Hey, look! The column’s called something different now. Why? Well, we decided it was time to begin a serious relationship with the 21st century, thanks for asking.

Seems the kids are all up in the air about this whole Blu-Ray thing, and who are we to ignore the will of the people? So reviews of Blu-Ray discs and their myriad additional features, as well as standard DVD write-ups, will be on the menu.

Plus, we’ll keep an open mind about other forms of digital delivery aside from the current norms. After all, you never know when the next big thing will come along and make you buy Blade Runner all over again. Truth be told, we still have our fingers crossed for direct input into the cerebral cortex, but that could just be us.

Whip It
Fox Home Entertainment

Hollywood has never been shy about pumping out films where a spunky underdog, unsatisfied with their homelife and surroundings, strike-out to make it in the sports world. You may have even seen one or two of them, and if so, you’ve seen Whip It.

Yet just because a film’s been made a hundred times before doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile. Any film with a good story, good acting, and good direction will always be worthy.

In her first lead role since Juno, Ellen Page plays Bliss, a Texas beauty-pageant regular who ditches it all when she becomes enamored with the local roller-derby team. Of course her mother, a former pageant queen herself, doesn’t approve, but in films like this “no” is not an option.

Whip It provides strong performances by everyone involved, especially Kristen Wiig (“Saturday Night Live”) as the roller girl who takes Bliss under her wing while trying to balance her derby world and single-mother duties, and Alia Shawkat (“Arrested Development”) as Bliss’ best friend.

Drew Barrymore scores in her directoral debut by avoiding the trap many actors-turned-directors fall into. Instead of trying to show off with flashy camera moves and “Hey look, I’m directing!” shots, Barrymore relies on the talents she has on hand to do the heavy lifting for her.

The Blu-Ray set includes an alternate opening scene, eight deleted scenes, as well as a draft from writer Shauna Cross and a digital copy not included on the standard DVD release.

Film: *** Features: ***

The Invention Of Lying
Warner Bros.

Ricky Gervais is brilliant. Let’s get that out of the way. As the creator of “The Office” and HBO’s “Extras,” there aren’t many working today with a keener comic mind.

Perhaps it’s because of his proven track record that The Invention Of Lying is such a disappointment.

Set in a world where people have never developed the ability to lie, Gervais finds himself as the only one who can. Of course, he uses this ability to score women, money, and fame.

The problem with Lying, however, is it’s a one-joke idea that’s dragged out over a two-hour film. It’s a good joke, but not enough to sustain a feature. In fact, all the good ideas get beaten around for too long. The thread in which Gervais creates religion through his lies works the first time, but the film takes it and runs with it, making it the main theme. By the time you get pounded over the head with the sight gag of Gervais as Christ, even militant atheists will roll their eyes and say, “O.K., I get it already!”

The cast is serviceable, but no one really seems to be working above the material. Rob Lowe, as Gervais’ scheming co-worker, scores a couple of laughs, but Jennifer Garner as the love interest just makes you wish she’d go away.

Co-directed by Gervais and Matthew Robinson, the Blu-Ray set contains extra scenes, a gag reel, podcasts from Gervais and Robinson, as well as a surprisingly funny little film about the first lie created by cavemen, also starring Gervais and Lowe.

Film: *1/2 Features: **1/2

– Timothy Hiatt

We Chicagoans always get so stoked whenever Hollywood comes a-callin’ to shoot one of those fancy moving pictures in our hoods. Forget for a moment that in the early days Chicago was the center of the film-production universe before the industry packed up their toys and moved out west. We still harbor the feeling that anything that can be shot in Hollywood can be shot here just as well, especially when the events of the film in question took place on our turf.

So it’s a no-brainer that local boy made good Michael Mann would bring cast and crew to town for Public Enemies, which takes a look at the life and crimes of public enemy number one, John Dillinger. Making his way through the depression-era Midwest, Dillinger became sort of a folk hero for taking down what most people saw as the true villain of the times: banks.

As played by Johnny Depp, Dillinger comes across more Robin Hood than robber, and as such, there’s only rare glimpses of the violence of which he was capable. Of course, where there’re bad guys, there’re crusading G-men. Here, we have Christian Bale’s Melvin Purvis — hand-picked by FBI director J. Edgar Hoover to track Dillinger and bring him to justice. Bale’s Purvis will remind more than a few people of Kevin Costner’s Eliot Ness in The Untouchables, as he resorts more and more to methods that run afoul of his ethics in his quest to bring down Dillinger.

While Public Enemies is a noble effort, we don’t really get any more insight into Dillinger and his motivations than we already know, and Mann shoots his ultimate demise outside the Biograph Theater in such a slow and languorous way that the much anticipated event falls flat. Depp is fine as usual, but his work here won’t make anyone forget his more memorable efforts. Billy Crudup’s Hoover is nothing more than stereotype, and it’s sometimes painful to watch French actress Marion Cotillard as Dillinger’s girlfriend gamely trying (and mostly failing) to chew on an American accent.

Not a bad film, but everyone involved has done better. The two-disc set contains more than it’s fair share of Dillinger historical pieces and commentary from Mann.

Film: **1/2 Features: ***

Inglourious Basterds
Universal

For years, Quentin Tarantino has been trying, albeit sporadically, to live up to the standard set by his masterpiece, Pulp Fiction. Sure, he’s one of the best at combining over-the-top action and violence with sharp, literate dialogue, but more often than not he hasn’t been able to achieve the perfect balance. He’ll either weigh heavily on the violence (Kill Bill Vol. 1), or sink the thing with unbearable chattiness (Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Vol. 2.)

Luckily, he’s found the perfect blend again with Inglourious Basterds. Set in Nazi occupied France, Basterds finds Brad Pitt as the leader of a ruthless squad of Nazi hunters plotting to kill Hitler as he watches his latest propaganda film.

Yet anyone going into it expecting two hours of Brad Pitt dreaminess will be sorely disappointed. Instead, Basterds ranks as one of Tarantino’s finest ensemble pieces, with strong performances by Diane Kruger as a German film star turned double agent and Mélanie Laurent as the Jewish theater owner with a score to settle.

Despite the fine work all around, the film belongs to Christoph Waltz. With his performance as the S.S. bag man and “Jew hunter,” Waltz creates one of the best screen villains of the last decade, and it would truly be a crime if he doesn’t snag every award available in the coming months.

The two-disc set contains a surprisingly large amount of features, considering Tarantino’s previous releases have been fairly sparse.

Film: ***1/2 Features:***

Also Available . . . It’s great to see Chicago’s late, great Wesley Willis getting so much attention. First, the city renames its most iconic landmark after him, and now MVD Visual releases Wesley Willis’s Joy Rides, which looks at the life and times of the schizophrenic artist/musician. It’s a good insight into his last days, but if you’ve seen MVD’s previous Willis release, The Daddy Of Rock And Roll, there’s really nothing added here. Still, for the uninitiated, it’s a fine look at what a troubled individual overcame in the name of art.

With franchises such as Batman, Superman, even the Friday The 13th series seeing successful cinematic “reboots” over the past few years, did you think for a second Paramount was going to leave their biggest cash cow sitting on the shelf? Did you think the sun wasn’t gonna come up this morning?

Having seen four spin-off television series and 10 big-screen jaunts, the Star Trek brand seemed to have run out of steam after the vastly underrated “Enterprise” series. However, after a couple of years, someone realized that they needed something new to talk about at the conventions, so the original characters get hauled out of the mothballs and given a shiny new makeover.

With the original cast being so iconic, it could have been disastrous. Instead, just about everything works. Director J.J. Abrams, having achieved small-screen cred with “Alias” and “Lost,” deftly fills in the history and backstory. And, unlike “Lost,” there’s never a problem with wondering what the hell’s going on.

Chris Pine takes the handoff of Kirk beautifully, advancing the character’s smart-ass-maverick quality that began with Shatner. And Zachary Quinto of “Heroes” fame is quite simply perfectly cast as Spock. Also coming up big are Zoë Saldana as Uhura, John Cho from Harold And Kumar as Sulu, and the always reliable Bruce Greenwood as Captain Pike. (Trekkers will get the reference.)

Time travel has always been a tried-and-true plot device in the Trek world, and here it’s no different. Hey, ya gotta get Leonard Nimoy in the film somehow. This time, its Romulan bad guy Nero (Eric Bana) going back in time to try to destroy Vulcan, Earth, and every planet between as a little payback for his home world getting blown out of the sky.

Despite a couple of missteps (Anton Yelchin’s Chekov is way too young; Spock and Uhura hooking up, really?) Star Trek ranks with The Wrath Of Khan and First Contact as one of the franchise best big-screen efforts.

When it comes to disc selection, get the two-fer. It has deleted scenes, commentary, gag reels, behind-the-scenes features, and a downloadable copy for your iPod or iPhone.

Film:***1/2 Features: ****

Monty Python: Almost The Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut)

Eagle Rock

When you think about it, most of us have never lived in a world without Monty Python. The legendary British comedy troupe celebrate their 40th anniversary with the three-disc Almost The Truth. Contained in the set is the six-part BBC documentary commemorating the event on discs one and two, and classic bits such as “The Parrot Sketch,” “The Ministry Of Silly Walks,” and of course “Spam.”

The six-hour documentary has all five surviving members — John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin — as well as plenty of old interviews and archival footage of the late Graham Chapman. Over the course of the series, not only do we get insight from the five about the creative process, but also loads of clips from the series, movies, and rare unseen footage.

Also on hand are those who were influenced by the Python, such as Eddie Izzard, Tim Roth, Seth Green, Simon Pegg, and others.

Even if you can quote every line from every episode and every film (don’t laugh, I know people who can), Almost The Truth is essential to your collection.

Set: **** Features: ***

Also Available . . . When you think of artists getting together to combine talents, you immediately think of Willie Nelson and Ray Charles. I mean I do, don’t you? O.K., so it doesn’t look like it will work on paper, but The Willie Nelson Special Featuring Ray Charles (Eagle Rock) shows otherwise. Filmed in 1985, the 14-song set sees the pair run through classics like “Georgia On My Mind” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” as well as Willie flying solo on his keynotes “On The Road Again” and “To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before.”

– Timothy Hiatt

Watching director Sam Raimi return to the horror genre he redefined is like rediscovering water in August. With seemingly nine out of 10 horror flicks these days reduced to mere torture porn, Raimi’s deft touch serves notice to everyone working in the field just how it’s supposed to be done.

Although his body of work varied in scope and tone from the crime drama A Simple Plan, to Kevin Costner’s 2,000th baseball flick For Love Of The Game, to, of course, the Spiderman franchise, to many he will always shine brightest as a horror director. With his Evil Dead series, he took the conventions of the genre and turned them on their ear. Not only did he deliver superb frights, but he did it with a wicked sense of humor that made you laugh just as hard as you cringed.

Enter Drag Me To Hell, perhaps his finest film to date.

