RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN

Written by Hombre Divertido

Hitting shelves on August 4th, less than five months after its theatrical release, is the Dwayne Johnson vehicle Race to Witch Mountain from Disney. Though the story may be based on Alexander Key’s novel Escape to Witch Mountain, it holds few similarities to the 1975 film of the same name. TRace to Witch Mountain is just that: a race, full of car chases, gun fire, explosions, and a terminator-like creature that bares a resemblance to the Predator minus the dreadlocks. Yes, there are two alien children trying to get to their ship, and they do eventually use a Winnebago, but it is hard to find any other resemblance to its 1975 predecessor.

As is the case with many movies directed at children these days, it appears that the philosophy is simply to give them action in lieu of depth. The plot is spelled out early in the film, and it heads towards its destination at a break-neck pace, with little time for any character development. Dwayne Johnson may be a bankable action hero, but lacks the comedic chops to pull off some of the light-hearted moments needed to generate laughs in between car crashes. The children (AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig) are given little to do here other than act robotic, and never seem to generate any empathy from the audience. Carla Gugino, as a doctor who is an expert on extraterrestrials, is corralled into helping out, but she appears to simply be channeling her character from Snake Eyes, and adds little to the film.

Considering that the cast does include cameos by Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann who played the young aliens in Escape, you would think that one of them might have mentioned that they worked with a superior script 35 years ago, but apparently they did not, or no one was listening.

The producers may have picked up on the fact that the film was lacking, as they appear to be scrambling to add to the dynamic by throwing in Cheech Marin as an off-duty mechanic, and Garry Marshall as an author of books on aliens. Both talents are wasted as is that of Tom Everett Scott as one of the government agents chasing after the youthful aliens. Even Meredith Salenger makes a cameo giving a shout-out to her Disney roots as news reporter Natalie Gann. Unfortunately, the additional casting does little to help, and the audience spends much of the 99 minutes imagining how casting Bruce Willis, or someone with more comedic experience than Johnson, in the lead would have given the film the comedic elements needed to make it reasonably enjoyable.

The new release comes as a Blu-ray/DVD/digital copy combo, an extended edition DVD/digital copy combo and a single-disc addition. The special Blu-ray bonus “Discover Hidden References” lets you know important facts like the number on the cab that Jack Bruno (Dwayne Johnson) is driving is 1975 because that is the year Escape was released. The blooper reel is almost as forced as the movie itself.

Recommendation: Race to Witch Mountain is not a bad popcorn film if you check your brain at the door, but lacks the depth of story and character possessed by Escape to Witch Mountain. Pick up Escape instead.

The Tigger Movie – 2-Disc 10th Anniversary Edition

Written by Hombre Divertido

Sandwiched between Disney misses Tarzan (1999) and Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and Pixar hits Toy Story 2 (1999), and Monsters Inc. (2001), Disney managed to keep it simple and successful by returning in 2000 to a tried and true classic found in the Hundred Acre Wood.

The Tigger Movie receives the 10th anniversary treatment in this new 2-disc release that hit shelves on August 4th. Though the new release does include some bonus material, it’s the main feature that sells this product, as this is simply a wonderful film for the whole family. Adults are sure to appreciate the opportunity to return to the land of Christopher Robbins friends that they visited so often as children, and will be happy to share the wonderful message found in The Tigger Movie with their children.

As in most adventures featuring Tigger, we find our hero bouncing from friend's house to friend's house, trying to find someone to play with. With everyone busy preparing for winter, Tigger heads off on his own. After a visit from Roo, and a conversation about family, Tigger sets out to find his. Through the efforts of Pooh, Owl, Rabbit, Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga and Roo, Tigger eventually realizes that he has been surrounded by his family the whole time.

Oh sure, adults will see the message coming a mile away, but will appreciate the energy in the story, the lively animation, and wonderful music.

The bonus material includes two episodes featuring Tigger from the television series The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The Tigger Movie marked the passing of the torch of voicing Tigger from Paul Winchell to Jim Cummings, the current voice of Pooh. Cummings does a fine job, but hearing Winchell voice Tigger in these two shorts, allows you to hear the slightly higher tone and energy of Winchell's Tigger, which had a Snagglepuss quality to it.

