. That is minor quibbling though, because by the end of Season Two, all is enjoyable and Hall and crew carry the whole thing off admirably. The standout performance is from the veteran Carradine, who brings to Lundy a sense of order and honesty. Dexter Season Two features cast interviews as the only special feature.  It will be worthwhile to see if they can keep this pace going into the third season and beyond.

DVDevotee The Godfather – The Coppola Restoration (Paramount Home Entertainment)

A quick poll around this great wide world, and most people will tell you that The Godfather is one of, if not the greatest, films ever made. And The Godfather II isn’t too shabby either, constantly rated as the best sequel ever made – hard to disagree with that, considering what it’s going up against. The less said about the finale of the trilogy the better (way too violent, and already made redundant by the closing moments of II). The Godfather opus tells the tales of the Corleone family and their internal and external power struggles. Featuring breakout performances from Al Pacino, Robert Duvall and James Caan, as well as several defining moments from the likes of Marlon Brando and a young Robert De Niro (when he was actually really good)

This is excellent film-making which sucks you in with rich characters. Interestingly enough the sequel was never supposed to be made. Of course, the problem comes with number three and some of the choices within that film – the ‘keep it in the family’ casting of Sophia Coppola, Pacino winding up as a parody of himself. I’ve always believed though, if III wasn’t a Godfather film, it stacks up quite nicely, and I guess it does bring the whole saga to a bloody close. What makes this collection truly special, though, are the extra features.  Coppola supplies commentaries on all three films, paying attention to the problems he had on set. The other extra features are also exceptional with looks at the making of the first film, and the cultural impact that The Godfather has given us – Mr Scorsese you know what I’m talking about. And so much more, in fact there are two whole discs of special features, really making this a must have on the list. It’s an offer you can’t refuse.

DVDevotee Juno (Fox Video)

Writer/director Jason Reitman had a strong big screen debut with Thank You for Smoking, and his follow-up Juno features two of my favourites in Jason Bateman and Michael Cera from Arrested Development, as well as a pleasant cast of other well known faces. So - and you might not believe this - what went wrong? Simply put, the hype didn’t equal the finished product. This is little more than indie filmmaking 101; see any film from Happy Texas to Garden State and you have pretty much summed up the look and feel of Juno, with every character acting irritatingly quirkily and talking like Jeneane Garafalo for two hours. This was nothing more than a sweet, remotely-likeable comedy and really, a film about a pregnant teenager could have been so much more, but the lack of identifiable characters and not enough Michael Cera made me pray for the final credits. Certainly it was not all doom and gloom; there were some amusing one-liners, nice cameos - particularly from Rainn Wilson, J.K Simmons and Allison Janney - and some interesting soundtrack choices (Belle and Sebastian and Mott the Hoople), but from my perspective that was about it. Ellen Page was good in the role but certainly didn’t overwhelm - I can’t see what all the fuss is about. To make matters worse, the thing they leave us with, that final long, drawn, pull-out shot featuring the two protagonists singing was beyond a joke and really shat me to tears (who cares about churches and steeples!?). Extra features include commentaries, deleted scenes and behind the scenes stuff.

DVDevotee Frisky Dingo

(Madman)
Frisky Dingo is the latest creation from Adult Swim Cartoons (the beloved offshoot of the Cartoon Channel that is, as you’d expect, more geared towards adults), and is the brainchild of the duo that brought us Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and Sealab 2021. It tells the story of the ultimate villain, Killface, and his battle against the hero Awesome-X, who disguises himself as alter-ego Xander Crews, the atypical millionaire playboy-by-day. From this premise, peripheral characters intersect their lives with entertaining results. This is funny, subversive stuff with a variety of film references and popular culture jokes - the LARPERS in particular come in for rough treatment. The show works best once all the characters are introduced and the overarching story kicks off.

