The Accused (1988)

WHY I OWN IT

I can't remember the details on every movie in my DVD collection, but I'm pretty sure that my wife picked this up in a $5 bin of DVD's somewhere.

THE FILM
Running Time: 110 minutes
Directed By: Jonathan Kaplan
Written By: Tom Topor
Main Cast: Jodie Foster, Kelly McGillis, Bernie Coulson, Leo Rossi, Ann Heam Click here to view the trailer

"The Accused" kind of works like a glorified, more professional Lifetime movie. Jodie Foster plays Sarah Tobias, a young waitress who, one night, is gang raped in a bar called The Mill. She is able to flee her attackers and a courtroom drama follows, as her lawyer Kathryn Murphy (McGillis) goes so far as to take to trial the men who cheered it on and instigated it. At times the film feels really generic, from the music to the acting. Some of the acting is top notch, like Jodie Foster, who no doubt earned her Academy Award. Foster has always been a very underrated actress, even in my own mind. I always forget to remember her when I'm thinking about all the good actresses that I've seen. In "The Accused" she totally transforms herself, leaving no trace of her real self or any other characters she's played. Leo Rossi and Carmen Argenziano also turn in good supporting performances. On the other hand, I'm no fan of Kelly McGillis and some of the other supporting performances are downright awful. The music is quite generic, but it usually serves it's purpose to make the picture feel more intense or dramatic. The rape scene is incredibly vulgar and uncomfortable and I'd even go so far as to call it an even more vicious scene that the one in "Irreversible". This one had more of a story behind it and thus, just felt more powerful. By the time we even see the rape scene, that little room in the back of the bar with the pinball machine, has been built up with so much of an aura, that it makes your skin crawl to even see the characters enter into it. I love how the story in "The Accused" is always treated like a real case that they're dramatizing. In the end, I think film fans will notice both negatives and positives about "The Accused", but ultimately the positives win out.

RATING: 7/10
THE DVD

Just a trailer...

THE BOTTOM LINE

I looked and apparently this is the only edition of the movie available. It's very vanilla and provides no supplements, but fans of the film can probably find it for super cheap in a bin somewhere and even if you've never seen it, this film is worth a $5 blind buy. Jodie Foster shines and shows why she's a two-time Academy Award winner.

About Schmidt (2002)

WHY I OWN IT

Another clear-cut case of "watched it, liked it, bought it". I actually liked this one A LOT upon my first viewing. In fact, I liked it so much that for about a month I actually signed up for one of those ChildReach type programs, where I had planned to sponsor a less fortunate child in a third world country. Unfortunately, I didn't have the funds to keep up with that plan.

THE FILM
Running Time: 124 minutes
Directed By: Alexander Payne
Written By: Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor, from novel by Louis Begley
Main Cast: Jack Nicholson, Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney, Kathy Bates, June Squibb, Howard Hesseman
Click here to view the trailer

As I write this, Alexander Payne's newest film, "The Descendants" has recently opened and the Oscar buzz for it is already in the air. I'm so glad that Alexander Payne has returned to the director's chair after a six year hiatus, because "About Schmidt" proves that Payne is fantastic at creating real, very human characters that are easily relatable. "Schmidt" tells the tale of Warren R. Schmidt, a recently retired, soon to be widowed elder who takes a cross-country RV trip to attend his daughter's wedding - of which he objects to. The film uses narration to fill in a lot of it's holes and give us a little more insight into the mind of Schmidt. However, it's a clever narration, as Schmidt writes to a foster child that he's sponsoring and it's not just a narration as a cheap way of getting information across. The characters, situations and atmosphere all feel very real. The homes we go into feel like real homes and the situations that occur, although saturated in comedy, still feel like very real situations. I love how the film speaks about the happy faces that we feel we have to put on, as we encounter acquaintances and new faces throughout our lives, acting fake to make ourselves seem more normal. Nicholson knocks a home run way out of the park as Schmidt, as he totally transforms himself into an old man and not the cool cat we're used to. However, the film does have a really slow pace, so have some patience with it. It actually has a slower pace than I remember it having and thus didn't quite live up to my previous opinion.

