Home Media Magazine - October 7-13, 2007 - (Page 27) www.homemediamagazine.com REVIEWS FIRST RUN FEATURES GLOBAL LENS COLLECTION - SF Bay Guardian presents the I CHRISTOPHER REEVE: HOPE IN MOTION Prebook 10/9; Street 11/6 Arts Alliance America, Documentary, $26.98 DVD, NR. EMOTIONAL, RAW, SATISFYING!” “THINK CITY OF GOD C ican at the turn of the century who may have been the greatest athlete who ever lived, this biopic is heartfelt without being trite, and honest without being sentimental, aided in part by the passion Lancaster brings to the title role. As the legendary football coach Pop Warner, Charles Bickford underplays his role with a quiet dignity well worth watching. The special features in the collection are quite nice, including cartoons and Lancaster trailers, thus presenting an overall package every film buff should check out. What makes the package special is the 1973 political thriller Executive Action, the first studio film to examine a possible conspiracy behind the murder of President John F. Kennedy. It’s ironic that Executive Action is the only film in the collection not to spotlight Lancaster’s athletic ability, but indicative of the risk-taking the then older actor took in lending his considerable star power to get the controversial and powerful picture made. Aided by portraits of evil from coconspirators Robert Ryan and Will Geer, Lancaster and company make Executive Action a brave, must-see movie worth the price of this package alone. One must watch the film first before looking at an emotional special feature, in which the three Executive Action stars discuss where they were when Kennedy was murdered in Dallas, and reveal personal emotions in direct contrast to the memorable amoral characters they and director David Butler and legendary screenwriter Dalton Trumbo have created. — Craig Modderno hristopher Reeve had a solid fan following when a horseriding accident left him a quadriplegic. It seemed more tragic because the world came to know him as the Man of Steel in the 1980s. Six years after the debilitating spinal injury, he began to regain some motion. His son Matthew began a three-part documentary series about the senior Reeve’s journey to regain as much movement as possible and later to return to the public eye to campaign for embryonic stem cell research. Reeve died during filming of the final installment, and it was never finished. Reeve talks about the “cruel irony” of not being able to wash or dress himself, having to have someone around him 24 hours a day. He tells how he feels he stretched “in sickness and in health” to its limit with steadfast wife Dana. Most of all, he tells how a loving, supportive family and devoted physical therapy staff helped him keep going. Starting with a tiny twitch of his index finger, Reeve eventually was able to walk underwater. His goal at that point was essentially to be more self-sufficient in the most basic ways, such as getting off a ventilator and regaining control of his bladder and bowels. It’s all the more extraordinary knowing he was never expected to move below the neck again at all. The film captures the indignity of such an injury and Reeve’s struggle to overcome that. He’s bravely honest about how completely his life changed after the accident and his guilt over needing constant care. For fans, it’s an intimate glimpse at a hero who fell and rose again. Matthew Reeve’s admiration for his father could have been sappy, but it isn’t. Christopher Reeve never stopped fighting until his last day, and this documentary offers inspiration for anyone. Bonus features include interviews with Brooke Ellison, a quadriplegic since age 11 who was profiled in a film Reeve directed; Jim MacLaren, who was severely injured while participating in a triathlon; and Jesse Billauer, a surfer who was paralyzed after hitting a sand bar. — Holly J. Wagner This searing look at the class struggle of Brazil over a period of four decades is told through the closely linked yet fatally divided lives of Miguel, a middle class white rebel, and Jorge, his black childhood friend. 102 minutes • Color • In Portuguese w/English subtitles • Catalog #: FRF 912921D Pre-book: 10/16 • Street: 11/20 • $24.95 srp each “MASTERFUL, ELEGANT!” - VARIETY A young widow takes over her late husband's truck stop café, keeping hidden in the kitchen so as not to cause a scandal. But her brother-in-law wants to take her as a wife, while a Greek trucker is also drawn to her. 105 minutes • Color • In Farsi, Greek, Turkish & Russian w/English subt. • Catalog #: FRF 912938D Contact us at 800-229-8575 or email sales@firstrunfeatures.com October 7–13, 2007 Home Media Magazine 27 http://www.homemediamagazine.com
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