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SPECIAL FEATURE
DVD & VIDEO REVIEWS
by Veronica Mixon September 6, 2003
	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers New Line Home Entertainment - The second film in the incredible Lord of the Ring trilogy is better than the first. Director Peter Jackson turns the epic into spectacular action film as Saruman's army make war on Middle Earth. Meanwhile Frodo and Sam must trust Gollum, a mysteriously obsessed creature as the continue on the quest to destroy the One Ring. Stunningly visual as a cast of thousands battle enchanted monsters and the fellowship members all try to remain faithful to their beliefs. This film picks up where the first ended and yet, it easily stands alone and can be enjoyed by anyone not familiar with the books. The two disc set includes incredibly in-depth production features, several short films about the places in Middle-earth; a 10-minute behind the scenes preview of the third installment The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; music videos, a preview of the electronic video game and a look at the upcoming Special Extended DVD edition. There is also a short film directed by Sean Astin (Sam) and much, much more. The LOR DVDs give viewers a look at the creative process and the people who contribute to these epic films. It is intriguing to see the smallest thing come to life. the-scenes and an audio commentary.
	Sleeping Beauty Disney DVD - Heralded as the last fairy tale produced by Walt Disney, Sleeping Beauty is the enchanting tale of princess who is cursed at birth by an evil witch. Three good fairies try to protect her by changing a death sentence into a deep sleep that can altered when she's kissed by her true love. There are classic songs and visual delights, most especially the evil witch. Audiences will realize how the Disney animated features were developed -- European art, classic music, etc. It's historically interesting but also mildly dated. The two-disc set has lots of featurettes about the music, the animators and how they drew the action sequences and background; games and much, much more. Collectors of animation will appreciate the historical perspective.
	Alias: The Complete First Season Buena Vista Home Entertainment - She looks like Emma Peale! Fast, sleek and sexy! But Sydney Bristow (Golden Globe Award-winner Jennifer Garner) is no Emma Peale. The first time you see Sydney in the first episode, her head is under water and she's being beaten and tortured by Chinese intelligence in Hong Kong. In fact, this young female daredevil gets her butt kicked a lot but she's still pretty invincible. I'd never watched the series but the awesome DVD release of back-to-back episodes about an young woman who discovers that she doesn't really work for the CIA and has to become a double agent to bring the global criminal organization down quickly drew me into its hypnotic action web. I fell in love with the series! Creator J.J. Abrams cleverly produced a complicated show about a second generation spy who has to deal with weekly international missions; leading a civilian life that has already cost her a fiance and turn in her graduate papers on time. The series is brilliant and the stunts are breathtaking! The six-disc set includes the series, and such clever features as gag reel, "inside stunts," audio commentaries, a video game sneak peek and much more. The audio commentaries, unfortunately, were a bit boring but the stunts and the series is awesome!

	Confessions of a Dangerous Mind Miramax Home Entertainment - George Clooney's directorial debut is a gutsy, quirky, imaginative bio-pic of Chuck Barris based on his own autobiography. A poignant, dark, amusing book that contained Barris's confession that he worked for the CIA and had been a hit-man while producing a slew of daffy game shows during the 1960s, Clooney's clever film explores an outsider's view of Hollywood success and a yearning for approval. Rising star Sam Rockwell (The Green Mile) stars as Barris and Drew Barrymore ("Charlie's Angels") is his long-suffering girlfriend. Clooney's dazzling visual sets of Barris's TV shows, Sixties Los Angeles and the murky world of cold war Europe serves his story well. Julia Roberts, as a femme fatale is stunning. The disc includes feature commentary with Clooney; deleted scenes, six Behind the Scene vignettes, The Real Chuck Barris Documentary and much, much more. It's a clever rendering of one of the most ambitious film debuts this year.
	View from the Top Miramax Home Entertainment - This laugh-out-loud comedy of a white trash beauty who dreams of seeing the world while working as a international stewardess has a super cast. Gwyneth Paltrow ("Shakespeare in Love") stars as Donna, a smart, ambitious young woman who trains to be the best at Royalty Airlines. When her best friend (Christina Applegate) gets the big Apple assignment and she gets Cleveland, Donna is re-acquainted with the love of her life (Mark Ruffalo). Eventually, she discovers a way to get the New York and suddenly she must make the big decisions about love, loyalty and friendship. Paltrow gives a wonderful performance and she's supported by a wonderful cast including Candice Bergen, Kelly Preston, Rob Lowe and the zany Mike Myers. Charming! The disc has an informative and funny featurette, History of the Flight Attendant and includes a look at the musical artists from the soundtrack and a behind-the-scenes look. It's lots of fun.
	Holes Disney DVD This charming tale about a kid who breaks a bothersome curse on the men in his family will delight audiences of all ages. Plagued by bad luck, Stanley Yelnats (Shia LaBeouf) is sent to Camp Green Lake, a very old place that's neither green nor possessing a lake. It is there that he makes a cherished friend and we learn the origin of the curse. This story is about family, loyalty and love. Veteran actors Jon Voight, Sigourney Weaver, Patricia Arquette and Henry Winkler gives heart-warming and funny performances. But, it's the colorful camp mates -- Squid, Armpit, ZigZag, Magnet, X-Ray and Zero -- who will delight you the most. The disc is stuffed with extras including a gag reel, six deleted scenes, cast and director commentary, music videos and a behind the scenes featurette.
	Shogun Paramount Home Entertainment A classic mini series based on James Clavell's best-selling novel about 17th century English explorer who finds his way to Japan to compete with the Portuguese trade. Back in 1980, this series was ground breaking stuff because there was a dearth of stories about historical Japan. Richard Chamberlain, who was best known for his romantic role in "The Thorn Birds" and as the young doctor in "Dr. Kildare," stars as the determined John Blackthorne, the ships navigator. He witnesses the violent feuding between warlords including Toranaga (Toshiro Mifune "Rashomon") and falls in love with the beautiful teacher (Yoko Shimada)assigned to him. "Shogun" is like watching a daily soap opera because it's pace is rather slow but curious viewers can be intrigued by the different acting styles of the international cast and the elaborate costumes. The five disc set includes the nine hour series, 13-segment documentary on the Making of "Shogun," historical featurettes about The Samurai, The Tea Ceremony and the Geisha. The director Jerry london also provides audio commentary on select scenes. History buffs and Richard Chamberlain fans will be delighted.
	Dysfunktional Family Miramax Home Entertainment This outrageous look at comedian Eddie Griffin's hilarious family reunion as he returns home to the Kansas City neighborhood he grew up in! Griffin, who is best known for his films "Undercover Brother" and "Double Take," delivers a raw no-holes-barred commentary about the zany relatives in his family. Comedy fans will be delighted. The disc includes a look at the Premiere of the film and some deleted scenes.
	Edited by Veronica Mixon images courtesy of Buena Vista, Disney, Miramax, New Line and Paramount. to TOP