Video Reviews, November 1, 2011
Nov 1, 2011FICTION
C.S. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower: The Further Adventures. 2 discs. color. 200+ min. Andrew Grieve, Meridian Broadcasting, dist. by A&E Television Networks c/o New Video, 800-314-8822; www.newvideo.com. 2011. DVD ISBN 9781422942352. $14.95. F
This two-DVD set consists of a duo of newly released films from the A&E television series that originally aired in 1999. In The Duchess and the Devil, Lieutenant Hornblower (Ioan Gruffudd) and the rest of his crew, as well as his passenger, the Duchess of Wharfedale (Cherie Lunghi), are captured by the French and thrown into prison. In his typical, highly honorable way, Hornblower manages after several conflicts and adventures to outwit his captors and secure his compatriots’ release. In The Wrong War, Hornblower and company are forced to assist a band of royalists returning to France in trying to regain their country during the French Revolution. Upon the occupation of a French village, Hornblower witnesses the cruelty of the commanding officer (Antony Sher). While protecting the village schoolteacher (Estelle Skornik), Hornblower falls in love with her, with tragic results. As is typical of this series, production values are excellent, and melodrama runs high. Bonus features include Behind-the-Scenes Making of Horatio Hornblower and England’s Royal Warships, hosted by Prince Edward Windsor. These two films should prove popular with fans of the previous series titles (Video Reviews, LJ 5/15/09) as well as viewers who enjoy naval history.—Tom Budlong, Atlanta
The Killing. 2 discs. b/w. 85+ min. Stanley Kubrick, dist. by Criterion Collection, www.criterion.com. 2011. DVD ISBN 9781604654660. $29.95; 1-disc Blu-ray ISBN 9781604654653. $39.95. F
Ex-con Johnny Clay (a steely Sterling Hayden) plans an elaborate racetrack heist using a group of inside men in Kubrick’s twisty 1956 film noir. Retaining the time-shifting structure of Lionel White’s 1955 novel Clean Break, with its dialog sweetened by prolific pulp-fiction writer Jim Thompson, makes for a taut screen adaptation. Only the spare but gratuitous voice-over narration occasionally mars an execution handily made up for by arresting images. In addition to the standard extras (interviews with critics, cast, and collaborators, plus an essay), Criterion includes Kubrick’s promising if uneven second feature Killer’s Kiss (1955), a thriller about a washed-up prize fighter who falls for a dance-hall dame. No better chance to enjoy the digitally spruced-up early work of a great director, this release is a double bill to die for.—Jeff T. Dick, Davenport, IA
Wish Me Luck: Series 3. 2 discs. color. 414 min. Bill Hays & others, ITV Studios, dist. by Acorn Media, 888-870-8047; www.acornonline.com. 2011. DVD ISBN 9781598285819. $39.99. F
Focusing on British civilian women whose voluntary assignments during World War II often put them in danger, this series ends with this third season. Based on actual events, these eight episodes center on a town in the French Alps, a stronghold of resistance. The task is to stage an uprising to divert the Nazis from landing at Normandy. It’s often hard to know whom to trust, and there is tension from possible discovery, but the local resistance leaders are equally brave and supportive. This series is presented a little like a soap opera—lots of short scenes, dramatic close-ups, and musical stingers, along with a romance or two. The locations are authentic and present a real feel for time and place. A mini–history lesson, the stories emphasize the contributions of women, which is refreshing. Recommended for viewers from high school and up.—Joan Greenberg, Warminster, PA
ARTS & HUMANITIES
Picasso and Braque Go to the Movies. color + b/w. 62+ min. Arne Glimcher, Arthouse Films & Curiously Bright Entertainment, dist. by New Video, 800-314-8822; www.newvideo.com. 2011. DVD ISBN 9781422993941. $29.95. FILM STUDY
Picasso and Braque Go to the Movies started life as an ambitious 2007 exhibition at the PaceWildenstein gallery in New York. It marshaled more than 40 paintings, photographs, and even a re-creation of a belle epoque cinematheque into a persuasive argument that the movies Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque watched between 1907 and 1914 were a major influence on the revolutionary Cubist style they developed during that time. The transition to documentary form doesn’t go as smoothly as you might think given the subject matter, mostly owing to the limitations of a too-brief 60-minute run time, but in at least one respect the film is an unqualified success: while to us the first films represent a primitive beginning, to contemporary audiences they were paragons of modernism. Director Glimcher helps us to see these movies through their eyes as the marvels they truly are. More than 80 minutes of period short films are included as extras, giving this DVD additional value as a minilibrary of early cinema. Recommended for all arts aficionados and cineastes everywhere.—Andrew Horbal, McDaniel Coll. Lib., Westminster, MD
