Home Media Magazine - February 2, 2009 - (Page 18) REVIEWS in a TV ad for her father’s less-thanhonest auto dealership. As difficult as it might be to accept the handsome Daly as an introvert who distrusts banks and is clueless about a friendly, sexy (and age-appropriate) trailer park neighbor (Paula Devicq from “Party of Five”), Gibb does understand primitive carnal desire. A humorous attempt to rent porn at the local video store or order a daiquiri at the local bowling alley bar only underscores the depth of Gibb’s apparent clumsy loneliness. When Allyson is mysteriously abducted in her home after getting a ride from school in Gibb’s new red pickup truck, purchased from her unabashed father (William Sadler, who is perfectly cast), suspicions by police, school officials and Mr. Palmer run amok. Originally released in 2006 under the title Mr. Gibb from Kevin Spacey’s Trigger Street production company, the film languished on the festival circuit until the mushrooming rise in popularity of Panettiere as a cheerleader with supernatural powers on NBC’s “Heroes.” The re-released Good Student DVD box art and cover lines (“Scandal is her best subject”) clearly put the focus on Panettiere for obvious marketing reasons, which Mr. Gibb, no doubt, would have found amusing. www.homemediamagazine.com deadactress(AlexandraHolden),whose bloody dismemberment is depicted in a gruesome prologue. Soon after, starlets begin dying, and suspicions turn to the brash young newcomer. Dark Reel can’t quite decide if it’s a ghost story or a slasher movie, so it tries to be both. The fusion is clunky at best, but the result should placate fans of gooey makeup effects. One by one, the killer treats his victims like Gallagher treats watermelons — with blunt force and a lot of splatter. With slow pacing, Dark Reel looks and feels indie from the get-go, but its cast sports a good horror pedigree, including Mercedes McNab (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) and longtime horror icon Tony Todd (Candyman, Final Destination). Lance Henriksen steals the show as a greedy studio boss who decides to convert the murders into cheap publicity. Dark Reel manages to present a horror film about the making of a horror film without referencing the obvious parallels, a la Scream. The script cites a few amusing observations about the nitty-gritty Hollywood underbelly. This film within a film is not about making a blockbuster, but the myriad ‘B’ movies that star nobodies and inevitably end up on late-night cable. Dark Reel may very well meet a similar fate. – John Latchem I DARK REEL Prebook 2/3; Street 3/10 North American, Horror, $26.99 DVD, ‘R’ for bloody horror violence, language and some sexuality/nudity. Stars Edward Furlong, Tiffany Shepis, Lance Henriksen, Mercedes McNab, Tony Todd, Rena Riffel. I THE GOOD STUDENT Street 2/3 Universal/Screen Media, Thriller, $24.98 DVD, ‘R’ for sexual content and language. Stars Tim Daly, Hayden Panettiere, William Sadler. T he concept of a socially inept middle-aged high-school history teacher who develops a crush on a provocative female student isn’t particularly ground- breaking or original for a movie. Or is it? Teacher Ronald Gibb (Tim Daly) is obsessed with Abraham Lincoln and the Founding Fathers of the United States, to the point that he dresses up in class as the 16th president to recite his inaugural address. Gibb one day takes notice of Allyson Palmer (Hayden Panettiere) in class after seeing her dressed as a cheerleader dam Waltz (Edward Furlong of Terminator 2) is living every fanboy’s dream. He wins a walk-on role in a cheesy movie called The Pirate Wench, directed by cultish horror director Derek Deeds (Jeffrey Vincent Parise), and manages to hook up with his favorite actress, Cassie Blue (scream queen Tiffany Shepis). But he gets more than he bargained – Erik Gruenwedel for when the set is haunted by a long- A I PICTURING THE PRESIDENTS Street 2/10 Infinity, Documentary, $14.98 DVD. A ndrew Jackson used his for propaganda. James K. Polk sports a mullet. John F. Kennedy’s is abstract. Bill Clinton’s is casual. LBJ reportedly hated his. One of Lincoln’s may have gotten him elected. And George Washington’s may be the most iconic. They are the portraits of the presidents, preserved for posterity in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. This fascinating documentary from the Smithsonian Channel uses interviews with artists, art critics and regular folks just visiting the museum to examine what goes into producing a presidential portrait, and what qualities such a work of art should possess to capture the essence of a head of state. Needless to say, opinions vary. The program guides viewers through different trends in presidential portraits, from the velvet-andlace fashions of the early presidents to modern suits and ties, which Clinton’s portraitist, Nelson Shanks, considers boring. The centerpiece of the National Portrait Gallery is the famed Lansdowne portrait of Washington, a demonstration of American majesty that didn’t rely on the ornate trappings of 18th-century European royalty. The disc includes a great bonus program that focuses on the Lansdowne portrait and its artist, Gilbert Stuart. In the 19th century, photography had a huge impact on the art of the portrait and popular culture. One of the last photos of Lincoln was developed with a crack through his head, an eerie foreshadowing of his assassination. Picturing the Presidents also includes a lengthy segment about political cartoons, for which an American president is the most natural target. The show traces the history of presidential caricatures, from their heyday in the era of Thomas Nast, to modern satirists such as Pat Oliphant, who remarks that presidents are “doomed to failure as soon as they’re elected.” These tantalizing looks into the artists’ mindset make Picturing the Presidents a must-see for history buffs and presidential enthusiasts of all ages. – John Latchem I KILLER MOVIE Street 2/3 Peace Arch, Horror, $29.99 DVD, ‘R’ for bloody horror, violence and language. Stars Paul Wesley, Kaley Cuoco, Gloria Votsis, Jason London, Al Santos, Adriana DeMeo, Leighton Meester, Nestor Carbonell, Cyia Batten, J.C. Chasez. K iller Movie is basically a 1990s horror spoof throwback disguised as a reality-TV sendup. The sendup isn’t so hot, but the kills and thrills are straight-up I Know What You Did Last Summer nostalgia. Paul Wesley stars as a reality-TV director picked to helm a show about an underdog hockey team in a small town, only the town’s younger, attractive residents start getting picked off, as do crew members of the show. Secrets slowly reveal themselves in typical screwed-up small-town fashion. The plot isn’t exactly credible or fascinating, but that’s not the point. Fans of teen and horror films will be entertained, with not-too-grizzly murders piled atop a somewhat flimsy “behindthe-scenes” reality-TV premise that basically acts as a venue for the characters to gripe about one another. Kaley Cuoco (“The Big Bang Theory”) ably plays a prima donna actress on location to do research for an upcoming role. But in a movie loaded with sass, I was hoping Leighton Meester’s trademark attitude would play a more prominent role. Sadly, the gossip girl’s stay in Killer Movie is brief, relegated to the Janet Leigh/Drew Barrymore role of “famous girl who gets killed quickly.” In a movie that works best as a recap of what we loved about the horror resurgence of the ’90s, it’s appropriate. – Billy Gil 18 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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