Main Menu
A for effort...
Monkeybone, famed animator Henry Selick’s foray into live-action film making, was a theatre flop that has since become a cult hit
3 stars
Monkeybone: Blu-ray
Anchor Bay
Available now
Henry Selick has had great success directing stop-motion features such as The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach and Coraline — but in 2001, his live-action debut, Monkeybone, arrived DOA at the box office.
The material seemed tailor-made for an ex-animator: Stu Miley, a cartoonist (Brendan Fraser) enters a bizarre netherworld called Down Town filled with twisted characters after falling into a coma. Here, Stu discovers that the pervy monkey of his own creation has come to life — with the help of stop motion and the vocal talents of a manic John Turturro.
Unable to wake from his coma, Stu seeks the help of Hypnos (Giancarlo Esposito), the god of sleep, to reunite him with his fiancée (Bridget Fonda). Unfortunately, it’s Monkeybone who escapes into Stu’s body to wreak havoc in the real world.
Fraser made a handful of likeable comedies in the late ’90s and his dual performance as a cartoon monkey-possessed human and its creator feature enough humorous moments for a recommendation.
Monkeybone was just too weird of a movie to ever have been a success in the theatres but, over time, it has won over home audiences with its imaginative set design and atypical plot. Today, further enjoyment can be taken from Esposito’s lively performance as an evil faun, a contrast to his stoic villain on Breaking Bad.
There are no extras included, but the HD transfer that accentuates Selick’s twisted vision is more than worth the price.
3.5 stars
Wings: Blu-ray and DVD
Paramount
Available now
Paramount has taken great pains to restore 1927’s Wings, the winner of the first best picture Oscar, and if you’re a silent film fan, you’ll love it.
Clara Bow leads a cast that includes a young Gary Cooper in this First World War drama about young air pilots fighting for their country and the women they love. Clocking in at over two and a half hours, the movie itself sometimes feels like a chore to watch, but the aerial dogfights — complete with digitally added tints — are still as viable as they were nearly 100 years ago.
You can opt to play the movie with a pipe-organ track, but a re-recorded version of the original score with sound effects as dictated in the theatrical cue sheets help make the movie more palatable for modern viewers.
Upcoming Releases
Feb. 7 — A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas 3D; Anyonymous; The Rebound; Lady and the Tramp: Blu-ray; Love Story: Blu-ray.
Amanda Stefaniuk is a freelance writer who literally grew up in a video store.
0 Comments
You can comment on most stories on uptownmag.com. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.