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the identity of a wealthy and privileged jet-setter bumming around Italy—then the trouble begins. Damon’s eerie charm and pathetic sycophancy keep you on edge, while Oscar nominee Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow ratchet up the tension. A taut thriller from Anthony Minghella (The English Patient). R; 139 minutes (Paramount) Teletubbies: Bedtime Stories and Lullabies: Don’t kid yourselves—they’re not going to go away. The latest of tthe Felt Foursomes at-home odysseys is devoted to all things nighty-night, with a lineup of soft-peddled bedtime ditties that includes “Rock-a-bye Baby,” “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider,” “Frére Jacques” and “Hey Diddle Diddle.” The perfect oh-god-please-go-to-sleep tape when all else fails. NR; 70 minutes (Warner) The Third Miracle: Faith and love collide when disillusioned priest and church detective Ed Harris falls for passionate agnostic Anne Heche, while investigating the death of her mother, whom the holy powers are eyeballing as a potential saint. Anne and Ed pull it off, despite the knee-deep sanctimony. Armin Mueller-Stahl is the Archibishop with an attitude. R; 118 minutes (Columbia TriStar) Thomas and the Magic Railroad: In his first feature length adventure, TV’s cherubic choo-choo helps a twelve-year-old girl (Mara Wilson) and the irrepressible Mr. Conductor (a strangely juiced-up Alec Baldwin) retrieve a stash of magical gold dust while eluding the dastardly Diesel. A harmless ride for the most part, though Peter Fonda’s dour turn as Grandpa makes his Ulee seem positively giddy. G; 84 minutes (Columbia TriStar) Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train: Friends, mourners and lovers of charismatic, imperious painter reminisce about the deceased on long train journey to his funeral in French countryside. Patrice Chereau’s romantically erotic eulogy won five Cesars at Cannes. NR; 122 minutes (Kino) Three Kings: Victorious Gulf War soldiers George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube scam Iraqi gold after the cease-fire. Brilliant desert madness deftly directed by Flirting with Disaster’s David O. Russell. R; 114 minutes (Warner) The Three Stooges: The three wise men? How about Larry, Moe and Curly? Here are six new episodes on DVD, including the pie-fight favorite “Half-Wits Holiday.” (Columbia TriStar) Three to Tango: Architect Matthew Perry plays gay to win lucrative contract, but nabs boss’s girlfriend instead. Silly script, though Perry and Neve Campbell generate nice heat. Oliver Platt delights as Perry’s “lover.” PG-13; 98 minutes (Warner) Time Code: Lust and murder abound in this odd cinematic experiment from director Mike Figgis (Leaving Las Vegas). Shot in real time with handheld cameras, four separate stories play out simultaneously on a quadruple-split screen. Commendable yet confounding, and stacked high with nicely understated performances by Salma Hayek, Holly Hunter and Jeanne Tripplehorn. R; 97 minutes (Columbia TriStar) Titus: In this moody spin on the Bard’s b-list tragedy Titus Andronicus, the titular Roman general (Anthony Hopkins) plays hardball with enemy Goth queen Jessica Lange in retaliation for his son’s death. Costumed to the teeth and dripping with atmosphere, this long-but-worth-it epic marks the screen directorial debut of Julie Taymor, whose Lion King still reigns on Broadway. Alan Cumming co-stars. R; 162 minutes (Fox) Topsy Turvy: Mike Leigh’s quietly spirited profile of light opera masters W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan is too long by half; but terrific acting (notably Jim Broadbent’s emotionally constipated Gilbert, which won him best actor at the 1999 Venice Film Festival), Oscar-winning costumes and delightful snippets of those inimitable G&S stylings earn it a bona fide bravo. R; 160 minutes (USA) Touch of Evil: The historical re-release of Orson Welles’ landmark 1958 tale of intrigue and murder on the U.S.-Mexico border incorporates changes requested by Welles (but ignored) in a 58-page memo written to the studio exec who had banned him from the editing room. Included: new footage, a dramatically revamped opening sequence and a making-of documentary that explains it all. Charlton Heston stars. NR; 111 minutes (Universal) Toy Story 2: Impossible to improve on perfection? Think again. The gang from the toy chest delights once more, as Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) leads a mission to rescue Woody (Tom Hanks) from the hands of a nefarious collector (Wayne Knight). Joan Cusack joins the crew as Woody’s cowgirl sidekick, crooning the Oscar-nominated song, “When She Loved Me.” G; 94 minutes (Disney) Train of Life: As the Nazis approach his village, the town schemer manufactures a grand deportation charade to save his fellow Jews. Poignant and whimsical, this historical fable wowed on the fest circuit. Made in Romania; with French and