New DVDs: Buy, rent or ignore?

This week: 'State of Play,' 'Sin Nombre' and 'Sugar'

By Paul Semel

Posted August 31, 2009

Special to Metromix

You loved the movie, what about the DVD?

Find out as we examine the extras on this week's best movie DVDs...

“STATE OF PLAY”
Stars: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams
Director: Kevin Macdonald (“The Last King of Scotland”)
Format: DVD, Blu-ray
What we said: "Finally: A cops-and-reporters thriller that actually feels up to date."
 
Extras: DVD: Deleted scenes; “The Making of ‘State of Play’” featurette.
Blu-ray: The above extras plus U-Control functions that include picture-in-picture featurettes and an interactive guide to the Washington, D.C. locations used in the film; BD-Live functions that include scene sharing.
 
Worth watching: The picture-in-picture featurettes really illustrate how certain scenes were shot.
Worth skipping: With people bringing guns to town halls and President Obama’s speeches, maybe a guide to D.C. isn’t such a good idea.
Worth adding: A commentary with Macdonald, Affleck, McAdams, co-star Helen Mirren and, if he promises to be nice, Crowe. Otherwise he can just wait outside until the adults are finished.
 
Buy, rent or ignore: Rent.
 
 
“SIN NOMBRE”
Stars: Paulina Gaitan, Edgar M. Flores
Director: Cary Fukunaga (“Kofi”)
Formats: DVD
What we said: "A tense, awfully depressing companion piece to last year's great 'Wendy and Lucy' when seen as a search for opportunity where there isn't any."
 
Extras: Commentary by Fukunaga and producer Amy Kaufman.
 
Worth watching: Though you don’t have anything else to choose from, the commentary is actually pretty enlightening.
Worth skipping: The commentary…until after you watch the movie. You wouldn’t want to spoil anything, would you?
Worth adding: Gaitan and Flores to the commentary, or their own commentary. We always like hearing the actor’s perspective.
 
Buy, rent or ignore: Rent.
 
 
“SUGAR”
Stars: Algenis Perez Soto
Director: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (“Half Nelson”)
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray
What we said: "How many sports dramas dare to think beyond winning, losing and how you play the game? The narrative thrust of Sugar comes from somewhere less expected."
 
Extras: DVD: Deleted scenes; “Play Béisbol! The Dominican Dream,” “Making ‘Sugar’: Run the Bases” and “Casting ‘Sugar’: Interview with Algenis Perez Soto” featurettes.
Blu-ray: All of the above extras plus BD-Live functions.
 
Worth watching: “Play Béisbol!” includes some interesting interviews with Dominican MLB players Sammy Sosa, David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez.
Worth skipping: “Making ‘Sugar’” is a rather rote making-of featurette.
Worth adding: A commentary by Soto, Boden and Fleck would compensate for the thin “Making ‘Sugar’.”
 
Buy, rent or ignore: Rent.
 
 
Other DVDs out this week:
— Disney's nature documentary division shows you the wonders of “Earth” (also on Blu-ray)
— A dark relationship dramedy that sounds dirtier than it is: "Good Dick"
— Get your Halloween film festival in a neat, handy package with “TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Horror,” which includes “Freaks,” “House of Wax,” “The Haunting” and “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde”
— You’ll have a thrilling good time with “TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Murder Mysteries,” which includes “The Big Sleep,” “Dial M for Murder,” “The Maltese Falcon” and “The Postman Always Rings Twice”
— Go back to the future with “TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Sci-Fi” which includes “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Forbidden Planet,” “Soylent Green” and “The Time Machine”
— No, you won’t be able to see any more of Elisha Cuthbert if you buy the new version of “The Girl Next Door” on Blu-ray. Perv.
 
Also on Blu-ray:
“Braveheart”
“Gladiator”
“High Crimes”
“M*A*S*H”
"Monster"
 
Also released:
"Bring It On: Fight to the Finish" (also on Blu-ray)
“Homeboy”
"Tennessee"