Last Week in DVD

Yep, last week. Hey, why not?

Beowulf: The controversy rages over whether Robert Zemeckis' computer animation style creates "realistic-looking" human beings on the screen. I have seen the word "waxy" associated with this film so often that I am starting to think it was in the press kit. Well, gee, are we supposed to be fooled into thinking it's live action? No, of course not. I see it so far as a style of animation, and while it may have its drawbacks as far as creating lifelike images, it's still a MOVIE. So I'm prepared to sacrifice some degree of authenticity if the images are nice to look at.. And I'll admit it--even a "waxy" naked Angelina Jolie is still nice to look at.

Justice League: The New Frontier: Another direct to DVD comic book adaptation from DC, following the disappointing (but worthwhile viewing) "Superman: Doomsday." Unfortunately for the filmmakers, this time, comic book fans will be judging it by the standards of not only the lamented "Justice League" animated series, but also by Darwyn Cooke's superlative original comic. Just look at "Entertainment Weekly's" Ken Tucker, who gave this a B- basically for not matching the source material. But hey, comic fans wouldn't be comic fans without finding something to bitch about. And The Tuck happens to be a fan of comics AND of bitching about things, so there you go.

The Darjeeling Limited: At what point did Wes Anderson stop being esoterically cool and start being simply pretentious? For many, it was "The Royal Tennenbaums;" for others, "The Life Aquatic." For me, it was that American Express ad where we saw just how soooooo busy the guy was on a film set. I don't know why, but that one drove me up a wall. I have heard some good things about "The Darjeeling Limited," so I'm gonna try to see it with an open mind and hope for the cool Wes Anderson to re-enter my consciousness.

30 Days of Night: Based on a popular comic book. Comic fans have a whole lot to bitch about this week! I didn't see this one yet, but I'm gonna present a new theory anyway: No comic book adaptation is enhanced by casting Josh Hartnett.

The Fugitive: Season 1, Volume 2: OK, you got me! Pretty much the only reason I'm bothering to put up a "Last Week in DVD" post is so I don't miss a chance to vent about "The Fugitive" being released in split seasons like this. Good news is, Paramount appears to be lining these up on a steady release schedule. But split-season sets bite harder than any creature in 30 Days of Night.

Newhart: Season 1: I'm rediscovering this series on American Life TV, and while even the strong reviews for this set point out the later seasons were more successful, don't shy away from these ones merely because Julia Duffy; Peter Scolari; and Larry, Darryl, and Darryl weren't yet regulars. There are some funny episodes here, and Bob Newhart is always worth watching, even if he himself was reportedly disappointed with the first season. I'm finding the show itself more entertaining now that I'm older, and those first season episodes--which I don't even recall watching before--are solid sitcom work. I definitely recommend investing in this if you are at all interested, as Fox has already shown a willingness to abandon the original "Bob Newhart Show" and may already have a short leash on this series.

Family Affair Season 5: This mild sitcom didn't break any barriers nor bust many guts, but I find it warm and appealing, and besides, it's just gratifying to see a company release an entire TV series this day. Getting all the seasons out, period, is praiseworthy, but when you do it without bungling the DVDs, you deserve a pat on the back. So here you go, MPI. Jolly good!