“The Elephant in the Living Room”

Movie Review

Directed by Michael Webber, rated PG.

By our guest blogger, Joel Crabtree

Fascinating people and hot-button subjects are two marks of a fool-proof documentary. “The Elephant in the Living Room” just happens to have each element.

The documentary focuses on two men on opposite sides of the debate over keeping non-native and often lethal animals as pets. Tim Harrison is a cop in Ohio who, in his line of work, has come face-to-face with deadly, exotic animals kept as pets (surprisingly not illegal in most states). Terry Brumfield, on the other hand, has found a reason to live by raising two African lions from when they were cubs. The love they share is equal to that of a man and his dogs.

Fascinating people and hot-button issues. Check.

However, there's something missing from “The Elephant in the Living Room."  Michael Webber presents a good documentary, but it's too even-handed for its own good, and simply presents the matter without taking any firm stance. A great documentary would light a fire underneath its viewer. There are moments of that here, but it gets too caught up trying to toy with viewers' emotions with the relationship of Brumfield and his lions.

Whenever the film edges toward a firm stance, it quickly backpedals, trying to give “balance” to an argument that is anything but balanced. It's an admirable attempt by the filmmaker to be fair, in particular presenting Terry as the exception to the rule. But is Terry the exception to the rule? Should we feel sympathetic toward this man who has taken wild animals, turned them into oversized house cats with latent vicious instincts, and put them in a cage?

How many orangutan attacks or deaths by exotic snakes do people need to read about before they come to their senses? That's the question at the core of “The Elephant in the Living Room.” Unfortunately, director Michael Webber only tip-toes around it. In that sense, it feels more like an extended piece of TV news journalism than a true documentary.

Webber presents the facts, which, on many levels, he should be applauded for. But in a case like this, it would be beneficial to the narrative for the filmmaker to interject a little (or even a lot) with his take on the subject. After all, he has put the effort and research into making the film, and should feel comfortable enough to enlighten the audience with the opinions he has formed during that extensive process.

Because of that hesitance, “The Elephant in the Living Room” doesn't get my blood pumping the way “The Cove,” or other similar films have. But there's no denying it will certainly open up debate among audiences. That's worth its weight in gold.

Grade: B-

View the trailer below. Thoughts?

“The Elephant in the Living Room”

Movie Review

Directed by Michael Webber, rated PG.

By our guest blogger, Joel Crabtree

Fascinating people and hot-button subjects are two marks of a fool-proof documentary. “The Elephant in the Living Room” just happens to have each element.

The documentary focuses on two men on opposite sides of the debate over keeping non-native and often lethal animals as pets. Tim Harrison is a cop in Ohio who, in his line of work, has come face-to-face with deadly, exotic animals kept as pets (surprisingly not illegal in most states). Terry Brumfield, on the other hand, has found a reason to live by raising two African lions from when they were cubs. The love they share is equal to that of a man and his dogs.

Fascinating people and hot-button issues. Check.

However, there's something missing from “The Elephant in the Living Room."  Michael Webber presents a good documentary, but it's too even-handed for its own good, and simply presents the matter without taking any firm stance. A great documentary would light a fire underneath its viewer. There are moments of that here, but it gets too caught up trying to toy with viewers' emotions with the relationship of Brumfield and his lions.

Whenever the film edges toward a firm stance, it quickly backpedals, trying to give “balance” to an argument that is anything but balanced. It's an admirable attempt by the filmmaker to be fair, in particular presenting Terry as the exception to the rule. But is Terry the exception to the rule? Should we feel sympathetic toward this man who has taken wild animals, turned them into oversized house cats with latent vicious instincts, and put them in a cage?

How many orangutan attacks or deaths by exotic snakes do people need to read about before they come to their senses? That's the question at the core of “The Elephant in the Living Room.” Unfortunately, director Michael Webber only tip-toes around it. In that sense, it feels more like an extended piece of TV news journalism than a true documentary.

Webber presents the facts, which, on many levels, he should be applauded for. But in a case like this, it would be beneficial to the narrative for the filmmaker to interject a little (or even a lot) with his take on the subject. After all, he has put the effort and research into making the film, and should feel comfortable enough to enlighten the audience with the opinions he has formed during that extensive process.

Because of that hesitance, “The Elephant in the Living Room” doesn't get my blood pumping the way “The Cove,” or other similar films have. But there's no denying it will certainly open up debate among audiences. That's worth its weight in gold.

Grade: B-

View the trailer below. Thoughts?

"Inside Job"

DVD, Blu-Ray Movie Review

Directed by Charles Ferguson, Written by Chad Beck and Adam Bolt, 120 minutes, Rated PG-13.

By our guest blogger, Matthew Schimkowitz

The complex tale of fraud, foreclosure and whole a lot of money goes under the microscope in Charles Ferguson's Oscar-winning documentary "Inside Job," now out on Blu-Ray and DVD. Ferguson’s film chronicles the recent economic recession, starting from the downfall of the Internet stock boom to the rise of the derivative bubble and the financial disaster that crippled the world.

If this sounds confusing or overwhelming, fear not, Ferguson’s tight narrative, daring interviews and careful explanation breaks down the details, making this financing nightmare clear and infuriating.

“Inside Job” opens with Iceland’s quick economic meltdown, which turned the self-sustaining bastion of prosperity into a destitute nation. Iceland’s prologue offers a micro example of what would become the world’s economic recession.

Ferguson begins America’s role in 2001, after the fall of the Internet boom, another microcosm of the soon-to-be worldwide disaster. The fall of this industry caused Wall Street to turn their sites towards something more controllable, namely mortgages, financing, and loans, which would allow them to play other people’s money on the stock market, as well as control which stocks rated higher.

With the stock buyers, regulators and raters in control, they could raise the price of risky stocks and bail out and profit before it crashed. It is a cycle of increased risk taking, deregulation, and lowered morals, which not only brought great wealth to few, but also bankrupted many.

The film counteracts the confusing Wall Street jargon and economic aerobics by sitting down with those who know, teach, and utilize these practices from both sides of the fence. Speaking with economic professors, stockholders, and regulators, Ferguson gets a well-rounded, clear argument – although his opposition doesn’t really have much of one. Some speak of the amoral attitudes and ambitions of Wall Street’s heavy-hitters, as those responsible stumble between bad excuses and not commenting.

Matt Damon’s narration over Ferguson’s graphics tie it all together. While the film might be cold and factual, it never allows anything but the facts to get in the way. There are consequences to these actions, and the film doesn’t ignore those affected entirely, but “Inside Job” educates its audience with a sure voice, rather than an emotional one. The filmmakers slow things down and break apart the flaws in economic logic, as well as the pratfalls in those supposedly looking out for the public’s best interest.

Grade: A-

"Inside Job"

DVD, Blu-Ray Movie Review

Directed by Charles Ferguson, Written by Chad Beck and Adam Bolt, 120 minutes, Rated PG-13.

By our guest blogger, Matthew Schimkowitz

The complex tale of fraud, foreclosure and whole a lot of money goes under the microscope in Charles Ferguson's Oscar-winning documentary "Inside Job," now out on Blu-Ray and DVD. Ferguson’s film chronicles the recent economic recession, starting from the downfall of the Internet stock boom to the rise of the derivative bubble and the financial disaster that crippled the world.

If this sounds confusing or overwhelming, fear not, Ferguson’s tight narrative, daring interviews and careful explanation breaks down the details, making this financing nightmare clear and infuriating.

“Inside Job” opens with Iceland’s quick economic meltdown, which turned the self-sustaining bastion of prosperity into a destitute nation. Iceland’s prologue offers a micro example of what would become the world’s economic recession.

Ferguson begins America’s role in 2001, after the fall of the Internet boom, another microcosm of the soon-to-be worldwide disaster. The fall of this industry caused Wall Street to turn their sites towards something more controllable, namely mortgages, financing, and loans, which would allow them to play other people’s money on the stock market, as well as control which stocks rated higher.

With the stock buyers, regulators and raters in control, they could raise the price of risky stocks and bail out and profit before it crashed. It is a cycle of increased risk taking, deregulation, and lowered morals, which not only brought great wealth to few, but also bankrupted many.

The film counteracts the confusing Wall Street jargon and economic aerobics by sitting down with those who know, teach, and utilize these practices from both sides of the fence. Speaking with economic professors, stockholders, and regulators, Ferguson gets a well-rounded, clear argument – although his opposition doesn’t really have much of one. Some speak of the amoral attitudes and ambitions of Wall Street’s heavy-hitters, as those responsible stumble between bad excuses and not commenting.

Matt Damon’s narration over Ferguson’s graphics tie it all together. While the film might be cold and factual, it never allows anything but the facts to get in the way. There are consequences to these actions, and the film doesn’t ignore those affected entirely, but “Inside Job” educates its audience with a sure voice, rather than an emotional one. The filmmakers slow things down and break apart the flaws in economic logic, as well as the pratfalls in those supposedly looking out for the public’s best interest.

Grade: A-

"Justin Bieber: Never Say Never"

Movie Review

Directed by Jon Chu, 105-minutes, Rated G.

By our guest blogger, Matthew Schimkowitz

To the nation's many Bieber fans, “Never Say Never” is a Godsend--a chance to get up close and personal with their teen idol, as the people who know him best add to Bieber-lore, with tales of his sudden rise to fame. It's an intimate look that still keeps him at a distance -- and hence, a pop-deity.

To the non-believers, “Never Say Never” should be avoided like the plague (and probably will be). They'll see it as a quick cash grab, which could've been released as a 10 minute MTV doc, blown to epic proportions in -- you guessed it -- 3D, which seems even more unnecessary here, because half of the film is YouTube clips of Bieber's early career.

Bieber’s sudden rise to fame takes up much of the film’s discussion. At 16, the young teen became an international superstar in less than a year. His early YouTube clips take up a majority of this part of the tale, documenting his first performances in all their pixelated glory. It’s certainly a surprising story, but it’ll certainly make you wonder why you paid the extra money for 3D glasses, when half of the footage is available for free online.

Intercut with the early footage are interviews with Bieber’s team. His manager, vocal coach, and family all throw their two cents in, chronicling their young boss’s journey. What’s surprising is how little time we spend talking to the Biebs himself. They keep him surprisingly distant in interviews.

Then there are the fans. This seems like a point of connection for the film’s key audiences. Young girls flood the screen with declarations of love. Kids will relate to their loyalty, parents might reminisce about their teenage obsession, but everyone else will probably be annoyed with the whole thing.

Nothing really stands out as anything memorable for non-Bieber fans. “Never Say Never” makes for a sub-par concert documentary of his impressive sold out show at Madison Square Garden, and his elaborate stage show creates some cool spectacle. But for those who can’t stand this sugary brand of pop confection would best steer clear. If you think Bieber’s extended hand reaching out to you in 3D sounds frightening, imagine “One Less Lonely Girl” pumping through your theater’s high-decibel surround sound system.

It’s difficult to be objective towards “Never Say Never.” You already know if you’re going to see it or not, which lies squarely on whether or not you appreciate Bieber’s music. But if you don’t, pray your kids have similar taste.

Grade: C

"Justin Bieber: Never Say Never"

Movie Review

Directed by Jon Chu, 105-minutes, Rated G.

By our guest blogger, Matthew Schimkowitz

To the nation's many Bieber fans, “Never Say Never” is a Godsend--a chance to get up close and personal with their teen idol, as the people who know him best add to Bieber-lore, with tales of his sudden rise to fame. It's an intimate look that still keeps him at a distance -- and hence, a pop-deity.

To the non-believers, “Never Say Never” should be avoided like the plague (and probably will be). They'll see it as a quick cash grab, which could've been released as a 10 minute MTV doc, blown to epic proportions in -- you guessed it -- 3D, which seems even more unnecessary here, because half of the film is YouTube clips of Bieber's early career.

Bieber’s sudden rise to fame takes up much of the film’s discussion. At 16, the young teen became an international superstar in less than a year. His early YouTube clips take up a majority of this part of the tale, documenting his first performances in all their pixelated glory. It’s certainly a surprising story, but it’ll certainly make you wonder why you paid the extra money for 3D glasses, when half of the footage is available for free online.

Intercut with the early footage are interviews with Bieber’s team. His manager, vocal coach, and family all throw their two cents in, chronicling their young boss’s journey. What’s surprising is how little time we spend talking to the Biebs himself. They keep him surprisingly distant in interviews.

Then there are the fans. This seems like a point of connection for the film’s key audiences. Young girls flood the screen with declarations of love. Kids will relate to their loyalty, parents might reminisce about their teenage obsession, but everyone else will probably be annoyed with the whole thing.

Nothing really stands out as anything memorable for non-Bieber fans. “Never Say Never” makes for a sub-par concert documentary of his impressive sold out show at Madison Square Garden, and his elaborate stage show creates some cool spectacle. But for those who can’t stand this sugary brand of pop confection would best steer clear. If you think Bieber’s extended hand reaching out to you in 3D sounds frightening, imagine “One Less Lonely Girl” pumping through your theater’s high-decibel surround sound system.

It’s difficult to be objective towards “Never Say Never.” You already know if you’re going to see it or not, which lies squarely on whether or not you appreciate Bieber’s music. But if you don’t, pray your kids have similar taste.

Grade: C

“The Cove”

DVD, Blu-Ray Review

Directed by Louie Psihoyos, Written by Mark Monroe, 92 minutes, Rated PG-13.

By our guest blogger, Matthew Schimkowtiz

In the documentary “The Cove,” aquatic-life activist Richard O’Barry continues his longtime crusade to expose the world of dolphin poaching and the trade’s immediate effects on our world.

The multi-million dollar industry, based primarily out of the small fishing town of Taiji, Japan, moves along without inspection, murdering thousands of dolphins every year and imprisoning thousands of others. “The Cove”’s argument is simple: Dolphins are sentient beings and to treat them this way is morally wrong. The film lays out its points of contention carefully and convincingly, making the truth even harder to stomach.

In the small city of Taiji, dolphin poaching is the main source of revenue. As the camera crew enters the city, decorations memorializing dolphins greet us. This is nothing more than a front. At a small inlet off the coast of the city, O’Barry explains that Taiji is the center of the largest dolphin slaughter in the world.

O’Barry began working with dolphins in the 1960s, discovering the world’s most famous porpoise, Flipper. After working with these creatures for so long, O’Barry realized that these were self aware beings, with an understanding of life and death, just like humans. Shortly thereafter, he began championing for their release from captivity.

The documentary lays out the argument clearly, and O’Barry provides examples to make it succinct and persuasive. Dolphins look in the mirror and recognize themselves. They feel depression and joy, and to hunt and imprison them is no different from hunting humans.

Gaining access to the cove drives the argument forward. It gives the narrative a center at which to focus, and from there, it can branch out to other points. O’Barry reasons that it is morally wrong to do this, explains the massive government cover-up to protect it, and that to stop it, they must gather video footage of the cove.

“The Cove” is an important, well-crafted and down-right scary film. Psihoyos makes a strong argument for why the dolphin slaughter is wrong, but the final point requires no words. The footage they take from the cove will leave you speechless.

One can hope that the film’s rock-solid argument is enough to put an end to this tragedy, but apparently, dolphins have a greater sense of compassion than humans do.

Grade: A

“The Cove”

DVD, Blu-Ray Review

Directed by Louie Psihoyos, Written by Mark Monroe, 92 minutes, Rated PG-13.

By our guest blogger, Matthew Schimkowtiz

In the documentary “The Cove,” aquatic-life activist Richard O’Barry continues his longtime crusade to expose the world of dolphin poaching and the trade’s immediate effects on our world.

The multi-million dollar industry, based primarily out of the small fishing town of Taiji, Japan, moves along without inspection, murdering thousands of dolphins every year and imprisoning thousands of others. “The Cove”’s argument is simple: Dolphins are sentient beings and to treat them this way is morally wrong. The film lays out its points of contention carefully and convincingly, making the truth even harder to stomach.

In the small city of Taiji, dolphin poaching is the main source of revenue. As the camera crew enters the city, decorations memorializing dolphins greet us. This is nothing more than a front. At a small inlet off the coast of the city, O’Barry explains that Taiji is the center of the largest dolphin slaughter in the world.

