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(01/25/01 5:00am)
Sam Raimi, director of the cultish "Evil Dead" trilogy, mellows his kinetic visual style considerably with the new psychological thriller "The Gift."\nCate Blanchett does mesmerizing work as a clairvoyant named Annie Wilson. Recently widowed and responsible for her three young sons, Annie turns to soothsaying to provide for her fragmented family. Granted, this "hokum" is widely frowned upon in the tiny, backwater town of Brixton, Ga., but that doesn't deter the occasional loose screw from patronizing her services. Annie's clients include a moronic skank named Valerie Barksdale (Oscar-winner Hilary Swank) and Buddy Cole (Giovanni Ribisi), an intense, mentally handicapped mechanic.\nDespite the trepidation many locals harbor for Annie, her abilities are soon put to the test in an unresolved police matter. Jessica King ("Dawson's Creek" hottie Katie Holmes), a trampy little princess with a predilection toward banging married men, turns up missing. The town is brimming with suspects including the misunderstood Buddy, Valerie's sadistic redneck husband, Donnie (Keanu Reeves) and Jessica's own fiancé Wayne Collins (Greg Kinnear), the respectable principal of Annie's sons' elementary school. It's Annie's job to implement her considerable telepathic skills to finger the sole perpetrator and unearth the other secrets surrounding Jessica's disappearance.\nThe ensemble cast featured within "The Gift" is extremely competent. Blanchett headlines in grand fashion, churning out what is, at least in my opinion, the best performance by an actress in any film from this past year. Aside from Blanchett's tour-de-force, the film belongs to Reeves and Holmes' ample breasts. That's right, kiddies, Keanu can muster theatrical range beyond the prototypical "Dude" and "Whoa" quips he's become infamous for, and the WB teenybopper bares all then proceeds to bite it. Kinnear, Ribisi and Swank also register quite well in their respective roles. \n"The Gift" is a taut, sexy thriller that only stumbles through a few moments of downtrodden pacing and semi-annoying melodramatic piffle. Despite these minor complaints, the film is a well-crafted gothic mystery that should entertain even the most discerning of film goers.
(01/25/01 5:00am)
A Bloomington man by the name of Jeremy Brightbill fronts the surprisingly versatile and able one-man band Panic Strikes a Chord. \nBrightbill, alongside co-producers Jacob Belser and Daniel Susa, has produced an interesting and capable work with I Can See Electricity at the Proper Distance. The 11-track album is good, if not a tad bit pretentious. Brightbill claims on the disc's cover that his music is "experimental and poetic terrorism." It is surprising that such a talented, burgeoning young musician outright states this. One would be well advised to leave the ostentatious meanderings at the door and to simply play your music.\nPanic Strikes a Chord has a sound reminiscent of Beck's pre-Mellow Gold works and his more recent work Mutations. Brightbill's delivery, cadence and voice are similar to Beck's. The two men also share a similar style in which folk elements are fused with moderate hip-hop beats. \nMany of Electricity's tracks are arresting and thoroughly satisfying. Registering particularly well are "Not the Regular Glass," "Doomed to Repeat, I Say Doomed!!," "Bob's Attempt at a Television Commercial," "The Truth about Faerie Tales," and "Rappaport Vs. the Jet (that Bombed the Grocery Store)." Each of these tunes is mellow and catchy but simultaneously reveal much irony, humor and themes of desolation.\nThe only tracks that really deter from the overall enjoyment of the album are "Favorite Plea" and "Watching Smoke Dance." These songs are simply irritating and stick out like sore thumbs among the more competent tunes on the disc.\nPanic Strikes a Chord has constructed an album that puts many others to shame. Electricity is intelligent, mildly funny and astute musically. Through personal and musical growth and an increasing number of listeners, there's no limit to what Panic Strikes a Chord might eventually achieve.
