This DVD boxset (the UK version, not the really cool American version with the crate packaging and map) contains the original 14 episodes of Sharpe and was released one episode at a time, starting in 2002, before this packaged set gained a separate release some time later.

The series is set during the Napoleonic War at the start of the 19th Century, and centres around a British sergeant named Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean). Sharpe saves the life of General Sir Arthur Wellesley (soon to be Lord Wellington), single-handedly killing three Frenchmen in the process. This is more impressive than it perhaps sounds considering that the rifles used at the time could only fire one shot before needing reloading, and even the best soldiers at the time could only manage two rounds per minute.

As reward for his bravery, Sharpe is promoted by Wellesley to the rank of lieutenant, and given command over a group of men in the 95th Rifles, including a rather belligerent chap named Sergeant Patrick Harper (Daragh O’Malley). The problem Sharpe initially faces is that, being raised from the ranks, neither officers nor soldiers want anything to do with him. The officers think he is common and not gentleman (and they’d be right) and the soldiers think he’s not a proper officer and will get them all killed. It’s this initial conflict that drives the first episode, Sharpe’s Rifles, as Lieutenant Sharpe must contend with mutiny in the ranks, and a disliking from other officers, if he is to survive.

Naturally survive he does, and he endures many adventures (most of which being based on the books by Bernard Cornwell). Throughout the course of the 14 episodes (all filmed for a 2 hour timeslot on ITV, so are effectively feature films in their own right) Sharpe marries 3 times, gets promoted up as far as Lieutenant Colonel and performs a great many heroic deeds, much to the annoyance of the French (and many of the English officers).

Sharpe is very much a man’s man, and doesn’t care whether he offends anyone (including ladies) which accounts for much of his charm. If he’s not telling ‘fops’ to ‘get off their bloody horse’, he’s given ladies compliments on their cleavage (as he does to Liz Hurley, who plays a former flame and a prostitute in one episode and is forced to undress in front of him).

Other guest appearances of note include Daniel Craig as a no good British officer, Alexis Denisof (from Buffy and Angel) as a cowardly officer who steals Sharpe’s wife and Brian Cox as a devious Irish Major.

It’s Sean Bean’s performances in Sharpe that saw him tipped to play James Bond (before Brosnan finally got the nod) and then to appear as a 00 agent in Goldeneye. Sharpe is fantastic entertainment, whether you’re interested in the historical aspect of the Napoleonic Wars, or whether you just like to see a northern hero sticking it to the Frogs (as Sharpe himself calls them). The boxset is also great value for money in the UK, with 14 DVDs included.

Special Features

This is a little disappointing as the Sharpe’s Legend documentary that is included with another boxset release is absent from here, so you only really get photo galleries. There’s not even an episode guide booklet, so unless you have the outer box itself you can’t even tell which episode comes next in the sequence as the DVDs aren’t even marked with volume numbers.

Don’t let the absence of special features put you off though, this is British television at its absolute best – and better yet, there are another two episodes of Sharpe that were made after this release so you can get another fix once you’ve watched all of these.

It didn’t and received negative press over the portrayal of a Black Confederate guerrilla played by Jeffrey Wright. There were rumblings of problems between Lee and the studio suggesting that what he originally envisioned did not make it to the big screen. With this new version, created exclusively for the Criterion Collection, Lee takes another crack at Ride with the Devil in an attempt to restore the film to his original intentions.

Set during the Kansas-Missouri border wars, an informal outfit of southern sympathizers known as the Bushwhackers engaged in vicious guerrilla warfare with the occupying Union army and their northern equivalent, the Jayhawkers. Caught up in this chaos are two best friends, Jack Bull Chiles (Ulrich) and Jake Roedel (Maguire). Jake’s father wants him to leave the state for a safer place as war is imminent, but he wants to stay and fight with his friends. Jack’s father is killed by marauding Jayhawkers which makes it pretty easy for him to pick a side to fight on. A year later and Jack and Jake have joined the Bushwhackers and are killing Union soldiers and sympathizers. We learn that, for some, like Black John Ambrose (Caviezel), they fight for the cause, while for others, like Pitt Mackeson (Meyers), they enjoy killing. The film follows Jack and Jake, and those around them, over the course of the war showing how it affects them and alters their lives forever.