O’Barry began working with dolphins in the 1960s, discovering the world’s most famous porpoise, Flipper. After working with these creatures for so long, O’Barry realized that these were self aware beings, with an understanding of life and death, just like humans. Shortly thereafter, he began championing for their release from captivity.

The documentary lays out the argument clearly, and O’Barry provides examples to make it succinct and persuasive. Dolphins look in the mirror and recognize themselves. They feel depression and joy, and to hunt and imprison them is no different from hunting humans.

Gaining access to the cove drives the argument forward. It gives the narrative a center at which to focus, and from there, it can branch out to other points. O’Barry reasons that it is morally wrong to do this, explains the massive government cover-up to protect it, and that to stop it, they must gather video footage of the cove.

“The Cove” is an important, well-crafted and down-right scary film. Psihoyos makes a strong argument for why the dolphin slaughter is wrong, but the final point requires no words. The footage they take from the cove will leave you speechless.

One can hope that the film’s rock-solid argument is enough to put an end to this tragedy, but apparently, dolphins have a greater sense of compassion than humans do.

Grade: A

"Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work"

DVD, Blu-Ray Movie Review

Directed by Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg, Rated R, 84-minutes.

By our guest blogger, Matthew Schimkowitz

In many ways, "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work" plays like a companion piece to last year’s "Anvil: The Story of Anvil." Directors Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg examine the life of an influential, yet aging performer in an evolving public arena. As Rivers turns 75, the film shows her fears and strengths as she once again strives to reinvent herself.

To say Joan Rivers has had a turbulent career is an understatement. The comedienne was a star on the rise in the late-'60s and early-'70s, a star that has since tapered off considerably. Her dependency on plastic surgery, as well as her bombastic personality, alienated her critics, in spite of her vast influence.

It’s an old story--the ones who pave the road don’t get as much fanfare as those driving on it--and Rivers knows this all too well in the film. She opens her empty calendar in hopes of filling it with performances, but realizes it would be easier if she were Kathy Griffin.

Still, she presses on.

As the film opens, we see her struggle for jobs--she is not one to sit around waiting for them to come to her. Her new play begins casting and then there's rehearsals; she has two new books out; and her act is as vivacious as ever. She sees what holds her back (age, sex, reputation), but she's a fighter and won't go away quietly.

It's her war on age that's partially to blame for her troubles. Rivers’ advocation of plastic surgery made her both the poster child for it, as well as the butt of its joke. She became a caricature of herself, or at least that’s how her public saw it.

Still, in spite of her obsession with changing (or hiding) her real appearance, Rivers is honest, self reflexive and, of course, funny throughout the film. Her quick wit and biting commentary offer an interesting perspective on “The Career.”

Likewise, Stern and Sundberg litter the film with footage of her act, which remains as observant and subversive as ever, breaking up the film’s more painful moments with humor – a strength that’s kept Rivers going all these years.

It’s hard growing old in a youth-oriented world. Her age keeps her from packing the same punch of her heyday, and even though her act is still impressive, she finds herself in a difficult position.

Rivers deserves more, and "A Piece of Work" delivers it.

Grade: A-

"Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work"

DVD, Blu-Ray Movie Review

Directed by Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg, Rated R, 84-minutes.

By our guest blogger, Matthew Schimkowitz

In many ways, "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work" plays like a companion piece to last year’s "Anvil: The Story of Anvil." Directors Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg examine the life of an influential, yet aging performer in an evolving public arena. As Rivers turns 75, the film shows her fears and strengths as she once again strives to reinvent herself.

To say Joan Rivers has had a turbulent career is an understatement. The comedienne was a star on the rise in the late-'60s and early-'70s, a star that has since tapered off considerably. Her dependency on plastic surgery, as well as her bombastic personality, alienated her critics, in spite of her vast influence.

It’s an old story--the ones who pave the road don’t get as much fanfare as those driving on it--and Rivers knows this all too well in the film. She opens her empty calendar in hopes of filling it with performances, but realizes it would be easier if she were Kathy Griffin.

Still, she presses on.

As the film opens, we see her struggle for jobs--she is not one to sit around waiting for them to come to her. Her new play begins casting and then there's rehearsals; she has two new books out; and her act is as vivacious as ever. She sees what holds her back (age, sex, reputation), but she's a fighter and won't go away quietly.

It's her war on age that's partially to blame for her troubles. Rivers’ advocation of plastic surgery made her both the poster child for it, as well as the butt of its joke. She became a caricature of herself, or at least that’s how her public saw it.

Still, in spite of her obsession with changing (or hiding) her real appearance, Rivers is honest, self reflexive and, of course, funny throughout the film. Her quick wit and biting commentary offer an interesting perspective on “The Career.”

Likewise, Stern and Sundberg litter the film with footage of her act, which remains as observant and subversive as ever, breaking up the film’s more painful moments with humor – a strength that’s kept Rivers going all these years.

It’s hard growing old in a youth-oriented world. Her age keeps her from packing the same punch of her heyday, and even though her act is still impressive, she finds herself in a difficult position.

Rivers deserves more, and "A Piece of Work" delivers it.

Grade: A-

"Waiting for Superman"

Movie Review

Directed by David Guggenheim, 102 minutes

By our guest blogger, Aidan Thomas

As an educator and documentary fanatic, I had been looking forward to "Waiting for Superman," and it didn’t disappoint.

The film, directed by David Guggenheim, is engaging and digestible. It gives a somewhat simplistic, but mostly accurate, overview of the current state of education. Through thoughtful voiceovers, entertaining graphics, candid interviews and the touching stories of six students, Guggenheim hones in on the various factors that have caused the current education crisis. Whereas Guggenheim’s previous film, "An Inconvenient Truth," pandered, "Waiting for Superman" engages.

The film begins with Guggenheim reflecting on public education. He laments the fact that he does not feel comfortable sending his kids to the public school they drive by every day on their way to private school. So, what’s wrong with the public education system? For starters, they are not serving our students. Their scores are abysmal and their drop-out rates are catastrophic.

In the most striking interviews of the film, Guggenheim seems to suggest that Randi Weingarten, teachers and bureaucracy have created a system where systemic change is impossible. In contrast, reformers like Harlem Children’s Zone founder Geoffrey Canada and Washington D.C. superintendent Michelle Rhee are presented as potential saviors of our educational system. Guggenheim suggests that there should be greater accountability and more options for our nation's children. Although no one would disagree with those sentiments, charter schools and accountability are not necessarily the silver bullets that Guggenheim seems to suggest.

The film's best moments come during the interviews with six inner-city youth who are applying to charter schools around the country. The kids are wise beyond their age and are incredibly inspiring. At one point, Anthony, a 12-year-old from D.C., says something akin to, "I just want something better for my kids."

This line in and of itself is an indictment of our time. We live in a world where kids who strive to improve their lot and to get more for their families are not given the chance to do so. Whether the solution to the current crisis is more accountability, more charter schools, or something else, more people need to be involved in shaping the future of America’s youth and Guggenheim’s film should inspire people to step up and do so.

Grade:  B

"Waiting for Superman"

Movie Review

Directed by David Guggenheim, 102 minutes

By our guest blogger, Aidan Thomas

As an educator and documentary fanatic, I had been looking forward to "Waiting for Superman," and it didn’t disappoint.

The film, directed by David Guggenheim, is engaging and digestible. It gives a somewhat simplistic, but mostly accurate, overview of the current state of education. Through thoughtful voiceovers, entertaining graphics, candid interviews and the touching stories of six students, Guggenheim hones in on the various factors that have caused the current education crisis. Whereas Guggenheim’s previous film, "An Inconvenient Truth," pandered, "Waiting for Superman" engages.

The film begins with Guggenheim reflecting on public education. He laments the fact that he does not feel comfortable sending his kids to the public school they drive by every day on their way to private school. So, what’s wrong with the public education system? For starters, they are not serving our students. Their scores are abysmal and their drop-out rates are catastrophic.

In the most striking interviews of the film, Guggenheim seems to suggest that Randi Weingarten, teachers and bureaucracy have created a system where systemic change is impossible. In contrast, reformers like Harlem Children’s Zone founder Geoffrey Canada and Washington D.C. superintendent Michelle Rhee are presented as potential saviors of our educational system. Guggenheim suggests that there should be greater accountability and more options for our nation's children. Although no one would disagree with those sentiments, charter schools and accountability are not necessarily the silver bullets that Guggenheim seems to suggest.

The film's best moments come during the interviews with six inner-city youth who are applying to charter schools around the country. The kids are wise beyond their age and are incredibly inspiring. At one point, Anthony, a 12-year-old from D.C., says something akin to, "I just want something better for my kids."

This line in and of itself is an indictment of our time. We live in a world where kids who strive to improve their lot and to get more for their families are not given the chance to do so. Whether the solution to the current crisis is more accountability, more charter schools, or something else, more people need to be involved in shaping the future of America’s youth and Guggenheim’s film should inspire people to step up and do so.

Grade:  B

"The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers"

DVD Movie Review

Directed by Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, Written by Michael Chandler, Lawrence Lerew, Ehrlich and Goldsmith, 92 Minutes, Not Rated

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

In 1971, military analyst Daniel Ellsberg released a series of top secret documents on the nature of the war in Vietnam to the New York Times. This subsequently led to a massive controversy and in many ways served as a catalyst for the events that eventually resulted in Richard Nixon's impeachment, and Henry Kissinger would allegedly call Ellsberg the most dangerous man in America because of his actions. "The Most Dangerous Man in America" explores the motives behind his actions, but even more so, it lays on thick the most core belief in studies in social sciences--those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it.

Ellsberg worked as a military analyst for many years, starting his work on Vietnam specifically early into the Johnson administration. At that time, Ellsberg, though against the war as a whole, was responsible for many of the more effective reports on the war. Later in life he'd feel almost single-handedly responsible for perpetuating what he felt was a war of lies, a military campaign based solely in the desire to maintain a status quo, as opposed to defending democracy as many of the politicians and, of course, the presidents of the time maintained.

The documentary very effectively puts forth a variety of different ideas. Ellsberg himself serves as the primary narrator, so we get quite an in-depth look at the Pentagon's inner workings and the basic principles behind war and how it relates to political strategy. In turn, we also get a deeply person look at Ellsberg, and stories involving his relationships, specifically the tragic death of his mother and sister, bring the events of the film and his actions to very simple and personal emotional resonance.

What appears to be the most basic but powerful aspect of the film is how directors Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith take the events of Vietnam and the Johnson and Nixon administrations and parallel them with the current administrations, and they manage to do so without seeming forced. They point out that the main fact is that, because of the nature of war and the American political system, it's nearly impossible for the American public to keep themselves aware of the nature of their country's own conflicts.

Just as Nixon or Secratary of State Robert S. McNamara would look on in dread at the war they involved themselves in then turn around and tell the media everything was going fine, we involve ourselves in conflicts today and political leaders everywhere try to ease the tension by telling us things are working out when we really can't know for sure without all the information. Ellsberg states at one point that people would make decisions without knowing all the facts, then learn the facts and feel foolish to not have known them before, then never again trust those below them on the off-chance that they were operating without all the facts as well. The inherent dishonesty in the system makes it impossible to succeed.

The film is both a lesson of what has passed and a warning at what could very well pass again if the public stays uninformed. In that sense, it also acts as a fine example of the power of the media, despite the public's lack of faith in many news sources these days. It's not always a great film, but it's definitely an important and generally evocative one, and that alone makes it worth viewing.


Grade: B

"The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers"

DVD Movie Review

Directed by Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, Written by Michael Chandler, Lawrence Lerew, Ehrlich and Goldsmith, 92 Minutes, Not Rated

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

In 1971, military analyst Daniel Ellsberg released a series of top secret documents on the nature of the war in Vietnam to the New York Times. This subsequently led to a massive controversy and in many ways served as a catalyst for the events that eventually resulted in Richard Nixon's impeachment, and Henry Kissinger would allegedly call Ellsberg the most dangerous man in America because of his actions. "The Most Dangerous Man in America" explores the motives behind his actions, but even more so, it lays on thick the most core belief in studies in social sciences--those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it.

Ellsberg worked as a military analyst for many years, starting his work on Vietnam specifically early into the Johnson administration. At that time, Ellsberg, though against the war as a whole, was responsible for many of the more effective reports on the war. Later in life he'd feel almost single-handedly responsible for perpetuating what he felt was a war of lies, a military campaign based solely in the desire to maintain a status quo, as opposed to defending democracy as many of the politicians and, of course, the presidents of the time maintained.

The documentary very effectively puts forth a variety of different ideas. Ellsberg himself serves as the primary narrator, so we get quite an in-depth look at the Pentagon's inner workings and the basic principles behind war and how it relates to political strategy. In turn, we also get a deeply person look at Ellsberg, and stories involving his relationships, specifically the tragic death of his mother and sister, bring the events of the film and his actions to very simple and personal emotional resonance.

What appears to be the most basic but powerful aspect of the film is how directors Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith take the events of Vietnam and the Johnson and Nixon administrations and parallel them with the current administrations, and they manage to do so without seeming forced. They point out that the main fact is that, because of the nature of war and the American political system, it's nearly impossible for the American public to keep themselves aware of the nature of their country's own conflicts.

Just as Nixon or Secratary of State Robert S. McNamara would look on in dread at the war they involved themselves in then turn around and tell the media everything was going fine, we involve ourselves in conflicts today and political leaders everywhere try to ease the tension by telling us things are working out when we really can't know for sure without all the information. Ellsberg states at one point that people would make decisions without knowing all the facts, then learn the facts and feel foolish to not have known them before, then never again trust those below them on the off-chance that they were operating without all the facts as well. The inherent dishonesty in the system makes it impossible to succeed.

The film is both a lesson of what has passed and a warning at what could very well pass again if the public stays uninformed. In that sense, it also acts as a fine example of the power of the media, despite the public's lack of faith in many news sources these days. It's not always a great film, but it's definitely an important and generally evocative one, and that alone makes it worth viewing.


Grade: B

"Crumb" Criterion Collection

DVD, Blu-ray Review

Directed by Terry Zwigoff, 119 Minutes, Rated R

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

"Crumb" is a portrait of comic book legend Robert Crumb, but, coming from the dark, twisted mind of "Ghost World" and "Bad Santa" director Terry Zwigoff, the documentary becomes less a portrait of the man as an artist and more as a man in general, especially when Zwigoff involves Crumb's reclusive family. Altogether, it's one of the most fascinating cinematic looks at an American family that has ever been produced.

Robert Crumb is known predominately for his work in, his own words, "underground comic nonsense." His work is abrasive, highly stylized and is often incredibly frank in its sexuality and social satire. Having grown up in the 1950s under a domineering father, Crumb and his brothers, Charles and Maxon, were sexually repressed and obsessed, and the three let out their frustrations in their art. Only Robert managed to make a career out of it, to the clear envy of Charles, who helped him get into the hobby in the first place.

He and his family really are perfect subjects--deeply and occasionally uncomfortably intimate, he and his brothers (and in one scene, his mother) discuss the nature of their lives, the struggles they've undergone due to their early isolation from society. They're an eccentric bunch, but their brutal honesty and sense of humor about such serious and personal matters really ends up being more endearing than anything else. Robert is pretty likable from the start, despite his clear bitterness toward anything remotely mainstream or overproduced, and his style (the glasses that comically magnify his eyes, his oversized clothing) that could easily turn him into a caricature for Zwigoff to exploit only assists in maintaining his distinctive personality.

Really, it feels like there should be something sad about the whole thing--in fact, the moments with his brothers do become quite sad on occasion--but overall, Robert seems to take so much in stride that it's hard to get too down on his lifestyle or opinions. He certainly does make those opinions known, and frequently--he sees the entire American landscape as one of excess and destruction, refusing to even be a part of any kind of mainstream publications or Hollywood ("There hasn't been a decent animated film made in this country since about 1940."). And where his brothers are occasionally cynical and bitter about their reclusiveness and lack of personal relationships, Robert actually seems happy about it. He removes himself from every facet of society, even remaining emotionally distant from his wife and kids that he claims to care so deeply for, and he shows no real remorse for this disconnection.

