Home Media Magazine - June 22-28, 2008 - (Page 22)

REVIEWS I BABY BLUES Prebook 6/24; Street 8/5 www.homemediamagazine.com Allumination, Horror, $29.98 DVD, ‘R’ for disturbing violence and terror, and brief drug use. Stars Ridge Canipe, Colleen Porch, Kali Majors, Joel Bryant, Holden Maynard. I TOWARDS DARKNESS Prebook 6/24; Street 7/22 Peace Arch, Thriller, $19.99 DVD, ‘R’ for some strong violence, language, and a scene of sexuality. Stars America Ferrera, Roberto Urbina, David Sutcliffe. A merica Ferrera, known these days for her ugly-ducking comic turn in TV’s “Ugly Betty,” is stunning in a dramatic role as a woman with a secret in this taut thriller. Towards Darkness is an issue-conscious piece, akin to Steven Soderbergh’s drug war epic Traffic, and is focused on the tragedy of rampant kidnappings by rebels and criminals in Colombia. The ransom-seeking crimes continue to this day. The movie begins in a burst of action, with the main character, Jose (played by a devilishly charming Roberto Urbina), being assaulted on a dark street. In just a few short minutes, the audience learns what’s happening: Jose has been kidnapped by rebels, terrorists or garden-variety criminals who want a hefty ransom to make the crime worth their while. Jose’s parents have gone to an American agency instead of the Colombian police, worried that the local cops would be ineffective in finding Jose lost in the jungles. The movie ramps up, with the parents growing more emotional and desperate, the camo-wearing Delta Force retirees flying by helicopter to Jose, and an American agent racing to get the cash to the rendezvous on time. Timely and penetrating flashbacks develop the characters of Jose, Luiza, Jose’s parents, and the American agents in moments of flawless dramatic tension and everyday charm. I’m fairly unaffected by thrillers, but this film’s sudden beginning, sympathetic character, and slow but unstoppable build toward a devastating climax had my heart pounding and my nerves on fire. – Brendan Howard eality is often worse than fiction, which provides great material for thrillers such as Baby Blues. The filmmakers embraced this concept with their highly original, disturbing tale of a 10-year-old boy named Jimmy (Canipe) who is forced to protect his three siblings from their own mother (Porch), who is battling postpartum depression. The madness unfolds on an isolated family farm where the mom has been raising four children, including a newborn, practically alone while her truck-driver husband is on the road. Unfortunately, no one realizes the extent of her psychosis as she begins hearing demonic voices telling her that the kids are evil. But when she decides to eliminate her children one by one, Jimmy, the eldest child, jumps into action. Baby Blues is an unsettling journey down the road of insanity that is perfect for fans of horror-thrillers such as The Shining. Brought to life by two young directors (Amardeep Kaleka and Lars E. Jacobson in their first feature film), the film is topical yet still provides a shocking look at the psychological phenomenon known as “baby blues.” The film is filled with talented up-and-coming actors led by Porch, whose facial expressions alone will send chills down your spine, and Canipe (the young Johnny Cash in Walk the Line), who delivers a commanding performance as the film’s young hero. – Matt Miller R BLU-RAY SPOTLIGHT I MEN IN BLACK Sony Pictures, Sci-Fi, $28.95 Blu-ray, ‘PG-13’ for language and sci-fi violence. Stars Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D’Onofrio, Rip Torn. M Hits the streets September 2 en in Black is exactly the type of movie that Bluray was made for. With the perfect pairing of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, there’s plenty of depth beyond the hilarious CGI effects — which seem to look less dated on Blu-ray than on DVD. This 1080p transfer is a huge visual improvement over even the previous Super Bit DVD release, and the surround-sound is superb. But it’s the extras on this MIB Bluray that really shine. “Intergalactic pursuit: The MIB Multiplayer Trivia Game” is the first BD Live online game and can accommodate up to eight players. Given Sony’s PlayStation pedigree, this first effort is very solid. For those who aren’t up on MIB trivia, I suggest the new BD-J (Java) pop-up trivia track. There’s also “Ask Frank the Pug!” If you like Frank, you’ll love this feature. It’s not an interactive game as much as it’s like a Blu-ray version of a Magic 8 Ball. One feature that really stood out on the MIB Blu-ray was the Enhanced Telestrator Commentary, which combines onscreen graphics with audio from director Barry Sonnenfeld and actor Tommy Lee Jones (who appear on screen as black silhouettes). Of course, this BD comes packed with the standard alternate scenes, commentary from Rick Baker and ILM, a scene-editing workshop, behind-the-scenes featurettes and storyboard comparisons. All in all, it’s an excellent, definitive package. – John Gaudiosi 22 Home Media Magazine June 22–28, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com

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Home Media Magazine - June 22-28, 2008

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