| Cinema Cynergy September 2004
My Collector's
Corner
I watch many movies on video, but there are a few that I
keep coming back to. Some of these are great films, others are guilty pleasures, but most
are not blockbuster movies that many people will have in their DVD collections. If
you’re looking for something a little different, I think they’re worth seeking
out at your video rental store. Here are a few of my favorites.
Thelma and Louise, one of director Ridley
Scott’s finest films, was given the treatment it deserves in a special DVD edition
that was released for the movie’s 10th anniversary, in 2001. It features deleted and
extended scenes, audio commentary tracks, and featurettes that include interviews with
Scott, screenwriter Callie Khouri, and actors Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Michael Madsen
-- even Brad Pitt. This movie caused quite a stir when it was first released, and although
time has taken away some of its edge, it’s held up well as a stylish, tragically
profound film that’s extremely sharp and funny, with a perfect non-Hollywood ending.
The featurettes are informative and the commentary tracks are interesting, but with
incredible performances by Sarandon, Davis, and the entire cast, and a great story
masterfully directed by Scott, Thelma and Louise can stand on its own. I find
Thelma and Louise themselves to be sympathetic characters, though some have discounted the
film because they have difficulty sympathizing with armed robbers and murderers. But, as
Scott says in one of his interviews, "That’s the point."
 Before Sam Raimi made the
critically acclaimed A Simple Plan and the mega-blockbusters Spider-Man and
Spider-Man 2, he made a low-budget horror comedy, Army of Darkness. This
campy film is often ridiculously silly, but sometimes nothing cheers me up more than
watching the main character, Ash, deliver such lines as "Gimme some sugar baby"
or "Yo, she-bitch, let’s go." Army of Darkness is available in at
least five versions on DVD, including several limited editions that are now out of print.
Some editions include an alternate ending, but I prefer the ending of the original
theatrical release, which the standard-edition DVD retains. It may not be as poetic or
poignant as the newly restored ending, but it’s funnier, and more in the spirit of
the rest of the film. (The Boomstick Edition DVD contains both endings.) Army of
Darkness’s over-the-top humor is not for everyone, but I enjoy watching it when
I’m in the mood for a wacky comedy that requires little thinking.
Many would consider The Remains of the Day to be
slow-moving, but I love the intense emotion that seethes below the surface of its reserved
characters. Rarely does one experience this kind of tangible emotion in a film. The
underlying tension and attraction between Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson is so palpable
that it makes me want to shake them and tell them to say what’s really on their
minds, instead of hiding behind their roles as servants in a respected British manor.
Without giving away too much of the plot: Hopkins and Thompson play senior members of the
household staff who are bound to their duties, which hinder them from expressing their
feelings for each other -- or pretty much anything else. The many scenes in which the
characters are obviously experiencing profound emotions that they do not outwardly express
are almost unbearable to watch, but they deepen our understanding of these people.
Ultimately, The Remains of the Day is about duty, honor, and love.
 Gary Busey was nominated
for an Oscar for his portrayal of Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story -- a
great rock’n’roll movie. There is a raw energy to this film that translates into
the music, which was performed live by Busey, Charles Martin Smith, and Don Stroud,
playing Buddy Holly and the Crickets. It is in these music scenes that the movie really
comes alive. When the band, and especially Busey, are onscreen performing such classic
songs such as "Rave On," "That’ll Be the Day," and "Oh,
Boy!," the atmosphere is electrifying. People often forget how much Buddy Holly
contributed to rock music during his brief career, which was cut short by a plane crash
one February night in 1959, and was immortalized in Don McLean’s song "American
Pie." From the name of one of the greatest bands in music history, the Beatles, to
Elvis Costello’s glasses, Buddy Holly continues to influence popular music to this
day. Some have criticized the film’s historical inaccuracies, but watching
Busey’s inspired performance always makes me want to get out my Buddy Holly CDs and
listen to some of those great songs in their entireties. This DVD contains a new matrixed
Dolby Surround mix that, played back through a Pro Logic II decoder, sounded much better
than the original four-channel mix.
The Simpsons has been slow to arrive on DVD, but the
fourth season has just been released and is chock full of classic episodes. While the
writing for the first season was uneven, it improved during the next two. The show really
came into its own in the fourth season, with such classic episodes as "Mr.
Plow," "Homer the Heretic," "Marge vs. the Monorail,"
"Krusty Gets Kanceled," and many more. There’s little I can say about the
series that hasn’t already been said -- it’s been on the air for 15 seasons, and
if you’re not already a fan, nothing I can say will change your mind. But those of us
who enjoy the show can’t get enough of such lines as Homer’s reply to Marge, who
is alarmed to find a family of possums nesting in the monorail: "I call the big one
Bitey."
 Robert De Niro gives his most nuanced
comedic performance in one of my favorite comedies, Midnight Run. Unlike the
humorous characters De Niro has recently portrayed in Analyze This, Meet the
Parents, and their sequels, he plays the character of John Walsh totally straight. The
humor comes from the carefully crafted comic situations, not jokes or bawdy humor. Walsh,
an ex-cop down on his luck, becomes a bounty hunter to make ends meet, though he hates the
work. What he hopes will be his last job is escorting Jonathan Mardukas (Charles Grodin)
back to jail to collect a bounty large enough that he can open a coffee shop and retire
from the business. Of course, nothing goes according to plan. Grodin is perfect as an
exasperating but good-hearted foil to De Niro’s gruff bounty hunter, who is also a
decent guy just trying to do his job. Each brings a measure of humanity to his role, and
stays true to his character by not exploiting the character’s failings for cheap
laughs. The supporting cast includes John Ashton, Joe Pantoliano, and Dennis Farina, each
of whom is excellent in his role. Although there’s a fair amount of violence, most of
it has a relatively light-hearted tone -- but there are lots of obscenities, which
might offend some. However, De Niro’s brilliant comedic performance rivals some of
his great dramatic roles, and raises Midnight Run to a level above most comedies.
...Roger Kanno
roger@hometheatersound.com |