Alison Lohman plays a meek middle-management type who’s doing her best to climb the corporate ladder, but just can’t seem to get it done. As she’s attempting to snag the coveted assistant manager’s job at her bank, she finds herself in the position of having to deny a loan extension to an old gypsy woman. Seriously, when has that ever produced good results?

Of course, when you mess with gypsies in the film world, a curse is sure to follow. In this case, it involves the demon Lamia, a spirit that basically fucks with you for three days before . . . wait for it . . . dragging you to hell.

In Lohman, Raimi has found an actress who effortlessly pulls off both the scares and the comedy in perfect fashion. He even has the audacity to ask the audience to believe Mac-boy Justin Long as a college professor. Brilliant.

The disc features a multitude of behind-the-scene features, as well as two different versions of the film – the original PG-13, and the unrated “director’s cut.”

The un-rated one is much gooier.
Film: **** Features: ***1/2

You Weren’t There: A History Of Chicago Punk 1977-1984
Factory 25

Chicago has always had an inferiority complex regarding its status as “the second city.” And when it comes to the punk scene in the late ’70s/early ’80s, that status drops to about the eighth or ninth city. While New York had the Ramones and L.A. had Black Flag, Chicago’s scene failed to launch anyone to national prominence, and those who were successful never reached too far beyond regional acclaim.

You Weren’t There: A History Of Chicago Punk 1977-1984 seeks to rectify that injustice.

Meticulously researched and exhaustive in scope, You Weren’t There covers just about everything and everyone involved in the scene. From the notorious punk clubs such as La Mere Vipere and Oz to the forerunner bands such as Tutu And The Pirates and Mentally Ill, to the actual success stories like Naked Raygun and The Effigies, the film’s loaded with interviews and insight from anyone who was anyone.

Particularly fascinating are the segments that show a city at its most dysfunctional. From the opening days when anyone decked out in punk drag was immediately targeted for verbal abuse as “faggots,” to the city’s vendetta against punk clubs. Oz owner Dem Hopkins relates that while the city, and Mayor Jane Bryne in particular, were always trying to shut down gay clubs he owned, they were absolutely irate over the punkers.

The only problem with You Weren’t There is it might be a little too in-depth. While the interviews with artists such as Earl Letiecq of The Effigies, Jeff Pezzati of Naked Raygun, and Steve Albini of Big Black are a wealth of history, the film gets to a point where some involved resort to sniping at one another and other elements of the times, including Albini’s oft repeated feelings about the magazine you hold in your hands. (That’s O.K., Steve, you don’t have to love us for us to love you.)

But these are minor quibbles, as You Weren’t There is essential viewing for anyone who thinks punk began and ended with the Ramones. Features include more live performances from both then and now.

Film: ***1/2 Features: ***

Sure, you’ve got your nice weather, outdoor festivals, baseball, that sort of thing, but think about it. The good weather doesn’t last long before it starts to swelter, the festivals are always overcrowded, and more often than not your team of choice is out of the playoff race by the All-Star break.

So gimme fall anyday.

The temps are down, football’s back, and most importantly, so is the fall T.V. season. As the industry gears up for new offerings and returning favorites, this is the time the networks flood the market with multi-disc sets of the previous season’s efforts. You may love ‘em, you may hate ‘em, or you may not even have seen them because you’re watching something else in the same time-slot. Whichever way it is, now is the time to catch up on what’s going on.

On the drama front, there’s one of the breakout shows from last year, Fox’s “Fringe”. Several shows have tried to fill the void left by the departure of “The X-Files,” but none have succeeded. “Fringe” looks like it might be the one to finally take. Centering on an F.B.I. task force assigned to investigate the cases that involve a little too much weird science for the “legitimate” arm of the service, “Fringe” contains all the quirkiness and “What the . . .” moments one would expect from series creator and “Lost” honcho J.J. Abrams. The seven-disc set comes with a wealth of special features, such as segments on the actual science behind what’s seen on screen, how the show was cast, the making of selected episodes, outtakes, and much more.

Another show that bowed last year and got a welcome renewal is ABC’s “Castle”. Ever since “NYPD Blue” hit screens, cop shows and police procedurals have gotten increasingly darker and grittier. That’s not a bad thing. Efforts like HBO’s “The Wire” can provide some of the most gripping storylines on television. Castle, however, is a lightweight throwback to when things didn’t have to be so damn somber. I mean, crime and mayhem is supposed to be fun, right? Set around a novelist shadowing a N.Y.P.D. unit from case to case, “Castle” owes more than a little debt to “Moonlighting” with its strong interplay between leads Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic as the lead detective he’s basing his new book on. The Season One set includes deleted scenes, blooper reels, and a feature on Fillion and Katic’s on-screen chemistry.

As for sitcoms, there’s the sixth (sixth!) season of the inexplicably popular “Two And A Half Men.” I’m sorry, I just don’t see the draw. “Men” is reminiscent of a show like “Laverne & Shirley” – nothing groundbreaking or memorable in the pantheon of sitcom lore, yet always near the top of the ratings. It’s not a bad show, just very generic. The set comes with a feature on Angus T. Young (the half in “Two And A Half”) as well as a segment on the women involved with the show.

For an infinitely more clever and well-written offering, there’s season two of “The Big Bang Theory.” “Bang’s debut season centering on four socially inept scientists and the knockout blonde living next door hit the ground running, and avoided the sophomore slump with a strong second season. Features include a look at the real-life particle physicist who serves as the show’s consultant, a blooper reel, and information about the cast.

Then there are the not-so-lucky ones, such as the mercifully canceled “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” Although it limped through two seasons Chronicles can best be described as the completely action-free action show. I swear on all things holy, this show was chattier than a Charlie Rose interview, and more often than not less interesting. Fans of all things Terminator might want to pick it up, but I can’t imagine much interest outside of that.

And there’s the beauty of fall. You can’t tell what’s going to be a hit, but you’ll never know unless you watch. So you kids get out of that fresh air and into the house!

– Timothy Hiatt

Face it guys, we’ve all been there. The wife or girlfriend states her desire to stay in and watch a movie. Out of some sort of supposed kindness, she lets you offer up a token suggestion or two as to what might be on the bill for the evening. This, of course, is a ruse, and you realize with a deepening sense of blackness and despair that no matter what you offer up, you’re gonna spend the next two hours in front of the latest Matthew McConaughey/Kate Hudson crapfest.

How about suggesting a dude-flick instead? They’re like chick-flicks, but with guys, and not to be confused with guy-films. No, guy-films are just as cliched and hackneyed as chick-flicks, but with all the things that appeal to the male lizard brain – lots of gun-play, car crashes, Megan Fox being spanked repeatedly – that sort of thing. The dude-flick doesn’t have anything like that, but they’re enjoyable none-the-less.

At the top of the heap is I Love You, Man. Paul Rudd plays Peter, an amiable dork about to be married to Rashida Jones’ Zooey. She is worried that Peter doesn’t really have any good male friends, he just relates better with women. And really, how can you have a wedding without a best man?

On Zooey’s suggestion, Peter begins a search to find a new best friend. After several disastrous blind “dates” (see, it’s just like a chick-flick!), he stumbles upon Sydney, a care-free slacker that likes to crash real estate open houses for the free food and seems to be exactly what Peter needs. Of course, as with all best laid plans, their friendship soon threatens to outweigh the engagement, as Peter spends more time with Sydney than with Zooey. They start a band, they go to Rush shows, they fight with Lou Ferrigno, all leading up to the typical chick-flick resolution.

While it all seems fairly standard, the strong cast makes it work. Jason Segel, who’s shown that he’ll go to any lengths to sell the joke in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, plays Sydney’s slacker-chic to perfection, and Rudd isn’t afraid to look foolish either. His attempts to be hip are both painful to watch and hilarious at the same time. Also scoring big are J.K. Simmons and Andy Samberg as Peter’s father and gay brother respectively.

The DVD features both deleted and extended scenes, Commentary by Rudd, Segel, and director John Hamburg, and a gag reel.

So guys, seriously. Don’t be afraid. You don’t have to endure the the trauma of the chick flick every time. The dude-flick provides the perfect stop-gap until the missus agrees to let you watch Die Hard again.

Film:*** Features: ***

Quincy Jones: The 75th Birthday Celebration Live At Montreux 2008
Eagle Eye Media

How often does it happen that an artist’s producer and mentor reaches the level of fame that lets his or her star power outshine the person they’re working with? Never.

Unless you’re Quincy Jones.

With 29 Grammys under his belt, remains one of the last true legends in the music biz. Having shaped the careers of Michael Jackson, Chaka Khan, Al Jarreau and countless others, it’s no surprise that on his 75th birthday the line to honor the Chicago-born impresario would be out the door.

The two-disc 75th Birthday Celebration features appearances by the likes of Khan and Jarreau, as well as Patti Austin, Herbie Hancock, Paolo Nutini and many more. Jones is regaled with versions of “Makin’ Whoopie,” “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,” “The Dude,” and 29 others spanning his illustrious career.

The two-disc set looks and sounds terrific, and includes a behind the scenes look at the backstage action and rehearsals.

Film: *** Features: ***

Also available . . . The first season of Fox’s Lie To Me is out and about. Although television is currently swimming in a whole ocean of series’ featuring smarter-than-the-room investigators, Lie To Me stands out simply on the power of lead Tim Roth, who throughout his career has quite simply seemed incapable of turning in a bad performance.

– Timothy Hiatt

After the glut of superhero movies over the past few years, you would think that the public would be starting to tire of the whole genre. Yet the success of Iron Man and The Dark Knight means it isn’t going away anytime soon. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad thing, as long as the material continues to be of the same quality.

Still, a film such as Watchmen could have been a welcome tonic. Based on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ groundbreaking graphic novel, the film explores what happens when people get fed-up with masked vigilantes.

Set in an alternate America where it’s 1985, Richard Nixon is serving his fifth term as president, and masked crime fighters have been outlawed, the film touches on all the comic-book archetypes.

There’s Nightowl, a hero who relies on his wealth and gadgets to get the job done; Rorschach, a misanthropic detective determined not only to find the criminals, but to punish with extreme prejudice; Silk Spectre II, trying to live up to the legacy of her mother, the original Silk Spectre of the “golden age”; Ozymandis, the smartest man in the world with an Alexander The Great complex; and Dr. Manhattan, the only member with actual super powers. In the time-honored tradition, a lab accident has given Dr. Manhattan powers over space and matter, traits the government now uses to keep the rest of the world in line.

As the film opens, the murder of another golden age hero, The Comedian, sets off an investigation by Rorschach into who might be killing them off. From there, the story starts to careen wildly. From the investigation, to Silk Spectre’s family drama, to possible nuclear confrontation with the Soviets, to the ultimate point of the film. By the time that arrives, you find yourself not really caring very much.

