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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Traitor

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Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut

(Fox Home Entertainment, 2.15.2005)

The most essential criterion for a cult film is that it be pretty good but not so good that an objective audience will love it as much as the true believers. Tepidly received at Sundance then sparsely released as dark, post-9/11 counter programming, Donnie Darko eventually connected with midnight audiences and the UK. Its enduring popularity on DVD, the internet, and at sci-fi conventions resulted in last summer's Director's Cut re-release which padded the movie by 20 minutes, mostly enriching the family relationships and clearing up some of writer/director Richard Kelly's time travel philosophies (and pretensions).

The Director's Cut punctuates the surreal misadventures of sullen, psychic, super-powered teen, Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal), with excerpts from a time travel book Kelly scribbled on the film's website. On his commentary track, Kelly admits to banalities ("water and metal are important to time travel"), while still fawning over all the new "sound and visual elements" that heighten his pokes at the space-time continuum (TV static?). For a movie that owes so much of its success to personal interpretation, Kelly has surprisingly singular explanations but, in the end, he's probably just being honest.

Another addition -- shots of Donnie's engorged pupil -- begs the question "who are you, Kubrick?" from Kelly's commentary guest, Kevin Smith. Their engaging chat, which ambles away from the film to discuss influences, writing habits, and the very art of filmmaking, proves once again that Smith is DVD's premiere audio option.

The video diary includes many, many, many moments of Gyllenhaal doing "crazy" things behind the scenes, a precursor, perhaps, to his needy, dull acting of late. "They Made Me Do it Too" collects interviews with mostly British fans who believe that British audiences are inherently superior to American audiences (my belated thanks for "Mr. Bean" and the Spice Girls).

Best of all is "#1 Fan," a creepy, hilarious doc by the winner of an internet contest that satirizes fan obsession, the very reason Donnie Darko became a hit in the first place, and the source of all the expectations Kelly will have to fight against for the rest of his career.

Though atmospheric and extremely well-acted, Donnie Darko. is just a cleverly assembled film loop whose ambitions get in the way of an affecting, if simple, story of young love, over-medication, seedy suburbia, and 80s pop satire. Think about it: shouldn't "they" have left Donnie in bed to begin with? -- Joey Tayler

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