| Uncut. Extended. Unrated. These days more is more in the world of home video.
· Aztec Mummy Collection (Brentwood Home Video) – It’s an Aztec princess, wrestling superheroes and, of course, warrior mummies in this three-disc box set that includes La Maldición de la momia, La Momia Azteca and La Momia Azteca contra el robot humano.
· The Conformist (Extended Edition) (1970, dir. Bernardo Bertolucci, Paramount) – Bertolucci’s classic tale of sex and politics in interwar Italy gets reissued with three making-of featurettes. Bertolucci’s 1900 has also been dusted off for DVD.
· Conversations With Other Women (2005, dir. Hans Canosa, Hart Sharp Video) – Aaron Eckhart and Helena Bonham Carter give fantastic performances in this romantic drama that explores physical attraction and infidelity. Canosa ambitiously delivers the entire film in split-screen.
· The Descent (Unrated) (2005, dir. Neil Marshall, Lions Gate) – This thriller about a group of female cave climbers is the scariest horror movie to hit in five years. The unrated DVD comes complete with original British ending as well as the North American version.
· Extras (The Complete First Season) (2005, dir. Stephen Merchant, HBO) – Ricky Gervais follows up his cult classic TV show The Office with an equally sidesplitting series. This time Gervais is a hard-luck, out-of-work actor trying to make it big.
· Glory (Special Edition) (1989, dir. Edward Zwick, Sony) – Matthew Broderick leads a battalion of black soldiers to battle during the American civil war. Denzel Washington deservedly scores his first Oscar.
· Idiocracy (2006, dir. Mike Judge, 20th Century Fox) – The creator of Office Space and Beavis and Butthead helms this high concept comedy about a man who is put into suspended animation for 500 years. When he wakes, the human race has devolved so far that he’s the smartest man on the planet. Luke Wilson stars.
· Jackie Chan’s Police Squad (Special Edition) (1987, dir. Jackie Chan, Dragon Dynasty) – Years before Chan watered down his kung fu talent with flicks like Shanghai Noon and Rush Hour, he took no prisoners as a Hong Kong cop taking down a drug lord. The lovely and lethal Maggie Cheung co-stars in this two-disc edition loaded with bonus features.
· Pulse (Unrated) (2006, dir. Jim Sonzero, Weinstein Company) – Ghosts from beyond find a way to torment the living through the computer. Even extra footage and the always charming Kristen Bell can’t make this Asian horror remake make sense.
· Saturday Night Live: The Complete First Season (1975, Universal Studios) – Forget about the piecemeal SNL collections – this box set compiles all 24 episodes from Lorne Michael’s groundbreaking sketch comedy show. Includes screen tests and big laughs.
· Sheitan (2006, dir. Kim Chapiron, Tartan Video ) – Vincent Cassel is a satanic shepherd who terrorizes a group of club-goers.
· Snakes on a Plane (2006, dir. David R. Ellis, New Line) – The buzz movie of the year gets a hasty DVD release after it fails to meet expectations at the theatre. Perfect for home video, you can develop your own SOAP drinking game.
· Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (two-disc edition) (1966, dir. Mike Nichols, Warner Home Video) – Nichols directs Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in one of the greatest films ever made. A late-night booze fest puts pressure on an already strained marriage in this groundbreaking drama that pushed the limits of Hollywood’s production code. Nichols joins auteur Steven Soderbergh for commentary, and the second disc is loaded with documentaries. |
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