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Page 28 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • December 18, 2013 DVD releases (continued from Restaurant page) Angel” screen test, and Dietrich concert footage. “The Lone Ranger” (Disney) is an updated reimagin- ing of the former Texas Ranger who put on a mask to fight bad guys in the Old West. The character, created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, became an imme- diate hit with youngsters and their families on radio and later on TV. The new version stars Armie Hammer as the title character and Johnny Depp as Tonto. This is hardly the Lone Ranger from the old days. Director Gore Verbinski has put together a Wild West show that is as far-fetched as it is overly long at two-and- a-half hours. The problem is a combination of excess and imbalance. Since Depp’s name sells more tickets than Hammer’s, this “Lone Ranger” has become essentially Tonto’s story, with the masked man a supporting charac- ter in the feature film that bears his name. Depp is one of Hollywood’s most eccentric actors, and this quirkiness has paid off with such characters as Jack Sparrow, The Mad Hatter, and Edward Scissorhands. It is fun, initially, to see Depp as the Ranger’s faithful Indian friend, but he fails to sustain the weirdness and a lot of his choices fall flat. Sporting a headdress with a bird with wings spread is the oddest of his conceits, and the actor often looks as out of place as his headgear. This Lone Ranger and Tonto are tough to believe as the Holmes and Watson of the Old West. The movie over- stays its welcome long before the final credits roll. Bonus features on the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack include a digital copy, bloopers, deleted scenes, and three behind-the-scenes featurettes. “The Whip and the Body” (Kino Classics) is a gothic horror fantasy directed by Mario Bava, often regarded as an influence on modern-day directors Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci. Though Italian horror pictures typically revel in graphic violence, “The Whip and the Body” is relatively restrained. Christopher Lee stars as Kurt Men- liff, the sadistic son of a wealthy count, who returns to his family mansion much to the dismay of the family, their servants, and the beautiful woman (Daliah Lavi) with whom he shares a fondness for the lash. When Kurt is found murdered, it brings no peace to those who feared him, as his ghost continues to cause trouble. Assorted melodramatic soap opera-style subplots ensue. Bava manages to sustain a creepy atmosphere and a palpable sense of foreboding throughout. Essentially a whodunit couched in the supernatural, the film most closely resembles the American Inter- national Edgar Allan Poe horror movies of the ‘60s. Special features on the Blu-ray release include audio commentary by Mario Bava biographer Tim Lucas and trailers from several Bava films. The film is in Italian with optional English subtitles. There is also an English dubbed version.