Here we are, almost at the end of April and I'm just now bringing you my recommendations for the March DVD releases. I must quickly offer in my defense, however, the enormous amount of Special Edition DVDs last month that required more than a cursory look. Classic cinema fans, like myself, especially had a huge slate of titles to dig into.
CLASSICS
March, indeed, came in like a lion thanks to MGM's Leo the lion. Warner Bros. holds the DVD rights to the majority of the classic MGM titles ( along with their own ) and not only did WB release the Classic Musicals Collection Boxed Set last month ( reviewed in detail April 6 ) but they also came out with the Classic Comedies Collection. The set is highlighted by two-disc special editions of Katherine Hepburn's starring roles in Bringing Up Baby ( 1938 ) and The Philadelphia Story ( 1940 ) . Baby is the sublime screwball comedy, performed at breakneck speed by Hepburn and Cary Grant ( Grant appears in a woman's robe and declares, 'I just went gay all of a sudden!' ) . Extras include a wonderful, feature-length bio of Grant that directly poses the 'was he gay question.'
I've never been as crazy about The Philadelphia Story—for my money neither Hepburn, Grant nor Jimmy Stewart are particularly funny and it's still hard to make an argument for Stewart's Best Actor Oscar. WB's release is essential, however, as here's a case where the extras outshine the feature. They include the fascinating and intimate Katherine Hepburn: All About Me documentary. There's also gay director George Cukor's episode of PBS's The Men Who Made the Movies, a great career overview from 1973.
The collection also includes Hepburn and Ginger Rogers in Stage Door ( 1937 ) , which runs neck and neck as my Best Ensemble Woman's Classic Comedy ( The Women, obviously, is the other ) . The all-star Dinner at Eight ( 1933 ) , the little remembered but very funny Gable-Harlow-Tracy-Loy Libeled Lady ( 1936 ) and the Jack Benny-Carole Lombard vehicle, To Have and Have Not ( 1943 ) round out the set.
MGM has released two classic titles that are also must haves. If all you know of troubled actress Frances Farmer is the brilliant portrayal by Jessica Lange in Frances, the 1982 film of her life, check out the actress in Come and Get It ( 1936 ) . Edna Ferber's western co-stars Joel McCrea and Edward Arnold and contains Farmer's greatest film performance ( as both mother and daughter ) and hints at the great career that was sadly cut short by her personal woes. The other must have is Stella Dallas ( 1937 ) , the tear jerker of mother love which has one of Barbara Stanwyck's trademark multifaceted performances. Foolishly remade by Bette Midler in the late '80s as Stella, this is the version to own.
Laura ( 1944 ) is the centerpiece of Fox's new Film Noir series and it's a beautiful kick off to what promises to be a collector's dream. Aside from a crisp transfer, the disc includes an extended scene—amazing, considering the age of the film—and full-length bios of star Gene Tierney and co-star Vincent Price. There is also an excellent commentary by film historian Jeanne Basinger and composer David Raksin, who sadly passed away last year.
Paramount's Lady in a Cage ( 1964 ) is a classic in a different sense. This taut thriller centers on disabled rich lady Mrs. Hilyard ( Olivia DeHavilland ) stuck in a private elevator in her home over a 4th of July weekend and terrorized by a gang of brutal thugs ( led by nasty but hot James Caan in his first screen appearance ) after her gay son leaves town to visit friends. Though the disc doesn't include any extras, it's worth picking up for queer historical interest.
RECENT THEATRICAL RELEASES
Lion's Gate has released Stage Beauty ( 2004 ) , a theatrical adaptation that has a starring performance by Billy Crudup that I like very much. Crudup plays Edward Kynaston, England's greatest male performer of female roles in the 17th century. This gender-bending costume comedy drama co-stars Claire Danes, out actor Rupert Everett as King Charles II and Ben Chaplin as Crudup's gay lover, and has some witty insight into the male-female dance. With all the shemale transformations onscreen, naturally, the backstage stuff, glimpsed in the disc's extras, are lots of fun.
