DVD REVIEWS OF NEW RELEASES.Byline: ROB LOWMAN The joke is in the title of ``Doctor Who,'' the popular sci-fi series. Whenever the time-traveling alien played by Christopher Eccleston introduces himself, it's as the Doctor. When someone asks, ``Doctor Who?'' his answer is something like ``precisely.'' The latest incarnation of the British TV series (returning after a 15-year absence) that began in the '60s is fun, funny and clever. Explaining the basics of the series, which recently aired here on the Sci Fi Channel Sci Fi Channel may refer to:
A young woman, Rose Tyler Rose Tyler is a fictional character played by Billie Piper in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A shop assistant from London, she became a companion of the ninth and tenth incarnations of the Doctor. (Billie Piper Billie Paul Piper (born Leanne Paul Piper[1] on 22 September 1982) is a British actress. She began her career as a pop singer in her teens and was well known for her marriage to DJ Chris Evans but is now best known for portraying Rose Tyler, companion to the ), is working late in the bowels of a London department store when the mannequins and their body parts come to life. Suddenly the Doctor comes to her rescue, and Rose finds herself in a battle to stop an alien invasion of Earth. Intrigued by this charming adventurer and tired of her humdrum life (much to the dismay of her boyfriend), Rose eventually accepts his invitation to travel through time and space in his ship called the Tardas, which looks like a British police callbox left over from the '60s (one of the jokes). What she finds out about the Doctor is that he some kind of an alien do-gooder called a ``Time Lord'' battling evil and is apparently the last of his race. During their travels, they see the world populace enslaved Enslaved may refer to:
This new version of the series is cooler, cheekier and filled with zippier special effects and editing than its predecessors. Under the guidance of writer/producer Russell T. Davies (``Touching Evil,'' ``Queer as Folk''), ``Doctor Who'' blends an engaging balance of humor, sci-fi and relationships. Eccleston as the enigmatic Doctor can seem goofy and inept one moment (he has big ears and a silly grin) and heroic the next. Piper has an every-girl quality -- cute but not stunning. Rose and the Doctor's relationship always borders on awkward, but that's its charm. By the way, Eccleston won't be back for seasons two and three, which the BBC BBC in full British Broadcasting Corp. Publicly financed broadcasting system in Britain. A private company at its founding in 1922, it was replaced by a public corporation under royal charter in 1927. has already planned, but you will have to watch the last episode of season one to see why. This six-disc set includes all 13 episodes plus plenty of extras. There are numerous making-of featurettes, commentaries, a profile of Davies, a video diary by Piper, an interview with Eccleston, and a peek at upcoming ``The Christmas Invasion,'' which picks up where season one ended. Fans of the other ``Doctor Whos'' should take to the new series, which has undoubtedly drawn new fans -- well, at least one in me. Rob Lowman (818) 713-3687 robert.lowman@dailynews.com NEW FILMS I had grown tired of the excess of hit-man movies until ``The Matador matador In bullfighting, the principal performer, who works the capes and attempts to dispatch the bull with a sword thrust between the shoulder blades. Most of the techniques used by modern matadors were established in the 1910s by Juan Belmonte (b. 1894–d. .'' Professional-killer angst was not only boring, but, honestly, are we supposed to care about these guys? Do they represent something innate in all of us? I think not. Then came Pierce Brosnan's brilliant, over-the- top performance in Richard Shepard's witty thriller. As the self-loathing, tequila-soaked womanizing wom·an·ize v. woman·ized, woman·iz·ing, woman·iz·es v.intr. To pursue women lecherously. v.tr. To give female characteristics to; feminize. Julian Noble, Brosnan undoes every suave move he made as James Bond. During a trip to Mexico City, where he's sent to carry out a hit, Julian strikes up a conversation in a bar with Greg Kinnear's mild-mannered Denver businessman Danny Wright. It's a rickety rick·et·y adj. rick·et·i·er, rick·et·i·est 1. Likely to break or fall apart; shaky. 2. Feeble with age; infirm. 