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Home (Re)Viewing: Rollin’ with RV, Reagan and more
This week’s video releases roll along with Robin Williams’ underrated RV, box sets devoted to Jimmy Stewart and Ronald Reagan (!) and a new DVD of one of the most powerful movies ever made, even with its botched ending.
RV: Calling a movie underrated may suggest it’s some kind of classic. Believe me, this isn’t. However, most critics were unduly harsh to this film, which made me laugh out loud several times. The plot is no great shakes — dysfunctional family finds they actually like each other in the midst of a disastrous road trip — but director Barry Sonnenfeld times most of the gags well. Jeff Daniels and Kristin Chenoweth are a riot as a kooky and very persistent RV-loving couple. Full disclosure: I found the film funny because I’ve been on my own disastrous RV trip — and it did involve fecal matter, though not quite as grossly as in this movie. ‘Nuff said. GRADE: B
Also out today
Hoot: An environmentalism movie for the younger set that’s of interest to older folks mainly for Jimmy Buffet’s songs and appearance in the movie.
I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer. Hmm. A direct-to-DVD cheapie horror sequel to a series that was never worth much. I suggest a new title: I Don’t Care What You Did Last Summer.
Scary Movie 4: More parody-a-minute hijinks, directed by the man who practically invented the genre, David Zucker of Airplane! and Naked Gun fame.
From the Catalog
Apocalypse Now - The Complete Dossier: Director Francis Ford Coppola famously said, “My movie is not about Vietnam. It is Vietnam.� Watching the film, one gets the idea he wasn’t exaggerating. Platoon is the definitive document of the grunt’s experience, but no film quite captures the madness of the war like Apocalypse, despite its rambling conclusion. This set collects the original theatrical issue, plus the fascinating but notably inferior Redux version. Unfortunately, rights issues apparently kept the excellent Hearts of Darkness documentary out of this set, but Coppola’s ever-insightful commentary should make up for that.
James Stewart — The Signature Collection: My favorite male movie star of all time gets a new box set that gathers The Cheyenne Social Club (a Western directed by Gene Kelly!), Firecreek, The FBI Story, The Naked Spur, The Spirit of St. Louis and The Stratton Story. Stewart’s intense performance in Spur is worth the price of the set, but he’s also very good as Charles Lindbergh in Billy Wilder’s movie about his famous flight.
Ronald Reagan — The Signature Collection: Something about that title just seems like an oxymoron, you know? Especially pitted against a Stewart box set, the scales don’t exactly balance. In fairness, however, this set is a valuable record of Reagan’s Hollywood tenure as an affable supporting player or second-tier leading man. Included is probably his most famous performance in Knute Rockne All American, and buffs say Kings Row was the best work he ever did. Also included: Hasty Heart, Storm Warning and The Winning Team.
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By SRCputt
August 15, 2006 5:59 PM | Link to this
Coming soon: “What was it again you did that one summer many years ago?” After all, this is a series that started with a film that seemed created for those that found “Scream” too intellectual.