DVD Headsup!

Every Tuesday, a vertiable slew of DVDs hit the streets. They all want your coin. Where in the hell can you go to find out what's what amongst the teeming masses? Look no further. Here's a brief rundown of some featured titles that will be hitting. We provide the information...what you do with it afterwards is entirely up to you.

Titles Streeting May 11, 2004

Widge's Personal Pick:

. Ever since I watched Daniel Day-Lewis give one of the most amazing performances I've ever seen in My Left Foot, I've always sort of watched out for films by Jim Sheridan. While they're not all smacks out of the park, they are always fascinating if nothing else. This time around, you get a film that earned three Oscar nominations, including acting nods for Samantha Morton and Djimon Hounsou, and features the wonderful performances of Sarah and Emma Bolger as the two young daughters. Fox supports this off-kilter love letter to trying to find a sliver of the American dream by providing some fairly choice extras: a commentary from Sheridan, deleted scenes with optional commentary, a making-of featurette and an alternate ending.

. We're coming down to the final battles and it's the next-to-last volume here, being released by ADV. Over the course of these three episodes, our heroes take a break and head for the beach--an outing that is as amusing as it is fraught with revelations about friendships and budding loves. And then it's time for Angels to go head to head in combat. This volume will leave you craving the next one (hold on until June), but there are some features to amuse you until then: a commentary with English voice actor Chris Patton and director David Williams, as well as a featurette, production artwork and cleaning opening and closing animation.

. Dimension brings you this first and only film to be directed by Jet Li. It's the end of World War II and Li's character is a Chinese soldier who goes to stay with a friend, only to run into trouble with some bothersome American Navy soldiers, who don't realize they're messing with Jet Li and will soon have their asses handed to them. The movie itself isn't a gem and the fight scenes are decent but the cinematography leaves a lot to be desired, as well as the editing. Still, it's Li doing his things--and anything's better than Romeo Must Die.

. How do you rehabilitate a criminal? Science fiction has given us many ideas, from Minority Report (stick em in storage) to Squadrom Supreme (rewrite their "hard drive"). Here's a novel one: stick a bomb around one's neck and tell him to behave. That's how Goggles, our protagonist, goes from convict to cop. Only trouble is: his latest case is taking him right back into the lion's den with some old buddies. Will he stick with the straight and narrow or go headless? This Central Park Media release tells the tale.

. More chop socky goodness from Dimension. This time around, it's Jackie Chan's second film at the helm, and the gumbo that is a good Chan film (humor + kick ass stunts + lightning fast fights) begins to coagulate. It's the touching story of Dragon (played by Chan) and his best friend, Cowboy, and how they fall for the same woman. Is it an excuse for lots of crazed fights (not to mention the mother of all hackey sack games)? Sure. But why not.

. Released by Fox ostensibly to smack up some interest for Day After Tomorrow (which is smacked pretty high as it stands, I believe--nothing like an Irwin Allen film writ large), this release is pretty much identical to previous single disc editions of the title: you get two commentaries--one from Devlin and Emmerich and one from the effects guy--and you also get the "special edition" release that comes with nine extra minutes of footage. Missing are the slew of featurettes, the original ending, and whatnot that you nabbed on one of the double-disc versions. Instead, you get a coupon towards a ticket for Day After Tomorrow and a very tiny sneak peek at the new movie.

. In this Koch Lorber release, the preternaturally, so-cute-she-must-have-been-grown-in-a-lab Audrey Tautou plays Michèle, who's having a bad life. In an attempt to find some stability, she's trying on various religions to see how she looks in them. Then she becomes involved with François, converting to his own Judaism, though he's not particularly active in his faith. And then she proceeds to drive him batshit with her convert's enthusiasm. A cute romantic comedy, it comes with a trailer and photo gallery.

. Sora is a sixteen-year-old girl who comes to the United States, seeking a way to make her circus dreams come true. She runs into Kalos, who just so happens to be the owner of the Kaleido Stage circus, which is packed to the gills with folks who can do amazing feats. It looks like she's got an in, but the diva of the circus, Layla, needs to be impressed first--which will be hard doings. This ADV release comes with a character profile insert, clean opening and closing animation, and production sketches.

