DVD Pick of the week: Devil
(Universal Studios Home Entertainment)
It’s a bad day in Philadelphia for five strangers who find themselves stuck in the elevator of a high-rise office building, then realize after a series of weird circumstances that dark forces are at work.
Fast-moving and claustrophobic, Devil is unquestionably the best film that producer/story writer M. Night Shymalan’s been involved with in for some time, but don’t ignore the contributions of director John Erick Dowdell (who scored with Quarantine), composer Fernando Velazquez and ace cinematographer Tak Fujimoto, who have whipped up a cult-worthy chiller.
Bokeem Woodbine, Bojana Novakovic, Logan Marshall- Green, Geoffrey Arend and Jenny O’Hara play the unlucky elevator quintet, each one a red herring. Rather than a whodunit, this is a “who-is-it?” — as one among them is actually the personification of the Devil come to raise a little hell on Earth. It’s up to disillusioned cop Chris Messina to sort through the Satanic panic before more hell breaks loose.
Like most of Shymalan’s films, everything builds to a twist in the end. Maybe one twist too many, but the build-up’s so good and so shrewd that, overall, Devil delivers. Rated PG-13.
ALSO Available
ASTRO-ZOMBIES M3: CLONED (Alpha New Cinema): Ted V Mikels’ latest follow-up to his 1968 schlock classic (as well as his 1973 cult favorite The Doll Squad) sees the murderous mutants on the rampage once again. laughably, intentionally campy, but a little on the long side. Mikels served as co-writer/producer/editor/cinematographer/ director and plays a dual role!CONVICTED (Alpha Home entertainment): Not to be confused with the recent Conviction, this 1931 quickie (under an hour) involves a shipboard whodunit. Death on the Nile it’s not, but tolerable. Directed by prolific, Philadelphia-born Christy Cabanne (over 150 films!). On board are Richard Tucker (as the victim), Jameson Thomas, Aileen Pringle and Dorothy Christy.
DANGER AHEAD (Alpha Home entertainment): This 1940 installment of the Renfrew of the Royal Mounted series sees the singing Mountie (James Nevill) investigating a series of robberies with the help of Dave O’Brien, Dorothea kent and Guy Usher. Routine Monogram fare.
DEATH RACE 2 (Universal studios Home entertainment): This (unrated) prequel to the 2008 remake of the ’70s drive-in favorite details how incarcerated convicts came to participate in mechanized mayhem for the pleasure of the viewing audience at home. luke Goss plays the (anti-)hero, while Danny Trejo, Ving Rhames and sean Bean provide growls and scowls in supporting roles. Hardly original or innovative, but at least it knows it’s trash.
“HAWAII FIVE-O”: THE TENTH SEASON (CBs DVD/Paramount Home entertainment): There’s crime to be fought in the 50th state, and steve McGarrett (Jack lord) is just the man to do it, in all 24 episodes from the 1977-’78 season of the popular, award-winning prime-time CBs-TV crime drama. This six-DVD boxed set retails for $54.99.
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (Universal studios Home entertainment): Annette Bening and Julianne Moore are (expectedly) excellent as a lesbian couple whose children (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) seek out their biological father (Mark Ruffalo, also terrific) in lisa Cholodenko’s smart, funny, award-winning comedy. In other hands, this could’ve been a bad big-screen sitcom, but the performances make it work. Rated R.
LENNONYC (A&e Home entertainment): Writer/producer/director Michael epstein’s winning, well-rounded documentary explores John lennon’s often-tumultuous post-Beatles life in New York City during the 1970s, as told by family and friends including Yoko Ono (of course), elton John, David Geffen, Mai Pang, photographer Bill Gruen and others. Concentrating more on the man than the music, the film is all the more distinctive. Of course, this story does not have a happy ending, but that doesn’t cast a pall over its appeal. An absolute must for lennon aficionados. The DVD retails for $24.95, the Blu-ray for $34.95.
