Home Media Magazine - November 2-November 8, 2008 - (Page 18) REVIEWS BLU-RAY SPOTLIGHT I WHEN WE LEFT EARTH: THE NASA MISSIONS Image, Documentary, $49.98 four-DVD set, $69.98 Blu-ray, NR. Narrated by Gary Sinise. www.homemediamagazine.com O ne of the great things about Blu-ray’s highdefinition capabilities is that future generations of students studying America’s exploration of space will have the brilliant Blu-ray audio (DTS HD 5.1 surround sound) and video (1080p 1.78:1) “you are there” experience of When We Left Earth. This six-episode miniseries, which originally aired on Discovery HD, documents the history of U.S.-crewed space flights over the past five decades. The series begins with the Mercury and Gemini programs and then traces the Apollo program and its spinoffs — Skylab and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. The series culminates with the Space Shuttle program and follows the Hubble Space Telescope and the assembly of the International Space Station. Actor Gary Sinise (Apollo 13) narrates the documentary, but it’s the gorgeous visuals that speak volumes. For the first time outside of an Imax theater, viewers can get a sense of what the firsthand experience was like for the past and current pioneers of space exploration. Discovery had unprecedented access to NASA’s cold-storage vaults and invested its own money into HD video and audio transfers of more than 100 hours of archival footage. While all of that footage was donated to NASA for future use, Discovery was able to take what it wanted to create When We Left Earth. The new footage puts viewers on the actual spacecraft, which adds a new sense of drama to the documentary. Beyond the breathtaking visuals, what defines this series as the perfect educational tool moving forward is the historic line-up of interviews done exclusively for this series. This four-disc set comes packed with the informative documentary series, as well as four hours of footage not seen on TV. A standout is the extended interview with Neil Armstrong, who rarely sits for such candid conversations. The collection also has a 14-page booklet featuring a timeline of major NASA events. – John Gaudiosi I WHALEDREAMERS Street 11/4 Monterey, Documentary, B.O. $0.006 million, $19.95 DVD, NR. I CONJURER Prebook 11/3; Street 11/25 Monarch, Horror, $24.95 DVD, NR. Stars John Schneider, Maxine Bahns, Andrew Bowen. onjurer is a slow, creepy Southern ghost tale about a young couple that flees the big city to recover from a tragic event only to find themselves battling each other and supernatural elements after moving into a haunted farmhouse. Following the devastating loss of their stillborn baby, talented photographer Shawn (Bowen) and his wife, Helen (Maxine), head to her brother’s old farmhouse to get their lives back in order. While Helen is at home in the country, Shawn has a sense of uneasiness from the moment they step foot on the property and he sets his eyes on an old, ominous cabin that has the locals spooked. Instead of getting back to his photography, Shawn spends his time obsessing over the cabin and the town’s legend about a witch who once occupied it and put a curse on anyone who sets foot on the land. The relentless torment brings up issues from Shawn’s troubled past that sends him into a schizophrenic rage. In the end, Shawn’s sanity is put to the test as he tries to save his family and fight off the evil spirits that might just all be in his head. Conjurer is a smart, at times sexy, independent thriller loaded with amazing cinematography and eerie storytelling. It’s a powerful ghost tale that forgoes the cheap scares of a traditional horror flick, instead taking the higher road to create an original, chilling supernatural frightfest. The film features solid acting from Bowen (“ER” and “Mad TV”) and Bahns (She’s the One and Brothers McMullen) as the leads and Schneider (Bo from “Dukes of Hazzard”) as Helen’s cunning brother. Conjurer also has had a successful run as an official selection at several U.S. film festivals, even capturing the best feature film award at the 2008 Dixie Film Festival. – Matt Miller ilmmaker Kim Kindersley and recording artist/film producer Julian Lennon take us on a spiritual journey in Whaledreamers, which brings us into the world of the dwindling Western Australian Mirning tribe, who are deeply connected to the sea. Whales are the earthly representation of God to the Mirning, who also revere the wonders of nature. They believe their land is the gateway to the universe, and their dreams are the portal that bridge past, present and future. The film is beautifully shot and emotionally stirring, and should cross over the boundaries that will make it appeal to peaceniks and environmentalists. The Mirnings’ modern story is one that has been repeated all over the world: Industrialization meets indigenous peoples, and the natives lose. At the center of the film is a weeklong gathering of tribal elders and shamans from other parts of the world, building spiritual connections and showing support for the Mirning. The more time they spend together, the more they see what their struggles have in common. Anglo participants get a unique view of tribal cultures, their connection to the earth and how “progress” threatens their existence. Many discuss their belief that world events, such as the invasion of Iraq, seem to them to be the wages of humanity losing its divine connection to each other and the planet. Lennon tells how the 35 million people who took to the streets all over the world to protest the Iraq war gave them hope that the natives’ message could still be heard, and that despite the headlines, more people in the world want peace than want war and destruction. In doing so he continues with his father’s dominant message: Give peace a chance. – Holly J. Wagner I PLANET B-BOY Street 11/11 Arts Alliance America, Documentary, B.O. $0.3 million, $19.95 DVD, NR. T Q U I C K TA K E Crawling ‘Beneath the Surface’ ell Go USA’s recently released DVD of indie effort Beneath the Surface ($19.98) offers a subversive tale of teen angst that puts a new spin on the zombie genre. Only in the movies is the line between life and death as blurred as the line W between fantasy and reality. The creepiness kicks off when awkward teen Ethan uses a neighbor’s voodoo potion to resurrect his childhood love after she inadvertently overdoses on pills provided by her abusive boyfriend. Ethan vows to use her undead body to both uncov- er the truth of and avenge her death. Things don’t go well, obviously, but credit the filmmakers for keeping it somewhat unpredictable. The DVD includes commentary from director Blake Reigle, a behindthe-scenes featurette, deleted scenes and on-set photos. – John Latchem hose who might be holding hope for a return to the glory days of the breakdancing films that became popular in the 1980s might do better to shift their focus away from another Krush Groove or Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo and set their sights on this hugely entertaining documentary. While the cultural spotlight on this dance style might have lasted slightly longer than the films that capitalized on it, overall, breakdancing is largely considered a thing of the past, like the Reagan administration during which it flourished. Director Benson Lee’s rich, well-crafted film will both open the eyes of those who thought the acrobatic style of dancing was long gone, and it will excite the surprising number of enthusiasts who currently embrace it. The film provides an exhaustive look at the origins of the B-Boy movement, the cultural influences that inspired it, the ascent into mainstream society, a thorough analysis of its perceived decline and its remarkable revival on a global scale. It is nothing less than an utterly compelling documentary — a fascinating look into a vibrant sub-culture that now thrives in the (relative) shadows after a time, 20-plus years ago, when it was hard to turn on a TV and not see breakdancing. After it establishes the history of the movement, Lee’s film turns its attention toward the annual international breakdancing championship held in Germany. Lee spends ample time with five of the many teams in competition, including crews from the United States, France, Germany, Japan and South Korea. Extensive interviews with judges, dancers and, impressively, many of their families — all of them fascinating personalities — adds a level of depth, urgency and even poignancy to the entire experience. The film is not just about breakdancing, it is about life. – David Greenberg Home Media Magazine November 2–8, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com
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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