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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Stoned

(Universal Home Entertainment, 7.4.2006)

Like a less artful, but equally sordid version of Gus Van Sant's Last Days, Stoned is an effective run-through of the known knowns and unknown knowns surrounding the death of the Rolling Stones' famous, drug-addled, 27-year-old rock guitarist, Brian Jones. Like many a sensitive rock icon who met a premature death by misadventure (ie. Jimi, Janis, Kurt), Brian Jones is painted as a lovely yet heartbroken lost spirit, a guy whose constitution was more fragile than could withstand the Stones he cast.

While surprisingly better than the critical consensus would suggest, Stoned is strictly for fans. Fans of what, or whom, I cannot say for certain. Perhaps it's best suited for fans of colorful, tell-all, debauched tabloid journalism. Brian Jones's career is celebrity tragedy writ weird and this film operates as a kind of whodunit. Heavy, draggy, and overly serious, this is still a work of great potential and great performance, telling an earthy drama about boredom run amok. Jones is a hard-smoking, hard-drinking, provocative anti-hero. And that's what killed him.

Leo Gregory inhabits the role of Brian Jones with relish, and Paddy Considine gives a stand-out turn as bitter homebuilder Frank Thorogood, a character that assuredly bears no resemblance whatsoever to cool veteran rocker George Thorogood. For the record, Ben Whishaw is a satisfactory Keith -- the sensitive bandmate -- but Ben Whishaw's Mick is way too tall, gawky, and insufficiently calculating.

Since the movie is intentionally, appropriately, and thoroughly disjointed, the deleted scenes -- which are the disc's sole extra -- are a real treat. If you've already seen the film in its entirety, these scenes should provide an intense, beautiful, and telling coda. The highlight is a series of brief observations of poor Brian's drug-demented last days.

Like any rock fan, I appreciate a good rock 'n' roll conspiracy film. Probably a mite boring to the uninitiated, Stoned is a real treat for the wise. The film's alright now so it's high tide you spend the night together. -- Ken Stuebing

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