Alonzo Bodden: Who’s Paying Attention? color. 92+ min. Levity Entertainment, dist. by Entertainment One, www.eonehomevideo.com. 2011. DVD ISBN 9781417234554. $19.98. HUMOR
Even after appearances on Leno, Letterman, Last Comic Standing, and at the Just for Laughs comedy festival, Alonzo Bodden is still one of the best stand-up comics most people have never heard of. Good enough to remedy that, Who’s Paying Attention? is a collection of sharp, timely observations à la George Carlin and Bill Maher, but the style and confidence Bodden exhibits onstage are all his own. So are his insights—his musings on male-female relations, Barack Obama, Sarah Palin (“the Paris Hilton of politics”), Tiger Woods (the reason Bodden gives for his disappointment with the golfer is priceless), and the U.S.-Mexico border fence aren’t incendiary, but they’re true enough to crack up audiences and make them wonder why no one thought of them before. The production values, photography, and editing are concert-film standard issue, properly keeping Bodden front and center; the bonus scenes are dispensable. Abundant (but not gratuitous) profanity puts this program on the shelf for mature audiences. This program would be recommended for the material alone, but Bodden’s delivery makes it a fine addition to any comedy or performing arts collection.—J. Osicki, Saint John Free P.L., NB
Bill Moyers: God & Politics. 2 vols. color. 200+ min. with booklet. Elena Mannes & others, WNET, dist. by Acorn Media, 888-870-8047; www.acornonine.com. 2011. DVD ISBN 9781598285895. $49.99. SDH subtitles. REL
This typically high-quality program from Bill Moyers was filmed in the 1980s, yet the discussion topics are still widely relevant. The structure and specific subjects, however, take some deciphering. The main disc features heavyweight matter: Kingdom Divided on liberation theology, a movement primarily in Latin America that interprets Christianity in terms of liberation from unjust economic systems; Battle for the Bible debates whether the Bible is the authoritative word of God or literal and inerrant; and On Earth As It Is in Heaven focuses on reconstructionism, which hopes to replace U.S. democracy with a theocracy. More current and equally rich, the bonus material includes interviews with politicians, a social activist nonbeliever, and a nun, along with short, thorough biographies of evangelical leaders and of Moyers himself, who holds a master’s in divinity from a Baptist seminary. This thought-provoking program is highly recommended for those who think about faith and politics.—Diane W. Kazlauskas, formerly with Univ. of North Florida Lib., Jacksonville
Thoroughbred: Born To Run. color. 105+ min. Paul Wagner, KET, dist. by PBS, shoppbs.org/education. 2011. DVD ISBN 9781608834518. $24.95; limited public performance $49.99. SDH subtitles. SPORTS
Produced, written, and directed by Academy Award–winning filmmaker Wagner (The Stone Carvers), this excellent film follows a group of race horses during the year leading up to the 2009 Kentucky Derby. It not only tells the history of the oldest sport in America but also goes behind the scenes at the racetrack. A horse agent reveals in an interview that few of the horses he recommends are successful. That is the nature of the sport: everything is a gamble. Though a horse with the right breeding and conformation has a better chance of being a winner than a horse without these qualities, it’s never a sure thing. Few people go into thoroughbred racing for the money; most are attracted by the challenge, the risk, the competition, and, of course, the horses. Bonus features include the short films The Sport of the Longshot, Competition in the Sales Ring, and The Life of a Trainer. This program will appeal to the horse mad, racing enthusiasts, and animal lovers of all kinds.—Patsy E. Gray, formerly with Huntsville P.L., AL
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy. color. 92+ min. Roebert Dornhelm, Lifetime Pictures, dist. by A&E Telvision Networks c/o New Video, 800-314-8822; newvideo.com. 2011. DVD ISBN 9781422930007. $19.95. Closed-captioned. BIOPIC/CRIME
Literally ripped from the headlines, this film is a dramatization of the events surrounding the murder in Italy in 2007 of British student Meredith Kercher. Her roommate, American student Amanda Knox; Knox’s boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito; and an acquaintance, Rudy Guede, were tried in Italian courts and convicted of sexual assault and murder. The case triggered an international media feeding frenzy and continues to generate interest as the convictions of Sollecito and Knox were recently overturned on appeal. The film does an adequate job of representing the chain of events up to the time of the convictions, and actress Hayden Panettiere works hard, if not always effectively, to give a layered performance and some understanding of Knox. Because the appeals ultimately turned on the quality of the investigation and use of evidence, it’s disappointing that the dialog and acting are stilted and heavy-handed in portraying the work of the prosecutorial team in the investigatory phase. In the end, there isn’t enough new insight about the case or the defendants to offer much to any viewer who has been following the tableau. For those who haven’t been swallowed up in the spectacle, a bonus feature, Beyond the Headlines: The Amanda Knox Story, is equally good at telling what happened and is only half the viewing time. Owing to the notoriety of the case, there may be some demand for this; otherwise, a marginal purchase.—Joan Pedzich, formerly with Harris Beach LLC, Pittsford, NY
