Video View column
Move over Leonardo DiCaprio. There’s a new king of the world – Will Smith.
The March 18 issue of Variety sings the box-office praises of the 38-year-old former Philadelphian. Take his latest film, “The Pursuit of Happyness” (Sony; $28.99, DVD; $38.99, Blu-ray Disc), which arrives in stores on March 27.
In the United States and Canada, it grossed $163 million, but due to its serious subject matter, the PG-13 picture wasn’t expected to perform as well overseas, where superhero films, action pictures, broad comedies and sci-fi tales tend to be the most popular cinematic exports.
So far, “The Pursuit of Happyness” has grossed $127 million in other parts of the world and is still going strong. That’s star power.
According to Variety, Smith’s other international hits are:
1. “Independence Day” (1996), which grossed $306 million domestically and $511 million internationally.
2. “Men in Black” (1997), which grossed $251 million domestically and $337 million internationally.
3. “Men in Black 2” (2002), which grossed $190 million domestically and $251 million internationally.
4. “I Robot” (2004), which grossed $145 million domestically and $203 million internationally.
5. “Hitch” (2005), which grossed $178 million domestically and $189 million internationally.
Look for “The Pursuit of Happyness” to also be a sensation on DVD and Blu-ray Disc.
In the fact-based picture, Smith, who received an Oscar nomination as best actor for his performance, plays Chris Gardner, an out-of-work salesman. The homeless Gardner lives on the street with his 5-year-old son and manages to hide his financial problems as he competes for an internship at a prestigious stock-brokerage firm.
Thandie Newton (“Mission: Impossible II”) co-stars as Gardner’s estranged wife, and Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, the 8-year-old son of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, steals scenes as the struggling man’s child.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly last December, Smith described his philosophy of life as: “I am dedicated to doing good. When I wake up every day, I want the world to be better because I woke up today.”
With “The Pursuit of Happyness,” Smith accomplishes his mission by bringing an inspirational story to the screen.
A ‘Blu’-tiful new format
Anyone who loves motion pictures and is ready to go to the next level of home entertainment should consider buying a Blu-ray Disc player and hooking it to your HD television.
You’ll be blown away by the results.
The Blu-ray images in 1080p go beyond high-definition broadcasts and bring new life to watching films at home. Favorites such as “The Searchers,” “The Getaway,” “Bullitt” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” have been re-mastered in Blu-ray, and the incredibly sharp images greatly enhance the viewing experience.
“Now with Blu-ray Disc, there’s a format that allows owners of high-definition sets to enjoy the full-picture resolution of high def from a DVD,” said Mount Holly native Dave Gilbert, co-owner of Hi-Fi Sales Company in Cherry Hill. “The clarity is spectacular.”
One thing holding back the acceptance of Blu-ray, which was developed by Sony, is a competing format, HD DVD, offered by Toshiba. Like Beta and VHS, the formats are incompatible (though LG manufactures a $1,200 player capable of playing Blu-ray and HD DVD).
Every major studio except Universal has signed with Blu-ray. In addition to companies such as Sony, Pioneer, Phillips, Panasonic and Samsung manufacturing Blu-ray Disc players, the format is included in every PlayStation 3 from Sony.
In Home Media Magazine, Jim Bottoms, who has been studying the format war for the research firm Understanding & Solutions, believes Blu-ray has the strongest possibility to dominate the market.
“If you look at what happened in 2006, 80 percent of what has sold through is Blu-ray,” Bottoms says in Home Media Magazine. “In 2007, Blu-ray will be at least that percentage again.”
According to Patrick McMenamin, electronics-department manager at Lakes Appliance and TV in Mount Holly, the imagery provided by Blu-ray technology is the wave of the future.
“Blu-ray is an advance that’s stunning,” McMenamin said. “The detail is so clear that looking at it is almost like sensory overload.
“Eventually, Blu-ray Disc will be the standard.”
For movie buffs, there is a price to pay for this new technology.
The Blu-ray machines range in price from $800 to $1,500, though Sony is promising to drop the price of its $999 top-of-the-line model (BDP-S1) in the near future.
In addition, Blu-ray Discs are more expensive, with retail prices ranging from $28.99 to $39.99 (before discounting).
McMenamin believes the prices of the new technology are worthwhile and that people should only hook top-of-the-line disc-players to their new flat-screen televisions in order to get the finest possible image.
“Electronics is definitely an industry where you get what you pay for,” McMenamin said.
Some Blu-ray Discs that I’ve seen and seem worth the additional cost due to their eye-popping images include:
“Babel” (Sony; $38.99), with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in the international drama about a shooting accident’s impact upon four very different families across the globe.
“Casino Royale” (Sony; $38.99), with Daniel Craig under a highly detailed spotlight as the new 007.
“The Departed” (Warner; $38.99), with director Martin Scorsese painting the screen with brutal images during the Oscar-winning crime drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg and Jack Nicholson.