(01/21/01 8:17pm)
"Finding Forrester" is the clichéd, yet ultimately enthralling, new film from "Good Will Hunting" director Gus Van Sant.\nThe story chronicles the unexpected relationship that develops between Bronx-based basketball prodigy, Jamal Wallace (amazingly adept newcomer Robert Brown) and introverted, J.D. Salinger-esque writer, William Forrester (Sean Connery, giving an inspired, Oscar-caliber performance).\nUnbeknownst to many, Jamal also harbors great talents in the field of writing and recently amassed extraordinary standardized testing scores. Through Forrester's tutelage and a newly implemented "academic" scholarship to a swanky prep school, Jamal is given the opportunity to hone his skills both on the court and in the classroom.\nBut there are many obstacles that could easily stop Jamal's progression in the fields he loves so dearly: the taboo, pseudo-romantic relationship he shares with the down-to-earth, lily-white Claire (Anna Paquin) or the racism and classism he encounters amongst his teammates and bigoted English teacher Robert Crawford (F. Murray Abraham).\nSo much of what makes "Finding Forrester" work is the interaction between the two leads. Both Connery and Brown excel in their given roles, and the film falters when the focus drifts from them, like subplots concerning Jamal and Claire's romantic inclinations and the obvious scheming of Crawford to have Jamal removed from school. \nAnother fault that plagues "Finding Forrester" is the need to turn up every racial trump card available. The film's narrative is fueled by stereotypes and is less interesting as a result. Issues of race aren't nearly as "black" and "white" as these filmmakers would have you believe.\nVan Sant's direction is spotty with intermittent moments of brilliance. The film's introduction depicting Jamal's life in the Bronx is exceptionally well-done; these scenes are jam-packed with jump cuts and obscure camera angles lending the production an experimental look. Later moments within Jamal's prep school have the veneer of a mainstream Hollywood flick. This is a completely self-conscious directorial decision on Van Sant's part, and it pays off.\n"Finding Forrester" overcomes its more rudimentary elements through solid direction and fine acting. It is a film worth searching out.
(01/18/01 5:00am)
"Finding Forrester" is the clichéd, yet ultimately enthralling, new film from "Good Will Hunting" director Gus Van Sant.\nThe story chronicles the unexpected relationship that develops between Bronx-based basketball prodigy, Jamal Wallace (amazingly adept newcomer Robert Brown) and introverted, J.D. Salinger-esque writer, William Forrester (Sean Connery, giving an inspired, Oscar-caliber performance).\nUnbeknownst to many, Jamal also harbors great talents in the field of writing and recently amassed extraordinary standardized testing scores. Through Forrester's tutelage and a newly implemented "academic" scholarship to a swanky prep school, Jamal is given the opportunity to hone his skills both on the court and in the classroom.\nBut there are many obstacles that could easily stop Jamal's progression in the fields he loves so dearly: the taboo, pseudo-romantic relationship he shares with the down-to-earth, lily-white Claire (Anna Paquin) or the racism and classism he encounters amongst his teammates and bigoted English teacher Robert Crawford (F. Murray Abraham).\nSo much of what makes "Finding Forrester" work is the interaction between the two leads. Both Connery and Brown excel in their given roles, and the film falters when the focus drifts from them, like subplots concerning Jamal and Claire's romantic inclinations and the obvious scheming of Crawford to have Jamal removed from school. \nAnother fault that plagues "Finding Forrester" is the need to turn up every racial trump card available. The film's narrative is fueled by stereotypes and is less interesting as a result. Issues of race aren't nearly as "black" and "white" as these filmmakers would have you believe.\nVan Sant's direction is spotty with intermittent moments of brilliance. The film's introduction depicting Jamal's life in the Bronx is exceptionally well-done; these scenes are jam-packed with jump cuts and obscure camera angles lending the production an experimental look. Later moments within Jamal's prep school have the veneer of a mainstream Hollywood flick. This is a completely self-conscious directorial decision on Van Sant's part, and it pays off.\n"Finding Forrester" overcomes its more rudimentary elements through solid direction and fine acting. It is a film worth searching out.
(01/18/01 5:00am)
He didn't want to make an album that makes people say 'Oh, that's all right,'" Grand Theft Audio frontman Jay Butler has been quoted as saying. \nUnfortunately, for Mr. Butler and the three other members of this eclectic British rock quartet, that's exactly what they did.\nBlame Everyone isn't a terrible album but a flawed one: It's one-half of a really strong piece of work. Four of the first five tracks -- "Death to the Infidels," "We Luv U," "Stoopid Ass" and "Rock the House" -- are tight, catchy tunes rooted firmly in rock and techno roots. The second half of the album is quite sad, save one track, "As Good As it Gets." Despite sharing a moniker with the slightly overly sentimental Jack Nicholson flick, this song is pretty solid.\nThat's 10 tracks in total, folks, and it doesn't take a mathematician to figure out that half these songs suck while the other half rock.\nWhat exactly went wrong? The melding of rock and techno elements that served the album's first four tracks so well grows tired on the second half of Blame Everyone. The techno aspect of the tunes overshadows the rock elements, resulting in a series of flawed compositions. The aforementioned complaints in conjunction with occasional lapses into bs posturing by Grand Theft Audio, lend the latter portions of Blame Everyone a rather annoying quality.\nBlame Everyone is a thoroughly mediocre debut for Grand Theft Audio. It seems as though they blew their figurative wad on the first half of the album. I would advise against purchasing Blame Everyone and would even go so far as to discourage you kleptomaniacs out there from pilfering it. Quite frankly, it's not worth the effort.
