Feb. 20: Video View column
When it comes to the best DVDs of 2006, a frontier classic featuring a superstar from decades ago – John Wayne – tops the list. In its current issue, Sound & Vision magazine names the 10 best disc titles of last year, and director John Ford’s “The Searchers: Ultimate Collector’s Edition” (Warner; $39.99), featuring Wayne in his most complex performance, took the top spot due to its new Technicolor re-mastering and loads of extras, including a reprint of the 1956 comic book tie-in. (The best way to appreciate “The Searchers” is on Blu-ray Disc or HD DVD, the high-definition formats that bring out every detail and shadow of the images.)
For film fans, the release of “The Searchers” in these new versions is something worth celebrating. The frontier drama stars Wayne as a vengeful frontiersman embarking on a quest to rescue his beloved niece, who has abducted by Indians.
It has long been hailed as one of the most influential movies in history.
In 1979, New York magazine printed “‘The Searchers’: Cult Movie of the New Hollywood.” That insightful article referred to the film as “the Super-Cult Movie of the New Hollywood” due to the way filmmakers such as Paul Schrader, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and John Milius liberally borrowed elements from it for their films “Hardcore,” “Taxi Driver,” “Star Wars,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “The Wind and the Lion,” respectively.
“What is ‘The Searchers’? Outwardly, it is a simple story, barely a story at all,” Stuart Byron wrote in New York magazine. “Ethan Edwards (Wayne) and his adoptive nephew, Martin (Jeffrey Hunter), return from a scouting mission to find their farm burned to the ground by Comanches who have killed most members of their family. The only apparent survivor is 9-year-old Debbie (Lana Wood), taken away by the rampaging Indians. Obsessively, relentlessly, Ethan and Martin hunt five years for Debbie.
“But as the film progresses, Ethan’s motives change. Once it becomes clear that Debbie has become old enough to have sexual congress with her captors, Ethan no longer wants to rescue her. He wants to kill her.
“Narratively, the story develops around two themes: Ethan’s search for Debbie and Martin’s determination to save her life. In the end, the grown-up Debbie (Natalie Wood) is not only found, but found to be a completely adjusted Indian who doesn’t want to be rescued – but she is, anyway.
“Ford created something so agonizingly complex about this nation’s divisions that ‘The Searchers’ takes on an epic quality and becomes the story of America.”
For Scorsese, who’s nominated for an Oscar as best director for “The Departed,” watching “The Searchers” on a regular basis rejuvenates his artistic energy.
“The dialogue (in “The Searchers”) is like poetry,” said Scorsese, who in the magazine described the title as “the best American film.” “And the changes of expressions are so subtle, so magnificent! I see it once or twice a year.”
Peter Jackson loyalists who applauded his remake of the great-ape epic (I’m not one of them) will be happy to hear that “King Kong: Deluxe Extended Edition” (Universal; $34.99), took the No. 2 spot for last year. The three-disc set includes 40 minutes of deleted scenes and numerous making-of extras.
According to Sound & Vision, the 10 top DVD titles of 2006 are:
1. “The Searchers: Ultimate Collector’s Edition”
2. “King Kong: Deluxe Extended Edition”
3. “Forbidden Planet: Ultimate Collector’s Edition” (Warner; $59.99), a two-disc set featuring a newly minted CinemaScope image, numerous extras and even a Robby the Robot toy.
4. “The Seven Samurai” (Criterion Collection; $49.99), a three-disc set of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece (1954). The package includes numerous documentaries and a 58-page booklet with essays on the classic film.
5. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – Special Edition” (Disney; $34.99), a double-disc set featuring the hit film and numerous making-of special features not found in the no-frills DVD version.
6. “Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier” (Paramount; $19.99), a two-disc set with two versions of Francis Ford Coppola’s nightmarish view of the Vietnam war. The director also provides a commentary.
7. “V For Vendetta: Special Edition” (Warner; $26.99), a double-disc set with a striking transfer and numerous extras, including background on British revolutionary Guy Fawkes, who’s central to the plot.