All the while, Zwigoff views Crumb and his family from a purely objective point of view--so many documentaries, even some of the best, have a blatant opinion or bias, but Zwigoff allows Crumb's story to tell itself in such a clear and simple way that it's nothing but purely genuine, which is likely what allows it to be so touching. Zwigoff also finds time throughout the main story to make some very solid points on art in general, particularly underground art and how context is crucial in understanding the work of Crumb and others like him.

There really is no documentary more truthful and effective as this one, and Zwigoff has yet to top it.

Grade: A

"Crumb" Criterion Collection

DVD, Blu-ray Review

Directed by Terry Zwigoff, 119 Minutes, Rated R

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

"Crumb" is a portrait of comic book legend Robert Crumb, but, coming from the dark, twisted mind of "Ghost World" and "Bad Santa" director Terry Zwigoff, the documentary becomes less a portrait of the man as an artist and more as a man in general, especially when Zwigoff involves Crumb's reclusive family. Altogether, it's one of the most fascinating cinematic looks at an American family that has ever been produced.

Robert Crumb is known predominately for his work in, his own words, "underground comic nonsense." His work is abrasive, highly stylized and is often incredibly frank in its sexuality and social satire. Having grown up in the 1950s under a domineering father, Crumb and his brothers, Charles and Maxon, were sexually repressed and obsessed, and the three let out their frustrations in their art. Only Robert managed to make a career out of it, to the clear envy of Charles, who helped him get into the hobby in the first place.

He and his family really are perfect subjects--deeply and occasionally uncomfortably intimate, he and his brothers (and in one scene, his mother) discuss the nature of their lives, the struggles they've undergone due to their early isolation from society. They're an eccentric bunch, but their brutal honesty and sense of humor about such serious and personal matters really ends up being more endearing than anything else. Robert is pretty likable from the start, despite his clear bitterness toward anything remotely mainstream or overproduced, and his style (the glasses that comically magnify his eyes, his oversized clothing) that could easily turn him into a caricature for Zwigoff to exploit only assists in maintaining his distinctive personality.

Really, it feels like there should be something sad about the whole thing--in fact, the moments with his brothers do become quite sad on occasion--but overall, Robert seems to take so much in stride that it's hard to get too down on his lifestyle or opinions. He certainly does make those opinions known, and frequently--he sees the entire American landscape as one of excess and destruction, refusing to even be a part of any kind of mainstream publications or Hollywood ("There hasn't been a decent animated film made in this country since about 1940."). And where his brothers are occasionally cynical and bitter about their reclusiveness and lack of personal relationships, Robert actually seems happy about it. He removes himself from every facet of society, even remaining emotionally distant from his wife and kids that he claims to care so deeply for, and he shows no real remorse for this disconnection.

All the while, Zwigoff views Crumb and his family from a purely objective point of view--so many documentaries, even some of the best, have a blatant opinion or bias, but Zwigoff allows Crumb's story to tell itself in such a clear and simple way that it's nothing but purely genuine, which is likely what allows it to be so touching. Zwigoff also finds time throughout the main story to make some very solid points on art in general, particularly underground art and how context is crucial in understanding the work of Crumb and others like him.

There really is no documentary more truthful and effective as this one, and Zwigoff has yet to top it.

Grade: A

"Collapse"

DVD Review

Directed by Chris Smith, 82 Minutes, Not Rated

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

"Collapse" is about as bleak as modern film gets. After an attempt to interview writer and former police officer Michael Ruppert to gain information on alleged drug trafficking by the CIA in the 1970s, documentarian Chris Smith found that Ruppert was far more interested in discussing his life's work. That is, the exploration of economic and social collapse that the world has been suffering for decades.

With such disparate labels ranging from cuckoo conspiracy theorist to Nostradamus-like genius, Ruppert tells through this brief interview (cut together from a whopping five days of footage) the effort he has undergone throughout his life to reveal the circumvent the upcoming collapse of human society as we know it. Smith's film is about as much a horror film as it is a documentary.

Ruppert, sometimes soft-spoken and calm and occasionally in a complete rage, discusses first the current energy crisis and the apparent flaw he finds in the desperate searches for alternate energy sources. He then moves on to the government itself, and in quick succession condemns the CIA, the Bush administration, the Federal Reserve, and eventually even the American people, who have ignored his pleas for so many years. To Ruppert, the world is not far from an inevitable downfall. He compares the state of modern society to the Titanic in that it will ultimately sink and only those willing to work toward rebuilding the world after the collapse will survive.

Were it not for Smith's careful line of questioning and Barry Poltermann's excellent editing, "Collapse" could have quickly turned into a piece of intolerable alarmist propaganda. As it stands, the documentary works both as a testament to Ruppert's intense dedication to his cause as well as an examination of the man, almost a character study. Smith himself has claimed to be aiming more toward the latter than a document of Ruppert's actual beliefs. In that respect, the film is an overwhelming success. Smith could not have chosen a better subject. Ruppert is somber but likable, his rhetoric wild and, yes, often alarmist but also occasionally inspiring, and most of all, the man is just fascinating to watch. Even if one was to completely ignore his message, to see someone speak with such gravitas and dedication is awe-inspiring.

It's possible that if one were to take Ruppert's claims seriously and accept them as fact without looking further than this film, one would likely be lacking a lot of background information as well as a well-rounded understanding of the topics at hand. Even as someone who has been researching energy, politics and economy for 30 years, Ruppert, like everyone else, is doomed to view things from his own perspective in the end. So, conspiracy theorist or not, factual or not, Ruppert and his claims would be dangerous to take at face value. This is generally the case with all documentaries, and it's likely Smith understands this and intended it to be the case. With that considered, Ruppert's stories, even at their worst, are important simply for their ability to call the public to action. And if in a decade Ruppert has been proved wrong, he can take comfort in the fact that he still managed to stir up some sort of effort from a society that gets more passive every day.

Even as a simple interview, "Collapse" is quite a dense piece of work, and a depressing one at that, and it's an absolute thrill to watch. Certainly one of the best documentaries of recent years.

Grade: A

"Collapse"

DVD Review

Directed by Chris Smith, 82 Minutes, Not Rated

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

"Collapse" is about as bleak as modern film gets. After an attempt to interview writer and former police officer Michael Ruppert to gain information on alleged drug trafficking by the CIA in the 1970s, documentarian Chris Smith found that Ruppert was far more interested in discussing his life's work. That is, the exploration of economic and social collapse that the world has been suffering for decades.

With such disparate labels ranging from cuckoo conspiracy theorist to Nostradamus-like genius, Ruppert tells through this brief interview (cut together from a whopping five days of footage) the effort he has undergone throughout his life to reveal the circumvent the upcoming collapse of human society as we know it. Smith's film is about as much a horror film as it is a documentary.

Ruppert, sometimes soft-spoken and calm and occasionally in a complete rage, discusses first the current energy crisis and the apparent flaw he finds in the desperate searches for alternate energy sources. He then moves on to the government itself, and in quick succession condemns the CIA, the Bush administration, the Federal Reserve, and eventually even the American people, who have ignored his pleas for so many years. To Ruppert, the world is not far from an inevitable downfall. He compares the state of modern society to the Titanic in that it will ultimately sink and only those willing to work toward rebuilding the world after the collapse will survive.

Were it not for Smith's careful line of questioning and Barry Poltermann's excellent editing, "Collapse" could have quickly turned into a piece of intolerable alarmist propaganda. As it stands, the documentary works both as a testament to Ruppert's intense dedication to his cause as well as an examination of the man, almost a character study. Smith himself has claimed to be aiming more toward the latter than a document of Ruppert's actual beliefs. In that respect, the film is an overwhelming success. Smith could not have chosen a better subject. Ruppert is somber but likable, his rhetoric wild and, yes, often alarmist but also occasionally inspiring, and most of all, the man is just fascinating to watch. Even if one was to completely ignore his message, to see someone speak with such gravitas and dedication is awe-inspiring.

It's possible that if one were to take Ruppert's claims seriously and accept them as fact without looking further than this film, one would likely be lacking a lot of background information as well as a well-rounded understanding of the topics at hand. Even as someone who has been researching energy, politics and economy for 30 years, Ruppert, like everyone else, is doomed to view things from his own perspective in the end. So, conspiracy theorist or not, factual or not, Ruppert and his claims would be dangerous to take at face value. This is generally the case with all documentaries, and it's likely Smith understands this and intended it to be the case. With that considered, Ruppert's stories, even at their worst, are important simply for their ability to call the public to action. And if in a decade Ruppert has been proved wrong, he can take comfort in the fact that he still managed to stir up some sort of effort from a society that gets more passive every day.

Even as a simple interview, "Collapse" is quite a dense piece of work, and a depressing one at that, and it's an absolute thrill to watch. Certainly one of the best documentaries of recent years.

Grade: A

"Exit Through the Gift Shop"

Movie Review

By our guest blogger, Tim Strain

Banksy’s alleged directorial debut is a tough movie to wrap your head around. No matter how many hours or days I have spent trying to determine the core theme of the world’s “first street art disaster film,” as its posters and trailers have dubbed it, my efforts have been fruitless. It is a string of contradictions that raises many questions about the purpose of art and the determination of authorship. It sharply critiques the commercial aspect of art. It claims to be a documentary but I’m sure that some, if not all, of it is fabricated. I want to call it original, but I think that may be missing the point.

Since you are still reading, you are curious and brave enough to see this movie. If nothing else, I can promise you won’t be bored. The 87-minute documentary hums along at an exhilarating pace, chronicling a good chunk of the lives of its subjects and still making them mysterious and larger-than-life icons.

It begins by telling how a French-born Los Angeles vintage clothes store owner named Thierry Guetta began compulsively filming most everything in his daily life (I mean everything--use your imagination). He finds a purpose to his aimless recording when he begins tagging along with his cousin, the street artist Space Invader. Through him, Guetta meets infamous graffiti-ers Shepard Fairey and others.  Meanwhile, he works his way up the “tagging” world’s hierarchy until he reaches the top, filming Banksy’s often complicated and always sharply focused antics. The chief iconoclast’s identity remains a mystery to the public to this day (unless you believe The Onion).

Guetta’s role shifts from documentarian to active participant as he becomes more accepted by the shadowy figures. We see the man become seduced by--and then obsessed with--the street art process. He records thousands of hours of footage, left unorganized and without a theme or direction in boxes around his house (which, along with his family, gets sacrificed for more time spent recording/tagging). Only after he reveals his collection of unmarked tapes to Banksy does he admit that he has no plan for how his “documentary” is going to end up.

Banksy takes it upon himself to edit the footage and persuades Guetta to pursue his own style of art. “I used to encourage everyone I knew to make art--I don't do that anymore,” Banksy says. What unfolds is a straight-forward tale of incredible commercial success, as well as a send-up of not just the modern art business but the principle of art itself. Guetta adopts the moniker “Mr. Brainwash,” and the film reaches its funniest and most perplexing stage.

After following so many street artists, he is practically resigned to copying their style. At best, he has the ability to look at a thing and re-produce it as if it stemmed from Dr. Seuss’s imagination. At worst, he coldly steals the style of artists who worked harder, longer and under much more strenuous circumstances at the expense of them and his family. And damn, does he make fat stacks from “his work,” which often is just envisioned by him and physically constructed by for-hire lackeys. Is he a painter? Yes. By the film's conclusion, does he end up like a film director adapting someone else’s work more than anything else? Yes.

One of Mr. Brainwash’s exploited former collaborators remarks with obvious disdain of MBW’s success that he doesn’t know who the joke is on, or if there even is a joke. That sums up my thoughts.

"Exit Through the Gift Shop"

Movie Review

By our guest blogger, Tim Strain

Banksy’s alleged directorial debut is a tough movie to wrap your head around. No matter how many hours or days I have spent trying to determine the core theme of the world’s “first street art disaster film,” as its posters and trailers have dubbed it, my efforts have been fruitless. It is a string of contradictions that raises many questions about the purpose of art and the determination of authorship. It sharply critiques the commercial aspect of art. It claims to be a documentary but I’m sure that some, if not all, of it is fabricated. I want to call it original, but I think that may be missing the point.

Since you are still reading, you are curious and brave enough to see this movie. If nothing else, I can promise you won’t be bored. The 87-minute documentary hums along at an exhilarating pace, chronicling a good chunk of the lives of its subjects and still making them mysterious and larger-than-life icons.

It begins by telling how a French-born Los Angeles vintage clothes store owner named Thierry Guetta began compulsively filming most everything in his daily life (I mean everything--use your imagination). He finds a purpose to his aimless recording when he begins tagging along with his cousin, the street artist Space Invader. Through him, Guetta meets infamous graffiti-ers Shepard Fairey and others.  Meanwhile, he works his way up the “tagging” world’s hierarchy until he reaches the top, filming Banksy’s often complicated and always sharply focused antics. The chief iconoclast’s identity remains a mystery to the public to this day (unless you believe The Onion).

Guetta’s role shifts from documentarian to active participant as he becomes more accepted by the shadowy figures. We see the man become seduced by--and then obsessed with--the street art process. He records thousands of hours of footage, left unorganized and without a theme or direction in boxes around his house (which, along with his family, gets sacrificed for more time spent recording/tagging). Only after he reveals his collection of unmarked tapes to Banksy does he admit that he has no plan for how his “documentary” is going to end up.

Banksy takes it upon himself to edit the footage and persuades Guetta to pursue his own style of art. “I used to encourage everyone I knew to make art--I don't do that anymore,” Banksy says. What unfolds is a straight-forward tale of incredible commercial success, as well as a send-up of not just the modern art business but the principle of art itself. Guetta adopts the moniker “Mr. Brainwash,” and the film reaches its funniest and most perplexing stage.

After following so many street artists, he is practically resigned to copying their style. At best, he has the ability to look at a thing and re-produce it as if it stemmed from Dr. Seuss’s imagination. At worst, he coldly steals the style of artists who worked harder, longer and under much more strenuous circumstances at the expense of them and his family. And damn, does he make fat stacks from “his work,” which often is just envisioned by him and physically constructed by for-hire lackeys. Is he a painter? Yes. By the film's conclusion, does he end up like a film director adapting someone else’s work more than anything else? Yes.

One of Mr. Brainwash’s exploited former collaborators remarks with obvious disdain of MBW’s success that he doesn’t know who the joke is on, or if there even is a joke. That sums up my thoughts.

DVD Review

"The September Issue"

Directed by R. J. Cutler, rated PG-13, 88 minutes.

By Christopher Smith

If you have the means, you certainly can buy couture, but the question is whether you can pull off couture. You can step into Prada or Dior, Valentino or Chanel, but there’s a chance that some might prefer that you didn’t, thank you very much, because you might destroy the effect. Or perhaps you’d enhance it. Who knows? Those who care to take the risk and be judged for it are likely those who can pull it off.

Or not. It’s the “not” that creates so many knots of tension.

That’s the thing about fashion — or, at the least, the perception of fashion, especially at the level explored in R.J. Cutler’s biting documentary, “The September Issue,” which focuses on the creation of that hefty, iconic issue of American Vogue and all that goes into its production.

And what a production.

The movie opens with a tight shot of the magazine’s infamous editor, Anna Wintour, who was famously lampooned by Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada.” With her clipped bob framing a pinched face that reflects intelligence, focus and zero effort to shield her willingness to defend the world she not only loves but rules, she levels her gaze at her interviewer and cuts to the core:

“What I often see is that people are frightened of fashion because it scares them. Or they feel insecure, and so they put it down. On the whole, people who say demeaning things about our world … feel excluded or not part of the cool group. So, as a result, they just mock it. There is something about fashion that can make people very nervous.”

There’s everything about Wintour that makes the world in which she moves nervous, and this is one of the reasons “The September Issue” is such good viewing. Throughout, there’s perhaps one fleeting moment in which Wintour looks genuinely happy, and that’s at an event in which the young designer she coddled, Thakoon, has his moment. Otherwise, she looks either bored, bothered or aggravated. She’s cold — and then colder. With the exception of her daughter, whom she adores, few things please her. As for those working for her? Well, that’s also what makes the movie so much fun to watch.