Also included in the bonus material is a trivia game which, when all sixteen questions are answered correctly, will allow you to view an all-too-brief clip of a documentary on how the Pooh characters were developed. There is another matching game which will be fun for kids, but since the first game on the menu offered a reward for getting all the answers correct, having a perfect score on the second game yield nothing will be a bit disappointing for the youngsters.

The musical bonus features which basically show the song segments from the movie are fun, but whether or not kids will enjoy having a picture book of the film on DVD that you can have read to you, or read yourself, remains to be seen.

The “How to Make Your Own Family Tree” may to be too basic even for the real young and it mentions checking the web for information, but does not stress asking your parents first before going on the internet. The second disc contains a digital copy of the film.

Recommendation: Hard to go wrong here. The whole gang from the Hundred Acre Wood is back together in a wonderfully told story with a strong message for children and animation reminiscent of the early days of Pooh. Though Sterling Holloway and Paul Winchell are not here, and Sebastian Cabot has been replaced by John Hurt as the Narrator, the new cast does a fine job, and hearing John Fiedler as Piglet will be enough to send you home again.

12 MONKEYS (Blu-ray)

Written by Pirata Hermosa

It’s the year 2035 and humanity has been reduced to living underground because of a virus that ravaged the planet and killed off most of the world’s population. The future is bleak and the inhabitants of the underworld are looking for a way to return to the surface. The only way to battle the disease is for them to send “Volunteers” out into the world and into the past to collect specimens.

James Cole (Bruce Willis) is the latest prison inmate to get volunteered into the program. He does such a good job, that he is chosen to go after the source of the virus. The scientists aren’t sure what the source is, but they do know that it first appears in Philadelphia and that a group called the Army of the Twelve Monkeys may be involved somehow.

On his first mission into the past, James is sent to the wrong time. It seems that time travel isn’t an exact science. Instead of 1996, James finds himself in 1990 disoriented and wearing nothing but see-through plastic. He is mistakenly picked up by the police and is taken to a mental institute.

While in the hospital, James meets Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe), who is the psychiatrist assigned to his case. He also befriends Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), a total psychopath that actually belongs in the loony bin.

After a failed escape attempt, James is returned to 2035 where he has to explain why his mission failed. Giving him another chance, the scientists try to send him to the year 1996. Once again they fail to deliver him to the correct time and he ends up in the middle of World War I.

Eventually, they get him to the right time and place and James is surprised to find that his crazy friend Jeffrey has a connection with the Army of the 12 Monkeys. His father is the director of a biological laboratory.

In order to find out the truth, James kidnaps Kathryn to help him on his journey. At first she is reluctant, but as things begin to unravel and James’ stories start coming true she slowly becomes a believer. While Kathryn starts to believe, James becomes more and more confused. The stress of the constant time traveling mixed with the strange dreams from his past and his desire to live a normal life causes him to think that he really is crazy.

I won’t give away the ending, because there are a few plot twists, but it’s really difficult to review a film that was originally released 14 years ago. In 1995 the film was new and fresh and had a gritty appeal to it. In 2009 it’s a film with a very familiar storyline and outdated special effects. It’s really difficult to make a film stand the test of time because in this era whenever there’s a good movie idea, everyone tries to capitalize on it and ends up beating it into the ground. And the theory of time travel has been worked to death in the last few years.

Even so, it’s a film worth watching if you haven’t seen it before. It was directed by Terry Gilliam, who always gives a unique and interesting perspective to all of his films, and both Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt give excellent performances.

The film is presented in 1080p High-Definition Widescreen format with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Normally, while watching a film I don't really even notice the quality. I just take it for granted because there's no real comparison, but this time I threw in my Collector's Edition DVD and compared the two. I was actually surprised at the difference. The Blu-Ray is a much crisper version and everything on the screen seems to really pop out at you. The same can be said for the Blu-Ray audio which uses a DTS-HD Master Audio 5. The sounds are much richer and deeper than the regular DVD.

