Videos this week
Pitch Black (2000) doesn't have a big-name cast (it stars Vin Diesel, who is most famous for a small role in Saving Private Ryan). It wasn't based on a Shakespeare play. It was directed by a man who had only directed two films before this (David Twohy, whose last directorial job was on 1996's The Arrival). But people left the theatre satisfied -- because it's good.
Set in the future, Pitch Black is about a transport spaceship that crashes on an unknown planet. Its most dangerous cargo is Riddick (Diesel), a dangerous psycho who had surgery that enables him to see in the dark -- so that he could more effectively kill people. He was supposed to rot in jail, but may have found his calling. See, the planet is native to only one species -- because they probably killed everything else -- and they're nocturnal. The rest of the survivors -- basically ordinary men and women -- struggle to find a way home before the creatures kill them all. Oh, and did I mention that the planet is about to enter a lengthy eclipse?
Pitch Black is B-movie sci-fi at its best: dirty, fun and sometimes scary. For that matter, Diesel is dirty, fun and sometimes scary. And he has some great lines.
The DVD comes out on Oct. 24. There's a rated and unrated version. The rated DVD is barren of extras. The unrated contains three extra minutes of footage, audio commentary from Twohy and a making
of documentary.
Also out this week is Love and Basketball (2000), and the title says it best. A boy and girl grow up playing basketball together and, when they're older, they fall in love. Quincy (Omar Epps) plays his college hoops in front of thousands of screaming fans. Monica (Sanaa Lathan), though, plays her college ball in front of about a dozen people. As you can tell, it's basically a indictment of the treatment men's and women's sports. A very, very good film with great performances -- and you don't even have to be a basketball fan to like it. The DVD, which also comes out Tuesday, includes deleted scenes and outtakes, three audio commentaries, and two documentaries: The Rise of Female Athletes and The Portrayal of African-American Women by the American Media.
Martial arts fans will get a kick out of Shanghai Noon (2000), starring Jackie Chan. Actually, Chan had wanted to do this film for a long time, and finally had the star power to get it made. The plot is basically: Jackie Chan in the Old West. The DVD, out Tuesday, includes audio commentaries from Chan and co-star Owen Wilson.
The last big release this week is But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), which made its worldwide debut at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival. Natasha Lyonne stars as a, well, cheerleader, whose parents think she's a lesbian. So they pack her off to a camp that's supposed to "turn" her straight. It's supposed to be a satire of these places, but it falls well short of the mark. It's effective at times, but loses itself in too much pointless silliness. The DVD doesn't includes any extras.
DVDs this week
Damn the Defiant
The late Alec Guinness starred in this great 1962 action-drama about life in the British navy during the Napoleonic wars. Dirk Bogarde, who died last year, plays his unloyal lieutenant. The DVD lacks any special features, but it'll be nice to see the film in pristine condition.
Jurassic Park (1993) &
The Lost World (1997)
OK, pay attention: Firstly, you can get these movies together or separately, in widescreen or pan-and-scan formats. The collector's set includes two CDs, a senitype and a certificate of authenticity. For about half the price, the Collection includes both movies, but none of the aforementioned extras. No matter what you choose, the DVD features include storyboards, making-of documentaries, a dinosaur encyclopedia (the same on both discs), special effects explanations, and a whole lot more.
WEBLINKS
British TV Comedy Resources
This site has comprehensive information on hundreds of British comedies. In addition to cast lists and episode guides for each program, the site will also tell you if any videos of your favourite show have been released and how you can order them. It will also direct you to other Web sites that deal exclusively with that show. What were you expecting to see? Sydney Opera House perhaps? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically...?