New on DVD This Week: Aug. 19

New DVD’s This Week: August
19

Set in the 1920s, this Academy Award-winning musical follows two women–nightclub sensation Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones, in her Oscar-winning performance for Best Supporting Actress) and wanna-be Roxie Hart (Renee Zellweger)–;both on Chicago’s famed murderess row for murdering their men. Chicago’s slickest lawyer, Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), turns them from tabloid sensations into superstars. Everyone loves a legend–but in Chicago, there’s only room for one. As Roxie fashions herself out to be America’s new sweetheart, Velma has more than a few tricks up her sleeve to sabotage her. Also stars Queen Latifah.

What’s
Cool:

Commentary with director Rob Marshall and screenwriter Bill Condon
Deleted musical number, “Class,” performed by Catherine Zeta-Jones & Queen Latifah
Behind the scenes special

	From Our Review:
	Although the singing and dancing aren’t as good as on Broadway, Chicago is all you could ask for in great entertainment. More. . .

Bowling for Columbine

This Academy Award-winning documentary from controversial filmmaker Michael Moore takes a look at America’s love affair with firearms and the pathology of violence in the United States, which has the highest gun-murder rate of any country in the world.

What’s
Cool:

Interview with filmmaker Michael Moore on his Oscar win and controversial acceptance speech
“Return to Denver/Littleton” featurette
Commentary by the film production office’s receptionists and interns
“Mike’s Action Guide”–How to get involved in the fight against violence in America accessed through a Weblink and DVD-ROM feature
“Teacher’s Guide”–Educational materials to help students think critically about the issues raised by Bowling for Columbine.
Music video: “Fight Song” by Marilyn Manson

	From Our Review:
	This film is bitingly brilliant–as only one from Michael Moore can be. No one on either side of the gun control issue should miss this movie. More. . .

The Kid Stays in the Picture

In this documentary adapted from his 1994 autobiography of the same title, legendary Hollywood producer Robert Evans tells his version of the dramatic ups and downs of his life that included supporting roles in major motion pictures, glamorous wives like Ali MacGraw and a storied tenure as production chief at Paramount in the ’70s before he hit the speed bumps of drugs, the lurid The Cotton Club murder case and brushes with bankruptcy and death. But he proves “the kid stays in the picture.”

What’s
Cool:

A full-length version of “The Film That Saved Paramount”–directed by Mike Nichols, the film featured Evans and convinced Gulf+Western’s board of directors to keep the fledgling studio open.
Featurettes: “The Kid Speaks;” “On the Red Carpet,” “Up Close with the Kid,” “The Spirit of Life Award”
The Evans gag reel–outtakes and footage of Roy Scheider and Dustin Hoffman mimicking Evans on the set of Marathon Man.

	From Our Review:
	This fabulously amusing and beautifully crafted documentary about legendary producer Robert Evans is like a delicious and personal photo album of Evans’ career and personal travails, warts and all. More. . .

Still Hot

Cradle
2 the Grave

A Taiwanese
government agent (Jet Li) and a master thief (DMX) team up to
hunt down some rare black diamonds before they land in the
wrong hands. Also stars Gabrielle Union and Anthony Anderson.

What’s
Cool:

Featurettes: “The Descender Rig,”
“Ultimate Fighting Champions” and “Choreography
of the Camera”
Music video: "X Gon’ Give It To Ya" by DMX
Additional footage: “Rear Projection
on Subway” and “Time Lapse Montage”

	From Our Review:
	It doesn’t matter if it offers very little in the form of an engaging story. The daredevil sequences, with the ultra-cool Jet Li at the helm, is a wild trip anyway. More. . .

The
Lizzie McGuire Movie

Based on
the hugely popular Disney Channel series, 13-year-old Lizzie
McGuire (Hillary Duff) and her pals Gordo (Adam Lamberg) and
Kate (Ashlie Brillault) pack their bags for a class trip to
Italy. Once there, Lizzie is mistaken for pop star Isabella.
Lizzie is transformed from gawky teen to beautiful pop star,
and as Gordo struggles to understand his true feelings for her,
she begins to falls for Isabella’s handsome ex-boyfriend, Italian
pop star Paolo (Yanni Gellman). Yet in a whirlwind of surprising
events, Lizzie is eventually forced to see the true meaning
of friendship.

What’s
Cool:

Deleted scenes, including a new
alternate ending
“In the Recording Studio with Hillary”:
A sneak peek at the making of Hillary
Duff’s new solo album.
“Lizzie’s Roman Adventure” and “Roamin’
Volare” featurettes.
Music video: "Why Not" by Hillary Duff

	From Our Review:
	This cutesy nightmare of a movie comes across as one long Lizzie McGuire promo and its shameless self-promotion overshadows the key thematic elements prevalent in the popular TV show. More. . .

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