3. Of, having, or resembling rickets. start to their relationship. Danny talks about the death of his infant son; Julian tells him a dirty joke but is soon regretful re·gret·ful adj. Full of regret; sorrowful or sorry. re·gret  ful·ly adv.re·gret . Eventually, Julian reveals his true profession, even showing Danny some of the tricks of the trade. At a bullfight, he picks out a man in the crowd and goes through the motions of setting up the kill. Danny is both fascinated and repelled (which may explain why there are so many hit-man movies), but he's got problems of his own. He has to make a sale to help keep his company afloat, but it looks like he's going to lose out. The film skips months ahead back to Denver, where Julian shows up on Danny's doorstep. ``Did you bring your gun?'' Danny's wife Carolyn (Hope Davis) asks, having already heard about him. Danny, as it turns out, is the only person Julian, in his miserable, lonely life, can look to for help. The hit man is now being targeted himself after having a panic attack panic attack n. The sudden onset of intense anxiety, characterized by feelings of intense fear and apprehension and accompanied by palpitations, shortness of breath, sweating, and trembling. Also called anxiety attack. and not carrying out a job. ``The Matador'' is comic because its three principal actors play it seriously. That also gives it some emotional heft. Julian could be, like Danny, a traveling salesman, only he has no one to talk to, always on the road, with a life filled with one-night stands and no real connections. (A recent study found one in four Americans didn't have anyone to confide in.) Julian and Danny hook up because they need someone to talk to, and that's what ``The Matador'' is really about. The DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc. DVD in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. includes commentary by Shepard, Brosnan and Kinnear. This may be Johnny Depp's week, with his return as the rogue Capt. Jack Sparrow in ``Pirates of the Caribbean This article is about the franchise. For other, more specific uses, see Pirates of the Caribbean (disambiguation). For real pirates, see Piracy in the Caribbean. Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Man's Chest.'' In ``The Libertine lib·er·tine n. 1. One who acts without moral restraint; a dissolute person. 2. One who defies established religious precepts; a freethinker. adj. Morally unrestrained; dissolute. ,'' Depp plays a different kind of rogue, the 17th-century hedonist he·don·ism n. 1. Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses. 2. Philosophy The ethical doctrine holding that only what is pleasant or has pleasant consequences is intrinsically good. John Wilmot, the Second Earl of Rochester The title Earl of Rochester was created twice in the Peerage of England. The title was created first for Henry Wilmot, but it became extinct at the death of the third Earl, there being no male heirs remaining. . As Rochester, Depp is neither as funny nor interesting, although he does try to give the pleasure-seeking, hard-drinking earl some personality. His days of whoring are interrupted when he falls for actress Elizabeth Barry (Samantha Morton), with the idea of teaching her some new tricks. Women were new to the stage then, only allowed to perform after a decree by King Charles II (John Malkovich), who had been restored to the throne after the death of Oliver Cromwell. Laurence Dunmore's film, taken from Stephen Jeffreys' play of the same name, is essentially a two-person circus, although Rosamund Pike is striking as Rochester's wife, who suffers almost everything as grace, and Malkovich brings a twist to Charles. Morton gives a fierce performance as the unrestrained Elizabeth, going tit for tat tit for tat n. Repayment in kind, as for an injury; retaliation. [Probably alteration of tip for tap.] Noun 1. with the debaunched earl. Rochester, who died at 33 of a venereal disease venereal disease (vənēr`ēəl): see sexually transmitted disease. that ate away his nose (he attended Parliament wearing a silver replacement), is not particularly likeable like·a·ble adj. Variant of likable. Adj. 1. likeable - (of characters in literature or drama) evoking empathic or sympathetic feelings; "the sympathetic characters in the play" likable, appealing, sympathetic . Depp doesn't make him so but gives the character shades of melancholy and a certain acceptance of the downward path he has chosen. Costume dramas are by nature stuffy, but the acting and some of the dialogue airs out ``The Libertine'' a bit. ``Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School'' is a sweet film starring Robert Carlyle (``The Full Monty'') as baker mourning the unexplained suicide of his wife. An attempt to save a dying man after a car crash leads him to a dance school run by Marienne Hotchkiss (Mary Steenburgen). There he finds the grace lacking in his life. And there's a girl (Marisa Tomei), too. Director Randall Miller's film stumbles at times, but Carlyle glides through his role nicely and, you can't help but be somewhat charmed. THE PRICE TAGS ``The Libertine'' (Miramax; $29.95) ``The Matador'' (Miramax; $28.95) ``Stoned'' (Universal; $19.98) ``Gantz: Season 2'' (Adv; $69.98) ``Firecracker'' (7 Arts; $24.99) ``Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School'' (Columbia; $26.96) TELEVISION ``Doctor Who -- The Complete First Series'' (BBC/Warner; $99.98) ``Charlie's Angels -- The Complete Third Season'' (Columbia; $49.95) CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1) Billie Piper and Christopher Eccleston explore space and time in ``Doctor Who.'' (2) no caption (``Matador'') (3) no caption (``The Libertine'') |
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