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UK DVD Releases: Monday 19th January 2009

UK DVD Releases 19-01-09
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DVD PICKS

Recount (HBO): A fascinating drama thatĀ chronicles theĀ 2000 United States Presidential ElectionĀ Bush v. GoreĀ case between Governor of TexasĀ George W. BushĀ and Vice PresidentĀ Al Gore. Made for HBO, it has all the class and depth that you would expect from their best work. It boasts an impressive cast including:Ā Kevin SpaceyĀ (as Gore’s campaign managerĀ Ron Klain);Ā Tom WilkinsonĀ (asĀ James Baker);Ā Denis LearyĀ (asĀ Michael Whouley);Ā John HurtĀ (asĀ Warren Christopher);Ā Laura DernĀ (asĀ Katherine Harris) andĀ Ed Begley, Jr.Ā (asĀ David Boies).Ā 

Directed byĀ Jay RoachĀ and written byĀ Danny Strong, it manages to avoid the clumsy political stereotypes of this kind of drama and manages to convey the humour and despair of one of the most extraordinary elections in US history.Ā 

Extras include:

  • The True Inside Story of the 2000 Presidential Election: Washington correspondent Jake Tapper and Recount writer Danny Strong discuss the events that inspired the film
  • Audio commentary with director Jay Roach and writer Danny Strong
  • A conversation between Kevin Spacey and the real Ron Klain
  • A conversation between Bob Balaban and the real Ben Ginsberg

It was screened on More4 just before the US election and more recently on Channel 4, but if you didn’t see it then the DVD is an essential purchase just in time for the inauguration of Barack Obama. Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā 

Eden Lake (Optimum): British horror films of late haven’t been very exciting or innovative but this one was something of an exception. Directed by James Watkins, it shows aĀ young couple (Kelly ReillyĀ andĀ Michael Fassbender) on a romantic getaway who get terrorised by a gang of obnoxious kids. Although the setup is a familiar Deliverance-style narrative, the acting and direction are a cut above films of this type and although there is violence, it avoids the tedious horror-porn cliches that have dragged the horror genre down of late.

Extras include:

  • 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
  • English DD2.0 Stereo and DD5.1 Surround
  • English HOH subtitles
  • Interviews with James Watkins, Kelly Reilly, Thomas Turgoose, Michael Fassbender and Christian Colson
  • Behind the scenes
  • Q & A with Director James Watkins
  • TV spots
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Extreme trailer

* Listen to our interview with director James Watkins about the film *

Masada (Universal Playback): Before the age of HBO, the established TV networks did actually invest in decentĀ high-quality made-for-TV dramas. Often these took the form of a miniseriesĀ such as Masada, which aired onĀ ABCĀ in April 1981. It was a fictionalized account of the historical siege of theĀ MasadaĀ citadel by legions of theĀ Roman EmpireĀ inĀ 73 A.D..

The script is based on the novel “The Antagonists” byĀ Ernest Gann. The siege ended when the Roman armies were able to enter the fortress, only to discover theĀ mass suicideĀ by the Jewish defenders when defeat became imminent.Ā 

It starredĀ Peter O’TooleĀ asĀ Roman legionĀ commanderĀ Lucius Flavius Silva,Ā Peter StraussĀ as the Jewish commander Elazar ben Ya’ir, andĀ Barbara CarreraĀ as Silva’s Jewish mistress.Ā David Warner, as Pomponius Falco, won an Emmy for his role. O’Toole was nominated for anĀ Emmy AwardĀ for his performance and it was his first appearance in an American miniseries.

Despite this being a made for TV drama, the costumes and production design are impressive and the performances are all solid, even if they occasionally slip into the Shakespearean style that seems to affect anything remotely historical doene in the English language.

Extras are limited to say the least but you are getting 6 hours of content, which is pretty good value.Ā 

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ALSO OUT

Dallas – Season 10 (Warner)
Dawson’s Weekly (Network)
Doctor Who – The Next Doctor (2 Entertain)
Louis Theroux: The Strange and The Dangerous (2 Entertain)
Scrubs – Season 7 (Disney)
The Galton and Simpson Playhouse (Network)
The Sullivans – On the Brink of War (Fremantle)
X-Cross 2 (4Digital Asia)
You Don’t Mess With The Zohan (Sony)

> BuyĀ Recount,Ā Eden LakeĀ andĀ MasadaĀ at Amazon UK
> Browse more DVD Releases atĀ Amazon UKĀ andĀ Play
>Ā Check the latest DVD prices at DVD Price Check
>Ā Take a look at the current UK cinema releasesĀ (W/C Friday 16th January)