Frisky Dingo is shown in an Arrested Development style, with flashbacks linking actions and results. Fully utilising the animation medium, there are some suitably ridiculous occurrences - the placing of a blonde wig on one of the characters changes the narrative for good - but the viewer is encouraged to go along with it. If I have any qualms with this one, it’s that sometimes the show pushes the absurd too far, and some viewers might be reluctant to go along with the happenings on screen. That said, if you want a show with radioactive ants, an Annihilatrix, a paranoid reporter, a jaguar and some “weird kind of Boys from Brazil thing,” then this is for you. Unfortunately, there are only trailers available on the disc supplied, so no extras to speak of.

DVDevotee The Science of Sleep

(Madman)
The Science of Sleep is a film that examines the nature of dreams; what we dream of, and how that influences our waking lives. And while some may find this film frustrating (in particular the lead character Stephane), I found it to be charming and thought-provoking. Writer and director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Be Kind, Rewind) has made another film about unrequited love that is, perhaps, more of a fantasy than anyone initially realises.  Creative, shy, and withdrawn, Stephane (Gael Garcia Bernal, he of The Motorcycle Diaries fame) returns to his childhood home after the death of his father, and meets his neighbour Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg), who has also just moved in. While she has some of the same creative flair as Stephane, she is more reluctant to show it than he is. What Stephane lacks in confidence in the real world, he makes up for in dreams, and a gentle romance begins to blossom. Or does it? With the fourth wall of perception often broken down, and coupled with simple but lovely cinematic tricks, Gondry has made a film to fall in love with. The characters are wonderfully sympathetic, and though Stephane is a little weak, his attempts to woo Stephanie range from being hysterically sweet to incredibly sad. The support characters, most of whom work in the most uninteresting office in the world, are delightfully amusing and add to the dreamlike quality of the film, with Guy (Alan Chabat) being a particular stand-out. The Science of Sleep is worthy of repeat viewings, just to pick up the differences between the dreams and the waking world.  At risk of sounding like a rose-tinted Hallmark card, this film is for those who dream of love, and those who love to dream. Extra features include a making of, theatrical trailer, and cast interviews.

DVDevotee 3:10 To Yuma

(Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Despite being based on a short story by the prolific Elmore Leonard (Get Shorty, Jackie Brown), and containing two great lead actors in Christian Bale and Russell Crowe, poor editing and a few leaps of faith in the script leads to a very lagging film.

3:10 From Yuma concerns the tale of rancher Dan Evans (Bale) who, while tending his cattle, stumbles conveniently across career robber Ben Wade (Crowe) and his gang of miscreants.  From this point it becomes something of a power-play/bonding scenario between the two leads, as Evans charging himself with the task of escorting the sometimes-charming sometimes-brutal Wade to the 3:10 To Yuma train, and thus to his execution.  Therein lies both the problem and charm of this film; while there is bound to be a certain amount of relationship building between a prisoner and their captor, this film grows to be something ridiculous.

With scant regard for truth or character consistencies, Yuma has captor and prisoner getting all friendly by the end, something that certainly doesn’t hold true throughout the film.  The characters are simple clichés with a struggling rancher and a robber with an eventual – yup, you got it – “heart of gold.”  While director James Mangold (Walk the Line, Copland) does a reasonable job with what he’s been given, there are many missed opportunities.  For a western, there aren’t many female characters, and the film plods along at a terribly slow pace, leading to a predictable conclusion, with some scenes taken to ridiculous proportions (why would a thief care about the bible? It is never really explained).  Ultimately, 3:10 to Yuma is too flat to be enjoyable.  No extra features on the copy supplied.

