DVD Pick of the week: Dorian Gray (National Entertainment Media)
Director Oliver Parker’s adaptation of the Oscar Wilde classic stars Ben Barnes in the title role, the handsome hedonist who remains eternally youthful while his portrait reflects the effects of a debauched, decadent lifestyle.
Unlike Albert Lewin’s 1945 screen version — and, to an extent, Wilde’s original story — which only hinted at the depths of Dorian’s depravity, this (moderately revisionist) rendition goes for broke. It’s lavish and lusty, brooding and blood-soaked.
Barnes certainly looks the part of the diabolical Dorian, yet it’s a difficult role for any actor, as the character is a study in soulless vanity. Colin Firth walks away with every scene he’s in as Lord Henry Wotton, the cynical mentor who watches Dorian (with both admiration and jealousy) as he descends to moral depths even he couldn’t dream of. Ben Chaplin plays Basil Hallward, the artist who paints Dorian’s portrait and eventually pays dearly for it.
The line-up of Victorian ladies who succumb to Dorian, in one way or another, includes Rachel Hurd-Wood, Fiona Shaw, Caroline Goodall, Emilia Fox and Maryam d’Abo, with Rebecca Hall as Lord Henry’s daughter, who truly captures Dorian’s heart.
There’s excellent cinematography by Roger Pratt, although the CGI climax is a bit much, and polished period detail. All told, a respectable screen rendition of Wilde’s story, and a good bet for horror fans. Rated R.
BIKINI FRANKENSTEIN (Retromedia Entertainment/Infinity Entertainment Group): Fred Olen Ray’s softcore spin on Mary Shelley’s classic stars Frankie Cullen as the hunky young Dr. Frankenstein, who takes time off from seducing college co-eds to create the perfect woman (Jayden Cole, who certainly qualifies). Pulchritude and in-jokes abound, as do the familiar faces found in Ray’s ongoing series of low-budget sex comedies: Christine Nguyen, Brandin Rackley, Alexis Texas, Ron Ford and Ted Newsom as Prof. Van Sloane, the college dean. (It must be some institution of higher learning!)
BURNING BRIGHT (LionsGate Home Entertainment): Briana Evigan must protect autistic little brother Charlie Tahan from a ravenous tiger loose in their house — and during a hurricane, no less! Well-made and sometimes suspenseful, but this is a tough idea to stretch to feature length. Rated PG-13.
“DEXTER”: THE FOURTH SEASON (CBS DVD/Paramount Home Entertainment): Michael C Hall is back as everyone’s favorite forensics specialist and serial killer — now a new father — in all 12 episodes from the 2009 season of the critically acclaimed Showtime series. Jennifer Carpenter (Hall’s real-life wife) plays Dexter’s sister, and the cast also includes Julie Benz, Desmond Harrington, Lauren Velez, James Remar and the great John Lithgow. Nominated for eight Emmy Awards including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Hall), with wins for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Lithgow) and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Steve Shill, for the episode “The Getaway”). The DVD boxed set retails for $49.99, the Blu-ray boxed set for $64.99.
FANGORIA FRIGHTFEST (Lightning Media): Fangoria, the premier horror movie magazine (I’ve been a subscriber longer than I care to remember), rings in the Halloween season with eight feature films available on DVD, VOD and Digital Download: Calista Flockhart stars in director Jaume Balaguero’s awardwinning Fragile (rated PG-13); Wes Bentley, Eric Roberts and Michael Madsen star in The Tomb (rated R), also known as Ligeia and based on Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Tomb of Ligeia; Keri Russell headlines the award-winning Grimm Love (rated R), also known as Rohtenburg and Butterfly: A Grimm Story; Dean Francis’ Road Kill (rated R), starring Xavier Samuel and also known as Road Train; writer/producer/director Darin Scott’s award-winning Dark House (rated R), starring Jeffrey Combs; Lori Heuring stars in Hunger (rated R); director James Isaac’s award-winning Pig Hunt; and Elio Quiroga’s award-winning The Haunting (rated R), also known as No-Do: The Beckoning. Each DVD retails for $19.99, a boxed set of all eight retails for $159.92. NFL
GREATEST RIVALRIES (NFL Films/ Warner Home Video): With football season in full swing, the NFL is celebrating some its more storied and intense rivalries. The self-explanatory “Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins (Cowboys Defeat Redskins)” is countered by the equally self-explanatory “Washington Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys” (Redskins Defeat Cowboys).” There’s also “Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers (Bears Defeat Packers)” and the obligatory “Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears” (Packers Defeat Bears).” Each DVD boxed set retails for $26.95. NFL Films/Warner Home Video will also commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Twin Cities’ NFL franchise in the two- DVD boxed set “NFL History of the Minnesota Vikings,” which also retails for $26.95.
