The DVD Filter

Star Wars Trilogy on DVD

By Logan Hill
Published May 21, 2005

(Photo: Lucasfilm, Ltd.)

Star Wars Trilogy
On September 21—the industry’s most exciting release date this year—expect to see lines of thirtysomethings dressed as Chewbacca when Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi finally arrive on DVD. When the devotees get home, they’ll rip off their costumes, skip the George Lucas commentary, and head straight for the preview of Star Wars: Episode III, out next year. Four discs; PG-13; $69.98.

La Dolce Vita
Yet another classic makes a graceful DVD debut: Federico Fellini’s extraordinary 1960 film starring Anita Ekberg and Marcello Mastroianni gets an elaborate two-disc set with additional shorts, interviews, and Richard Schickel commentary. NR; $34.98.

Mean Girls
Not quite Fellini-caliber or even Lucas-grade—but then again, those guys aren’t half as funny as Tina Fey, whose smart teen comedy stars Lindsay Lohan. PG-13; $29.95.

Twentynine Palms
Bruno Dumont’s great-looking, grunting, arty film about a sex-crazed young couple frolicking in Joshua Tree. NR; $29.95.

Our Pick
A very long time coming, John Cassavetes: Five Films should sell out fast downtown. This obsessive and elegant Criterion Collection edition collects sparkling new transfers of the immensely influential New York filmmaker’s self-financed films Shadows, Faces, A Woman Under the Influence, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, and Opening Night. (His wife, Gena Rowlands, and his buddy Peter Falk make frequent appearances.) The package includes three extra discs of features, including short films by Cassavetes and Charles Kiselyak’s 2000 documentary A Constant Forge. Eight discs; R; $124.95. Extras: new interviews with Rowlands, Falk, Ben Gazzara, Seymour Cassel, Leila Goldoni, and others; a seventeen-minute alternate ending to Faces; commentary; essays; a complete re-edit of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie.