Extra Scoop
'Chocolat' DVD topped with bonus goodies

By Jordan Riefe
Special to The Advertiser

"Chocolat" (Miramax Films) 2000
PG-13
122 minutes
Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, Alfred Molina, Judi Dench, Lena Olin

A mysterious candy maker brings chocolate and caprice to a rural French town.

Last winter's sleeper of the season, this little-film-that-could wound up with five nominations come Oscar time. "Vianne is selling small dreams and little comforts through chocolate," best actress nominee Juliette Binoche says of her character. "She's going to, bit by bit, transform people's lives."

Rich in bonus material, this disc includes seven deleted scenes, among them a third-act montage of the burial of Amanda (Dame Judi Dench) as a poignant letter is read in voiceover. Along with a promotional making-of doc, there are two featurettes — one on costume designer Renee Ehrlich Kalfus and her work, and one on production designer David Gropman and his work. Commentary from director Lasse Hallstrom, as well as producers David Brown, Kit Golden and Leslie Holloran is a mixed bag, sometimes juicy with anecdotes, sometimes soporific as the four discuss the history of "Chocolat" from the novel to the film and how great the actors were to work with.

Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts co-star in "The Mexican," a dark comedy about the search for an antique pistol. DreamWorks

A dark comedy in which the search for an antique pistol south of the border leads to gunplay and intrigue.

All the press was on the pairing of Pitt and Roberts when "The Mexican" was released earlier this year, but it was James Gandolfini's homosexual hit man who stole the show. Nine deleted scenes include one with Gandolfini and Roberts in a cocktail lounge where he ponders how many people he has killed. Later, we see Roberts shrewishly ranting at Pitt. In fact, Roberts does a lot of ranting throughout the film.

Director Gore Verbinski is joined by writer J.H. Wyman and editor Craig Wood on a subdued and sometimes listless commentary track. Discussion centers around production issues and working with the actors. A 15-minute promotional featurette, trailers, bios and production notes round out the package.

"3000 Miles to Graceland" (Warner Bros.) 2001
R
125 minutes
Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Kevin Pollak

Gang leaders disguised as Elvis Presley vie for the loot after a bloody casino heist.

While "3000 Miles to Graceland" is not a particularly good movie, it's not as bad as its box office numbers indicated when it made its debut in theaters earlier this year. Fans of Kurt Russell will love his work here, and Kevin Costner, delivers his best performance since "A Perfect World."

On disc, it is a no-frills affair featuring no commentary and no extras but the usual trailer, language and subtitle options, as well as scene access.

"Vatel" (Miramax Films) 2000
PG-13
103 minutes
Gerard Depardieu, Uma Thurman, Tim Roth

Set in 17th-century France, an entertainment manager must orchestrate un fete nonpareil for the benefit of King Louis XIV while trying not to fall in love with the king's mistress.

After screening on opening night at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, this under-appreciated wig-and-corset drama got dumped by the studio like an ugly stepchild. "Vatel" is not a great film, but its strengths, such as (Oscar-nominated) art direction, costumes and music far outweigh its shortcomings; not to mention a terrific cast anchored by Gerard Depardieu, Tim Roth and the stunning Uma Thurman.

With no commentary from the director, bonus material is limited to a featurette on the costumes and designer Yvonne Sassinot De Nesle.

"Behind the Planet of the Apes" (Image Entertainment) 1998
Not Rated
127 minutes
Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter

A comprehensive documentary look at the "Planet of the Apes" phenomenon from the movies to the TV show.

If you're an ape fan, your ship has just come in. With all the hype surrounding the current remake of "Planet of the Apes," Foxstar and AMC have come together to give audiences this two-disc set including a feature-length documentary played host by Roddy McDowall. "You did feel like you were in a zoo," recalls McDowall. "People did begin to look and relate to you like you were an animal."

Special features include dailies and outtakes, as well as featurettes from the set of director Don Taylor's "Escape From the Planet of the Apes," and J. Lee Thompson's "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes." Most impressive is an extended makeup test featuring Edward G. Robinson, as Dr. Zeus, and Charlton Heston. The scene, taken from an early draft of Rod Serling's script, plays drastically different from the finished film.

Jordan Riefe is a Los Angeles-based writer who is the West Coast radio correspondent for Variety magazine and a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association. His film reviews appear in Hotdog magazines, and he is syndicated throughout Europe and Asia.

Correction: The DVD feature "Behind the Planet of the Apes" was released by Image Entertainment. Another name was listed in a previous version of this story.