DVD/VIDEO REVIEWS week of June 15, 2009
This week's DVD and Blu-ray releases
The following are capsule reviews of new and recent DVD and Blu-ray releases from the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Theatrical movies have a USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification and Motion Picture Association of America rating. These classifications refer only to the theatrical version of the films below, and do not take into account the discs' extra content.
The Fox and the Child
Delicate fable in which a woman (voice of narrator Kate Winslet) recalls how, as a 10 year old (Bertille Noel-Bruneau), she became fascinated by a wild fox and, after a long and adventurous pursuit, managed to win the animal's trust and companionship. Captivating visuals compensate for a leisurely pace in director Luc Jacquet's loving and lustrous portrait of his native Ain region in eastern France, which rates as excellent family viewing, though scenes of peril may frighten the most sensitive youngsters. Spanish titles option. A-I -- general patronage. (G) (Warner Home Video) 2007
Franz Jagerstatter: A Man of Conscience
Inspiring half-hour profile of Franz Jagerstatter (1907-43) a devout Austrian Catholic and third order Franciscan beheaded by the Nazi regime for refusing military service during World War II, and beatified as a martyr in 2007. Filmmakers Jason A. Schmidt and Ron Schmidt, S.J., use archival footage, interviews with Jagerstatter's widow and two of his four children as well as his own writings -- poignantly read by narrator Martin Sheen -- to chart the life and explore the legacy of this courageous resister. Retired Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton of Detroit reflects on Jagerstatter's significance as a role model for pacifists. Additional features on the widescreen DVD include a 10-minute introduction to Catholic just-war theory from Bishop Gumbleton and brief scenes of Jagerstatter's family and hometown of St. Radegund as they are today. (Maryknoll Productions) 2008 (www.maryknollsocietymall.org)
The Little Shop of Horrors (Rifftrax Edition)
Cheesy cult comic chiller in which a dim florist's clerk (Jonathan Haze) nurtures a small carnivorous plant, then winds up killing people to feed its insatiable appetite as it grows to monstrous size. Directed by Roger Corman, the tongue-in-cheek proceedings range from the weird to the gruesome, including a masochist (Jack Nicholson) who enjoys visiting dentists and a plant that calls out, "Feed me," when it's hungry. Comic violence, menacing situations and sexual innuendo. The DVD allows the option of listening to wacky commentary by Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett of "Mystery Science Theater 3000." A-III -- adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Legend Films) 1960
Night of the Living Dead (Rifftrax Edition)
Low-budget horror movie whose plot centers on a group of strangers barricaded in a farmhouse while radiation-animated corpses who feed off the living try to storm in for their prey. Directed by George Romero, the unpolished look of the production (grainy black-and-white photography and use of local Pittsburgh residents) has a makeshift quality helping to sustain the dimension of nightmarish unreality. Every once in a while, there is some unconscious humor which nicely relieves the tension and helped earn its cult reputation. Several fleeting but graphic scenes of ghouls gnawing on various parts of the anatomy. The DVD allows the option of listening to wacky -- sometimes sophomorically irreverent -- commentary by Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett of "Mystery Science Theater 3000." A-III -- adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Legend Films) 1968
Rosary Stars: Praying the Gospel
Valuable two-hour guide to this essential Catholic devotion features professional athletes such as baseball stars Jeff Suppan and Mike Sweeney and entertainers such as Matthew Marsden, Alejandro Monteverde, Eduardo Verastegui and Matt Gallant, along with respected figures from other professions, leading the recitation of the joyful, sorrowful, luminous and glorious mysteries of the rosary. Each mystery is preceded by the reading of a printed meditation as well as a personal reflection from the prayer leader. The widescreen DVD also includes a 10-minute introduction to the method of praying the rosary, with emphasis on its use as a family prayer, and a timeline of its development through history. Especially effective as an invitation to the rosary for youngsters and teens. Spanish titles option. (Family Theater Productions) (www.familytheater.org)
Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail
Intermittently amusing sequel in which the outsized antics of the comically wayward titular matriarch (Tyler Perry) are interspersed through a sober drama about an Atlanta assistant district attorney's (Derek Luke) effort to reclaim a childhood friend (Keshia Knight Pulliam) who has become a drug-addicted prostitute, despite the objections of his pampered fiancee (Ion Overman). Perry, who also wrote and directed, lacks a subtle touch and indulges in a few mild impieties, but he also pays tribute to the redeeming effects of faith and forgiveness, especially through the character of a dedicated minister (Viola Davis). Prostitution theme, off-screen rape, a scene of physical abuse, drug use, some sexual and slightly irreverent humor, a few crass words and at least one use of profanity. Spanish language option.
A-III -- adults. (PG-13) (Lions Gate Home Entertainment)
2009
Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic
merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating,
the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief
synopsis of the movie.
The classifications are as follows:
- A-I -- general patronage;
- A-II -- adults and adolescents;
- A-III -- adults;
- A-IV**
- L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
- O -- morally offensive.
** Discontinued classification. All archived movies that were originally in the A-IV category are now classified as L.