Feb. 6: Video View column
Near the beginning of each month, Video View looks at the DVD titles to be released in the next four weeks. A crime thriller (“The Departed”), a military epic (“Flags of Our Fathers”), an animated tale (“Flushed Away”), an acclaimed drama (“Half Nelson”), a glossy romp (“Marie Antoinette”), a heartfelt biography (“Hollywoodland”) and an offbeat comedy (“Stranger Than Fiction”) should help make movie lovers happy during February.
The films are rated as follows: A (very good), B (good), C (fair), D (poor) and F (turkey). Films that have not been previewed are marked NP.
AMERICAN HARDCORE (Sony; $24.99, DVD; Feb. 20; B): This documentary chronicles the rise and fall of the punk-rock scene during the 1980s. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (100 minutes) Pervasive harsh four-letter profanity and language including sex and drug referenced. (R)
THE BOYNTON BEACH CLUB (Sony; $26.99, DVD; Feb. 6; B): Veteran performers Dyan Cannon (“Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice’), Joseph Bologna (“Chapter Two’) and Sally Kellerman (M*A*S*H*) star in this comedy drama about the search for love, affection, friendship, fun and hope in a sunny but bland 55-plus Florida community. It has the feel of a cable movie, but Philadelphia native, director Susan Seidelman, working from a script written by her mother, must be applauded for creating a film for an under-served audience. (105 minutes) Sexual elements, brief nudity, adult themes. (Unrated)
THE DEPARTED (Warner; $28.99, DVD; $34.99, special edition DVD; $34.99, Blu-ray Disc; $39.99, HD DVD; Feb. 13; A-): Director Martin Scorsese gathered a dream cast – including Jack Nicholson (“As Good As It Gets’), Leonardo DiCaprio (“Titanic’), Matt Damon (“The Bourne Supremacy’) and Mark Wahlberg (“Invincible’) – for this gritty Boston-set crime drama. In the intense picture, government officials are trying to infiltrate the Irish mob with an undercover officer while a gang kingpin is attempting to plant one of his underlings in the state police. It’s based on the acclaimed Japanese crime thriller “Infernal Affairs’ (2002). This extremely hard-edged film will turn off many viewers, but fans of Scorsese, whose credits include “Taxi Driver,’ “Raging Bull’ and “GoodFellas,’ will find much to applaud. It received Oscar nominations for best picture, director and supporting actor (Wahlberg). (149 minutes) Very strong and brutal violence, sexual elements, non-stop harsh four-letter profanity, drug use. (R)
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS (Paramount; $29.99, DVD; Feb. 6; A-): Director Clint Eastwood initially follows in the footsteps of Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan” with this war epic about the 1945 battle for Iwo Jima. The filmmaker opens by showing the ugliness of combat in extreme close-up as brave young Marines and Navy personnel are torn apart by bombs, bullets and shrapnel and then takes a melancholy turn showing the emotional toil of those who survive the battle. Eastwood directed this film, which is for American audiences and shows the U.S. perspective and also filmed a second version, “Letters From Iwo Jima,” which has been nominated for an Oscar as best picture and shows the Japanese viewpoint. (132 minutes) Extremely graphic combat violence, harsh four-letter profanity. (R)
FLICKA (Fox; $29.99, DVD; Feb. 6; B-): In this family tale, starring Maria Bello (“A History of Violence”), Tim McGraw (“Friday Night Lights”) and Alison Lohman (“White Oleander”), a teenager assumes responsibility for taming a wild horse in order to impress her father. It’s a remake of the vintage favorite “My Friend Flicka” (1943) with Roddy McDowall. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (94 minutes) Mild language. (PG)
