I Love You, Man
PARAMOUNT
MOVIE B+
SPECIAL FEATURES A-
DVD GEEK FACTOR 7
(OUT OF 10)
Paul Rudd and Jason Segel get together for a funny “bromance” that
features the two comic actors at the top of their games. Rudd plays a
newly engaged real-estate broker who lacks male friends. His search for
a best man leads him to Segel, and hilarious male-bonding shenanigans
ensue.
Rudd is on a roll, as is Segel, and the two make a great duo. The
obsession with Rush gets a little out of hand, but, hey, Moving
Pictures was a great album. There are lots of great actors,
including former members of The State, in small parts. While the movie
isn’t quite up to the level of Rudd’s Role Models, it’s a very
good time.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Lots of deleted scenes and making-of stuff
(including an explanation of how they did the projectile-vomit scene).
Rudd and Segel do a commentary, and the gag reel is actually quite
good.
Repulsion (Blu-Ray)
CRITERION
MOVIE B+
SPECIAL FEATURES B
DVD GEEK FACTOR 7.5
(OUT OF 10)
Roman Polanski’s disturbing little horror film starts off slowly,
but it definitely delivers the goods by film’s end.
Catherine Deneuve stars as Carole, a quiet manicurist living in
London with her sister. Something seems to be bothering her; she has a
general disdain toward men and doesn’t want to be left alone. However,
when her sister leaves for a vacation, Carole is left to watch over the
place and pay the rent.
Carole is the worst house sitter … ever!
In some ways, this is a horror film in the tradition of
Psycho. The big difference is that while Hitchcock explains why
Norman Bates did what he did, we never really get definitive answers
about Carole. There are hints in her behavior, and some dream scenes
give a little away, while the biggest clue comes in the film’s
final—but still ambiguous—shot.
Polanski makes this work as both a horror film and mystery. Three
years later, he would direct Rosemary’s Baby, one of the
creepiest films ever made. Repulsion qualifies as
Rosemary’s creepy older sister.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Criterion did a nice high-definition
transfer of the black-and-white movie, approved by Polanski. He and
Deneuve offer up a “commentary”—actually, it’s a pastiche of
interview comments that weren’t recorded at the same time. There’s also
a documentary on the film produced in 2006, as well as one made while
the movie was being filmed. The packaging includes a booklet of
essays.
Jim Breuer: Let’s Clear the Air
COMEDY CENTRAL
SHOW B
SPECIAL FEATURES C
DVD GEEK FACTOR 6
(OUT OF 10)
I listen to The Howard Stern Show semi-regularly; comedian
Jim Breuer is a frequent guest. Much of the former Saturday Night
Live player’s current comedy deals with his dad, and Breuer often
drops his hilarious impersonation on Stern’s show. I always believed
Breuer’s impersonation must be an exaggeration, but there’s a prelude
to Breuer’s show on this DVD that proves it is dead-on. His dad’s voice
does, indeed, have a wonderful quack to it that is a gift to his comic
son.
The special captures Breuer in clean mode, where he talks about his
parents and his children. He also does a great routine about driving
with Dave Chappelle, his co-star in Half Baked. Best of all is
his rendition of “Row Your Boat” as sung by AC/DC. The damn thing is
stuck in my head. Also, having grown up on Long Island like Breuer, I
can relate to his story about the Concorde flying overhead.
It’s a good stand-up routine that includes lots of impersonations
and a certain amount of self-deprecating humor. He admits that he
thought he was going to be hugely successful, but things didn’t turn
out that way. The lack of huge success actually gives him some good
material—and that makes him funny.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Not a lot, but there is a fireside chat
with dad that gets some laughs, and Breuer recorded some decent stuff
for the DVD menus.
Robot Chicken: Star Wars—Episode II
WARNER
SHOW B-
SPECIAL FEATURES B+
DVD GEEK FACTOR 6.5
(OUT OF 10)
This second Robot Chicken/Star Wars flick isn’t as
good as the first, but it’s still pretty good. It includes a lot of
stuff involving Ewoks getting obliterated; their planet gets pummeled
with debris after the Death Star blew up nearby. Boba Fett is a big
star of this installment, and we get to see what happens to him after
falling into the dreaded Sarlacc pit.
Because they have the full blessing of George Lucas for these shows,
the producers get to use a lot of Star Wars figures and music without
worrying about major lawsuits.
SPECIAL FEATURES: The disc features two versions of the
episode, including an extended edition that offers 15 minutes of new
material—and the new stuff is good. There are lots of
commentaries and making-of docs for diehard fans.
This article appears in Aug 6-12, 2009.