The cast acquits themselves just fine but I didn’t quite buy Tobey Maguire as a hardened southern guerrilla fighter. He looks and sounds like he’s still rooted in a contemporary setting despite the period garb and dialogue. The real surprise is Skeet Ulrich who has been sometimes referred to as the poor man’s Johnny Depp. Here, he does a good job of immersing himself in his role. He has gone on to show an impressive range on television with a lead role in the short-lived Jericho. The always reliable Jeffrey Wright has perhaps the most fascinating arc over the course of the film as his character goes from a subservient African American fighting for the South to a self-emancipated man in charge of his own destiny.

Ang Lee displays a knack for action in the shoot-outs that occur sporadically throughout the film between the Bushwhackers and the Union army. He infuses a sense of tension and danger through editing as people are killed our wounded without a moment’s hesitation. Like the Civil War epic that came after it, Cold Mountain (2003), Lee’s Ride with the Devil doesn’t shy away from the brutality of the violence or its after-effects, culminating in the Lawrence, Kansas massacre where almost 200 men died at the hands of the Bushwhackers. The film also shows the harsh living conditions that these people endured as they tried to evade the Union army. While Ride with the Devil is not Lee’s best film, it certainly isn’t his Heaven’s Gate (1980) either. Perhaps this new version will acquire its share of admirers where the previous one did not.

Special Features:

There is an audio commentary by director Ang Lee and producer/screenwriter James Schamus. They start things off by talking about the source material and the origins of the film’s title. Schamus explains that at the time they made Ride with the Devil, the studio was in turmoil and the film was given a brief theatrical release, never finding its audience. They point out the footage that was put back in and the reasons why. Both Lee and Schamus praise the young cast and talk briefly about what some of them brought to their respective roles. This is an engaging and informative track.

Also included is a commentary by cinematographer Frederick Elmes, sound designer Drew Kunin and production designer Mark Friedberg. Surprisingly, these guys put what we are watching in some kind of historical context. In fact, they talk at length about the historical aspects. Naturally, they also cover some technical aspects of the film but in a way that isn’t dry or boring.

Finally, Jeffrey Wright is interviewed exclusively for this DVD. He talks about working on the film and how he felt that it took a sophisticated look at race relations in America. He talks about his initial impressions of Lee and how he got the role. Naturally, the ever-eloquent Wright speaks at length about his character and journey he takes over the course of the film.

Amazingly, Soderbergh raised the $58 million budget entirely outside of North America which allowed him much more creative freedom. The result was a four and half hour epic that refused to champion or demonize Che and instead opted to objectively depict his rise in Cuba and his fall in Bolivia. This approach ultimately doomed Che’s chances in North America where, despite breaking the film up into two more digestible parts, it received limited distribution. Predictably, it divided critics and was criminally ignored by all of the major award ceremonies – rather fitting for a film about someone who refused to rest on his laurels, always hungry to get back to the jungle and get back to work.

I think that the key to understanding Del Toro and Soderbergh’s take on Che comes from an interview with director where he said, “clearly this is a guy whose priority is going into the jungle and starting a revolution. That is the most important thing in his life … If you take away all the words and just look at what he did, the guy kept going back into the jungle.” Del Toro and Soderbergh were faced with the daunting task of making a film about an iconic historic figure, someone whose image has graced countless t-shirts and posters. Che is an extremely polarizing figure and so it makes sense that they would step back and take a more objective look at the man. Then, it would be up to the audience to decide how they felt about him.

Those looking for a crowd-pleasing underdog story a la Erin Brockovich (2000) will be disappointed by Che. The famous Argentinean is not as easy to like as the scrappy Brockovich. As depicted in Che, he’s a much more complex individual. He cares about the cause and those that fight with him but does not feel the need to show a lot of emotion. When he’s in the jungle it is all about the task at hand and living in the moment. Che never loses sight of what his objective is and his conviction never wavers, not even in the face of death. He’s like a Method actor that stays in character on and off-camera during a shoot.

