Fashion in Film: TV Special

Fashion in Film is a documentary with a self-explanatory title which aired on the Starz Channel a few months back. Now it’s coming to DVD, pretty much frill-free aside from the main feature. The skin-deep dissertation explores the question: Which came first, the fashion or the film? While the answer may seem obvious, the query is nevertheless fun to explore. Zipping through clips of iconic movies like Breakfast At Tiffany’s, Annie Hall, Clueless, and The Devil Wears Prada, it’s like a runway show through cinematic history.

There are also many sound-bites from a totally random collection of couture eggheads to actress airheads, and a short look back at some of the fashionistas who first crossed the catwalk to the studio lot (Coco Channel tried it and didn’t like it, while Giorgio Armani slipped into those shoes like they were fitted for him).

Overall, the documentary is worth trying on but is probably not a perennial.

The Wrestler: Drama

For a synopsis of this well-regarded 2008 Oscar nominee, please refer to Buzzine’s theatrical release review here. 

When it comes to the DVD, especially the Blu-ray DVD, The Wrestler is an absolute must-have for any library. If you have the latest equipment for optimum viewing and listening, you will be amazed at the clarity, color and quality. It looks and sounds even better than when I saw it at a press screening on the Fox lot. For the hearing-impaired, the captioning is excellent (the words are nicely placed to each speaker, and the font and sizing are just right — sometimes captioners should realize that not every partially deaf person is necessarily also half-blind).

DVD additional features include a Within the Ring Featurette and “The Wrestler” Music Video, written and performed by Bruce Springsteen.

Blu-ray extras have a Wrestler Round Table Featurette: Includes comments From Former Pro Wrestlers Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, Lex Luger, “Diamond” Dallas Page, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine. Wrestler Round Table, while comprised only of guys sitting around talking (moderated by a reporter from Fox Sports) is absolutely fascinating. It’s really a great insight as to how professional wrestlers think, feel, operate, and react. I learned a lot, and it added dimension to actor Mickey Rourke’s already amazing characterization.

The Burrowers: Horror/Western

The time is the late 1800s, the place is the West, and the situation is dire. Returning from a trip, kindhearted Irish immigrant Coffey (Karl Geary) finds his bride to be, the lovely Maryanne (Jocelin Donahue), missing. Since some of Marianne’s family are found strewn around dead, in and around the cabin, and other homesteaders are missing, Coffey assumes it’s a Sioux-style massacre. He rounds up a posse; Coffey vows to find his girlfriend and hunt down the bad guys.

Genre faves Doug Hutchison (The X-Files, Lost), Clancy Brown (Carnivale, Lost), and William Mapother (The Grudge 2, Lost) stand out admirably among the ensemble cast, but relative unknowns like Sean Patrick Thomas and David Midthunder add layers of pathos to the disparate band of men about to step into a squishy landmine of horror.

Additional release material includes a commentary by writer/director JT Petty and Geary, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at how the burrowing monsters were created by Almost Human Studios.