It doesn't get much more theatrical than Being Julia ( 2004 ) . In another year Annette Bening might have taken home the Oscar for her 'delicious,' highly stylized performance. She's ably supported by Jeremy Irons, Juliet Stevenson, Bruce Greenwood ( playing gay ) , Miriam Margoyles ( playing lesbian ) and young hottie Shaun Evans in this melodrama that reminds one of All About Eve. A nice assortment of the usual extras are included in the disc from Columbia-Tri-Star.
Finding Neverland ( 2004 ) , my favorite film of last year, has arrived from Miramax. Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet are transcendent in this bittersweet story about J.M. Barrie's writing of Peter Pan, as is heartbreaker Freddie Highmore, who stars again with Depp in the upcoming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Nice behind-the-scenes featurettes, a few deleted scenes and red carpet premiere footage round out this wonderful release.
Last year was supposed to have been the year of Jude Law but unfortunately his one true starring role in the not-well-received remake of Paramount's Alfie ( 2004 ) didn't do the trick, but should have. Transplanting Law's Alfie, the über womanizer, to New York was a good idea and turning him into a clotheshorse was another ( and my partner and I loved the featurette on that ) . Susan Sarandon stands out among Alfie's conquests ( no surprise there ) .
Another missed triumph for Law was the funny but ultimately head scratcher of a comedy about 'existential detectives,' I Heart Huckabees ( 2004 ) . The single disc from Fox has a very airy fairy commentary track and nothing else, but is worth picking up for the starring, sexy and hilarious performance of ( Finally! Officially! ) out lesbian Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman. A double-disc edition with outtakes is also available.
I'm not a huge fan of Renee Zellweger normally ( 'Open your eyes!' I'm always screaming when I see her on TV ) , but I very much liked her work in the Bridget Jones films. Though Zellweger didn't have quite the hit that was expected with the second film of the series from Universal, Bridget Jones — The Edge of Reason ( 2004 ) , it's a nice frothy continuation of the characters. I especially enjoyed the extra feature in which 'journalist' Zellweger in character as Jones interviews Colin Firth who plays Mark Darcy, Jones' boyfriend in the movie. A nice, wacky idea.
ANIMATION
Disney easily hangs on to their lead as the best in animation ( both digital and cell ) with the 2-disc Special Editions of both The Incredibles ( 2004 ) and Bambi ( 1942 ) . By now the entire free world has picked up the former, but no adult of a certain age can really talk about the impact of the latter, I think, without getting a little choked up, and Disney's restoration of the film is jaw dropping. I think the film is the apex of cell animation and this release, with tons of archival material, offers proof of that.
MISCELLANEOUS
There's nothing quite so alluring as a female villain and Alice Krige as Queen of the Borg in Star Trek: First Contact ( 1996 ) is terrific. Paramount's Special Edition, over-the-top two-disc release will surely satisfy the trekkies and casual fans of sci fi. I think it's the best of the Star Trek films and Patrick Stewart and his Next Generation company are well supported by 'earthlings' Alfre Woodard and James Cromwell.
After watching The Spongebob Squarepants Movie ( 2004 ) released on DVD by Paramount, I'm not sure if the little underwater fellow is gay. Patrick Starfish, his best friend, however, certainly seems to have no compunction about donning fish nets and heels and belting out a number at the climax of the movie. But what kid, gay or straight, doesn't ( or didn't ) have a yen to play dress up at some point? The disc, as to be expected, has nice extras and games for the kiddies.
TV ON DVD
I thought Bette Midler's Stella Dallas remake, Stella, was a bust, but she had much better luck with the TV remake of the classic musical Gypsy ( 1993 ) , a personal triumph for her. The Lion's Gate release doesn't offer any extras ( a Midler commentary track would have been nice ) , but it's an essential collectible anyway, and a fitting tribute to director Emile Ardolino, who died from AIDS soon after the special aired. And Midler's innate theatricality ( not to mention her anger ) beautifully coalesce in ultimate stage mother Mama Rose. And she sings up a storm.
Finally, Paramount has released the first season of The Brady Bunch ( 1969 ) , the seminal TV sitcom with the late gay actor Robert Reed as daddy Brady, in a nifty four-disc collection. I didn't think there was anything new to learn about the Bradys, but a nice making-of feature reveals a lot of interesting new trivia. This show was a part of my childhood and it's been fun to watch the uncut episodes back-to-back again.