DVDevotee Charlie Wilson’s War

(Universal)
There is something extremely ominous about the re-telling of America’s covert war against communism, in particular the war against Russia. The film is taken entirely from the perspective of Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks), a senator from Texas who convinces the rich around him to pledge more money to the war effort. Aided by CIA Agent Gust Avraktos (Philip Seymour Hoffman), he travels into Afghanistan to find out the truth about the conflict. With Julia Roberts’ Joanne Hemming as one of his major benefactors, the stage for political intrigue is set. Charlie Wilson’s War is solid brain fodder, with a punchy script from obvious political animal Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) and competent direction from Mike Nichols (Working Girl, The Birdcage). The problem with this film rests in its potential to be so much more. Instead of thoroughly exploring many of the themes and reverberations from actions, it merely glosses over, giving most things a cursory glance and nothing more.

There were opportunities to talk and explore corruption, arms dealing, and the very nature of covert war, all of which are looked over for a short running time. The performances are certainly enjoyable; Roberts is only in for a short cameo, Hoffman stands out by doing a great impersonation of John Goodman and chewing through scenery. The film certainly focuses on Tom Hanks, who still has excellent comedic timing and can take a dramatic turn. With political intrigue so successful in both Sorkin and Nichol’s (director of Primary Colors) past, this film represents something of a missed opportunity. Unfortunately there were no extras on the copy supplied.

DVDevotee The Sopranos Season 6 – The Final Episodes

(Warner Home Video)
“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” This is true of most people, except brutal mob-boss Tony Soprano. As this magnificent series reaches the end, we see an unhinged Tony trying to justify his increasingly erratic and violent acts. To tell you what he does is to give away too many important plot points, but suffice to say, as he draws the troops closer for the final conflict, many don’t make the cut. The Sopranos is brilliant television, well paced and incredibly acted and it’s a credit to creator David Chase that the characters stay consistent until the final curtain. The basic storyline about about a male with more than one job attempting to adjust all facets of his life has grown into a TV series with a life of its own.

There are incredible performances from the ensemble cast, with James Gandolfini, Edie Falco and Lorraine Bracco as the standouts, as well as peerless writing and direction from Terrence Winter, Allen Coulter and of course Chase himself. The Sopranos very quickly became television that re-invented what we watched and the shockwaves of this show are being felt in programs like Underbelly and the films of Tarantino and Guy Ritchie. With superb music and a suitable conclusion (that’s a point that many have argued), the final episodes of The Sopranos have the biggest surprises and role reversals both for the family and ‘the family’. Extra features on this set include numerous episode commentaries (disappointingly not for the final episode), a look at the music (another upstanding character throughout the show), as well as a look behind the scenes of the movie within the show Cleaver!

Don’t miss the final episodes of the most important television series ever made… in fact fuck that, lock yourself away, go back to the beginning and watch them all. You won’t be disappointed.

DVDevotee 30 Rock

(Universal)
30 Rock has been described by some in a kind of Arrested Development light, but that is underestimating this wonderful program. Created by and starring former Saturday Night Live! head writer Tina Fey (Mean Girls), 30 Rock tells the story of Liz Lemon, creator of The Girly Show, which stars her best friend Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski – Ally McBeal). Into Liz’s peaceful existence at 30 Rockerfeller Plaza, home of the NBC network, comes the new CEO Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin, “the greatest actor of all time”), who insists they need to get the ‘third heat’, so an actor is hired to appeal to the youth demographic - in this case Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan – Saturday Night Live!), a somewhat eccentric performer.

The backdrop of this is the writers’ room featuring a range of quirky writers and a put-upon director, as well as an over-enthusiastic NBC page Kenneth (Jack McBrayer). From there we are introduced to a cast of guests and miscellaneous miscreants. Now granted, this plot sounds a little hack and possibly trite. But good God, 30 Rock works and has me smiling at worst and cackling like an insane monkey at best. Performances all-round are extremely good, particularly Baldwin who has excellent comedy timing - being married to Kim Basinger must give you something. The writing zings with subversive, multi-layered, referenced and very funny material - encouraging multiple viewings - and the direction suits the ’show within a show’ format.