(01/18/01 4:27am)
He didn't want to make an album that makes people say 'Oh, that's all right,'" Grand Theft Audio frontman Jay Butler has been quoted as saying. \nUnfortunately, for Mr. Butler and the three other members of this eclectic British rock quartet, that's exactly what they did.\nBlame Everyone isn't a terrible album but a flawed one: It's one-half of a really strong piece of work. Four of the first five tracks -- "Death to the Infidels," "We Luv U," "Stoopid Ass" and "Rock the House" -- are tight, catchy tunes rooted firmly in rock and techno roots. The second half of the album is quite sad, save one track, "As Good As it Gets." Despite sharing a moniker with the slightly overly sentimental Jack Nicholson flick, this song is pretty solid.\nThat's 10 tracks in total, folks, and it doesn't take a mathematician to figure out that half these songs suck while the other half rock.\nWhat exactly went wrong? The melding of rock and techno elements that served the album's first four tracks so well grows tired on the second half of Blame Everyone. The techno aspect of the tunes overshadows the rock elements, resulting in a series of flawed compositions. The aforementioned complaints in conjunction with occasional lapses into bs posturing by Grand Theft Audio, lend the latter portions of Blame Everyone a rather annoying quality.\nBlame Everyone is a thoroughly mediocre debut for Grand Theft Audio. It seems as though they blew their figurative wad on the first half of the album. I would advise against purchasing Blame Everyone and would even go so far as to discourage you kleptomaniacs out there from pilfering it. Quite frankly, it's not worth the effort.
(01/11/01 5:00am)
The W, the latest installment in the ongoing Wu-Tang saga, proves to be the group's most lyrically and technically mature effort yet.\n RZA, picking up where his exceptionally proficient "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" soundtrack left off, produces The W with confidence and sheer genius. These albums, in addition to his production work on fellow Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah's second album, Supreme Clientele, and his own 1998 venture, RZA as Bobby Digital, helped re-establish RZA as the definitive hip-hop producer; a true madman behind the boards.\n The W continues the proud Wu-Tang mythos of comic books, old-school kung-fu flicks and Mafia references. However prominent these elements are, they receive far less emphasis than on the Clan's two previous works, Enter the 36 Chambers and Wu-Tang Forever.\n Tracks registering particularly well include the anti-melodic "Chamber Music," the simplistic yet highly infectious "Careful (Click, Click)," catchy party inciters "Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)," "Do You Really (Thang, Thang)" and the current, booty-rocking single "Gravel Pit."\n The album's piece de la resistance is a subdued joint titled "I Can't Go To Sleep," in which Ghostface Killah teams with Isaac Hayes to cover Hayes' soulful classic of the same name. The dynamic pairing, powerful message and extraordinarily phat beat meld together beautifully to form hip-hop for the ages.\n The W contains numerous guest appearances that work to varying degrees. "The Monument," featuring Busta Rhymes, works nicely because he ingratiates himself into the sound of The Wu-Tang Clan. But tracks featuring Snoop Dogg and Nas are less successful because they sound more like cuts off these artists' albums and do not accurately represent the album at hand.\n In a banner year for hip-hop, which also included widely respected efforts by OutKast and Jay-Z, The Wu-Tang Clan separated themselves from the pack with the fully realized and slightly more eclectic effort The W.