Behind the scenes at Vogue, it’s a circus of controlled tempers, crushed egos, fearsome glances, stifled tears, mounting frustrations, sudden revelations that go down like this: “The jacket is the new coat!” — and all because of the power of one woman. Yet you don’t come away from the movie disliking Wintour. She has been put in this position to make difficult decisions that have everything to do with money and nothing to do with making people feel good about their professional lives. If she were a man, would her attitude be an issue? Would there even be a movie?

She works hard, she’s all business, and you have to hand it to her — she’s also savvy enough to know show business. In this movie, she eschews the opportunity to soften her damning image and instead gives viewers what they expect from her — ruthlessness. Wintour isn’t afraid to be feared. In fact, she owns that fear. There’s a kind of admiration in her unwillingness to be anything other than who she is.

The woman who doesn’t fear her is Vogue’s creative director Grace Coddington, a former model with a wild mane of frizzy red hair who has worked for Vogue for so long few things intimidate her. Some of the movie’s best scenes are when she spars with Wintour. Few have the guts to take on Anna, but Coddington does, and her willingness to do so deepens the movie for a specific reason — Wintour may not always agree with Coddington, but her respect for the woman is real. She wouldn’t allow just anyone talk to her the way Grace does, but because she does, it humanizes her.

Humanizing Anna Wintour isn’t easy to do. Take, for instance, how one interviewer at Paris’ Fashion Week is treated when he asks her whether there is a way to wear fur that season. Wintour’s reply? In spite of the cruelty inherent in the fur industry and all of the controversy surrounding it, the woman who brought fur back to the forefront of fashion when she dared to put it on her magazine cover shrugs off the question with a laugh. “There’s always a way to wear fur,” she says. “Personally, I have it on my back.”

Since Coddington is seated beside her, the way she slyly leans back to catch a glance at Wintour’s back is priceless. There’s fur there, all right, and on that back, it’s raised.

Grade: A-

View the trailer for "The September Issue" below. What are your thoughts?

DVD Review

"The September Issue"

Directed by R. J. Cutler, rated PG-13, 88 minutes.

By Christopher Smith

If you have the means, you certainly can buy couture, but the question is whether you can pull off couture. You can step into Prada or Dior, Valentino or Chanel, but there’s a chance that some might prefer that you didn’t, thank you very much, because you might destroy the effect. Or perhaps you’d enhance it. Who knows? Those who care to take the risk and be judged for it are likely those who can pull it off.

Or not. It’s the “not” that creates so many knots of tension.

That’s the thing about fashion — or, at the least, the perception of fashion, especially at the level explored in R.J. Cutler’s biting documentary, “The September Issue,” which focuses on the creation of that hefty, iconic issue of American Vogue and all that goes into its production.

And what a production.

The movie opens with a tight shot of the magazine’s infamous editor, Anna Wintour, who was famously lampooned by Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada.” With her clipped bob framing a pinched face that reflects intelligence, focus and zero effort to shield her willingness to defend the world she not only loves but rules, she levels her gaze at her interviewer and cuts to the core:

“What I often see is that people are frightened of fashion because it scares them. Or they feel insecure, and so they put it down. On the whole, people who say demeaning things about our world … feel excluded or not part of the cool group. So, as a result, they just mock it. There is something about fashion that can make people very nervous.”

There’s everything about Wintour that makes the world in which she moves nervous, and this is one of the reasons “The September Issue” is such good viewing. Throughout, there’s perhaps one fleeting moment in which Wintour looks genuinely happy, and that’s at an event in which the young designer she coddled, Thakoon, has his moment. Otherwise, she looks either bored, bothered or aggravated. She’s cold — and then colder. With the exception of her daughter, whom she adores, few things please her. As for those working for her? Well, that’s also what makes the movie so much fun to watch.

Behind the scenes at Vogue, it’s a circus of controlled tempers, crushed egos, fearsome glances, stifled tears, mounting frustrations, sudden revelations that go down like this: “The jacket is the new coat!” — and all because of the power of one woman. Yet you don’t come away from the movie disliking Wintour. She has been put in this position to make difficult decisions that have everything to do with money and nothing to do with making people feel good about their professional lives. If she were a man, would her attitude be an issue? Would there even be a movie?

She works hard, she’s all business, and you have to hand it to her — she’s also savvy enough to know show business. In this movie, she eschews the opportunity to soften her damning image and instead gives viewers what they expect from her — ruthlessness. Wintour isn’t afraid to be feared. In fact, she owns that fear. There’s a kind of admiration in her unwillingness to be anything other than who she is.

The woman who doesn’t fear her is Vogue’s creative director Grace Coddington, a former model with a wild mane of frizzy red hair who has worked for Vogue for so long few things intimidate her. Some of the movie’s best scenes are when she spars with Wintour. Few have the guts to take on Anna, but Coddington does, and her willingness to do so deepens the movie for a specific reason — Wintour may not always agree with Coddington, but her respect for the woman is real. She wouldn’t allow just anyone talk to her the way Grace does, but because she does, it humanizes her.

Humanizing Anna Wintour isn’t easy to do. Take, for instance, how one interviewer at Paris’ Fashion Week is treated when he asks her whether there is a way to wear fur that season. Wintour’s reply? In spite of the cruelty inherent in the fur industry and all of the controversy surrounding it, the woman who brought fur back to the forefront of fashion when she dared to put it on her magazine cover shrugs off the question with a laugh. “There’s always a way to wear fur,” she says. “Personally, I have it on my back.”

Since Coddington is seated beside her, the way she slyly leans back to catch a glance at Wintour’s back is priceless. There’s fur there, all right, and on that back, it’s raised.

Grade: A-

View the trailer for "The September Issue" below. What are your thoughts?

Video Movie Review

"Oceans"

Directed by Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud, 100 minutes, rated G.

By Christopher Smith

From directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud, who brought us the equally great “Winged Migration,” comes this terrific movie that takes us is deep within the world's least-explored frontier--the ocean.

Pierce Brosnan narrates with reservoirs of controlled wonderment, while Perrin and Cluzaud dig into the ocean’s wild frenzy of fishes and its nooks and crannies in ways that raise questions (and awe) about how they captured certain shots, one of which involves a blue whale that took them 28 weeks of waiting to bring to the screen.

Throughout, the photography is crisp, often stunning--after seeing this, you’ll never view the oceans the same way again. What the movie reveals so powerfully is just how little we still know about our waters and their inhabitants.

In the end, the film is something of a gift. You watch in admiration for all of the effort that went into its creation--the attention to detail is on par with anything in "Life in the Undergrowth," "Winged Migration” or the French documentary, "Microcosmos." And yet "Oceans" is its own masterpiece, offering new views of the deep that sometimes are beautiful, other times vicious, sometimes cute and almost always thrilling. If ever there was a film needed right now to underscore the importance of preserving our world and its life-giving waters, this is it.

Grade: A

View WeekinRewind's video review of the movie below.  What are your thoughts of the film?  Are you planning on seeing it?

Video Movie Review

"Oceans"

Directed by Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud, 100 minutes, rated G.

By Christopher Smith

From directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud, who brought us the equally great “Winged Migration,” comes this terrific movie that takes us is deep within the world's least-explored frontier--the ocean.

Pierce Brosnan narrates with reservoirs of controlled wonderment, while Perrin and Cluzaud dig into the ocean’s wild frenzy of fishes and its nooks and crannies in ways that raise questions (and awe) about how they captured certain shots, one of which involves a blue whale that took them 28 weeks of waiting to bring to the screen.

Throughout, the photography is crisp, often stunning--after seeing this, you’ll never view the oceans the same way again. What the movie reveals so powerfully is just how little we still know about our waters and their inhabitants.

In the end, the film is something of a gift. You watch in admiration for all of the effort that went into its creation--the attention to detail is on par with anything in "Life in the Undergrowth," "Winged Migration” or the French documentary, "Microcosmos." And yet "Oceans" is its own masterpiece, offering new views of the deep that sometimes are beautiful, other times vicious, sometimes cute and almost always thrilling. If ever there was a film needed right now to underscore the importance of preserving our world and its life-giving waters, this is it.

Grade: A

View WeekinRewind's video review of the movie below.  What are your thoughts of the film?  Are you planning on seeing it?

DVD, Blu-ray Movie Review

"Capitalism: A Love Story"

Directed by Michael Moore, Written by Moore, 126 minutes, Rated R

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

It's difficult to examine a Michael Moore film from an objective point of view. Conservatives are almost certain to find things to hate, liberals will eat it all up, and certain groups will simply disregard his work as simplistic, fear-mongering and propagandistic. No one can be truly right, and personal opinion can't help but come into play when deciding how successful Moore's films are.

Myself, I tend to agree with Moore, despite some occasionally ill-advised techniques, and above all I find his films to be great entertainment. Even when he's not really making much of a point, his films can be amusing. "Bowling For Columbine" doesn't really even have much of a thesis, but it manages to be one of the most entertaining films of the last decade and it won Moore the Academy Award for Best Documentary. So how does "Capitalism" stand up to his previous work, and does Moore manage to be entertaining regardless of his message?

For the most part, "Capitalism" is a pretty weak effort. Moore has been hinting at his heavy socialist leanings for his whole career, but he never went full-on anti-Capitalist until now. He doesn't outright condemn capitalism as an idea. Instead, he more examines the modern American interpretation of capitalism and how its corrupted form has resulted in a great gap between the upper- and lower-class and the exploitation of the working people for the profit of corporations and their CEOs. He does this through interviews with various people, be they former executives, unemployed people whose houses are being foreclosed, Realtors, bankers, economists, former government workers, etc. There's even an entire segment that explains how little a pilot gets paid, even bringing up Sully Sullenberger, the pilot who landed his plane in the Hudson River, and his actions to reveal how poorly a pilot is paid.

The film goes all over the place, which "Columbine" also did, but the latter film covered such a large variety of topics that it all came together rather well because it didn't have one specific theme. Here, Moore wants to condemn American capitalism, but it's difficult to bear some of his techniques to do so when he accuses corporations of using similar techniques to win people's affection. He explains that during the recent Wall Street bailout that Congress didn't approve of giving them any money but were manipulated with fear tactics to change their minds. Not that Moore doesn't make solid points on occasion, but he certainly uses similar fear tactics to do so. He starts the film with an excerpt from a '50s educational film about Ancient Rome, and he juxtaposes it with footage of modern America, basically saying that the same system that led to Rome's fall will lead to the fall of modern America. How is this not fear-mongering? And I can only watch teary-eyed interviews so many times before getting tired of Moore trying to manipulate the viewer.

Sure, it's an emotional topic, but once or twice is enough--there's no need to have scene after scene of tears and outrage and screaming. Whereas his previous film "Sicko" used such techniques in a more subtle and emotional way, here it just feels completely false and excessive. And where is the sharp satire prevalent in "Columbine" and "Fahrenheit 9/11"? This film is almost all deadly serious and depressing. Moore has always made propaganda--it's a harsh word for some, but it has a clear-cut definition: "a message or technique used to persuade to a certain side or cause." But where Moore previously managed to balance the propaganda with entertainment, here he seems to be solely in confrontational mode, which would be OK if his message weren't so sloppily conveyed, not to mention he doesn't really appear to have any sort of solution to the problems he confronts.

"Capitalism: A Love Story" isn't a bad film. It manages to emotionally resonate in certain spots and yes, some solid points are made, sometimes in clever ways, but it's a shame the film couldn't be quite as well-constructed as Moore's previous and far better efforts. And overall, how you feel about the film will all come down to two things: how you feel about Moore, and how you feel about capitalism.

Grade: C

View the movie trailer for "Capitalism: A Love Story" below. What are your thoughts?

DVD, Blu-ray Movie Review

"Capitalism: A Love Story"

Directed by Michael Moore, Written by Moore, 126 minutes, Rated R

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

It's difficult to examine a Michael Moore film from an objective point of view. Conservatives are almost certain to find things to hate, liberals will eat it all up, and certain groups will simply disregard his work as simplistic, fear-mongering and propagandistic. No one can be truly right, and personal opinion can't help but come into play when deciding how successful Moore's films are.

Myself, I tend to agree with Moore, despite some occasionally ill-advised techniques, and above all I find his films to be great entertainment. Even when he's not really making much of a point, his films can be amusing. "Bowling For Columbine" doesn't really even have much of a thesis, but it manages to be one of the most entertaining films of the last decade and it won Moore the Academy Award for Best Documentary. So how does "Capitalism" stand up to his previous work, and does Moore manage to be entertaining regardless of his message?

For the most part, "Capitalism" is a pretty weak effort. Moore has been hinting at his heavy socialist leanings for his whole career, but he never went full-on anti-Capitalist until now. He doesn't outright condemn capitalism as an idea. Instead, he more examines the modern American interpretation of capitalism and how its corrupted form has resulted in a great gap between the upper- and lower-class and the exploitation of the working people for the profit of corporations and their CEOs. He does this through interviews with various people, be they former executives, unemployed people whose houses are being foreclosed, Realtors, bankers, economists, former government workers, etc. There's even an entire segment that explains how little a pilot gets paid, even bringing up Sully Sullenberger, the pilot who landed his plane in the Hudson River, and his actions to reveal how poorly a pilot is paid.

The film goes all over the place, which "Columbine" also did, but the latter film covered such a large variety of topics that it all came together rather well because it didn't have one specific theme. Here, Moore wants to condemn American capitalism, but it's difficult to bear some of his techniques to do so when he accuses corporations of using similar techniques to win people's affection. He explains that during the recent Wall Street bailout that Congress didn't approve of giving them any money but were manipulated with fear tactics to change their minds. Not that Moore doesn't make solid points on occasion, but he certainly uses similar fear tactics to do so. He starts the film with an excerpt from a '50s educational film about Ancient Rome, and he juxtaposes it with footage of modern America, basically saying that the same system that led to Rome's fall will lead to the fall of modern America. How is this not fear-mongering? And I can only watch teary-eyed interviews so many times before getting tired of Moore trying to manipulate the viewer.

Sure, it's an emotional topic, but once or twice is enough--there's no need to have scene after scene of tears and outrage and screaming. Whereas his previous film "Sicko" used such techniques in a more subtle and emotional way, here it just feels completely false and excessive. And where is the sharp satire prevalent in "Columbine" and "Fahrenheit 9/11"? This film is almost all deadly serious and depressing. Moore has always made propaganda--it's a harsh word for some, but it has a clear-cut definition: "a message or technique used to persuade to a certain side or cause." But where Moore previously managed to balance the propaganda with entertainment, here he seems to be solely in confrontational mode, which would be OK if his message weren't so sloppily conveyed, not to mention he doesn't really appear to have any sort of solution to the problems he confronts.

"Capitalism: A Love Story" isn't a bad film. It manages to emotionally resonate in certain spots and yes, some solid points are made, sometimes in clever ways, but it's a shame the film couldn't be quite as well-constructed as Moore's previous and far better efforts. And overall, how you feel about the film will all come down to two things: how you feel about Moore, and how you feel about capitalism.

Grade: C

View the movie trailer for "Capitalism: A Love Story" below. What are your thoughts?

DVD, Blu-ray Movie Review

"Michael Jackson's This is It"

Directed by Kenny Ortega, rated PG, 112 minutes.

By Christopher Smith


What becomes clear the moment we see Michael Jackson in the opening moments of “This Is It,” the documentary that chronicles the intense rehearsals of Jackson’s 50 London-based concerts that failed to take place due to the performer’s drug-induced death in June, is that “This is It” the movie never should have happened.

At least not under these circumstances.

On the other hand, if what audiences see here is any indication, the concerts absolutely should have happened. And what a shame that they didn’t. Everything about this movie propels the reasons the world fell in love with Michael Jackson when he was a child, and then later when he realized unparalleled superstardom as a young adult in the wake of his hugely popular albums “Off the Wall” and most notably, “Thriller.”

Watching the documentary is a curiosity not only for the insider’s glimpse we’re offered into how Jackson and his director Kenny Ortega (also the film’s director) were staging the shows, but because Jackson’s talent is so massive, his ability to thrill and to touch remained enough to quash, at least for two hours, all the gossip, allegations and lawsuits that plagued him for years.

For too many of those years, it seemed that Michael Jackson already had died, at least creatively. He produced only four albums after “Thriller,” and while “Bad” remains the best of the lot, each album (with some singular exceptions) showcased a disappointing, encroaching repetition that made him less relevant and cutting-edge.