FLUSHED AWAY (DreamWorks; $29.99, DVD; Feb. 20; C+): Thanks to a state-of-the-art computer-animated process that employs clay-puppet figures to tell a story, this tale about a pampered rat (the voice of Hugh Jackman of “The Prestige’) who gets flushed down the toilet and ends up in the sewer looks absolutely incredible. That striking visual quality, however, doesn’t compensate for the story’s lack of heart. Although not a washout, the film, which also features the voices of Kate Winslet (“Titanic’) and Jean Reno (“Leon, The Professional’), never touches us on an emotional level. (85 minutes) Some crude humor. (PG)
A GOOD YEAR (Fox; $29.99, DVD; Feb. 27; C+) Bad-boy actor Russell Crowe (“Cinderella Man”) tackles a change-of-pace role in this mild feel-good tale. He plays a profit-obsessed Englishman who inherits a vineyard in France, becomes intrigued by creating wine and learns to slow down and enjoy life. It’s all predictable, but director Ridley Scott, who worked with Crowe on “Gladiator,” does the best he can with the slight material. (118 minutes) Harsh four-letter profanity, sexual elements. (PG-13)
THE GRUDGE 2 (Sony; $28.99, DVD; Feb. 6; C-): Twenty-three-year-old Amber Tamblyn (“Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’) travels the terror trail in this horror sequel that has an evil spirit vacating a burned-down house in Tokyo to terrify new victims. Sarah Michelle Gellar, who stars in the original, makes a guest appearance. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (95 minutes) Adult themes, scenes of terror and violence, some sexual elements. (Unrated and PG-13)
HALF NELSON (Sony; $26.99, DVD; Feb. 13; B+): Talented Ryan Gosling (“The Notebook”) received a well-deserved Oscar nomination as best actor for this drama about a caring history teacher attempting to enlighten his poor students about the political process and suffering from a drug addiction. (106 minutes) Strong drug content, harsh four-letter profanity, sexual elements. (R)
HOLLYWOODLAND (Universal; $29.99, DVD; Feb. 6; B): A strong ensemble – including Ben Affleck (“Good Will Hunting’), Adrien Brody (“The Pianist’) and Diane Lane (“Unfaithful’) – anchors this drama about the mysterious death of actor George Reeves. He played the title character in “The Adventures of Superman’ (1952-1957) for 104 television episodes and died from an apparent suicide due to depression that began when he was unable to land other roles due to the public’s image of him as the Man of Steel. The film follows the attempts of a private eye to prove that the actor, who began his career with “Gone With the Wind,’ was murdered for having an affair with the wife of a powerful studio chief. Unfortunately debuting director Allen Coulter spends too much time on the personal life of the unethical shamus in need of redemption and not enough on Reeves. (126 minutes) Sexual elements, brief nudity, violence, harsh four-letter profanity. (R)
INFAMOUS (Warner; $27.99, DVD; Feb. 13; B): British actor Toby Jones (“The Painted Veil’) has the unfortunate job of following IN the footsteps of Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman (“Capote’) in this story of author Truman Capote around the time he was writing “In Cold Blood’ in the 1960s. Daniel Craig (“Casino Royale’) and Sandra Bullock (“The Lake House’) co-star in the familiar picture that strongly echoes the previous film on the colorful author and claims that Capote had a sexual relationship with Perry Smith, one of the killers. (110 minutes) Harsh four-letter profanity, disturbing violence, sex. (R)
KEEPING MUM (ThinkFilm; $27.99, DVD; Feb. 20; B-): This decidedly quirky British comedy, starring Maggie Smith (“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’), Rowan Atkinson (“Bean’), Kristin Scott Thomas (“The English Patient’) and Patrick Swayze (“Dirty Dancing’), follows a senior citizen who was imprisoned for a double murder and is released from confinement after a number of years. She returns to her murderous ways once she’s employed by a meek minister who needs help keeping his family members from succumbing to various temptations, mostly of the flesh. (103 minutes) Adult themes, harsh four-letter profanity, sex, nudity. (R)