8. “Young Mr. Lincoln” (Criterion Collection; $39.99), a two-disc set of the John Ford film that stars Henry Fonda as Abraham Lincoln during the 1800s when he was struggling to become a lawyer.
9. “The Proposition” (First Look; $16.99), a stunningly harsh Australian import set in the 1800s and starring Guy Pearce (“Memento”) as a frontiersman pressured by the government to kill his older brother, a vicious outlaw. In return, the man’s slow-witted younger sibling will be spared.
10. “The War of the Worlds: Special Collector’s Edition” (Paramount; $12.99), with Gene Barry in the 1953 version of the H.G. Wells space-invaders favorite. The vintage title has been digitally re-mastered and the extras include Orson Welles’ famous Mercury Theater radio broadcast that caused some members of the public to panic because they believed the story to be real.
Now Playing!
The following DVD titles either are coming soon or recently landed at a video store near you.
If your local outlet doesn’t stock them, the DVD offerings can be mail ordered by calling (800) 523-0823 or going to the Web site moviesunlimited.com or amazon.com, unless otherwise noted.
Movies
“Apartment Zero” (Union Station Media; $19.99, DVD; Feb. 20) with Colin Firth (“Bridges Jones’s Diary”) and Hart Bochner (“Bulworth”) in an R-rated drama about a man who must take in a boarder to pay the rent on his apartment and then becomes convinced that the tenant is a serial killer terrorizing Buenos Aires. This marks the first time the title has been released in its uncut theatrical version.
“Dead Mary: Unrated” (Genius; $24.99, DVD; Feb. 20) with Dominique Swain (“Lolita”) in a supernatural thriller about a vengeful spirit stalking a group of girls in a remote lakeside cabin.
“Devil’s Den” (Starz; $19.99, DVD; now available) with Kelly Hu (“X-Men 2”) and Devon Sawa (“Final Destination”) in an unrated horror film about a gentleman’s club in a remote area of Mexico where the dancers are actually part of an army of flesh-eating zombies.
“Fifty Pills” (Echo Bridge; $26.99, DVD; Feb. 20) with Kristen Bell (TV’s “Veronica Mars”) and Lou Taylor Pucci (“Fast Food Nation”) in an edgy comedy about a guy from a small town who moves to New York City to attend college. The young man quickly loses his scholarship, fears asking out the girl of his dreams, discovers that three thugs have mistaken him for someone who owes them money and must sell Ecstasy tablets to pay his tuition.
“Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children – Limited Edition Collector’s Set” (Sony; $49.99, DVD; Feb. 20) with the voice of Mena Suvari (“American Beauty”) in the anime series about a strange disease that threatens mankind.
“Gandhi: 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition” (Sony; $24.99, DVD; Feb. 20) with Ben Kingsley in director Richard Attenborough’s Oscar-winning biography of political activist Mahatma Gandhi. The extras on the double-disc set include featurettes on Kingsley preparing for the role, Attenborough discussing the challenges of directing the PG-rated epic and the cast and crew discussing working in India.
“Keeping Mum” (ThinkFilm; $27.99, DVD; Feb. 20) with Maggie Smith (“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”), Kristin Scott Thomas (“The English Patient”) and Patrick Swayze (“Dirty Dancing”) in a quirky R-rated British comedy about a senior citizen who gets out of prison after a long sentence for murder. She then goes to work for a meek minister and uses her deadly ways to help keep his family members from succumbing to various temptations.
“A Man For All Seasons: Special Edition” (Sony; $14.99, DVD; Feb. 20) with Paul Scofield (“The Crucible”) as Thomas Moore in the Oscar-winning drama (1967) about the church official who stood up to King Henry VII (Robert Shaw of “Jaws”) and paid the ultimate price when the monarch rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce.
