Remastered Fargo takes you behind scenes of bleak comedy
Notable Re-Issue
FARGO (Five stars)
Newly remastered for high-def, the Coen brothers’ classic starring Frances McDormand as the earthy sleuth Marge will still put your mind in the woodchipper, but now you can hear cinematographer Roger Deakins take you through a forensic exam of the entire process. Deakins narrates the commentary track and takes us behind the scenes of this bleak story of greed, deceit and idiocy that still has a funny bone — albeit dismembered — thanks to McDormand’s reassuring humanity throbbing through every single frame. This new edition also features a trivia track, photo gallery, TV spot, article in American Cinematographer on Deakins’s work and spotlight on the location called Minnesota Nice.
Marquee Attraction
ANCHORMAN 2 (Three stars)
At least the decline of journalism can generate a few laughs when it’s in the man hands of Ron Burgundy. The man has a talent for hand stuff — like playing the flute and removing brassieres from pretty ladies. Yes. Ron Burgundy may well be the most interesting man in the world because he just talks about himself and matters of universal significance, which makes him the ideal candidate for dishing out cable news — which is where we catch up with Ron in this sequel to one of the funniest movies ever made. It’s 1980, and Ron is still styling his hair in waves that make Jack Lord envious as he heads to the big city to become a talking head alongside his faithful moronic sidekicks. It’s not quite as clever as the first movie, but that only suits the larger theme of lowered standards — where staying “classy” isn’t the point of the sign-off, staying “American” is. Blu-ray edition features behindthe-scenes footage, gag reels, alternate lines, Welcome to the Dolphin Show, catfight, deleted scenes, auditions, trailers, table read and more.
Documentary standout
TAKEDOWN: THE DNA OF GSP (Three-and-a-half stars)
Even if you have no interest in Ultimate Fighting Championships and feel the sport of cage fighting is far too animalistic to be embraced, you won’t be able to deny the fact that Canadian champ Georges St-Pierre is one of the most likable people on the planet. A great big teddy bear of a man with a body of solid white marble, St-Pierre conjures visuals of Greek statuary as he stands in his spandex shorts and flexes such as the Incredible Hulk. What makes him so compelling is his strong moral spine, as well as his surprising weakness. Over the course of the doc, the fighter ruptures his ACL — a serious knee injury that could stop his career and prevent a rematch with his nemesis. With the suspense of a thriller and all the heart of Rocky, Takedown may well feel like a feature-length advertisement for the profit-oriented UFC folks, but it’s still violently entertaining. Special features on this release include behind the scenes footage and more.
Curiosity
47 RONIN (Two stars)
Sometimes, you just crave a greasy grilled cheese sandwich. Am I right? So next time you’re looking for movie fare that goes down easy, lacks substance and feels coated in oily cheese, check out this latest effort from Keanu Reeves in which he plays a “halfbreed” warrior in feudal Japan. This feature-length action movie is unapologetically matinée material, and that’s the best thing about it: It can be silly, childish and take itself far too seriously all at once. Factor in endless battle sequences and sword fights, and this effort is covered in ketchup. Special features include digital copy, deleted scenes, re-forging a legend, myths and monsters, fights and more.
Best of the tube
BROADCHURCH, SEASON ONE
Remember when everyone started talking about Downton Abbey and you felt completely out of it because it looked like Masterpiece Theatre? Well, here’s advance warning on the next British invasion because Broadchurch is a BBC murder mystery saga that has critics agog and viewers engaged because it’s more than police procedure. These investigators have real feelings, and as a result, the yarn of a little boy’s murder is more than another episode. It’s an existential trek into the dark heart of humanity. Really. It’s like Joseph Conrad writing episodic TV. Special features include behind the scenes material, widescreen, Dolby, filmographies.