Watchmen ranks as a huge missed opportunity on so many levels. For starters, it’s too long and chatty for a film of this ilk, and with the DVD “Directors Cut” adding a whole 25 minutes to the proceedings, it’s almost interminable. Also, what made the graphic novel so special in the ’80s just doesn’t play as well today. The film’s cold war macguffin just doesn’t hold the drama that it once did, as the world has moved on to more pressing focuses of our dread, and as such, just feels dated. It’s no surprise that co-creator Moore had his name taken off the project.

It’s a shame, too, because there are actually reasons to like the film. The look is fantastic, with director Zack Snyder (300) faithfully recreating the book in almost every frame. Plus there’s Jackie Earle Haley (yes, the kid from The Bad News Bears) as Rorschach, playing him infinitely more psychotically than any of the criminals he’s hunting.

With Watchmen, an Oscar nomination for Winged Creatures, and taking over the Freddy Krueger role in the upcoming restart of the Nightmare On Elm Street franchise, Haley might be pulling off the biggest comeback since Travolta in the mid-’90s.

Watchmen’s two-disc set comes with a digital version and small features on just about every aspect of filming.

Film: ** Features: ***

Rob Thomas: Live At Red Rocks
E1 Entertainment

From the looks of things, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, outside of Denver, appears to be about the coolest place to see a show in the States. Carved into a mountainside, the locale has been the setting for concert videos by Dave Matthews, Incubus, and the legendary 1983 set by U2. Now, Rob Thomas finds himself and his popular beat combo amidst the scenic vistas.

Running through the solo hits, as well as a sprinkling of songs from his Matchbox 20 days, Thomas gives a mix of uptempo shakers and mid-range MOR gloss. Unfortunately, the gloss outweighs the shakes. Still, it looks and sounds great, and the Thomas faithful will not be disapointed.

Film: *** Features: **

Also available . . . Instead of producing a full-blown third season of the knock-out Doctor Who spinoff, the BBC opts for the five-part miniseries Torchwood: Children Of Earth. Carrying on after the death of two of the team, the Torchwood members find themselves drawn into an alien invasion that uses the planet’s children as the harbinger of their arrival. It’s not just a crackling sci-fi yarn, but Children Of Earth goes deeper with its portrayal of government black-ops and secrecy. As usual, in terms of storytelling and production, Torchwood remains head-and-shoulders above 90 percent of what’s being produced on this side of the pond.

– Timothy Hiatt

If Bruce Dickinson isn’t the coolest person on the planet, I’d be hard-pressed to tell you who is. Not only is he still one of the best and most charismatic frontmen in the business at age 50, but if he needs to catch the afternoon shuttle from London to Cardiff, he can fly the damn plane. We’re not talking about a little puddle-jumper here, we’re talkin’ ’bout a big, honkin’ 757.

Dude! Lighten up! Give us mere mortals a chance.

Iron Maiden: Flight 666 chronicles the first leg of Maiden’s 2008 “Somewhere Back In Time” tour, the most ambitious jaunt in their long history. Covering some 50,000 miles with 23 shows in just 45 days, the Time tour took them to to six continents.

A roadtrip like this usually takes some serious cash, and in this economy, the specter of loosing large amounts of green has killed the plans of many. However, when you have a pilot in your midst, the scenario is simple: Buy your own plane.

Thus, the appearance of Ed Force One, the aforementioned big honkin’ 757. With its official airways flight number 666, EF1 carried the band, crew, and 70,000 pounds of gear to all points on the globe. As a result, Maiden was able to play locales they hadn’t been to in years (or ever), such as Mumbai, India, and Bogota, Columbia.

Flight 666 was directed by Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen, who had previously done Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey, which VH1 Classic seems to play at least twice a week. For the most part, the two have done a fine job capturing the backstage and offstage goings-on, but at 112 minutes the film drags a bit. Shots of the locals flashing devil horns and shouting “MAIDEN!!!” could have been trimmed, and that alone would have slashed 15 minutes from the film.

The second disc of the two-DVD set features complete live performances from the tour, and a deluxe version is available with special packaging and a 26-page booklet.

But back to the cool factor for a second, though: A lot of people have said the current tenant at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. ranks pretty high on the cool scale, but he has one major strike against him.

I’ve yet to see him fly his plane.

Film: *** Features: ***

John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band: Live In Toronto ‘69

Shout Factory

In 1969, as The Beatles were splintering and drifting off in their own seperate directions, John Lennon found himself with the itch to play live again. As Abbey Road was about to be released, he grabbed longtime friends Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann, and future Yes drummer Alan White to head off to Toronto.

Not only did the show result in the first true Plastic Ono Band album, Live Peace In Toronto, but legendary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker (Don’t Look Back, Monterey Pop) was on hand to document the festivities. Shout Factory finally releases the fruits of his labors with the DVD of the same name.

John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band, Live In Toronto ‘69 finds Lennon and crew running through some classic rockers such as “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Money,” but they’re also joined onstage by some of the originators of those classics. Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Little Richard give spirited renditions of “Bo Diddley,” “Hound Dog,” and “Lucille” respectively.

At a scant 50 minutes, Live is too brief to be a definitive Lennon concert document, and one is tempted to want more. However, he puts those feelings of want to rest by uttering a statement after his set that’s even more chilling than a ’70s arena-act revival at a state fair announcing they’re going to play something off their new album. No, what Lennon says is far more terrifying: “We’re gonna let Yoko do her thing.”

The only bonus feature on the disc is a 1988 interview with a much more sedate Yoko.

Despite its brief run time (and Yoko’s atonal droning), Live In Toronto should be considered vital to all Lennon fans.

Film: *** Features: ***

John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band: Live In Toronto ‘69

Shout Factory

In 1969, as The Beatles were splintering and drifting off in their own seperate directions, John Lennon found himself with the itch to play live again. As Abbey Road was about to be released, he grabbed longtime friends Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann, and future Yes drummer Alan White to head off to Toronto.

Not only did the show result in the first true Plastic Ono Band album, Live Peace In Toronto, but legendary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker (Don’t Look Back, Monterey Pop) was on hand to document the festivities. Shout Factory finally releases the fruits of his labors with the DVD of the same name.

John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band, Live In Toronto ‘69 finds Lennon and crew running through some classic rockers such as “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Money,” but they’re also joined onstage by some of the originators of those classics. Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Little Richard give spirited renditions of “Bo Diddley,” “Hound Dog,” and “Lucille” respectively.

At a scant 50 minutes, Live is too brief to be a definitive Lennon concert document, and one is tempted to want more. However, he puts those feelings of want to rest by uttering a statement after his set that’s even more chilling than a ’70s arena-act revival at a state fair announcing they’re going to play something off their new album. No, what Lennon says is far more terrifying: “We’re gonna let Yoko do her thing.”

The only bonus feature on the disc is a 1988 interview with a much more sedate Yoko.

Despite its brief run time (and Yoko’s atonal droning), Live In Toronto should be considered vital to all Lennon fans.

Film: *** Features: *1/2

Also avalilable . . . Being Sox people here at IE, we’d be remiss (and quite possibly have our Alexei Ramirez fan-club memberships revoked) if we didn’t mention White Sox Memories: The Greatest Moments In Chicago White Sox History. From the club’s inception in 1901 to spring training 2009, Memories hits the high points such as the ‘59 Go-Go Sox, and of course the 2005 World Series championship. Hey! They even shock the world by including some colorful Ozzie quotes!

– Timothy Hiatt

After taking a trip to the Middle East with Jarhead, director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road To Perdition) returns to the fertile ground of middle-American dysfunction with Revolutionary Road. Teaming up again are Titanic co-stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as April and Frank Wheeler, but there are no “king of the world” moments this time around. Instead, the pair find themselves living lives of quiet desperation in the mid-’50s.

As we meet them, she’s a wanna-be actress whereas he doesn’t know what he wants to be. A quick fast forward to a few years later finds the couple married with children, Frank working the grey-flannel-suit life of a salesman, and April revealed to be a less-than-stellar actress.

After setteling into their run-of-the-mill suburban lifestyle, April decides the couple should shake things up and get back to their free-spirit roots by chucking the whole hum-drum experience and moving to Paris, in the hopes that their lives will have the meaning they once thought they’d have. Until, that is, a complication — that so often happens to couples in the movies — arrives to throw a wrench in the plans.

While not as devastating an indictment of suburban malaise as Amercian Beauty, Road manages to holds its own. After a somewhat ponderous middle section, Mendes, DiCaprio, and Winslet manage to pull out a surprisingly gripping third act.

The disc includes a sparse set of features, with only commentary from Mendes and screenwriter Justin Haythe, a few deleted scenes, and a making-of segment.

Film: *** Features: **1/2

Defiance
20th Century Fox

Based on the story of the Bielski brothers, Defiance tells the tale of a group of Belarusian Jews fleeing to the forest to hide from the Nazis during the early days of World War II.

Led out of the Jewish slums by the Bielski brothers, the ever-growing group stays one step ahead of the soldiers by constantly moving over the course of two years. While one of the brothers, Tuvia (Daniel Craig) stays with the group, brother Zus (Liev Schreiber) takes up with the Russian resistance. Of course, double crosses ensue as each side fights for what is best for them.

Director Edward Zwick knows his way around oppressed minorities taking up arms for what is right, having helmed the brilliant Glory. Here, while maintaining an even hand for the most part, the film does get a little heavy with the Biblical symbolism at points. While the Exodus parallels are natural and unmistakeable, Defiance practically beats you over the head with them near the end. The only thing missing from the scene of the group crossing a river to escape is the river actually parting.

The cast is uniformly strong, with Craig showing he’s not one to get typecast as James Bond easily, and the always solid Schreiber delivering another strong performance.

Features include commentary by Zwick, a making-of segment, and a good piece with the family members of the survivors.

Film: *** Features: ***1/2

The Star Trek Motion Picture Trilogy
Paramount

With the re-booting of the Star Trek franchise still raking in cash hand-over-fist in theaters, Paramount comes through with the inevitable re-release of the original films. Plucking the three flicks in the series with the most consistant story arc, The Motion Picture Trilogy covers the era where Spock dies, then gets reborn, then swims with whales.

While all the films Messrs. Shatner, Nimoy, and the rest made have been re-released, Trilogy offers your best option by serving up the two best films with the original cast — The Wrath Of Khan and The Voyage Home, along with the underrated The Search For Spock.

All three films look and sound great, and the set comes loaded with special features.

Now, if Paramount would get around to giving the best of all the Trek flicks, First Contact (let the letters begin), the full re-release treatment, then we’d be on to something.

The Wrath Of Khan: ****
The Search For Spock: ***
The Voyage Home: ***1/2
Trilogy Special Features: ***1/2

– Timothy Hiatt

There may be no more daunting task in the music world than trying to figure out the enigma that is Jeff Beck. To quote Marlon Brando, he could have been a contender. As innovative as Hendrix, more rockin’ than Clapton, and just head-and-shoulders better than Jimmy Page, Beck could have had it all. However, because of his cavalier attitude towards the biz, his sporadic recording and performance output over the years has kept him from achieving the status and noteriety of many of his peers.

