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You loved the movie, what about the DVD?
Find out as we examine the extras on this week's best movie DVDs...
“CRANK 2: HIGH VOLTAGE”
Stars: Jason Statham, Amy Smart
Director: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (“Crank”)
Format: DVD, Special Edition DVD, Blu-ray
What we said: "If your idea of quality entertainment is a steady diet of video games, porn and Mountain Dew commercials, 'Crank' wants your business!"
Extras: DVD: Trailer.
Special Edition DVD: Trailer plus commentary by writers/directors Neveldine and Taylor; “Making of” and “Crank 2: Take 2” featurettes; digital copy.
Blu-ray: The above extras plus a second picture-in-picture commentary with cast and crew including Statham, Smart, Neveldine, Taylor, co-stars Bai Ling and Corey Haim, and stunt coordinator Jason Rodriguez; gag reel; wrap party footage; MoLog function that lets you create your own “Mystery Science Theater 3000”-style commentaries.
Worth watching: The gag reel shows us that the people working on this flick took it as seriously as we did when we watched it.
Worth skipping: It's bad enough they didn't invite us to the wrap party, did they have to rub it in by showing us how much fun they had at it?
Worth adding: Given that Statham's character is constantly trying to recharge his mechanical heart, we were hoping someone would explain why the movie wasn't called “Crank 2: Electric Boogaloo.”
Buy, rent or ignore: Rent.
“DANCE FLICK”
Stars: Damon Wayans Jr., Amy Sedaris, David Alan Grier
Director: Damien Dante Wayans (episodes of “My Wife and Kids”)
Formats: Blu-ray
What we said: "It stinks, but the Wayans family has done a lot worse."
Extras: Both the theatrical and unrated versions of the movie; “Dance Dance Dance! With the Wayans Wayans Wayans” and “Dancing Outtakes” featurettes; deleted scenes; trailer.
Worth watching: The unfunny trailer should help prevent you from watching the movie.
Worth skipping: The deleted scenes were deleted for a reason.
Worth adding: Footage of Damien Dante Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. watching episodes of “In Living Color” until they realize what is and isn't funny.
Buy, rent or ignore: Ignore.
“REQUIEM FOR A DREAM”
Stars: Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Ellen Burstyn
Director: Darren Aronofsky (“The Wrestler”)
Formats: Blu-ray
What we say: Aronofsky's compelling and visually arresting adaptation of Hubert Selby Jr.'s classic drug addiction tale looks even better on this digitally remastered Blu-ray disc.
Extras: Commentary by Aronofsky and the director of photography Matthew Libatique; “Making of” featurette; cast interviews.
Worth watching: Though a bit too film school-ish, the commentary is still insightful.
Worth skipping: After the commentary, the “Making of” featurette seems redundant.
Worth adding: “Only the Lonely,” a track from “Blue Eyes and Exit Wounds,” a spoken word album Selby Jr. made in 1998 with Nick Tosches (available from exitwounds.com).
Buy, rent or ignore: Buy.
Other DVDs out this week:
— See how far illegal immigration paranoia can go in the sci-fi indie "Sleep Dealer"
— Take a peek inside the life of a fashion mogul in the successful documentary "Valentino: The Last Emperor" (also on Blu-ray)
— Go old school with your Disney animated musicals with “Bedknobs & Broomsticks: Enhanced Musical Edition” (also on Blu-ray)
— Yet another all-in-one Halloween movie festival comes courtesy of the “Universal Horror: Classic Movie Archive,” including “The Black Cat,” “Man Made Monster,” “Horror Island,” “Night Monster” and “Captive Wild Woman”
— Then see how horrible horror can get with the Blu-ray version of “Freddy vs. Jason”
— Or how funny horror (and the Wayans) can be with the “Scary Movie Triple Pack”
Also on Blu-ray:
“Catwoman”
“Creepshow”
“Dead Calm”
“Friday”
“Menace II Society”
“The New World: The Extended Cut”
“Over the Top”
“The Postman”
“The Quick and the Dead”
“Set It Off”
“Silverado”
“Sphere”
Also released:
“Bleach Movie 2: The DiamondDust Rebellion”
“Criterion Collection: Homicide”
“Criterion Collection: The Human Condition”
“Criterion Collection: That Hamilton Woman”
"From Dusk Till Dawn Triple Pack"
"Halloween Triple Pack"
"Local Color"
"Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing"
"Scream Triple Pack"
"Silent Light"
"Summertree"
