New on DVD: Mar. 30 (2004/03/31)- Tickets to Movies in Theaters, Broadway Shows, London Theatre & More

New DVD’s This Week: March 30

Harry Sanborn (Jack Nicholson) is a 60-something perennial bachelor who only dates women under the age of thirty. On a romantic weekend with his latest infatuation, Marin (Amanda Peete), at her mother’s Hamptons beach house, Harry develops chest pains. Marin’s mother, Erica Barry (Oscar-nominated Diane Keaton), a successful, divorced playwright, reluctantly agrees to help nurse him back to health. Once they are alone together, Harry is surprised to find himself drawn to Erica for all the right reasons–and despite her initial protestations about Harry, Erica finds herself attracted as well. Romantic complications arise, however, when Erica is also pursued by Harry’s charming, younger doctor, Julian Mercer (Keanu Reeves). Yet, Harry’s feelings for Erica prove to be life altering and he must undergo a true change of heart–if he is to win her back.

What’s Cool:

Commentary by writer/director Nancy Meyers and star Jack Nicholson
Commentary by writer/director Nancy Meyers, star Diane Keaton and producer Bruce A. Block
“Hamptons House Set Tour” with Amanda Peet
Deleted scene: Harry sings karaoke to Erica

	From Our Review:
	Something’s Gotta Give may not be as good as it gets, but it’s an intelligent, funny look at relationships with mostly sparkling dialogue and a great performance by Diane Keaton. More. . .

House of Sand and Fog

Once a member of the Shah of Iran’s elite inner circle, Massoud Amir Behrani (Oscar-nominated Ben Kingsley) is forced to bring his family to America to build a new life. Despite the pretense of continued affluence, he is barely making ends meet until he sees his opportunity in the auction of a house being sold for back taxes. What he doesn’t know is that through a bureaucratic snafu, the house had been improperly seized from its rightful owner, Kathy Nicolo (Jennifer Connelly), a self-destructive alcoholic, and she wants her home back–at any cost. Ultimately the tale, itself, explores what happens when the American Dream goes terribly awry. Also stars the Oscar-nominated Shohreh Aghdashloo.

What’s Cool:

Commentary by director Vadim Perelman, novelist Andre Dubus III and star Ben Kingsley
Audition tape for Shohreh Aghdashloo
Behind-the-scenes featurette
Deleted scenes with director’s commentary

	Interview:
	“House of Sand and Fog” Interviews: Ben Kingsley and Shohreh Aghdashloo

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

A tale of five twentysomethings whose free-spirited road trip becomes a terrifying descent into madness when they find themselves isolated in a rural Texas community and in the clutches of a monstrous clan of cannibals, lead by the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface. This two-disc collector’s DVD edition stars Jessica Biel, Eric Balfour and Mike Vogel.

What’s Cool:

Three separate commentaries covering story, production and more by director Marcus Nispel, producer Michael Bay and more
“The True Story Behind the Film” and in-depth “Making of the Film” documentaries
Alternate ending and opening
Deleted scenes
”Evidence film” with “crime scene” photos
Screen tests

	From Our Review:
	Get ready to be brutalized! For those looking for a heart-stopping horror flick, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Marcus Nispel’s directorial debut, is well worth the price of admission. More. . .

Brother Bear

Set against the majestic natural splendor of the Great American Northwest, the animated film tells the story of Kenai (Joaquin Phoenix), a young man whose life takes an unexpected turn when the Great Spirits transform him into a bear–the creature he hates most. Befriended by a bear cub named Koda (Jeremy Suarez), Kenai sets out to regain his human form while his brother, who doesn’t realize Kenai is now a bear, pursues him on a mission of revenge and family honor.

What’s Cool:

“Rutt & Tuke’s Commentary”–watch along with the hilarious moose from the film
“Paths of Discovery: The Making of Brother Bear” featurette
Music video: “Look Through My Eyes” by Phil Collins
“Fishing Song,” new by Phil Collins
Sing-along songs
Two interactive games
Deleted scenes, including a new character
Fully animated outtakes

	From Our Review:
	Brother Bear should please most kids, but its formulaic story, thinly drawn characters and predictable animation prove Disney needs to try a little harder next time. More. . .

Still Hot

The Rundown

Beck (The Rock) is a man paid to “retrieve” people–and he’s got one last person to find before he can retire. That person is fast-talking double-dealer Travis (Seann William Scott), who’s somewhere in the Brazilian jungle. Complications arise, including Mariana (Rosario Dawson), a no-nonsense local who holds the answers to some of the jungle’s hidden mysteries, and Hatcher (Christopher Walken), an unhinged despot who has turned the jungle and its inhabitants into his own gold mining empire. Beck is going to have to unleash everything he’s got to keep on top of his smack-talking quarry, the secretive girl and the crazy tyrant, not to mention horny monkeys, hallucinogenic fruit, perilous terrain and every other obstacle the jungle could throw at him.

What’s Cool:

Commentary by director Peter Berg and The Rock
Commentary by producers Kevin Misher and Marc Abraham
Featurettes: “The Rundown Uncensored”; “Appetite for Destruction”; “Rumble in the Jungle”; “Running Down the Town”; “The Amazon: Hawaii Style”; “Walken’s World”
Deleted scenes

	From Our Review:
	Director Peter Berg’s The Rundown is an unexpectedly entertaining and well-executed action comedy carried comfortably by Seann William Scott and The Rock–who reveals a classy transition from WWE star to charming and charismatic big-screen action hero. More. . .

Compiled by Anne Reiman

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