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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.