A Tale of Two Cities: The Circuit City Story. 2 discs. color. 95+ min. Tom Wulf, WulfTeam Prods., dist. by Victory Multimedia, 310-590-1388; sales@victorymultimedia.com. 2011. DVD UPC 8870074173127. $49.95. BUS
Wulf, a former Circuit City executive, tells the story of how the firm grew from a lone TV store founded in 1949 by Samuel S. Wurtzel to become a national electronics powerhouse and then how it failed. Through interview segments with former employees including the founder’s son, Alan Wurtzel, still photos, and film footage, the film reveals the firm’s formula of combining well-trained sales associates with savings, selection, service, satisfaction, and speed. Former employees comment that the company was doing well until the late 1990s when it appeared to them management was forcing growth. They point to several missteps, such as the demise of a costly movie rental venture, the acquisition of lengthy leases in deteriorating neighborhoods, and the failure to embrace video games and other new products. They argue that fear of slowing growth pushed management into cascading bad decisions including layoffs and the discontinuance of major appliance sales. The documentary concludes that Circuit City closed in 2008 because it had exhausted its resources. This fast-moving and entertaining postmortem of Circuit City, crammed with bonus sales stories and period commercials, will be valuable case study fodder for students, business leaders, and anyone interested in the retail industry.—Lawrence Maxted, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA
Marriage Equality: Byron Rushing and the Fight for Fairness. color & b/w. 17 min. Thomas Allen Harris, dist. by Third World Newsreel, 212-947-9277; www.twn.org. 2011. DVD $200; acad. libs. $250. Public performance. GENDER STUDIES
This short documentary explores the thorny ties between the movements for civil rights and gay rights and the role played by African Americans in the legalization of gay marriage in Massachusetts. Black churchgoers, while politically liberal on other issues, have generally not embraced gay rights, and many resent the movement’s attempt to define itself as an extension of the fight for civil rights. This documentary focuses on state representative Byron Rushing, who was instrumental (along with Deval Patrick, who in 2006 was elected the state’s first African American governor) in winning over the black religious community to the notion that marriage is a civil right. Footage captures Rushing in action both as a young activist in the 1960s and as a seasoned statesman. There are also interviews with gay couples and other notable players, including the Rev. Leslie K. Sterling, who risked her career by performing a lesbian wedding ceremony at her African American church. While this film fills an important gap in our understanding of the politics and conflicting allegiances surrounding gay rights, it is too short to be recommended as a stand-alone purchase, especially considering the price.—David Gibbs, Georgetown Univ. Lib., Washington, DC
Budrus. color. 82+ min. In Arabic, Hebrew, & English w/English subtitles. Julia Bacha, Just Vision, dist. by ADF/Typecast Films, 206-322-0882; www.typecastfilms.com. 2011. DVD UPC 643519123138. $24.99. INT AFFAIRS
Budrus, a small village of roughly 1500 in the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank, is the central focus of this film detailing an ongoing stuggle over the rights of the Palestinian villagers. As stated by Ayed Morrar, one of the primary forces behind the demonstrations taking place in Budrus, the villagers wish to raise their children in peace and hope, and they chose popular resistance and nonviolence as the path most likely to succeed. The film highlights the conflicts between the demonstrators and the Israeli army and border patrol, which have been tasked with erecting a barrier to safeguard Israeli civilians. Though clearly biased in support of the peaceful demonstration, a significant effort has been made to present a balanced view of the issues, including commentary from many standpoints. Particularly appealing is the coming together of a very diverse set of individuals, including men and women, Palestinians and Israelis, and numerous others in a growing movement to put forth a unified front. Highly recommended for viewers with their eye on that generally explosive region.—Mary Laskowski, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Lib.