Part One juxtaposes Che’s efforts to remove Batista from power in Cuba in 1958 with him addressing the United Nations in 1964 and in doing so we see Che in his element, putting into practice guerrilla warfare tactics, and we see Che the superstar espousing his beliefs to the media in New York City and the international community at large. At first, the Bolivia campaign as depicted in Part Two starts off well enough with Che sneaking into the country and meeting with his fellow revolutionaries. We see them get supplies and train in preparation for the task at hand. However, the country’s Communist party refuses to support an armed struggle, especially one led by a foreigner. The support of the peasants, so crucial in Cuba, is lacking in Bolivia, making food hard to come by. A feeling of dread creeps in as government troops gradually close in on Che, cutting off any avenue of escape.

Soderbergh maintains an objective stance by refusing to show any close-ups of Che. We always see him from a certain distance and often grouped with others. During the battle at El Uvero on May 28, 1957, Soderbergh conveys the noisy, chaotic nature of combat as men are seemingly wounded at random but there is never any confusion visually about what is going on. Twice during the battle, he takes us out of it by having a voiceover by Che where he espouses his philosophy of guerrilla warfare. With a widescreen aspect ratio, Soderbergh opens things up in Part One and this is particularly evident during the battle scenes. In Part Two, this all changes, as the smooth camerawork is replaced with hand-held cameras and a more standard aspect ratio which creates a claustrophobic feel and look. The long takes and deliberately slow pace may frustrate some expecting a more traditional biopic but I found it a welcome change from the cookie cutter mentality of most Hollywood depictions of history.

During the Cuban campaign it is evident that Che is very much a man of the people, whether it is making contact with and befriending peasants that he comes across in the jungle or treating a wounded comrade. However, Che eschews character development in favor of showing the nuts and bolts of a revolution. As Che says at one point, “A real revolutionary goes where he’s needed. It may not be directly in combat. Sometimes it’s about doing other tasks … finding food, dressing wounds, carrying comrades for miles … and then, taking care of them until they can take care of themselves.” The film takes this philosophy to heart by showing the day-to-day activities of Che and his fellow revolutionaries. We see him dressing wounds, the wounded being carried through the jungle and strategizing with his men and Fidel Castro (Bichir).

Benicio del Toro effortlessly becomes Che and tones down his tendency to sometimes resort to Brando-esque acting tics (see The Way of the Gun) and plays the iconic revolutionary as a man confident of his own convictions. He conveys Che’s sharp intellect with his eyes and also does an excellent job with the physical aspects like his recurring asthma that constantly plagued him. Del Toro provides us insight into the man’s character through attitude, behavior and the way he acts towards others.

Che is ultimately a study in contrasts. What worked in Cuba did not work in Bolivia. Soderbergh’s film illustrates the differences. In Cuba, the revolutionaries were able to get the trust and support of the peasants while in Bolivia they feared the rebels. It must also be said that Castro played a key role in the success of the Cuban revolution and his absence in Bolivia, the galvanizing effect he had, is sorely missed. With Che, Soderbergh has created an unusual biopic that does its best to not try and manipulate you into feeling one way or another about the revolutionary. Instead, it shows two very different examples of the man’s philosophies put into practice and how they played out – one a success and the other a failure. Che was a polarizing historical figure long before this film came along and will continue to be long afterwards.

Special Features:

The first disc includes an audio commentary for Part One by Jon Lee Anderson, chief consultant on Che and author of Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life. He starts off by calling Che a “hippie rebel,” and a product of the 1960s. He talks about the corruption and decadence of Cuba under Batista and how this provoked men like Che and Fidel Castro to start a revolution. Anderson provides extensive historical background to what we are watching which fills in a lot of gaps and often explains what is being shown, putting it into context.

Also included is a theatrical trailer.

The second disc sees Anderson return for an audio commentary for Part Two. He explains Che’s fascination with Bolivia at an early age and why he chose that country to start a revolution. He talks about the political conditions in Bolivia that made it ripe for a revolution. Like he did with Part One, Anderson provides the backstory and elaborates in detail on what we are watching.

