MAX'S BEST DVD AND BLU-RAY PICKS

Max’s Best DVD Picks – March, 2011

Some real good movies this month that you may not have heard about, and some excellent documentaries.

GLORIOUS 39

Another excellent movie from writer-director Stephen Poliakoff (Almost Strangers A.KA. Perfect Strangers). A wealthy British family turns a blind eye to events leading up to World War II, enjoying a peaceful life in the country. Then their daughter unexpectedly gets caught up in events when she accidentally discovers some secret recordings that create divisions in the family. She becomes conflicted between her love for a government agent and a dark family truth which could lead to her being branded a traitor. Engrossing romantic drama starring Romola Garai, Eddie Redmayne, Bill Nighy, David Tennant, Jeremy Northam, and the luminous Julie Christie. From BBC Films in both DVD and Blu-ray.

CHANGI

An award-winning Australian television miniseries, a harrowing true-life drama of Aussie military servicemen who were Japanese prisoners during World War II. Some 22,000 were in cruel captivity at a camp called Changi between 1942 and 1945. Only 14,000 survived. The two-disc set includes documentaries and behind-the-scenes on the series which Time magazine said “Lifts drama to a new level.” Strong but very much worth watching. From BFS Distribution.

THE AMBASSADOR

Pauline Collins, remembered best as Shirley Valentine and from Upstairs, Downstairs, shines again, this time as British ambassador to the volatile embassy in Dublin, Ireland. She tries to maintain a personal life while tackling political and social problems including territorial disputes, kidnapping, sabotage, and even murder. This is compelling drama, a six disc boxed set from BFS Distribution.

IN LOVING MEMORY

A very funny British television series about a woman who tries to manage her late husband’s funeral parlor in a British town in 1929 with the often misguided help of her nephew. Thora Hind and Christopher Beeny are perfectly cast as they try to survive stray coffins, faulty hearses, and dishonest rival undertakers. Good British comedy from BFS Entertainment.

MADE IN DAGENHAM

A true-life story about British women working at a Ford Motor Company factory in Dagenham who crusade against low pay and poor working conditions. It happened in the upbeat 1960s, when women were starting to object to not getting the respect they deserved in the workplace. Their determination for positive change affects not only their work lives but their personal lives. A movie to cheer for, it stars Sally Hawkins, Miranda Richardson, Geraldine James, Rupert Graves, and Bob Hoskins, and was directed by Nigel Cole (Calendar Girls). A New York Observer critic rightfully says it has “heart, smarts, soul and wit, and is an absolute joy!” Both DVD and Blu-Ray versions include commentary by Cole, deleted scenes, and a “making of” featurette. From Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Documentaries

Dickens in America

BBC Television takes us on a ten-part journey retracing the 1842 road trip of Charles Dickens through North America.

British actress Mirian Margolyes, a Dickens enthusiast, hosts the trip through the United States and Canada. Dickens then wrote about his adventure in American Notes, a comic, critical record of the two country’s morals, flaws, and fashions, their money, manners, slavery, corruption, greed, politics, and religion, all of which is remembered on this modern journey of discovery. In a three-disc boxed set from BBC and BFS Entertainment.

The Himalayas

A beautiful and fascinating PBS Television NATURE documentary about the highest and youngest mountain range on the planet, surprisingly revealing the variety of plants and birds and animals including eagles and wolves who live there. Not to mention spiders and snakes. Oh my! In case your geography isn’t one of your finer points, the Himalayas pass through five nations: India, Pakistan, China, Bhutan, and Nepal. From PBS Distribution on DVD and even more incredible on Blu-ray.

CAN WE MAKE IT TO MARS?

A trip to the fiery red planet could take up to three years, if it is ever undertaken. This NOVA Science NOW PBS documentary examines the problems and perils of such a far-away journey into space. Scientists are developing new ways to keep astronauts alive on Mars trip using unique meteoroid-proof materials, artificial gravity, and new modes of transport, such as plasma rockets. Young female scientist Vandi Verma, a member of the team that drives the Mars rovers, talks about the thrills and trials of driving on another planet. The hour-long documentary is from PBS Distribution.

