Secret Diary of a Call Girl

Blu-Ray, DVD Round Up, July 3, 2009: ‘Madea Goes to Jail,’ ‘Spaceballs’

BrianTT — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:00:00 -0600

CHICAGO – The Round-Up is back to provide our loyal readers with synopsis and feature details on a few titles that may have slipped on to DVD or Blu-Ray under your radar but might make the right purchase choice this holiday weekend.

It’s not that these title are any “lesser” than some of the biggies out there (one nearly made $100 million domestically and another is a Mel Brooks classic), but we can’t get around to a full-length review of everything that comes into the HollywoodChicago.com office and we want to keep you as informed as possible.

“Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail” and “Spaceballs” were released on June 16th, 2009.

“The Education of Charlie Banks,” “Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Season Two,” and “White Sox Memories” were released on June 30th, 2009.

“The Education of Charlie Banks”

Photo credit: Anchor Bay

Synopsis: “Charlie Banks’ (Jesse Eisenberg) sheltered world at his Ivy League campus is shaken up when Mick (Jason Ritter), an old acquaintance with a violent past, unexpectedly shows up. Intrigued by Charlie’s privileged lifestyle, the charismatic Mick quickly wins over Charlie’s friends and his crush, Mary (Eva Amurri) as he seamlessly integrates himself into Charlie’s life. Unnerved, yet also in awe of Mick’s easy charm, Charlie’s unresolved feelings of jealousy, admiration and fear - as well as an unspoken secret between the two - threatens to come to a head with ruinous consequences. Marking Fred Durst’s directorial debut, this “evocative coming-of-age story” (Simi Horowitz, Back Stage), also stars Christopher Marquette and Sebastian Stan.”

“The Education of Charlie Banks” stars Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Ritter, Christopher Marquette, Eva Amurri, Sebastian Stan, and Gloria Votsis. It was written by Peter Elkoff and directed by Fred Durst. It is rated R. The film is presented in anamorphic widescreen with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and accompanied by a Dolby Surround 5.1 track.

Special features include an audio commentary with Director Fred Durst and Actor Jason Ritter, and “Conversations Behind The Education of Charlie Banks”.

“Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Season Two”

Photo credit: Lionsgate

Synopsis: “It’s her business doing pleasure with you. The second season of “Secret Diary of a Call Girl,” Showtime’s hit original series based on the real-life adventures of a high-class escort, debuts on DVD from Lionsgate. This witty and provocative show follows the dangerously sexy exploits of “Belle” (real name Hannah Baxter), a 27-year-old graduate living in London, who has worked for the last few years as one of the city’s premiere escorts. She’s an independent, young woman who loves her job. And in season 2 its business as usual for Belle, until her personal life gets in the way. See what happens when a girl who loves for a living, starts living for love.”

“Secret Diary of a Call Girl” stars Billie Piper, Iddo Goldberg, Ashley Madekwe, and Callum Blue. It was created by Lucy Prebble. It is not rated. The show is presented in 16x9 anamorphic widescreen with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and accompanied by an English 5.1 track.

Special features include “Billie on Billie” Interview With Billie Piper and Webisodes.

“Spaceballs” (Blu-Ray)

Photo credit: MGM

Synopsis: “The farce is with you in this “uproarious salute to science fiction” (The Hollywood Reporter) that teams comedy legend Mel Brooks with an all-star cast of cutups including John Candy (Splash), Rick Moranis (Ghostbusters) and Bill Pullman (Ruthless People)! When the evil Dark Helmet (Moranis) attempts to steal all the air from planet Druidia, a determined Druish Princess (Daphne Zuniga), a clueless rogue (Pullman) and a half-man/half-dog creature who’s his own best friend (Candy) set out to stop him! But with the forces of darkness closing in on them at ludicrous speed, they’ll need the help of a wise imp named Yogurt (Brooks) and the mystical power of “The Schwartz” to bring peaceand merchandising rightsto the entire galaxy!”

“Spaceballs” stars Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, Dick Van Patten, George Wyner, and Joan Rivers. The film was written by Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan & Ronny Graham and directed by Brooks. It is rated PG. The film is presented in 1080p and accompanied by an English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track.

Special features on “Spaceballs” include Commentary by Mel Brooks, Additional Commentary Tracks: Mawgese & Dinkese, Spaceballs: The Documentary featurette, In Conversation: Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan featurette, John Candy: Comic Spirit featurette, Watch the Movie in Ludicrous Speed featurette, Still Galleries, Trailers, Film Flubs, Storyboards-to-Film Comparison, and a DVD version of the film.

“Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail”

Photo credit: Lionsgate

Synopsis: “After a high-speed freeway chase puts Madea in front of the judge, her reprieve is short-lived as anger management issues get the best of her and land her in jail. A gleeful Joe couldn’t be happier at Madea’s misfortune. But Madea’s eccentric family members, the Browns, rally behind her, lending their special “country” brand of support. Meanwhile, Assistant District Attorney Joshua Hardaway is on the fast track to career success. He lands a case too personal to handle, defending young prostitute and former drug addict Candace Washington, and asks his fiancée and fellow Assistant District Attorney Linda Holmes to fill in on his behalf. When Candace ends up in jail, Madea befriends the young woman, protecting her in a “motherly” way as only Madea can.”

“Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail” stars Tyler Perry, Derek Luke, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Ion Overman, RonReaco Lee, Sofia Vergara, Vanessa Ferlito, and Viola Davis. The film was written and directed by Tyler Perry. It is rated PG-13. The film is presented in 16x9 anamorphic widescreen with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and is accompanied by a Dolby Digital Audio 5.1 track.

Special features include “Madea is Back,” “Leroy Law Brown,” “Looking for the Big House,” “You Have the Right to Remain Silent!,” “Bringing in the Heavy Hitters,” and “Madea’s Crazy”.

“White Sox Memories: The Greatest Moments in Chicago White Sox History”

Photo credit: Shout Factory

Synopsis: “The south side of Chicago has hosted countless baseball stories and performances for more than a century. It has also been the home for many iconic Windy City ballplayers who ultimately landed in Cooperstown in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Along the way, the team known as the White Sox has entertained its fans with a litany of memorable moments and ballplayers. In White Sox Memories: The Greatest Moments in Chicago White Sox History, the unforgettable and iconic mesh seamlessly to create the definitive story of what has made the White Sox franchise so magnetic.

From the very beginnings of the American League, pennant winners, Hall of Famers and indelible characters have made baseball on the South Side unforgettable. From the Hitless Wonders to the Go-Go Sox to the masterful collection of men who played Ozzie-ball and brought a World Series title back to Chicago in 2005, there have been numerous and incredible tales of triumph. In White Sox Memories: The Greatest Moments in Chicago White Sox History, these stories and the tales of the men who wrote them come alive once again.”

“White Sox Memories” is presented in 16:9 widescreen. Bonus footage includes “Postseason Clinchers,” “9th Inning of No-Hitters,” “Jim Thome Milestone,” “Frank Thomas Hometown Hero,” “Tom Paciorek Official MLB Handbook,” “Nancy Faust on TWIB,” and “2009 Sox Spring Training Wireless”.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Toni Collette Shines on Intriguing ‘United States of Tara’

BrianTT — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:39:28 -0700

Television Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Writer Diablo Cody, the Oscar-winning scribe of “Juno,” Executive Producer Steven Spielberg, and the Oscar-nominated actress Toni Collette have joined forces for the impressive and intriguing “United States of Tara,” airing this Sunday, January 18th on Showtime.

“United States of Tara” displays the fingerprints of three primary creative forces - the snappy dialogue of Cody, the unbelievable range of Collette, and Showtime’s creative impetus to bring us people living outside the norm but hiding in plain sight. Nancy Botwin on “Weeds,” Dexter Morgan on “Dexter,” Hannah/Belle on “Secret Diary of a Call Girl,” and Tara Gregson on “United States of Tara” may look like you and me but they live distinctly abnormal lives.

Toni Collette as Tara in United States Of Tara.
Photo credit: Nigel Parry/Showtime

What makes Tara Gregson’s (Toni Collette) life so unique is that she isn’t alone inside her own body. As so many kids have said, “Mom’s just not herself today.” But in Tara’s life, it can be sadly true. Tara has dissociative identity disorder. There are three personalities that often come to the forefront and take over the lives of Tara and her family - “T,” a teenager fond of thongs and drugs, “Buck,” a beer-swilling Vietnam vet prone to violence, and “Alice,” a housewife straight out of a 1950s advertising campaign.

Toni Collette as Tara and John Corbett as Max in United States of Tara.
Photo credit: Nigel Parry/Showtime

Like a lot of people with DID, Tara’s personalities take over in time of great stress or crisis and most of her family have gotten used to the “other people” living in their house. In the premiere episode, when Tara finds morning after pills in her daughter’s bag, mom understandably freaks out a bit and “T” takes over. Later, when force is called for, “Buck” makes an appearance. I’m not sure that people with real DID use their personalities in such a functional or practical way, but it definitely makes for interesting drama.

The family forced to deal with the “United States of Tara” include Max (John Corbett), her loving and supportive husband, Kate (Brie Larson), her rebellious daughter, and Marshall (Keir Gilchrist), her kind-hearted and intellectual son. Tara’s insecure sister Charmaine (Rosemarie Dewitt, recently seen in “Rachel Getting Married”) struggles to understand her sibling’s illness and great comedic actors like Tony Hale and Patton Oswalt guest-star.