The third and final disc starts off with “Making Che,” a 50-minute documentary that takes a look at how the film came together. It started with producer Laura Bickford and her interested in Jon Lee Anderson’s book. She got Benicio del Toro involved and they spent years doing research and deciding what part of his life to depict. The film’s screenwriters talk about the challenge of condensing so many events into one film and so Soderbergh decided to split it up into two films. The director explains his depiction of Che, including the omission of the man’s more questionable actions, and his approach to the film. This is an excellent, in-depth look.

There are ten deleted scenes from Part One with optional commentary by Soderbergh. He puts this footage in context and explains why it was cut. These scenes provide some insight into Che and it’s nice to be able to see them.

Also included are four deleted scenes from Part Two with optional commentary by Soderbergh. Much of this footage illustrates Che’s philosophy of guerrilla warfare.

“End of a Revolution” is a 1968 documentary about the aftermath of Che’s failed revolution in Bolivia, the origins of it and a look at the forces that prevented it. The featurette begins with stills of Che’s dead body and a journalist describing the scene, his voice full of emotion. The doc does a nice job of profiling Bolivia and its people; for example, we see the brutal living and working conditions of the tin miners.

“Interviews from Cuba” features interviews with participants and historians of the Cuban Revolution conducted by producer Laura Bickford and actor Benicio del Toro. The participants talk about how they met Che and their impressions of him. They also discuss their views on the revolution. The historians talk about the key influences on the revolution and take us through significant moments of it.

Finally, there is “Che and the Digital Cinema Revolution!” Soderbergh’s film was the first feature to use the Red digital camera because of its quality and versatility in the terrain he would be shooting in. He did not have a lot of time to shoot Che and needed a camera that would allow him to shoot fast and not require a lot of artificial light. The cameras almost weren’t ready for the start of principal photography but Soderbergh stuck to his guns was able to get them just in time. This doc does a nice job taking a look at the challenges of using the Red camera and how it was the ideal technology for this particular film.

As The Last Metro begins, Bernard Granger (Depardieu) is an actor who arrives at the Montmartre to audition for the lead role opposite Marion Steiner (Deneuve), who is running the place while her husband Lucas (Bennent) is away. A sure sign of the times is Granger having to sign an agreement that says he’s not a Jew because the company doesn’t want any trouble from the Germans.

Catherine Deneuve is excellent as a woman under incredible pressure to keep her husband’s production company running while he’s on the run from the Germans. She also has to deal with the censors and make sure that everything runs smoothly. Marion is the epitome of grace under pressure and yet Deneuve exudes a vulnerability that is very appealing and makes her character that much more sympathetic.

Gerard Depardieu is also good as an up-and-coming actor at the Grand Guignol but he’s also a member of the underground Resistance. His character is an intriguing mix of the political and the romantic. Bernard is something of a ladies’ man and his pick-up lines are well-rehearsed: he pretends to read a woman’s palm. Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not.

Truffaut takes the time to lovingly develop many of the characters in this film via vignettes that also reveal their relationships with each other. There are also plenty of scenes of the company hard at work, getting ready for the upcoming play. The Last Metro is not just a fascinating, nostalgic ode to the theatre, but also a tense thriller as the Nazi threat constantly hangs over the characters like an ominous storm cloud.

Special Features:

The first disc features an audio commentary by film scholar Annette Insdorf who was Truffaut’s translator in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She talks about the film’s origins – a project that had been gestating for most of his career. Insdorf points out the autobiographical elements that were taken from Truffaut’s own life. She also provides excellent analysis of this film on a very informative track.

There is an additional commentary by actor Gerard Depardieu and historian Jean-Pierre Azema, moderated by Truffaut biographer Serge Toubiana. Depardieu says that he initially had problems with Truffaut’s films and told the filmmaker that he thought they were “bourgeois.” However, meeting the man in person changed his mind about his films and filmmaking in general. Azema provides a historical context and talks about what France was like during the time that the film takes place. He also explains the origins of the film’s title.

The second disc starts off with a “Deleted Scene” that was removed because Truffaut felt that the film was too long. Sadly, this scene is not subtitled.