. Ah, another fantasy shattered. When I watched this flick in my younger days, I always assumed that Peter O'Toole was doing his own singing. I was so foolish. Loren and Coco provide their own singing, however. So that's something, I guess. Apparently this wasn't a favorite of critics, but I thought it was pretty damn good. Not only do you have that cast, and that terrific play within a play setup, but the songs are quite cool. Even "The Impossible Dream," not by Jim Nabors. Anyway, MGM provides the trailer and a photo montage for this one.

. This French film has not seen much in the way of critical viewing on these shores (and what there has been didn't report back very positively), but Koch Lorber is giving it a go on DVD. It's the story of a stripper (Véra Briole) and her love interest pickpocket (Francis Renaud). It focuses not only on the titular area of Paris (hint: lots of red lights) and the turf war that erupts between drug lords. It comes with production notes and a trailer.

. Lots of people dig the hell out of Hal Foster's comic strip. I'm not one of those people. It only ran in our Sunday paper, so you get, what, sixty seconds of story a week? It's like reading Marvel Comics Presents, except with better artwork. No, a movie is much more my speed--and Fox provides. This version stars Robert Wagner as Val, James (Rommel, the Desert) Mason as the Black Knight, and Janet Leigh as the princess. Comes with a trailer and some Movietone News bits. Instant swordplay, just add Region 1 player.

. Poor Patrick Bergin. Remember this film? This is the film that played chicken with that mediocre Prince of Thieves at the cinemas, blinked, and wound up going the TV movie route. Well, we shouldn't feel too sorry for him, I guess. He did have Uma Thurman as his Maid Marion, right? Anyway, this film does have some people who swear by it, so Fox wants them to plonk down coin. No features, but there it is.

. Another bit of French cinema here, from director Bertrand Tavernier and hitting DVD thanks to Koch Lorber. It's the story of two workers in the French film industry during the German occupation in World War II. One, a screenwriter, doesn't want to be employed by the Nazis, while the other, a director, works for them as an artistic double agent--he's really with the Resistance. Fascinating period piece that is a must-see for lovers of French cinema or just cinema in general. This release comes with a photo gallery, trailer and production notes.

. It's the ongoing story of Sanzo, a monk, Son Goku, ostensibly the monkey god, Sha Gojyo, half-human/half-water demon, and Cho Hakkai, the demon who has a dragon for a pet. Sound like something from Warren Ellis on lithium? Mayhap, but instead it's the latest volume of the show that has the same source material as DragonBall Z. This ADV release details their encounters with a heretic monkey and the ensuing mayhem.

. A lot of people enjoyed this film. Me, I found it on a par with Airplane 2, but hey, to each his own mediocre sequel. The fourth one's en route, so there's nothing to do but grin and bear it. So if you did like it, you can take comfort in the fact that the disc is fairly stacked. Miramax is providing a commentary with the screenwriters, director and producer, deleted and alternate scenes with or without commentary, two making of featurettes, a featurette about the alternate ending, and some outtakes and bloopers.

. Two sisters with an unhealthy dependency on each other lash out when their own private little world is threatened by those outside--and the family that employs them is on the receiving end of the violence. That's not much to go on, but if I mention the fact they were working as maids, you might recall another film that was based on the same true story. Here Koch Lorber brings you the 1994 version with Joely Richardson and Jodhi May (not to mention Julie Walters, far from being Mrs. Weasley here). Eroticism? Some. But mostly just a stab (no pun intended) at making a disturbing period piece.

. Various casts come together in what is ostensibly the last bit of Slayers, we are told. Lina has apparently unwittingly let loose some great evil in the oceans that is causing whoever eats octopi to have a Tower of Babel bit performed on them so they speak in utter gibberish. And who's just partaken of the delicacy? Gourry, of course. Hijinks ensue. This ADV release comes with a commentary by two of the voice actors and a featurette. That's pretty well stacked for anime.

. Probably one of the more famous military exploits in history, it's how the titular armed force managed to hold the line while hopelessly outnumbered by a slew of Persians. Referenced just about any time you've got odds stacked against your heroes (and adapted into a graphic novel by Frank Miller), it's no stranger to being part of the cultural well. Here, Fox presents this 1962 version, starring Richard Egan as King Leonidis. This release comes with TV spots and trailers. Fans of war movies should definitely check it out.