Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - (Page 16) GREATEST FICTIONAL PRESIDENT Watching the portrayal of presidents in movies and TV shows sometimes makes us wish we had those fictional leaders instead of our real ones. With this being an election year, we asked readers of our Agent DVD consumer magazine distributed at San Diego Comic-Con International this past summer to vote online for their favorite fictional presidents on DVD. Here are the results. – John Latchem ELECTION RESULTS REVIEWS Edited by John Latchem 1. 30.0% JOSIAH “JED” BARTLET (Martin Sheen) “THE WEST WING” (1999-2006) An idealist constrained by the realities of his office, Bartlet proved to be a compassionate, if sometimes arrogant, chief executive. (Warner) 2. 17.2% DAVID PALMER (Dennis Haysbert) “24” (2001-06) An assassination attempt during his primary campaign helped Palmer ride a wave of sympathy to the White House. His brother Wayne later became president. (Fox) I THE TROJAN HORSE Prebook 11/4; Street 12/2 Peace Arch/Allumination, Thriller, $29.98 DVD, ‘R’ for some violence and language. Stars Paul Gross, Tom Skerritt, Greta Scacchi. 3. 11% JAMES MARSHALL (Harrison Ford) AIR FORCE ONE (1997) When Russian militants captured Air Force One, Marshall, a Vietnam War veteran and Medal of Honor winner, fought back and made them get off his plane. (Sony Pictures) T 4. 8.7% THOMAS J. WHITMORE (Bill Pullman) INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996) A veteran of the first Gulf War, Whitmore’s presidency remained undistinguished until aliens attacked Earth. Whitmore personally led the final assault to repel them. (Fox) 5. 8.4% LAURA ROSLIN (Mary McDonnell) “BATTLESTAR GALACTICA” (2003-09) Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny, Roslin has maintained civilian control over the fleet that consists of the remnants of the 12 Colonies of Kobol. (Universal) 6. 5.7% ANDREW SHEPHERD (Michael Douglas) THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT (1995) A widower, Shepherd’s controversial romance with a lobbyist ultimately inspired his support of aggressive environmental and anti-gun legislation. (Warner) he Trojan Horse is brain candy for fans of political thrillers and conspiracy theories. At an epic four hours, this Canadian miniseries is almost too much of a good thing — but not quite. It follows events after the diabolical plot by a Canadian politician to rise to power and push Canada into becoming part of the United States. If that idea doesn’t get you interested, get this: That politician (played so charismatically and believably by Paul Gross) is part of a sinister, bloody plot to overthrow the new Canadian-American government. The current American president (Tom Skerritt) is a morally dubious, God-obsessed, Machiavellian who, like a darker George W. Bush, is hunting for a pretext — real or imagined — to invade Saudi Arabia to keep its oil away from the aggressive Chinese. These two heads of state clash while a spree of bloody murders by assassins and counter-intelligence agents rages in countries around the globe. The villains chew the scenery here. The film’s less-engaging plot strand is the protagonist’s tale. A reporter (Greta Scacchi) whose son is killed in the crossfire of political murders won’t rest until she’s figured out the truth of these world-spanning plots. Scacchi tries to hit all the important notes — love for her son, fear of killers, touches of romance with a CIA assassin — but it just never comes together. But that’s OK. Viewers will love to hate the villains in The Trojan Horse and want to see them undone, even if they don’t feel enough sympathy and connection to the intrepid reporter to feel there’s a solid protagonist. They’ll still be captivated by the complex yet logical revelation of motives, methods, and the maddening cruelty of those in power. – Brendan Howard I THE LONE RANGER: 75TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR’S EDITION Street 11/11 Genius/Classic, Western, $119.93 13-DVD set, NR. T 7. 5% THOMAS BECK (Morgan Freeman) DEEP IMPACT (1998) With a comet speeding toward Earth, the grandfatherly Beck’s calm demeanor eased the nation through the crisis — and aftermath when the planet was spared. (Paramount) I QUO VADIS Street 11/11 Warner, Drama, $20.97 two-DVD set, NR. Stars Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Leo Gunn, Peter Ustinov. 8. 3.9% RICHARD NIXON’S HEAD (Voice of Billy West) “FUTURAMA” (1999-2008) Robot support carried him to the presidency of Earth in the year 3000. Nixon’s aggressive foreign policy led to several wars, expanding Earth’s treasury. (Fox) I 9. 2.8% KANG (Voice of Harry Shearer) “THE SIMPSONS: TREEHOUSE OF HORROR VII” (1996) Won the election after he and Kodos posed as Bob Dole and Bill Clinton. Promptly enslaved humanity, giving rise to the expression “Don’t blame me, I voted for Kodos!” (Fox) 10. 2.8% THOMAS “TUG” BENSON (Lloyd Bridges) HOT SHOTS! PART DEUX (1993) The klutzy former Navy admiral became a hands-on commander-inchief, personally leading a covert mission to Iraq and fighting Saddam Hussein in hand-to-hand combat. (Fox) I OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: 1.2% Henry Hayes (William Devane), “Stargate” (MGM); 0.8% Baxter Harris (Leslie Nielsen), “Scary Movie 3-4” (Dimension); 0.6% Dave Chappelle (Dave Chappelle), “Chappelle’s Show” (Paramount); 0.5% Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin), “24” (Fox); 0.4% Dave Kovic as Bill Mitchell (Kevin Kline), Dave (Warner); 0.2% Merkin Muffley (Peter Sellers), Dr. Strangelove (Sony Pictures); 0.1% Mackenzie Allen (Geena Davis), “Commander in Chief” (Disney) t might be more enjoyable to watch the excellent original documentary Quo Vadis and the Genesis of the Biblical Epic before seeing the