“The Descent” (Lionsgate; $39.99), with British filmmaker Neil Marshall (“Dog Soldiers”) directing a pulse-pounding thriller about six women friends who must fight for their lives while exploring caves during an adventure vacation. The Blu-ray image intensifies every detail in this underrated claustrophobic chiller.
“Open Season” (Sony; $38.99), with the voices of Martin Lawrence and Ashton Kutcher in a computer-animated hit about a domesticated Grizzly bear and his mule-deer buddy. This is the perfect Blu-ray demonstration disc since the film’s digital image blends seamlessly with the output of the player and provides stunning detail.
“Rocky Balboa” (MGM; $38.99), with Sylvester Stallone (in his sixth appearance as the title character) capturing every punch during a grueling Las Vegas bout.
“Sleepy Hollow” (Paramount; $28.99), with Johnny Depp in director Tim Burton’s tribute to the vintage horror pictures from England’s Hammer Films. The Blu-ray Disc allows fans of the film to study the attention to detail in every scene.
“X-Men: The Last Stand” (Fox; $39.99), with Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman as Storm and Wolverine, respectively, in this third installment of the comic-book series. The Blu-ray Disc provides the ultimate way to view this colorful hit, based on the Marvel comic.
All Blu-ray Discs, however, are not created equal.
Action fans might be anxious to see “Under Siege” (Warner; $28.99) with Steven Seagal and “First Blood” (Lionsgate; $28.99) with Sylvester Stallone on a high-definition disc, but neither title appears to have been re-mastered, so each is only marginally better than the previously released DVD versions.
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
“All That Jazz: Music Edition” (Fox; $19.99, DVD; April 3) with Roy Scheider (“Jaws”), Jessica Lange (“Tootsie”), Ben Vereen (Broadway’s “Pippin”), and Ann Reinking (Broadway’s “Chicago”) in Bob Fosse’s musical drama (1979) about a workaholic director/choreographer whose razzle-dazzle lifestyle catches up to him. The R-rated film is based on Fosse’s own out-of-control life. The extras include a featurette (“Perverting The Standards”) that looks at how “All That Jazz” pushed the boundaries of traditional Hollywood musicals.
“Candy” (ThinkFilm; $27.99, DVD; March 27) with Heath Ledger (“Brokeback Mountain”) and newcomer Abbie Cornish in an R-rated romantic drama about a couple addicted to heroin.
“Color Me Kubrick” (Magnolia; $29.99, DVD; March 27) with John Malkovich (“In the Line of Fire”) in an unrated, fact-based comedy about a con artist who impersonates legendary director Stanley Kubrick.
“Curse of the Golden Flower” (Sony; $28.99, DVD; March 27) with Chow Yun-Fat (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”) and Gong Li (“Memoirs of a Geisha”) in director Zhang Yimou’s visually dazzling R-rated epic about the violent confrontations of royal-family members behind the walls of the Forbidden City.
“The Good Shepherd” (Universal; $29.99, DVD; March 27) with Matt Damon (“The Departed”) and Angelina Jolie (“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”) in director Robert De Niro’s R-rated drama about the origins of the CIA.
“Happy Feet” (Warner; $28.99, DVD; $34.99, Blu-ray Disc; $39.99, HD DVD; March 27) with the voices of Hugh Jackman (“The Prestige”) and Nicole Kidman (“Fur”) in director George Miller’s upbeat computer-animated tale about a penguin who feels like he doesn’t fit in. The bouncy PG-rated picture, which contains a pro-environmental message, won the Oscar for best animated film.
“National Lampoon’s Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj” (Fox; $29.99, DVD; March 27) with Kal Penn (“The Namesake”) in a comedy that follows the title character as he travels to England and teaches British college students how to party. It will be available in R and Unrated versions.
“Turistas” (Fox; $29.99, DVD; March 27) with Josh Duhamel (TV’s “Las Vegas”) in a horror thriller about tourists who visit a remote island and then are hunted by killers who sell human organs on the black market. It will be available in R and Unrated versions.
Cinema collections
“Errol Flynn: The Signature Collection, Volume 2” (Warner; $49.99, DVD; March 27) with the dashing star in five film favorites: “The Charge of the Light Brigade” (1936), “The Dawn Patrol” (1938), “Dive Bomber” (1941), “Gentleman Jim” (1942) and the “Adventures of Don Juan” (1948). Each title contains commentaries, vintage newsreels from the year of release and Oscar-nominated shorts. The titles will also be available individually ($19.99 each).
“The Shirley Temple Collection: Volume 5” (Fox; $29.99, DVD; March 27) with the child star in three film favorites: “Stand Up and Cheer” (1934), “The Little Princess” (1939) and “The Blue Bird” (1940). The titles will also be available individually ($14.99 each).
Children/Family
“The Pebble and The Penguin: Family Fun Edition” (MGM; $19.99, DVD; March 27) with the voices of Martin Short (“Father of the Bride”), Tim Curry (“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”) and Jim Belushi (TV’s “According to Jim”) in a G-rated animated picture about a bashful penguin who wants to present a special pebble to the bird of his dreams during the mating season in Antarctica.