German dialogue. NR; 102 minutes (Paramount) Treasures from the American Film Archives: 50 Preserved Films: Four-disc box set; collected from 18 different archives—from first full length feature (Snow White, 1916) to Groucho Marx’s home movies. (Image) Tuesdays With Morrie: Fast-lane sports journalist Hank Azaria reconnects with dying college prof Jack Lemmon to understand life better. This tight, not-too- schmatltzy TV movie-spin on Mitch Albom’s book was exec produced by fan Oprah Winfrey. NR; 120 minutes (Buena Vista) Tumbleweeds: Southern mom (Brit stage actress Janet McTeer) and 12-year-old daughter hit the road in search of love, happiness and a decent man. McTeer’s pitch-perfect twang captured critics—and a bunch of trophies. PG-13; 104 minutes (New Line) Tweety’s High Flying Adventure: And you tawt you’d seen the last of him. In this direct-to-vid spectacular, America’s favorite macrocephalic canary wings around the globe on a bet—from the Pyramids to the Himalayas—along the way encountering a cavalcade of familiar Warner Bros. faces, including Bugs, Daffy, Pepe, the Tasmanian Devil and, natch, Sylvester. For twue fans. NR; 70 minutes (Warner) U-571: A WWII Navy reconnaissance submarine rushes to save a sinking German U-boat to recover a decoding machine that’s crucial to the war effort. The snag: The Germans are on their way, too. Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton and Jon Bon Jovi keep the proceedings nice and tense in a story that eerily summons up recent headlines. PG-13; 116 minutes (Universal) The Ultimate Scream Collection: There are worse things in life than having Neve Campbell on your disc. Wes Craven’s tongue-in-cheek horror trilogy comes to DVD in a four-platter boxed set, the bonus disc boasting a motherlode of extras, including: outtakes, deleted scenes, screen tests, interviews with the cast and crew, a “Behind the Scream” documentary and a special “Cutting Room” feature that allows you to edit a scene. Keep it clean. R (Dimension) Underdog: More than 30 years after first announcing, “There’s no need to fear...” the caped canine flies back onto the scene in a triptych of memorable episodes, facing off with his most fearsome nemeses (Simon Barsinister, Riff Raff and Overcat). Far cleverer than you remember, and a blast to watch with the kids. DVD includes the 1964 pilot. NR; 40 minutes each (Golden Books) Up at the Villa: Italy, 1938: American rake Sean Penn cockily advises widowed English ex-pat Kristin Scott Thomas not to marry a diplomatic geezer for his money—then promptly falls for her. This old-fashioned, well-acted romance—set against the backdrop of political intrigue—was adapted from W. Somerset Maugham’s novella. Co-stars Anne Bancroft and Jeremy Davies. PG-13; 115 minutes (USA) The Virgin Suicides: Writer-director Sofia Coppola unspools the sad and mysterious tale of five stunning sisters whose rigid Catholic home life sends them tragically over the brink. Coppola’s stylish camerawork—sometimes dreamy, often delirious—and perfect Seventies touches make for a breathtaking portrait worthy of repeat viewings. Kathleen Turner and James Woods play the girls’ clueless parents. R; 97 minutes (Paramount) Virtual Sexuality: Pretty but loveless high school girl Laura Fraser attends local technology fair, accidentally whipping up a cyber-dream man (Rupert Penry-Jones of Hilary and Jackie). Teen trifle saved by nice performances and colorful effects. R; 92 minutes (Columbia TriStar) Waking the Dead: Amiable but empty political go-getter (Billy Crudup) finds the campaign trail haunted by the comely specter of his murdered activist girlfriend (Jennifer Connelly). This question: Is she really dead? Actor-turned-director Keith Gordon delivers the goods impressively—bouncing from mystery to thriller to two- hanky love story—while Billy and Jennifer generate some serious heat. Hal Holbrook co-stars. R; 103 minutes (USA) Walking with Dinosaurs: The program that knocked UK TV critics onto their prehensile tails. Two volumes of computer-animated dinos, shot against real locations—from Chilean lava fields to California Redwoods. Breathtaking. NR; 180 minutes (BBC) The War Zone: Screen star Tim Roth makes his directorial debut with this unsettling tale of an English family of four trying to keep it together. Crammed into a cottage so small that bathing takes place in the kitchen, familial tensions lead to accusations of incest—and more. Lauded at the Sundance and Edinburgh film fests, and available in R and uncensored versions. 