After replacing Clapton in The Yardbirds in 1966, Beck moved on to form The Jeff Beck Group, featuring Rod Stewart on vocals, Ron Wood on bass, and Aynsley Dunbar on drums. With two seminal albums, Truth and Beck-Ola, under their belt, the group would go their separate ways, and Beck would spend his time doing session work or putting out brilliant instrumental discs every now and again. So it’s always a treat when he decides to descend from the mountaintop and drop some knowledge.

Appearing at Eric Clapton’s 2007 Crossroads fest must have lit a fire under him, because he’s taken the same band and released Performing This Week . . . Live At Ronnie Scott’s.

Serving as both primer and master-class, Performing Live runs the gamut of Beck’s career. Starting off at the begining with “Beck’s Bolero,” the disc goes on to hit the high points with “Scatterbrain” and his exquisite reworking of “A Day In The Life.”

But lest you think it’s two hours of non-stop ax noodling, Beck pulls out some heavy-hitter guests to get on the mic, such as Joss Stone assuming Rod Stewart’s duties on “People Get Ready,” Imogene Heap tackling “Blanket,” and of course Clapton running through “Little Brown Bird” and “You Need Love.”

Even with the high-voltage guests, the real power is the backing band. Drummer Vinne Colaiuta, keyboardist Jason Rebello, and especially Aussie bass prodigy Tal Wilkenfeld mesh perfectly with Beck’s flights of fancy, with Wilkenfeld completely taking over the signature “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers.”

The sound is impecable, and the special-features sections includes extensive interviews with Beck and company.

After watching Performing This Week, one can only hope the Beck’s fire doesn’t burn out again, and we won’t have to wait another six years between offerings.

Performance: **** Features: ***

Miles Davis: That’s What Happened, Live In Germany 1987
Eagle

Speaking of legends, has there been a more influential figure in the jazz world over the last few decades than Miles Davis? (Rhetorical question – no need to respond.) The list of accomplishments is too vast to recite, so a video chronicle is usually a welcome addition to the canon.

Unfortunately, That’s What Happened ain’t it.

Recorded in Munich, the set finds Davis in a particularly uninspired mood. Sure, he hits all the notes, but the fire isn’t there. Perhaps it was age catching up to him, perhaps it was the German food, I don’t know. None of the flash and innovation is on hand. Of course, it doesn’t help when none of the Davis standards are on hand, and the choice of covers is downright head-scratching – Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” and Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time?” Really?

Well . . . it was the mid-’80s.

What almost redeems the set is the half-hour interview with Davis in the features section. However, it’s not nearly enough when there is so much more and better Miles material available. Skip it.

Performance: ** Features: **1/2

Also available . . . Ministry: Adios Puta Madres (Megaforce) chronicles the farewell tour of Al Jourgensen and his band of venerable industrialists. If you happened to catch the group on this tour, you know that the performances could be generously described as spotty. Adios distills the trip and presents it as a little more cohesive document. Along the way are tales from the road, with one disc featuring performances and the other containing in-depth interviews with all involved.

If this is, in fact, Ministry’s last hurrah as Jourgensen has repeatedly stated, there are worse ways to go out.

– Tim Hiatt

After years of stale plot lines and tired formulas (no offense, Pierce Brosnan), not to mention getting its British butt kicked by the superior Bourne series, the James Bond franchise got a much needed re-boot in Casino Royale. Starring Daniel Craig as a much more no-nonsense Bond, the series appeared to be in good hands.

With the release of Quantum Of Solace, that look appears to be a little dimmer. Sure, Craig heads down to the DMV to renew his license to kill, but he uses it in a muddled, unfocused effort.

Solace rates as a direct sequel to its predecessor, a first for the series. There have been references to earlier Bond outings in the past, but never continuations. Here, Solace takes up directly where Casino left off, and if you haven’t seen the first one, you’re going to be swimming upstream for most of the film.

After losing the girl in Casino, Bond sets out to find those responsible. Trouble for the audience is, we’re never really given too much insight as to exactly who did what. However, Giancarlo Giannini as Bond’s contact Mathis and Jeffrey Wright as CIA agent Felix Leiter provide a nice through-line.

Of course there are the Bond babes as well, with Olga Kurylenko as the eye candy, and Gemma Arterton as Strawberry Fields (no Pussy Galore, but it’s a start), the uptight agent sent to bring Bond back into the fold. Naturally, she has a one-way ticket to the bedroom, and ends up as the film’s clever homage to Goldfinger.

Almost as an answer to Bourne, the film packs in more chase scenes than usual, and they’re all well done — particularly the opening. However, in trying to up the action ante, they seem to have lost some of the things that made Bond films special. Hopefully for the third go-round, they’ll find it in their hearts to bring back Q and his gadgets, and would an appearance by Moneypenny be too much to ask?

The two disc set contains the music video for the film’s theme song by Jack White and Alicia Keys, and a whopping seven behind-the-scenes features.

Film: **1/2 Features: ***1/2

Marley & Me
20th Century Fox

It’s generally believed that people fall into two categories: those who find adorable, lovably rambunctious mutts and oh-look-what-the-baby-did moments more soul-fulfilling then any religion ever could, and those who think spending a single moment with a big, crotch-sniffing dog or squalling brat is akin to summering in Dante’s seventh circle. For those that fall into the first category, Marley & Me is pure porn for puppy people. Those firmly entrenched in column two . . . well, abandon hope, all ye who enter here.

In an effort to thwart the inevitable discussion of whether to have children, newlywed John Grogan (Owen Wilson) gets a puppy for the missus (Jennifer Aniston). Since they decide to take the cheapest dog available, the reprecussions are inevitable. Marley the pup never grows out of his habit of chewing and peeing on everything within reach, especially after a disatrous training session with an almost unrecognizable Kathleen Turner.

The couple do go on to have children, but there through it all is Marley. Anyone who has ever had a beloved pet will no doubt relate to the inevitable ending of the film.

Marley could have easily slipped into a simple dog-does-wacky-things flick, but the story and performances raise the bar. Based on the book of the same name by the real John Grogan, director David Frankel rarely lets it drift into schmaltz territory. Aniston gives her patented cute-as-a-button performance, and Wilson flashes his Ed Grimley smile at just the right times.

The disc comes loaded with features, including beaucoup deleted scenes and a gag reel, plus segments on the trials and tribulations of filming more than 20 different dogs for the title role. There are also features for dog lovers only — most of which are product tie-ins with Purina.

Film: *** Features: ***1/2

Also available . . . Muddy Waters: Live At ChicagoFest chronicles the blues legend’s 1981 performance at ChicagoFest, which would become the Chicago Blues Festival three years later. Recorded a mere two years before his 1983 death, Waters couldn’t be in better form. Roaring through such classics as “Mannish Boy,” “I’m A King Bee,” and “Got My Mojo Working,” Live At ChicagoFest is both a joyous celebration of blues history and a bittersweet reminder of the great loss soon to come.

– Tim Hiatt

How To Lose Friends And Alienate People
20th Century Fox

In the early ’90s, British writer Toby Young founded and co-edited the London- based magazine Modern Review, a publication dedicating itself to snarky articles slamming anything and everything that wasn’t them. Young revealed himself to be most obnoxious, earning a toxic reputation and getting himself banned from just about every major event in the country.

After Modern Review folded, he landed at Vanity Fair, where he quickly flamed out, concerning himself with screenwriting.

How To Lose Friends And Alienate People, based on Young’s memoirs of the same name, significantly tones down his courser traits, yet still remains a biting indictment on the publishing business as well as celebrity culture.

With the name changed to Sidney Young, Simon Pegg (Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz) brilliantly plays the writer as a man wanting to continue his slash-and-burn technique at Sharp’s magazine (subbing for Vanity Fair). Finding out his style and personality don’t enhance his chances of bedding a witless starlet – well played by Megan Fox – he ditches his method to become just another cog in the celebrity-making machine.

The rest of the cast is equally spot-on with Jeff Bridges as Sharp’s editor, a writer once very much like Young who has evolved to become a well-respected publisher, and Gillian Anderson perfect as a shark-in-the-water PR expert. Even Kirsten Dunst goes beyond her usual one-note performances as Young’s eventual love interest in this over- looked gem.

Special Features are minimal, with only a making-of segment, but the commentary with director Robert Weide and Pegg is well worth your time.

Films: ***1/2 Features: **1/2

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
Sony Pictures

If you’ve never experienced a dusk-til-dawn night on the town, you’re quite simply missing out and must do it at some point in your life. Not to say that it should be done on a nightly or weekly basis, but at some point you’ll want to get around to it.

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist chronicles one such evening, as two young 20-somethings embark on a hunt to find a secret show by their favorite band. Along the way, things naturally go awry.

Nick, still reeling from the breakup with his girlfriend of six months, is saddled with Norah as they and their friends try to get Norah’s insanely drunk friend Caroline home. Of course, Caroline gets misplaced, and the wackiness ensues.

Michael Cera as Nick gives the same befuddled teen performance he usually gives in films such as Juno and the TV series “Arrested Development.” As an actor, Cera might be a one-trick pony, but it’s a damn good trick and he seems to have cornered the market. Kat Dennings as Norah is winning, and there’s never any doubt how the film will end. The real scene-stealer, however, is Ari Graynor as Caroline. Sure, drunk chicks are almost always fun to watch, but Graynor takes it to another level.

Surprisingly, aside from an unfortunate train-station bathroom scene, there’s little of the gross-out raunch that’s so prevalent in teen comedies. Nick & Norah owes more than a little debt to Martin Scorsese’s After Hours – so much so that it plays like a direct Gen Y descendant of that 1985 classic.

The disc comes loaded with special features such as deleted scenes, outtakes, and commentaries from the cast.

Film: *** 1/2 Features: ***1/2

Also Available . . . Fountains Of Wayne, the New York pop hipsters responsible for “Stacy’s Mom” and other quirky gems, gets the hi-def treatment on No Better Place – Live In Chicago. Like the majority of live DVDs, it’s a fairly straight forward outing with few frills. However the band is in good form (albeit not the most exciting stage presence) and the sound and video quality is excellent. Also, there are five extra songs in the special-features section performed unplugged in the studio.

Having been around since 1996, Fountains Of Wayne have always been unfairly overlooked. Live In Chicago provides a good chance to rectify that situation.

— Timothy Hiatt

In 1976 Peter Luft, the assistant director of Amnesty International, made a phone call to John Cleese, founding member of the legendary British comedy troupe Monty Python. At the time, Amnesty was a struggling organization barely making ends meet in the fight to bring awareness of human rights violations around the globe. Over the course of the call, the two came up with the idea for a benefit comedy show that would feature not only Cleese and his Python buddies, but other British comedy legends such as Dudley Moore and Peter Cook. The resulting event, dubbed Pleasure At Her Majesty’s, was more successful than they could have imagined. In one fell swoop they redefined what a charity show could be and put Amnesty on the map as a viable force for public awareness.

