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Find out as we examine the extras on this week's best movie DVDs...
"FIRST BLOOD," "RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II," "RAMBO III," "RAMBO"
Stars: Sylvester Stallone
Director: “First Blood”: Ted Kotcheff (“Weekend At Bernie's”); “Rambo, First Blood Part II”: George P. Cosmatos (“Cobra”); “Rambo III”: Peter MacDonald (“The Neverending Story III”); “Rambo”: Sylvester Stallone (“Rocky Balboa”)
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray
What we say: The cinematic saga of Vietnam vet John Rambo has had as many ups and downs as his life.
From the "Rambo" review: "Proficiently made, deeply offensive and undeniably cruel, like a popular restaurant serving fresh-roasted puppy."
Extras: “Rambo” (DVD): Commentary by Stallone; deleted scenes; featurettes: “It's a Long Road: Resurrection of an Icon,” “A Score to Settle: The Music of 'Rambo,'” “The Art of War: Completing 'Rambo,'” “The Weaponry of 'Rambo,” “Legacy of Despair: The Struggle in Burma,” “A Hero's Welcome: Release & Reaction.”
“Rambo” (Blu-ray): Additional extras: commentary with picture-in-picture options; trailer gallery for the entire series.
“Rambo: First Blood Part II” (Blu-ray): Commentary by Cosmatos; “We Get to Win This Time” featurette; trivia track.
“Rambo III” (Blu-ray): Commentary by MacDonald; “Afghanistan, Land in Crisis” featurette; trivia track.
"Rambo I-III" Blu-ray box set: The only way to get “First Blood” on Blu-ray, plus the following extras: two audio commentaries, one by Stallone and a second by David Morrell, who wrote the original book; “Drawing First Blood” featurette; trivia track.
“Rambo: The Complete Collector's Set” (DVD): All four "Rambo" films on DVD with commentaries, trailers and featurettes plus an alternate ending to “First Blood”; deleted scenes from “Rambo III”; seven featurettes on relevant military techniques; a bonus disc with additional featurettes including “The Real Nam: Voicing From Within,” “An American Hero's Journey: The Rambo Trilogy,” and “The Forging of Heroes: America's Green Berets.”
Worth watching: Morrell's commentary, so you can hear how this all began; the trivia tracks on the Blu-ray versions.
Worth skipping: The “American Hero's Journey” featurette on the “Complete” collection's bonus disc. The fourth film makes the idea of a "trilogy" moot.
Worth adding: Even more HD purchasing options including all four films in a Blu-ray collection and "First Blood" on an individual Blu-ray.
Buy, rent, or ignore: Buy “Complete”; unless you're high-def, then get a combo of “Rambo” Blu-ray and the “Blu-ray” box.
“THE DARIO ARGENTO BOX SET”
Stars: “Tenebre”: Anthony Franciosa, John Saxon; “Phenomena”: Jennifer Connelly, Donald Pleasence; “Trauma”: Asia Argento, Piper Laurie; “The Card Player”: Stefanie Rocca, Liam Cunningham; “Do You Like Hitchcock?”: Elio Germano, Chiara Conti
Director: Dario Argento
Format: DVD
What we say: Though these aren't the best films by the Italian horror master better known for “Susperia” and “Deep Red,” this collection—which includes his homage to his fellow horror icon Hitchcock—is still a must-have for fans.
Extras: “Tenebre”: Newly remastered widescreen picture; commentary by Argento, music composer Claudio Simonetti, and journalist Loris Curci; “Voices of the Unsane,” “The Roving Camera Eye of Dario Argento” and "Creating the Sounds of Terror” featurettes; alternate end credit music; trailer.
“Phenomena”: Newly remastered widescreen picture; commentary by Argento, Simonetti, Curci and special effects makeup artist Sergio Stivaletti; “A Dark Fairy Tale” and “Luigi Cozzi & the Art of Macrophotography” featurettes; Dario's appearance on “The Joe Franklin Show”; music video for Bill Wyman's “Valley”; trailer.
“Trauma”: Commentary by “Profondo Argento” writer Alan Jones; “Love, Death & Trauma” featurette that includes an interview with Argento; behind-the-scenes footage; home movies from effects artist Tom Savini; deleted scenes; poster and still gallery; trailer.
“The Card Player”: Commentary by Jones; “Playing With Death” featurette that includes an interview with Argento; “Maestro of Fear” featurette on composer Simonetti; behind-the-scenes footage; trailer.
“Do You Like Hitchcock?”: Behind-the-scenes footage.
Worth watching: Dario's insightful commentaries and his appearance on “The Joe Franklin Show.” It's something you'll never see on Leno.
Worth skipping: The behind-the-scenes footage, which is never as interesting as it sounds; the Bill Wyman music video, which doesn't even sound interesting.
Worth adding: Commentaries by Dario on “Card Player,” “Trauma,” and “Hitchcock.”
Buy, rent, or ignore: Buy.
Other DVDs out this week:
- The graffiti movement is chronicled in "Bomb It"
- Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor are brothers at odds in Woody Allen's drama "Cassandra's Dream"
- Don Cheadle raises awareness in socially conscious doc "Darfur Now"
- John Cusack mourns as an Iraq war widower in "Grace is Gone"
- Two men fall in love O.C.-style in "Shelter"
- John Leguizamo, Tyrese and Rosie Perez headline urban crime drama "The Take"
- Woody Harrelson is a closeted Washington D.C. escort in "The Walker"
- Learn what he died for with “What Would Jesus Buy?”
- The muscles from Brussels is collected in the “Van Damme Action Pack”
Also available:
"Cleaner"
“Pokemon, The Rise Of Darkrai”
"The Thief of Baghdad" (Criterion Collection)
"Typhoon"
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