Advertisement

Bullock and Grant: winks, nudges and bleeps

Share

Two Weeks Notice

Sandra Bullock, Hugh Grant

Warner Bros., $28

Bullock and Grant have a surprising chemistry in this uneven but fitfully funny romantic comedy. Bullock plays a liberal, activist-minded lawyer who finds herself working as the attorney for a cute but self-centered billionaire developer and playboy (Grant). It isn’t long before this mismatched pair discover they are in love. The DVD includes two additional scenes, including the original ending in which Bullock and Grant get married and fly off into the sunset in a helicopter. There’s also the by-the-numbers “HBO First Look” documentary on the production and a viewing option called “Two Bleeps Notice,” allowing viewers to watch the film complete with gags and bloopers. The audio commentary with Lawrence, Bullock and Grant is a real delight, especially when Bullock teases Grant about the women in his life.

*

Treasure Planet

Animated

Disney, $25 for VHS;

$30 for DVD

Shiver me timbers! Disney’s big-budget animated sci-fi version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” is actually quite entertaining, though, it failed to attract an audience when released last November. The $140-million film grossed under $40 million. Nominated for a best animated feature Oscar, “Treasure Planet” is an imaginative retelling of the coming-of-age seafaring tale set in outer space. The animation, combining traditional with computer graphics, is quite lovely. It’s a film, though, that will appeal more to boys than girls.

The video edition, though not in the league with recent Disney two-DVD sets for “Monsters, Inc.” or “Beauty and the Beast,” still has lots of extras geared for both kids and adults. These include the original opening and ending, a behind-the-scenes look at Disney animation, art galleries, character galleries, a 3-D tour of the spaceship, an interactive game, a look at how the animators merged 2-D with 3-D, and audio and video commentary from directors Ron Clements and John Musker and producer Ron Conli.

Advertisement

Disney also is releasing the DVD ($30) of its 1950 Technicolor adaptation of “Treasure Island,” starring Bobby Driscoll as Jim Hawkins and the deliciously over-the-top Robert Newton as Long John Silver.

*

Biggie and Tupac

Nick Broomfield

Ventura, $20

The latest from British documentary filmmaker Nick Broomfield of “Kurt and Courtney” fame. Broomfield -- wearing headsets, carrying a movie microphone and sporting a hangdog expression -- makes like a scruffy Sherlock Holmes seeking out clues as to who committed the still unsolved murders of rap stars Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, a.k.a. the Notorious B.I.G. There are tons of interviews with everyone from Biggie’s mom, Voletta Wallace, to police, bodyguards and former friends of the slain rappers. One person who didn’t cooperate was Afeni Shakur, Tupac’s mother. Not only wouldn’t she be interviewed, she wouldn’t allow Broomfield the rights to use any of her son’s music.

The disc includes additional scenes with commentary from Broomfield, an interview with the director and bland commentary from Broomfield.

*

Bloody Sunday

James Nesbitt, Tim Piggott-Smith

Paramount, $30

British writer/director Paul Greengrass’ superlative docudrama about the tragic events that occurred in Derry, Northern Ireland on Jan. 30, 1972, when 13 Irish Catholics were shot by members of the British military during a march for their rights denied under British rule. Ironically, the 1971 John Schlesinger film, “Sunday Bloody Sunday” was actually playing at one of the movie theaters in Derry the day of the conflict. Nesbitt heads the cast of primarily non-actors -- Greengrass hired actual real residents of Derry and actual soldiers for many of the roles -- as protest organizer Ivan Cooper.

The DVD features a “making of” documentary, Nesbitt’s tour of Derry with the real Cooper and commentary from Greengrass and Nesbitt.

*

Also this week

“Darkness Falls,” director Jonathan Liebesman’s supernatural horror film about an innocent woman seeking revenge beyond the grave.

Advertisement

Top VHS rentals

1. “Drumline”

2. “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”

3. “The Transporter”

4. “Maid in Manhattan”

5. “Ghost Ship”

Top DVD rentals

1. “Drumline”

2. “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”

3. “The Transporter”

4. “Maid in Manhattan”

5. “Red Dragon”

What’s coming

Tuesday: “Catch Me If You Can,” “Emperor’s Club,” “Extreme Ops”

May 13: “Analyze That,” “Equilibrium,” “Hot Chick” and “Jerry Seinfeld: Comedian”

May 20: “Adaptation,” “Antwone Fisher,” “Star Trek: Nemesis” and “Max”

May 27: “The Pianist,” “The Recruit,” “Talk to Her,” “National Security,” “Love Liza” and “A Guy Thing”

-- Susan King

Advertisement