And so what “This is It” accomplishes is key to not only preserving his memory, but also to galvanizing his myth. Onstage, Jackson still moonwalks, still thrashes in white tornadoes of dry ice, still brandishes his signature moves, but there are new moves to be had here and a voice that is still strong.

At age 50, Jackson’s lithe body doesn’t make sense — his altered face and lighter skin color aside, everything about him is just as fluid as we remember. Throughout, there never is a question that he sings nearly every song in the movie live, often powerfully though more quietly as the tour draws near; he wanted to preserve his voice.

More over, nothing about him signals an addiction to drugs. Watching the movie, you can’t help wondering how he possibly could nail those ridiculously intricate moves had he been on drugs. It doesn’t add up, yet there he goes, sliding down a banister as if he were 12 in a clever cutaway sequence for his performance of “Smooth Criminal,” or leaping across a giant stage as if invisible strings were attached to his back.

Beyond the music and the film’s brilliant editing, which cuts together pieces of what never was meant to be shown to the public (at least not like this) with a seamless, almost prophetic ease, is the glimpse we’re offered into how Jackson approached his art and how he addressed those assisting him in realizing his vision. He is gracious, loving and grateful. He doesn’t say much, but when he does speak, he’s sincere, funny, focused and firm.

He knows his craft, he knows what he’s creating is manufactured pop, and he is aware of the power of it all, particularly in a wonderful scene in which he teases out of his musical director the exact tempo he’s seeking in a song he knows better than anyone else. When he’s alone at the center of the stage, that smile on his face is genuine. A thousand lighted, whirling distractions assail him, but he remains the exclamation point in the room. It’s bizarre. Though he’s been away from the music industry for years, the fact that he became known as the King of Pop now is without argument. Nobody ever has done it like this.

In the end, “This Is It” crushes the viewer with a jumble of feelings — sadness, joy, fascination, exuberance, awe and then, just as it all was coming together, tragedy. The movie’s genius is that it offers no narration, nothing that connects us from point A to the inevitable point D. That would have been an intrusion.

Instead, we’re allowed to be voyeurs, and what we see throughout is a performer who was on the cusp of realizing what likely would have been his third professional peak. The first came when the Jackson Five hit the scene, the second came with the advent of “Thriller,” and now there is this concert that nearly was but never was. Deliberately designed to celebrate all that Jackson gave us during his 40-plus-year career, the show also reveals the potential rebirth that was to come should he have lived to enjoy it.

Grade: A


View the trailer for "Michael Jackson's This is It" here:

DVD, Blu-ray Movie Review

"Michael Jackson's This is It"

Directed by Kenny Ortega, rated PG, 112 minutes.

By Christopher Smith


What becomes clear the moment we see Michael Jackson in the opening moments of “This Is It,” the documentary that chronicles the intense rehearsals of Jackson’s 50 London-based concerts that failed to take place due to the performer’s drug-induced death in June, is that “This is It” the movie never should have happened.

At least not under these circumstances.

On the other hand, if what audiences see here is any indication, the concerts absolutely should have happened. And what a shame that they didn’t. Everything about this movie propels the reasons the world fell in love with Michael Jackson when he was a child, and then later when he realized unparalleled superstardom as a young adult in the wake of his hugely popular albums “Off the Wall” and most notably, “Thriller.”

Watching the documentary is a curiosity not only for the insider’s glimpse we’re offered into how Jackson and his director Kenny Ortega (also the film’s director) were staging the shows, but because Jackson’s talent is so massive, his ability to thrill and to touch remained enough to quash, at least for two hours, all the gossip, allegations and lawsuits that plagued him for years.

For too many of those years, it seemed that Michael Jackson already had died, at least creatively. He produced only four albums after “Thriller,” and while “Bad” remains the best of the lot, each album (with some singular exceptions) showcased a disappointing, encroaching repetition that made him less relevant and cutting-edge.

And so what “This is It” accomplishes is key to not only preserving his memory, but also to galvanizing his myth. Onstage, Jackson still moonwalks, still thrashes in white tornadoes of dry ice, still brandishes his signature moves, but there are new moves to be had here and a voice that is still strong.

At age 50, Jackson’s lithe body doesn’t make sense — his altered face and lighter skin color aside, everything about him is just as fluid as we remember. Throughout, there never is a question that he sings nearly every song in the movie live, often powerfully though more quietly as the tour draws near; he wanted to preserve his voice.

More over, nothing about him signals an addiction to drugs. Watching the movie, you can’t help wondering how he possibly could nail those ridiculously intricate moves had he been on drugs. It doesn’t add up, yet there he goes, sliding down a banister as if he were 12 in a clever cutaway sequence for his performance of “Smooth Criminal,” or leaping across a giant stage as if invisible strings were attached to his back.

Beyond the music and the film’s brilliant editing, which cuts together pieces of what never was meant to be shown to the public (at least not like this) with a seamless, almost prophetic ease, is the glimpse we’re offered into how Jackson approached his art and how he addressed those assisting him in realizing his vision. He is gracious, loving and grateful. He doesn’t say much, but when he does speak, he’s sincere, funny, focused and firm.

He knows his craft, he knows what he’s creating is manufactured pop, and he is aware of the power of it all, particularly in a wonderful scene in which he teases out of his musical director the exact tempo he’s seeking in a song he knows better than anyone else. When he’s alone at the center of the stage, that smile on his face is genuine. A thousand lighted, whirling distractions assail him, but he remains the exclamation point in the room. It’s bizarre. Though he’s been away from the music industry for years, the fact that he became known as the King of Pop now is without argument. Nobody ever has done it like this.

In the end, “This Is It” crushes the viewer with a jumble of feelings — sadness, joy, fascination, exuberance, awe and then, just as it all was coming together, tragedy. The movie’s genius is that it offers no narration, nothing that connects us from point A to the inevitable point D. That would have been an intrusion.

Instead, we’re allowed to be voyeurs, and what we see throughout is a performer who was on the cusp of realizing what likely would have been his third professional peak. The first came when the Jackson Five hit the scene, the second came with the advent of “Thriller,” and now there is this concert that nearly was but never was. Deliberately designed to celebrate all that Jackson gave us during his 40-plus-year career, the show also reveals the potential rebirth that was to come should he have lived to enjoy it.

Grade: A


View the trailer for "Michael Jackson's This is It" here:

Movie Review

"Prodigal Sons"

Directed by Kimberly Reed, 86 minutes.

By our guest blogger, Jonah Flicker.

Filmmaker and DV Magazine editor Kimberly Reed’s new documentary, “Prodigal Sons,” is a haunting and powerful accounting of the search for personal and familial identity. For most, these things always have been a given. You are born, you grow up knowing who you are and where you came from, and your past makes some kind of sense, no matter how many curveballs life throws your way. For Reed, things have played out very differently.

“Prodigal Sons,” shot for the most part on handheld digital camera, is an intensely personal video diary spanning a little over a year of Reed’s life. She documents her return to her hometown of Helena, Montana for a high school reunion. But Reed is transgendered, and this is the first time that she will face many of her old friends as a woman instead of a man.

In addition, she is reuniting with her brother Marc, who suffered a severe head injury years ago that left him prone to intense and sometimes violent mood swings. When we first meet Marc at their mother’s house in Helena, it is obvious he is not quite right--his speech slow and his development stunted. Reed is unflinching in filming him, but she is never exploitive about it, often asking Marc if he minds the camera pointing at him. Underneath it all, a tension simmers ominously, erupting early on in the film into a staccato outburst of violence when Marc becomes suddenly frustrated and loses control. This is just the beginning, however, and events that happen later in the film lead to further flashes of emotional and physical ferocity, leaving the viewer emotionally shocked and breathless.

In addition to his injury, Marc, the eldest of the three children, is dealing with some other issues. He was adopted, and during the course of filming, he discovers, in a random twist, that his grandparents are Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth. Welles’ longtime partner, Oja Kodar, invites him to come to Croatia to meet her family. Reed comes along to document the trip, capturing moments both awkward and emotional as he struggles to find some common ground. This reunion is important to Marc, who is constantly frustrated by the effects of his injury and the irrational, simmering anger it causes. As tenuous as it may be, he finally feels like he has found an identity for himself. At the same time, he is unable to accept Reed’s new identity as a woman, one that she struggled with for years before making the decision to alter her sex.

And that is really the crux of this story. You can see it in Reed’s eyes as she attempts to explain her transformation to classmates who are tolerant but don’t quite understand. She is injured, emotionally and physically, every time Marc has an episode and brutalizes her with fists and words. And she is hurt every time Marc insists on reminding Reed and her family about her past as a man--a part of her past she feels she needs to completely put behind her in order to live her life.

“Prodigal Sons” is an intensely personal and harrowing documentary, one that will stick with the viewer long after the lights in the theater go up. Kimberly Reed has succeeded in telling a story that details the minutia of family interactions as well as universal life themes, allowing people from all walks of life to enter the intimate sphere she has bravely decided to make public.

Grade: A

Movie Review

"Prodigal Sons"

Directed by Kimberly Reed, 86 minutes.

By our guest blogger, Jonah Flicker.

Filmmaker and DV Magazine editor Kimberly Reed’s new documentary, “Prodigal Sons,” is a haunting and powerful accounting of the search for personal and familial identity. For most, these things always have been a given. You are born, you grow up knowing who you are and where you came from, and your past makes some kind of sense, no matter how many curveballs life throws your way. For Reed, things have played out very differently.

“Prodigal Sons,” shot for the most part on handheld digital camera, is an intensely personal video diary spanning a little over a year of Reed’s life. She documents her return to her hometown of Helena, Montana for a high school reunion. But Reed is transgendered, and this is the first time that she will face many of her old friends as a woman instead of a man.

In addition, she is reuniting with her brother Marc, who suffered a severe head injury years ago that left him prone to intense and sometimes violent mood swings. When we first meet Marc at their mother’s house in Helena, it is obvious he is not quite right--his speech slow and his development stunted. Reed is unflinching in filming him, but she is never exploitive about it, often asking Marc if he minds the camera pointing at him. Underneath it all, a tension simmers ominously, erupting early on in the film into a staccato outburst of violence when Marc becomes suddenly frustrated and loses control. This is just the beginning, however, and events that happen later in the film lead to further flashes of emotional and physical ferocity, leaving the viewer emotionally shocked and breathless.

In addition to his injury, Marc, the eldest of the three children, is dealing with some other issues. He was adopted, and during the course of filming, he discovers, in a random twist, that his grandparents are Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth. Welles’ longtime partner, Oja Kodar, invites him to come to Croatia to meet her family. Reed comes along to document the trip, capturing moments both awkward and emotional as he struggles to find some common ground. This reunion is important to Marc, who is constantly frustrated by the effects of his injury and the irrational, simmering anger it causes. As tenuous as it may be, he finally feels like he has found an identity for himself. At the same time, he is unable to accept Reed’s new identity as a woman, one that she struggled with for years before making the decision to alter her sex.

And that is really the crux of this story. You can see it in Reed’s eyes as she attempts to explain her transformation to classmates who are tolerant but don’t quite understand. She is injured, emotionally and physically, every time Marc has an episode and brutalizes her with fists and words. And she is hurt every time Marc insists on reminding Reed and her family about her past as a man--a part of her past she feels she needs to completely put behind her in order to live her life.

“Prodigal Sons” is an intensely personal and harrowing documentary, one that will stick with the viewer long after the lights in the theater go up. Kimberly Reed has succeeded in telling a story that details the minutia of family interactions as well as universal life themes, allowing people from all walks of life to enter the intimate sphere she has bravely decided to make public.

Grade: A

Movie Review

"More Than a Game"

Directed by Kristopher Belman, written by Belman and Brad Hogan, 102 minutes, rated PG.

By our guest blogger, Kicia Sears

“More Than A Game” is not just a sports documentary. It is not just about LeBron James. Though basketball fans will nearly achieve nirvana while watching early footage of James, all audiences can relate to the greater themes of friendship, dedication, and achievement that are the real message of the film.

The film opens in the locker room of the St.Vincent-St. Mary’s (STVM) basketball team of Akron, Ohio on the night of the 2003 Division II State Championship game vs. Kettering Alter. Right after tip-off, the story flashes back to the beginning of LeBron James’ basketball career in the gym of the local Salvation Army. There we meet Dru Joyce III (“Little Dru”), Willie McGee, Sian Cotton, and Dru’s father Dru Joyce II (“Coach Dru”). The boys are very close friends from fourth grade onward, more like family--they even decided to attend STVM high school based on Little Dru’s choice. Staying together made all the difference as their off-court relationships contribute greatly to the type of basketball they play--dynamic, charismatic, and fresh.

The film follows the “Fab 4”--which eventually became the “Fab 5” in high school with the addition of Romeo Travis--as they win three high school state championships. Through interviews with the boys and their families, footage of the Fab 5 together, and an understanding of their histories, we begin to understand how different and special each of the boys are, why their bond is so unusual, and how it contributed to what James calls in the film “the best basketball of [his] life.”

Director Kristopher Belman was a junior in college when he decided to make a short film about his hometown high school’s basketball team. Upon arrival at St.Vincent-St. Mary’s practice, he quickly realized that the Fab 5 was a different group of boys and that there was more to what made the team great than simply their record or LeBron James. What seems like a straightforward sports documentary ends up being a story about the importance of human relationships. When the team is practicing and working until they drop, the dedication they have is to each other, not just the desire to win games.

The movie is about Dru, Sian, Willie, Romeo, and Coach Dru as much as it is about LeBron. The boys understand that he’s head-and-shoulders above most of the players in high school but they don’t sell themselves short regarding their own contribution to the team. Little Dru makes an insightful comment at one point in regards to STVM basketball: “It’s a rock band--he’s just the lead singer.”

The basketball is really stunning. Even non-fans will gasp at footage of LeBron slam-dunking in junior high, Dru winning a championship almost entirely on his own with his clutch three point shot, and the almost creepy chemistry of the team that allows them to pass and cut as if they can see into the future. LeBron is definitely a focal point, and it is almost unfair how easily he can dominate the basketball court over the other kids. At moments, it feels as though you’re watching a 26-year-old NBA star school a bunch of teenagers and when you remember that he’s their age, it’s mind-boggling how good he is--the hype is justified.

Compositionally, the film is about average for a documentary. It is obvious that Belman is an amateur cameraman as some of the footage is shaky, blurry, or very low-res, which is frustrating to watch, but the interviews are much better. It is certainly apparent which parts of the movie were shot when Belman was filming on his own and which were shot with the help of a camera crew--there is a shot of a door opening into a pitch-black gymnasium after a crushing loss that is completely silent and absolutely gorgeous. The effects and animation are very well done, specifically a 3-D pan & zoom technique that gives the feel of being a fly on the wall in the room with all of the greats.

Really, “More Than A Game” feels like a sports drama--the big game ends with triumphant music, there are tearful declarations of love between the Fab 5 for making it so far in such a short amount of time, and at the close of the film, it seems like anything is possible for these boys from small-town Ohio. It is satisfying to the basketball fan because they get to take a look at the roots of “King James,” who reminds us of everything we had forgotten basketball could be since the retirement of Michael Jordan. It also appeals to the audience that isn’t so interested in basketball, because in the movie basketball is just a vehicle to tell a story about the importance of human connectivity and dedication. It is the happy ending we all wished "Hoop Dreams" had. It is a powerful, resonant documentary featuring some jaw-dropping, edge-of-your-seat, fist-pumping, damn good basketball.

Movie Review

"More Than a Game"

Directed by Kristopher Belman, written by Belman and Brad Hogan, 102 minutes, rated PG.

By our guest blogger, Kicia Sears

“More Than A Game” is not just a sports documentary. It is not just about LeBron James. Though basketball fans will nearly achieve nirvana while watching early footage of James, all audiences can relate to the greater themes of friendship, dedication, and achievement that are the real message of the film.

The film opens in the locker room of the St.Vincent-St. Mary’s (STVM) basketball team of Akron, Ohio on the night of the 2003 Division II State Championship game vs. Kettering Alter. Right after tip-off, the story flashes back to the beginning of LeBron James’ basketball career in the gym of the local Salvation Army. There we meet Dru Joyce III (“Little Dru”), Willie McGee, Sian Cotton, and Dru’s father Dru Joyce II (“Coach Dru”). The boys are very close friends from fourth grade onward, more like family--they even decided to attend STVM high school based on Little Dru’s choice. Staying together made all the difference as their off-court relationships contribute greatly to the type of basketball they play--dynamic, charismatic, and fresh.