At times, “United States of Tara” can feel too self-conscious and too in love with its own concept. The subtext of the show, a modern woman dealing with the stresses of modern life with multiple personalities, can be a little too clever for its own good as is Cody’s controversial ear for dialogue. Marshall, in particular, with his references to Thelonious Monk and George Cukor in just the first episode, feels almost like Cody’s reaction to criticisms that the teenage characters in “Juno” sounded more like twenty or thirtysomethings. “You thought that was adult dialogue coming out of a kid’s mouth?!? Check this out.”

Most importantly, Cody and her team of writers need to find something interesting underneath the personalities of its heroine to emphasize equally. “Weeds” works because it is about a lot more than just a pot-dealing mom in the ‘burbs. “United States of Tara” needs to find characters as interesting as the ones inside Tara Gregson, not just responses to them. The supporting cast is very good, particularly Dewitt and Corbett, but they are as yet underdeveloped and I worry they will always take a back seat to the chaos in the front.

Rosemarie DeWitt as Charmaine, Toni Collette as Tara, and Brie Larson as Kate in United States of Tara (Episode 5).
Photo credit: Jordin Althaus/Showtime

As for that front, it’s something to behold. Collette has always had an underrated range, giving great performances in “Muriel’s Wedding,” “The Sixth Sense,” “About a Boy,” “Japanese Story,” “In Her Shoes,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” and HBO’s “Tsunami: The Aftermath”. She’s simply a fantastic actress and she does work here worthy of Emmy consideration.

On paper, Tara may sound like a gimmicky role, something anyone could knock out of the park, and that may be true, but what’s difficult about the over-the-top character is making her unusual situation feel genuine and Collette does that from scene one. She’s perfect and, easily, the main reason to watch the show. It’s a performance good enough to make every flaw of the show easier to overlook.

At least through its first four episodes, “United States of Tara” works and, while it may not be there quite yet, it is easy to see this show becoming one of the best on television with just a little tinkering. With an actress as talented as Toni Collette in your lead, greatness is always possible.

‘United States of Tara,’ which airs on SHOWTIME, stars Toni Collette, John Corbett, Rosemarie Dewitt, Brie Larson, and Keir Gilchrist. The premiere airs on January 18th, 2009 at 9PM CST.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

DVD, Blu-Ray Round Up, Jan. 7, 2009: ‘Bangkok Dangerous,’ ‘Disaster Movie,’ ‘Friday Night Lights,’ ‘Towelhead’

BrianTT — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:51:57 -0700

CHICAGO – The time has come for another round-up, a collection of DVD and Blu-Ray titles that may have missed the front page in the Best Buy circular but that might be worth your attention. The DVD Round-Up is back (check out the first edition here and a few Blu-Ray Round-Ups here and here) with drama, comedy, TV, action, and even Hitler.

Nicolas Cage plays a killer in “Bangkok Dangerous,” Derek Luke a football player in “Friday Night Lights,” Aaron Eckhart a suburbanite in “Towelhead,” and Carmen Electra essentially herself in “Disaster Movie”. There’s something for everyone in the DVD Round-Up.

All of these titles were released on January 6th, 2009, unless otherwise noted.

“Bangkok Dangerous”

“The Hitman Has Become the Target.” Nicolas Cage stars in the remake of The Pang Brothers’ “Bangkok Dangerous,” a messy action film about Joe, a hired assassin caught in the middle of a hitman’s nightmare. He’s on one final assignment in Bangkok when the job takes a wild turn after Joe violates one of the most important rules of the game. The hunter becomes the hunted in another remake that’s not quite as good as the original, but should appeal to Cage fans and action junkies.

The DVD version of “Bangkok Dangerous” is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with a 5.1 Dolby Digital EX audio track and includes a digital copy of the film on a second disc. The first disc includes an alternated ending, “From Hong Kong to Bangkok: A Look at Hong Kong Cinema,” “Bangkok Dangerous: The Execution of the Film,” and the theatrical trailer.

“Disaster Movie: Cataclysmic Edition (Unrated)” (Blu-Ray)

“Lewd, Rewd, Crewd, Newd. Celebrate End Times!” Even the tagline is a little annoying. “Disaster Movie” comes from the same team that made the critically reviled “Date Movie,” “Epic Movie,” and “Meet the Spartans”. Yes, that means that they unleashed two Carmen Electra “comedies” in one year. When they release three, it’s a sign of the apocalypse. A plot recap of “Disaster Movie” seems almost like an oxymoron but this one purportedly sends up everyone’s favorite disaster flicks, pop culture icons and public figures with no-holds-barred humor. Hulk, Batman, Iron Man, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Hellboy, and Electra, all in one movie.

