New releases available this week

A A A Comments Thursday, Sep 15 2005

Da Ali G Show: Da Compleet Second Seazon (HBO Home Video)

Rumble Fish

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Sacha Baron Cohen is inching closer to Tom Green territory; come this time next year, his HBO show is likely to be on the pop-culture junk pile. Which isn't to say this double-disc set doesn't hold up -- it's just wearing thin, as evidenced by the "unseen shit" bonus materials deserving of their place in the vault. Actually, that's not entirely true: His encounter with a Texas hunter is disturbing, as talk turns from hunting "extinct" animals to killing Jews. But his speech at Harvard -- the sole bonus on disc one -- underscores the problem; by the time he starts listing off the titles of his hotel-room porn, you'll wonder when's he gonna graduate already. (Robert Wilonsky)

Rumble Fish: Special Edition (Universal)

A spiritual sequel to Francis Ford Coppola's teenage-wasteland classic The Outsiders, Rumble Fish is a deeply flawed film -- disjointed and meandering, so stylized that it feels artificial and cold. But it's more interesting than many films that achieve less ambitious goals. The tale of teen ennui and violence centers on Matt Dillon as Tulsa gang leader Rusty James (take a drink each time that name is uttered, and you'll pass out ten minutes in), with Mickey Rourke as his older brother the Motorcycle Boy. If the gorgeous cinematography doesn't grab you, watch it again with the director's commentary. Coppola loves this film dearly, and his passion is infectious. (Jordan Harper)

Smallville: The Complete Fourth Season (Warner Bros. )

On the rubber-chicken circuit that is the WB, Smallville is top-notch viewing, its mingling of the Superman mythos with high school melodrama genuinely inspired. Season four gives us Lois Lane, a more evil Lex Luthor, the Fortress of Solitude -- even Mr. Mxyzptlk. There are also a few downright embarrassing episodes (the one where Lana Lang gets possessed plays like bad Charmed). Only the hardiest of souls could endure the commentary tracks, but who wouldn't watch a bonus short called "Being Lois Lane"? Even better, some sets include a bonus disc with an episode of the '90s cult classic series The Flash. (Harper)

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