The music, laughs come nonstop
By Bob Bloom
(Lafayette, Ind.) Journal & Courier
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A no-holds-barred political satire, a documentary on an iconic rock group and a gentle foreign comedy arrived on DVD this week.
Paramount Home Entertainment, rated PG
The lowdown: Martin Scorsese directed this Rolling Stones concert film, capturing the band's energy, showmanship and artistry.
The movie also features clips of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood over the years as they discuss their careers.
The movie was released on April 4 and earned $5.3 million domestically and another $7.4 million in foreign markets.
Critically, the Stones rocked at Rottentomatoes.com, earning an 86 percent positive rating. But Gannett News Service chief film critic Bill Goodykoontz wrote, "Although the film is expertly made, it offers almost nothing new for fans of the Stones, or of Scorsese."
The DVD features a dynamite digital transfer.
Don't miss: A behind-the-scenes featurette as well as four numbers not shown in theaters.
Two-disc special edition, New Line Home Entertainment, not rated
The lowdown: The sequel to "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" is lewd, crude, vulgar, irreverent and hilarious.
It is lowbrow, mindless satire at its best.
Released on April 21, the movie, produced on a shoestring budget of $12 million, earned $38.1 million in the United States and another $2.3 million overseas.
Critics were divided about "Harold & Kumar," as it received a 54 percent positive rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Claudia Puig of USA Today called it "a guilty pleasure that retains the anarchic charms of the original."
The two-disc set features a strong digital transfer.
Don't miss: Hours of extras, including deleted scenes, outtakes, a making-of featurette and a digital copy of the movie. Also offered are two commentary tracks and a public service announcement from President Bush.
SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT, RATED PG-13
The lowdown: This charming Israeli film tells the story of an Egyptian police band stranded in an Israeli town and the interaction between the cultures.
Nothing really exciting happens except that the gaps between peoples are narrowed through music, love and universal experiences.
Released in the U.S. on Feb. 8, the movie took in $3 million at the box office. Overseas, it added another $8.4 million.
The critics were nearly unanimous in their praise of the movie, giving it a 98 percent positive rating at Rottentomatoes. Bruce Bennett of The Spectrum in St. George, Utah, wrote, "Those who like their comedy, romance, and tragedy in quiet doses should enjoy this textured story."
Don't miss: A making-of featurette is the main bonus offering.