(01/11/01 5:00am)
\"The Family Man" is a pleasant holiday parable that viewers will liken to the new millennium's incarnation of Frank Capra's yuletide classic "It's a Wonderful Life."\n Nicolas Cage headlines the film as Jack Campbell, a slick and unabashedly single Wall Street player who seems to believe he has the world on a string. That is until he encounters Cash (Don Cheadle of "Traffic"), an otherworldly thug who looks down upon Jack's self-satisfied nature and ushers him into an alternate reality. One in which he's married to his long dismissed college sweetheart, Kate (Téa Leoni), has two precocious and infinitely adorable tykes, peddles tires\nat a retail tire outlet and maintains a humble home within the suburbs of New Jersey.\n A substantial amount of the film's humor derives from familial situations to which the stock-trading, Ferrari-driving Campbell is rather unaccustomed: He expects a receipt when dropping his kid off at day care. Between his work in "The Family Man" and "Face/Off," Cage is amassing an impressive audition reel for the ultimate fish out of water role as Krypton's first son in the oft-delayed "Superman" project.\n Much of the film's success can be attributed to its capable cast. Cage delivers a loose, charming performance reminiscent of works past. Leoni turns in her best work to date with a performance that's simultaneously intelligent, luminous and slyly sexy. The abundant chemistry shared between its stars separates "The Family Man" from other more pedestrian efforts. Also registering nicely but in a slightly underused fashion are Don Cheadle, perhaps the best character actor working today, and Jeremy Piven ("PCU") as Jack's surly, comedic bowling buddy.\n "The Family Man" occasionally stumbles with overly sentimental, saccharin-sweet moments that draw viewers out of the narrative and detract from the grounded yet fantastical elements of the film. Despite these minor quibbles, "The Family Man" is a top-drawer date flick and a new, if not slightly flawed, holiday classic.
(01/11/01 1:28am)
\"The Family Man" is a pleasant holiday parable that viewers will liken to the new millennium's incarnation of Frank Capra's yuletide classic "It's a Wonderful Life."\n Nicolas Cage headlines the film as Jack Campbell, a slick and unabashedly single Wall Street player who seems to believe he has the world on a string. That is until he encounters Cash (Don Cheadle of "Traffic"), an otherworldly thug who looks down upon Jack's self-satisfied nature and ushers him into an alternate reality. One in which he's married to his long dismissed college sweetheart, Kate (Téa Leoni), has two precocious and infinitely adorable tykes, peddles tires\nat a retail tire outlet and maintains a humble home within the suburbs of New Jersey.\n A substantial amount of the film's humor derives from familial situations to which the stock-trading, Ferrari-driving Campbell is rather unaccustomed: He expects a receipt when dropping his kid off at day care. Between his work in "The Family Man" and "Face/Off," Cage is amassing an impressive audition reel for the ultimate fish out of water role as Krypton's first son in the oft-delayed "Superman" project.\n Much of the film's success can be attributed to its capable cast. Cage delivers a loose, charming performance reminiscent of works past. Leoni turns in her best work to date with a performance that's simultaneously intelligent, luminous and slyly sexy. The abundant chemistry shared between its stars separates "The Family Man" from other more pedestrian efforts. Also registering nicely but in a slightly underused fashion are Don Cheadle, perhaps the best character actor working today, and Jeremy Piven ("PCU") as Jack's surly, comedic bowling buddy.\n "The Family Man" occasionally stumbles with overly sentimental, saccharin-sweet moments that draw viewers out of the narrative and detract from the grounded yet fantastical elements of the film. Despite these minor quibbles, "The Family Man" is a top-drawer date flick and a new, if not slightly flawed, holiday classic.
(01/11/01 12:51am)
The W, the latest installment in the ongoing Wu-Tang saga, proves to be the group's most lyrically and technically mature effort yet.\n RZA, picking up where his exceptionally proficient "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" soundtrack left off, produces The W with confidence and sheer genius. These albums, in addition to his production work on fellow Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah's second album, Supreme Clientele, and his own 1998 venture, RZA as Bobby Digital, helped re-establish RZA as the definitive hip-hop producer; a true madman behind the boards.\n The W continues the proud Wu-Tang mythos of comic books, old-school kung-fu flicks and Mafia references. However prominent these elements are, they receive far less emphasis than on the Clan's two previous works, Enter the 36 Chambers and Wu-Tang Forever.\n Tracks registering particularly well include the anti-melodic "Chamber Music," the simplistic yet highly infectious "Careful (Click, Click)," catchy party inciters "Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)," "Do You Really (Thang, Thang)" and the current, booty-rocking single "Gravel Pit."\n The album's piece de la resistance is a subdued joint titled "I Can't Go To Sleep," in which Ghostface Killah teams with Isaac Hayes to cover Hayes' soulful classic of the same name. The dynamic pairing, powerful message and extraordinarily phat beat meld together beautifully to form hip-hop for the ages.\n The W contains numerous guest appearances that work to varying degrees. "The Monument," featuring Busta Rhymes, works nicely because he ingratiates himself into the sound of The Wu-Tang Clan. But tracks featuring Snoop Dogg and Nas are less successful because they sound more like cuts off these artists' albums and do not accurately represent the album at hand.\n In a banner year for hip-hop, which also included widely respected efforts by OutKast and Jay-Z, The Wu-Tang Clan separated themselves from the pack with the fully realized and slightly more eclectic effort The W.
(11/30/00 8:38am)
The soundtrack to Theodor Geisel's classic holiday yarn turned hit motion picture unfolds much like the reviews to the live action incarnation have, rather mixed.\nThe album ranges from brilliant (Ben Folds' "Lonely Christmas Eve") to repugnant ('N Sync's vapid "You Don't Have to be Alone" or Faith Hill's irritating "Where Are You Christmas"). \nDuring the remainder of the whopping 22-track album various types of music are represented. Barenaked Ladies and Smash Mouth register nicely with pop-fueled, alt-rock Christmas jingles respectively titled "Green Christmas" and "Better Do it Right." \nE of The Eels scores the most decidedly dead-pan Christmas tune of all time with the very early Beck-sounding "Christmas is Going to the Dogs." Busta Rhymes and Mr. Grinch himself, Jim Carrey, collaborate in a festive hip hop joint entitled "Grinch 2000." \nAside from the pop entries, the soundtrack also contains the film's score, composed and conducted by James Horner. The orchestrations are rather pretty and draw parallels between numerous other Yuletide staples. \nBut it might have been wise for Horner to incorporate some elements of the music contained within the classic Chuck Jones animated film. Perhaps Horner and the film's director Ron Howard were trying to differentiate themselves from the cartoon.\nLike numerous other soundtracks, this disc contains snippets of dialogue. All play very well here, especially an excerpt entitled "Grinch Schedule," in which Carrey hilariously allots time for wallowing in self-pity and staring into the abyss.\nAlthough it's a rather mixed bag, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas soundtrack ultimately satisfies. Fans of Folds, Rhymes, or The Eels should certainly check the disc out. Fans of 'N Sync or Hill should also check the album out and follow that up with a psychiatric evaluation. \nJust kidding.
(11/30/00 5:00am)
The soundtrack to Theodor Geisel's classic holiday yarn turned hit motion picture unfolds much like the reviews to the live action incarnation have, rather mixed.\nThe album ranges from brilliant (Ben Folds' "Lonely Christmas Eve") to repugnant ('N Sync's vapid "You Don't Have to be Alone" or Faith Hill's irritating "Where Are You Christmas"). \nDuring the remainder of the whopping 22-track album various types of music are represented. Barenaked Ladies and Smash Mouth register nicely with pop-fueled, alt-rock Christmas jingles respectively titled "Green Christmas" and "Better Do it Right." \nE of The Eels scores the most decidedly dead-pan Christmas tune of all time with the very early Beck-sounding "Christmas is Going to the Dogs." Busta Rhymes and Mr. Grinch himself, Jim Carrey, collaborate in a festive hip hop joint entitled "Grinch 2000." \nAside from the pop entries, the soundtrack also contains the film's score, composed and conducted by James Horner. The orchestrations are rather pretty and draw parallels between numerous other Yuletide staples. \nBut it might have been wise for Horner to incorporate some elements of the music contained within the classic Chuck Jones animated film. Perhaps Horner and the film's director Ron Howard were trying to differentiate themselves from the cartoon.\nLike numerous other soundtracks, this disc contains snippets of dialogue. All play very well here, especially an excerpt entitled "Grinch Schedule," in which Carrey hilariously allots time for wallowing in self-pity and staring into the abyss.\nAlthough it's a rather mixed bag, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas soundtrack ultimately satisfies. Fans of Folds, Rhymes, or The Eels should certainly check the disc out. Fans of 'N Sync or Hill should also check the album out and follow that up with a psychiatric evaluation. \nJust kidding.
(11/17/00 5:00am)
Following up its 1997 platinum-selling debut Candyass, glam/techno/metal act Orgy return to the fold with a bizarre yet occasionally engaging follow-up, Vapor Transmission.
(11/17/00 5:00am)
\"Men of Honor" is an old-fashioned, against-all-odds, true-to-life militaristic yarn in a somewhat similar mold to numerous films prior. However, this particular film elevates itself from the common by sporting a set of skillful performances by its two leads, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Robert De Niro.
