COUCH THEATER — DVD PREVIEWS
By DNA SMITH
PICK OF THE WEEK
“Pinocchio 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition” — “Pinocchio” is one of the greatest animated films of all time, and this two-disc set is a must-have for any animation — or Disney — fan’s library. This story of the adventures of a marionette that longs to be a real live boy marks the debut of Jiminy Cricket, the narrator of the tale and Pinocchio’s conscience, and the singer of the classic song, “When You Wish Upon A Star.”
The collection’s special features include: audio commentary, a sing-along feature, a behind-the-scenes featurette on the making of “Pinocchio,” deleted scenes (including an alternate ending), deleted songs, games and a lot more.
ALSO THIS WEEK
“Rachel Getting Married” — Director Jonathan Demme (“Silence of the Lambs”) assembles a top-notch cast for this compelling ensemble piece. Anne Hathaway stars as Kym, a young woman who is in rehab but returns to her family’s Connecticut home for her sister’s wedding. Kym’s presence serves as a catalyst for unveiling some buried family issues.
“Transporter 3” – Jason Statham returns as The Transporter, whose mission is to drive a Russian woman named Valentina across Europe. The hitch? They are fitted with explosive bracelets that will blow them up if they stray more than 75 feet from the car. The action sequences and fight choreography in this film are awesome. One of the best action movies of 2008.
“Synecdoche New York” — This movie is just … just … weird. And wonderful. This is the directorial debut of Charlie Kaufman, the guy who wrote “Being John Malkovich” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” so if you’ve seen those movies, you kind of know what you’re in for.
The movie stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as a guy whose wife has left him, so he becomes obsessed with creating a theatrical production that will mirror all of New York City. He builds the set in a giant warehouse and begins to cast the production with doppelgangers of himself, his ex-wife, his new girlfriend and well, everybody else.
After a while the production gets to a point of such surreality that the doubles now require people to play THEM. Then things get weirder. And yet, somehow, Kaufman is able to take this swirling mass of interconnected storylines and resolve the whole shebang by the end of the movie.
TV SERIES
“South Park” The Complete Twelfth Season
“The Girls Next Door” Seasons 1-4
“Get Smart” Season 2
“Family Ties” The Fifth Season
“Caroline in the City” The Second Season
“The Starter Wife” Season 1
© 2009 King Features Synd., Inc.