NESHOBA: THE PRICE OF FREEDOM (First Run Features): Micki Dickoff and Tony Pagano’s sobering, award-winning documentary recounts the 1964 murder of three Civil Rights workers in Neshoba County, Miss. followed 40 years later by the trial of the accused killer, edgar Ray killen. The original murder case was the inspiration for the 1988 film Mississippi Burning, which I happen to think was one of the best films of the ‘80s.
NOWHERE BOY (sony Pictures Home entertainment): Director sam Taylor-Wood’s feature debut stars Aaron Johnston as the young John lennon, torn between his free-spirited mother (Anne-Marie Duff) and his proper aunt (kristin scott Thomas). Based on the memoir by lennon’s half-sister Julia Baird, this awardwinning, well-intentioned “pre-Beatles” drama looks good (courtesy cinematographer seamus McGarvey) but never quite feels right and is somehow predictable. Johnston and Taylor- Wood are now a real-life couple. Rated R.
“PRESENTING ROGER CORMAN’S… BEST OF THE B’S, COLLECTION 3: ESCAPE FROM PRISON!” (Infinity entertainment Group): A five-film collection ($29.98 retail) of prison thrillers produced by the prolific Roger Corman: Marie Windsor, Mike Connors, Beverly Garland and ed Nelson star in Swamp Women (1955), which Corman also directed; an uncredited Corman was the executive producer of writer/director Joel Rapp’s High School Big Shot (1959); Pam Grier stars in Women in Cages (1971); The Hot Box (1972) stars Carmen Argenziano and Margaret Markov, and was co-written by Jonathan Demme; and Vonetta McGee headlines The Big Bust-Out (1973). The latter three films are rated R.
SWING IT, PROFESSOR (Alpha Home entertainment): This mild 1937 musical comedy is a vehicle for radio and recording star Pinky Tomlin, as a guileless music professor who gets mixed up with the mob while researching swing music in Depression-era Chicago.
TRADE IN (skD UsA/e1 entertainment): Wacky goings-on at rival auto dealerships in this weak comedy featuring Chris Mascarelli, Tiffany shepis, Michelle Bauer, Ron Jeremy and Corey Haim (in his final appearance). stick with Used Cars.
TWO-FISTED JUSTICE (Alpha Home entertainment): This 1943 installment of the long-running, low-budget Range Busters series sees the rough-and-tumble trio (John “Dusty” king, Dave sharpe and Max “Alibi” Terhune) restoring law and order to an outlaw-infested Western town. For comic relief, there’s Terhune’s dummy, elmer.
“UFC: ULTIMATE HEAVYWEIGHTS” (Anchor Bay entertainment): A selection of the fiercest Ultimate Fighting Championship bouts featuring the likes of Brock lesnar, Randy Coutoure, shane Carwin, Junior Dos santos and others. The DVD retails for $19.98, the Blu-ray for $29.99. Anchor Bay entertainment is also releasing the self-explanatory
“UFC: Ultimate knockouts 8” (featuring Anderson silva, Chuck liddell, Cain Velasquez, lesnar and Dos santos), which retails for $19.98 (DVD) and $29.99 (Blu-ray), as well as “UFC 119: Frank Mir vs. Mirko Crocop” and “UFC 120: Michael Bisping vs. Yoshiro Akiyama,” each of which retail for $19.98 (DVD).
“THE UNIVERSE”: THE COMPLETE SEASON FIVE (A&e Home entertainment): The majesty and mystery of outer space are explored in all eight episodes from the 2010 season of the popular History Channel documentary series, narrated by erik Thompson. The DVD boxed set retails for $24.95, the Blu-ray boxed set for $34.95.
WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS (Twentieth Century Fox Home entertainment): After 23 years, director Oliver stone and Michael Douglas reunite for this engrossing follow-up, with Douglas reprising his Oscar-winning role as former financial hotshot Gordon Gekko, out of jail and up to his old tricks with the help of the young broker (shia laBeouf) who’s engaged to his estranged daughter (Carey Mulligan). It’s fun to watch Douglas in action, but this is something of a rehash of the first film. still, as sequels go this isn’t a bad one. Josh Brolin, Frank langella, the alwayswelcome eli Wallach and susan sarandon (wasted in a cameo role) round out the high-profile cast. Rated PG-13.