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (Warner Home Video): Jackie Earle Haley is the “new” Freddy Krueger in this unnecessary and underwhelming remake of Wes Craven’s 1984 horror classic. The budget may be bigger and the special effects more elaborate, but otherwise this is inferior in every way. But it made money and a sequel is in the works. Horrors! Rated R.
OPEN HOUSE (LionsGate Home Entertainment): Writer/director Andrew Paquin’s debut feature is a well-made but one-note psychological shocker starring Brain Geraghty and Tricia Helfer as a psychopathic couple that takes suburbia by storm, with Rachel Blanchard as their increasingly desperate hostage. Paquin’s real-life sister Anna and her “True Blood” squeeze (and new husband) Stephen Moyer turn up briefly. Rated R.
PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment): There has never been a good movie based on, or inspired by, a video game — and this Jerry Bruckheimer production (one of his worst) enforces that notion with a vengeance. The illused cast includes a buff Jake Gyllenhaal, Alfred Molina, Gemma Arterton and Ben Kingsley, whose eye-rolling histrionics can’t even to save it on a camp level. One of the year’s worst movies. Available, for those who care, as a singledisc DVD ($29.99 retail), a Blu-ray disc ($39.99 retail), or as a three-disc combo pack ($44.99 retail). Rated PG-13.
“SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE” (LionsGate Home Entertainment): The latest releases showcasing the most popular sketches from favorite stars of NBC-TV’s long-running late-night comedy series: “The Best of Will Ferrell,” “The Best of Tracy Morgan,” “The Best of Eddie Murphy” and “The Best of Adam Sandler,” each DVD retailing for $14.98.
“SMALLVILLE”: THE COMPLETE NINTH SEASON (Warner Home Video): The most successful small-screen “Superman” franchise continues, with this collection of all 22 episodes from the 2009-’10 season of the award-winning CW Television Network fantasy series based on the classic DC Comics character, starring Tom Welling as the Man of Steel and his alter-ego, reporter Clark Kent, with Allison Mack (in her final season), Cassidy Freeman, Callum Blue, Kristin Kreuk, Justin Hartley and Erica Durance as Lois Lane. Reportedly, Season 10 will be the last one. The DVD boxed set retails for $59.98, the Blu-ray boxed set for $69.97.
WALL STREET (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment): An “insider trading” special edition of Oliver Stone’s 1987 drama, with Michael Douglas in his Oscar-winning role as Wall Street tycoon Gordon Gekko, backed by a star-studded cast including Charlie and Martin Sheen, Hal Holbrook, Terence Stamp, Daryl Hannah, James Spader, Sean Young, James Karen and Stone standby John C. McGinley. “Greed is good” — and so is this movie. The sequel, reuniting Douglas and Stone, recently opened in theaters. Rated R.
“WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN: FINAL CRISIS TRILOGY” (LionsGate Home Entertainment): The latest installment of the animated Nicktoons series sees the popular Marvel Comics character (voiced by Steve Blum) doing battle in the present and future in this three-episode season finale. This special-edition DVD retails for $14.98.
