1977's 'The Deep' among releases: 'Knowing,' 'Push,' 'Night Train,' 'Flying By' also new to DVD

'Knowing,' 'Push,' 'Night Train,' 'Flying By' also new to DVD

Published: Friday, July 10, 2009 6:13 p.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 

This collection of movies that are new to DVD is led by a 1970s underwater suspense picture.

"The Deep" (Columbia/Blu-ray, 1977, PG, $28.95). Based on a novel by Peter Benchley ("Jaws"), this thriller boasts gorgeous ocean cinematography (enhanced by this Blu-ray edition), a nice John Barry score and a great cast: Robert Shaw, Jacqueline Bisset, Nick Nolte, Louis Gossett Jr., Eli Wallach.

But the story is muddled and the pacing is deadly in the story of an innocent couple vacationing in Bermuda and getting mixed up with drug-dealers, underwater treasure and voodoo. There are some good action scenes in the second half but the first half dwells more on exploiting Bisset's body.

Fans will be happy to know that among the bonus features is nearly an hour of extra footage that hasn't been seen since the film aired on network television in the 1980s.

Extras: widescreen, deleted/extended scenes, vintage made-for-TV featurette

Story continues below

"Knowing" (Summet, 2009, PG-13, $26.99). Nicolas Cage stars in this exciting but strange and offbeat sci-fi thriller as a physicist who comes to believe that a page taken from a time capsule — a page filled with seemingly random numbers — contains apocalyptic prophesies.

Directed with vigor and bolstered by an earnest performance by Cage, this film nonetheless hangs almost entirely on how you react to the ending, which, of course, I can't reveal here. Suffice to say this is an uneasy alliance of sci-fi, religion and great computer-animated destruction sequences, but it's also loaded with head-scratching plot holes.

Extras: widescreen, audio commentary, featurettes

"Push" (Summit, 2009, PG-13, $26.99). Confusing sci-fi yarn about young people with such powers as mind-control and telekinesis being pursued by an evil government agency. Chris Evens, Dakota Fanning and Camilla Belle are on the run from Djimon Hounsou.

Extras: widescreen, deleted scenes, audio commentary, featurette

"Night Train" (NEM/Blu-ray, 2009; R for violence, language; $24.98). This fantasy-thriller plays like an extended "Twilight Zone" episode, with three money-strapped unfortunates (Danny Glover, Steve Zahn, Leelee Sobieski) discovering that a man who's died on the train they're riding has a mysterious box of great value, causing greed to take over.

Starts out like "Shallow Grave" but turns into something more mystical. Good performances, some good suspense but the level of gore is unnecessarily excessive.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

Image
Sony Home Entertainment

Nick Nolte, left, Robert Shaw, Jacqueline Bisset in "Deep."

previousnext

Latest comments

Nothing proposed would keep young adults from learning of the reality of sex,...

Utes pound winless Lobos

the only "decent" team we played we lost to? I guess that Air Force isn't a...

I am watching the game again, and it is awesome!!!

Utes pound winless Lobos

I can't help but laugh inside when I read comments from YBU/TCU fans who...

(from the independant) I like Dennis Miller.... and Bill Maher, although I...

As a BYU alumnus, I can't justify to myself ever donating another dollar to...

Not a chance. Don't get me wrong they are both studs, but if Asiata wasn't...

Titan Fan, sorry that some of your best players got hurt. I hope they...

Utahns in House oppose reform bill

So sad how fear based so many are.

Will the Jazz even make the playoffs this year. The way they are playing it...

Advertisements
Advertisement