99 minutes (New Yorker) The Whole Nine Yards: Unhappily married suburban dentist (Matthew Perry, in his best big screen performance yet) finds his life completely unhinged when a hunted hit man (Bruce Willis) moves into the house next door. Irreverent script and stellar supporting turns by Michael Clarke Duncan and Amanda Peet make it a wild romp from beginning to end. R; 101 minutes (Warner) What Lies Beneath: Hard-boiled egghead Harrison Ford finds his household upended when his already unraveling wife (Michelle Pfeiffer) insists that a spirit is trying to reach out and touch her from the great beyond. Hip-deep in its own paranormality and roundly dismissed by the critics, it occasionally manages to rivet, particularly when Michelle gets down and dirty. Directed by Robert Zemeckis. (PG- 13; 126 minutes (Dreamworks) Whatever It Takes: Cyrano in the schoolyard—and pretty lame. Nerdy accordionist (Shane West) and dumb jock (James Franco) go after the most popular (and formulaic) duo in school—the untouchable beauty and the pretty but nice girl—via a series of tangled emails, overlapping phone calls and phony double- dates. A teen trifle that makes Porky’s look like Chekhov. Pass. PG-13; 94 minutes (Sony) Where the Money Is: With Paul Newman and Linda Fiorentino; TV spots, documentaries, interviews. PG-13 (USA) White Christmas: They don’t make ‘em like this anymore. The long-awaited DVD edition of Bing and Danny’s yuletide chestnut includes widescreen format, two trailers, and retrospective commentary (and interview) with co-star Rosemary Clooney. Merry and bright. NR (Paramount) The World is Not Enough: Agelessly dashing 007 (Pierce Brosnan) faces off with bad guy Robert Carlyle, who’s messing with the world’s oil. Overly slick story, but the stunts are tops and Pierce remains the best Bond since Sean. PG-13; 105 minutes (MGM) The X-Files: Three volumes (two episodes each) of replays from Season Four of the supernatural Fox hit. Included: Mulder and Scully investigate a newborn with a tail, a UFO crash site, and Leonard Betts, the headless ambulance driver. NR; each tape 95 minutes (Fox) X-Men: The world’s most celebrated collection of genetic mutants (the WWF included) fight for justice in this big screen spin on the Marvel Comics classic. Do- gooding professor Patrick Stewart assembles the titular army of superheroes to face their enemies, including a former X-er who bends metal with his brain (move over, Uri Gellar). So-so story, great effects—especially the mutant with the mammoth tongue. PG-13; 104 minutes (Fox) The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967): In this newly restored sequel to The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, director Jacques Demy and composer Michel Legrand, follow singing-dancing sisters Catherine Deneuve and Françoise Dorléac, as they dream of stardom in Paris and one day falling in love. A bit frilly around the edges but, hey, so are the demoiselles. Gene Kelly co-stars. G; 124 minutes (Miramax) Zalman King’s Red Shoe Diaries: Three sensual short stories ignite latest installment of the cable network’s classy erotic-diary serial, featuring David Duchovny. Best of the lot: “The Game,” in which a bored beauty plays naughty with a sexy stranger. NR; 78 mins. (Showtime) Zoboomafoo: The first two vid volumes of the popular PBS Kids wildlife series— "Zoboo’s Little Pals" and "Play Day at Animal Junction"—feature a Belgian horse, a wrestling jaguar cub and a baby elephant that plays soccer. Both tapes boast the show’s trademark combo of live action, puppetry and animation and—parents take note—they don’t wear thin on perpetual replay. NR; 50 minutes each (Warner) Best & Worst of 2000: Home Video & DVD 1. What kind of year was it? Forget Brockovich, Bigalow and the heavy panting behind The Phantom Menace. The real story of 2000 was the explosion of the DVD format, whose portability, affordability, cool bonus features and handsome box-set packaging (e.g., Toy Story, Fantasia) spawned armies of die-hard collectors across the nation. According to industry figures, 97 million units sold (more than double 1999’s figures), while DVD rentals jumped to 245.8 million turns (from 24.1 million the previous year—an increase of almost 920 percent). 2. Winners of the Year As the year-end numbers rolled in, tunicked hunk Russell Crowe strutted into the Coliseum as the undisputed champ of the living room, as his testosterone-charged epic, Gladiator, handily trounced such formidable home-view faves as X-Men, The Green Mile and Chicken Run. Meanwhile, is Disney doing cartwheels, or what? Not only did its jungle gem, Tarzan, triumphantly swing into the top spot with $268 million in total VHS/DVD revenue for the year (including sales and rentals), it grabbed second place (Toy Story 2, $209 million) and third place (The Sixth Sense, $200 million), to boot. 3. Losers of the Year King-of-the-world heartthrob Leo DiCaprio sank faster than the you-know-what when his over-hyped, over-blown desert island drama, The Beach (Fox) elicited the same reaction on video as it did at the B.O.: yawns. (It tanked on shelves with barely seven million rental turns—compared to, say, The Sixth Sense, with 57.5 million rentals). Runner up (or down)? Robin Williams, with his dubious double- feature, Bicentennial Man and Jakob the Liar. (See Bruce Kluger's 2000 Us Weekly video/DVD reviews, A-E, F-M, N-S) |