July 15, 2009 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • Page 19 Film quartet features ‘The Great Profile’ by Dennis Seuling “The John Barrymore Collection” (Kino On Video) is a box set of four silent films starring matinee idol John Barrymore. The son of theatrical parents, John, along with sister Ethel and brother Lionel, became stars in their own right. After the American-born actor became a star on Broadway, his dashing looks made him a natural for the movies. Dubbed “The Great Profile,” he became a huge box office draw as a romantic leading man through the early sound era. He later played character roles, but heavy drinking had taken its toll on his appearance and performance. Barrymore died in 1942. The films in this collection are all from the 1920s, when Barrymore was at his peak. “Beloved Rogue” is set in 15th century France. Barrymore plays poet Francois Villon, whose father died as a patriotic martyr. When Villon insults the Duke of Burgundy at an All Fools Day revel, King Louis XI, fearful of the Duke, banishes Villon from Paris. Outside the walls of the city, Villon seeks ways to protect France from Burgundy’s plots. Barrymore is quite the swashbuckler. Conrad Veidt (Major Strasser of “Casablanca”) plays King Louis XI. The film is color tinted. “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde,” Barrymore’s first excursion into the realm of horror, is based on the Robert Louis Stevenson story about a kindly doctor whose experiments transform him periodically into a deformed, murderous monster. Barrymore combines makeup and acting artistry to portray the frightening Hyde. With a bullet-shaped head, stringy hair, hunchback posture, distorted facial features, and wild eyes, his Hyde is one of the best cinema portrayals of this notorious villain. The contrast between the actor’s Hyde performance and his portrayal of the kindly Jekyll is impressive. It is easy to see why Barrymore captivated theater and movie audiences for decades. Extras include a 1911 short and an excerpt from a competing “Jekyll & Hyde” film made the same year as the Barrymore version. The other films in the set are “The Tempest,” set in Russia during the final days of the Czarist regime, and “Sherlock Holmes,” in which Barrymore plays Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s formidable detective. The latter film features the screen debuts of William Powell (“The Thin Man”) and Roland Young (“Topper”). “The Education of Charlie Banks” (Anchor Bay) focuses on Charlie (Jesse Eisenberg), who is attending an Ivy League school when Mick (Jason Ritter), an old acquaintance with a history of violence, unexpectedly shows up. Fascinated by Charlie’s privileged lifestyle, Mick quickly wins over Charlie’s friends and girlfriend, Mary (Eva Amurri), as he insinuates himself into Charlie’s life. There is an underlying tension throughout the film, based on what is known about Mick and the forces operating to produce inevitable conflict. Eisenberg (“Adventureland”) turns in a natural performance as a shy nerd, complete with downcast eyes, jerky gestures, and awkward gait. The film is a variation on the coming-of-age movie for which Hollywood has a passion, layering on themes of personal responsibility, loyalty, and peer pressure. Ritter’s Mick is especially good as a troubled person whose charm allows him to fit in and get what he wants. Extras include audio commentary with director Fred Durst and Jason Ritter. “The Deep” (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment), new on Blu-ray, was the eagerly anticipated film adaptation of the novel by Peter Benchley (“Jaws”). Gail Berke (Jacqueline Bisset) and David Sanders (Nick Nolte) are on a romantic holiday in Bermuda when they come upon the sunken wreck of a World War II freighter. Near it, they find an ampoule of morphine, one of tens of thousands still aboard the wrecked ship. Their discovery leads them to a Haitian drug dealer, Cloche (Louis Gossett Jr.), and an old treasure hunter, Romer Treece (Robert Shaw). With Cloche in pursuit, Gail, David, and Treece try to recover the sunken treasure. Unfortunately, “The Deep” fails to deliver a fraction of the thrills of “Jaws,” despite the two films’ similar lineage. Most memorable are the underwater shots of a T-shirt and bikini-clad Bisset swimming in the wreckage. Bonus features include a making-of featurette and select scenes from a three-hour special edition. “Grumpy Old Men” (Warner Home John Barrymore stars in four feature films ranging from romantic drama to horror in a new box set. Video), also new to Blu-ray, a delightful variation on “The Odd Couple,” concerns a decades-long love-hate relationship between two cantankerous curmudgeons, played by Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. Their lives are thrown into a tizzy when an attractive, free-spirited widow (Ann-Margret) moves in across the street. The beauty of this film lies in the repartee between Lemmon and Matthau. No one conveys apoplexy better than Lemmon, and Matthau’s jowly, hangdog expression is a laugh-getter on its own. Unfortunately, the only extra is the theatrical trailer. “Night Train” (National Entertainment Media) asks the question, “How far would you go to have everything you want?” It’s Christmas Eve on board a night train when the conductor (Danny Glover), a young premed student (Leelee Sobieski), and a struggling salesman (Steve Zahn) discover a dead body. Among the deceased man’s possessions is a mysterious box, which fascinates the trio. Inside is a treasure so valuable that they conspire to hide the body and split the fortune. This decision sets in motion a tense game of obsession and deceit, where greed trumps reason and morality gives way to temptation. With local authorities at every stop and an assortment of suspicious passengers along for the ride, the conspirators must decide whether to give up the box or delve further into immorality. Blu-ray bonus features include a making-of featurette, interviews with cast and crew, theatrical trailer, and photo gallery. (continued on Crossword page) �� ����������������� ��������� Authentic Cuisine from Spain ����������������� OPEN 7 DAYS • LUNCH • DINNER • COCKTAILS ������������ Available Sunday thru Thursday Noon-10pm, Friday until 5:30pm � (Served with Spanish Potatoes) Choice of Appetizer Soup or Salad • Entree �� �� ���������� ������ No Substitutions • Both Parties Must Order From This Menu • Not Available On Holidays Open 7 Days a Week • Mon-Thurs 11:30-10, Fri 11:30-11, Sat 12-11, Sun 12-10 ������������������������������������������ #1 German Restaurant in Bergen & Passaic Counties! 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