(11/17/00 5:00am)
People who despise Adam Sandler movies and want to find out what hell is really like just need to see "Little Nicky" for a taste of eternal damnation. They might actually enjoy the Old Testament of the Bible a little more. But although they won't climb a stairway to heaven, die-hard Sandler fans will only leave the theater a little disappointed with his latest effort since the box-office hit "Big Daddy."
(11/17/00 4:49am)
People who despise Adam Sandler movies and want to find out what hell is really like just need to see "Little Nicky" for a taste of eternal damnation. They might actually enjoy the Old Testament of the Bible a little more. But although they won't climb a stairway to heaven, die-hard Sandler fans will only leave the theater a little disappointed with his latest effort since the box-office hit "Big Daddy."
(11/17/00 4:44am)
\"Men of Honor" is an old-fashioned, against-all-odds, true-to-life militaristic yarn in a somewhat similar mold to numerous films prior. However, this particular film elevates itself from the common by sporting a set of skillful performances by its two leads, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Robert De Niro.
(11/17/00 3:48am)
Following up its 1997 platinum-selling debut Candyass, glam/techno/metal act Orgy return to the fold with a bizarre yet occasionally engaging follow-up, Vapor Transmission.
(11/09/00 5:00am)
Self-proclaimed nerds and all-around butt-kicking rock trio Ben Folds Five disbanded Tuesday. Following six years together, the deceptively and jokingly named band officially called it quits.\n"The band is splitting on good terms," singer/pianist Ben Folds said in a statement. "We are very proud of our three albums, our little hit and our audience. Now is the time to bow out with dignity rather than to make that final 'cash-in' record and tour which, of course, is very tempting."\nAnd while I agree with Mr. Folds that selling out is the last thing an artist of his and his bandmates' caliber should be doing, I can't necessarily agree that breaking up is necessarily the solution to that problem. Of course, this is an outsider's perspective looking in, but with the artistic merit achieved with the band's final work, the concept album The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, one could only see these artists maturing and progressing toward that one impeccable, master work.\nAccording to rollingstone.com, Folds is holed up in an Australian studio hammering out a new solo album, tentatively scheduled for release in the spring and is also contributing a track entitled "Lonely Christmas Eve" to the soundtrack to "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Drummer Darren Jessee has been toiling with new material for nearly a year and is trying to assemble a new band, and bassist Robert Sledge is also gathering members for another group while producing bands in Chapel Hill, N.C., Ben Folds Five's home.\nUnlike many of their modern rock compatriots, Folds and company had a unique sound driven through the infrequently implemented standing bass and piano, which made them easily discernable and refreshingly different. \nMy only run-in with the band came during the last week of my sophomore year in high school. I saw Ben Folds Five at the Fort Wayne Coliseum, luckily a small enough venue so that my friends and I could actually see and hear the band clearly. It was my first rock concert, and although other bands (who were perfectly good in their own right) played that evening, it was unimportant to me, because I had seen this bizarre trio who played heartfelt and funny songs with magnetism and honesty. I was hooked, both to the band and to live rock music as a whole. I've seen numerous bands since, but none have come close to the sheer energy and entertainment displayed by Ben Folds Five.
(11/09/00 5:00am)
Mel Gibson's underappreciated (both in terms of box office and critical praise) Revolutionary War epic recently made its debut upon the DVD format in a pristine Special Edition cut.\nGibson headlines the film as Benjamin Martin, a seasoned veteran of the French and Indian conflict and doting father of six. At the war's inception, Martin's eldest son Gabriel (Heath Ledger, a slightly annoying pretty boy with decent acting chops nonetheless) enlists with the rebel forces, much to his father's chagrin. Conflict ensues, and a massive body count quickly accumulates as viewers see a stagnant Mel transform into his badass persona of yore.\n"The Patriot's" DVD has numerous additional features that include commentary by both director Roland Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin (the guys responsible for that cinematic turd otherwise known as "Godzilla"), visual effects interactive featurette (mini-documentaries), a battlefield featurette called "The Art of War," storyboard to film comparisons, various deleted scenes and the film's theatrical trailer.\n"The Patriot" is an excellent addition to any DVD connoisseurs' collection and besides that, where else would you be able to see Mel Gibson thwack a Redcoat in the skull with a hatchet or watch a man become decapitated by a seemingly possessed cannonball?