Put simply, 30 Rock is the show that put Jerry Seinfeld back on television (Season Two, Episode One), so you know it’s something remarkable. The only complaint I have is that there are no extra features on the set. But still, what’s here is quality and much better than that Gilbert and Sullivan tribute.

DVDevotee Planet Terror

(Roadshow Home Entertainment)
Robert Rodriguez makes mind-fuck zombie movies, the kind of films that push the adrenaline up to 11, forcing you to cower in the chair one moment and giggle like a little girl the next. Planet Terror is the second of the Grindhouse movies and its pacing, sense of humour and tongue-in-cheek appeal work so much better than Tarantino’s take on the genre. Where Death Proof is overblown and wordy, Planet Terror has so much more fun as a zombie film compared to a stuntman’s wet dream. The plot revolves around a top secret army plan to release noxious gases and create some kind of superhuman anti-venom… or actually it was something like that, I was enjoying the film so much and the plot was so irrelevant it doesn’t matter. The acting is over the top and suits the film perfectly with Freddie Rodriguez (Six Feet Under), Rose McGowan (Charmed) and Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men) all along for the ride, and all looking like they are having an absolute ball.

The direction is crisp with all the cheap effects looking like a million bucks and the intentionally scratchy, overexposed film works well in this instance. There’s even a mock trailer (Machete) that looks like more manic than Death Proof. The only kinds of people that might not enjoy this one are the incredibly squeamish, but even they will start to chuckle along by the end. Violent, freaky and way over the top, Planet Terror will be a guilty pleasure flick for years to come. Like Death Proof there are heaps of extras including commentaries, appearances at Comic-con, looks at the effects, stunts and so much more.

Planet Terror: I have never found trash so unmissable.

DVDevotee Death Proof

(MA Roadshow)
Death Proof is the first of the two Grindhouse movies; this one directed by Quentin Tarantino is fun, but really too long. The idea of Grindhouse films are to be quick and painless exploitation films. These kinds of flicks were underground hits in the ’70s and featured a stream of forgettable actors and actresses running around with most of their clothes missing. Thanks to the Weinstein brothers the initial trim and taunt running time has been thrown out the window and now the cinematic and DVD release of Death Proof has been extended to approximately two hours, and the extra time shows. While in previous films Tarantino’s penchant for snappy pop culture references and dialogue works, this film makes it laboured with too much dialogue and only two action sequences. However, those sequences work like a charm. With a great performance from Snake Plissken himself (Kurt Russell) as the sleazy and dangerous Stuntman Mike and support from Rose McGowan, Rosario Dawson and stuntwoman Zoe Bell, the action sequences of Death Proof are like watching the Crusty Deamons go nuts.  As with many of his films, Death Proof sits comfortably in the Tarantino universe, particularly alongside the Kill Bill duo. He references earlier works with joy, but his shtick is growing a bit passé with so many impersonators and wannabes. As an individual film, and forgetting the fact the Weinstein’s fucked with Tarantino and Rodriguez’ original vision, Death Proof works, but only if you’re prepared to put a bit of work in to get over the dialogue. As this one is a double disc it’s loaded down with extra features including a look at the cars, stunts, girls, editorial process and so much more. These extra features are certainly worth a gander and both Rodriguez and Tarantino bust a gut to load their films with special bits and pieces. I’ll be casting my eye over Planet Terror in the next issue.

DVDevotee Across The Universe

(Sony Pictures)
If the intention of the powers behind Across The Universe was to make you revisit those fantastic old Beatles songs, then they have succeeded without question. If, however, we are to take the film on its own merits, then it is a bit of a shambles. Jude (Jim Sturgess) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) fall in and out of love, while Max (Joe Anderson), Lucy’s brother, is carted off to war. In terms of plot, that’s about it, and as a film with a running time of 133 minutes it therefore is really a bit too long.

