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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, November 14, 2003

Varied aspects of Arnold come to disc

By Terry Lawson
Knight Ridder News Service

It's almost impossible to imagine some marketing genius didn't dub the DVD edition of "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" (Warner) the "Special Election Edition," but maybe that's being held for Arnold Schwarzenegger's next big political victory.

Looking back from the vantage point of "The Matrix Revolutions," however, there were several fine action movies this summer, and "T3" was the best.

If "T3" wasn't the box-office smash its makers dreamed, it was only because the film had so much to live up to. "T2" is one of the smartest action films ever, and "T3" succeeds on its own terms, which, admittedly, were not as brilliantly imagined. Clever, tense and atmospheric, it has action scenes that rival the freeway chase in "Matrix Reloaded."

The story has John Connor (now played by Nick Stahl) pursued by a new-edition Terminator (Kristanna Loken), prompting Schwarzenegger's trusty old model to return to look after John and his new preordained friend (Claire Danes).

Extras include commentary from director Jonathan Mostow and the cast, the HBO "First Look" promo film, and an extended look at the special effects. There's also a timeline that sorts out who did what, when.

The DVD transfer is terrific and the sound mix is excellent. Be sure to check the box before you buy: It's available in wide-screen and inferior full-screen.

A then-and-now comparison can be made with "Pumping Iron: The 25th Anniversary Edition" (Warner), the 1977 documentary that made the world beyond bodybuilding aware of Schwarzenegger.

The young Schwarzenegger, all ambition, ego and confidence, was a natural star, and this film provided him the exposure he wanted. He soon signed for a role in a drama that used the sport as a backdrop, "Stay Hungry."

"Pumping Iron" follows Arnold on his quest to earn another Mr. Olympia title, while one of his competitors — a shy, young Lou Ferrigno, TV's future "Hulk" — is coached by his father. It's a fascinating film, though it is tarred as documentary by charges that some scenes were staged.

The extras include a previously released documentary about the documentary, "Raw Iron"; a recent reunion of the director and the bodybuilders, including an interview with Schwarzenegger, and — best of all — a tour of the star's swinging bachelor pad.

A different sort of lunacy is found in "Looney Tunes: The Golden Collection" (Warner), a compendium of 56 gems from Warner Brothers' animation library, all produced between 1935, when the animation division was formed, and 1954, when it was at its best.

Though many of Chuck Jones' classics were produced afterwards and are therefore absent, the late comic genius still provides an introduction on the first disc (borrowed, of course, from another project).

The disc includes 13 Bugs Bunny shorts, including the classic "Wabbit Twouble" and great extras, including a documentary about the animation unit and glimpses of a Mel Blanc recording session. Disc 2 is devoted to Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, and includes a number of Jones' masterpieces.

The last two discs are also available as "Looney Tunes: The Premiere Collection" (Warner), but are missing most of the mountain of extras.

With documentaries more popular and respected than ever, it's a great time to revisit the pioneering films of Robert Drew.

His 1960 work, "Primary" (New Video), pretty much wrote the book on cinema verite, in which a filmmaker observes a subject long enough to become the proverbial fly on the wall. Then the filmmaker creates the drama in the editing room.

Made with a crew that included Ricky Leacock, Albert Maysles and D.A. Pennebaker, "Primary" follows John Kennedy's primary campaign trail, providing the template for the Clinton campaign documentary, "The War Room."

The title of "Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment" (New Video) pretty much informs you where its sympathies lie. Yet this account of the Kennedy administration's showdown with Alabama Gov. George Wallace in June 1963, when Wallace refused to allow two blacks to enroll at the University of Alabama, is an invaluable historical document and a thriller. Historian Theodore White once called "Crisis" the one public document that honestly portrayed the relationship between the president and his brother, Robert.