And of course, they would have to do it again.

In 1979, they rebranded the event as The Secret Policeman’s Ball. This time around, not only did they have Cook and the Python crew returning, but added Rowan Atkinson to the fold. More significantly, however, was the addition of music between the skits. For time considerations, the acts would have to radically alter their arrangements and go acoustic, thereby creating the “unplugged” setting years before MTV laid claim to it. In this outing, the audience was treated to Pete Townshend performing “Pinball Wizard” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”

By 1981, the balls were the place to be, and for The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball, the crew rounded up Sting, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, and Jeff Beck to perform. Yet there was one performer who still needed convincing. Bob Geldof thought that big charity events such as this had no real effect and didn’t make much of a difference. Grudgingly, he accepted, and after seeing the result, he was inspired to create “Live Aid.”

There would be two more balls in 1987 and 1989 with Jennifer Saunders of Absolutely Fabulous fame, as well as noted comedian Hugh Laurie (yes, he had a life before House). Now, for the first time, all are available in one box set.

The three-disc collection includes all five balls, as well as the 2004 BBC documentary Remember The Secret Policeman’s Ball? Also on the docket are a wealth of extras including TV spots and news coverage of the events, as well as scenes cut from the original release.

Films: ***1/2 Features: ***1/2

Mirrors
20th Century Fox

Remember when horror films coming out of Hollywood would be something other than torture porn or remakes of better, Asian horror films? Me neither, and here we go again.

With Mirrors, 20th Century Fox reaches out to Korea for a remake of Geoul Sokeuro, with Kiefer Sutherland – as an alcoholic ex-police detective with marital problems – employed as a night watchman at a burnt-out department store. Seems the store has a bit of a past, with the previous guard having gone nuts and offing his family, or so it would seem. Apparently there’s some sinister forces living in the mirrors that make you do things you probably wouldn’t ordinarily do, like slashing your own throat or ripping off your own head.

Of course, Sutherland is immediately haunted by the mirrors, although curiously the other watchman on the job seems to suffer none of the visions.
Mirrors could have been an effective thriller if there had been just a hint that it all might only be happening in Sutherland’s mind. Instead, right from the beginning we know that it’s just a standard spook story with the mirrors providing constant “gotcha” moments where things jump out only to jar the audience in lieu of creating real suspense. Mirrors isn’t a bad film, just one loaded with missed opportunities. And hey, at least it ain’t another snuff flick.

The disc provides features on the making of the film, as well as an interesting discussion with sociologists and folklorists who provide insight as to why mirrors play so heavily in mythology.

Film: ** Features: ***

Also available . . . For those that haven’t learned their lesson from Tomb Raider or Resident Evil and still think films based on video games are a good idea, there’s Max Payne (20th Century Fox). Mark Wahlberg stars as a cop whose sole purpose in life is getting revenge on the ne’er-do-wells who killed his family, and to be part of unbelievably long slow-motion shots. Loaded with chat and short on action, Payne almost makes you pine for the good old days of Bob Hoskins picking up a paycheck for Super Mario Brothers.

– Timothy Hiatt

Burn After Reading
Universal

Seriously, are there any filmmakers out there with a more varied canon than the Coen brothers? They’ve run the gamut from pitch-perfect film noir (Blood Simple, No Country For Old Men) to surrealistic masterpieces (Barton Fink, O Brother, Where Art Thou?) to works that can only be described as WTF? (The Hudsucker Proxy).

Of course, as with any prolific directors, the duo are fully capable of generating the odd clunker here and there (Intolerable Cruelty), and unfortunately Burn After Reading falls a lot closer to the latter than the formers.

The film finds itself with a bit of an identity crisis – it wants to be a black comedy, but the initial pacing keeps it from truly being effective. Then (this being a Coen brothers film after all) all hell breaks loose and it seems to want to go for slapstick, but doesn’t really pull the trigger on that either. Too many plot twists with no setup or explanation are offered, and in the end, the film rests as a noble effort that doesn’t quite gel.

Although there are many characters and plot lines, the film revolves around two inept health-club workers who find a disc they think contains government secrets, so they first try to blackmail the owner, then try to sell the disc to the Russians. Of course, both efforts are thwarted, and all plotlines break down as a result.

The film’s shortcomings aren’t the fault of the A-list cast. From John Malkovich as the fired C.I.A. officer in the midst of a divorce from philandering wife Tilda Swinton, to George Clooney as the civil servant sleeping with everyone, and Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt as the gym rats out to make a big score, everyone gamely tries to make it work.

Perhaps it’s just a case of the Coens setting the bar too high. We’ve come to expect nothing short of brilliance from them in the past, so when a film misfires, the effect is magnified all the more.

The disc doesn’t offer much in the way of extras, either. There’s no commentary track available, and only a making-of feature, a piece on Washington insiders, and a section about Clooney’s previous work with the Coens is certainly non-essential viewing.

Film: ** Features: *1/2

The Dark Knight
Warner Bros.

By now you’ve probably seen it, and more than once. It is the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time worldwide, after all. So unless you’ve been living in a cave outside of Kabul for the past year, I don’t need to tell you about Christopher Nolan’s brilliant follow-up to Batman Begins. I’m sure you’re well familiar with the story of the caped crusader’s assault on the criminal underground of Gotham City and the fall out that follows.

You’ve probably already heard about the great performances by Christian Bale as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Aaron Eckhart as Gotham D.A. turned Two-Face Harvey Dent, and Gary Oldman as Lieutenant turned commissioner Gordon. You also may have caught wind about how the late Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker is pretty much a lock to win every award possible.

So what’s the point?

Point is, it’s shocking to find out that after putting so much effort into making one of the best films of the year, Warner Bros. would put so little effort into the DVD release of The Dark Knight.

After scoring big with the DVD release of Batman Begins, Warners seems to have just tossed Dark Knight out to the public with no real thought. Sure, you have the option of picking up either a single disc or a two-disc “special edition,” but the single only gets you the film, while the features on the two-discer are neither essential, nor special for that matter.

There are segments on the music and the making of the new batsuit, which are basic at best. They have also included the six scenes that were shot in IMAX for the film. Since these are presented as-is with no extra footage, you’d have to have a 60-foot screen in your home to get the IMAX effect. For the handful of people out there who still don’t have a 60-foot screen in their home, it’s pretty pointless.

The most glaring omission is anything whatsoever about Ledger. You’d think they would have found a little room to give him just a hint of a shout out. I’m sure when the inevitable super-duper-special-edition comes out in a couple of months, the oversight will be rectified.

Film: **** Features: **

– Timothy Hiatt

So the economy’s in the tank. Big deal. That shouldn’t keep you from treating those you hold near and dear to some great DVD sets this holiday season. Besides, you’d just spend the money foolishly on stuff like the mortgage, rent, food, or whatever. C’mon, anybody can do that.

The best stuff this year comes from the T.V. spectrum, with Sports Night: The Complete Series 10th Anniversary Edition (Shout Factory) leading the charge. Creator Aaron Sorkin’s criminally overlooked peek into the world of a 24-hour sports network ran for only two seasons, but provided a springboard for most involved to move on to greater success in future projects.

Peter Krause (Six Feet Under, Dirty Sexy Money), Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives), and Josh Charles (S.W.A.T.) head the cast, along with great supporting work from Robert Guillaume (“Benson”).

The eight-disc set contains commentary from Sorkin and various cast members on eight of the episodes, and a segment with ESPN’s on-air staff discussing the pros and cons of the fictional sports network.

The set will punch a $55 hole in your wallet, but it’s money well spent. Sorkin would of course go on to much greater success with The West Wing, also available with The West Wing: The Complete Series Collection (Warner Home Video) for about $120, and not-so-great success with the one-season-and-out Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, which you can pick up for about 45 bucks.

Of course, if you grew up in the ’80s, the sitcom that immediately springs to mind is The Cosby Show. Now, in perhaps the best bargain of the season, you can pick up The Cosby Show: 25th Anniversary Commemorative Edition (First Look Home Entertainment), a 26-disc set for around $90.

Every episode of the show’s eight-season run is included, along with a hardcover book, an interview with Bill Cosby, and a blooper section. About the only thing missing is a 25th-anniversary commemorative sweater.

Tracey Ullman came to prominence in the late-’80s with The Tracey Ullman Show, but nowadays finds herself occupying her time with Tracey Ullman’s State Of The Union (Eagle Media). The British comedienne adopts the guises of characters from all over the pop culture landscape from entertainment figures such as Renee Zellweger and Helen Mirren, political names like Nancy Pelosi, and newscasters Campbell Brown and Andy Rooney. The single disc contains all five episodes, as well as bloopers, deleted scenes, and Ullman screen-testing various characters.

And finally on the TV front, you can’t go wrong with Shout! Factory’s Mystery Science Theater 3000: 20th Anniversary Edition, still one of the funniest shows of the last 20 years. It’s four discs and four films featuring the MST3K goofballs’ trademark wise-ass comments hurled at the truly dreadful onscreen works. Special features include a cast reunion at the 2008 Comic-Con moderated by comedian Patton Oswalt, and trailers from the original films used in the set.

If music DVDs are what you’re looking for, ya gotta go with the classics.

Rush: Snakes & Arrows Live documents the Canadian threesome’s most recent marathon tour supporting their strongest album in years. The three-disc set has just about everything to excite both long-time fan and newcomer alike. A healthy mix of classics (“The Spirit Of Radio,” “Tom Sawer”) mix seamlessly with the newest tracks (“Workin’ Them Angels,” “The Larger Bowl”).

Also, check out Cheap Trick’s Budokan! (Epic/Legacy). The set contains four discs of both DVD and audio from the Rockford favorite’s star-making turn in the land of the rising sun. For an in-depth review, check out this month’s “Spins” section.

Last but not least is The Police: Certifiable (A&M). The two-disc set features a concert shot in Buenos Aires, along with bonus features. While I’m loathe to endorse products that are exclusively sold and marketed by one store, I’ll make an exception here. Certifiable promises to be the last time we get to see The Police on stage, as they’ve said that the two-year reunion/farewell tour was it. The End. Finito.

Or, if the history of rock reunions is any indication, until they decide to do it again.

– Timothy Hiatt

When you’re dealing with one of the most successful franchises in film history, it’s awfully hard to resist the lure of “just one more.” Producer George Lucas, director Steven Spielberg, and Indy himself Harrison Ford all gave in to temptation and dug out the whip and fedora for one more go ’round with Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull.

While it is better than Temple Of Doom, it doesn’t come close to the thrills and spirit of the original Raiders Of The Lost Ark or the cheeky fun of The Last Crusade. Instead, Skull takes a turn into X-Files territory with a convoluted plot involving ancient alien visitors and civilizations.

