DVD Picks & Pans: Summer Smorgasbord- Takeout

Military.com - Tom Miller

It's July and the weather's heating up.  You could gas up the SUV and head for the lake or the mountains.  Or, you could be sensible and park the darned thing, stay home, and perhaps watch a movie.  You'll save a small fortune.  Plus, that money stays at home instead of lining the pockets of our enemies (Iran, Venezuela) and our frenemies (Saudi Arabia). 

While you were enjoying the fireworks on the Fourth, we were sampling the recent batch of DVD releases.  Here are some suggestions on what we liked . . . Or, not.

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"Stop-Loss"
DVD-2008 ($34.99, Paramount Home Entertainment/MTV) Also available in Blu-ray.

Overwrought.  Melodramatic.  Misleading.  Dishonest. 

Put them all together and what you get is "Stop-Loss," director Kimberly Peirce's chaotic polemic against the controversial Army practice of retaining soldier's on active duty beyond their original discharge date. 

The practice is not, as the all the media hype would have one believe, something unique to the post-9/11 world.  Just think of all those soldiers, sailors, and Marines on Dec. 6, 1941, who expected to be discharged in 1942.  Most didn't get home, if at all, for years.

Even the Army would prefer not to have to resort to stop-loss, but too few Americans are stepping up to serve their country in this time of war.  So, those that do often are asked to sacrifice more than they bargained for.  Although chagrined, most of those stop-lossed go about their duty quietly and honorably.  But, nobody in Hollywood wants to do a movie about them. 

"Stop-Loss" features the members of an infantry battalion returning from Iraq.  They include Staff Sergeant (SSG) Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe), who feels responsible for the deaths of several of his squad mates—as he should since he led them down a narrow alley into a predictable ambush; Sgt. Steve Shriver (Channing Tatum); PFC Tommy Burgess (Joseph Gordon-Levitt); and Pvt. Rico Rodriquez (Victor Rasuk). 

All are scarred—psychologically and/or physically—by their experience in Iraq.  This shouldn't come as a surprise.  Hollywood has consistently chosen to portray those fighting this war as victims.  Some are; most are not.  Few want to seen as victims. 

The unit is barely home before they are ordered back to Iraq.  This is utter nonsense.  Most units have had at least 12 months at home between deployments.  But, in Hollywood's wars, truth is usually the first casualty.

Anyway, SSG King, who expects to be discharged shortly after returning to the States, is surprised, nonplussed really, when he's stop-lossed and ordered to return to Iraq. 

Convinced that he can get the order rescinded if he just gets to D.C. to see a Senator, SSG King assaults two MP's—never a good idea—and goes AWOL—ditto.  Along with his best friend's girlfriend Michele (Abbie Cornish), he sets out on a bizarre road trip to D.C. to set things straight. 

Back in Texas, suffering from various degrees of post-traumatic stress disorder, his buddies seek refuge in alcohol, assault, and suicide.  

(Before the closing credits roll, the filmmakers announce that 81,000 soldiers have been affected by stop-loss since 9/11.  They give no source for their information.  Lt. Col. Anne Edgecomb, an Army spokesperson, says that the number is closer to 58,000—about 1% of the active force and activated Guard and Reserve soldiers.  Sec. of Def. Robert Gates has said that he hopes that the Army can discontinue stop-loss in 2009.) 

"Stop-Loss" is just the latest in a string of anti-soldier Hollywood polemics in the past couple of years.  All have bombed, deservedly, at the box office.  They don't get any better on DVD.

Military.com Rating: *

(DVD extras include deleted scenes, commentary by director Kimberly Peirce and writer Mark Richard, and two featurettes: "The Making of Stop-Loss" and "A Day in Boot Camp.")

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"Monk—Season Six"
DVD-2008 ($59.98, Universal Studios Home Entertainment/USA)

Once you start, you probably won't stop until you've watched the complete sixth season—all four discs—of everybody's favorite obsessive-compulsive detective.  So, before you settle in, make sure that you have 11 hours and 22 minutes to spare. 