There are three special features on the Blu-Ray disc:

Commentary with Director Terry Gilliam and Producer Charles Rowen

The Hamster Factor & Other Tales of 12 Monkeys- a 90-minute documentary on the making of the film. It’s actually quite interesting as it takes you behind the scenes and deals with some of the issues such as budget matters, getting funding for a film, set creation, amd Gilliam’s dislike for the Hollywood process. It’s not just your typical actors just goofing around behind the camera.

12 Monkeys Archives- Consists of concept art and drawings for the film.

All of these features are the same as what has already been released on DVD. The latter two are done in 480 i/p Standard Definition and are more the quality of something you would get off television and not from a feature film. I already had the Special Edition on DVD and it’s exactly the same, so if you already own the DVD I don’t think it would be necessary to purchase the Blu-Ray as well.

So You Think You Can Dance - Cardio Funk & Tone and Groove

Written by la familia de Musgo del Jefe

Musgo likes the TV show So You Think You Can Dance. It's a favorite summertime passion of the Musgo family. I also like working out. Maybe "like" is too strong a word, but I do go to the gym on a regular basis. What I've never been able to find is an "at-home" workout that would hold my attention for multiple viewings.

I was intrigued to find out that the cast of SYTYCD was putting out some fitness DVDs. The weight-loss market is a huge one to be sure. That area of the market is currently dominated by the powerhouse of Biggest Loser and the related marketing machine of that show - with workout videos, protein shakes, diet books and more. This seems like a safe way to initially market the likable kids that we get to know each summer on the show. Many of them will be appearing in films over the next year and this is a good way to keep them fresh in the public mind.

I turned over the actual workouts to my in-house experts - Senora Musgo (a workout veteran since the Jane Fonda days) and Pequeña Senorita Bailarín Musgo (my 11-year-old who dances five days a week in classes and is a stellar performer). Here's some of their thoughts on the routines.

So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit: Cardio Funk

Hip Hop: Lauren. Sra. Musgo found this to be a fun and energetic routine. Lauren's youth made this a little hard to match move for move.

Contemporary: Travis. Pequeña Srta. Musgo liked the moves that Travis came up with. Sra. Musgo thought the moves were much easier to follow than the Hip Hop. This is a favorite of the ladies who found it unique. It's probably not a coincidence that Travis is an up-and-coming choreographer on the show this season.

Disco: Courtney. This is Pequeña Srta. Musgo's favorite section of all the workouts. She liked the speed and moves of the dance. Sra. Musgo found those same things to be a drawback. The workout moves quickly and there's lots of moves to learn.

Cardio Funk Bonus Workout / Cool Down. In the "bonus workout", the dancers all get together and do a combined workout with parts of all three workouts combined. It's the same movements, just combined into a single workout. The exercisers in this house found this to be a section you might go to in future viewings when you've mastered the basic moves of each workout.

Bonus Interviews. Interviews with creator Nigel Lithgow and the three dancers who choreograph the workouts. Not much new information here but it's a lot of cheerleading and rah-rah to keep you interested while sitting on your couch.

So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit: Tone and Groove

Hip Hop: Twitch. This was the favorite of Bebé Musgo (my six-year-old). But he didn't really get out and do the moves. Both Sra. Musgo and Pequeña Srta. Musgo found Twitch's Hip Hop routine to be easier than Lauren's from the other disc. It doesn't move as fast and was easier to keep up with. Twitch was one of our family's favorites on the show last season - his personality is infectious and I expect we'll see him branching out beyond just dancing very soon.

Jazz: Katee. The Musgo family thought that the routine was relatively difficult. The moves were "weird" according to Pequeña Srta. Musgo. The workout as a whole didn't leave much of an impression on either of them.

Cha Cha: Dmitry. There were lots of hip action in this workout. That made it one of the most difficult routines of both discs. Dmitry worked pretty quickly and the viewer has to work to keep up once he starts his counts.

Tone and Groove Bonus Workout / Cool Down. Same "bonus workout" as the previous disc with moves from all three routines.

Bonus Interviews. Also the same Nigel interview and the same behind-the-scenes type of interviews, just with three different choreographers.

