DVD Spy Reviews: Edition #1

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on August 21, 2007

I love DVDs. The sight of the ever-growing pile of debt that I know as my DVD collection sometimes brings me to tears, depending on how much I have been drinking. One thing I do not like about DVDs though, is writing reviews for them. It seems tedious, as I have often seen the film or show during its original run. So as part of this monstrous new feature known as “The DVD Spy”, I have decided to integrate some simple, focused reviews for DVD titles that I come across. The reviews will be less about the film and more about the quality of the DVD. Some day, this will be the authoritative voice on what you should or should not purchase. For now, this is edition #1. Strap in, buckle up or do whatever you feel necessary, here come some reviews.

The Lookout – In Stores Now

The Lookout was one of the surprise dramas of the early part of 2007. It plowed into theaters during a time when everything seemed to stink to high heaven of “off-peak trash”. From Alpha Dog to Codename: The Cleaner we suffered, but The Lookout was our savior. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Brick) delivers a powerful performance as a boy who loses his sight then gets mixed up in a bank robbery. He also makes out with Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers). The film was a very intelligently done thriller that certainly won’t leave you disappointed, but I can’t say I am going to wear out the disc in my DVD player. Its a good flick and a solid addition to any diverse DVD collection.

The DVD itself sports only a few special features, a “Making Of” documentary and a spot called “Behind The Mind of Chris Pratt”. It doesn’t scream “Special Edition Coming”, but it certainly leaves something to be desired. The audio commentary is also lacking any of the acting talent, but it is interesting nonetheless. Overall, it is a solid pick based on the fact that it is a great flick, but it doesn’t do much to set itself apart from other DVDs. I would recommend you rent this one first.

Also available on Blu-Ray

Air Guitar Nation – In Stores August 28

Few DVD releases have had my marking my calendar this year, but Air Guitar Nation is certainly one of them. I just so happened to be at the office the day the DHL guy dropped this one off and it took me no more than about 30 seconds to get it into the DVD player. From there it was 100% balls-to-the-wall rockin’ out with Bjorn Turoque and C-Diddy. I know what you are thinking? Has he gone mad? Who the hell are Bjorn Turoque and C-Diddy. They are in fact, the stars of Air Guitar Nation, two of the best Air Guitarist in the entire world. The film documents their rise to the top of the Air Guitar world and the infancy of US Air Guitar, the organization responsible for putting American Air Guitar on the map.

What seems at first like a laughable concept is delivered with immense flair and respect for an art (yes, I’d call it an art) that anyone can do, an art form that is etched into our humanity. We’ve all done it, rocked out to our favorite tune with nothing but our hands and our dreams of becoming a rock star. The DVD delivers a fantastic film and that’s all there is to it. It also includes about 37 minutes of extra footage, including behind the scenes looks at some of the smaller (but equally as interesting) characters in the Air Guitar world. I’m only going to say this once, if you buy any documentary on DVD this year, make it Air Guitar Nation. Forget that Michael Moore flick, you know you want to rock!

Heroes: Season 1 – In Stores August 28

Another DVD that had me stalking my FedEx guy was the first season of the hit show “Heroes”. As this is a movie site, I might as well say that this deviates from our normally scheduled programming, as it resides on television. But what show on TV is more like a movie than “Heroes”? The answer is absolutely none. For those who are not familiar with the show, this is the perfect way to get introduced to the hidden world of those with special powers. From the girl who is invincible (Hayden Panettiere) to the geek who can teleport into the future (Masi Oka) to the guy who can absorb the powers of others (Milo Ventimiglia), “Heroes” is filled with engrossing characters, the lives of whom are constantly intersecting. Viewers beware, this show is highly addictive. You may find yourself as I did, plowing through the entire first season without sleep, food and with minimal restroom breaks. It is that engrossing.

As far as the DVD itself goes, my first thought was “wow, this packaging is cool.” You will know what I mean when you buy the damn thing. The 6 disc set is also packed with special features, including the never-aired 73 minute Premiere episode, 50 deleted scenes, an awesome “Making of Heroes” documentary and a few other featurettes. The audio commentaries also include not only series creator Tim Kring, but members of the cast and crew as well. There are plenty of extras here to keep you semi-occupied until Season 2 starts on September 24. If you don’t have your calendars marked for that, now would be the time. I can wait.

Also available on HD-DVD.

So there you have it, a few kick ass DVDs as well as some (hopefully) kick ass insights into whether or not you should shell out some hard earned dough to add them to your collection. Keep it locked on The DVD Spy for the latest DVD news, reviews and random shenanigans.

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