DVD Pick of the Week: Across the Universe

The past few weeks have not offered up all that much in terms of high profile releases. That makes this week all the more refreshing. This week has a nice selection to choose from, personal favorites and Oscar nominees alike. Just like I do every week, I have perused the lists and selected the titles that are most worthy of being spotlighted. I find it amazing that nary a week goes by that there are hundreds (yes, hundreds) of new DVD releases. There are tons of disks that will sell barely any. What's my point? None really, just musing on the fact that there are so many disks released each week that many people are probably never aware of.

Even with all of the worthy releases this week, choosing the week's pick was an easy task. The one DVD that all of you need to see is Across the Universe. It is also known as the Beatles musical, although the PR machine was not allowed to mention the name Beatles in the advertising. Strange, don't you think? I believe the figure paid was somewhere the realm of $8.5 million, with that rider as part of the contract. They were able to get around it by using quotes from critics mentioning the musical source.

The film is absolutely incredible, even earning a spot on my top ten list for 2007. Across the Universe takes you on a musical journey through the 1960's, the era of free love and living with no rules through the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. All of these events characterized by a series of Beatles songs, sung by characters with Beatles inspired names. The story is timeless and could just as easily have been set in modern times. It is so relevant it is scary. Despite the similarities to the modern world, I do not sense any particular agenda or political statement. Perhaps that is just me being naive and not wanting to see it, but I don't think so. It is so much more about the characters and the journey that they take as hey navigate the choppy waters of the real world as they grow and mature as individuals.

What can I say? This is a great film. Of course, it was received with wildly mixed reviews. It has inspired a love it or hate response in just about everyone who has seen it. Maybe you should not take my recommendation blindly, but I have to strongly recommend that you give it some consideration.

Here is where my love affair started, with the trailer:


The DVD is being released as a two disk special edition, as well as on Blu-ray and PSP (do people still buy those movies?). Here is a look at the specs from the press release:

BLU-RAY DISC™/TWO-DISC DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:
· Eight extended musical performances
· Deleted Scene: “And I Love Her” – with Dana Fuchs and Martin Luther McCoy
· Commentary from director Taymor and composer Elliot Goldenthal
· 5 featurettes:
“Creating the Universe” – cast and crew discuss the making of the film
“Stars of Tomorrow” – an inside look at the cast of rising stars
“All About the Music” – an inside look at the film’s unforgettable music
“FX on the Universe” – exploring the film’s visual effects with VFX supervisor Kyle Cooper
“Moving Across the Universe” – a featurette on the choreography including an interview with choreographer Daniel Ezralow

DVD ONLY SPECIAL FEATURES:
Exclusive photo gallery with over 100 images

BLU-RAY™ ONLY SPECIAL FEATURES:
Art gallery of “Jude’s” drawings, drawn by Don Nace

Also out this week:

• The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Featuring Oscar nominee Casey Affleck, this epic chronicles the ultimate demise of the legendary outlaw. I missed it in theaters, now is my chance to catch up.
• Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Visually gorgeous, but ultimately lackluster romance novel version of the Queen's reign. Cate Blanchett is an Oscar nominee for her performance in the title role.
• The Aristocats. Jazzy Disney classic gets the special edition treatment. Not one of the A-list Disney films, but I have fond memories that will hopefully live up upon a revisit.
• The Jane Austen Book Club. Never saw this, but it is part of the resurgence in Austen interest, with a couple of new big screen adaptations in recent years and the revitalization of Masterpiece Theater wih a month of Austen adaptations.
• The Brave One. Jodie Foster stars in this Neil Jordan directed revenge flick which attempts to become a rumination on gun violence and vigilantism. It was a box office disappointment which arrived on the heels of the similarly themed Death Sentence.
• Iron Maiden: Live After Death. Legendary Iron Maiden show is finally available on DVD. I am looking forward to this. On a side note I am seeing them live next month! I Can't wait!
• Perfect Strangers: The Complete First and Second Seasons. Who doesn't love this goofy sitcom from the 1980's? I suspect that it doesn't hold up well, but I would like to find out for sure.
• Cowboy Bebop Remix: Anime Legends. Classic anime series repackaged in a lower cost box. If you do not have this, you must and this is the perfect opportunity.
• 2 Days in Paris. Julie Delpy and Adam Goldberg star in this film about lovers in Paris for, you guessed it, two days.
• Feast of Love. This Morgan Freeman opened to poor reviews and quickly disappeared from theaters.
• Turok: Son of Stone. Animated feature starring the character that originated with Valiant Comics and has starred in a couple of video games.
• Overkill: Live at Wacken Open Air 2007. Old school thrash band headlined the True Metal stage of the festival, here is their set, peppered with their classics.
• Grindhouse Psychos. The latest three film set from Shriek Show features grind house style titles. These sets are good, delivering themes packs of generally lesser known or cult films for a reasonable price.
• The Phantom Creeps. An old serial starring Bela Lugosi from the late 1930's, collected here for your viewing pleasure.