NEWSThe PhilmGuy's DVD Review: 'Eclipse'; 'Going the Distance'
Nov. 30 2010, Published 6:09 a.m. ET
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse – It took three tries, but someone has finally managed to crank out a decent Twilight flick. Director David Slade does away with many of the CW-style clichés from the first two films for a semi-articulate stab at the simmering love triangle between the Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner characters.
The movie debuts on Blu-ray/DVD combo and DVD Friday, lacking a digital copy but doing fans proud with a strong slate of extras, including a lengthy making-of documentary, deleted scenes and a cast commentary.
THE PHILMGUY REVIEWS: BLACK SWAN
Fantasia/Fantasia 2000 Blu-ray – Disney’s two bizarre, oddly entrancing fusions of classical music and animation debut on Blu-ray together as a double pack that includes DVDs of the films. The value in the package is impressive, with filmmaker commentaries, a feature-length documentary about Walt Disney’s artistic collaboration with Salvador Dali. As Disney animated classics go, these aren’t for all tastes, with the lack of an overarching story and dialogue making the films eclectic.
Vampires Suck – It probably helps that I’m a sucker for Naked Gun-style parodies, but Vampires Suck, which mercilessly mocks Twilight, Mad magazine style, had me chuckling the entire time. Twilight provides ample material for the film to skewer, and filmmakers Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer take advantage of them all. Several deleted scenes – none of them worthy to have been included in the movie – fill out a host of weak extras.
Knight and Day – Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, two past-their-expiration-date stars, grunt their way through this gimmicky action comedy. Cruise plays a fugitive spy who ropes Diaz’s Jane Sixpack character into a series of wild escapades. The brainless movie didn’t make many waves in the summer multiplexes, but its flaws are a lot more forgivable on home video. The Blu-ray/DVD/digital copy combo pack includes a smattering of dull extras that are as inconsequential as the film itself.
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Meet the Parents/Meet the Fockers Blu-ray – To help stir up interest for the bizarrely late threequel, which is debuting in December, six years after Meet the Fockers, the earlier movies in the hit-and-miss comedy series debut on Blu. Some might clamor for the films to be released together in the manner of the Fantasia movies, but it’s better that the movies are available separately so you can pick up diamond-in-the-rough Meet the Parents and leave the tone-deaf Meet the Fockers to die in the value bin. Both discs have deleted scenes, commentary tracks, outtakes and spotlights on the cat that appears in the movies.
THE PHILMGUY REVIEWS: BURLESQUE
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – Proving he’ll take on any project, at any time, no matter how moronic, Nicolas Cage tackles a whopper of a debacle, starring as a Highlander-like immortal magician who takes an apprentice (Jay Baruchel) under his wing, drawing him in to a ludicrous, seemingly neverending ancient battle between forces of wizardry. Think Harry Potter, only not interesting in any way. The Blu-ray is stacked with a digital copy and DVD version, as well as deleted scenes, outtakes and a look at the “science” behind sorcery.
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Waking Sleeping Beauty – Disney pats itself on the back with this interesting but somewhat dry documentary that examines the animation studio’s renaissance that started in the late 1980s, producing such masterworks as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King. Special features take a closer look at some of the players involved Roy Disney, Walt’s nephew, who shook up the executive board. There is also filmmaker commentary.
Going the Distance – Drew Barrymore and Justin Long play a couple who maintain a fledgling relationship while living on opposite coasts. Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia wildcard Charlie Day adds a subversive tint to the by-the-numbers romantic comedy, but he’s not onscreen enough to breathe much life into the proceedings. The Blu-ray includes a DVD, digital copy, commentary, deleted scenes and a head-scratching guide to long distance dating.