Set in 1957, the Russkies have replaced the Nazis as the chief villains. A brief plot line that has Indy suspected of being a red sympathizer is soon abandoned — a shame, as it would have amped up the suspense a bit. As it is, the film takes the standard race to find the artifact that will give its possessor ultimate power track.

Not along for the ride this time is Sean Connery as Indy’s father — there’s only a passing mention of his death the previous year. Returning, however, is Karen Allen reprising her Ark role of Indy’s love interest Marion. And hey, guess what? They have a kid! In an attempt to set up the franchise for future films (and in full Marlon Brando drag), Shia LaBeouf plays Mutt, the son Indy never knew he had.

Of course, there has to be a main villain, and Skull gives us Cate Blanchett as Irina Spalko, a Russian super agent. Half the fun of Skull is watching Blanchett gamely trying to hold onto her Russian accent for as long as she can before slipping back into her British brogue. In fact, the way she channels her inner Natasha Fatale, you keep expecting her to tell the henchmen to go after Moose and Squirrel.

In the end, Skull doesn’t damage the Indy legend, it just doesn’t add anything to it.

The highlights of the two-disc Special Edition are a 12-part behind-the-scenes segment, as well as a look back at the previous Indy adventures.

Film: **1/2 Features: ***

The Who At Kilburn 1977
Image Entertainment

When director Jeff Stein was working on The Kids Are Alright, his documentary chronicling all things Who, he realized he didn’t have a decent live version of “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Unacceptable. His solution — set up a couple of gigs before an intimate audience and let the cameras roll.

The Who At Kilburn is the first of the two shows to see the light of day in its complete form; only brief snippets of this particular show made it into the film.

The shows were also noteworthy for the bittersweet fact they were Keith Moon’s last two live performances with the band — he would die a mere nine months later.

Judging from some of the performances at Kilburn, it’s amazing so little of this set made the Kids cut. Kilburn’s run-through of “Baba O’Reilly” is far superior to the version used in the film, while “Summertime Blues” and “Shakin’ All Over” show The Who could still bring it just like they did in their early-’70s heyday.

Granted, they ain’t all gems. Kilburn’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is lackluster at best, and an early stab at “Who Are You” is downright embarrassing. Still, the hits far outweigh the misses.

The second disc in the set is billed as the Special Features, but it is in fact the complete 1969 London Coliseum show.

Shot with four 16mm cameras, my suspicion is the quality wasn’t good enough to justify releasing it as a stand-alone DVD. Thus, we reap the benefits by getting two for the price of one. Even though the film quality isn’t particularly up to snuff, the versions of “Young Man Blues” and “A Quick One While He’s Away” more than make up for it.

The remastered 5.1 sound on both discs is nothing to write home about, yet if sound quality means less than seeing The Who at the top of their game, Kilburn doesn’t disappoint.

Film: ***1/2 Features: ****

– Timothy Hiatt

As a kid spending a healthy portion of my misspent youth with a face full of comic books, I never pledged allegiance to either of the big two, Marvel or DC. Though others will argue to the death one is clearly better than the other (and God help you if you get in the middle of that one), when it comes to their characters on the big screen, Marvel wins hands down, if only through sheer volume.

While many of their entries range from average to unwatchable (The Punisher, The Fantastic Four), they have occasionally knocked one out of the park (Spiderman 2). Now, Marvel has set up their own film branch in a way to control their product away from the major studios. Iron Man, the studio’s debut entry, may have caused the new division a huge problem: They may have set the bar too high.

Director Jon Favreau takes one of Marvel’s not-quite-top-tier characters and crafts perhaps the best of the Marvel-related films.

It’s a simple tale of genius arms manufacturer Tony Stark, who, after getting captured in Afghanistan, uses his knowledge to craft a suit to help him escape. Once out, he puts his brains and considerable fortune to work for the common good. Of course, that affects the business’ bottom line, which cannot go unpunished.

If ever a film was perfectly cast, it’s Iron Man. With Robert Downey Jr. (and his history of excess) in the title role, Stark’s playboy image and hard-drinking ways are rendered with a sharpness than an actor with less history would have brought to the table. Jeff Bridges as Stark’s business partner, and Terrance Howard as his military contact are both equally strong, with only Gwyneth Paltrow suffering from a serious case of under-writing.

The two-disc set comes packed with special features, including exhaustive behind-the-scenes features, a complete history of Iron Man, and Downey Jr.’s screen tests.

Film: ***1/2 Features: ****

The Godfather:
The Coppola Restoration
Paramount

With new technologies come new opportunities. For every new advance, every next-big-thing, studios find themselves salivating over the prospect of repackaging and reselling beloved films to the masses all over again. Now, take the above situation and add to the mix a series of films so ingrained in the popular consciousness that their most hardcore fans can religiously quote any scene at any time. It’s a perfect storm that guarantees repackages and reissues of the Corleone family until the end of time, because for a great number of the masses, The Godfather is quite simply the Bible of all things film.

And so it came to pass that Blu-Ray won the hi-def video war, which meant it was only a matter of time before we would see the latest incarnation of The Godfather trilogy.

Paramount’s newest five-disc set of course contains the three original films remastered, plus two discs of Special Features. The tweaking of Godfathers one through three is pristine, with the colors and highlights being sharpened to really pop. However, it raises an interesting question: How many times can a film be restored and reworked before it moves too far away from the original vision of the director and director of photography? In the name of bringing a product up to date, does the original product lose any of the impact it originally had?

Having not seen the original two films in the theater (only Godfather 3, the good-but-not-great entry into the fray), it doesn’t appear to be that big of a deal. Purists, however, might disagree.

All that aside, The Coppola Restoration is stunning, and even if you don’t have Blu-Ray yet, the standard DVD set should have no problem pushing the other editions to the side, should you decide to pony up the cash. The first disc of extras contains features that were previously on other versions, while the second is all new. Segments on production problems and how the actual film was saved for restoration head the list.

Sure, it’s another reissue designed to separate you from some hard-earned cash for something you probably already have, but The Coppola Restoration could be the best release of the year.

Set and Features: ****

– Timothy Hiatt

After 45 years, countless live albums, and several live films and videos, it was only a matter of time before The Rolling Stones hooked up with Martin Scorsese. It’s a natural: The biggest band in the world teams with the most acclaimed director since Kurosawa, who seems to be contractually obligated to use at least one Stones song in each of his films. The only surprise is it took so long. Plus, it’s not like Scorsese is a stranger to concert films, having directed The Last Waltz — considered by some to be the greatest concert film ever made.

With apologies to Lloyd Bentsen, I’ve seen The Last Waltz. The Last Waltz is in my collection. Shine A Light, sir, is no Last Waltz. It is, however, a solid concert piece that could have been made by any number of solid directors, yet with one nearly fatal flaw on the DVD release.

Shot at New York’s intimate Beacon Theatre, Shine A Light finds Scorsese frantically trying to put together the show while the band are still out on tour, only getting a set list moments before The Stones take to the Beacon stage.

After that, he wisely takes himself out of the picture, and lets the music do the talking. The drawback is the uninspired performance. Despite good song selections, The Stones never quite catch fire. The exceptions being when guests Jack White and Buddy Guy arrive to give them a kick in the pants — White on “Loving Cup” and Guy joining them for a run through Muddy Waters’ “Champagne And Reefer.” Christina Aguilera also shows up to lend her vocal gymnastics to “Live With Me” — which makes for a film version of “what doesn’t belong in this picture.”

Yet what almost kills the DVD release is the atrocious 5.1 sound mix. Instruments are buried in the background, while the leads are jacked up to ear-splitting levels, then backed down again. Very distracting. Listening in normal stereo partly negates the effect.

A small special-features section includes four songs not included in the film, and with good reason. (Note to the band: Please stop letting Keith Richards sing. ‘Nuff said.)

The behind-the-scenes section plays out better than the actual film, however. It’s always great to hear Guy telling tales about his days with Waters and to see Mick and the boys talk with Albert Maysles, the director of the best Stones concert film, Gimme Shelter.

One final question for The Stones: When is Darryl Jones going to be made an official member? He has been playing bass since 1994, a tenure with the band longer than Brian Jones and Mick Taylor combined. Just asking.

Film: *** Features: ***

The Inglorious Bastards

Severin Films

When Quentin Tarantino announces a new film project, it’s big news. Despite coming out and seeing his shadow with a new flick every few years, the results have been mixed at best. So when he says a remake of The Inglorious Bastards, an obscure Italian-made World War II pulper is in the works, the interest in the original shoots sky high.

Enter Severin Films, which releases the flick in a three-disc set. The 1978 film features B-pic mainstays Bo Svensen and Fred “The Hammer” Williamson as part of a group of escaped Army prisoners out to ditch the war and head to Switzerland. On the way, they mistakenly mow down a covert American group out to sabotage a Nazi train. Of course, they take over the plan themselves.

Typical of most English-language films made in Italy, there’s stilted acting and a gratuitous scene with several naked women, but director Enzo Castellari handles it a notch better than average. Just a notch, mind you, but a notch just the same.

Tarantino starts the hype machine early by appearing in a feature with Castellari, and a documentary features Castellari, Svenson, Williamson, and other members of the cast and crew.

Bastards won’t make anyone forget other war movies of the time such as The Big Red One or Apocalypse Now, but then again, it never tried.

Film: ** Features: ***

Also Available . . . 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and MGM Home Entertainment are teaming up again this year with “DVDs For The Cure,” which will release special versions of Edward Scissorhands, The Princess Bride, Just My Luck, Little Miss Sunshine, and When Harry Met Sally on September 23rd. The promotion seeks to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research with portions of the specially packaged releases’ $14.95 price tag going to the Susan G. Komen For The Cure organization. The five new titles join the 10 released last year for the event, which include Legally Blonde, Moulin Rouge, Thelma & Louise, and There’s Something About Mary, among others.

– Timothy Hiatt

Swinging London of the late ’60s/early ’70s found itself at the center of the cultural universe. Music, fashion, literature . . . it was all happening there. The town also found itself at the center of the crime world in 1971 with the “Baker Street Bank Raid.”

A group of petty thieves planned and executed the second largest heist in British history. By tunneling into the Lloyds Bank in the Marylebone district, they managed to make off with more than £4 million.

Loosely based on the event, The Bank Job posits a scenario of how things went down on Baker Street. Since no one was ever arrested and the British government suppressed the investigation’s findings, the actual details are still murky. Hence, director Roger Donaldson is afforded a great deal of creative license.

The film perpetrates the heist was ordered by the government in an effort to recover incriminating photos of the royal family from a safe-deposit box. If the gang happened to swipe anything else while they were at it, so be it. Things go wrong, of course, when they happen to nab a list of London police officers on the take from a local club owner. That’s when the film really hits its stride.

Donaldson certainly knows how to wend his way through the twists and turns of an intelligent action flick, having previously helmed No Way Out and Thirteen Days. Here, he doesn’t go for the flashy Ocean’s 11-13 gloss, instead letting the story play out naturally. He never lets the audience get confused by the myriad characters, and keeps the action on an even keel.