The film follows the “Fab 4”--which eventually became the “Fab 5” in high school with the addition of Romeo Travis--as they win three high school state championships. Through interviews with the boys and their families, footage of the Fab 5 together, and an understanding of their histories, we begin to understand how different and special each of the boys are, why their bond is so unusual, and how it contributed to what James calls in the film “the best basketball of [his] life.”

Director Kristopher Belman was a junior in college when he decided to make a short film about his hometown high school’s basketball team. Upon arrival at St.Vincent-St. Mary’s practice, he quickly realized that the Fab 5 was a different group of boys and that there was more to what made the team great than simply their record or LeBron James. What seems like a straightforward sports documentary ends up being a story about the importance of human relationships. When the team is practicing and working until they drop, the dedication they have is to each other, not just the desire to win games.

The movie is about Dru, Sian, Willie, Romeo, and Coach Dru as much as it is about LeBron. The boys understand that he’s head-and-shoulders above most of the players in high school but they don’t sell themselves short regarding their own contribution to the team. Little Dru makes an insightful comment at one point in regards to STVM basketball: “It’s a rock band--he’s just the lead singer.”

The basketball is really stunning. Even non-fans will gasp at footage of LeBron slam-dunking in junior high, Dru winning a championship almost entirely on his own with his clutch three point shot, and the almost creepy chemistry of the team that allows them to pass and cut as if they can see into the future. LeBron is definitely a focal point, and it is almost unfair how easily he can dominate the basketball court over the other kids. At moments, it feels as though you’re watching a 26-year-old NBA star school a bunch of teenagers and when you remember that he’s their age, it’s mind-boggling how good he is--the hype is justified.

Compositionally, the film is about average for a documentary. It is obvious that Belman is an amateur cameraman as some of the footage is shaky, blurry, or very low-res, which is frustrating to watch, but the interviews are much better. It is certainly apparent which parts of the movie were shot when Belman was filming on his own and which were shot with the help of a camera crew--there is a shot of a door opening into a pitch-black gymnasium after a crushing loss that is completely silent and absolutely gorgeous. The effects and animation are very well done, specifically a 3-D pan & zoom technique that gives the feel of being a fly on the wall in the room with all of the greats.

Really, “More Than A Game” feels like a sports drama--the big game ends with triumphant music, there are tearful declarations of love between the Fab 5 for making it so far in such a short amount of time, and at the close of the film, it seems like anything is possible for these boys from small-town Ohio. It is satisfying to the basketball fan because they get to take a look at the roots of “King James,” who reminds us of everything we had forgotten basketball could be since the retirement of Michael Jordan. It also appeals to the audience that isn’t so interested in basketball, because in the movie basketball is just a vehicle to tell a story about the importance of human connectivity and dedication. It is the happy ending we all wished "Hoop Dreams" had. It is a powerful, resonant documentary featuring some jaw-dropping, edge-of-your-seat, fist-pumping, damn good basketball.

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

The awards season draws ever closer, and today the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences released their shortlist of the 15 documentaries that may be one of the five nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar in February.

The list, alphabetically, from the AMPAS press release (included are the directors and production companies):

• “The Beaches of Agnes,” Agnès Varda, director (Cine-Tamaris)
• “Burma VJ,” Anders Østergaard, director (Magic Hour Films)
• “The Cove,” Louie Psihoyos, director (Oceanic Preservation Society)
• “Every Little Step,” James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, directors (Endgame Entertainment)
• “Facing Ali,” Pete McCormack, director (Network Films Inc.)
• “Food, Inc.,” Robert Kenner, director (Robert Kenner Films)
• “Garbage Dreams,” Mai Iskander, director (Iskander Films, Inc.)
• “Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders,” Mark N. Hopkins, director (Red Floor Pictures LLC)
• “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers,” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, directors (Kovno Communications)
• “Mugabe and the White African,” Andrew Thompson and Lucy Bailey, directors (Arturi Films Limited)
• “Sergio,” Greg Barker, director (Passion Pictures and Silverbridge Productions)
• “Soundtrack for a Revolution,” Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, directors (Freedom Song Productions)
• “Under Our Skin,” Andy Abrahams Wilson, director (Open Eye Pictures)
• “Valentino The Last Emperor,” Matt Tyrnauer, director (Acolyte Films)
• “Which Way Home,” Rebecca Cammisa, director (Mr. Mudd)

I actually haven't seen any of these yet, though "Food Inc." has definitely been on my radar. I'm also somewhat interested in "Soundtrack for a Revolution" (a film that tells the story of the Civil Rights Movement through the popular music of the time) and "The Most Dangerous Man in America" (about one former Pentagon insider revealing secret information about the Vietnam War to the New York Times).

The nominations for this and the rest of the categories will be announced on February 2, and the ceremony, hosted by Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, will be held on March 7.

----------------------

And this from our guest blogger, Matt Jussim

I love this time of year. The NFL makes its push towards the postseason, Christmas time is just around the corner, and best of all, it’s the start of film awards season. Academy Award speculation runs rampant around this time, as fans and critics wonder who will get nominated and who will be snubbed.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences documentary committee has watched the 89 eligible docs that were submitted and narrowed the field down to 15. The Academy announced the 15 films on the shortlist for Best Documentary, and there were quite a few glaring omissions.

The most notable is Michael Moore’s documentary "Capitalism: A Love Story." Moore’s documentary “Bowling For Columbine” won the award in 2002, and while his other films also have been controversial, but they are some of the best quality documentaries out there.

Another film that was noticeably absent was the critical darling “Anvil! The Story of Anvil.” The film has been one of the best reviewed documentaries of the year, and according to Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 98% approval rating--the best of any documentary. To put that number in context, last year the documentary “Man on Wire” held the same distinction, and went on to win the award.

Other noteworthy omissions: critical hits "Tyson" (about controversial boxer Mike Tyson), and "The September Issue" (about Anna Wintour and Vogue’s massive fall issue).

Sometimes, I think the Academy can be too methodical for its own good. Between specific rules, and eligibility guidelines, many times the best films (or songs) don’t receive nominations when they absolutely should. A good example of this was last year when Bruce Springsteen’s song for “The Wrestler” wasn’t even nominated, even though there were only three nominees up for the category of Best Song.

Of the 15 finalists, some notable titles include “Food Inc.,” which examines large-scale agricultural food production in the U.S., and “Soundtrack for a Revolution,” which tells the story of the American civil rights movement through its powerful music.

Also on the list was one of the most interesting and shocking movies I’ve seen a long time, “The Cove.” Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health.

The 15 finalists will be narrowed down to five when the Academy Award nominations are released on February 2nd, 2010.

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

The awards season draws ever closer, and today the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences released their shortlist of the 15 documentaries that may be one of the five nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar in February.

The list, alphabetically, from the AMPAS press release (included are the directors and production companies):

• “The Beaches of Agnes,” Agnès Varda, director (Cine-Tamaris)
• “Burma VJ,” Anders Østergaard, director (Magic Hour Films)
• “The Cove,” Louie Psihoyos, director (Oceanic Preservation Society)
• “Every Little Step,” James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, directors (Endgame Entertainment)
• “Facing Ali,” Pete McCormack, director (Network Films Inc.)
• “Food, Inc.,” Robert Kenner, director (Robert Kenner Films)
• “Garbage Dreams,” Mai Iskander, director (Iskander Films, Inc.)
• “Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders,” Mark N. Hopkins, director (Red Floor Pictures LLC)
• “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers,” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, directors (Kovno Communications)
• “Mugabe and the White African,” Andrew Thompson and Lucy Bailey, directors (Arturi Films Limited)
• “Sergio,” Greg Barker, director (Passion Pictures and Silverbridge Productions)
• “Soundtrack for a Revolution,” Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, directors (Freedom Song Productions)
• “Under Our Skin,” Andy Abrahams Wilson, director (Open Eye Pictures)
• “Valentino The Last Emperor,” Matt Tyrnauer, director (Acolyte Films)
• “Which Way Home,” Rebecca Cammisa, director (Mr. Mudd)

I actually haven't seen any of these yet, though "Food Inc." has definitely been on my radar. I'm also somewhat interested in "Soundtrack for a Revolution" (a film that tells the story of the Civil Rights Movement through the popular music of the time) and "The Most Dangerous Man in America" (about one former Pentagon insider revealing secret information about the Vietnam War to the New York Times).

The nominations for this and the rest of the categories will be announced on February 2, and the ceremony, hosted by Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, will be held on March 7.

----------------------

And this from our guest blogger, Matt Jussim

I love this time of year. The NFL makes its push towards the postseason, Christmas time is just around the corner, and best of all, it’s the start of film awards season. Academy Award speculation runs rampant around this time, as fans and critics wonder who will get nominated and who will be snubbed.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences documentary committee has watched the 89 eligible docs that were submitted and narrowed the field down to 15. The Academy announced the 15 films on the shortlist for Best Documentary, and there were quite a few glaring omissions.

The most notable is Michael Moore’s documentary "Capitalism: A Love Story." Moore’s documentary “Bowling For Columbine” won the award in 2002, and while his other films also have been controversial, but they are some of the best quality documentaries out there.

Another film that was noticeably absent was the critical darling “Anvil! The Story of Anvil.” The film has been one of the best reviewed documentaries of the year, and according to Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 98% approval rating--the best of any documentary. To put that number in context, last year the documentary “Man on Wire” held the same distinction, and went on to win the award.

Other noteworthy omissions: critical hits "Tyson" (about controversial boxer Mike Tyson), and "The September Issue" (about Anna Wintour and Vogue’s massive fall issue).

Sometimes, I think the Academy can be too methodical for its own good. Between specific rules, and eligibility guidelines, many times the best films (or songs) don’t receive nominations when they absolutely should. A good example of this was last year when Bruce Springsteen’s song for “The Wrestler” wasn’t even nominated, even though there were only three nominees up for the category of Best Song.

Of the 15 finalists, some notable titles include “Food Inc.,” which examines large-scale agricultural food production in the U.S., and “Soundtrack for a Revolution,” which tells the story of the American civil rights movement through its powerful music.

Also on the list was one of the most interesting and shocking movies I’ve seen a long time, “The Cove.” Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health.

The 15 finalists will be narrowed down to five when the Academy Award nominations are released on February 2nd, 2010.

Movie Review
"Michael Jackson's This is It"

Directed by Kenny Ortega, rated PG, 112 minutes.

What becomes clear the moment we see Michael Jackson in the opening moments of “This Is It,” the documentary that chronicles the intense rehearsals of Jackson’s 50 London-based concerts that failed to take place due to the performer’s drug-induced death in June, is that “This is It” the movie never should have happened.

At least not under these circumstances.

On the other hand, if what audiences see here is any indication, the concerts absolutely should have happened. And what a shame that they didn’t. Everything about this movie propels the reasons the world fell in love with Michael Jackson when he was a child, and then later when he realized unparalleled superstardom as a young adult in the wake of his hugely popular albums “Off the Wall” and most notably, “Thriller.”

Watching the documentary is a curiosity not only for the insider’s glimpse we’re offered into how Jackson and his director Kenny Ortega (also the film’s director) were staging the shows, but because Jackson’s talent is so massive, his ability to thrill and to touch remained enough to quash, at least for two hours, all the gossip, allegations and lawsuits that plagued him for years.

For too many of those years, it seemed that Michael Jackson already had died, at least creatively. He produced only four albums after “Thriller,” and while “Bad” remains the best of the lot, each album (with some singular exceptions) showcased a disappointing, encroaching repetition that made him less relevant and cutting-edge.

And so what “This is It” accomplishes is key to not only preserving his memory, but also to galvanizing his myth. Onstage, Jackson still moonwalks, still thrashes in white tornadoes of dry ice, still brandishes his signature moves, but there are new moves to be had here and a voice that is still strong.

At age 50, Jackson’s lithe body doesn’t make sense — his altered face and lighter skin color aside, everything about him is just as fluid as we remember. Throughout, there never is a question that he sings nearly every song in the movie live, often powerfully though more quietly as the tour draws near; he wanted to preserve his voice.

More over, nothing about him signals an addiction to drugs. Watching the movie, you can’t help wondering how he possibly could nail those ridiculously intricate moves had he been on drugs. It doesn’t add up, yet there he goes, sliding down a banister as if he were 12 in a clever cutaway sequence for his performance of “Smooth Criminal,” or leaping across a giant stage as if invisible strings were attached to his back.

Beyond the music and the film’s brilliant editing, which cuts together pieces of what never was meant to be shown to the public (at least not like this) with a seamless, almost prophetic ease, is the glimpse we’re offered into how Jackson approached his art and how he addressed those assisting him in realizing his vision. He is gracious, loving and grateful. He doesn’t say much, but when he does speak, he’s sincere, funny, focused and firm.

He knows his craft, he knows what he’s creating is manufactured pop, and he is aware of the power of it all, particularly in a wonderful scene in which he teases out of his musical director the exact tempo he’s seeking in a song he knows better than anyone else. When he’s alone at the center of the stage, that smile on his face is genuine. A thousand lighted, whirling distractions assail him, but he remains the exclamation point in the room. It’s bizarre. Though he’s been away from the music industry for years, that self-imposed moniker of his — the King of Pop — now is without argument. Nobody ever has done it like this.

In the end, “This Is It” crushes the viewer with a jumble of feelings — sadness, joy, fascination, exuberance, awe and then, just as it all was coming together, tragedy. The movie’s genius is that it offers no narration, nothing that connects us from point A to the inevitable point D. That would have been an intrusion.

Instead, we’re allowed to be voyeurs, and what we see throughout is a performer who was on the cusp of realizing what likely would have been his third professional peak. The first came when the Jackson Five hit the scene, the second came with the advent of “Thriller,” and now there is this concert that nearly was but never was. Deliberately designed to celebrate all that Jackson gave us during his 40-plus-year career, the show also reveals the potential rebirth that was to come should he have lived to enjoy it.

Grade: A


View the trailer for "Michael Jackson's This is It" here:

Movie Review
"Michael Jackson's This is It"

Directed by Kenny Ortega, rated PG, 112 minutes.

What becomes clear the moment we see Michael Jackson in the opening moments of “This Is It,” the documentary that chronicles the intense rehearsals of Jackson’s 50 London-based concerts that failed to take place due to the performer’s drug-induced death in June, is that “This is It” the movie never should have happened.

At least not under these circumstances.

On the other hand, if what audiences see here is any indication, the concerts absolutely should have happened. And what a shame that they didn’t. Everything about this movie propels the reasons the world fell in love with Michael Jackson when he was a child, and then later when he realized unparalleled superstardom as a young adult in the wake of his hugely popular albums “Off the Wall” and most notably, “Thriller.”

Watching the documentary is a curiosity not only for the insider’s glimpse we’re offered into how Jackson and his director Kenny Ortega (also the film’s director) were staging the shows, but because Jackson’s talent is so massive, his ability to thrill and to touch remained enough to quash, at least for two hours, all the gossip, allegations and lawsuits that plagued him for years.

For too many of those years, it seemed that Michael Jackson already had died, at least creatively. He produced only four albums after “Thriller,” and while “Bad” remains the best of the lot, each album (with some singular exceptions) showcased a disappointing, encroaching repetition that made him less relevant and cutting-edge.

And so what “This is It” accomplishes is key to not only preserving his memory, but also to galvanizing his myth. Onstage, Jackson still moonwalks, still thrashes in white tornadoes of dry ice, still brandishes his signature moves, but there are new moves to be had here and a voice that is still strong.

At age 50, Jackson’s lithe body doesn’t make sense — his altered face and lighter skin color aside, everything about him is just as fluid as we remember. Throughout, there never is a question that he sings nearly every song in the movie live, often powerfully though more quietly as the tour draws near; he wanted to preserve his voice.