“Les nouveaux rendez-vous” is a 1980 interview with Truffaut and actors Gerard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve from a French television program. Depardieu, in particular, comes across as very charming and also speaks very eloquently about his profession.

“Passez donc me voir” is an excerpt from a 1980 episode of the French T.V. program which features Truffaut and actor Jean Poiret. Naturally, they talk about their work on the film. It’s done in an odd, yet amusing setting: a busy restaurant.

“Performing The Last Metro” features new interviews with actors Andrea Ferreol, Paulette Dubost, Sabine Haldepin and Alain Tasma. They reminisce about their experiences working on the film. They also talk about how they were cast and their impressions of the director.

“Visualizing The Last Metro” features camera assistants Florent Bazin and Tessa Racine talking about working with legendary cinematographer Nestor Almendros. He worked in conjunction with other departments in order to achieve a realistic look that was authentic to that period of history. Bazin and Racine provide fascinating insight into Almendros’ working methods.

“Working with Truffaut: Nestor Almendros” is a rare interview with the cinematographer conducted in 1986. He speaks highly of working with Truffaut (they made nine films together) and tells several anecdotes about the man.

“Une histoire d’eau” is a 1958 short film by Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut. There is a playful almost comical tone as a woman deals with the flooding of her town, taking several modes of transportation to get to where she’s going.

Finally, there is a theatrical trailer.

Stiller is back behind the camera (and also in front of it) and this time he’s taking on the Vietnam War sub-genre with Tropic Thunder (2008). In an odd way, we have Oliver Stone to thank for this film. Not just because he made Platoon (1986), which really popularized the sub-genre, but he also rejected Stiller when he auditioned for a role in the film. Stiller never forgot it and now he’s parlayed those feelings of rejection into a film that not only lampoons war films but Hollywood in general.

Tugg Speedman (Stiller) is an action film star on the decline, still flogging his Scorcher franchise – films that resemble a cross between something Tom Cruise might do and Roland Emmerich’s brain-dead special effects epics. Jeff Portnoy (Black) stars in low-brow comedies filled with fart jokes that allow him to play multiple characters a la Eddie Murphy (Norbit, anyone?). Australian actor Kirk Lazarus (Downey Jr.) is a five-time Academy Award winner who appears in “serious” films that win all of the important awards just like Russell Crowe.

They are all starring in a Vietnam War movie called Tropic Thunder that is currently being made on location in South Vietnam. The production is on the verge of being in the kind of trouble that almost consumed Apocalypse Now (1979) as Lazarus is upstaging Speedman. First-time director Damien Cockburn (Coogan) can’t control his actors, which is causing the movie to go behind schedule, much to the chagrin of Les Grossman (Cruise), the blustery, Harvey Weinstein-esque head of the studio.

In an effort to save the movie, Cockburn takes the five main actors to a remote jungle area to shoot a bunch of scenes guerrilla-style only to stumble across a rag-tag group of Vietnamese drug runners who assume that the clueless movie stars are actually DEA agents. At first, Speedman and his co-stars think that this is all part of the production but they (except for Speedman) quickly realize that this is for real.

It’s not too hard to figure out the real-life Hollywood power players that Stiller’s film satirizes with Cruise’s Grossman channeling the abusive reputation of the aforementioned Weinstein and Downey poking fun at the way-too serious on-and-off-screen antics of Crowe. Unlike all of those Scary Movie spoofs, Stiller understands that a good satire plays it straight on the surface. Admittedly, he’s got a much bigger budget to play with ($100 million+) than any two of those dime-a-dozen spoof movies so he’s able to hire the likes of A-list cinematographer John (The Thin Red Line) Toll and cast marquee name actors like Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black instead of C-listers like Carmen Electra to make Tropic Thunder look like the slick war films he is sending up. Of course, the danger in doing this is to become the very thing you’re trying to parody, but fortunately Stiller doesn’t fall into this trap.