RATING: 7.5/10


THE DVD

Just a few things here, as far as special features go. No commentary this time, but there is a trailer.

Woodsmen Short Films
These are probably only included as a thrown bone to the assistant editors that compiled them. Basically what they are, is footage that was shot by a 2nd unit, stuff that might have been used during the opening credits sequence to the final film. As a project, Payne apparently asked his editors to compile short films from the stock footage that was filmed and five mini movies were created. They're nothing really, just different shots around the city of Omaha, very similar to the one that starts the film. However, the third one is actually quite good and accompanied by a very entrancing piece of music that I wish they could have somehow fit into the final film.

There are nine deleted scenes as well, but nothing of real note. They're all preceded by writing on the screen from Alexander Payne, explaining why they were shot and why they were cut. If I had to pick a favorite, there was a decent one where Schmidt is awakened by the same vacuum that is running when Helen dies. He wakes up fully, possibly thinking that Helen's death was all a dream, only to discover that Randall is running the mini-vac.

THE BOTTOM LINE

As far as the DVD itself goes, this one kind of sucks and with 2012 being the 10th Anniversary of "About Schmidt", it could really use a "Special Edition" DVD. The movie is great, but it may not be for all tastes and I think a lot of impatient movie goers are going to find it much too slow. Give it a rent first and if you like it, then by all means, buy it.

ON DECK: The Accused (1988 - Jonathan Kaplan)

About Adam (2000)

WHY I OWN IT

I've mentioned before that my wife is a big Kate Hudson fan and thus we own ALL of her films.

THE FILM
Running Time: 97 minutes
Directed By: Gerard Stembridge
Written By: Gerard Stembridge
Main Cast: Stuart Townsend, Kate Hudson, Frances O'Connor, Charlotte Bradley, Alan Maher
Click here to view the trailer

You know, there's a pretty basic, "back of the box" recipe for a romantic comedy. In "About Adam" writer-director Gerard Stembridge takes that recipe and adds in a few of his own spices to create something that is very clever and a lot of fun. Adam (Townsend) meets Lucy and in about a half an hour's worth of film time they fall in love. However, Adam isn't what he appears to be, as a more deceptive side of his personality is shown and he uses this deceit to make Lucy's two other sisters also fall under his spell. I had pretty much written this one off from the get-go, but as the story evolved and I realized that they really had something fresh going on here, I got more into it and by the end was convinced that this wasn't nearly the rubbish that I had initially made it out to be. The acting could use a little work, but the story is top notch, bringing a Woody Allen-esque story to the city of Dublin, Ireland, but being a little bit more outgoing than something Woody would do. This would be the perfect film for a rainy Saturday afternoon in bed, when you're not up to putting a whole lot of thought into your movie choice. Seal of approval granted!

RATING: 7/10

THE DVD

No commentary, not even a trailer. The only thing that is included, as far as supplements go is a "Behind the Scenes Featurette". Run of the mill stuff here with a seven minute run time and interview excerpts with Gerard Stembridge, Stuart Townsend, Kate Hudson, Frances O'Connor, and Charlotte Bradley.

THE BOTTOM LINE

If you're in the market for a DVD packed with loads of special features, then this wouldn't be your DVD, but if all you need is a fresh, clever comedy then look no further. I don't think this would work for everyone, but apparently tonight the mood was just right and this struck me as a very fresh comedy. A breath of fresh air, so to speak, when you think of all the same, drab romantic comedies that come down the pipeline, year after year.

ON DECK: About Schmidt (2002 - Alexander Payne)

About a Boy (2002)

WHY I OWN IT

I saw "About a Boy" probably not too long after it was released on DVD and loved it instantly. I'm sure the purchasing of the DVD didn't come too long after that first viewing.