Overall impressions of the discs from the Musgo ladies: The slow teaching of the moves makes it easier to pick up the moves than most workout discs. The choreography is pretty basic compared to what they do on the show, but still challenging enough to feel like your learning something new. The cardio workout portion of each section has a good pace of movement that will certainly make the most experienced dancer break out in a sweat. Overall it's a fun way to get in your cardio workout. The discs are great for fans of the show that don't get much of their favorite dancers once the season is over.

The discs weren't without their problems. All of the dancers were guilty of over repeating "just have fun" and "if you're not ready to move on, go back on the DVD to review." That seems like common sense for anyone that's used a DVD or DVR in the past 20 years. These are dancers not fitness instructors. And while they probably received lots of fitness advice, there is not any true "fitness" advice. There's no reference to muscle groups or advice during warm-up and cool down. Even the Tone video didn't focus on specific muscle groups as the title would suggest. Most other fitness videos offer modifications to the exercises. There were not alternatives offered for those that are true beginners or can not follow the moves exactly. All of the background dancers performed the same moves - one or more could be showing simpler versions of the same moves.

The discs are a nice addition to the So You Think You Can Dance family. The dancers are energetic and fun to watch do what they do best. As strictly an exercise video, they can't live up to the standard set by Jillian Michaels and the other Biggest Loser trainers. Those people are exercise professionals who know how to motivate through an entire workout. I don't discount that these will appeal to fans looking for an occasional break from their other routines. I think the Musgo women here found them to be very entertaining. But if it's a true workout your looking for, keep looking.

Unborn in the USA - Inside the War on Abortion

Written by Fumo Verde

If there is one line in the sand that truly divides this country, it is the right to abortion which some will call murder as others call it the right for a woman to rule over her own body. However you see it, this issue brings more emotion to it than any other. Unborn in the USA brings us some of this raw emotion, along with the ideals and ideas of how the pro-life movement is trying to changes its image and message while still touting the Bible as their rule of law. Directors Stephen Fell and Will Thompson crossed our nation visiting well over two dozen states and interviewing more than seventy participants in a movement that has been trying for decades to overturn a law they see as mass murder.

I first thought this documentary would be the type which would portray the pro-lifers as crazy wing-nuts shouting out Bible verses and damning everyone to eternal Hell, and yes, there is some of that, but interestingly enough, these directors give actual meaning to the words “fair and balanced,” something FOX News could take a queue from.

The film opens up in a university of which young Christian students are learning how to present their message without the use of guns and bombs, but how do you get people to focus on what nobody really wants to talk about? You all remember the term “shock and awe”? Well, the movement has taken this idea and ran with it. Take a photo of an aborted fetus, blow it up so someone driving down the road could see it and really make it out, and watch how many people stop to talk about it; you would be surprised. This is the next phase the pro-life movement is attempting to use to further what it now likes to call “opening discussions with the other side” and it’s working.

Now what I just told you was one way the pro-lifers are bring up the discussion of abortion, but the college students who are learning how to do this are using their Constitutional rights by expressing these man-sized poster boards as an exhibit which was brought to over a hundred college campuses all around the U.S. Change starts in the open and bold mind of the fresh, young college student who already thinks they can change the world, so presenting these photos was a smart move because it is bringing about a discussion. Be the discussion for or against, just talking about it is the first goal, which is being achieved.

Yet this film doesn’t leave out the loony side, either. They talk to folks like convicted bombers, priests and reverends who preach “an eye for an eye” style of justice, to smalltown pastors who gather up their family and have them along with other volunteers hold up these enlarged photos alongside busy streets and roads in other towns across the nation. The directors let these people speak their minds and you get a much unbiased look into their world.

Even the extras give the viewers a closer look. The directors interviewed a few of the people spotlighted in the film and asked them after these people had previewed the movie, if they thought the directors portrayed them in a fair and just manner. Most said yes, except for the crazy lady who went dumpster-diving to retrieve aborted fetuses so they could take the picture and use them in such ways as they are being used now. We even get a glimpse of the fundraising machine which supports the activities of many different pro-life groups, so this documentary shows you how and why a woman’s right to choose may be a fleeting idea in the decades to come.

