DVD 6/2/09: Revolutionary Road, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Defiance, He’s Just Not That Into You, Spring Breakdown, Warner Bros. Director’s Showcase: Take Four, Eddie Murphy: Delirious: 25th Anniversary Ed., The Jetsons S2V1
Revolutionary Road (R, 2008, Paramount)
With respect to cinematic grandeur, “Revolutionary Road’s” title — which instantly calls to mind anything from a stuffy period piece to an emotionally suffocating film about war — doesn’t necessarily do the film any favors as the season of light summer viewing commences. That’s a bit of a pity, because while “Road” takes place in the 1950s, its premise — two one-time dreamers suddenly shaken awake by their creeping suburban existence and soulless pursuit of status quos — is nothing if not relevant in this age of lost jobs and human reinventions. “Road” does the premise justice by taking clichés we’ve seen countless times before (Leonard DiCaprio as the husband unhappily following his father’s career footsteps, Kate Winslet as the wife and mother who finds herself disillusioned with the limits of either vocation) and rounding them out in compelling ways unique to this particular story. More importantly, “Road” lacks any fear of getting dirty when a few wheels inevitably fall off — be it through the unfiltered mouths of the main and supporting characters (Michael Shannon, Kathy Bates, David Harbour, Kathryn Hahn) or through a final block of scenes that, unless you watch alone, will almost certainly spark some spirited conversation once the credits roll.
Extras: Writer/director commentary, deleted scenes (with commentary), behind-the-scenes feature.
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (NR, 2008, New Video)
It’s not easy being a burgeoning supervillain in any context. But it’s especially tricky when — as is the case with Billy, aka Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris) — you’re too shy to even talk to the cute girl (Felicia Day) at the Laundromat, much less assert yourself as a proper archnemesis to hunky Captain Hammer (Nathon Fillion). But that is Billy’s mission, and this is his live-action blog, which also happens to be a musical. “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” is a funny and dense chunk of genius: The premise and role reversal are endearing, the songs are clever and catchy, and the cast is brilliantly capable of bringing a relentlessly smart script to life. But part of “Blog’s” charm also lies in its very existence, which itself is something of an odd phenomenon. At 42 minutes, it’s less than half as long as a feature film, but it also isn’t a pilot episode or the beginnings of a miniseries, nor is it even affiliated with anything beyond the production company that made it happen. “Blog” is completely its own thing, it’s not afraid to be that and nothing else, and as such, it feels free to come at you with 42 minutes of frantic writing, singing and superhero antics without having to pace itself or worry about overstaying its welcome. Should you want more than that, some equally inspired special features should more than suffice.
Extras: An amazing musical commentary track, cast/crew commentary, three behind-the-scenes features, 30-minute Evil League of Evil audition reel compilation.
Defiance (R, 2008, Paramount)
There is a loud, winding, emotional debate as to how truthful the story of the Bielski brothers is in the first place, to say nothing of how honest “Defiance” is or is not with regard to the story that may or may not be enhanced for legendary purposes. You are free to develop your own viewpoint at your leisure, and that viewpoint inevitably will play heavily on “Defiance’s” value as a dramatization of some seriously amazing (or not) history (or not). On its own merits — and taken purely at face value as a film about two bickering Jewish brothers (Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber) who cobble together a makeshift, gender-neutral resistance army in the woods during the Nazi invasion of Eastern Europe — it’s a good film that benefits from crisp storytelling and workmanlike character development but consequently suffers from a persistent inability to convey the importance of the world that exists around it. The endeavor is impressive, and “Defiance” aptly illustrates both the logistics of such a grassroots achievement and the difficulties of managing so many individual personalities while keeping egos with opposing ideas in check. Did it happen as the film states it did? Did it happen like this at all? Do your own research and decide for yourself. “Defiance” works as a piece of entertainment, but there are numerous alternative media already in place that better close the book.
Extras: Director commentary, two behind-the-scenes features.
He’s Just Not That Into You (PG-13, 2009, New Line)
Not all chick flicks are created equal. Some, including “He’s Just Not That Into You,” arguably don’t even deserve the tag at all. Yes, “HJNTIY” centers its collection of loosely-connected stories around the not-so-romantic adventures of one girl (Ginnifer Goodwin as Gigi) who overtly wants someone to love but can’t quite keep her foot out of her own mouth during some lively attempts to make it happen. But just as the book that inspired the film wasn’t afraid to tell women that sometimes the problem is them, so too does the movie, which manages to build Gigi into both a genuinely loveable lead and a potent object of amusing, face-palming ineptitude. “HJNTIY” is nothing if not democratic, splitting the blame between men and women alike and doing it through stories that share characters intelligently and alternate just as skillfully between authentic, cringe-worthy, sharply funny and (occasionally) inspiring and uplifting. You can laugh at it, laugh with it, or do a little of both. “HJNTIY” is as much a chick flick as “Lady and the Tramp” is a cocker spaniel flick, and its capacity to be enjoyed on two completely perpendicular levels makes it a much more entertaining movie than it probably had any right to be. Scarlett Johansson, Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Justin Long and Kevin Connolly also star.
Extra: Deleted scenes (with commentary).
Spring Breakdown (R, 2008, Warner Bros.)
With a scandalized Vice President bounced from the White House and deranged but clean-living Sen. Kay Bee’ Hartmann (Jane Lynch) in the running to take his place, it has fallen on Hartmann’s youthful but lame aide Becky (Parker Posey) to secretly keep her daughter (Amber Tamblyn) out of trouble during spring break week. The assignment also doubles as a chance for Becky and friends Gayle (Amy Poehler) and Judi (Rachel Dratch) to experience the spring break they missed as nerds in college. All that and more contributes to a stupidly outlandish plot that lends hope that “Spring Breakdown” exists as a smart send-up of all those dumb spring break films that continue, somehow, to propagate. But once in South Padre Island, “Breakdown” completely spins its wheels, riding the same quirks and scenarios into what amounts to a prolonged excuse to allow Poehler and Dratch to do what they do best. Posey and Tamblyn’s characters quietly attain secondary status, and most of “Breakdown’s” funniest characters (Lynch, Missi Pyle, Seth Meyers and Will Arnett) either take a long break or (in the case of Arnett’s disappointingly brief appearance) disappear completely. It’s too much to call “Breakdown” a bad film: There are some truly funny moments, and it’s reasonably entertaining. But with the amount of talent on hand, that’s about the least it could do.
Extras: Dratch/director commentary, deleted scenes, bloopers.
Worth a Mention
— Director’s Showcase: Take Four (PG-13-R, 1970-95, Warner Bros.): Four films (“Zabriskie Point,” “Revolution Revisited,” “M Butterfly” and “Beyond Rangoon”) from four directors (Michelangelo Antonioni, Hugh Hudson, David Cronenberg and John Boorman, respectively) join one of Warner’s better clubs of catalog DVD releases. Each release sells separately, and there really isn’t anything in the DVDs’ packaging to tie them together beyond their initial marketing push. But any excuse to give special recognition to unsung films in the library is a good one.
— “Eddie Murphy: Delirious: 25th Anniversary Edition” (NR, 1983, Entertainment Studios): The main program likely needs no introduction if you’re a fan of Murphy’s past life as a cutting-edge standup comedian, because this arguably is his most cherished performance of all time. Extras include new footage, a Murphy interview and a making-of feature.
— “The Jetsons: Season 2, Volume 1″ (NR, 1985, Warner Bros.): In case you’ve been waiting three years for Warner to continue what it started in 2004, wait no longer. Hopefully, “Volume 2″ will arrive sooner than 2012. Includes 21 episodes, plus a series retrospective.