EIGHT BELOW
On his last trip of the season before winter sets in, Jerry and scientist Davis McClaren (Bruce Greenwood) do encounter disaster. Twice - when he falls into a glacial crevice and then through ice into freezing water - it is the sled dogs who rescue the professor.
Nonetheless, when they return to base and must be evacuated ahead of a major storm, it is the dogs that are left behind - Jerry intends to return in a day or two to pick them up. When he learns that all flights are cancelled until spring and worse - he must be evacuated to the mainland along with the 200-plus other civilians - he is beside himself with grief.
And thus begins Act Two, the remarkable survival of the sled dogs and the parallel struggle of Jerry finding his way back to the base to rescue them.
At this point "Eight Below" becomes classic Disney anthropomorphism, without the classic voice-over narrative. The dogs organize into a hunting collective, share their food with the weaker among themselves, plan a diversionary attack on a leopard seal and secede authority to their natural leader, Maya.
Ah, but who cares. The dogs are naturally brilliant actors and their ability to survive nearly six months in the sub-freezing environment (this is "inspired by a true story") is a mesmerizing tale well told. The accompanying music of Mark Isham adds emotional dimension to the narrative.
Jerry's struggle takes him through an even scarier place - the Washington, D.C., bureaucracy where if cooperation were food, he'd starve to death. He eventually makes it with the aid of Professor McClaren, his bush pilot/ex-girlfriend Katie (Moon Bloodgood) and goofy sidekick Charlie (Jason Biggs).
The real story, though, is the dogs. Pay close attention early on when the likes of Maya, Dewey, Truman, Max, Buck, Shadow, old Jack and Shorty are introduced. Each has a distinctive look and personality.
The DVD offers commentary tracks with actor Paul Walker, director Frank Marshall and others; there is a making-of feature and deleted scenes.
Speaking of going to the dogs, Disney also releases this week the improbable sequel to its classic "Lady & the Tramp," titled "Lady & The Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure." Scamp, of course, is the offspring of the happily married couple Lady and Tramp, and as his name implies, he's filled with wanderlust and mischief. Just what's called for in an animated feature film.
ALSO THIS WEEK
"Syriana" (Warner, 4 stars) From the pen and direction of Stephen Gaghan, "Syriana" dissects a global world struggle for control of the flow of oil that suggests there is no extreme to which the world's brokers won't go to keep the pipes flowing.
Stylistically, "Syriana" is reminiscent of Gaghan's "Traffic," a collection of distinct stories that are deftly interwoven and turn on each intersection. "Syriana" can be bewildering at first, until the patterns emerge and the stories gain weight, but the payoff is more than worth it. Chances are, though, if you're paying $3 a gallon for gas and not even wondering why, then this movie will be lost to you. You can't walk into it oblivious to world events.
The film stars George Clooney, Matt Damon, Chris Cooper, William Hurt, Amanda Peet, Christopher Plummer, Alexander Siddig and Mazhar Munir. Among the film extras are an interview with Clooney (who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance), deleted scenes and featurettes.
A pair to creep you out: Wes Craven's horror-drenched "The Hills Have Eyes" and the Russian supernatural thriller "Night Watch."
FROM THE VAULTS
"The Charlie Chan Collection Volume One" (Fox) A series staple in the 1930s and '40s, these films are more stereotypic curiosity today, with Warner Orland portraying the Chinese detective. The films in this first box set are "Charlie Chan in Egypt," "Charlie Chan in London," "Charlie Chan in Paris" and "Charlie Chan in Shanghai." A fifth film, "Eran Trece," is the Spanish-language version of the lost film "Charlie Chan Carries On" with Manuel Arbo and Chan.
"Clark Gable Signature Collection" (Warner) Six films from the heartthrob with the big ears, skinny moustache and puppy dog eyes. Most of the six discs contain vintage movie shorts, featurettes or cartoons. The film titles are "Dancing Lady" (1933), "China Seas" (1935), "Wife vs. Secretary" (1936), "San Francisco" (1936), "Boom Town" (1940) and "Mogambo" (1953).
"What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" (Paramount) Billed as a "special collector's edition." Gilbert (Johnny Depp) spends his days working in a grocery store and the rest of his time caring for his autistic brother Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio) until he meets Becky (Juliette Lewis) and falls in love. DVD extras include a commentary track, interviews with the director, writer and cast; and several features.
"The Omen" (Fox) The remake might be a dud but this one scared the bejezus out of me when it was originally released. The 30th anniversary edition features a two-disc set. On disc one, director Richard Donner provides a commentary track and Jerry Goldsmith talks about scoring the music. On disc two you'll find deleted scenes, an appreciation from Wes Craven, a copy of Gregory Peck's script with notes in the margin and more.
IT CAME FROM TV
"The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (Fox, Season 4, three discs) This is the season in which Sue Ann Nivens joins WJM as host of "The Happy Homemaker," anchor Ted Baxter meets Walter Cronkite, Lou separates from his wife and Mary dates a half-dozen different guys.
"NYPD Blue" (Fox, Season 4, four discs) The birth of his son mellows out Detective Andy Sipowicz a bit. Detectives Bobby Simone and Diane Russell kick their relationship up a notch.
"Married ... With Children" (Sony, Season 5, three discs) The Bundy family continues to set the bar for dysfunctional families everywhere: Kelly interviews for a job, Peg takes up ballroom dancing and Al becomes the neighborhood lothario.
"The King of Queens" (Sony, Season 5, three discs) The show marked its 100th episode this season. Doug and Carrie invite the new neighbors over for dinner, Arthur hitches free rides on the subway and Doug prays for the Jets to win while being forced to attend church.
"NewsRadio" (Sony, Season 4, three discs) Set in a modest radio station, "NewsRadio" is an often-hilarious dissection of office culture. This was the last season for Phil Hartman, who died unexpectedly and violently.
© Copley News Service
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