Unborn in the USA wasn’t made to offend or persuade. It has no lean to it, no political gain and doesn’t try to sideline the issue with other propaganda from either side. All this documentary does is show how the new tactics of the pro-life movement are chipping away at Roe v. Wade and other laws that have protected the right of a woman for decades. My suggestion, if you are pro-life you may already know what’s going on; if not, watch this and you will. If you are pro-choice, you want to watch this because it will give you the idea on how to keep your end of the fight up and running, for this maybe your only chance.

MISS MARCH

Written by Pirata Hermosa

With guest appearances by Hugh Hefner, several Playboy Playmates, and a foul-mouthed rapper with an even cruder name, how could this movie be bad? It’s not terrible, but it sure could have been a lot better than it was.

The film was written by, directed by and starred two members of the sketch-comedy group, The Whitest Kids You Know. I say that like everyone knows who they are, but I had never heard of them until now.

Tucker Cleigh (Trevor Moore) and Eugene Bell (Zach Cregger) have been best friends since they were little kids. Eugene is the conservative one, concerned about rules and being a good person, while Tucker is a sex-obsessed pervert who follows his own bible, Playboy magazine.

After giving an abstinence seminar with his girlfriend, Cindi (Raquel Alessi), she gives him an ultimatum. The two of them are going to have sex on Prom night. After a lot of arm-twisting, Eugene agrees. But he is so nervous that he drinks himself into a stupor, falls down the basement stairs, and ends up in a coma.

Four years later, Tucker finally figures out how to bring his friend out of the coma: a quick hard smack to the nose with a baseball bat. Upon awakening, Eugene finds that not only has Cindi abandoned him, but she is also the newest Playboy centerfold. Seeing this as a sign, Tucker kidnaps Eugene from the hospital and the two begin a cross-country trip to the Playboy mansion to find her.

Not really much of a plotline at this point, so they have to throw in the fact that they are being hunted by every fireman in the country. Why every fireman? Because Tucker’s psychotic epileptic girlfriend, Candace (Molly Stanton), is pissed off at him and has her fireman brother, Rick (Geoff Meed), tracking them down.

The biggest issue with the film is that we’ve seen it all before and usually done a lot better. It’s a typical boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. The character of Tucker comes across as a really bad Jim Carrey impersonation. Even the fireman chasing the two brings back memories of the newspaper delivery boys in Better off Dead.

Of course there are some good parts as well starting with Hugh Hefner and Playboy bunnies. That automatically makes it worth seeing for us guys. I’ve also never seen a woman French kiss a keyhole and open a lock with her tongue. And finally, the stereotypical rapper known as Horsedick.MPEG (Craig Robinson) is one of the best aspects of the film. The first five or six times when people only call him Horsedick and he has to remind them that it’s Horsedick.MPEG is funny, but after that it just becomes annoying.

The DVD has both the theatrical version of the film as well as the unrated version. I choose to watch the unrated version. I really don’t understand what the point of “Unrated Versions” of films is. There’s nothing in the unrated version that couldn’t have been shown in theatres. It seems to be just a marketing gimmick. One day I would really like to see an unrated version that just blows my mind.

The DVD I received also said that it was a Widescreen Version, but it wasn’t. It was just the regular television format.

There were only three special features:

Timmy’s Audition: It was short and moderately entertaining. Timmy is another member of The Whitest Kids You Know and is there auditioning for a part with no speaking lines.

Darren’s Audition: Another group member auditioning for a part in the film, but this time as Eugene’s girlfriend. It was funnier than the first audition but also short.

Down & Dirty with Horsedick.MPEG (Censored Version): I have no idea why this version is censored. I just sat through the film where the F-word was frequently used and had listened to Horsedick.MPEG’s songs “I’m gonna F*** a White Girl,” and “Suck My D*** While I F*** That Ass,” but I guess for a fake mockumentary, I have to have every other word beeped for my protection.