Pioneers of Television, Season Two

Those who fondly remember early television, much of it live, will love this new four-part series with highlights of various genres and the stars that brought them into our homes. The series pays tribute to the shows and stars of television science fiction, westerns, crime dramas, and local children’s shows. Kelsey Grammer narrates the series that shows scenes from many favorite shows and their stars, many who are interviewed for the series. They include James Garner, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Culp, Martin Landau, Fess Parker, Peter Graves, and Bill Cosby. They’re back again… Gunsmoke, Big Valley, Davy Crockett, The Twilight Zone, Star Trek, Dragnet, Police Woman, Mission Impossible,

Mister Rogers, Bozo the Clown, and other favorites. Wonderful nostalgia from PBS Distribution.

NANCY REAGAN: The Role of a Lifetime

A new analysis of the widow of President Ronald Reagan says she was a more significant First Lady than most give her credit for. Far from just redecorating the White House, she is said in this documentary to have been one of the most influential first ladies in modern times, having a far-reaching impact on White House personnel and policy issues.

She is credited with moving President Reagan to a more moderate position toward the Soviet Union and getting her husband to publicly admit his involvement in Iran-Contra,

a move that is said to have likely saved his presidency. She was, and continues to be, a formidable and influential political adviser. In an interview with Judy Woodruff, Nancy Reagan reflects on her childhood, her life as an actress, her marriage to Reagan, their lifelong romance, and her role as his most trusted adviser. The hour-long documentary is from PBS Distribution.

Emergency Mine Rescue

NOVA documents the heroic efforts to rescue 33 men trapped 2,300 feet below ground for 69 days when a coal mine collapsed in Chile last year. A global team of more than a thousand engineers, scientists, and other experts solved problems that ultimately saved the lives of the courageous miners who refused to give up hope of being rescued. NOVA cameras gained access to the site within a few weeks of the miners’ rescue and some of the survivors were interviewed.

A fascinating documentary from PBS Distribution.

Birds of the Gods

Sir David Attenborough narrates this PBS NATURE documentary which takes us to the island of New Guinea in the South Pacific and the many exotic and beautiful “birds of paradise” who make it their home. The birds were given that name by Europeans who first saw them on voyages in the sixteenth century. Natives are seen still adorning themselves with headdresses holding feathers of the birds when they engage in centuries-old festivals. Beautiful on DVD but especially so in the Blu-ray edition. From PBS Distribution.

“Can We Live Forever?”

A NOVA Science Now documentary about new technology that may slow down the aging process, including latest developments regarding human hibernation. Host Neil deGrasse Tyson interviews scientists including those who are learning to grow custom-made vital organs such as hearts and lungs to replace aging ones. Computer scientist Jason Leigh who developed technology for the film Avatar shows how to create life-like digital versions of ourselves that would impart wisdom, humor, and unique insight long after we’re gone. Intriguing reports from PBS Distribution.

“How Does the Brain Work?”

Another fascinating NOVA Science Now documentary, this one examining magic and the brain, artificial intelligence, mind control, and the nature of reality. Heady stuff from PBS Distribution.

“How Smart Are Animals?”

A lot smarter than we thought, according to those who demonstrate cutting-edge research on the intelligence of dogs, parrots, dolphins, even an octopus. I always knew it about dogs, but it’s news to me about the others. I especially like the segment about a dog who responds to more than a thousand words. And it’s good to know that more research on animal intelligence is being obtained from dogs rather than chimpanzees. Animal lovers will especially enjoy this NOVA Science Now documentary, from PBS Distribution.

Battle for Haiti

PBS Television’s Frontline examines the uphill battle to rebuild Haiti in the case of gang violence and political corruption following the devastating earthquake in January 2010. Some 4,500 of the country’s most violent criminals escaped from the national penitentiary and terrorized survivors of the quake who were living in tent cities. A hard-hitting hour-long documentary from PBS Distribution.

Secrets Beneath the Ice

NOVA takes an in-depth look at warming climate changes in Antarctica that could effect the entire globe. Even just a ten percent loss of ice there would cause catastrophic flooding of coastal cities everywhere. Another excellent science documentary from PBS Distribution.