MAN OF THE YEAR (Universal; $29.99, DVD; Feb. 20; C-): In this strained political satire, which strings together an assortment of predictable quips that Jay Leno would reject from “The Tonight Show’ monologue, Robin Williams (“RV’) plays a comic who specializes in topical humor. He runs for the presidency as a joke, wins the highest office in the land and discovers that he only triumphed due to a malfunction in the voting machines. He than must decide whether to tell the American public. The promising premise quickly drowns in a sea of flat jokes, dull stretches and confused characters. Barry Levinson, who previously worked with Williams on “Good Morning, Vietnam’ (1987) wrote and directed, and the supporting cast includes Christopher Walken (“Wedding Crashers’), Lewis Black (TV’s “The Daily Show’)and Laura Linney (“You Can Count on Me.’) (115 minutes) Some crude, sex-related elements, brief violence. (PG-13)
MARIE ANTOINETTE (Sony; $28.99, DVD; $38.99, Blu-ray Disc; Feb. 13; B+): Writer-director Sofia Coppola (“Lost in Translation’) adds some very contemporary touches – ranging from music to attitude – to this historical tale about a teenage girl (Kirsten Dunst of “Spider-Man’) who marries into the French royal family. She then flitters away her time gambling, shopping (especially for shoes), gossiping and bed-hopping. Viewers will either love or loathe this colorfully energetic tale that sometimes registers as “Sex and the City of Lights.’ Those willing to go along with the stylish approach by Coppola will be richly rewarded by the film, based on Antonia Fraser’s biography, “Marie Antoinette: The Journey.’ (123 minutes) Brief nudity, sexual elements. (PG-13)
THE PRESTIGE: (Touchstone; $29.99, DVD; $34.99, Blu-ray Disc; Feb. 20; B-): Anyone expecting this tale about two battling illusionists to be magical will be disappointed by the climactic twist that most viewers will figure out early on. Hugh Jackman (“X-Men: The Last Stand’), Scarlett Johansson (“Scoop’), Christian Bale (“Batman Begins’), Michael Caine (“Get Carter’) and rocker-turned actor David Bowie (“The Man Who Fell to Earth’) star in this lavish drama about two rival conjurers competing to create the ultimate trick in the 1890s. Christopher Nolan, who previously worked with Bale on “Batman Begins,’ directed the expensively mounted production. (123 minutes) Violence, disturbing images. (PG-13)
RIDING ALONG FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES: (Sony; $29.99, DVD; Feb. 6; B): This Asian import stars Ken Takakura in a story about a father who works in a remote fishing village. The simple man embarks on an extremely long journey to videotape a stage performance that his estranged and very ill son dreamed of attending so that he could hear a legendary singer. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (107 minutes) Adult themes. (PG)
RUNNING WITH SCISSORS (Sony; $26.99, DVD; $38.99, Blu-ray Disc; Feb. 6; C+): In this quirky, overdone ensemble comedy-drama, a boy is sent to live with an unorthodox psychiatrist after his parents’ ugly divorce. The fact-based tale, based on the personal memoirs of Augusten Burroughs, stars Annette Bening (“American Beauty’), Alec Baldwin (“The Aviator’), Brian Cox (“The Bourne Supremacy’), Gwyneth Paltrow (“Shakespeare in Love’) and Evan Rachel Wood (“Thirteen’). The performers hit the right notes, but the dark themes and eccentric elements become tiresome. (121 minutes) Harsh four-letter profanity, sexual elements, violence, drug use. (R)
SCHOOL FOR SCOUNDRELS (Genius; $29.99, DVD; Feb. 13; C-): All of those involved with creating this misguided farce deserve low grades. In the contrived comedy, which squanders a promising premise, a dapper motivational speaker (Billy Bob Thornton of “Bad Santa’) and a depressed traffic cop (Jon Heder of “Napoleon Dynamite’) who takes his course compete for the affections of the same woman. Comics Sarah Silverman (“The Aristocrats’), Horatio Sanz (NBC’s “Saturday Night Live’) and David Cross (TV’s “Arrested Development’) co-star, and Todd Phillips (“Old School’) directed. (101 minutes) Harsh four-letter profanity, crude elements, sexual content, outlandish violence. (Unrated and PG-13)
THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP (Warner; $27.99, DVD; Feb. 6; B-): Spanish favorite Gael Garcia Bernal (“Bad Education’) and British actress Charlotte Gainsbourg (“21 Grams’) co-star in this offbeat comedy about a man who falls in love and then worries that his dreams are seeping into his real life. Acclaimed filmmaker Michel Gondry (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’) directed. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (105 minutes) Harsh four-letter profanity, sexual content, nudity. (R)
STRANGER THAN FICTION (Sony; $28.99, DVD; Feb. 27; A-): Reality and fantasy collide in this inspired fable about a character in a book who comes to life and then discovers the author plans to kill him off. Will Ferrell (“Anchorman”), Maggie Gyllenhaal (“Sherrybaby”), Dustin Hoffman (“Meet the Fockers”), Emma Thompson (“Sense and Sensibility”) and Queen Latifah (“Last Holiday”) star in the heartfelt comedy, which contains a message about making every minute count. (113 minutes) Harsh four-letter profanity, brief nudity, sexual elements. (PG-13)
TENACIOUS D IN THE PICK OF DESTINY (New Line; $27.99, DVD; Feb. 27; B-): Fans of the work of Jack Black (“King Kong’) and his old music partner Kyle Gass should have some solid fun with this broad comedy that has two veteran rockers on a journey to find a guitar pick with awesome powers. The guest stars include Ben Stiller (“Meet the Parents’), Tim Robbins (“War of the Worlds’) and Amy Poehler (TV’s “Saturday Night Live’). Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (100 minutes) Non-stop harsh four-letter profanity, sexual content, drug content. (R)
TIDELAND: 2-DISC COLLECTOR’S EDITION (ThinkFilm; $27.99, DVD; Feb. 27; C): In this bleak fantasy, starring Jeff Bridges (“The Big Lebowski’), Jennifer Tilly (“Bullets Over Broadway’) and Jodelle Ferland (“Silent Hill’), a little girl creates an imaginary world after her drug-addict parents overdose and she’s stranded in a remote house. Terry Gilliam (“Brazil’) directed the picture, based on the novel by Mitch Cullin. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (122 minutes) Bizarre and disturbing content, drug use, sexual elements, gruesome situations involving a child. (R)
TRUST THE MAN: (Fox; $27.99, DVD; Feb. 6; B-): Two couples experience bumpy times as they deal with careers, relationships and infidelities while living in New York City. The thoughtful romantic comedy stars David Duchovny (TV’s “The X-Files’), Julianne Moore (“The Hours’), Billy Crudup (“Almost Famous’) and Maggie Gyllenhaal (“World Trade Center’), and Moore’s husband, filmmaker Bart Freundlich (“They Myth of Fingerprints), directed. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (103 minutes) Sexual content, harsh four-letter profanity. (R)
THE U.S. VS. JOHN LENNON (Lionsgate; $27.99, DVD; Feb. 13; B): Filmmakers David Leaf and John Scheinfeld co-directed this documentary on the activities of the late Beatles member between 1966 and 1976, a period during which the government investigated him due to his antiwar protests. Political activists such as Angela Davis, Ron Kovic, and George McGovern appear in the film, as does Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (96 minutes) Strong language, violent images, drug references. (PG-13)
ZOOM: ACADEMY FOR SUPERHEROES (Sony; $26.99, DVD; Feb. 13; C): Family favorite Tim Allen (“The Shaggy Dog’) stars in this uninspired comedy about an out-of-shape former superhero, Captain Zoom, who agrees to help some young people become a new generation of superheroes capable of defending the public. Courteney Cox Arquette (TV’s “Friends’) co-stars. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (101 minutes) Brief rude humor and language, mild action. (PG)