“Night of the Living Dorks” (Anchor Bay; $19.99, DVD; Feb. 20) with Tino Mewes in an unrated German horror-comedy about three nerdish high school buddies who turn into flesh-eating creatures after inhaling smoke that transforms them into zombies. They soon start crashing parties and cause pandemonium in gym class.
“The Prestige” (Touchstone; $29.99, DVD; Feb. 20) with Hugh Jackman (“X-Men”), Christian Bale (“Batman Begins”), Scarlett Johansson (“Match Point”) and Michael Caine (“Get Carter”) in a PG-13 suspense thriller about two magicians involved in a deadly competition in early 20th century London. Christopher Nolan (“Batman Begins”) directed, and the extras on the DVD include a making-of featurette (“The Director’s Notebook: The Cinematic Sleight of Hand of Christopher Nolan”) offering four perspectives on production and an interactive gallery (“The Art of the Prestige”) offering images of the film’s costumes, scenery and sets.
“Soup of the Day” (Echo Bridge; $19.99, DVD; now available), with Jim Crowley (“The Jigsaw of Life”) and Catherine Reitman (“Thank You for Smoking”) in a feature-length romantic comedy comprised of episodes of the Internet series that concerns a guy in committed relationships to three women at the same time. It attracted nine million online views in 2006.
“Vertical Limit” (Sony; $28.99, Blu-ray Disc; Feb. 20) with Chris O’Donnell (“Scent of a Woman”) and Bill Paxton (HBO’s “Big Love”) in a physically imposing PG-13 adventure tale about surviving dangers – both natural and man-made – on a 28,250-foot mountain in Pakistan during a rescue mission. The extras include commentary by director Martin Campbell (“GoldenEye”) and making-of featurettes.
Classic collections
“The Alice Faye Collection”(Fox; $49.99, DVD; Feb. 20) with the actress in four films: 1943’s “The Gang’s All Here” (about a love affair between a soldier and showgirl), 1937’s “On the Avenue” (a satire on Broadway and New York high society), 1940’s “Lillian Russell” (a biography of the real-life musical star) and 1941’s “That Night in Rio” (a musical comedy about a wife involved in an impersonation scheme). The titles are also available individually ($19.99 each).
Documentary
“American Hardcore” (Sony; $24.99, DVD; Feb. 20), an R-rated chronicle of the rise and fall of the punk-rock scene during the 1980s.
“Shut Up and Sing” (Genius; $29.99, DVD; Feb. 20) with the Grammy Award-winning Dixie Chicks in a film that follows them on tour after singer Natalie Maines made anti-Bush statements at a 2003 concert. Barbara Kopple, whose films “Harlan County, U.S.A” (1977) and “American Dream” (1991) won Oscars in the best-documentary category, directed.
“…So Goes the Nation” (Genius; $24.99, DVD; now available) with Hilary Swank (“Million Dollar Baby”) and Matt Dillon (“Crash”) in an unrated documentary that examines America’s manipulative political process by studying the 2004 presidential election between George w. Bush and John Kerry.
Television
“Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: Season Two, Volume Two” (Fox; $29.99, DVD; Feb. 20) with David Hedison in a three-disc collection with 13 episodes of the popular deep-sea fantasy series (ABC; 1964-1968).
Children/Family
“Flushed Away” (DreamWorks; $29.99, DVD; Feb. 20) with the voices of Hugh Jackman (“The Prestige”) and Kate Winslet (“Titanic”) in a computer-animated picture that employs clay-puppet figures to tell a story about a pampered rodent who gets flushed down the toilet and ends up in the sewer.
“The Three Stooges: Hapless Half-Wits” (Sony; $24.99, DVD; Feb. 20) with Moe, Larry and Curly in four – “Beer Barrel Polecats” (1945), “I’ll Never Heil Again” (1940), “Dopey Dicks” (1949) and “Brideless Grooms” (1947) – of their best-known slapstick-comedy shorts. Each title has been restored from the original negative, and they are presented in their original black-and-white and colorized versions.