THE FILM
Running Time: 102 minutes
Directed By: Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz
Written By: Peter Wedges, Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz, from the novel About a Boy by Nick Hornby
Main Cast: Hugh Grant, Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, Rachel Weisz
Click here to view the trailer

This film has a lot of heart! And while that isn’t what ultimately attracted me to it, it sure doesn’t hurt. The story here is very relatable, because I think all of us face a point in our lives when we’re forced to do a little growing up. Here, Will (Grant) is a thirty-eight year old man who spends his days squandering his inherited wealth. When he meets Marcus (Hoult), he’s forced to look at himself in a different light and in the end, the two benefit from their unusual relationship. The music by Badly Drawn Boy only helps to move the story along and actually fits in VERY well. Hugh Grant is terrific and I love how the film does an outstanding job of mixing drama and comedy. The film is actually hilarious, while not being overly funny and knowing when to draw back on the comedy and come on heavy with the heart. The film has the amazing quality to surprise me every time I watch it. Even when I think it isn’t going to hold up through yet another viewing, it keeps on impressing me every single time. Give this one a shot, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

RATING: 8.5/10

THE DVD

Several special features to tackle this go around, so let's get to it. For starters, there IS a commentary by the Weitz Brothers, for the interested.

Trailer - I watched it and surprisingly, I have a gripe about it. They only actually included a little 30 second spot, instead of the full theatrical trailer, which I think is pretty bush league. Ah well...
Spotlight on Location: The Making of About a Boy
This was approximately ten minutes in length and was your run of the mill "making of" featurette. Interview excerpts from Nick Hornby, Chris & Paul Weitz, Grant, Collette, Hoult and Weisz included.

Badly Drawn Boy
This was an approximately 20 minute interview with Damon Gough a.k.a. Badly Drawn Boy. He talks, not only, about the music that he composed for the picture, but also talks about his musical inspirations and future plans. Not the kind of thing that I'd be looking for in a special feature, but not dreadful either.

Also included are two "Badly Drawn Boy" music videos: "Something to Talk About" and "Silent Sigh". On a side-note, the music is actually really good and something that I could envision myself listening to. Here are a few links to some "Badly Drawn Boy" tunes, including one that isn't in the movie:

Something to Talk About
Silent Sigh
Spitting In the Wind

Deleted Scenes
Nothing terribly noteworthy here. The scenes aren't busted up into their own chapters, but rather included as one, long, fourteen minute piece. None of them are THAT dreadful and are mostly just longer takes of scenes that remained. If I had to choose one that I would have kept in, it would be the longer take of Marcus' first visit to Will's flat. Grant is hilarious, in a subtle way.

"Santa's Super Sleigh" - Lyrics to the entire song: Pretty self explanatory.

English to English Dictionary - Actually quite a clever inclusion. Breaks down the British slang that is used in the movie and gives us the American meaning.

THE BOTTOM LINE

While it doesn't look like much from perusing the back cover, the DVD itself actually packs a punch, including several interesting features and taking us a little deeper into the creation of "About a Boy". The movie, as you can tell from my mini review, is a personal favorite and one that I think all sorts of audiences would have the capability to enjoy. There are no other versions of the movie available on DVD, but there is a blu-ray if the mood strikes you and I'd highly recommend it, no matter the optical medium you prefer.

ON DECK: About Adam (2000 - Gerard Stembridge)

8MM (1999)

WHY I OWN IT

Was shown to me by my brother, probably not too long after it was released on DVD (or VHS). At the time I thought it was brilliant and if I'm remembering correctly, it was one of my very early DVD purchases.

THE FILM
Running Time: 123 minutes
Directed By: Joel Schumacher
Written By: Andrew Kevin Walker
Main Cast: Nicolas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, James Gandolfini, Peter Stormare, Anthony Heald, Catherine Keener
Click here to view the trailer

“8MM” tells of Tom Welles (Cage), who is hired by a wealthy widow to verify the authenticity of a snuff film. The film shows a girl seemingly being murdered, but whether its camera tricks or reality is up to Tom to figure out. I’ve always liked private detective stories, where the hired eye must follow MANY different leads, going from town to town, talking to different people in an effort to uncover the mystery. That’s what we have here and it all takes place in a very gritty, underbelly of society. The film was penned by Andrew Kevin Walker, the writer of another one of my favorites, “Seven” and it’s not hard to notice that. The cast is excellent and you can say what you will about Nicolas Cage, but he delivers a fairly solid performance here and is surrounded by a bevy of skilled actors to back him up, like James Gandolfini, Peter Stormare and Joaquin Phoenix. My opinion of “8MM” has dropped a few notches since my original viewing, but it still holds up quite well and is one of those films that you rarely hear about, that is also very good. It’s a keeper!

