thePULSEPulse DVDs
March 9
MONA LISA SMILE [PG-13]
Julia Roberts own private Dead Poets Society has the toothy Oscar-winner impressing progressive thought on a class of Wellesley College students in the 1950s. With Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles and Maggie Gyllenhall.
PREY FOR ROCK ‘N’ ROLL [R]
Gina Gershon and “Sopranos” co-star Drea de Matteo try to take their all-girl rock band, Clam Dandy, to the toppermost of the poppermost.
SCHINDLER’S LIST [R]
Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning 1993 Holocaust drama finally hits DVD, in a number of different versions, though thankfully, Spielberg has not changed the film at all like he did for his 20th anniversary edition of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.
March 16
21 GRAMS [R]
The dark, unconventional, heavily-nominated drama starring Benicio Del Toro, Naomi Watts and Sean Penn is directed by Alejandro Gonz‡lez I–‡rritu, director of the wonderfully grimy Amores Perros (2000).
DEMONLOVER [R]
Two corporations battle over illicit 3-D manga porn in this hacker’s wet dream, which stars Connie Nielsen (One Hour Photo), Chlše Sevigny (Party Monster) and Gina Gershon, who also stars in last week’s Prey For Rock & Roll.
GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS [R]
Life is a drag in this campy comedy, which features a cast of men playing women in a backhanded ode to Hollywood. Not to be confused with Die Mommie Die!, which is due later this year.
THE LAST UNICORN [PG]
The long-awaited animated fantasy has an all-star voice cast, including Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow and Angela Lansbury, though it was done on-the-cheap by Rankin-Bass, the folks who are know for so many vintage Christmas specials (and mauling Tolkien’s Lord Of The Rings trilogy after Ralph Bakshi.)
VERONICA GUERIN [R]
When Irish reporter Veronica Guerin (Cate Blanchett) took on organized crime to get drugs off the street, her life forever changed, and not for the better. A slightly better version of When The Sky Falls (2000).
March 23
BEYOND BORDERS [PG-13]
Angelina Jolie tries to save the world one life at a time in this sweeping soap opera, which also stars prospective James Bond Clive Owen, who also stars in the dandy caper film, Croupier (1998), which is finally released this month.
HONEY [PG-13]
Former “Dark Angel” Jessica Alba becomes a professional choreographer in this hip-hop A Star Is Born.
RANSOM: SPECIAL EDITION [R]
Ron Howard’s 1996 hit may be loaded with bonus content and director commentary, but the additional 18 minutes presented in the LaserDisc release are suspiciously missing. A 20th anniversary edition of Howard’s 1984 hit Splash is also out this month.
THE RUNDOWN [PG-13]
Wrestling star The Rock stars in this surprisingly enjoyable Romancing The Stone play-alike, which also stars Rosario Dawson, Seann William Scott and Christopher Walken.
SHATTERED GLASS [PG-13]
A journalist (future Dark Lord of the Sith Hayden Christensen) is caught “cooking” (making up) stories in this compelling arthouse hit.
SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE [PG-13]
Jack Nicholson and Golden Globe winner Diane Keaton star in this engaging coming-of-middle age comedy.
March 30
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN [PG]
The cult favorite about a modern-day aircraft carrier that goes back in time to December 6, 1941, stars Martin Sheen and Kirk Douglas, and is finally being given a respectable DVD release by Blue Underground.
HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG [R]
Oscar-winner Jennifer Connolly finds herself homeless and depressed in this powerful drama, which also stars Ben Kingsley in a fantastic turn as an Iranian exile trying to give his family a better life.
RIPLEY’S GAME [R]
This sequel to 1999’s The Talented Mr. Ripley (which was a remake of 1960’s Purple Noon) features John Malkovich as an older version of Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley, who was also played by Dennis Hopper in Wim Wenders’ The American Friend (1977)
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASACRE (2003) [R]
While it may have been a hit at the box office last year, this slick remake can’t hold a candle (or chainsaw) to Tobe Hooper’s terrifying 1974 original.
THE VAMPIRE EFFECT [R]
Fans of “Buffy” and Jackie Chan will want to check out this Hong Kong hit about two girls who must save the world from vampire domination.