Mr. Rock 'n Roll: The Alan Freed Story

Written by Fantasma el Rey

Mr. Rock ‘n Roll is the story of legendary 1950s DJ Alan Freed, who coined the term “rock ‘n’ roll” and brought the sound of the city to the masses. This 1999 made-for-television movie stars Judd Nelson as Mr. Rock ‘n’ Roll himself and features Madchen Amick as his loving wife. The film also boasts an appearance by Paula Abdul. Not to mention a classic rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack that covers many hits of the 1950s.

So with all that working for it this should be an interesting look at the life of a radio pioneer. Not so much. Mr. Rock ‘n Roll isn’t a completely bad glance at the life of Freed but 88 minutes isn’t enough time to cover the ground which was broken by him, to get past the surface of his story, or to go into depth with the artists and music that was so important to him.

The movie follows Freed from his start as a small-time Cleveland disc jockey where his coattail was pulled to the happenings of the rhythm and blues sound of the underground, so to speak. Having been bitten by the R&B bug, Freed fought to change his bland radio show to the more exciting, pulsing fresh sounds that young Afro Americans where forging in clubs, pubs, dancing halls, and inner-city juke joints. We see Freed meet the young front man of an R&B group, Jackie Wilson, who would go on to score major hits on his own. Freed attempts to promote live shows featuring Wilson and many other hot acts of the day.

As his popularity soars the big time calls and Freed is off to the Big Apple to further spread the R&B gospel, soon to be known nationwide as “rock ‘n’ roll,” which legend says is the name Freed gave to this dangerous, edgy music that all American white kids were beginning to now and love.

As the craze hits the nation, Freed comes under fire for his large shows and even larger “unruly” crowds of teenagers. So large and out of hand is this rock ‘n’ roll problem that J. Edgar Crossdresser and his gang get involved and begin the shut down of Freed, many other DJs, and record men. Thus beginning the dark period in the first wave of rock ‘n’ roll brought on by the scandal know as Payola, which found DJs taking money from record companies to push and play their music. And so goes the rise and fall of Alan Freed, Mr. Rock ‘n Roll. Oh, and his marriage suffers as his fame grows and he has an affair with Abdul's character.

So that’s “Mr. Rock ‘n Roll” Alan Freed’s life in a nutshell, wrapped in early, over-played rock hits. The cast does an alright job but it isn’t enough to make one take an active interest in them; again, not enough time to get to know people. Leon turns in a fine performance as Jackie Wilson and gets to recreate Jackie’s fancy footwork and boxing background in early live gigs.

For the casual fan or for those totally unfamiliar with Freed and the early days of rock, this one could be of interest, but for those of us schooled in the music of that time, we can see all the holes that show from start to finish. The songs selected and presented as background and key to Freed’s story are out of synch as far as timelines go. Songs from the late ‘50s are played in the early ‘50s, which is fine for mood in certain movies but for something like this, selection should represent time and place better. And sure we get to see the likes of Buddy Holly, Bo Diddley, and too much Jerry Lee Lewis but what about the doo wop groups like the Moonglows that Freed dubbed after his own early radio show’s name, Moondog's Rock 'n' Roll Party. I guess the trade-off would be Frankie Lymon. I could go on and on about timelines and music, who played a bigger role in what, evolution of sounds, and why and how one group can’t be played before another, but that’s all snob stuff that takes pages and pages most don’t care about.

For the most part, this highly fictional account of the story of rock ‘n’ roll and Alan Freed is lacking overall. It’s no Walk The Line in its love story and no Cadillac Records in its tale of the founders of rock ‘n’ roll. Freed is presented as a slightly flawed saint but he had to be tough to deal with hardnosed businessmen and lords of the distribution rackets. Even though we do get to see him deal with some shady characters, there is no mention of his placing his name and receiving credit for composing songs he had nothing to do with. So with that can we believe he had absolutely nothing to do with the Payola mess and that his only sin was cheating on his wife? Maybe he wasn’t as bad as others in the business when it came to ripping off artists and by most accounts he treated the acts he promoted fairly well but sadly we only get the slightest glimpse of that in Mr. Rock ‘n Roll.

For those interested go check out American Hot Wax for another look at the life of Freed, its plays a bit better and was made years earlier.

