DVD OF THE WEEK

EARTH ****
Narrated by: Patrick Stewart

If you're going to take a little time out to enjoy the wonders of this planet we live on, then you might as well do it in the company of the best around.
Earth is the stripped-down feature length version of David Attenborough's extraordinary series Planet Earth. It distils it all down into a quick 90 minute look at some of the planet's wonders and replaces the narration with that of Patrick Stewart (Capt Picard of Star Trek fame). And a spectacular thing it is too. As one would expect, the photography is simply jaw-dropping and the scope is vast.
But I wouldn't have made this a 'Pick of the Week” as a standalone film. Within the timeframe it can only scratch the surface. What I'd like to plug is the original series, available on DVD and – if you happen to have one – Blu-Ray, where the incredible visuals truly amaze.
It's the series that is the real deal. If you've never thought of watching 'nature documentaries” try this one, spread out over five full DVDs. Each episode covers a different environment, from the snow-covered poles to caves, jungles, forests, and various oceans. And each is simply mind-boggling. You kinda think you've seen it all after a while but I would swear that I've never come across at least half the animals on display, from extraordinary birds of paradise to flying frogs and the things that live in places where no life should exist. How they managed to film these creatures in such an intimate way is astounding, as is the time-lapse photography of seasonal changes in the environment.
The only anticlimax is when investigating snow leopards and mountain cats, when people are allowed to intrude on the majesty of the natural world. Otherwise, get the series, sit back, and prepare to be amazed.

My Best Friend's Girl (***) is a new crude ‘n' rude buddy comedy. It's hook is that Dane Cook's central character can act like such a convincing creep that people hire him to go out with their exes. That way he can be so obnoxious that the ex will realise what they've lost and immediately restart the relationship. OK. Silly premise. What works about this is the sheer blatant over-the-top obnoxiousness of Cook. His insults are impressively imaginative. However, I was watching the extended version, which is cruder (good) and also longer (not so good). But it does fill a gap as a hilariously offensive rom-com that both sexes might enjoy.

For those who can't get enough reality TV, it is now taking over films. American Teen (**) follows five titular seniors through their final year at high school. With due respect to stereotypes they are the Prom Queen, the Jock, the Geek, the Heartthrob and the Rebel, all typically self-absorbed and behaving pretty much to type. Worryingly, several scenes leave you wondering how much the footage has been manipulated to tell a story. And it seems a bit rich that the filmmakers have airbrushed the Geek's extensive acne for the front cover.

You need a particular taste in film to enjoy it, but if you want a homage to cheap seventies biker pics then Hellride (**) is a movie for you. Following very much in the Grindhouse footsteps of Quentin Tarantino (who 'presents” the film) you have Michael Madsen, Vinnie Jones, David Carradine and Dennis Hopper, a bunch of extravagant bikes in the desert, hot chicks and frequent cartoony violence, all led by writer/director/star Larry Bishop. It's a one-joke movie but, at 80 minutes, it zips by painlessly. There is a market for this film – some will love it.

The Money Shot (*) looks like a porn movie but in fact it is an amateurish low-rent comedy that looks like it was made by a bunch of Aussie film students. Much as in Kevin Smith's new outing Zack and Mira Make a Porno (but without any of the wit, or acting talent) our flatmate heroes decide that the answer to their money problems is to make a porn film. Sadly, the hilarity that should be expected to ensue is entirely absent. Awful.