Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier
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Paramount, $19.99
Who’s in it: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall
Recap: Francis Ford Coppola’s brilliant near-folly gets its third release on DVD, which includes both the theatrical and “redux” versions, as well as a great deal of never-before-seen material.
Best extra: Coppola’s excellent commentary track smartly combines an old commentary with new observations, making it as compelling as the film itself.
Secrets revealed: “The Post Production of Apoca-lypse Now” is a multi-part doc on the second disc that shows how Coppola and his crew, after 16 months of shooting, were able to cobble together a masterpiece from what could have been a disaster.
Feature to skip: It’s a neat feature, but how many viewers will want to hear Brando reading T.S. Eliot’s “The Hollow Men” (for 17 minutes) more than once?
Trivia: George Lucas originally was slated to direct the film, before he started making sci-fi movies for kids.
If you liked this, try: “Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse,” the fascinating (if hard-to-find) warts-and-all documentary about the notorious making of this ambitious Vietnam epic.
RATING: 4 PLAYS
Eric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales
Criterion, $99.95
Who’s in it: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Laurence De Monaghan, Barbet Schroeder
Recap: Director Rohmer’s talky, but endlessly rich study of the relationships between men and women resonates throughout the indie film world to this day.
Best extra: The films–including the best known, “My Night at Maud’s” and “Claire’s Knee”–look better than they have in years, and the package they’re collected in is equally impressive and gorgeous.
Secrets revealed: Rohmer began his career as a film critic for the famed French publication “Cahiers du Cinema,” also the starting point for future filmmakers as Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard.
Feature to skip: “On Pascal,” a TV program Rohmer directed about the philosopher whose theories are discussed in “My Night at Maud’s.”
Trivia: Rohmer allegedly has never driven a car and refuses to have a telephone in his house.
If you liked this, try: “Dekalog,” Krzysztof Kieslowski’s 10-part series of moral quandaries based on the 10 Commandments.
RATING: 4 PLAYS
Best of the Rest: “The Simpsons: The Complete Season Eight” (Fox, $49.98); “Rome: The Complete First Season” (HBO, $99.98); “The Weird Al Show: The Complete Series” (Shout! $34.98)
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