The Blu-Ray version of “Disaster Movie” is presented in 1080P High Definition with a 1.78:1 widescreen ratio and an English 7.1 DTS HD Master Audio track. Special features include BonusView Picture-in-Picture Cast & Crew Commentary, “Girl Fight,” “High School Musical” Sing-along, “I’m F#%king Matt Damon” Sing-along, “Sitting Down With a Stand-Up,” “G-Thang’s Tour,” “Straight From the Ladies,” “Who’s Spoofing Who,” “This Is How We Do It,” and the fascinating “MoLog,” a BD-Live feature which allows the user to insert and animate shapes, test, audio, and other graphics right into the film to share with other users.

“Friday Night Lights” (Blu-Ray)

Just in time for the college football season championship game, Universal has reached into their catalog and pulled out the underrated “Friday Night Lights” from director Peter Berg, based on H.G. Bissinger’s excellent non-fiction book about our country’s obsession with football. The movie is a bit different from the book, turning it into more of a rah-rah sports movie about a courageous high school football team’s fight to fulfill their destiny and live their dream. Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Derek Luke, Jay Hernandez, and Tim McGraw, “Friday Night Lights” is a must-own for any sports fan with a Blu-Ray player.

The Blu-Ray version of “Friday Night Lights” is presented in 1080P High Definition with a 2.35:1 widescreen ratio and an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Special features include BD-Live functionality, action-packed deleted scenes, “Peter Berg Discusses a Scene in the Movie,” “Player Cam,” “Tim McGraw: Off the Stage,” “The Story of the 1988 Permian Panthers,” “Gridiron Grads,” “Behind the Lights,” and a great feature commentary by director Berg and author Bissinger.

“The Plot to Kill Hitler”

If you can’t make it to see “Valkyrie” this week (or don’t want to after reading this review), rent or buy “The Plot to Kill Hitler” instead. Brad Davis (“Midnight Express”) stars in the role played by Tom Cruise, Colonel von Stauffenberg, who led a campaign to kill Adolf HItler in the waning days of WWII. Produced by the man who brought “Roots” to the small screen and directed by Lawrence Schiller (“The Executioner’s Song”), “The Plot to Kill Hitler” aired on TV almost exactly eighteen years ago.

The WB-released DVD for “The Plot to Kill Hitler,” clearly released to tie into audiences either in love with “Valkyrie” or looking for a different version of the same story, includes no special features and is presented in standard, full frame version, the way the film was originally broadcast. The audio is presented in Dolby Surround Stereo.

“Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Season One”

“It’s her business doing pleasure with you.” The first eight episodes of Showtime’s “The Secret Diary of a Call Girl” have been released on a two-disc set from Lionsgate Home Video. Inspired by the true-life adventures of a notorious escort, “The Secret Diary of a Call Girl” stars “Doctor Who“‘s Billie Piper as a high-class London escort. By day she’s the quiet, unassuming Hannah, but at night she becomes Belle, the city’s wildest and most successful lady of the night. “Call Girl” details a modern woman’s quest to juggle the normalcy of her daily life with the unusual nature of what she does for a living. The show is wildly uneven but the talented Piper does her best to keep it entertaining. Watch for more with our review of the season two premiere coming soon.

The DVD “set” for “Secret Diary of a Call Girl” is pretty disappointing with no commentaries or deleted scenes. The only special feature is a featurette titled “Billie Piper: Coming to America”. The episodes are presented in 16x9 widescreen with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and a standard Dolby stereo track.

“Towelhead”

From the acclaimed writer of “American Beauty” and the creator of “Six Feet Under” and “True Blood,” “Towelhead” features an incredible ensemble cast with great actors including Aaron Eckhart, Toni Collette, and Maria Bello in a controversial drama. Newcomer Summer Bishil plays a 13-year-old Arab-American struggling to cope in her boring Houston suburb. She’s drawn to a boy in school. And to a hunky, married Army reservists neighbor. She’s curious about sex and has no idea how to handle relationships. Everything about her life collides in a series of dramatic events in this coming-of-age story, which was released by Warner Brothers on December 30th, 2008. Critics were divided about “Towelhead,” but it’s an interesting, unique film from a talented writer and you shouldn’t let it slip by with all of the more high-profile DVDs that have hit the market in the last few weeks.

The DVD for “Towelhead” looks very good (although a Blu-Ray edition would have been nice) with a widescreen transfer and an English Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track. The only featurette is called “Towelhead: A Community Discussion,” in which director/screenwriter Alan Ball hosts 2 insightful panels on issues the film raises, one including co-stars Summer Bishil and Peter Macdissi, the other including the novel’s original author Alicia Erian.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com