Home Media Magazine - February 23-March 1, 2009 - (Page 19) www.homemediamagazine.com REVIEWS I MR. AVERAGE Street 2/24 Indican, Comedy, $24.99 DVD, NR. In French with English subtitles. Stars Khalid Maadour, Caroline Dhavernas. r. Average is a French farce that calls into question our consumerism and fascination with celebrity. Jalil (Khalid Maadour, who bears a striking resemblance to Turtle from “Entourage”) wins big at a game show that serves as a front for a marketresearch firm on the lookout for test subjects. Jalil is so adept at agreeing with the majority in survey questions that the firm decides his opinion alone is the only one that matters. They rig his apartment with cameras and track his every move using the prizes he won (which are, of course, rigged). But the coup de grace is Claire (the beautiful Caroline Dhavernas), the girlfriend they hire M to seduce him, move in with him and funnel him products they want to test, all without his knowledge. The scenes of Jalil being spied on are reminiscent of The Truman Show, though the payoff is quite different. Claire becomes troubled with the idea that she is basically a whore, and when the company wants to use Jalil to get the French president re-elected, she has had enough. The film takes a wild turn for a final act that targets reality-TV and the conformity of the masses. Mr. Average works because it knows just how far to push the premise, and tempers its over-the-top setup with sincere characters and a fair amount of rom-com sweetness that any film fan can enjoy. – John Latchem I THE MIGHTY B! — WE GOT THE BEE Street 2/24 Paramount/Nickelodeon, Animated, $16.99 DVD, NR. Voices of Amy Poehler, Kenan Thompson, Andy Richter, Megan Cavanagh, Grey DeLisle, Dee Bradley Baker. hose who enjoyed Amy Poehler on “Saturday Night Live” will probably get a kick out of Nickelodeon’s “The Mighty B!” Co-creator Poehler voices awkward 9-year-old Bessie Higgenbottom, who believes that if she collects all the Honeybee I SHARK IN THE HEAD Scout badges she will become the superhero The Mighty B. Prebook 2/25; Street 3/25 The character is pure Poehler — basically a cartoon version of Cinequest, Drama, $24.99 DVD, NR. her “SNL” Kaitlin character — with all the manic energy we’ve In Czech with English subtitles. Stars Oldrich Kaiser, Jana Krausova, David Maj, Kristyna Leich- come to expect from the talented comedienne. With its message of finding value in eccentricity, “The Mighty tova. B!” is appropriate for kids, but Poehler’s trademark style means here’s no plot. The pacing is slow, like it can be appreciated by adults as well. We Got the Bee includes eight episodes (each running about 13 many European arthouse films. Most of the characters aren’t named, and minutes), plus a short promotional featurette, a “Running With there’s little information about them anyway. the Unicorn” karaoke music video, And yet, my eyes were glued to the screen and a storyboard version of the episode “Bar Mitzwhile watching Shark in the Head. Mr. Seman is an elderly, schizophrenic man vah Crashers.” who lives alone, spending his days sitting at his – John Latchem window interacting with the neighbors, watching TV and making things out of garbage. While the interactions between the old man and most people are simple and superficial, they are somehow still tender and sweet. Even though we learn nearly nothing about the man, just watching him live and seeing his creativity and thoughtfulness makes you like him. He’s friendly and pleasant, and his hallucinations are harmless. He sees things such as a party going on in the street, or newspaper pictures and illustrations coming to life. These visions are depicted artistically using stopmotion and graphic animation to give audiences a clear, vibrant idea of what Mr. Seman sees. Anyone who has dealt with someone mentally ill may relate to the film, though it paints schizophrenia in a somewhat rosy manner. Unrealistically, Mr. Seman seems both aware and accepting of his mental illness. Don’t expect a detailed character study here. Just enjoy the ride for what it is. – Angelique Flores T KLF-DV-3164 • UPC: 7-41952-31649-7 • ISBN: 1-4172-0180-0 • SRP: $29.98 • 119 minutes Documentary/Music • English • Audio: 5.1 Surround Sound • Aspect Ratio: 16x9 Production Year: 2007 • 2 DVD Set • SDH Subtitles (for the deaf and hard of hearing) OVER 2 HOURS OF EXTRAS INCLUDING: AUDIO COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR SCOTT HICKS BACKSTAGE / BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOOTAGE ADDITIONAL INTERVIEWS AND PERFORMANCES T Airing Nationally on PBS American Masters April 2009 2008 THEATRICAL RELEASE IN 10 MAJOR U.S. MARKETS INCLUDING NEW YORK, LA, BOSTON AND DC Philip Glass has composed the music for The Illusionist, The Hours, Notes on a Scandal, Kundun and Koyaanisqatsi For 18 months Oscar® nominee director Scott Hicks followed the legendary composer Philip Glass across three continents, creating a remarkable portrait of one of the greatest artists of all time. Allowed unprecedented access to Glass’s working process and long time collaborators (including Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese and Errol Morris), Hicks provides a unique glimpse behind the curtain into the life of a surprising and complex man. EXTENSIVE NATIONAL MARKETING & PUBLICITY EXPOSURE Including advertising and outreach to classical music publications and enthusiasts as well as PBS viewers and fans of arthouse cinema PRE-BOOK DATE: 3/10/09 | STREET DATE: 4/7/09 Watch clips at www.kochclips.com For more information visit www.kochb2b.com Oscar® is the registered trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. February 23–March 1, 2009 Home Media Magazine 19 http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://www.kochclips.com http://www.kochb2b.com
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