DVD Releases for the Week of Jan. 20, 2009

If you feel brave this week, look no further than Repo! The Genetic Opera, winner of multiple awards at last summer’s Fantasia Film Festival. It is a strange amalgam of classic, cult and mainstream that may be off-putting to fans of a single genre. Its cast billing alone exemplifies its diversity: Sarah Brightman (classic & rock opera singer), Anthony Head (Giles of Buffy fame) and Paris Hilton (like, duh!). Like Sweeney Todd or The Rocky Horror Picture Show, it’s a macabre rock opera, this time set to a futuristic theme dealing with genetics and mega corporations.

The release of such a genre-diversified film makes the rest of the American releases (save one) look like pretty raw choices in comparison. Saw V is yet another sequel to the torture porn series that started the unfortunate branch of horror. Max Payne is yet another action film based off a video game and starring Mark Wahlberg (whose “one special thing” in this movie is the ability to murder in slow motion). Or if a period football drama about changing demographics is your cup of tea, you might want to watch Remember the Titans instead of this week’s release - The Express. On the independent circuit, The Deal stars William H. Macy and is about a down-and-out producer who must get a big star in his new movie (sounds a bit like Bowfinger). Perhaps slightly more interesting is the comedy/drama Henry Poole is Here, which has been receiving some good press from Christian institute reviewers. It stars Luke Wilson as a man with a terminal illness who abandons humanity in a sense of hopelessness, only to find that faith and hope won’t leave him be. The American film that might be worth checking out this week is Save Me, directed by Robert Cary. A gay drug-addict is brought into a Christian detox center where both his addiction and homosexuality are the subject of “deprogramming”. One critic said “what’s admirable about Save Me is that it grounds its religious and cultural debate not in vilifying one side but in sympathizing with both.” (source)

For youth of all ages, the animated Igor or live-action City of Ember may be of interest. While neither received high praise, they are sure to be sure-fire attention grabbers for children, and likely easy viewing for adults. The first is the story of Igor, the hunch-backed sidekick of the Frankenstein series. In this film, he decides to defy the scientific community by becoming a lead scientist himself. The second film takes place entirely underground, in a city called Ember. The biggest draw to this film would be the star power of Bill Murray, but the main characters are kids who embark upon a quest to find a new power source for the failing generator.

There are few films from abroad this week, and one of them was directed by Canadian Roger Spottiswoode (Under Fire, Shake Hands with the Devil). The Children of Huang Shi has been called a parallel to Schindler’s List in terms of its storyline. It stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers (“The Tudors”) as a journalist who helps save orphans during the Japanese occupation of China. While critic were split on its impact, it is the most epic release this week and should please fans of the historical melodrama, and maybe shed a bit of light on history, despite the usual liberties taken. King of the Hill (El rey de la montana) is a Spanish thriller about a man who gets lost in the woods and is mysteriously shot at and consequently hunted until the finale. For a little less Spanish scare and a little more Spanish romance, Elsa & Fred (Elsa y Fred) is a typical romantic comedy with little at stake, and the only mysterious hunters around the corner are looking for kisses.

Film enthusiasts will want to check out the 7+ hour long MGM: When the Lion Roars. It chronicles the studio’s film history from 1924 to 1986, along with hours of movie clips, interviews, stars, and lots of positive nostalgia about the decades of cinema included. While not a critical look, it is instead an ode to MGM and should thus be treated as eye candy rather than a true look behind-the-scenes. Also note that this doc was run on television in 1992, so it may feel a bit dated by today’s standards. Frontrunners, on the other hand, does not gloss over its subject matter. Set in a prestigious American public high school, it follows the process of electing a student body president, and draws comparisons to any major election run by adults. The candidates learn how to market themselves to the divergent populations of their school, and make promises they don’t always intend to keep.

Criterion Collection continues its stepped up release schedule. El Norte is a Guatemalan film that is perhaps the first of a genre of film that continues to this day. Enrique and Rosa are brother and sister who decide to flee to the United States in hopes of a new life. Magnificent Obsession shows the flipside of the economic scale: rich white Americans in the 1950s. Douglas Sirk’s film is about a playboy who begins a flamboyant relationship with the widow of a recently deceased doctor. It was filmed in Technicolor and Criterion’s transfer brings to light the colours of the time. Trailers for both films can be found on Criterion’s website (here). Lastly, a re-release of interest this week is the 1986 film, Children of a Lesser God. It stars John Hurt who plays alongside Marlee Matlin, who won an Oscar for her role in the film. The deaf actress plays a student who begins a love affair with her teacher.