More over, nothing about him signals an addiction to drugs. Watching the movie, you can’t help wondering how he possibly could nail those ridiculously intricate moves had he been on drugs. It doesn’t add up, yet there he goes, sliding down a banister as if he were 12 in a clever cutaway sequence for his performance of “Smooth Criminal,” or leaping across a giant stage as if invisible strings were attached to his back.

Beyond the music and the film’s brilliant editing, which cuts together pieces of what never was meant to be shown to the public (at least not like this) with a seamless, almost prophetic ease, is the glimpse we’re offered into how Jackson approached his art and how he addressed those assisting him in realizing his vision. He is gracious, loving and grateful. He doesn’t say much, but when he does speak, he’s sincere, funny, focused and firm.

He knows his craft, he knows what he’s creating is manufactured pop, and he is aware of the power of it all, particularly in a wonderful scene in which he teases out of his musical director the exact tempo he’s seeking in a song he knows better than anyone else. When he’s alone at the center of the stage, that smile on his face is genuine. A thousand lighted, whirling distractions assail him, but he remains the exclamation point in the room. It’s bizarre. Though he’s been away from the music industry for years, that self-imposed moniker of his — the King of Pop — now is without argument. Nobody ever has done it like this.

In the end, “This Is It” crushes the viewer with a jumble of feelings — sadness, joy, fascination, exuberance, awe and then, just as it all was coming together, tragedy. The movie’s genius is that it offers no narration, nothing that connects us from point A to the inevitable point D. That would have been an intrusion.

Instead, we’re allowed to be voyeurs, and what we see throughout is a performer who was on the cusp of realizing what likely would have been his third professional peak. The first came when the Jackson Five hit the scene, the second came with the advent of “Thriller,” and now there is this concert that nearly was but never was. Deliberately designed to celebrate all that Jackson gave us during his 40-plus-year career, the show also reveals the potential rebirth that was to come should he have lived to enjoy it.

Grade: A


View the trailer for "Michael Jackson's This is It" here:

Clicking each title will bring you to Amazon.

"The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" DVD, Blu-ray
Following the 1974 original, Tony Scott’s brisk remake takes place mostly in the bowels of New York City, specifically its subway system, which long has carried its share of baggage, particularly with terrorists, who have gone on record to say that one day, they would target it again. Scott understands the fear underlying this notion and he employs it with jolts that aren’t much of a stretch. Well, not too much of a stretch. The film begins with a crazed faction of American terrorists led by the mysterious Ryder (John Travolta). Together, these men hijack a subway train, take their share of hostages, and demand $10 million for their release within one hour. If the mayor (James Gandolfini) can’t come up with the money in time, Ryder promises that one passenger will die for every minute that passes beyond the one-hour limit. Their point man is Walter Garber (Denzel Washington), a transit officer whose bad luck is that on this particular day, it’s he who’s in charge of the route taken by Ryder’s hijacked train. And so when the train fails to move along its path, Garber reaches out to speak to its conductor, finds himself connected with Ryder, and suddenly is in the position of hostage negotiations. Assisting him to that end is John Turturro as one of the city’s key hostage negotiators. Scott long has been a director who relies on slick, quick-cut editing to drive his films, and that’s no exception here, particularly in the opening credits, which are so hyped up, they’re annnoying. The good news is that eventually the busy work being done in the editing bay is taken over by movie, which absorbs the false sense of momentum rapid editing provides with real momentum propelled by the story, the fine acting and the characters themselves. Rated R. Grade: B

"Air Force One" Blu-ray
Harrison Ford is the President of the United States and Glenn Close is his Vice President in a movie that features an engaging script and genuinely gripping scenes. When Air Force One is taken hostage by a group of terrorists led by Ivan Korshunov (Gary Oldman), the president is thought to have slipped through a special escape pod. He hasn’t. Hiding on board, the presient finds himself fighting to keep himself, his family and his country safe. A former Vietnam Vet, he proves a formidable opponent to Oldman’s equally formidable terrorist, who relishes killing off hostages in an effort to get what he really wants--the release from prison of General Radek (Jurgen Prochnow), a powerful man who will threaten a Communist return to Russia if he is set free. Who has the power to free Radek? The president, of course. In this fine, high-definition transfer of the film, audiences likely will have a grand time watching this particular war between terrorist and president play out. Rated R. Grade: B+


"Love Actually" Blu-ray
It's "the absolute torture of love" that this romantic comedy has in its sights, and the net it casts over the whole sprawling affair is about as broad as it gets. This busy, relentlessly shameless comedy also is funny, with an expert cast on hand to help smooth over the rough spots. The movie doesn't so much star anyone as it co-stars everyone. Some of the highlights including Hugh Grant as England's disco-dancing prime minister who falls for a foul-mouthed tea girl (Martine McCutcheon); Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson as a couple facing a marital impasse; Laura Linney as a woman torn between her love for the smoky-eyed office stud (Rodrigo Santoro) and her mentally ill brother; and Colin Firth as a famous crime writer who falls hard for his Portuguese cleaning woman (Lucia Moniz). Adding to the laundry list of subplots are a wheelbarrow of other characters, too many to list here, though the hilarious Bill Nighy must be singled out for his outrageous performance as Billy Mack, a has-been pop singer who launches a holiday comeback. He is the best part of the movie. Rated R. Grade: B+

March of the Penguins/On the Wings of Penguins
It's their bodies you notice first. Not made for flying, not particularly well made for walking, the emperor penguins of the Antarctic are awkwardly built, their rotund heft, stunted limbs and gnarled feet creating a curious waddle that's at once comical and endearing. It's only when they swim in the freezing waters of the Antarctic that these creatures realize a ballet of physical release that seems beyond their capabilities. There, in the electric blue of a faraway deep, they become tuxedoed missiles--as slick as dolphins, as graceful as seals, faster than you could imagine, able to dart with ease to the feast of fish fretting along the fringes of the icebergs that sustain them. Still, on land, where these penguins spend most of their lives, they are designed in ways that appear completely wrong for the process that takes up so much of their lives--breeding. Pegged to a life of almost impossible difficulty, these driven, nearly 4-foot-tall birds must walk more than 70 miles through the most treacherous terrain and weather in order to come to a place in which they feel safe to hatch their chicks. And then, to find food, they must walk those 70 miles again. And again. And again. Meanwhile, starvation is a thief that has its way with them. Morgan Freeman narrates their moving journey--the lives that spring from it, those that fall because of it. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary, the film has been re-released in a limited-edition giftset that includes the feature-length documentary “On the Wings of Penguins,” an African penguin toy and collectible postcards. All are fine, but it’s the core movie that resonates. Rated G. Grade: A

"Star Trek: The Original Series Complete Second Season" Blu-ray
It never gets old. That’s the thing about the original episodes of “Star Trek,” which prickly old Paramount refused to share with us (you’d think they were going belly up), and so we bought it for review. The high-definition print is so bright and clear, Trekkies likely will faint at the quality of the print. Also enhanced are the special effects, which have been updated, though not at the cost of the show’s tongue-in-cheek charm. The 1967-68 season was memorable, featuring such iconic episodes as “The Trouble with Tribbles,” surely one of the series’ funniest, as well as everything from “The Doomsday Machine” and “Mirror, Mirror” to “The Immunity Syndrome” and “Amok Time.” Set your phasers to stun, because that’s pretty much the effect these remastered episodes will have on its legions of fans. Grade: A

"Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut, The Complete Story" DVD, Blu-ray
Stop the madness! If there was going to be an “Ultimate Cut” of this dog, it should have involved scissors, trumpets, a marching band and the celebrated cutting of this movie to shreds. But no. In its new, longer incarnation, Zack Snyder’s unfortunate take on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ popular graphic novel, “Watchmen” is even more pretentious and long, so much so that it collapses under the weight of its own bloated ideas. This pseudointellectual superhero mess is self-indulgent, self-important and, worst of all, boring. The film--and this is a review of the film, not the novel, a distinction some of the novel’s more passionate fans nevertheless will overlook--is such a misfire, it’s no wonder Moore himself removed his name from the project. He didn’t want to be directly associated with something he knew wouldn’t translate well onto the screen. Turns out he was right. While Snyder achieves a dark, beautiful-looking movie that complements Gibbons’ surreal illustrations, the dense storyline, while fleshed out, still remains made for the page, where one’s imagination can take root and fill in the corners--and where layers can not only deepen, but thrive. Rated R. Grade: D

Clicking each title will bring you to Amazon.

"The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" DVD, Blu-ray
Following the 1974 original, Tony Scott’s brisk remake takes place mostly in the bowels of New York City, specifically its subway system, which long has carried its share of baggage, particularly with terrorists, who have gone on record to say that one day, they would target it again. Scott understands the fear underlying this notion and he employs it with jolts that aren’t much of a stretch. Well, not too much of a stretch. The film begins with a crazed faction of American terrorists led by the mysterious Ryder (John Travolta). Together, these men hijack a subway train, take their share of hostages, and demand $10 million for their release within one hour. If the mayor (James Gandolfini) can’t come up with the money in time, Ryder promises that one passenger will die for every minute that passes beyond the one-hour limit. Their point man is Walter Garber (Denzel Washington), a transit officer whose bad luck is that on this particular day, it’s he who’s in charge of the route taken by Ryder’s hijacked train. And so when the train fails to move along its path, Garber reaches out to speak to its conductor, finds himself connected with Ryder, and suddenly is in the position of hostage negotiations. Assisting him to that end is John Turturro as one of the city’s key hostage negotiators. Scott long has been a director who relies on slick, quick-cut editing to drive his films, and that’s no exception here, particularly in the opening credits, which are so hyped up, they’re annnoying. The good news is that eventually the busy work being done in the editing bay is taken over by movie, which absorbs the false sense of momentum rapid editing provides with real momentum propelled by the story, the fine acting and the characters themselves. Rated R. Grade: B

"Air Force One" Blu-ray
Harrison Ford is the President of the United States and Glenn Close is his Vice President in a movie that features an engaging script and genuinely gripping scenes. When Air Force One is taken hostage by a group of terrorists led by Ivan Korshunov (Gary Oldman), the president is thought to have slipped through a special escape pod. He hasn’t. Hiding on board, the presient finds himself fighting to keep himself, his family and his country safe. A former Vietnam Vet, he proves a formidable opponent to Oldman’s equally formidable terrorist, who relishes killing off hostages in an effort to get what he really wants--the release from prison of General Radek (Jurgen Prochnow), a powerful man who will threaten a Communist return to Russia if he is set free. Who has the power to free Radek? The president, of course. In this fine, high-definition transfer of the film, audiences likely will have a grand time watching this particular war between terrorist and president play out. Rated R. Grade: B+


"Love Actually" Blu-ray
It's "the absolute torture of love" that this romantic comedy has in its sights, and the net it casts over the whole sprawling affair is about as broad as it gets. This busy, relentlessly shameless comedy also is funny, with an expert cast on hand to help smooth over the rough spots. The movie doesn't so much star anyone as it co-stars everyone. Some of the highlights including Hugh Grant as England's disco-dancing prime minister who falls for a foul-mouthed tea girl (Martine McCutcheon); Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson as a couple facing a marital impasse; Laura Linney as a woman torn between her love for the smoky-eyed office stud (Rodrigo Santoro) and her mentally ill brother; and Colin Firth as a famous crime writer who falls hard for his Portuguese cleaning woman (Lucia Moniz). Adding to the laundry list of subplots are a wheelbarrow of other characters, too many to list here, though the hilarious Bill Nighy must be singled out for his outrageous performance as Billy Mack, a has-been pop singer who launches a holiday comeback. He is the best part of the movie. Rated R. Grade: B+

March of the Penguins/On the Wings of Penguins
It's their bodies you notice first. Not made for flying, not particularly well made for walking, the emperor penguins of the Antarctic are awkwardly built, their rotund heft, stunted limbs and gnarled feet creating a curious waddle that's at once comical and endearing. It's only when they swim in the freezing waters of the Antarctic that these creatures realize a ballet of physical release that seems beyond their capabilities. There, in the electric blue of a faraway deep, they become tuxedoed missiles--as slick as dolphins, as graceful as seals, faster than you could imagine, able to dart with ease to the feast of fish fretting along the fringes of the icebergs that sustain them. Still, on land, where these penguins spend most of their lives, they are designed in ways that appear completely wrong for the process that takes up so much of their lives--breeding. Pegged to a life of almost impossible difficulty, these driven, nearly 4-foot-tall birds must walk more than 70 miles through the most treacherous terrain and weather in order to come to a place in which they feel safe to hatch their chicks. And then, to find food, they must walk those 70 miles again. And again. And again. Meanwhile, starvation is a thief that has its way with them. Morgan Freeman narrates their moving journey--the lives that spring from it, those that fall because of it. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary, the film has been re-released in a limited-edition giftset that includes the feature-length documentary “On the Wings of Penguins,” an African penguin toy and collectible postcards. All are fine, but it’s the core movie that resonates. Rated G. Grade: A

"Star Trek: The Original Series Complete Second Season" Blu-ray
It never gets old. That’s the thing about the original episodes of “Star Trek,” which prickly old Paramount refused to share with us (you’d think they were going belly up), and so we bought it for review. The high-definition print is so bright and clear, Trekkies likely will faint at the quality of the print. Also enhanced are the special effects, which have been updated, though not at the cost of the show’s tongue-in-cheek charm. The 1967-68 season was memorable, featuring such iconic episodes as “The Trouble with Tribbles,” surely one of the series’ funniest, as well as everything from “The Doomsday Machine” and “Mirror, Mirror” to “The Immunity Syndrome” and “Amok Time.” Set your phasers to stun, because that’s pretty much the effect these remastered episodes will have on its legions of fans. Grade: A

"Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut, The Complete Story" DVD, Blu-ray
Stop the madness! If there was going to be an “Ultimate Cut” of this dog, it should have involved scissors, trumpets, a marching band and the celebrated cutting of this movie to shreds. But no. In its new, longer incarnation, Zack Snyder’s unfortunate take on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ popular graphic novel, “Watchmen” is even more pretentious and long, so much so that it collapses under the weight of its own bloated ideas. This pseudointellectual superhero mess is self-indulgent, self-important and, worst of all, boring. The film--and this is a review of the film, not the novel, a distinction some of the novel’s more passionate fans nevertheless will overlook--is such a misfire, it’s no wonder Moore himself removed his name from the project. He didn’t want to be directly associated with something he knew wouldn’t translate well onto the screen. Turns out he was right. While Snyder achieves a dark, beautiful-looking movie that complements Gibbons’ surreal illustrations, the dense storyline, while fleshed out, still remains made for the page, where one’s imagination can take root and fill in the corners--and where layers can not only deepen, but thrive. Rated R. Grade: D

“Monsters Vs. Aliens” DVD, Blu-ray
First, here is what you need to know about what’s happening in the film industry, and how it affects you. The following information came directly from an insider with Paramount who spoke to me under the condition of anonymity: In a quiet new marketing strategy that will kneecap their bottom line when film critics start to refuse to cover their titles (it’ll happen--and there goes their free press), Paramount only was willing to release screeners of “Monsters vs. Aliens” to those critics who gave the movie’s theatrical release a positive review (I and many others didn’t). Their thinking is this--in an effort to increase sales, they want to pound the masses only with hype and good news. Sound fair to you? Sounds like propaganda and an uninformed public to me. And so, given these limitations, let’s revisit the original review and reinforce why you shouldn’t bother buying or renting the movie. All the great animation and swell 3-D effects in the world can't save a film if it’s sandbagged by an uninspired storyline that nods broadly at a wealth of better-known films. That’s the case here and the results are so benign, the movie might as well be called “Puppies vs. Kittens.” From its opening moments, it’s easy to be wowed by the advances in 3-D technology. But like any movie focused purely on fueling such a gimmick, the technology becomes just windowdressing if there isn’t anything there to bolster it up, which is the case here. Five writers wrote the script (with Crayons?) and throughout, the cinematic echoes are obvious. The movie’s focus is Susan (voice of Reese Witherspoon), who is struck by a meteorite on her wedding day and starts to grow large. Really large. Within moments, the government is involved (cue the “Men in Black” references!), and they take Susan to a test facility where other monsters are held. Things is, like Susan, none of these oddities are harmful (cue the “Monsters, Inc.” references!). They’re just misunderstood creatures in a movie that eventually employs them in an effort to save the world when aliens attack the planet. Who do you think wins that battle? If you don’t know, you’re likely 5, can’t read yet, and so this movie might appeal to you. But with the exception of a few clever scenes, “Monsters vs. Aliens” fails to leave the mark its title promises. Rated PG. Grade: C-