The real standout is über-actioner Jason Statham as the down-and-out chop-shop owner looking to hit the big score and thus supply a way out for his family. Statham has generally been pigeonholed in the high-octane, fist-to-the-face-and-groin pics, but here gets a chance to turn it down a notch and establish himself as the thinking man’s action star. As the world-weary Terry, he hits all the right notes and only once cracks open a big can ‘o’ beatdown — which I believe he’s contractually obligated to do.

Also faring well is Saffron Burrows as the beauty who gets roped into setting up the job. Although her character is the one most inflated for the film — investigators acknowledge there was a woman involved, but they believe she played only a minor role — Burrows does a fine job, and keeps you guessing as to whether she’s playing both ends against the middle.

Special features include deleted scenes, a piece on the actual robbery (with interviews from detectives and journalists who worked the case), and commentary from Donaldson and Burrows.

Film: ***1/2 Features: ***

Neil Diamond: The Thank You Australia Concert, Live ‘76
Eaglevision

Ah, the summer of 1976: The Bicentennial, the big ships in New York Harbor, and four-out-of-five people dressed up like Ben Franklin. Yeah, I don’t remember it either, but they tell me it was cool.

So what better way to honor the nation than to throw a huge bash thanking all your supporters in . . . Australia. Hey, it worked for Neil Diamond, and it was before “America.”

The Thank You Australia Concert (can you say slow DVD month?) finds our Neil playing to about a bajillion people at Sydney’s Sports Ground, and in full camp, kitsch, and open-collared mode. Already overwrought numbers like “I Am, I Said” and “Longfellow Serenade” get taken to new heights, yet others like “Solitary Man” and “Cherry Cherry” fare better.

Basically it’s a mixed bag, and it’s an interesting snapshot of Diamond between his initial success and his recent return to respectability.

The disc includes extra footage, a behind-the-scenes piece, and an interview.

Film: ** Features: **1/2

– Timothy Hiatt

After the demise of The Clash, Joe Strummer wandered. His musical inspirations stagnate, he relegated himself to film scores and the odd acting gig with a side project or two here and there. Eventually, he would hold a series of “bonfire discussions” originating at the Glastonbury Music Festival. At these bonfires, anyone and everyone was welcome to sit around and discuss music, politics, or whatever was on their minds. Eventually, these assemblies would fuel Strummer’s own creative fire and lead him to assemble the next phase of his musical life, first with Latino Rockabilly War, and his final band The Mescaleros. It is these events that form the narrative thread of Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten.

Director Julien Temple entices a host of contemporaries to sit around the bonfire and ruminate warmly about the late frontman of “the only band that matters.” The lineup spans the course of Strummer’s life, from members of his first band, The 101ers, to fellow Clash-mates Mick Jones and Topper Headon, to musicians, actors, and others who felt his influence such as Bono, Johnny Depp, Martin Scorsese, and Jim Jarmusch.

The loving rememberences and Temple’s superb direction elevate the film above mere documentary status simply by his skills as a filmmaker. The interviews are far from static, and the archival footage of Strummer is fresh and alive, with many never-before-seen sequences. Although the film runs a good two hours, you never feel like you’re watching a history lesson.

If the interviews in the original film don’t satisfy your need for Joe stories, then the special features section should sate the appetite quite nicely, thank you. Another hour and 40 minutes of discussion from nearly everyone involved is included, as well as the commentary track from director Temple.

Film: ***1/2 Features: ***

– Timothy Hiatt

New Order: Live In Glasglow
Rhino

Though New Order’s on again/off again status isn’t always easy to predict, the bulk of the 2000s have been fairly productive thus far, including two studio CDs, a couple of hits collections, and the brand new Live In Glasgow (a concert film culled from its 2006 tour). The collection is stuffed with 18 tracks, from the obligatory dance-floor packers “True Faith,” “Bizarre Love Triangle,” and “Blue Monday” through today’s surprisingly vital electronic-laced expositions. “Crystal” and “Krafty” sound particularly relevant in the wake of groups like Interpol, Editors, and The Killers, while players’ influence upon those younger acts is particularly apparent during their Joy Division recollections. The timing couldn’t be better considering Anton Corbijn recently directed Control based on the life and death of frontman Ian Curtis, though surviving band members still do “Transmission,” “Shadowplay,” and “Love Will Tear Us Apart” remarkable justice.

But the true treasure trove comes during the second disc of bonus features mined from New Order’s rare and unseen vaults. Faithful can trace the group’s evolution from a burgeoning act with “Ceremony,” “I.C.B.,” and “Chosen Time” from Celebration 1981 to larger events like Rotterdam in 1985 (“Sunrise,” “The Village”) through 1989’s massive conquering of Hype Park Wireless with “Run Wild” and “She’s Lost Control.” Despite the early footage being a bit grainy and sometimes just above bootleg level, they make for charming additions to an otherwise exceptional collection.

Film: **** Features: ****

– Andy Argyrakis

Also Available . . . Proving three aging members, three chords, and the truth can still command a stage, ZZ Top release their first live DVD, Live From Texas. They may not play with the fire and sheer groove of their early days, but performing in front of the hometown crowd insures much adoration all around, and it’s still well deserved. The disc comes with loads of special features, such as a behind-the-scenes look at the day of the show and a photo shoot, as well as an extra performance of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxey Lady.”

How strange is it to be Bob Dylan? On one hand, you’re revered as one of the most respected and influential artists in the history of music. Every bit of your work is dissected, annotated, and sifted through for every possible meaning. On the other, your past achievements are held in such esteem that it’s often forgotten you’re still producing new material and are, in fact, still among the living.

On top of all that, you’re the subject of a film like I’m Not There.

Not a documentary but not exactly a bio-pic either, I’m Not There claims to be inspired by “the music and lives of Bob Dylan,” and features six different actors portraying characters who represent him in six different phases of his life. The entertwining segments vary wildly in tone, style, and coherence, and offer nothing in the way of understanding the artist or his impact.

There’s Marcus Carl Franklin in the role of Dylan as an 11-year-old black child, riding the rails and discovering the roots of American folk music. In segments shot documentary-style, Christian Bale appears as the Dylan who shot to stardom as the flag-bearer for the new folk movement, and eventually the Dylan who experienced a brief conversion to Christianity.

The late Heath Ledger shows up as the Dylan of the late ’60s, disillusioned with the political fights and the direction of his music, and Richard Gere acts in a Fellini-inspired segment as gunslinger Billy The Kid.

But the most talked-about performance belongs to Cate Blanchett, as Dylan gone electric. Although she was nominated for an Academy Award for the role, Blanchett’s segment turns out to be a surreal mash of scenes trying to cop the look of D.A. Pennebaker’s Don’t Look Back.

I’m Not There tries to throw everything it can into the mix, and as a result, turns out to be a jumbled mess. With a running time of two hours and 15 minutes, you stop caring long before the end-credits roll.

The special features on the two-disc set fare a bit better, with commentary by director and co-writer Todd Haynes, two deleted scenes, and a good segment on the music of the film.

There are a couple of decent moments in the film, so it’s not a complete loss. However, if you want a cohesive dissertation on the man and his impact, I’m Not There isn’t it.

Film: *1/2 Features:***

What’s Going On: The Life And Death Of Marvin Gaye / Greatest Hits: Live In 1976

Through archive interviews with friends, family, and the man himself, the tumultuous life of Marvin Gaye falls under the microscope in What’s Going On. From his childhood with a tyrannical father in Washington D.C. to his years as one of the biggest acts on Motown Records with founder Berry Gordy serving as a surrogate father, What’s Going On paints the picture of a man torn in several directions by his family, his Motown responsibilities, and the growing social concerns of the late ’60s.

Of course, his volatile relationship with his father would ultimately cost him his life, as he was gunned down during an argument with the man in 1984.

On top of the interview segments, the film uses re-entactments to highlight certain portions of Gaye’s life to surprisingly good effect.

Packaged together in a two-disc “collectors edition,” Greatest Hits: Live In 1976 comes from a performance in Amsterdam and gives exactly what the title says — the hits. However, Gaye wasn’t on top of his game that night, so there’s nothing really ground-breaking in the set that you can’t live without.

Special features are a little light, with only What’s Going On featuring extra material, including extended interviews and bonus live performances.

The two-disc set isn’t essential for your collection, but the documentary makes it worth your while.

What’s Going On: *** Features: **1/2

Live In 1976: ** Features: None

– Timothy Hiatt

Time was when an independent film simply meant a film released outside the studio system by an independent production company. However, once the Sundance festival became as much of a corporate-sponsored entity as any other film festival in the world, a vast majority of independent films have tried to one-up each other on the hipness scale.

This trend might well have reached its apex with Juno.

Writer Diablo Cody’s look-at-me script tries to throw in all the elements needed to assure its indie cred, and quite simply, the first half hour of the film is practically insufferable. Between the precocious dialog and scenes like setting up a living-room suite in the front yard, Juno doesn’t just try to hammer the indie vibe, it repeatedly bludgeons you about the head and ears with the fact that it’s an INDIE!!!

Yet after the initial barrage of hipster phrasing and hamburger phones, a funny thing happens: The story and acting take over, and the film settles into a solid groove. It’s as if Cody realized she could actually let the actors do their jobs without having to execute all of her verbal gymnastics.

In a breakout role, Ellen Page plays Juno, a 16-year-old who unwittingly gets pregnant during a one-night stand with her high- school pal, Paulie Bleeker. With the support of her father (played by the wonderful J.K. Simmons) and stepmother (Alison Janey, also quite good), she decides to give the kid to what she hopes will be a loving family — the painfully young urban professionals played by Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner.

Across the board, the cast is spot-on, with only Garner drawing the short straw. Not that she isn’t good in the part, it’s simply that hers is the only underwritten role in the film. Michael Cera in particular shines as Paulie, perfectly exuding the awkwardness and befuddlement that comes with being an awkward and befuddled teen. It’s a role he has played in his other work such as Arrested Development and Superbad, so I really don’t see an extended career once he hits the mid-20s, but right now there’s no one better at playing this character.

Juno’s two-disc set comes loaded with special features: Commentary by director Jason Reitman and Cody, screen tests from the cast, blooper reels, and the inevitable deleted sceens to name just a few. In all, a wealth of Juno minutiae.

Film: *** Features: ****

The Clash: Revolution Rock Live
Epic

When you think about it, there has really only been a handful of bands more storied and influential than The Clash. Having survived the initial rush of the late-’70s British punk movement, the foursome went on to inspired countless socially conscious D.I.Y. bands since. Of course, that statement is nothing new. It’s like saying The Who played loud.

