Arts & Entertainment

Beatles and Red Dragon out on DVD

By Nathan Nix
The Daily Cougar

Hollywood knows you feel guilty for not seeing all of the must-see films of the year. Lucky for you, theyire making it easy to pay your penance. And I do mean pay. Yes, itis time to dig deep into your pockets and shell out the cash for all of the best films of the year that you would be a fool not to own.

Glen Wilson/Universal Pictures

First up on this April Foolis Day is the mammoth, 4-disc set, Beatles Anthology. Produced by the BBC to coincide with the bandis original Anthology music set, this series of eight documentaries takes you deep into the world of the Fab Four, both before, during, and after the life of the band. While a definite must-have for every true Beatles fan, for the everyday viewer, the depth of information presented can sometimes feel overwhelming. Also included are two previously unreleased John Lennon songs and numerous interviews with the remaining members (circa 1994 when George Harrison was still with us). 

Also being released this week is Red Dragon, the surprisingly critical and monetarily successful adaptation of Thomas Harrisi first book about Hannibal Lecter. 

The film aims to tell the story on Hannibal Lecter as he helps an FBI officer track down the "Tooth Fairy" killer. 

The film, which contains a high-end cast such as Ed Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Emily Watson and of course Anthony Hopkins as Lecter, hits stores in a two disc set. There is an amazing amount of special features, including an interview with Anthony Hopkins where he discusses his role as the famous serial killer.

For the indie crowd, the Wilco documentary, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, the film everyone either loves or hates is being released to the masses. 

The movie follows indie-faves Wilco as they fire a member, get dropped from their label, find a new label and win the hearts of plaid-clad listeners everywhere. 

In addition to the original beautifully shot film from photographer Sam Jones is 70 minutes of extra footage that didnit make the theatrical release. This contains a lot of songs that didnit make the film (or the album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot) and several alternate versions of the songs off the album, whose creation is partly documented in the film. 

Lastly is the Academy Award-nominated film, Far From Heaven. The Todd Haynes-directed film depicts a woman (Oscar-nominated Julianne Moore) in 1950s suburban America who learns of her husbandis (Houston native Dennis Quaid) homosexuality. In addition to the visually stunning film, the DVD also contains a few extra features.
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