Home Entertainment Highlights by C.E. Morgan - June 2008
C.E. Morgan is a member of the St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association
“Summertime and the liv’n is easy …” that is unless you have children at home begging to be entertained. No school often means listening to endless pleas of, “I’m bored.” A good supply of quality DVD’s can provide hours of entertainment for the kids and hours of relief for you. “Quality” is the key wood here. And when you think of good, entertaining children’s films, the Name Disney comes to mind. This summer’s offerings from The Mouse” are no exception.
The Jungle Book 2: Special Edition Mowgli and all of his “Jungle Book” buddies are back to delight with a new story, great music, games and activities. Adults might be less than anxious to pick up on the details of the plot but, the kids will want to know the inside scoop on this latest adventure. In a nut shell: Mowgli has gotten used to the village life, but the jungle is still calling him back. He’s happy living with his friends Ranjan and Shanti, he still misses Baloo and Bagheera back in the jungle. One day he takes a walk on the wild side and ventures back to his old stomping ground. He soon finds that not only are his old friends glad to see him, but his old enemy, Shere Khan, is equally happy, happy to seek revenge.
Two games are included, providing hours of parental down-time, “Mowgli’s Story Time Adventure” and “Mowgli’s Jungle Ruins Maze,” Three music videos to get everyone’s toes tapping and deleted scenes are also included. When you buy a children’s DVD from Disney, you get so much more entertainment than just the movie.
The Sword in the Stone: 45th Anniversary Special Edition Merlin’s back! The story is a classic, based on T.S. White’s novel The Once and Future King. Only someone possessing “honor, decency and inner strength” will be able to claim the throne of England. And only someone with those attributes will be able to remove King Arthur’s sword from a massive stone. Many have tried, but the young squire known as “Wart,” the wizard Merlin’s apprentice, might just make the grade.
The feature is 79 minutes long, as it was back in 1963 when the film was released, but there are extras that will be played for hours and hours. A personal favorite on the exhaustive menu of features is an all new game, “Merlin’s Magical Academy” in which kids can test their knowledge of the world, just like Wart does in the movie. Songs, a scrapbook and animated shorts cap off the fun.
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody: Lip Synchin’ in the Rain Fresh from the popular TV series, this four-episode set of comedic adventures centering on those teen twins, Zack and Cody Martin (Dylan and Cole Sprouse) is sure to be a hit at home this summer. To add even more appeal, the gang is trying out for their school’s production of “high School Musical.” Friend Maddie (Ashley Tisdale) wants the role of Sharpay, but might just get trumped by London (Brenda Song) if the boys don’t lend a hand. Extras abound on the DVD, including a gag reel.
Disney has something else new this month for the young and the young at heart, Minute Men, starring teen Jason Dolley. The mild TVG rating makes it a safe pick for family viewing. A sci-fi/ comedy hit straight from the Disney Channel, this fast-moving adventure allows viewers to go back in time to escape some of the embarrassing moments of high school life. But we all know that even a well-tuned time machine can cause future problems, and this contraption is no different. Have a good trip, but watch out for the black holes!
And for the adults, there’s a classic collection of English literature romance classics to relax and enjoy during this hot, steamy St. Louis summer. Combine the heat of the season with the heat of passion and you have the basis of a sophisticated, new home entertainment offering, The Romance Collection: Special Edition, that’s perfect for summer home viewing. Just released by A&E Television Network this 14-disc collection of time-honored tales of love will impress and inspire. Thirty hours of entertainment featuring outstanding performances by Great Britain’s finest talent. Elaborate sets and period costumes capture the historical essence of each novel and carry the viewer back in time, if only for a few hours at a sitting.
Literary adaptations on film often present a problem for readers, but A&E has achieved a new pinnacle of excellence with this collection. Included in the collection are the following eight novels:
Pride and Prejudice, starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Eble
Victoria & Albert, starring Nigel Hawthorn, Jonathan Price & Sir Peter Ustinov
Emma, starring Kate Bekinsale
Jane Eyre, starring Deborah Findlay and Ciaran Hinds
Lorna Doone, starring Martin Clunes and Richard Coyle
The Scarlet Pimpernel, starring Richard E. Grant and Samantha Morton
Tom Jones, starring Max Beesley and Samantha Morton
Ivanhoe, starring Steven Washington
As if the included stories weren’t enough, there are plenty of bonus features offered with the set. Biographies of the authors, cast biographies and a “making of” feature on Pride and Prejudice cap off the collection. When it comes to classics, A&E produces some of the finest shows on television. The Romance Collection is another brilliant feather in their cap of superlative offerings.
If TV on DVD is your passion, several new releases should be considered this month. Most intriguing is the soap-style Australian drama, McLeod’s Daughters: The Complete Sixth Season. With its rural setting, the saga set at Drovers Run is reminiscent of the old Dallas series; just replace the cattle with sheep. The set of eight discs contains all 32 episodes and offers about 23 hours of entertainment. The luxury of watching an entire season with no interruptions or re-runs is always a pleasure. If you would like a complete run-down of the principal characters and some background on the story, visit http://mcleodsdaughters.ninemsn.com.au/ and become an instant expert.
No doubt it’s the times, but Army Wives is a big hit on the Lifetime channel. The Complete First Season is now on a three-disc DVD set. Producer Mark Gordon of Grey’s Anatomy fame is at the helm of the project. Known for creating passionate, realistic drama, he continues this tradition in this new, patriotic series. Army Wives features an all-star cast led by Kim Delaney, Catherine Bell and Sally Pressman. Plenty of bonus features are offered, including an inside look at real Army wives who share feelings and experiences. The series has been touted by many viewers as a worthy tribute to the actual military families who must endure the stresses of maintaining wartime relationships.
Home Improvement fans will bemoan the fact that The Complete Eighth Season is also the final season of the show. Presented in a four DVD set, all 28 episodes of this log-running, award winning series can be enjoyed at your leisure. To re-cap, the special guests include Oprah, Morgan Fairchild and Mario Andretti. And probably the most talked about event of the season is that neighbor Wilson Wilson (Earl Hindman) finally shows his face! Plenty of bloopers and bonus features are included.
The critically acclaimed HBO special, John Adams, starring Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney, is available at select video stores and can be ordered online from HBO. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by American author and historian David McCullough, this seven-part miniseries chronicles the life of our second president who, along with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, made the dream of a free nation a reality. And then
there’s the 54-year love story that details the devotion that he and his wife, Abigail, had for each other and the pivotal part that it played in the shaping of a new nation. Among the bonus features is the outstanding short about the author, “David McCullough: Painting with Words.” Even if you ordinarily fast-forward through the extras, this one deserves a watch. |