Not in Our Town: Light in the Darkness. color. 60+ min. Patrice O’Neill, Working Group, dist. by PBS, shoppbs.org/education. 2011. DVD ISBN 9781608835349. $24.99. English & Spanish SDH subtitles. SOC SCI/CRIME
This documentary is the third in a series of PBS films on how communities deal with incidents motivated by bias and intolerance. Patchogue, NY, in 2008 was the scene of the brutal murder of Ecuadorean legal immigrant Marcelo Lucero by a group of teenagers who admitted to targeting him because he was Latino. In the aftermath of the killing, it became clear that it was the terrible tip of an iceberg of harassment, intimidation, and attacks that had been experienced by immigrants in the town for years. The Lucero family, particularly Marcelo’s mother and brother, are featured here, and their heartbreak and insistence on some measure of justice are compelling and well presented. Various town officials and concerned citizens appear on camera and recount how the shock of the murder turned into community action. Unfortunately, the film neither fully explores the causes of the kinds of attitudes that provoke such hate crimes nor answers obvious questions about the thoroughness with which police investigated complaints from the immigrant community. Nonetheless, this film can spur discussion in towns interested in resolving hate crime problems; the work of those in the film who sincerely wanted to change the atmosphere may serve as a template for others. Bonus features include an inspiring profile of Patchogue library assistant Gilda Ramos, who became involved in Patchogue’s efforts to deal with its problems. [Ramos earned LJ’s 2011 Paralibrarian of the Year Award in part for her work with the Lucero case.—Ed.]—Joan Pedzich, formerly with Harris Beach LLC, Pittsford, NY
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Orgasm Inc. color. 80+ min. Liz Canner, Chicken & Egg Pictures, dist. by First Run Features, 800-229-8575; www.firstrunfeatures.com. 2011. DVD UPC 720229914673. $27.95. HEALTH
Pharmaceutical companies have made millions from Viagra and related drugs, and many of them are trying to get the lightning to strike again by developing a similar drug for women, one that will reliably produce orgasm during intercourse. This lively video, ten years in the making, follows several products from early development to clinical trials and Food and Drug Administration approval. Unfortunately, female orgasm is not merely a matter of increased blood flow to the pelvic area, and most of the products fail in testing. The few that do marginally better than placebos have too many risks associated with them to be approved. More telling is the pharmaceutical companies’ medicalization of nondiseases, e.g., “female sexual dysfunction.” Female orgasm has been studied for generations, and findings prove it is unusual for women to experience orgasm at every act of intercourse, or even most of them. Whether owing to women’s evolutionary history, our preoccupation with our body image, our daily concerns, or any combination thereof, female orgasm is not simply physiological. Of greater alarm, though, is the medicalization of perfectly normal physical situations, leading to greater and greater numbers of prescriptions being written and filled. This not only adds considerably to health-care costs but greatly increases the likelihood of drug interactions that can range from uncomfortable to fatal. An eye-opener for anyone interested in women’s health and the activities of Big Pharma.—Susan B. Hagloch, formerly with Tuscarawas Cty. P.L., New Philadelphia, OH
