Home Media Magazine - January 5, 2009 - (Page 14) REVIEWS I SAXONDALE: COMPLETE SEASONS 1 AND 2 Street 1/13 BBC Video, Comedy, $39.98 three-DVD set, NR. Stars Steve Coogan. Edited by John Latchem I REDEMPTION Prebook 1/6; Street 2/10 North American, Western, $26.99 DVD, ‘R’ for violence, some sexuality, nudity and language. Stars Dustin James, Tom Noga, Ashley Gomez. BLU-RAY SPOTLIGHT T he British just see things differently than Americans, very often to the credit of our friends from across the Pond. In “Saxondale,” British comedian extraordinaire Steve Coogan plays Tommy Saxondale, an ex-roadie who now runs his own pest-control business. Each episode begins with Tommy in an anger-management group as he works to control the issues that plague his meager existence. Styling himself as a modern-day Pied Piper, Tommy doesn’t much care for his fellow man. He often takes out his frustrations on the poor dolts who are unfortunate enough to cross his path, usually leading to any number of verbal confrontations. It doesn’t much matter what happens. Coogan has so committed to this character, and the dialogue is so acerbic, that most viewers would be content enough just to sit back with a smile on their face and take in the atmosphere of levity. This DVD set includes all 13 episodes from the first two seasons of the show, including six episodes that never aired in the United States. Fans will appreciate the extras, including a few fun commentaries, an interview with Coogan and “Saxondale” co-writer Neil MacLennan, and the behind-the-scenes documentary “On the Road,” which includes footage of Coogan promoting the show on British television. Also included are a selection of deleted scenes that offer more of the same of Coogan’s brand of wit. The release of the DVD is well timed to take advantage of Coogan gaining exposure in America lately with roles in such films as Tropic Thunder and Hamlet 2. – John Latchem R I PINEAPPLE EXPRESS Street 1/6 Sony Pictures, Comedy, B.O. $87.3 million, $28.96 DVD, $34.95 two-DVD set, $3 9.95 Bluray, $24.94 UMD, ‘R’ for pervasive language, drug use, sexual references and violence. Stars Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny McBride, Gary Cole, Rosie Perez. S omewhere in Pineapple Express is a message about the detrimental effects of smoking weed. Yet it’s couched in the typical sort of Judd Apatow-produced film that claims as its core demographic stoners and drunk college kids. Apatow and co-writers Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, the brains behind Superbad, found inspiration in Brad Pitt’s brief appearance as a stoner in True Romance. Their concept was to make a whole movie about that kind of character. The story deals with a couple of stoners caught in the middle of a turf war between rival drug-dealing empires. Grafted onto that simple premise is an increasingly bizarre sequence of jokes, pop-culture references and fight scenes. The story drifts from scene to scene across the usual assortment of free-association improv dialogue. The entire cast is pretty top notch. Rogen and James Franco are great as the stoners on the run. And Ed Begley Jr. shines in a minor role as the father of Rogen’s high-school aged girlfriend, annoyed at having to hide out in a motel because his daughter is dating this loser. Pineapple Express works best as a comedy but begins to drag in the second hour once it morphs into a surreal Jerry Bruckheimer-style action movie. The unrated version runs about 5 minutes longer than the theatrical cut. The film runs a bit long, so the theatrical version will probably satisfy most viewers. The basic DVD package includes both theatrical and unrated versions of the film, plus a gag reel, alternate takes, a making-of featurette and a wild commentary featuring the cast and crew, who mostly talk about the general fun of making the film without focusing on specific scenes. The two-DVD set and Blu-ray versions add more deleted scenes, more behind-the-scenes featurettes, more alternate takes and other fun stuff such as highlights from the Pineapple Express Comic-Con panel. The best extra, if only because of the randomness of it, is a glimpse into the life of Begley as he runs his mail-order cleaning-supply business. A noted environmentalist, Begley sells non-toxic cleaning supplies under the “Begley’s Best” label over the Internet and to select stores, to which he personally delivers the product. – John Latchem edemption is the town the law forgot, a slow descent into deep recesses of a special hell. Such is the stage for the methodical indie Western of the same name, populated with characters evoking the spirit of Clint Eastwood and John Wayne. Into this town rides an outlaw named Frank Hardin (Dustin James), in search of a Mexican girl named Sally (Gomez), who has been sold into prostitution after being kidnapped from her family. Hardin played a role in robbing the family, who were subsequently slain by other members of Hardin’s gang. To save his soul, Hardin sets out after his former partners, with the hope of eventually freeing the young girl. Also on the hunt is a badass priest, The Apostle, loaded to the nines with six-shooters, ready to dole out God’s justice for the attack on the Mexican family. Upon arriving in Redemption, Hardin stumbles on a lingering turf war between a couple of Civil War holdovers, a Union colonel who calls himself The General, and the high-strung confederate Capt. Till. The particulars effectively set up the eventual final shootout that will fill the streets with blood. And be warned, this movie does get bloody. Writer-director Robert Conway imbues this world with an atmosphere that is surprisingly rich for a low-budget production. Fans of Westerns will appreciate this earnest effort, if only for the standout character of The Apostle, played with a chilling determination by Tom Noga. Extras on the DVD include a behind-thescenes featurette and commentary from Conway. North American is offering an exclusive Blu-ray Disc version with the purchase of DVD-three packs at $69.99. – John Latchem I PATTI SMITH: DREAM OF LIFE Street 1/13 Palm, Documentary, B.O. $0.03 million, $24.98 DVD, NR. orn of the perfect boredom of suburbia, Patti Smith is known to fans as a deeply emotional, hard-rocking voice spanning several decades of rock ‘n’ roll history. Smith is a talent that could only thrive in the rarified atmosphere of the late 20th Century, starting with the beat generation and continu- B ing today. She laid the groundwork for artists such as Chrissie Hynde and even Madonna. While this Sundance Awardwinning film opens with Smith dryly listing the major events of her early life, it soon progresses to a more intimate portrait of an artist, her influences and family. But it’s a calculated intimacy: We never have the feeling that Smith is not in control. That’s at the bottom of her success as well — she has a selfassurance of someone who could only have been a star. Her determination 14 Home Media Magazine January 5–11, 2009
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