DVD "Valentine" Review Round-Up
Okay, you and your best gal pals are having a sleepover for Valentine's Day and you want to get some helpful hints for your next boyfriend quest. Or, you and your personal hottie want to watch something romantic to get in the mood. Or maybe you'll be alone but still want to watch a romantic film and break out the tissues to acknowledge this day of love? Then we've got some romantic DVDs for you!
From Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Legends of the Fall: Deluxe Edition
This film cemented hot Brad Pitt in the minds of moviegoers everywhere. As moody, Tristan Ludlow, Brad became the gotta-have-him guy of the moment. Lowdown...There are three brothers living on an isolated Montana ranch in the early 1900's. They all fall for gorgeous Susanna (Julia Ormond) and this conflict and other frontier complications leads them to ruin.
Video: This film was released on DVD in 2000. This transfer seems less dirty and more crisp but it's a bit darker than the 2000 version. None-the-less, it certainly captures the beauty of the landscape and Brad Pitt.
Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital sounds fine. Dialogue is clear and background sounds come through okay.
Special Features: There is a nice 24-page Movie Scrapbook booklet included that has posters and stills from the film and press kit info. An attractive addition.
The commentaries from director Edward Zwick and Brad are here from the 2000 version as is the track with the Cinematographer and Production Designer. All are entertaining and interesting.. Brad and Zwick are both funny and informed and their banter is well worth listening to as they chat about memories on set, characters, etc. The tech track is informative but more "dry". There are three deleted scenes with commentary by Zwick and although fine, you can see why this long film didn't need them.
You get a five-minute Production Design featurette that includes on-set footage about creating the movie's period film look. Very interesting. There is a promo style making-of featurette that is good too. Filmographies and music highlights are good and were also on the 2000 release.
Wrapping Up: This movie is like a good romance novel on screen. It's beautiful, heartbreaking and hot! Great performances don't hurt either. If you don't have the 2000 release, I'd say go buy it. If you do, at least rent this one for your Valentine enjoyment.
From Warner Home Video
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride: Widescreen Edition
Hey, a ghoulish romance is still a romance. In a 19th century village, Victor (voiced by Johnny Depp) falls for Victoria (voiced by Emily Watson) but has to take a trip to the land of the dead when he is whisked away by a mysterious corpse bride (Helena Bonham-Carter's voice). Will Victor return to his one true love?
Video: Original widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1, and is anamorphically enhanced. Looks super great. The stop-motion film was shot on cutting edge digital cameras. Very colorful, clean and crisp.. kinda perfect.
Audio: Dolby 5.1 soundtrack uses surround sound well and you can hear every little click of the bones. Dialogue comes through very clearly and the songs (yes there are songs) are much better balanced than they were in the theater I went to. I can hear all the words now. Very excellent. There is also a music only track for those who want to make this a weird Hollywood musical listening experience.
Special Features: There are several short featurettes on the disc but no film-wide commentary by Burton.
"Inside the Two Worlds" (4 minutes) gives you a glimpse into the two lands.. up here and down there. "Danny Elfman Interprets the Two Worlds" (5 minutes) tells us all about the hot composer's work on the film's songs..inspiration etc. "Tim Burton: Dark vs. Light" (3 minutes) is more background on Burton as a director and "Voices from the Underworld" (6 minutes) tells us a little about each voice actor and in "The Voices Behind the Voice" (7 minutes), you get a cute split-screen feature with the actors doing their lines and then see how the final stop motion animated character looks doing the same lines.
The coolest features for me were the stop motion puppetry features: "The Animators: The Breath of Life" (6 minutes) and "Making Puppets Tick" (6 minutes). If you aren't familiar with how stop-motion animation works this will fascinate you. Even if you "get it", it's amazing how much work goes into every tiny character movement. Lastly you'll get some artwork and a trailer.
Wrapping Up: This film is a must for those of us who loved Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and this DVD has charming extras to make it very worth a place on your DVD shelf this Valentine's Day. Sure, we all would love a full film Burton commentary but hey, true love triumphs! What else can you ask?
The Double Features
From Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
You can throw your own romantic movie marathon party with all these Valentine's Day-aimed two-fer DVDs. Each contains two feature films, some with more special features than others. We will say up front that all audio and video is certainly acceptable. Most DVD's are presented in decent transfers with good picture and sound all around. All have been released before on DVD but are well worth considering in these handy dual packages:
My Best Friend's Wedding & the Wedding Planner
Julia Roberts realizes her best guy friend is really the one for her... at his wedding! Jennifer Lopez is a wedding planner without a guy until she falls for one of the grooms whose wedding she is planning!
Okay, chick flick heaven here, girls and your guys won't mind watching either because both films give us stories that appeal to both sexes.
