DVD Picks & Pans: Rx for Cabin Fever

Military.com - Tom Miller

The holidays are over, but winter marches on. And, on. Out here in Hog Heaven, that means at least three more months of snow, freezing rain, frosty temps and cabin fever. 

Fortunately, cabin fever isn't fatal.  Usually. It's also preventable if you find the right antidote.  For some, it's a daily run; others hit the cross-country ski trials; many camp out at the mall; a fortunate few fly away to Hawaii. 

For a short-term fix, you might brew some hot chocolate, microwave some popcorn, and settle down with a Hollywood elixir. Take two of these and call me in the spring.
************************************************************

Burn after Reading
DVD-2008 ($29.98, Universal Studios Home Entertainment) Also available in Blu-ray.

The Coen Brothers ("Fargo," "No Country for Old Men") put together an all-star cast (including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, and Tilda Swinton) for this odd-ball send-up of the CIA. 

The comedy of errors begins when CIA analyst Osborne Cox (Malkovich) is forced out of his job and decides to write his tell-all memoirs.  It's the last straw for Cox's wife Katie (Swinton), who's already having an affair with a federal marshal, Harry (Clooney).  On the advice of her divorce attorney, Katie secretly copies Osborne's computer files.  Along with his financial records, however, she also gets a draft of his memoirs.

The attorney's secretary drops a copy of the disc at a local health club where it falls into the hands of employees Chad (Pitt) and Linda (McDormand).  After viewing the compromising files, they hatch a plan to sell the disc back to Osborne or to the Russians.  Meanwhile, Linda also hooks up with Harry via an internet dating service. 

The goings-on soon attract the attention of the CIA, but the Agency can't make much sense of it.  But, it's a farce, and that's the point. 

Okay, so nobody will mistake "Burn after Reading" for the Coen Brothers' celebrated crime farce "Fargo," but it's still very funny.  The star-studded ensemble cast is solid, but J. K. Simmons, who plays the CIA head, steals scenes if not the movie. 

Military.com Rating: *** ½

(DVD extras include featurettes "Finding the Burn" (on the making of "Burn after Reading"), "DC Insiders Run Amuck," and "Welcome Back George.")

************************************************************

The Tudors: The Complete Second Season
DVD-2009 ($40.99, Showtime/Paramount)

The second season of Showtime's popular and naughty historical drama arrives on DVD January 6.  [To discover where you might have fit in Tudor society, check this site] 

It's no accident that Michael Hirst, the creator of "The Tudors," wrote the feature film "Elizabeth." That film stars Cate Blanchett as a young Queen Elizabeth I. Here Hirst turns his attention to the Virgin Queen's infamous father, King Henry VIII. Yes, that Henry VIII. The one with the six wives. This, however, isn't the overweight, misogynist Henry VIII that we're familiar with from Western Civ lectures. This is the young, sexy, fashionable Henry--the Mick Jagger of his day if Showtime is to be believed.

Some historians have raised objections to this racy and frothy version of the story, but the producers and writers have made an effort to stick closer to the historical record in Season Two. Anyway, since the result is an entertaining romp, and at the same time, gets the story essentially right, most viewers won't mind any liberties that the series takes. 

The series stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry, Henry Cavill as Charles Brandon, Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn, and Maria Doyle Kennedy as the Queen.  Meyers has earned two Golden Globes nominations for his role, and the series was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Drama in 2008. 
The two-disc set includes all ten episodes and lots of special features. 

Military.com Rating: ***

(DVD extras include biographies, photo galleries, two featurettes: "The Tower of London" and "Descendants of Henry," and premiere episodes of Season 2 of "This American Life" and "Californication.")
************************************************************

"Mannix: The Second Season,"
DVD-2009 ($54.99, CBS/Paramount)

Cops and private eyes have long been a staple on television.  One of the best is finally available for the first time on DVD.

Joe Mannix, the only Armenian-American gumshoe I've encountered, solved crimes on CBS from 1967 through 1975 (194 episodes).  A tough guy--and Korean War veteran--Mannix could take a licking and keep on ticking.  By one count, he survived being shot seventeen times and knocked unconscious fifty-five times in the eight years he chased bad guys on television. 

When he wasn't laid up from his latest brush with violence, Mannix was doing what real men (pre-political correctness) did: driving too fast around LA in a hot convertible, drinking, smoking, and making no apologies for it. 

During his first season as a television gumshoe, Mannix worked for an LA detective agency that used computers (a novelty in 1967) to solve crimes--an approach that he spurned.  For Season Two, Mannix sets up his own shop where he's assisted by his faithful secretary Peggy Fair (Gail Fisher).  Connors won a Golden Globe and Fisher garnered an Emmy and Golden Globe for their roles.  The series was nominated for eight Emmys including Best Dramatic Series. 

"Mannix" enjoyed solid ratings over its eight-year run, consistently besting rivals like "The Rockford Files" and "Hawaii Five-0" in the ratings.  

It took too long, but this classic detective drama is finally available again.  The six-disc set includes all twenty-five digitally re-mastered Season Two episodes. 

Military.com Rating: ***

(There are no special features.)
************************************************************
Military.com Picks & Pans Rating Scale
* Pan--Save your time
** Borderline Pick--Okay but only as a last resort
*** Pick--Worthwhile & enjoyable
****Enthusiastic Pick--Excellent 
*****Not to Be Missed--A Classic

----

More movie reviews

Copyright 2012 by Tom Miller