Every generation needs a Mel Brooks and Stiller takes up where the legendary comedian left off – before he became irrelevant and painfully unfunny. Stiller goes after the usual suspects of the genre: Platoon, Apocalypse Now, The Deer Hunter (1978), and even a sly reference to a scene from Predator (1987), but Tropic Thunder is more than a game of spot-the-reference that spoof movies tend to devolve into. It actually has something to say other than Hollywood is excessive. This is Stiller’s most ambitious film to date and demonstrates that he can play in the same big leagues that fellow comedian-turned-filmmaker Jon Favreau has also graduated to with Iron Man (2008). They both started off with very modest films and have shown a very definite learning curve with each subsequent film they’ve helmed. Tropic Thunder has everything you’d want from a big budget, R-rated comedy and it should be interesting to see where Stiller goes from here as a director.

Special Features:

Disc One features two audio commentaries. The first one is by director Ben Stiller, co-screenwriter Justin Theroux, producer Stuart Cornfeld, production designer Jeff Mann, cinematographer John Toll, and editor Greg Hayden. Cornfeld talks briefly about the genesis of the project – Stiller and Theroux had worked on the screenplay piecemeal over several years. Toll talks about the look of the film while Mann speaks about finding the best locations for various scenes. Stiller keeps things going by asking everyone questions.

The second commentary sees Stiller joined by Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. Black and Stiller attempt to stay on topic while Downey stays in character much in the same fashion as his character in the film. In other words, for most of it he’s Lincoln Osiris and then, in the film when he reverts to Kirk Lazarus so does Downey until finally he becomes himself by the closing credits. It really is something to behold and is just another amazing performance by this brilliant actor. Stiller points out all of the extra material that was put back in for the Director’s Cut but mainly riffs off of his co-stars on this very funny track.

Disc Two starts off with “Before the Thunder,” which takes a look at the origins of the film – from 1986 when Stiller had a small part in Empire of the Sun (1986) and noticed that many of his fellow actors were trying out for all kinds of Vietnam War films which were in vogue at the time.

“The Hot LZ” examines the exciting battle sequence that starts the film. Stiller wanted to rely on as many practical effects as possible in attempt to emulate the Vietnam War films that inspired his film.

“Blowing Shit Up” takes a look at the pyrotechnics of the film, from simple gunshot wounds to massive explosions. We see test footage for some of the explosions.

“Designing the Thunder” examines the impressive production design of the film, including beautiful locations all over Hawaii. We see Stiller and his crew scouting various locations.

“The Casting of Tropic Thunder” features the main cast members talking about working with each other. It’s a big ol’ love fest as they gush about each other’s talent.

“Rain of Madness” is a spoof of the documentary Hearts of Darkness (1991), which chronicled the troubled production of Apocalypse Now. Justin Theroux plays the doc. filmmaker examining the equally troubled production of Tropic Thunder. This is very funny stuff.

Want more? “Dispatches from the Edge of Madness” features 22 additional minutes of footage and outtakes from Rain of Madness. There are some funny bits here even if it all seems like a little too much.

Also included are two deleted scenes, two extended scenes, and alternate ending all with optional commentary by Stiller and Hayden. The put this footage in context with the rest of the film and talk about why they were cut. The alternate ending goes into a little more detail about what happened to Speedman’s agent.

“Make-Up Test with Tom Cruise” features footage of the make-up that transformed Tom Cruise into Les Grossman. It was at this point that he improvised the dance his character does in the final film.

“MTV Movie Awards – Tropic Thunder” is the comedic skit that Stiller, Black and Downey did for MTV as they plan a viral video to market Tropic Thunder – pretty funny stuff.

“Full Mags” features four scenes from the film with no edits in order to show how the actors improvised with some stuff that was good enough to keep in the film and material that was cut.

Finally, there are “Video Rehearsals,” footage with no sound of the actors on location running through a scene.

300 is a fast ‘n’ loose take on the Battle of Thermopylae between the Spartans and the Persian army. The Spartans, led by King Leonidas (Butler), faced incredible odds. There were only 300 of them and thousands upon thousands of Persians. The film begins by establishing the harsh, war-like nature of the Spartans and how their society works. Trouble arises when Persian messengers arrive in Sparta telling Leonidas to submit to their leader, Xerxes (Santoro). Naturally, he rejects their offer by killing the messengers.