The songs, though, are what keep you watching and the Lennon/McCartney compositions have rarely sounded fresher than when sung by the cast of excellent special guests including Joe Cocker and Dana Fuchs (don’t worry – you will hear of her). The problem is that during a couple of the scenes, they try to incorporate the drugs the band were on as a plot device and this drives the piece well off the rails. In fact, as soon as a high-profile Irish singer comes into view – alright, it’s Bono - the whole thing takes a walk for about 20 minutes that we could have done without. With no word of warning, we are dropped into a drug-fucked miasma of images and noise, however 20 minutes later it returns to the norm but never quite finds its footing.

Across The Universe is a wonderful homage to this great music, it’s just a shame the whole thing is one long rambling music clip. The performances are all passing, and the direction and script (by Clements and La Frenais who brought us the sublime Porridge) are a little plodding - a shame considering what could have been. Extra features include audio commentary, behind the scenes features and deleted scenes.

DVDevotee Green Wing

(Hopscotch Entertainment)
Very British and astoundingly funny, Green Wing comes to us from the incredible creative brain that gave us Smack the Pony - the delicious Victoria Pile and her team of eight writers. This truly ensemble comedy tells the story of Dr Caroline Todd’s (Tamsin Greig – Black Books) first days at work in a student hospital. Caroline quickly gets involved in a love hexagon - seriously, everyone from shy Dr Martin Dear (Karl Theobold) to hospital administrator Sue White (Michelle Gomez) has a thing for Caroline. The exceptions to this rule are the in-and-out of love/sex couple Dr Alan Statham (scenery chewer Mark Heap – Spaced) and Joanna Clore (Pippa Heywood – The Brittas Empire).  Of course, while all of this is going on they have to attend to patients.

While this might seem a bit like a UK version of Scrubs, Green Wing works better because the pacing is faster and the absurd enters the real world, instead of just being dream sequences. The writing is fun and performances flawless without exception. Closer in style to Arrested Development than anything else, Green Wing has the same flashback-forward style and absurdist payoff and wit. There is so much to like in Green Wing; as mentioned, all of the performances are great, including the cameos and minor roles – Oliver Chris as Boyce and his two-play with Statham is fresh and very funny. It really does illustrate the adage that there are no small roles, only small actors. Green Wing is the kind of show that anybody can watch and enjoy, picking up new gags with repeated viewings. Extra features on this set include deleted scenes, audio commentaries and a behind the scenes featurette.

DVDevotee Dexter

(Showtime Entertainment)
Dexter tells the story of Dexter Morgan, a man who leads a most duplicitous life. By day, mild mannered blood-splatter analyst for the police in Miami… by night, a ’super-vigilante’ of sorts, making the streets safe by offing the serial killers. If that sounds clichéd, it’s because the show is one big lump of clichés and fun.

Rather than veering down the wrong alley and becoming too self-parodying (it comes close, but never gets there), Dexter works so well with its tight writing and sense of humour. With fantastic performances from Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under) and a support cast predominantly from BMA fav OZ, as well as the divine Julie Benz (Buffy: The Vampire Slayer), Dexter focuses in on the case of the Ice Truck Killer, and what Dexter and his friends and associates have to do to catch this rather insane, but fun, killer. The direction is taut and the writing (based on the novels by Jeff Lindsay) pushes all the right buttons for a mystery that could easily have been hack. But as good as Dexter is, the major issue I have with the show is the voiceover. The problem here is we know Dexter has serious issues and Hall is a good enough actor to portray that without a Blade Runner type voiceover - shat me there as well.

It’s not necessary to know what the character is thinking all the time; it slows the pace down and is spoon-feeding in a show that otherwise makes the viewer do a lot of the work. Why, in that one facet, does the producer insist on treating us like idiots, when the remainder of what’s here is so good? That is truly the only quibble in an otherwise fine and fun ride where not only Hall and Julie Benz portray their roles excellently, but even a former Cosby kid is good. The only extra feature is a couple of episode commentaries, so where we want them to talk, they shut up, and when we don’t want to know everything, it’s all on display.