lengthy film. Aided by several articulate and intelligent movie historians, the documentary tells in part how 1951’s Quo Vadis was designed to lure people away from the impending enemy of the film industry — television. One of the main interesting bits of information the documentary reveals is that John Huston was going to direct Gregory Peck and Elizabeth Taylor as the two leads until his Moby Dick star fell ill. Instead Mervyn LeRoy directed Robert Taylor and sexy newcomer Deborah Kerr in the biblical epic that pre-dated MGM’s classic biblical multi-Academy Award winner Ben Hur, starring Charlton Heston, by eight years. One of the documentary experts candidly implies that the recent box office success of 300 inspired this glossy two-disc presentation, which includes the original musical overture. Film critic F.X. Feeney offers insightful commentary for Quo Vadis, which is the third version of the Roman Empire story of power and religious faith to come to the big screen. Quo Vadis was filmed in Rome, showcasing a cast of thousands (literally) and impressive special effects decades before CGI was a cinematic partner in Hollywood. What stands the test of time beyond the dramatic score and the film’s scope is Peter Ustinov’s performance as the legendary Nero. Ustinov captures the method behind the emperor’s madness, his inability to handle the adulation of his trusting people and conveys a distance and lack of concern for the citizens he represents. Thank heaven the days of those kind of politicians are long gone. – Craig Modderno he classic “Lone Ranger” radio and TV shows invited viewers to take a trip “to the thrilling days of yesteryear.” Looking at the episodes in this new boxed set, viewers are as likely to glean insights from the early 1950s as they are the Old West. Who couldn’t love Clayton Moore’s droning monotone voice as the iconic hero, or Jay Silverheels as his faithful sidekick, Tonto, an Anglicanized Native American who served as a symbol of racial unity in trying times. Or the way the pair managed to survive countless fist fights and gun battles without ever smudging their costumes. A simpler time, indeed. Those who grew up on this stuff will eat it up. Everyone else will enjoy it too, be it for historical value or plain entertainment. Those need only compare this show with the grittiness of “Deadwood” to track the evolution of the Western, and society in general, over the years. This outstanding collection includes the first 78 episodes of the series, which equates to the first two seasons with Moore before he was replaced by John Hart for a season due to a salary dispute. These episodes, which have been expertly remastered and look great, first aired from 1949 to 1950. The 75th anniversary label stems from the character’s first radio appearance. A radio episode is included among the extras, as are three episodes from a 1960s “Lone Ranger” cartoon and a classic “Lassie” episode with a Lone Ranger cameo. The set is lacking a comprehensive featurette about the history of the show, but does include a nice booklet of trivia and other facts. Also included are replicas of Lone Ranger Fan Club membership cards, and other fun bits of memorabilia. The Lone Ranger has been reinvented with every generation, so fans from any age group will find something to love here. – John Latchem Home Media Magazine November 2–8, 2008
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 Home Media Magazine - November 2, 2008 Contents News News News TV DVD Independent Film Reviews Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced Christian Entertainment Review Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 2, 2008 (Page Cover1) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 2, 2008 (Page Cover2) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 2, 2008 (Page 1) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 2, 2008 (Page 2) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 2, 2008 (Page 3) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 2, 2008 (Page 4) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 2, 2008 (Page 5) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 2, 2008 (Page 6) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Contents (Page 7) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - News (Page 8) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - News (Page 9) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - News (Page 10) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - News (Page 11) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - News (Page 12) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - TV DVD (Page 13) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Independent Film (Page 14) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Independent Film (Page 15) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Reviews (Page 16) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Reviews (Page 17) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Reviews (Page 18) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Reviews (Page 19) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 20) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 21) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 22) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 23) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 24) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 25) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 26) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 27) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 28) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover3) Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover4)
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