RATING: 7/10

THE DVD

Not a whole lot to deal with here. There is a commentary by Joel Schumacher, but if you remember correctly, I don't mess with those. The trailer's there too, along with a "making of" featurette. However, the featurette is only about five minutes in length and works as kind of an extended trailer or something you might see on TV nowadays and dubbed as a sneak peek. VERY brief interview excerpts from Cage, Phoenix and Schumacher are included.

THE BOTTOM LINE

I went on IMDB the other day, about a day or so after watching this and discovered a topic about Joel Schumacher. I clicked into it and was surprised to find that a lot of people aren't big fans of this movie. I, on the other hand, think that it is a very solid picture and one that really gives you that gritty, scummy feeling. It's not Cage's worst work, by far and as I noted above has a knockout cast and a really good story, with the final result being something that worked very well with me. Give it a try, you might love it!

6ixtynin9 (1999)

WHY I OWN IT

I bought "6ixtynin9" sometime after I watched "Last Life in the Universe". It was a blind buy and was bought solely so that I could see another film by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang. I was so blown away by "Last Life in the Universe" that I just had to see another one of his films and his films aren't the most accessible.

THE FILM
Running Time: 118 minutes
Directed By: Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
Written By: Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
Main Cast: Lalita Panyopas, Black Phorntong, Tasanawalai Ongarittichai, Sinsin Siripornsmathikul

Let me just say right off the bat, that this is a very clever little film. The story follows Tum (Panyopas) and picks up on the day that she is laid off from her job. When she arrives home, she contemplates suicide, but changes her mind and decides to get some sleep. The next morning, when she opens the door of her apartment, she finds a noodle box. Inside the noodle box is lot of cash - about $25,000 worth. You see, some gangsters were supposed to drop the dough off at the #9 apartment, but instead dropped it off at Tum's #6 apartment. Since the #6 on Tum's front door is broken, it often falls, making it look like a #9. The mix-up is in place and with Tum out of a job, she decides to do anything necessary to keep the loot. This is a very fun, very clever movie. Ratanaruang started off with a pretty straightforward plot and then sprinkled in a lot of little twists, turns and pulls of suspense. He also peppered in a dash of comedy and the final product is a film that I'd highly recommend. I can't believe this one doesn't get more love, because it seems to be the type of film that non-foreign film watching people would really get a kick out of, no matter what the language. I'd actually recommend this film to anyone wanting to become more of a foreign film aficionado, as it's clever and gripping enough to attract the attention of anyone with a pulse. Probably one of the best DVDs I've ever blind bought and it still holds up today. This was actually only the second time I've seen it, as the size of my DVD collection prevents me from watching a lot of things as often as I'd like.

RATING: 8/10
THE DVD

Not so much goodness on the supplemental material side of things. The original Thai trailer is included, but that's all folks.

THE BOTTOM LINE

With a quick look at Netflix, I discover that this is on their "SAVED" list and thus not available. If you're a fan of crime flicks or just a fan of having fun with your film of choice, then definitely pick this one up if you can find it for a reasonable price. The DVD itself leaves a little to be desired, but the film is more than enough to warrant a viewing. Highly recommended and a permanent fixture on my DVD shelf.

50 First Dates (2004)

WHY I OWN IT

My wife is a fan of Adam Sandler, so thus we own a decent amount of his films. However, I am the one that actually brought this into the collection, as I owned it prior to even meeting my wife. From June 2003 to July 2005, I worked at Movie Gallery and during that time I saw basically every new DVD release that was put out. I would frequently purchase a lot of the films that I liked at the store, once they were pulled from rental and placed on sale. "50 First Dates" is one of those movies.