GREY GARDENS (2009)

Written by Senora Bicho

In 1975, Albert and David Maysles premiered Grey Gardens, a documentary that showcased the lives of mother and daughter, Edith “Big Edie” Ewing Bouvier Beale and Edith “Little Edie” Bouvier Beale, at the New York Film Festival. Earlier this year, HBO aired Grey Gardens, a 17-time Emmy-nominated television movie, which utilized portions of the Maysles’ documentary to tell a more complete story of these reclusive and eccentric women.

The movie starts in 1975 when Big Edie (Jessica Lange) and Little Edie (Drew Barrymore) are living alone in their dilapidated estate, Grey Gardens, located in East Hampton. As the women reveal themselves to the documentarians, the audience is transported through four decades of their lives and learn what took place. Their stories are interwoven together beautifully. We learn they did not always live in filth and squalor. Being relatives, aunt and first cousin respectively, of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, they were used to a much grander lifestyle. Struggles with men draw them together and eventually lead to their secluded lives and downward spiral.

One of the DVD’s special features is an audio commentary with director Michael Sucsy and executive producers Lucy Barzun Donnelly and Rachael Horovitz, which offers extensive information on the production of the film and additional background details. It is interesting to hear the research that was done and how they accomplished flushing out more about the women’s lives.

“Grey Gardens: Then & Now” is fascinating as it explores the differences and similarities between the film and documentary. Interviews with Albert Maysles along with the cast and crew of the film are included. This featurette illustrates the strong performances of Barrymore and Lange. Seeing the real women in the documentary is astonishing because it is hard to tell which is which. Lange’s impressive performance is reminiscent of her role as Patsy Cline in Sweet Dreams. She is charming and portrays Big Edie’s struggles genuinely; you can feel her joy and pain. Barrymore is solid but her performance feels more like an act. Her accent is extremely distracting. Seeing portions of the real documentary does bring an added appreciation for her portrayal of Little Edie. The scenes of Barrymore and Lange together are the real strength of this film. They are able to express the deep emotion and bond between mother and daughter. Jeanne Tripplehorn is fabulous in a small role as Jacqueline Kennedy. Daniel Baldwin and Ken Howard are also strong in their supporting roles.

Grey Gardens offers a captivating story along with stellar performances. I can guarantee that if you haven’t seen the Maysles’ documentary, this will stir an interest. I am very anxious to learn more about these fascinating women.

FOR ALL MANKIND (The Criterion Collection)

Written by Hombre Divertido

Containing eighty minutes of amazing footage from Apollo missions to the moon, this newly restored high-definition digital transfer, from producer/director Al Reinert, takes an already amazing product, and makes it look and sound better. From The Criterion Collection, this new release hit shelves on July 14th, and is sure to wow those interested in the footage of trips to the moon.

Reinert has done a remarkable job of gathering often never-before-seen footage of the adventures of the twenty-four astronauts who travelled to the moon. Combining said footage with an enchanting soundtrack by Brian Eno makes for an interesting look at some exciting footage.

Though Reinert may be a fine documentarian, he fails as a storyteller in this outing. By combining all the footage into a single trip to the moon, he confuses the audience as they try to determine whose voice is being heard, and why the faces continue to change. Once the film has ended, and some of the bonus material is viewed, you get a better idea of the goal, and the optional on-screen identifications do help, but it is not the combining of footage into one story that is the true tragedy in storytelling here. The omission of information regarding the return from the moon, re-entry, splash down, and simple questions such as what is it like when that hatch is opened for the first time back on Earth, or what is it like to step foot on Earth again? It’s somewhat laughable that in the bonus feature “An Accidental Gift: The Making of: For All Mankind” Reinert explains his reasoning for not telling the entire story, as he states that he felt the return was anti-climactic. Actually, it is the definition of climactic, and completely necessary to this tale.

Other bonus features include: audio commentary featuring Reinert and Apollo 17 commander Eugene A. Cernan, the last man to set foot on the Moon; On Camera, a collection of excerpted, on-screen interviews with fifteen of the Apollo astronauts; a short piece on astronaut Alan Bean and his artwork; NASA audio highlights and liftoff footage; and a booklet featuring essays by film critic Terrence Rafferty and Reinert. In many cases the bonus material helps to round out the feature.

