Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - (Page 14) REVIEWS I THE OTHER HALF Street 10/28 BFS, Comedy, $24.98 DVD, NR. Stars Danny Dyer, Gillian Kearney, Vinnie Jones. www.homemediamagazine.com I LITTLE TIKES LAND Street 10/28 Lionsgate, Animated, $14.98 DVD, NR. T he Other Half is a quirky, fanciful look at the ways in which men and women are different. And the ways in which they are the same. An English soccer fanatic and his American bride take a honeymoon trip to Portugal that is completely bankrolled by the bride’s father. When the couple arrives in Lisbon, they discover that the city is neck deep in soccer fever. A major international tournament is just getting underway and, by coincidence, the English national team is in the finals. The groom claims he had no idea. But slowly the bride begins to suspect that not only does she not have her new husband’s undivided attention, but he also may have planned the entire trip just so he could attend the tournament. Dyer, a Colin Farrell lookalike, is very good as a man-boy who may or may not have married his new wife just to get to Portugal. And Kearney does a lot with a little as the loving occasionally illustrated by, well, illustranew wife who is, apparently, tions. And a pair of ersatz sportscasters too dimwitted to see that she rides around after the couple doing a is part of an elaborate plan play-by-play not on the soccer game devised by her new husband, but on the games being played by the who is desperate to see his newlyweds. beloved team play soccer. The quirks of The Other Half someThe film is infused with idtimes veer into the self-conscious, but iosyncratic details that someultimately it is a film that dares to be a little diftimes move the story forward and sometimes ferent and because of that is worth a look. move it sideways. Dyer’s rich fantasy life is – Anne Sherber E veryone with a child is probably familiar with the “Little Tikes” brand. They make bath toys, kitchen toys, trains, picnic tables, trucks and other items. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of their popular Cozy Coup ride-on toy, they are launching new additions to the line, including a DVD. Little Tikes Land follows the CG-animated antics of Lilly Tikes and LT Garcia, two doe-eyed characters who fit in nicely with the rest the company’s toy line. Like “The Backyardigans,” this duo uses the backyard and their imaginations to make their own adventures. Little Tikes gears its products to 2- to 5-year-olds, and the DVD is no different. Each of the four short stories is easy on the eyes and the attention span. With titles such as “Rustee Rails Rides Again,” “Cozy’s Big Day,” “Bubble Trouble,” and “The Search for Tubbie T. Bear,” you can imagine that there are not too many lessons to be learned, just easy-to-follow fun. Other features include sing-along songs (complete with the words on-screen) and a “Build Your Own Cozy Coupe” extra. Also included are trailers for other popular programs for the same target age group: “Thomas and Friends” and “Bob the Builder.” Kids who own (or want) a Cozy Coupe should be mesmerized by the slow action, as well as the toy version of the classic kidpowered car that the company is packaging with the DVD release. – Rachel Cericola I BOYSTOWN Street 10/28 TLA, Comedy, $19.99 DVD, NR. B oystown is a heartfelt, sweet comedy about a serial killer stalking little old ladies in an up-and-coming gay neighborhood in Madrid. A strange mix to be sure, but one that’s buoyed by its charming lead actors. In Chueca (Boystown), slimy real estate agent Victor (Pablo Puyol) harasses old ladies to sell their flats so he can revamp the neighborhood as a gentrified, upper-class gay paradise. Ray (Carlos Fuentes) and Leo (Pepón Nieto), a burly gay couple, inherit their next-door neighbor’s apartment after Victor whacks her; they’re also considered suspects for the crime. Matters worsen when Ray’s mother — a harpie who microwaves her daughter’s cat and then turns her hatred to Leo — moves in and starts plotting to split the couple, taking cruel advantage of the suspicions surrounding Leo. The couple’s likeable best friend, Lola, and a mother-and-son cop duo round out the cast. While some characters — Ray’s mother, in particular — are shrilly over-the-top, Fuentes and Nieto anchor this dark comedy. These normal, tubby, schlubby guys have a love that’s sweet, passionate and realistic. The serial-killer plot is never a mystery; the suspense lies in when everyone else will figure out the slick man in the tailored suit is a murderous gerontophobe. In fact the best parts of the flick are whenever Victor — and his cruel violence — aren’t on screen. What holds this comedy together is the mix of romance, comedy and fun, likeable characters. While Boystown won’t score any points for deepness, the black-hearted comedy is a welcome respite from the angst found in many gay films. These characters face prejudice, even from people with the same sexual orientation, but that’s not the focus — these are just everyday people living their lives, going through a rough patch, and trying to avoid a serial killer. Anyone with a penchant for dark and/or foreign comedies and an open mind will enjoy this farce. – Laura Tiffany I ANNIE LEIBOVITZ: LIFE THROUGH A LENS Street 10/28 Warner, Documentary, $19.98 DVD, NR. M 14 ost people know Annie Leibovitz only by her work, and many who know her work don’t know it’s hers — they just like those stunning Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair covers. That’s far from all of her work, but some of her highest-profile and most controversial photos have appeared on those covers. She’s known especially for her celebrity portraits: the fall of President Richard Nixon; Princess Di in an unguarded moment; John Lennon just hours before his murder; Miley Cyrus looking too sexy for Hannah Montana. In this documentary she discusses growing up in a home where family photos were revered, her first photo experiences in the Philippines (where her Air Force father was stationed during the Vietnam War), and studying art in San Francisco. From there she became the photo editor for nascent Rolling Stone for a decade, meeting and photographing rising stars, musicians, literati, political figures, royalty, etc. Her skill and the backing of iconic magazines granted her access to every echelon of pop culture, and she continues to surprise her fans and detractors with controversial and unique work. Leibovitz shoots them as she sees them, using her personality to get close to subjects and her camera to reveal their inner truths. Many of those subjects tell us as much here. (Rock stars are so much more honest about unflattering truths!) The contemporary, often black-andwhite film footage alone is fascinating for anyone who reads People or Us Weekly. Ditto the photos that weren’t published near the time they were shot. This is a chronicle of a chronicler, and true to form it’s still unfolding. It’s also a tribute to one of the great stillphotographers of our age. We’re likely to see much more through Leibovitz’s lens, and this helps us appreciate how she captures so much in a little box. – Holly J. Wagner Home Media Magazine October 19–25, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 Contents News Reviews Pipeline Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 (Page Cover1) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 (Page Cover2) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 (Page 1) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 (Page 2) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Contents (Page 3) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - News (Page 4) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - News (Page 5) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - News (Page 6) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - News (Page 7) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - News (Page 8) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - News (Page 9) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Reviews (Page 10) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Reviews (Page 11) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Reviews (Page 12) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Reviews (Page 13) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Reviews (Page 14) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Pipeline (Page 15) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Pipeline (Page 16) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Pipeline (Page 17) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 18) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 19) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 20) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 21) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 22) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 23) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 24) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover3) Home Media Magazine - October 19-25, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover4)
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