Summer DVD reviews

Ah, the summer semester is close to wrapping up, and now students will have some free time to unwind. So many great films hit theaters this summer, but people should not ignore some of the DVD’s that also came out this semester. Over 30 great titles became available, and we wanted to take the time to recognize some of the better movies available to rent or buy.

The Animatix

- If you saw and enjoyed The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded, this direct-to-video release is the perfect supplement. Nine short anime movies that provide more insight about Andy and Larry Wachowski’s vision in The Matrix. It will appeal to fans of Japanese anime, and it will appeal to fans of the Matrix trilogy.
- The extensive amount of extra material on this DVD will provide as many minutes of entertainment as the short films do. There are making-of documentaries for all nine films, a documentary about the history and culture of anime and more background information on the directors and animators. It also provides a trailer for the Enter the Matrix video game.

GRADES: A (movie), A (extras)

Old School

- It starts as a major party for a man whose girlfriend cheated on him. After some funny plot twists, it turns into the need to start a non-traditional fraternity and the conversion of his new home into a frat house. Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell bring viewers a movie worth watching. It is about three guys who are dealing with their own issues as adults. Wilson’s character is an uptight lawyer; Vaughn owns a successful consumer electronics retail stores and Ferrell is the kid who never really grew up. It is the same type of great mindless flick that made Animal House and Van Wilder so popular.
- The extras on the film include a bloopers reel, deleted scenes, a promotional featurette, commentary from the stars and director, a spoof reel called Inside the Actors, TV spots and theatrical trailers, a photo gallery and sneak peeks at other films.

GRADES: B (movie), A (extras)

Once Upon a Time in America

- This is a film in the tradition of GoodFellas, The Last Don and The Godfather trilogy. Similar to GoodFellas, it follows the story of five kids growing up during the Prohibition era, and the eventual demise of friendship and wary gangster partnerships. The end of the movie provides an interesting and certainly unexpected ending. It is 229 minutes and plays over two discs. The soundtrack is haunting, and the additional material not originally seen in North America and just released on DVD is explicit considering this film was originally released in 1984. A star-studded cast includes Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern and Treat Williams.
- The films extras include commentary, a featurette about the film, a photo gallery and the theatrical trailer.

GRADES: A (movie), C (extras)

Gangs of New York

- Another great period piece that all 10 Academy Award nominations that it received. Director Martin Scorsese creates a very dark and intense look at early New York and the gangs that ran in the Five Points (currently known as Tribecca). It is a long movie at 167 minutes, but it goes quicker than would be expected. The film never lets up the tension as we watch a young man (played by Leonardo DiCapprio) come back with vengeance to kill his father’s murderer (played by Daniel Day-Lewis). It is a graphic depiction of poverty, corruption, greed, vengeance, lust and the tension of a pending draft for the southern civil war.
- The DVD offers a treasure chest of extra material. Including several featurettes, the Discovery Channel Special “Uncovering the Real Gangs of New York,” a study guide of the Five Points, feature commentary by Scorsese and the theatrical and teaser trailers. It also offers the U2 music video The Hands that Built America.

GRADES: A (movie), A+ (extras)

Narc:

- It is about the investigation of a dead undercover cop whose cover was blown. Jason Patric is a suspended narcotics officer recruited to work his own undercover contacts for information on the case. Ray Liotta plays an intense and unorthodox cop who takes the murder personal, and he will stop at nothing to discover who the killer is. It is a taunt cop movie that will surprise when the end comes.
- The DVD’s extras include four featurettes: Narc: Making the Deal; Narc: Shooting Up; Narc: The Visual Trip and The Friedkin Connection which all show behind the scenes information about the film. There is the theatrical trailer and commentary by Joe Carnahan and John Gilroy.

GRADES: B+ (movie), A+ (extras)

King of the Hill: Season 1

- This three-disc set has all 13 episodes from the first season, and a plethora of extras on each disc. They include special introductions from Hank, Bobby and Dale, deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, an interactive gallery and TV promotional spots.

GRADES: A (episodes), A (extras)

Phone Booth

- Like a one act play, the primary action takes place in one location for 81 minutes. Trapped by the actions of psychotic sniper, Colin Farrell plays Stu Shepard, a self-centered and driven New York publicist who finds himself pleading for his life in the phone booth. As the film unfolds, viewers see a sick individual, played by Keifer Sutherland, who has decided to provide his own sense of street justice.
- The film is not only short on time (81 minutes), but the DVD offers nothing significant in terms of extra material. There is a commentary track and the theatrical trailer.

GRADES: C (movie), C (extras)

Friends: Season 4

- All 23 episodes are available with a synopsis for each episode, select commentary on some of the episodes and a handful of extras on the fourth disc. Including a documentary about Friends in different lands, a guestbook showing guests of the show and trivia about Friends.

GRADES: A (episodes), B (extras)