Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - (Page 16) REVIEWS BLU-RAY SPOTLIGHT I BURN AFTER READING Universal, Comedy, B.O. $60.4 million, $29.98 DVD, $39.98 Blu-ray, ‘R’ for pervasive language, some sexual content, and violence. Stars George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins. Edited by John Latchem www.homemediamagazine.com oel and Ethan Coen are such masters at weaving rich tapestries of character and dialogue that any semblance of a story is almost lost in the folds. In Burn After Reading, the Coens have crafted a movie about the intelligence community, populated by characters who don’t seem to have any. The story spins around itself so improbably, yet so convincingly, that we are left not knowing quite what to think, thankful that such a tale did not involve us. The Coens’ creation stands as a polemic against a world driven mad by morons. The comedy of errors entangles an ever-increasing circle of colorful characters who simply have no idea what they are doing, from former CIA analyst Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich), to a gun-shy U.S. Marshall (George Clooney), to a pair of dim-witted schemers working at a health club (Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt). Only the Coens could imbue such rich humor into circumstances that otherwise would be considered tragic. Especially funny are a pair of confused CIA officials (David Rasche and J.K. Simmons), who try to keep tabs on everyone, but don’t quite know how utterly unserious the situation really is. They just want it to go away. The only extras on the home video versions are a few short featurettes, which run just long enough for the Coens to discuss their reasons for making the film, and for George Clooney to reminisce about playing a dolt in three Coen films (O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Intolerable Cruelty prior to this). A more in-depth reading of the film is left to the viewer. While the film didn’t land any Oscar nominations, in the wake of the Coens winning a slew of awards last year for No Country for Old Men, cast members Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) are among the nominees for this year’s best actor prize. – John Latchem J I ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO Street 2/3 Genius/Weinstein, Comedy, B.O. $31.4 million, $29.95 DVD, $34.99 Blu-ray, ‘R’ for strong crude sexual content including dialogue, graphic nudity and pervasive language. Stars Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson, Jason Mewes, Jeff Anderson, Traci Lords, Katie Morgan, Brandon Routh, Justin Long, Ricky Mabe. I f I didn’t know better, I’d think Kevin Smith only made movies to generate great DVD material. The Zack and Miri Make a Porno home video is loaded with extras that may be funnier than the movie itself. Smith’s eighth film, and first since 2006’s Clerks II, represents a more successful effort to break away from the “Jay and Silent Bob” template than did Jersey Girl in 2004. He chronicles the plight of roommates Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks), who are so desperate to make ends meet they decide to make an amateur porn movie. As can be expected with such a subject matter, the movie goes out of its way to be raunchy, but does so with a certain naiveté, like a 10-year-old boy who just discovered his father’s stash of nudie mags. The result is a film with a surprising amount of heart, and a final chapter that plays like an alternate ending to Smith’s Chasing Amy (1997). Viewers who want to see more of the characters can check out a whopping 94 minutes of deleted scenes. The behind-the-scenes recollections on the second disc are much dirtier in tone, just from those involved being themselves (especially Rogen, in full Superbad mode). The primary making-of program is a very good feature-length documentary punctuated by a lengthy anecdote about dealing with the MPAA. Smith discusses winning an appeal to reduce the rating from ‘NC-17’ to a hard ‘R,’ and how things have changed since the MPAA processes were exposed in This Film Is Not Yet Rated. Also included are 47 minutes of hilarious webisodes that function as an on-set video diary. Here, Rogen confuses porn-star Katie Morgan with Katie Holmes, while Kenny Hotz, co-creator of “Kenny vs. Spenny,” suffers a nervous breakdown adjusting to his role as “the other Zack.” The DVD lacks a commentary, which usually is a staple of a Kevin Smith film. But considering the breadth of information in the other supplements, there probably isn’t much more that would have been accomplished by adding one. – John Latchem I BOTTLE SHOCK Street 2/3 Fox, Comedy, B.O. $4.1 million, $27.98 DVD, ‘PG-13’ for brief strong language, some sexual content and a scene of drug use. Stars Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, Chris Pine, Rachael Taylor, Eliza Dushku, Freddy Rodriguez, Dennis Farina. B 16 ottle Shock begs the question: Can this movie be enjoyed by someone who has no knowledge of or interest in wine? The answer is probably not, which is no doubt why Fox has packaged it with the superior Sideways in “The Perfect Pairing” two-pack at $29.98, virtually the same price as the individual DVD. It’s like a buy-one-get-one deal in which you buy a quality bottle of wine and get a lesser bottle for free. The free bottle is not a bad wine, enjoyable while drinking, but you probably wouldn’t feature it at your next wineand-cheese tasting. Thus is the essence of Bottle Shock, which is almost too ironic given its plot. It is a fine little movie, with some good performances by a great ensemble cast, but it is best enjoyed without overanalyzing the seemingly inevitable clichés of an underdog story. Loosely based on true events, the film chronicles the road to the 1976 “Judgment of Paris,” where Napa wineries defeated the French in a blind tasting, leading to the recognition of Northern California as one of the world’s best wine-producing regions. Because the event itself likely would make for a dull wino documentary, the filmmakers contrived a dramatic comedy about one of the winning vintners. The story is at times heavyhanded and predictable, most evident in the fatherson relationship of vintners Jim and Bo Barrett, played respectively by Bill Pullman and Chris Pine (whose bad wig steals his scenes). However, the film still manages to be genuinely entertaining thanks to performances by Alan Rickman, who plays the wine connoisseur responsible for the contest, and Dennis Farina, his American sidekick. Also delivering notable performances are Freddy Rodriguez, Eliza Dushku (“Dollhouse”), and a surprise bit from Bradley Whitford (“The West Wing”). Special features are not particularly noteworthy, with a conventional audio commentary, making-of featurette, deleted scenes, and what appears to be an infomercial for the Chateau Montelena vineyard. – Kyra Kudick Home Media Magazine February 2–8, 2009 http://www.homemediamagazine.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 Contents News TV DVD Health/Fitness Reviews Pipeline Research Top 20 Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - (Page Cover1) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - (Page Cover2) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - (Page 1) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - (Page 2) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - (Page 3) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - (Page 4) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - Contents (Page 5) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - News (Page 6) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - News (Page 7) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - News (Page 8) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - News (Page 9) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - News (Page 10) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - News (Page 11) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - TV DVD (Page 12) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - TV DVD (Page 13) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - Health/Fitness (Page 14) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - Health/Fitness (Page 15) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - Reviews (Page 16) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - Reviews (Page 17) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - Reviews (Page 18) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - Reviews (Page 19) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - Pipeline (Page 20) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - Pipeline (Page 21) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - Top 20 Sellers (Page 22) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - Top 20 Sellers (Page 23) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 24) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 25) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - Just Announced (Page 26) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - Just Announced (Page 27) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - Just Announced (Page 28) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - Just Announced (Page Cover3) Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - Just Announced (Page Cover4)
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