There is no question that the footage in this release is spectacular, but combining the footage with the interviews found in the bonus material, and allowing the footage to stand on its own rather than trying to combine it into one trip to the moon, would have made for a better viewing experience. The addition of the experiences of the astronauts on the return from the moon, are crucial to rounding out this project.

Recommendation: Great piece of history that makes for an educational and entertaining viewing experience, especially for those too young to remember the events. Could have and should have been a more complete piece of storytelling.

Stargate SG-1: Children of the Gods (Final Cut)

Written by Pirata Hermosa

The original pilot episode of the long-running television show has just been re-released on DVD. But it is a new version that’s been re-cut, re-mastered, and has new special effects.

Since I hadn’t seen the pilot episode for quite some time, I had to pull out my original copy from the Season 1 box set and compare it to the new version. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a drastic difference or if it was just going to be a marketing gimmick with just a few minor changes to the original.

I noticed the differences immediately in the credits. They began as they would in a feature-length film, and gone was the traditional opening credit scene against the backdrop of the Stargate. But there were a lot more changes than just the credits. The special effects were redone, a lot of the dialogue had been shortened up, and the story had some significant changes.

In the original, Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) has a very gutsy introduction as a woman who can handle her own with the men and even makes a comment about just because her reproductive organs are on the inside doesn’t make her any less of a soldier. It is a little out of character for the Sam we will get to know throughout the series, but I really missed it in the new version.

There’s an awkward conversation between Jack O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) and his close friend, Charles Kawalsky (Jay Acovone), where Jack explains about his son’s death that was cut out of the episode. It was an obvious attempt at filling in the audience, but really wasn’t needed and is something a good friend would have already known. In fact, the entire relationship between the two soldiers is much tighter in the new version. There are constant smirks and knowing nods between the two, and at one point they even make the same comment at the exact same time.

Another good change is the fact that the entire plot thread about how the team must return in 24 hours or else be locked out is completely removed. There is some talk of a second nuke going through the gate, but the artificial timetable in the original was just a terrible idea that didn’t work.

The renegade Jaffa, Teal’c (Christopher Judge), who defies his Goa’uld masters to help the SG-1 team, has an overhaul as well. The scenes where he actually picks the slaves to be implanted with symbiotes or killed has been removed, which helps to make his betrayal more believable. There’s also a scene at the end where his voice has been completely redubbed and he gives a much lengthier speech on his reasons for changing sides and how he himself carries a symbiote in larval form.

One of the most obvious changes in the pilot is the fact that there is no nudity. Originally, the show premiered on Showtime for a few seasons before switching to the Sci-Fi channel. The change makes it fit in better with the series as a whole, but the nudity isn’t just gratuitous. It gives the scene a slightly creepier feel as the symbiote looking for a new host crawls all over Sha’re (Vaitiare Bandera)

The changes are not just with story and dialogue, but the music score and special effects have been redone. The rippling of the water-like pool that opens when the Stargate has been activated is standardized throughout every scene. The wormhole effect when someone travels between gates is completely different. The most significant special effects addition is during the ending battle scene where more ships are digitally added to the fray. It really does make the scene fuller and more exciting. However, there’s a little too much added to the scene that it takes away from Kawalsky’s last-second heroics.

While most of the changes aren’t necessary to enjoy the episode, the last change that is made in the very last scene makes it a much more satisfying story. Originally, as the Stargate teams flee back through the gate to Earth, a symbiote leaps out of its dying Jaffa carrier and burrows into Kawalsky’s head. The last scene is the Goa’uld exerting its dominance over him and his eyes glowing yellow. After all that has happened in the pilot it ends on this really sour note. In the new version the entire incident is removed and gives the film a completely different outlook.

The DVD contains a commentary by executive producer Brad Wright and Richard Dean Anderson. There is also one short featurette, “Back to the Beginning” where Wright discusses some of the changes and his reasoning for them.

Overall, I would have to say that the new release of Stargate SG-1: Children of the Gods is a better version than the original. Mostly this is for hardcore SG-1 fans, but I would probably suggest this version to friends and family who are just starting to watch the series.