Special Features: On "Friend's you get: Wedding Do's and Don't's, An HBO Making of Special: On the Set, A "Say a Little Prayer" sing-along, a cool Wedding Album, a DVD-Rom "game" "Who's the one for me?", a Quiz and wedding slide show, trailers and filmographies – Lots of fun
On "Planner" you have: a director and writer commentary, a making of featurette, The Dancer and The cowboy Featurette, Deleted Scenes with director's comments.. and trailers and filmographies. Not as comprehensive but fun none-the-less
These two films were both well-received in theaters and are a must for your collection if you don't have them individually, this is the way to go.
Maid in Manhattan & Fools Rush In
Jennifer Lopez works as a maid in a posh Manhattan hotel where she meets her prince..a senatorial candidate who mistakes her for a rich socialite. In "Fools", hot Latina Salma Hayek has a hot Vegas night with nightclub developer Matthew Perry. She gets pregnant and cultures collide when the two marry.
Special Features: None. These are the basic films only in this set.
"Maid" was better received in theaters than "Fools" but both films have their romantic charms. Worth a rental if you don't already have the two in your collection.
Legally Blonde & Legally Blonde 2
Reese is on-the-surface dumb blonde Elle Woods who gets into Harvard Law School when her preppy boyfriend dumps her. She proves that common sense and a heart of gold might not get you your man but can sure gain respect and maybe a hot law prof. Elle is back in "Blonde 2" as she heads to D.C. to fight for animal rights and against cruel animal testing facilities.
Special Features: On "Blonde": Deleted Scenes, two featurettes "Inside Legally Blonde" and "The Hair That Ate Hollywood", 2 Audio Commentary tracks featuring the director and Reese, a music video for the song "Perfect Day" by Hoku, some trivia and a trailer.
On "Blonde 2" you get Deleted Scenes, a gag Reel, a "We Can" music video by LeAnn Rimes, commentary by the cast, an interactive quiz, a "Blonde Ambition" featurette, a behind-the scenes photo gallery and trailers.
If you loved Reese Witherspoon as Elle, you need to have the first film in your collection. The second film isn't as good but still entertaining and the dual set is a great way to collect both films along with their original special features.
Mona Lisa Smile & America's Sweethearts
In "Mona", Julia Roberts is an art history prof in a girls' college in the 1950's. She inspires her students to break social stigmas and live their dreams despite the fact that girls in that era were expected to marry and have a family, not a career. Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles and Maggie Gyllenhaal also star. In "Sweethearts", Catherine Zeta-Joes and John Cusack play a famous Hollywood couple whose careers start failing when they break up. Can studio publicist Billy Crystal get them to behave long enough to promote their last film? Will John fall for his ex-wife's formerly fat assistant, Julia Roberts?
Special Features: On "Mona", There are some cute comparisons of then and now features like "College Then and Now" and "What Women Wanted: 1953". These short retro films are a riot. There is an art forum and Elton John's music Video for "The Heart of Every Girl". On "Sweethearts" you get some deleted scenes with a director's intro and a few trailers.
"Mona" isn't exactly the typical romantic film but all the women in the film struggle to balance relationships and their career aspirations so it qualifies. If you didn't buy the original, the special features are still here and are a lot of fun. Kirsten and the other popular actresses do a very good job in the movie.
America's Sweethearts wasn't a very popular film but has its funny moments. You may never get another chance to see Julia Roberts in a fat suit!
I'd say this one is worth a rental at least.
Benny and Joon and The Man in the Moon
In "Benny", Johnny Depp does his best Charlie Chaplin imitation and it's both funny and touching. As Benny, Aidan Quinn is trying to care for his mentally challenged younger sister Joon (Mary Stuart Masterson). She plays poker and wins Sam (Johnny Depp) a wacky misfit who falls for her. Now if they can just find a mate for brother Benny.
In "Moon", it's a very young Reese Witherspoon in the first performance that made Hollywood critics sit up and pay attention to her brilliant work. Reese is a young girl named Dani and she and her sister Maureen (Emily Warfield) both fall for the new boy next door (Jason London). It's a coming of age film with a lot of heart and some sorrow.
Special Features: None, just the original films.
Both of these films are worth collecting. Performances are wonderful all around and both will pull at your heart strings. "Benny" is another great, off-beat Depp performance that will make you laugh and care. Reese is just magical in "Moon". You can see the seeds of the fantastic actress she will become. Both are off-beat but excellent choices for Valentine romance viewing.
Of course, we realize you'll be whipping out that Titanic DVD once again and maybe Gone with the Wind and other classic tear-jerkers but check out these films and curl up with your own cupid or just pop some popcorn and sit down with a good gal pal for a hearts and flowers day of DVD viewing.
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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.
