DVD Spotlight

Harold & Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay

By Joe Galm

After the unforeseen cult success of the duo’s 2004 big screen debut, Harold and Kumar return to the spotlight in a sequel that picks up only hours after the first concluded. Despite the titular quest being far more daunting to the team in comparison to a mere munchies run, fans of the original flick are in for more of the same. Stoners rejoice!

The film begins with the pothead duo on their way to Amsterdam in pursuit of Harold’s hottie Maria. Of course, their plans are quickly derailed. Mayhem ensues.

The movie itself isn’t exactly delicate in handling racial issues and it often panders to common misunderstandings of color in order to produce punch lines. Thus, it comes as little surprise that pals Harold and Kumar are mistaken as terrorists and are sent to Gitmo within the first fifteen minutes of the movie. What’s left after a quick escape is a film of bottomless parties (“topless” being overrated), mutants, a ménage à trois involving a giant [female] bag of marijuana, and, of course, Neil Patrick Harris.

Escape got away with $38 million in theaters alone on a very meager budget and will likely perform well on small-screen formats, catering greatly to those viewers who like their…umm…”privacy.”

Distributor: New Line
Cast: Kal Penn, John Cho, Neil Patrick Harris, Rob Corddry, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Cavid Krumholtz, Beverly D’Angelo, Danneel Harris, Christopher Meloni, Roger Bart and Eric Winter
Directors/Screenwriters: Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg
Producers: Greg Shapiro and Nathan Kahane
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R for strong crude and sexual content, graphic nudity, pervasive language and drug use.
Running time: 102 min.
Release date: April 25

Shine a Light

By Phil Contrino

If you didn't catch this glorious collaboration between Martin Scorsese and The Rolling Stones when it made a successful run through IMAX theatres, then you've already missed out on one of the funnest, most electric theatrical experiences of the year.

With that said, Shine a Light is not entirely worthless on DVD. The quality of the music hasn't changed, and you even get to digest four songs that were not seen in theatres. Plus, the crackerjack editing and dynamic cinematography are still very apparent even on the small screen.

While the Stones work their way through their popular hits with a vigor that defies their age, it's their duets with the likes of Buddy Guy, Christiana Aguilera and particularly Jack White of the White Stripes that really stand out.

Another aspect of the film that hasn't lost a step in the transition is the tit-for-tat that Scorsese and Mick Jagger engage in before the concert even begins. Between Jagger's continued concerns about camera placement and Scorsese's concerns about setting the singer on fire with stage lights, they make one hell of a comedic team.

Unfortunately though, the knockout final shot of the film ultimately serves as a reminder of how this dream pairing was intended to be viewed.

Distributor: Paramount Classics
Cast: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood and Martin Scorsese
Director: Martin Scorsese
Producers: Victoria Pearman, Michael Cohl, Zane Weiner and Steve Bing
Genre: Music/Documentary
Rating: PG-13 for brief strong language, drug references and smoking
Running time: 122 min.
Release date: April 4

The Deal

By Joe Galm

Originally produced for British television back in 2003, The Deal, which tells the story of Tony Blair’s much-publicized rise to the forefront of the Labour party, has flown under the radar for over five years only to land on DVD shelves this week.

The title itself refers to an eventual pact between Blair and Gordon Brown as to who would head the party leading into the 1997 election, with their agreement serving as a proverbial climax isnce one is not truly present in the film. Instead we are given a presumably straight-forward dramatization of the key political figures of the time with patch-work media clips added to provide a documentary type feel. Similar tactics were used by director Stephen Frears in his much heralded, unofficial sequel The Queen, though there he exercised a more precise vision and appropriate restraint. In The Deal, most dramatic purpose is lost in a sea of uninspired, by-the-books plotting that does nothing outside of exercising the known superficialities of politics. The film also fails to offer any commentary of its own on the moral complexities of its players.

Despite being a well-acted picture, I doubt that the public will pay much mind to such standard fare, especially since HBO has already broadcast it for its subscribers. Although, there has been talk of another project, which writer Peter Morgan and star Michael Sheen are attached to, that would focus on Blair's dealings with Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Distributor: Miriam Collection
Cast: Michael Sheen, David Morrissey, Frank Kelly, Elizabeth Barrington
Director: Stephen Frears
Screenwriter: Peter Morgan
Producer: Christine Langan
Genre: Drama
Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 84 min.