Leonidas is eager to take the battle to the Persians but the Oracles disagree. It is against Spartan law to disobey them but, hey, Leonidas is the king so he assembles 300 of his best warriors and they set out to find the Persian army. The Spartans find just the right geographical location that allows the Persian army to funnel in making their vast numbers irrelevant so long as the Spartans don’t lose too many of their army. The Persians send wave after wave of men to die at the hands of Leonidas and his very determined men. As the battle drags on, Xerxes throws all kinds of variations at the Spartans: a giant, a heavily armoured rhino, a wave of arrows that blots out the sun and even crude grenades.

Gerard Butler is suitably buffed up for the role and gleefully chews up the scenery with rousing speeches to rally his troops when all looks lost. He’s got plenty of charisma to spare and convincingly portrays a leader of men, the kind of king that men would follow to the gates of Hell if he ordered them. Like Russell Crowe did in Gladiator, he commits fully to the role and sells the clichéd dialogue as if it was Shakespeare.

Director Zack Snyder films everything through a sepia filter giving 300 the look an old photograph. It’s a stunning film to behold with every frame looking like it came right out of Miller’s comic book. The battles are viscerally depicted with plenty of limb-hacking, decapitations and bone-crunching violence to satisfy any action film fan.

300 blends the epic sword and sandal brutality of Gladiator (2000) with the cutting edge SFX and the pulp sensibility of Sin City. The voiceover narration is the epitome of cheesy pretension, laughably solemn, giving the film an appropriately pulpy vibe, but pulpy times call for pulpy dialogue. One really has to enjoy 300 for what it is – an exciting thrill-ride with loads of lofty pronouncements, R-rated violence, monsters and beautiful women. Oliver Stone’s Alexander (2004) might have been more successful if it was more like this film. If they ever try to make another Conan the Barbarian film, they’ve got their visual blueprint. Snyder understands that this film’s strengths lie in its breathtaking visuals and that the dialogue is merely window-dressing. This is melodramatic, visual storytelling at its purest.

Special Features:

The single disc edition features only an audio commentary by director Zack Snyder, screenwriter Kurt Johnstad and director of photography Larry Fong. Snyder tends to dominate the track, pointing out images in the film that come straight from Miller’s comic book. He has an annoying habit of continually pointing out what was added later with CGI by often saying, “That’s a CG shot,” and so on. There are also too many lulls as the participants get caught up in watching the film. This is a pretty disappointing track.

They cross paths with a rugged French Canadian trapper, Johnnie Harris (Olivier). He isn’t that interested in the war and is content to do his job. The Nazis take refuge in his house and plot their next move. Laurence Olivier attacks his role with his usual gusto adopting an exaggerated accent and a playful glint in his eye as he stands up to the Germans. The film quickly establishes their ruthlessness in a scene where they shoot into a group of unarmed Inuit to kill two pilots bringing supplies. There is a shot of a mother laying dead on the ground, her small child sitting helpless nearby.

The Nazis commandeer the supply plane and make their way deeper into Canada disguised as civilians in an attempt to blend in. Director Michael Powell does a nice job of conveying the beautiful Canadian countryside in an almost documentary style. It’s amusing to see how colourfully the Canadian people are depicted in this movie, including the stereotypical images of Inuit, French Canadians and Mounties. The people are depicted as hard-working and down-to-earth, living mostly in a rural setting – this is the northern part of the country after all.

49th Parallel does an excellent job in showing the cunning nature of the Nazis and balances this with their fatal mistakes as their situation gets more and more desperate. Looking back at the film now, it was a pretty ballsy move on Powell and Pressburger’s part to have evil Nazis as the film’s protagonists and cast big name stars like Olivier and Leslie Howard in supporting roles. However, at the time, the general public did not know much about them or their beliefs and this film’s intention was to educate people on cruel doctrines and practices.

Special Features:

The first disc features an audio commentary by film and music historian Bruce Eder. He splits things up between background information on the film and an analysis of what we are watching. He explains how the film was a bridge between Powell’s low budget thrillers and the art films he made with Pressburger. Eder gives us a brief rundown of how Powell and Pressburger met and formed a partnership as well as the films Powell made previously to this one. He points out that the big stars worked for half their normal fees to insure that the film would get a major release. Eder clearly did his homework and it shows on this highly informative track.

