June 27, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • Page 23 New edition of ‘Deliverance’ includes many extras by Dennis Seuling “Deliverance” (Warner Home Video), John Boorman’s adaptation of James Dickey’s first novel, stars Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox. It’s the story of four suburban Atlanta men who go on a weekend canoe trip that turns into a nightmare in the remote backwoods of rural Georgia. One of the friends is big on machismo, but the others would be more at home in a recliner, remote control in one hand, a beer in the other. Yet they persevere, heading deeper into the woods and into dark adventures they never anticipated. Boorman and cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond capture the wilderness of forest and river, creating a sense of foreboding as the men make their journey. The dueling banjos sequence between a mountain boy and Cox, the inexperience of the city slickers, and the white water power of the river all foreshadow the danger that lurks in the woods. Though the movie is essentially an action thriller, Boorman infuses elements of terror, not the mad slasher or supernatural variety, but very real rednecks intent on having some malevolent amusement at the expense of the four outsiders. These scenes are the strongest in the movie and take the film to a completely different level. It is no longer a male-bonding weekend, but a life-and-death fight for survival. “Deliverance” is one of the best films of the 1970s. The film made Reynolds a major movie star, a role he enjoyed for the next 10 years. The new Blu-ray 40th Anniversary Edition contains commentary by Boorman, a four-part retrospective, the vintage featurette “The Dangerous World of Deliverance,” Ned Beatty, Burt Reynolds, and Jon Voight in ‘Deliverance.’ theatrical trailer, and a 44-page book containing behindthe-scenes photos and production information. “The Artist” (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) is set in Hollywood shortly after “The Jazz Singer,” the first talkie, was released in 1927, sounding the death knell for silent pictures. George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a Chaplin-like star of the silent era. He gives a fan of his, Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), her first break in show biz, and as his career declines, hers blossoms. Dujardin is a master of physical comedy and will remind viewers of those little moments in Chaplin films when he enacts a comic bit, such as the dance of the rolls in “The Gold Rush” or his roller skating acrobatics in “The Rink.” Dujardin’s Valentin is an agile performer and a snappy dancer who can enchant an audience by improvising a series of hilarious curtain calls. He loves his star status and regards the coming of sound as a threat. Peppy, on the other hand, is as game for the challenge of sound as she is talented and charming. Bejo is a wonder. Reminiscent of the young Mary Tyler Moore and Debbie Reynolds, she is perky, frisky, and adorable. Shot in black and white as an essentially silent picture, “The Artist” is an original. Director Michel Hazanavicius has taken great care in presenting the period of the Roaring Twenties and beginning of the Great Depression. The actors perform in the style of the silent era, but the director strikes exactly the right balance to keep the movie from becoming a spoof. That would be very easy. It is far richer as it shifts from broad comedy leading to elements of tragedy before culminating in one of the best movie finales of the year. What makes “The Artist” more than just a gimmick film is its sincerity. The movie transports viewers to a distant era, treats its characters as real people, and serves as a loving tribute to the medium of film that both celebrates the past and acknowledges the inevitability of progress. Blu-ray extras include a 22-minute overview of the film’s production; the featurette “Hollywood as a Character;” short vignettes dedicated to production design, cinematography, costuming, and the musical score; a blooper reel; and a 45-minute on-stage Q&A session with the stars, director, and producer. “21 Jump Street” (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) (continued on Crossword page)