edited by Jonathan Doyle

Cloverfield [BLU-RAY] (Paramount Home Entertainment, 6.3.2008) Disguised under deliberately goofy, yet deliciously edible-sounding, aliases such as Cheese and Slusho, Matt Reeves' Cloverfield was produced and rushed into theaters under an equally appetizing shroud of secrecy. From last year's incredibly elusive Super Bowl ad to the film's viral marketing campaign, Cloverfield had everybody scratching their heads and drooling in anticipation. Aside from the as-yet untitled title and the Blair Witch-ian visual style, the film's biggest appeal was the enigmatic creature who was last (un)seen hurling the decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty onto the crowded streets of New York City. All we knew about the mysterious beast was that it was big and angry. Now that the highy-anticipated project has come and gone, one question has fortunately been answered: Cloverfield was a major success. (continued)

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August 27

Traitor

August 29

Babylon AD

College

Disaster Movie

Goal II: Living the Dream

I Served the King of England

My Mexican Shivah

Sukiyaki Western Django

Year of the Fish

Young People F*cking

September 3

The Pool

September 5

A Secret

August Evening

Bangkok Dangerous

Everybody Wants to Be Italian

Save Me

9 Souls

(Artsmagic, 1.18.2005)

9 Souls is an unexpected gem, one of those genre movies that manages to sneak in some kind of deeper meaning without the viewer noticing until slightly after the film is over. Essentially a jailbreak movie in which nine convicts break out and enjoy the freedoms of the outside world, the film works despite some genuinely bizarre beats of story logic -- you may find yourself wondering, as I did, how the dwarf convict always manages to find an outfit in his size -- and yet the film manages to work in spite of (and perhaps because of) these elements.

In his commentary track, film critic Tom Mes notes the presence of surrealist elements in the narrative, as well as the unusual tone, switching from comic to tragic (often within the span of a single cut) without ever running off the rails of its plot. Like John Sturges' The Great Escape (which the liner notes mention as an influence on the film), it's the characters' own desires, personalities and, in some cases, hubris that fuel their varying levels of success outside prison walls.

In one of two interviews included on the disc, director Toshiaki Toyoda cites the influence of a Texas jailbreak in which all 12 of the escapees drove off in a van, never separating until one of the convicts committed suicide. The longer of the two interviews (also with Toyoda) is amusing as it is obvious that the director has absolutely no rapport with the female journalist interviewing him. He provides a series of cagey, brief answers but is unable to satisfy the journalist.

Maybe the ill-at-ease feeling Toyoda gives off in that interview reflectsÂ his feelings about the world at large, a suspicion that may be borne out by the genuinely tragic fates many of the characters meet. Though not as bloody as a Sam Peckinpah movie, 9 Souls does manage to pull off Peckinpah's trick of making the audience sympathize with some very bad men.

A trailer, promotional materials, and biographies round out the extras in yet another worth-your-while title from the folks at Artsmagic. -- Christopher Hyatt

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