Of course, you might choose to watch only an episode or two at a time, but with Monk, it's easy to get carried away.

Over six seasons—and 92 episodes—Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub), formerly a San Francisco Police Department detective and now a police consultant, has battled his obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) while helping his former colleagues solve particularly difficult cases.  As it turns out, his OCD is a blessing and a curse since his obsessive nature often allows him to spot things that elude others. 

"Monk" has been a popular and critical hit for USA Network garnering thirteen Emmy nominations and five wins, including three for Shalhoub as Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series.

Following a disappointing fifth season, "Monk" returns to form in an excellent Season Six.  Guest stars for the sixth season include Alfred Molina, Sarah Silverman, and Snoop Dogg. 

Military.com Rating: ***

(DVD extras include episode commentaries with cast and crew.)

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"Cannon: Season One, Volume One"
DVD-2008 ($36.98, CBS DVD/Paramount Home Entertainment)

He wasn't Boogie.  Heck, he wasn't even Mannix.  But, Frank Cannon (William Conrad) was a more believable private eye than most.  Be serious, how many guys who look like Tom Selleck and are as smart as the fictional Thomas Magnum will you find in the Yellow Pages under "Gumshoe?"

No, if I hired someone to spy on my wife, I'd expect him to look something like the portly Cannon.  Or, maybe Jim Rockford if I got lucky.  But, let's face it.  It's a sleazy business.  Thomas Magnum, Mannix, Maddie Hayes, et. al., have better things to do. 

Cannon played the overweight Los Angeles detective with the Robin Hood instincts—he charged rich clients high fees so that he could afford to work for free for poorer ones—on CBS for five seasons (125 episodes) in the 1970's.  The show was a moderate hit with viewers, consistently placing in the top 30 in the Nielsen rating.  It peaked at #10 in 1973-74.  It also was nominated for three Emmy Awards, including Best Drama Series, and three Golden Globes.

"Season One, Volume One" includes the two-part pilot plus the first 11 episodes on 4 discs.  Guest stars include Tom Skerritt, Joan Van Ark, Roy Scheider, and Mark Hamill. 

Military.com Rating: ** ½

(DVD extras include episodic promos.)

(William Conrad returned to serial television in 1987 in "Jake and the Fatman."  Now a legendary LA District Attorney—J. L. "Fatman" McCabe—he teams up with a sharp young investigator, Jake (Joe Penny), to keep the city safe.  "Jake and the Fatman" ran for five seasons on CBS and will be available on DVD for the first time on July 7.  "Season One, Volume One" contains the first 11 episodes on a 3-disc set.)

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"Psych: The Complete Second Season"
DVD-2008 ($59.98, Universal Home Entertainment/USA)

An intriguing concept, an unlikely location, and an appealing cast combine to make "Psych" a hit for cable network USA.

The concept is that Shawn Spencer (James Roday), a young crime consultant, uses his acute observational skills to convince the police that he's psychic.

Fictional cops (and private eyes) usually do their work in big cities like L.A., New York, and Miami.  Spencer consults for the Santa Barbara, Calif., Police Department.  Santa Barbara is beautiful, upscale, and artsy, but it's not known for its crime scene. 

Besides Roday, the excellent cast includes Dule Hill as Spencer's best friend and collaborator Burton "Gus" Guster, and Corbin Bernsen as Spencer's policeman father Henry.

Among the guest stars appearing on the show during season two are Kevin Sorbo, Tim Curry, and Gina Gershon.  "The Complete Second Season" set includes all 16 episodes on 4 discs. 

Military.com Rating: ** ½
 
(DVD extras include deleted scenes, audio commentary, Podcast commentary, a gag reel, and more.)

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Military.com DVD Picks & Pans Smorgasbord Ratings Guide
* Have the Rolaids handy
** Two words: fast food
*** Tasty
**** Succulent

Copyright 2012 by Tom Miller