LAND OF THE DEAD
Universal Home Entertainment

- The Master of Zombie Horror is back with an exciting new film! Imagine after establishing the genre with the original "Night of the Living Dead," George A. Romero could reinvent the genre -- and he does! He even features film making fans from "Shaun of the Dead" in cameo performances. Romaro fans will be delighted and fascinated at his new direction in the genre!

The story opens in some imaginary small town where a group of human soldiers are scavenging for supplies, food and equipment when the leader, Riley (Simon Baker) observes something odd. The Zombies are 'acting' like they are still alive and they are playing musical instruments and doing their jobs. Also, one guy, Big Daddy (Eugene A. Clark) realizes that humans are hiding nearby and he alerts the others. Riley has never seen this before and no one will listen when he tells them that something is different. Change is happening. Instead, the wealthiest man, Kaufman (Dennis Hopper), who runs things in the nearby city lives like a king in a huge enclosed glass skyscraper. He's only interested in maintaining the status quo. So, he sabotages Riley's plans to leave town and rejects the No. 2 warrior, Cholo's (John Leguizamo) plan to move into the glass tower. Big mistake! Meanwhile, the Zombie Big Man picks up a discarded machine gun and discovers a new sense of power against the human who are dangerous when they aren't being 'food.' The Zombie learns how to survive and even Riley recognizes that they are also looking for a safe place to exist.

"Land of the Dead" is a scary new film that is very, very gory and speaks of the class conflict in modern times. George Romaro says that he thought of the Bush administration but most of his fans won't interrupt his horror film that way. Instead, they'll be entertained and enjoy the show!

This unrated version includes Romaro's audio commentary, story boards, scream tests, killer music video, the "When Shaun Met George" documentary and an informative "Making of " featurette. Horror fans will be delighted!

CARLITO'S WAY: Rise to Power
Universal Home Entertainment

- It's a pity that the producer of "Scarface" and "Carilto's Way" didn't find another director rather than his son to direct this prequel to the Al Pacino cult classic. Instead, Martin Bregman let his son, Michael direct and the results is a dull, dull movie. "Carlito's Way: Rise to Power" takes place in the 1960s with Carlito Brigante (Jay Hernandez), a twenty-something Puerto Rican ex-con teams with his two cell mates -- (Mario Van Peebles and Michael Kelly) -- to form a multi-racial Heroin cartel in Harlem. The trio's success gains the respect of the Italian mob but Carlito's luck doesn't last for very long. Rising to the top quickly, Carlito discovers that respect and loyalty are in short supply.

The film easily captures the look of Harlem in the 1960s and the difficulty of life on those mean streets. However, while the original "Carlito's Way" had a mesmerizing star at the center of it's film, handsome Jay Hernandez is too green to command the big screen like Pacino. Furthermore, the plot and dramatic scenes lack intensity because the original film also provided an intriguing look at the fast changing drug culture in America. The cleverness and style that Carlito utilized to gain power just isn't on the screen. Mario Van Peebles is good but has little to do and Sean Combs, the rapper known as P. Diddy, looks good but that's all! Veteran actor, Luis Guzman , who appeared "Carlito Way," makes an appearance but his presence doesn't add any punch to the violent confrontation. Director Martin Bregman, who also wrote the screenplay, simply doesn't have an intriguing story to tell. That's unfortunate because given the power of the original Pacino film, this is a missed opportunity!

The disc does have interesting behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes and a look back at Harlem.

THE INTERPRETER
Universal Home Entertainment

- Sydney Pollack’s The Interpreter is a first-rate suspenseful thriller. Nicole Kidman (Cold Mountain and The Human Stain) stars as Silvia, an interpreter who overhears the plot to assassinate an African leader on an upcoming visit after she returns to work one evening to pick up some personal items. She’s certain she heard a threat and there is a possibility that she was seen before exiting the building. US agent, Tobin Keller (Sean Penn) doesn’t believe her because Silvia once resided in the African nation whose ruler is now under threat. And, he soon discovers that she was a member of the rebel alliance against that same ruler after her parents were murdered. Silvia tells Keller that she has changed and feels that by working at the United Nations, she can achieve more than carrying a rifle.

Pollack (The Firm) weaves a tense whodunit with a historical backdrop of African genocide and bloody politics that’s rarely seen in American cinema. It feels like something one hears on the evening news. The UN setting is wonderful and it’s the first time a film was actually shot on the premises. The intricate political and military set up of the UN is explored as well as the quirky personalities of the characters in the story.

Sean Penn plays a cop mourning his recently deceased wife. There is no need for chemistry between Penn and Kidman because the characters aren’t suppose to necessarily like one another. Penn’s distrust of Kidman seems smart and genuine. His no-nonsense, wise-cracking partner, Dot played by Christine Keener provides some laughs and it would have been nice if we saw little more of her. It was also good to see veteran actor, Michael Wright (Sugar Hill and The Five Heartbeats) in supporting role. The Interpreter is clever, smart and timely as it mixes nuances of current events and modern day mysteries together.

The disc has several features including deleted scenes, an alternate ending and ducmentaries exploring the life of real interpreters, a look at the United Nations and Syndey Pollack at work. This is very interesting stuff for a mature audience.

Edited by Veronica Mixon
images courtesy of Universal.

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