THE FILM
Running Time: 99 minutes
Directed By: Peter Segal
Written By: George Wing
Main Cast: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Lusia Strus, Blake Clark, Dan Aykroyd

When you're admitted into the "Official Film Buff Club", one of the first rules is to never find enjoyment in an Adam Sandler film. Well I guess they'll be revoking my membership card, because I'll be damned if "50 First Dates" didn't hold up. The story revolves around Henry Roth, a ladies man who lives in Hawaii where he's a practicing veterinarian. One day, he meets Lucy Whitmore and finds himself falling in love. Only problem is, Lucy has short term memory loss, as a car accident has left her unable to make new memories. Now, if Henry wants the girl, he'll have to make her fall in love with him every single day. Sure the plot is pretty far fetched, but for the sake of a good romantic comedy, I can throw realism out the window and simply enjoy myself. The movie treats the story REALLY WELL and as far as I can tell, there aren't even any plot holes, which you'd expect from such a complex story...well, complex for a Sandler comedy. Everything is pretty much addressed too. Just when you find yourself asking "Well what if..." or "Why wouldn't she just...", the topic is addressed and your suspicions on the integrity of the story are put to rest. Another interesting thing about "50 First Dates" is the fact that Sandler isn't really the primary source of comedy in the picture. He's more of a leading man type with Sean Astin and Rob Schneider (who I generally detest, but actually isn't bad here either) getting the comedic coups. The story is a really sweet one and while it isn't the greatest love story ever put to film, it's certainly a very good one. The ideas are original and the ending may just be enough to bring you to tears.

RATING: 7/10


THE DVD

Audio Commentary by director Peter Segal and Drew Barrymore.

Featurettes
The Dating Scene
This is your standard DVD featurette. It runs approximately 20 minutes in length and covers the production of the film. Comments from Sandler, Barrymore, Peter Segal, Sean Astin, Rob Schneider and Dan Aykroyd are included.

Talkin' Pidgin': Hawaiian Slang
Pretty self explanatory. Approximately 4 minutes in length and talks about traditional Hawaiian slang and what it means.

Comedy Central: Reel Comedy
This aired on Comedy Central prior to the release of the picture. It's hosted by Rob Schneider (in character as Ula) and has interviews with Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore and Sean Astin. Shows clips of the film and is basically just 20 minutes worth of promotion for the film.

Deleted Scenes
All deleted scenes are less than 2 minutes in length and there are 5 in total. They are...
*Encouraging Responses - Another early attempt of Henry trying to pick-up Lucy at the restaurant.
*Good Samaritan - Early attempt of Henry trying to pick-up Lucy on the road.
*Second Wind - Fairly decent little scene of Henry bringing Lucy home at 3am, only to find her Dad waiting up. Henry proceeds to lend Lucy's Dad his fishing boat so that he and Doug can have some free time. Henry sticks at the house to keep an eye on Lucy. They could have left this one in actually.
*Lucy's Studio Art - Lucy painting her father's garage.
*Lucy's Anger - Another 40 second little scene that could have/should have been left in. Lucy flips out after hearing about her condition for the first time, throwing paint cans around her father's garage before running down the dock, screaming.

Other Features
Music Videos
*"Hold Me Now" by Wayne Wonder
*"Amber" by 311 (live performance)
*"Love Song" by 311

Blooper Reel - 7 minutes in length
Commercial for Adam Sandler's new comedy album

THE BOTTOM LINE

I really expected this to wind up becoming a good candidate for the "SALE" pile, but after watching it, it really holds up well. There are a lot of BAD Sandler movies out there, but this isn't one of them. If you're in the mood for something good, that you're not going to have to put a lot of thought into, then this is highly recommended and it would also work really well on Valentine's Day too, with your wife or girlfriend. This DVD isn't a half bad one either, with a few deleted scenes worth watching and plenty of info on the production of the film itself.