New on DVD: Jan. 20 (2004/01/20)- Tickets to Movies in Theaters, Broadway Shows, London Theatre & More

New DVD’s This Week: Jan. 20

Academy Award winning director Kevin Costner helms this traditional Western tale a way of life that is quickly disappearing. Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall), Charley Waite (Kevin Costner), Mose Harrison (Abraham Benrubi) and “Button” (Diego Luna) freegraze their cattle across the vast prairies of the West, sharing a friendship forged by a steadfast code of honor and living a life unencumbered by civilization. When their wayward herd forces them near the small town of Harmonville, the cowboys encounter a corrupt sheriff (James Russo) and kingpin rancher (Michael Gambon) who govern the territory through fear, tyranny and violence.

What’s
Cool:

Commentary by director/star Kevin Costner
“America’s Open Range: A Historical Journey” featurette
“Beyond Open Range: Director’s Journal”
Deleted scenes
Spanish and English captions

	From Our Review:
	With all the best intentions on making an old-fashioned Western, Open Range just can’t make it past its utterly pathetic dialogue and overdone plot. John Wayne is turning over in his grave. More. . .

Once Upon a Time in Mexico

The third and final installment to the saga of the mythic guitar-slinging hero, El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas), the actioner is set against a backdrop of revolution and greed. Haunted and scarred by loss, El Mariachi (Banderas) has retreated into a life of isolation but is forced out of hiding by Sands (Johnny Depp), a corrupt CIA agent. Sands recruits the reclusive hero to sabotage a plot by the evil cartel kingpin Barillo (Willem Dafoe), who is planning to assassinate the president of Mexico. El Mariachi has his own reasons for returning – retribution and revenge. Now, together with his capable cohorts Lorenzo (Enrique Iglesias) and Fideo (Marco Leonardi) the legend of El Mariachi attains new levels of excitement.

What’s
Cool:

Commentary by director Robert Rodriguez
Featurettes: “Ten-Minute Flick School;” “The Anti-Hero’s Journey;” “Film is Dead: An Evening with Robert Rodriguez;” “The Good, the Bad and the Bloody: A Look at the Special Effects”
Deleted scenes
DVD-ROM: Test Your Wits in the Shooting Gallery and the Loteria

	From Our Review:
	Once Upon a Time in Mexico seemingly marks the swan song of Rodriguez’s El Mariachi saga. If that is indeed the case, Rodriguez has closed a pivotal chapter in his career with a blood-soaked epic that dazzles when the bodies pile up but confounds when the convoluted plot kicks in… More…

Cabin Fever

Five high school friends head off to an isolated mountain cabin to blow off steam after graduation. But instead of catching a little R&R, what they’re liable to catch instead is a deadly flesh-eating virus that they’re forced to fight–at the same time they turn against each other.

What’s Cool:

Five feature-length commentaries by star Rider Strong, director Eli Roth and other cast members
Director Eli Roth’s short film series entitled The Rotten Fruit
“Beneath the Skin: The Making of Cabin Fever”
Seeing the film in a family friendly version or Chick-vision
Pancakes! (Your guess is as good as ours)

	From Our Review:
	Eli Roth’s extremely disturbing and grotesque Cabin Fever is an artfully executed horror picture with creative characters and a stimulating storyline that will grip you from start to finish. More…

Soul Cinema DVD Collection

It’s time for some jive talkin’ and a whole lot of funkadelic action to go down on The Best of Soul Cinema DVD Collection. Starring the king and queen of Soul Cinema, Fred Williamson and Pam Grier, as well as the Wayans brothers, The Best of Soul Cinema DVD Collection includes the following fine blaxploitation-era flicks:

What’s Cool:

Foxy Brown: After her drug dealing brother exposes her government agent boyfriend and he’s killed by mobsters, Foxy Brown seeks revenge.
Hell Up in Harlem: Tough guy Tommy Gibbs becomes the most hunted man in the city when he steals a list naming every crooked cop and official on the Mob’s payroll. Instead of running, Gibbs enlists an army of Harlem hoods and launches a deadly attack on his enemies.
I’m Gonna Git You Sucka: In this spoof, good-guy war hero Jack Spade returns to the ghetto to discover that his brother, Junebug, has OG’d (Over-Golded) on jewelry. Jack swears revenge against the local gang boss, Mr. Big, with help from Shaft, Superfly and Black Caesar–look-alikes.
Coffy: Nurse Coffy’s 11-year old sister is hospitalized for a drug induced coma by contaminated heroin. Coffy sets out on a vigilante mission for justice, killing drug dealers, pimps, and mobsters who cross her path.
Cooley High: The so-called “black American Graffiti, a look at black teen life in the 1960s.

Still Hot

Freddy vs. Jason

Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) is in hell–literally. It’s been nearly 10 years since Freddy invaded peoples’ dreams to exact his deadly form of revenge and murder. But now, the kids Freddy terrorized in their nightmares have been institutionalized, and since no one is afraid of Freddy anymore, he has no power. Until, that is, Freddy figures out a way to start a new reign of terror by resurrecting Jason Voorhees (Ken Kirzinger) and siccing him on the citizens of Springwood. When Jason takes matters into his own hands and starts slashing the teens Freddy wanted to kill, Freddy’s pissed–and the kids take matters into their own hands as well, pulling Freddy from his nightmare world into the real world so Jason can kill Freddy.

What’s Cool:

Commentary by director Ronny Yu and stars Robert Englund and Ken Kirzinger
Deleted scenes (19 with optional audio commentary)
Alternate opening and ending
Featurettes: “Genesis: Development Hell,” “Art Direction: Jason’s Decorating Tips,” “Stunts: When Push Comes to Shove,” and “Makeup Effects: Freddy’s Beauty Secrets”
Interviews with cast and crew
Music video: “How Can I Live” by Ill Nino
3D animated menus

	From Our Review:
	Freddy vs. Jason is not as fear provoking as Wes Craven’s unconventional horror thriller A Nightmare on Elm Street and its sequels, but it is more clever than all the Friday the 13th installments put together…the outcome of the most-hyped villainous face-off ever proves to be a bit of a letdown. More. . .

Compiled by Anne Reiman

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