Also included is a theatrical trailer.

The second disc features a 46 minute short film entitled, “The Volunteer.” Actor Ralph Richardson suggested that Powell and Pressburger make a recruitment film for the Fleet Air Arm on which both Richardson and Olivier were members of. This “semidocumentary” (as Pressburger called it) was made with cooperation with the Royal Navy and starts off comically as Richardson’s bumbling assistant tries to help the actor get ready. He gets everything wrong and eventually expresses an interest in joining the armed forces and doing his part.

“Michael Powell Audio” features excerpts from his original dictation recordings for the first volume of his autobiography, A Life in Movies, which pertain to 49th Parallel. He mentions how he and Pressburger spent three weeks traveling through Canada conducting research using trains, planes, automobiles and even horseback to get around. He touches upon the story, casting choices and the submarine that was constructed for the film among other topics.

Finally, there is “A Pretty British Affair,” a 1981 BBC documentary tracing the life and career of both Powell and Pressburger complete with rare interview footage. It takes us through many of their signature films in this excellent primer.

Alexander is Stone’s take on legendary historical figure Alexander the Great (Farrell), one of the greatest warriors and rulers the world has ever known. At 18 years of age, he set himself an ambitious goal: to the rule the known world. He started with Persia and began to work his way east towards India. Along the way, Alexander is torn between his love for his best friend, Hephaistion (Leto), and his desire for a son with his barbarian wife, Roxane (Dawson).

Angelina Jolie portrays Alexander’s mother, Olympias, as some kind of vampish snake charmer/soothsayer with an outrageous accent straight out of a bad Dracula movie. Val Kilmer plays Alexander’s father, King Philip, as if he’s still trapped in Stone’s Doors (1991) movie but one in which Jim Morrison never died instead time traveling back to 350 B.C. He and Jolie’s first scene together is a contest to see who can chew up more scenery with Kilmer winning by an eye, or rather the lack of one.

The first significant change in this new version is that Stone has moved the battle of Gaugamela to the beginning of the movie. This sets up Alexander as a brilliant tactician early on and also establishes his bravery in battle and his devotion to his men. After this visceral spectacle, the film takes a breather and flashes back to Alexander’s childhood.

However, this new cut doesn’t fix the film’s other flaws, like the miscasting of Colin Farrell, Jared Leto and Jonathan Rhys-Meyer who all look lost in Stone’s bloated, gonzo epic. They don’t sell their lines with the same kind of conviction as Angelina Jolie, Val Kilmer and Anthony Hopkins who seem to have a better understanding of what Stone is after. Farrell gamely immerses himself in the role but he is out of place in a period piece like this one. He also spends too much time crying and being angst-ridden to be a truly charismatic figure. This new cut does fix this latter problem by giving him more screen time.

As befitting of the sword and sandal epic genre, there are plenty of solemn speeches, bloody battles on a grand scale, lavish costumes and sets, and heated arguments with lots of shouting and pontificating. The battle scenes are effectively visceral as Stone wisely doesn’t try to copy Gladiator (2000) but going for a more straightforward, classical style, like Troy (2004) — only with more blood and gore. This new cut also spends more time exploring Alexander’s complex relationship with his parents (especially his manipulative mother) and restores more of his bi-sexual nature that was cut out for conservative North American audiences.

The problem inherent with tackling a subject like Alexander the Great is that much of his life is shrouded in mystery and myth. Stone’s film is destined to become a camp classic with its hammy acting and laughably pretentious dialogue that evokes his Conan the Barbarian (1982) screenplay but without John Milius’ muscular direction. On some level, you have to admire the dedication of the cast. They spout Stone’s sometimes ridiculous, over-heated dialogue with conviction and aren’t afraid to let it all hang out. This new cut offers more of the same and definitely plays better with this longer running time. The story is given time to breathe and to develop without the constraints of a typical theatrical running time. Sadly, Alexander is still a mess of a movie but a fascinating one nonetheless.

Special Features:

Just an introduction by Stone who justifies this cut of the film’s existence.