New DVDs: Buy, rent or ignore?

This week: 'Crank 2,' 'Dance Flick' and 'Requiem for a Dream'

By Paul Semel

Posted September 8, 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...

“CRANK 2: HIGH VOLTAGE”
Stars: Jason Statham, Amy Smart
Director: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (“Crank”)
Format: DVD, Special Edition DVD, Blu-ray
What we said: "If your idea of quality entertainment is a steady diet of video games, porn and Mountain Dew commercials, 'Crank' wants your business!"

Extras: DVD: Trailer.
Special Edition DVD: Trailer plus commentary by writers/directors Neveldine and Taylor; “Making of” and “Crank 2: Take 2” featurettes; digital copy.
Blu-ray: The above extras plus a second picture-in-picture commentary with cast and crew including Statham, Smart, Neveldine, Taylor, co-stars Bai Ling and Corey Haim, and stunt coordinator Jason Rodriguez; gag reel; wrap party footage; MoLog function that lets you create your own “Mystery Science Theater 3000”-style commentaries.

Worth watching: The gag reel shows us that the people working on this flick took it as seriously as we did when we watched it.
Worth skipping: It's bad enough they didn't invite us to the wrap party, did they have to rub it in by showing us how much fun they had at it?
Worth adding: Given that Statham's character is constantly trying to recharge his mechanical heart, we were hoping someone would explain why the movie wasn't called “Crank 2: Electric Boogaloo.”

Buy, rent or ignore: Rent.


“DANCE FLICK”
Stars: Damon Wayans Jr., Amy Sedaris, David Alan Grier
Director: Damien Dante Wayans (episodes of “My Wife and Kids”)
Formats: Blu-ray
What we said: "It stinks, but the Wayans family has done a lot worse."

Extras: Both the theatrical and unrated versions of the movie; “Dance Dance Dance! With the Wayans Wayans Wayans” and “Dancing Outtakes” featurettes; deleted scenes; trailer.

Worth watching: The unfunny trailer should help prevent you from watching the movie.
Worth skipping: The deleted scenes were deleted for a reason.
Worth adding: Footage of Damien Dante Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. watching episodes of “In Living Color” until they realize what is and isn't funny.

Buy, rent or ignore: Ignore.


“REQUIEM FOR A DREAM”
Stars: Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Ellen Burstyn
Director: Darren Aronofsky (“The Wrestler”)
Formats: Blu-ray
What we say: Aronofsky's compelling and visually arresting adaptation of Hubert Selby Jr.'s classic drug addiction tale looks even better on this digitally remastered Blu-ray disc.

Extras: Commentary by Aronofsky and the director of photography Matthew Libatique; “Making of” featurette; cast interviews.

Worth watching: Though a bit too film school-ish, the commentary is still insightful.
Worth skipping: After the commentary, the “Making of” featurette seems redundant.
Worth adding: “Only the Lonely,” a track from “Blue Eyes and Exit Wounds,” a spoken word album Selby Jr. made in 1998 with Nick Tosches (available from exitwounds.com).

Buy, rent or ignore: Buy.


Other DVDs out this week:
— See how far illegal immigration paranoia can go in the sci-fi indie "Sleep Dealer"
— Take a peek inside the life of a fashion mogul in the successful documentary "Valentino: The Last Emperor" (also on Blu-ray)
— Go old school with your Disney animated musicals with “Bedknobs & Broomsticks: Enhanced Musical Edition” (also on Blu-ray)
— Yet another all-in-one Halloween movie festival comes courtesy of the “Universal Horror: Classic Movie Archive,” including  “The Black Cat,” “Man Made Monster,” “Horror Island,” “Night Monster” and “Captive Wild Woman”
— Then see how horrible horror can get with the Blu-ray version of “Freddy vs. Jason”
— Or how funny horror (and the Wayans) can be with the “Scary Movie Triple Pack”

Also on Blu-ray:
“Catwoman”
“Creepshow”
“Dead Calm”
“Friday”
“Menace II Society”
“The New World: The Extended Cut”
“Over the Top”
“The Postman”
“The Quick and the Dead”
“Set It Off”
“Silverado”
“Sphere”

Also released:
“Bleach Movie 2: The DiamondDust Rebellion”
“Criterion Collection: Homicide”
“Criterion Collection: The Human Condition”
“Criterion Collection: That Hamilton Woman”
"From Dusk Till Dawn Triple Pack"
"Halloween Triple Pack"
"Local Color"
"Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing"
"Scream Triple Pack"
"Silent Light"
"Summertree"