“How I Met Your Mother: Season Four” DVD, Blu-ray
A sitcom too far on the fringe to be fully mainstream, which is part of its appeal. The show bills itself as “a love story in reverse,” and it continues to fill a niche left in the wake of “Friends,” which it fills well. The show follows five friends living in New York City, with Ted (Josh Radnor) looking back upon his life and telling his two kids how he met their mother 25 years earlier. That might sound like a sappy premise to some, but for the most part, the show resists it. Fine performances follow from Radnor, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan, Neil Patrick Harris and Cobie Smulders, all of whom make for one of the better ensemble casts on television. Grade: B



"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" Blu-ray
Early in Marcus Nispel’s remake of Tobe Hooper’s low-budget, 1974 cult classic horror film, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” a dazed young woman--beaten, bloody and bruised--sits in the back of a van, mumbling about the horror she’s just witnessed to the five sweaty hippies surrounding her. When she stops suddenly to pull out a gun and blow off her head, the camera, seeking inspiration, follows the bullet—and her scattered brains--through the back of her head, through the van’s rear window, and into the heavy open air. This is one of the film’s lighter moments. What ensues turns increasingly harsh, ugly and wearying. It’s an exploitative gorefest, a slasher flick that’s merciless in its bloodletting. Unlike Zack Snyder’s remake of “Dawn of the Dead,” which works because of its sharp jolt of dark humor and because its violence is cartoonish, the only goal of “Chainsaw” seems to be to test one’s limits. It’s a complete misreading of the original, whose blood violence mostly was implied and whose famed, chainsaw-wielding Leatherface was played by Northeast Harbor resident, Gunnar Hansen. This film is reduced to sideshow of doughy, dirty hillbillies filling out the film’s periphery and adding surreal interest but no psychological depth. They’re here to be ridiculed, not feared, which is just one of the reasons why this bum remake fails. Rated R. Grade: D

“The Unit: Season Four” DVD, Blu-ray
This strange, off-beat hybrid from David Mamet melds elements of “The Shield” and “24” with flashes of “Desperate Housewives.” For the most part, it works. Dennis Haysbert is Jonas Blane, the head of the Army’s Delta Force, a top-secret Special Forces unit that enlists in all sorts of bullet-biting bravery. Scott Foley is Bob Brown, who takes on terrorists while his wife, Kim (Audrey Marie Anderson), takes on a few of her own--the wives of the other Unit members. The dialogue can be very good--it has energy. So do the storylines, which are swift. The problem? Sometimes, those qualities come at the cost of developing the characters, which must be fleshed out. Grade: B-



“The Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary Edition” Blu-ray
The limited edition boxed set of the great 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz,” now available on Blu-ray disc, is the week’s best new release. Warner came to the table to play, knowing that fans would expect nothing less than the best when it came to this film, and they delivered in a major way. The movie--well, you know the movie. You know how great Judy Garland is as Dorothy, how memorable the rest of the cast is, how terrific Victor Fleming’s direction is, and that the film’s themes of the importance of home have helped it to resonate throughout the decades. But beyond the movie, whose transfer into the high-definition format is so clean, you’ve never seen or heard it like this, are the extras that come with the boxed set. Highlights include a limited edition watch, a reproduction of the original 1939 campaign book, a 52-page commemorative book called “Behind the Curtain of Production 1060,” and even a replica of the original movie’s budget. On the four discs that come with the set, you’ll fine over 16 hours of extras, the best of which is the 6-hour documentary “MGM: When the Lion Roars” and an insightful documentary on Victor Fleming. Need more? The set also includes a bonus digital copy of the movie, which allows you to download it onto your computer. Grade: A+

Also new on DVD and Blu-ray this week:

New and additional titles Paramount tucked away from critics this week include the Blu-ray releases of several films. That studio is hoping you’ll stumble blindly into stores and seek them out. At least the other studios get it--and can take it on the chin if their movie or television show isn’t well received. What are recommended this week are such titles as the second season of “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” (DVD, Blu-ray), which refines and deepens what came before it; the terrific third season of “Ugly Betty,” with America Ferrera continuing to broaden her range; and the first season of the detective show, “Castle.”

Three titles from A&E also are worth a look, such as excellent three seasons of “The Universe” on Blu-ray, as well as the first season of “How the Earth Was Made” and the 20 discs tucked within the creepy “The Haunted Histories Collection.” From the BBC, look for four television series that don’t disappoint, including “People Like Us,” “Clatterford: Complete Season Two,” the first season of the drama “New Tricks” and the biting comedy, “The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle,” which stars Jennifer Saunders (“Absolutely Fabulous”) as a talk show host with zero sense and who apparently knows no bounds. Which is just how we like the actress.

The fourth season of “Ghost Whisperer” is available, with Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Melinda Gordon talking to the dead in ways that the actress might soon be talking to her own career if the show doesn’t pull itself together and improve. While this season does tone down the treacly sentiment of previous seasons, Hewitt’s limitations as an actress have yet to be overcome. The same can’t be said for Patricia Arquette in the fourth season of “Medium,” a superior series in which Arquette’s Allison Dubois, a psychic, solves crimes via the assistance of her unsettling dreams. Fine writing and performances drive the series, as do some intriguing storylines.

Two other crime-related shows are recommended, the best of which is the seventh season of “CSI: Miami,” with David Caruso and crew keeping the series nicely on edge--there’s no screen fatigue here. Same goes for the fourth season of “Criminal Minds,” in which Joe Mantegna’s David Rossie leads a crack team of FBI profilers whose personal lives, as with so many of these crime-related shows, are embroiled in the sort of turmoil few ever would want to face--unless, of course, it’s on their television sets in the comfort of their own living rooms.

From A&E, try “Mysteries of the Freemasons,” a documentary that explores Masonic history via a handful of experts on the subject. Live-action re-creations abound, as they do in these series from the History Channel, with the core revelation being that within the brotherhood of the Masonry, it’s up to the individual to mine the truth of their own secret. Details on Freemasonry are light and interspersed. In the end, the set is best recommended as a fine primer on the subject.

On Blu-ray, look for four martial arts movies--Jet Li and Maggie Cheung in 2004’s “Hero,” Jackie Chan in 1994’s very good “The Legend of Drunken Master,” Jean Wang and Tsang Sze Man in 1993’s unrelenting, Quentin Tarantino-produced “Iron Monkey” and Takeshi Kitano in his own, 2004 award-winning movie, “Zatoichi.” The latter is the best of the lot, which is saying plenty since every one of these films are excellent examples of the genre.

Rounding out the week are several standouts, beginning with the second season of the quirky comedy series “The Big Bang Theory.” Also worth noting is “Bonanza: First Season, Vol.1 and Vol. 2,” each sold separately; the complete first season of the sci-fi powerhouse, “Sanctuary”; the Blu-ray release of 1981’s excellent comic horror movie, “An American Werewolf in London”; and “Gigantor: The Collection, Vol. 2.” Less involving fare includes the first season of the television thriller “Harper’s Island,” the third season of that cloying throwback “Mr. Belvedere,” and the first and second seasons of the energetic but cliché-ridden television show, “Fame.”

“Monsters Vs. Aliens” DVD, Blu-ray
First, here is what you need to know about what’s happening in the film industry, and how it affects you. The following information came directly from an insider with Paramount who spoke to me under the condition of anonymity: In a quiet new marketing strategy that will kneecap their bottom line when film critics start to refuse to cover their titles (it’ll happen--and there goes their free press), Paramount only was willing to release screeners of “Monsters vs. Aliens” to those critics who gave the movie’s theatrical release a positive review (I and many others didn’t). Their thinking is this--in an effort to increase sales, they want to pound the masses only with hype and good news. Sound fair to you? Sounds like propaganda and an uninformed public to me. And so, given these limitations, let’s revisit the original review and reinforce why you shouldn’t bother buying or renting the movie. All the great animation and swell 3-D effects in the world can't save a film if it’s sandbagged by an uninspired storyline that nods broadly at a wealth of better-known films. That’s the case here and the results are so benign, the movie might as well be called “Puppies vs. Kittens.” From its opening moments, it’s easy to be wowed by the advances in 3-D technology. But like any movie focused purely on fueling such a gimmick, the technology becomes just windowdressing if there isn’t anything there to bolster it up, which is the case here. Five writers wrote the script (with Crayons?) and throughout, the cinematic echoes are obvious. The movie’s focus is Susan (voice of Reese Witherspoon), who is struck by a meteorite on her wedding day and starts to grow large. Really large. Within moments, the government is involved (cue the “Men in Black” references!), and they take Susan to a test facility where other monsters are held. Things is, like Susan, none of these oddities are harmful (cue the “Monsters, Inc.” references!). They’re just misunderstood creatures in a movie that eventually employs them in an effort to save the world when aliens attack the planet. Who do you think wins that battle? If you don’t know, you’re likely 5, can’t read yet, and so this movie might appeal to you. But with the exception of a few clever scenes, “Monsters vs. Aliens” fails to leave the mark its title promises. Rated PG. Grade: C-

“How I Met Your Mother: Season Four” DVD, Blu-ray
A sitcom too far on the fringe to be fully mainstream, which is part of its appeal. The show bills itself as “a love story in reverse,” and it continues to fill a niche left in the wake of “Friends,” which it fills well. The show follows five friends living in New York City, with Ted (Josh Radnor) looking back upon his life and telling his two kids how he met their mother 25 years earlier. That might sound like a sappy premise to some, but for the most part, the show resists it. Fine performances follow from Radnor, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan, Neil Patrick Harris and Cobie Smulders, all of whom make for one of the better ensemble casts on television. Grade: B



"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" Blu-ray
Early in Marcus Nispel’s remake of Tobe Hooper’s low-budget, 1974 cult classic horror film, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” a dazed young woman--beaten, bloody and bruised--sits in the back of a van, mumbling about the horror she’s just witnessed to the five sweaty hippies surrounding her. When she stops suddenly to pull out a gun and blow off her head, the camera, seeking inspiration, follows the bullet—and her scattered brains--through the back of her head, through the van’s rear window, and into the heavy open air. This is one of the film’s lighter moments. What ensues turns increasingly harsh, ugly and wearying. It’s an exploitative gorefest, a slasher flick that’s merciless in its bloodletting. Unlike Zack Snyder’s remake of “Dawn of the Dead,” which works because of its sharp jolt of dark humor and because its violence is cartoonish, the only goal of “Chainsaw” seems to be to test one’s limits. It’s a complete misreading of the original, whose blood violence mostly was implied and whose famed, chainsaw-wielding Leatherface was played by Northeast Harbor resident, Gunnar Hansen. This film is reduced to sideshow of doughy, dirty hillbillies filling out the film’s periphery and adding surreal interest but no psychological depth. They’re here to be ridiculed, not feared, which is just one of the reasons why this bum remake fails. Rated R. Grade: D

“The Unit: Season Four” DVD, Blu-ray
This strange, off-beat hybrid from David Mamet melds elements of “The Shield” and “24” with flashes of “Desperate Housewives.” For the most part, it works. Dennis Haysbert is Jonas Blane, the head of the Army’s Delta Force, a top-secret Special Forces unit that enlists in all sorts of bullet-biting bravery. Scott Foley is Bob Brown, who takes on terrorists while his wife, Kim (Audrey Marie Anderson), takes on a few of her own--the wives of the other Unit members. The dialogue can be very good--it has energy. So do the storylines, which are swift. The problem? Sometimes, those qualities come at the cost of developing the characters, which must be fleshed out. Grade: B-



“The Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary Edition” Blu-ray
The limited edition boxed set of the great 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz,” now available on Blu-ray disc, is the week’s best new release. Warner came to the table to play, knowing that fans would expect nothing less than the best when it came to this film, and they delivered in a major way. The movie--well, you know the movie. You know how great Judy Garland is as Dorothy, how memorable the rest of the cast is, how terrific Victor Fleming’s direction is, and that the film’s themes of the importance of home have helped it to resonate throughout the decades. But beyond the movie, whose transfer into the high-definition format is so clean, you’ve never seen or heard it like this, are the extras that come with the boxed set. Highlights include a limited edition watch, a reproduction of the original 1939 campaign book, a 52-page commemorative book called “Behind the Curtain of Production 1060,” and even a replica of the original movie’s budget. On the four discs that come with the set, you’ll fine over 16 hours of extras, the best of which is the 6-hour documentary “MGM: When the Lion Roars” and an insightful documentary on Victor Fleming. Need more? The set also includes a bonus digital copy of the movie, which allows you to download it onto your computer. Grade: A+

Also new on DVD and Blu-ray this week:

New and additional titles Paramount tucked away from critics this week include the Blu-ray releases of several films. That studio is hoping you’ll stumble blindly into stores and seek them out. At least the other studios get it--and can take it on the chin if their movie or television show isn’t well received. What are recommended this week are such titles as the second season of “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” (DVD, Blu-ray), which refines and deepens what came before it; the terrific third season of “Ugly Betty,” with America Ferrera continuing to broaden her range; and the first season of the detective show, “Castle.”

Three titles from A&E also are worth a look, such as excellent three seasons of “The Universe” on Blu-ray, as well as the first season of “How the Earth Was Made” and the 20 discs tucked within the creepy “The Haunted Histories Collection.” From the BBC, look for four television series that don’t disappoint, including “People Like Us,” “Clatterford: Complete Season Two,” the first season of the drama “New Tricks” and the biting comedy, “The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle,” which stars Jennifer Saunders (“Absolutely Fabulous”) as a talk show host with zero sense and who apparently knows no bounds. Which is just how we like the actress.

The fourth season of “Ghost Whisperer” is available, with Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Melinda Gordon talking to the dead in ways that the actress might soon be talking to her own career if the show doesn’t pull itself together and improve. While this season does tone down the treacly sentiment of previous seasons, Hewitt’s limitations as an actress have yet to be overcome. The same can’t be said for Patricia Arquette in the fourth season of “Medium,” a superior series in which Arquette’s Allison Dubois, a psychic, solves crimes via the assistance of her unsettling dreams. Fine writing and performances drive the series, as do some intriguing storylines.

Two other crime-related shows are recommended, the best of which is the seventh season of “CSI: Miami,” with David Caruso and crew keeping the series nicely on edge--there’s no screen fatigue here. Same goes for the fourth season of “Criminal Minds,” in which Joe Mantegna’s David Rossie leads a crack team of FBI profilers whose personal lives, as with so many of these crime-related shows, are embroiled in the sort of turmoil few ever would want to face--unless, of course, it’s on their television sets in the comfort of their own living rooms.

From A&E, try “Mysteries of the Freemasons,” a documentary that explores Masonic history via a handful of experts on the subject. Live-action re-creations abound, as they do in these series from the History Channel, with the core revelation being that within the brotherhood of the Masonry, it’s up to the individual to mine the truth of their own secret. Details on Freemasonry are light and interspersed. In the end, the set is best recommended as a fine primer on the subject.

On Blu-ray, look for four martial arts movies--Jet Li and Maggie Cheung in 2004’s “Hero,” Jackie Chan in 1994’s very good “The Legend of Drunken Master,” Jean Wang and Tsang Sze Man in 1993’s unrelenting, Quentin Tarantino-produced “Iron Monkey” and Takeshi Kitano in his own, 2004 award-winning movie, “Zatoichi.” The latter is the best of the lot, which is saying plenty since every one of these films are excellent examples of the genre.

Rounding out the week are several standouts, beginning with the second season of the quirky comedy series “The Big Bang Theory.” Also worth noting is “Bonanza: First Season, Vol.1 and Vol. 2,” each sold separately; the complete first season of the sci-fi powerhouse, “Sanctuary”; the Blu-ray release of 1981’s excellent comic horror movie, “An American Werewolf in London”; and “Gigantor: The Collection, Vol. 2.” Less involving fare includes the first season of the television thriller “Harper’s Island,” the third season of that cloying throwback “Mr. Belvedere,” and the first and second seasons of the energetic but cliché-ridden television show, “Fame.”