| New Videos/DVDs |
There are some interesting video/DVD releases slated for March 19, 2002, including "Donnie Darko," "Riding in Cars with Boys," and "Training Day." Let's take a look at these films, along with a few additional releases of interest, and take a sneak peek at next week's videos and DVDs.
"Donnie Darko" (2001)
Tagline: "Dark, Darker, Darko."
Length: 112 minutes
MPAA Rating: R for language, some drug use and violence
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this puzzle movie that is part science fiction, part thriller, part melodrama. Donnie Darko (Gyllenhaal) is a high school student who lives with his nice family in pleasant suburban surroundings. But Donnie is a troubled young man who is sometimes visited by a six-foot rabbit and has other experiences that may be delusions. In fact, Donnie is under a psychiatrist’s care and is on medication. Of course, Donnie is a misfit at school and has problems dealing with teachers. However, as he struggles with a number of unsettling incidents, Donnie apparently develops some ability to see into the future and perhaps even be able to travel through time. The plot of “Donnie Darko” goes through many twists and turns, and trying to figure out what it all means is supposed to be part of the fun of watching this film.
Selected Special DVD Features:
- Deleted Scenes
- Widescreen Anamorphic Format
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD.
"Riding in Cars with Boys" - Special Edition (2001)
Tagline: "Based on a true story."
Length: 132 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements, drug and sexual content
Based on a memoir by Beverly Donofrio and directed by Penny Marshall, this drama stars Drew Barrymore. The movie starts out with Beverly Donofrio (Barrymore) in her mid-30s on a journey with her 20-year-old son to see her ex-husband about signing a release so she can publish her memoir. Then we are shown in flashbacks some of the events in Beverly’s life that led up to this, including her pregnancy and marriage at age 15. Beverly desperately wanted to go to college, but problems with her husband (Steve Zahn) and the demands of motherhood prevented it, and her marriage eventually ended in divorce. Drew Barrymore shines as she plays Beverly from age 15 through about age 36, and the movie achieves considerable dramatic impact by mostly avoiding the cliches typically found in this kind of film.
Selected Special DVD Features:
- Commentary by Drew Barrymore
- Production Notes
- Widescreen Anamorphic Format
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD; this film is also available on VHS.
"Training Day" (2001)
Tagline: "The only thing more dangerous than the line being crossed, is the cop who will cross it."
Length:
120 minutes
MPAA Rating: R for brutal violence, pervasive language, drug content
and brief nudity
Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke give outstanding performances in this police drama. Alonzo Harris (Washington) is a veteran Los Angeles Police Department narcotics detective who is assigned the task of taking a rookie cop named Jake Hoyt (Hawke) on a training day. Harris and Hoyt soon make a drug bust, but Hoyt quickly becomes aware that his training will be highly unconventional when Harris makes him smoke the PCP-laced marijuana they confiscated. As the day progresses, the rookie sees the veteran’s renegade approach to law enforcement in situation after situation, including a lunch meeting with a whole group of dirty cops. As incident piles upon incident, Hoyt’s disgust at Harris’ way of doing police work mounts, but the rookie finds himself being pulled into the veteran’s web of corruption.
Selected Special DVD Features:
- Widescreen Anamorphic Format
- Music Videos
- Director's Commentary by Antoine Fuqua
- Alternate Ending
Additional Releases of Interest:
"The Big Hit" - Superbit Collection (1998)
Selected Special DVD Features:
- Closed-Captioned
- Widescreen
- Dolby
- DTS Surround Sound
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD; this film is also available on VHS.
"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996)
Selected Special DVD Features:
- Animated
- Widescreen Anamorphic Format
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD; this film is also available on VHS.
"Strictly Ballroom" (1992)
Selected Special DVD Features:
- Widescreen Anamorphic Format
- Audio Commentary by Director Baz Luhrmann
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD; this film is also available on VHS.
"Wilde" - Special Edition (1998)
Selected Special DVD Features:
- Widescreen Anamorphic Format
- Featurette
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD; this film is also available on VHS.
"Vertical Limit" - Superbit Collection (2000)
Selected Special DVD Features:
- Widescreen
- Closed-Captioned
- Widescreen Anamorphic Format
- Dolby
- DTS Surround Sound
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD; this film is also available on VHS.
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