Produced by Don Letts (Clash guitarist Mick Jones’ partner in the post-Clash Big Audio Dynamite), Revolution Rock presents The Clash in various live settings thoughout the course of their career: from the raw early days of ‘77 for “White Riot,” to their sets opening for The Who at Shea Stadium for “Should I Stay Or Should I Go?”

Revolution Rock includes some great and not-so-great footage of the band at the height of their power, and the disc also includes the infamous guest appearance on Tom Snyder’s “The Tomorrow Show.”

You also have the option of watching the disc with or without the narration between songs. I recommend viewing without, as there’s nothing new offered.

Performances: *** Features **1/2

Also available . . . You may only think of Carlos Santana for the latin vibe, but Carlos Santana Plays Blues At Montreux 2004 (Eagle Eye Media) shows he can hold his own with some blues legends. Santana is joined at the Montreux Jazz Festival by Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Bobby Parker, and Buddy Guy for run-throughs of such standard as “Got My Mojo Workin’” with Brown, “Watch Your Step” with Parker, and a couple of extended jam sessions with Guy. The sound quality of the disc is excellent, and while the performances don’t break any new ground, there’s nothing like watching masters of their craft doing what they do best.

– Timothy Hiatt

What is it about the end of the world? The current trend is to speculate about what the planet would be like if humans weren’t around to tend to the old homestead. Both The History Channel and The National Geographic Channel have run specials about it, and there’s I Am Legend.

Legend, the tale of a scientist wandering the ruins while trying to find the cure for a population-destroying plague, is the third time the Richard Matheson book of the same name has hit the big screen. Vincent Price first tackled the role in one of his best films, The Last Man On Earth. Next up, Charlton Heston grumbled his way through The Omega Man. Now, Will Smith steps to the plate.

After a cure for cancer turns out to have the nasty side effect of killing 95 percent of the human population, Smith finds himself alone in the ruins of New York City. Well, not exactly alone. Seems that most of the remaining populace that wasn’t killed by the disease has turned into bloodthirsty, zombie-like creatures. Hey, we haven’t seen that before!

Despite giving us things we’ve seen time and again in the standard zombie flicks, Legend does contain a good portion of genuine scares. You know from the music cues that something is going to jump out of the shadows, yet you still jump when it happens.

The film looks great as well, for the most part. Director Francis Lawrence does a great job turning the Big Apple into an overgrown jungle, but the film stumbles when it comes to the zombies. Instead of actors in makeup, Legend relies completely on CGI effects to wake the dead. It’s understandable that they would want to avoid comparisons to films like 28 Days Later by doing this, but the results almost pull you out of the story completely.

The two-disc set contains two complete versions of the film, with the second version expanded by four minutes and giving you an alternate ending. There are also four animated shorts that deal with how the virus played out in different parts of the world. For more special features, you have to plunk the disc into your computer and access the rest via the Web. Frustrating, and completely unnecessary.

Of the three versions, I Am Legend looks the best, but I’ll still opt for Vincent Price. What can I say? I’m old school.

Film: *** Features: **1/2

Albert Collins:
Live At Montreux 1992
Eagle Eye Media

What would guitar month be without a shout to the master of the Telecaster, Albert Collins?

Live At Montreux 1992 is actually two Montreux performances by Collins — the ‘92 show and four songs from his 1979 appearance in the special features section. Of the two, the ‘92 set is preferable, not only because the sound quality is superior, but for being filmed just a year before Collins’ death in 1993.

Despite the relatively short set list of only seven songs, ‘92 finds Collins in as good a form as he had ever been, firing off blistering leads and generally having a whale of a time. The ‘79 set is worthwhile, but the sound quality drags it down.

Aside from the ‘79 performance, there are no other special features

Performance: *** Features *

Also available . . . Fans of former Faith No More frontman Mike Patton will be interested in digging up A Perfect Place (Fantoma Films), the short feature by director Derrick Scocchera featuring Mark Boone Junior, whom you’ll recognize from Batman Begins, and Bill Moseley as two dimwitted criminals trying to find a place to dump a body. The film was scored by Patton, who gives it a nice, jazzy feel to go along the the noirish aspects. The short film itself is average, but Patton’s work makes it worth picking up. Both the film and the soundtrack come in the same package, and the soundtrack runs about twice as long as the film itself. Quick side note: Patton also provided the voice (or grunts) for the creature in I Am Legend. See how things come full circle?

– Timothy Hiatt

Do you like having the newest gadgets? Does the thought of running out and buying the latest technology, no matter the cost, make you a little moist? If so, you might have been one of the few who plunked down some hard-earned coin on a spiffy new HD-DVD player. Guess what? You’re screwed.

In late February, Toshiba, the world’s largest manufacturer of HD-DVD players, announced they would cease HD-DVD production. This announcement effectively brings to a close the latest round of video-format Darwinism, and leaves Sony’s Blu-Ray format at the top of the high definition DVD heap.

Hey! Sony finally won one!

Way back in the early days of home video, it was Sony’s Betamax video format that got its milkshake drank by VHS. Although many hardcore Beta afficionados will go to their grave insisting Beta’s quality was better, they still ended up with big, expensive paperweights. Stop by your local retirement home and ask the residents what these Beta and VHS kajiggers are. They’ll know what I’m talking about.

While the difference in HD-DVD and Blu-Ray quality is basically a non-factor, no one who has paid attention to the rival formats can say they didn’t see this coming. Several major studios, including Disney, 20th Century Fox, and MGM abandoned HD-DVD and went exclusively with Blu-Ray. This in turn gave Netflix customers less options, and also in February Wal-Mart announced that it would only stock Blu-Ray. On top of all that, Playstation 3 is also a Blu-Ray player.

The Dagger!

So what’s the deal? What does Blu-Ray have that HD-DVD does not? Its main attraction is its ability to store a lot more data on a disc. A standard DVD that you can burn in your normal DVD burner holds 4.7 gigs per side. Blu-Ray offers 25 gigs per side. The quality upgrade comes form its blue-violet laser — hence the term Blu-Ray. Standard DVDs are read by a red laser. Despite one being read by Darth Vader’s lightsaber and the other one with Luke’s, Blu-Ray players will read standard DVDs as well, so you won’t have to run out and buy yet another copy of The Lost Boys. On the other hand, if you’ve found yourself buying multiple copies of Lost Boys every time the formats change, you really don’t deserve the new technology anyway.

Three factors fall in Blu-Ray’s down side column: First, there’s a good chance you’ll have to upgrade your TV or entertainment center. Then again, we’ll all have to upgrade our system in one way or another when TV signals go hi-def, but that’s for another time. The second, and most prohibitive for most, is cost. A recent trip through the Best Buy aisles found that Blu-Ray players hover between $400 and $1,000 bucks. These two things alone aren’t really too big of a deal, as prices will without a doubt come down now that things are shaking out.

The third factor that could complicate things a bit more is digital downloads. With iTunes and other download sources offering films with similar quality to users with computer media centers, it’s up in the air how long Blu-Ray will remain the “it” thing. The battle may be won for now, but the war may be moving to another front.

Still, the Blu-Ray victory will lead to more film choices on the shelves as studios now have a clear read on which way the wind is blowing, and computer manufacturers will no doubt start including the players in their new models.

So, sorry HD-DVD buyers. Look on the bright side — your 8-Track, cassette, and Beta players will have a new friend occupying the shelf with them. The rest of us can go ahead and consider yet another purchase in the name of the next-big-thing. Or, we can simply wait for the next phase, where our home-entertainment choices are wired directly into our brains.

– Timothy Hiatt

What seems to be troublin’ ya, bunkie? Are you bummed because you haven’t seen a new episode of your favorite show in months? Do you feel you’ll projectile vomit if you stumble across another inane “reality” show? Have you gotten a little sick of all those high-falootin’ writers thinking they should get paid for their work? Rest easy, troubled soul. I’m here to help.

So the TV season came to a grinding halt, big deal. There are old shows returning mid-season, and this is the perfect opportunity to discover and catch up with some gems you may not have watched before or even heard of otherwise. And let’s not kid ourselves here: “Heroes” really sucked this year anyway.

First off, there’s BBC America’s “Doctor Who” spinoff, “Torchwood.” Think “X-Files” with a lot more action, a lot more monsters, and a lot more sex. “Torchwood” revolves around a covert team of alien hunters (the outer-space kind, of course, not the illegal ones we’re all supposed to be afraid of) trying to keep tabs on the unwanted visitors to our fair planet. The crew is led by Captain Jack Harkness, played by Joliet-reared John Barrowman. Ya see, Captain Jack can’t die, a trait that gives him a little more insight into the metaphysical nature of the prey they’re hunting.

The “outsider” who comes in to put the whole thing in perspective arrives in the form of Gwen Cooper, played by Eve Myles. She’s a former cop who joins the team to counter balance their sometimes renegade impulses.

The first season of “Torchwood” is available on a seven-disc set that comes packed with special features. Six of the discs contain behind-the-scenes pieces on just about everything in the show, while the seventh disc is dedicated to breaking down all 13 episodes.

Although it’s a “Doctor Who” spinoff, and there are cursory references to it in the show, you really don’t need to be up on “Who” to enjoy “Torchwood.” However, you can’t go wrong by catching up with the original.

The venerable British mainstay was revived in 2005, with Christopher Eccleston assuming the Doctor’s guise. Along with his new partner, Rose (Billie Piper), the new “Doctor Who” maintains the spirit of the ’70s and ’80s version, while updating the effects and making the storylines a bit more relevant. Sure, the Daleks and Cybermen are still around, but they’re a lot cooler now.

Eccleston lasted one season before handing the reins over to David Tennant, and Piper lasted the first two before tagging out of the ring to Freema Agyeman. All three seasons are available on DVD and each, like “Torchwood,” comes loaded with special features.

Of course if your tastes for the bizarre run a little more American, “Lost” returned to the air for eight episodes in late January. The previous three seasons are available on disc, and it’s rumored that if you watch the entire run all at once, you might actually have a chance of figuring out what the hell’s going on. I wouldn’t bet on it, though.

Perhaps after all the alien hunting, time travel, and island hopping, you’re ready for a good old-fashioned, gut-busting comedy. For that, I give you “One Tree Hill,” perhaps the funniest show to come along in a decade.

This is a tough one to figure out. It’s either meant to be played straight, in which case the horrendous dialogue and even worse acting produces more laughs per minute than anything on television, or it’s a brilliant parody of every other “teen-angst” show to come down the pipe.

Here’s what we know: “Hill” revolves around a group of teens whose sole purpose in life is to hang out and brood over everything. One assumes they’re so mopey because, apparently, they go to a school for models in a state with no drinking age.

The cast is led by Chad Michael Murray, who has two expressions — constipated and more constipated. Yet as bad as he is, he’s put to shame by castmate Sophia Bush, quite possibly the worst actress in the history of filmed media, and that includes homemade porn.

The first four seasons of “Hill” are available on disc, and the series returned for its fifth year in mid-January. Parody or a howler — you be the judge.

– Timothy Hiatt