DVD picks

Pick of the Week

The Rite

Horror; rated PG-13 for disturbing thematic material, violence, frightening images and language including sexual references; also available on Blu-ray

The Gist: A skeptical young American priest is dispatched to Rome, where he apprentices under a veteran exorcist and makes some startling discoveries.

The Lowdown: The movie marketing phrase "inspired by real events" is usually pretty meaningless. But in the case of "The Rite" - a relatively subdued and surprisingly effective B-movie horror exercise - it's something to bear in mind.

Just before his death, the film informs us, Pope John Paul II issued a papal order that a new generation of exorcists be trained immediately. Nobody really knows what prompted the memo, but it does give one pause. "The Rite" is based on the real-life experiences of a journalist and a young priest who subsequently enrolled in the Vatican's exorcism training course.

Anthony Hopkins headlines as a freelance exorcist in Rome who goes about his business with the efficiency and general good humor of a bonded plumber. Except when the demons manifest, then he digs in and cranks up the Hannibal Lecter routine to 11. Hopkins is such a treasure - those ancient Welsh eyes of his can shine with wisdom, kindness or menace.

Director Mikael Hafstrom provides some stylish flourishes concerning feral cats, regurgitated metal and demonology PowerPoint presentations. He also has a nice way with that sort of Catholic iconography that manages to be both beautiful and creepy.

This is the stuff you want in your exorcism movies, along with the requisite spooky little girl, and "The Rite" hums along nicely until the last reel. Then it promptly collapses into requirements of genre and wide-release Hollywood movie-making.

The Extras: The DVD/Blu-ray combo pack features a short, kinda convincing "real story of ..." doc; deleted scenes; and a slightly tweaked alternate ending. Note: All extras in this package are on the Blu-ray disc only.

The Bottom Line: A better-than-expected entry to the exorcism movie canon, with a deliciously hammy performance from Hopkins.

Double Secret Bonus Tip: Brazilian actress Alice Braga ("Repo Men") gives her all in yet another underwritten role. When is someone going to give her a good movie?

Diabolique

Thriller; unrated; Blu-ray reissue

The Gist: The wife and mistress of a cruel boarding school headmaster plot cold-blooded murder. Then things get weird.

The Lowdown: Director Henri-Georges Clouzot's classic 1955 French horror-thriller has haunted various best-of lists forever, and its famous final bathtub scene is considered one of the scariest movie moments of all time. Reissued to Blu-ray this week from the Criterion Collection, the film's chilly atmosphere and twisty plot still pack a punch.

Clouzot was a famously disciplined filmmaker, and the story is an intricate machine designed for the express purpose of generating tension. Savvy modern audiences may well guess the general nature of the twist ending, but Clouzot's careful structure remains a model of precision storytelling.

If you haven't seen it, don't read too much about "Diabolique" online. It's been around so long that no one thinks twice about revealing critical plot points. I had to dodge spoilers for years before finally seeing it.

The Extras: New digital restoration for image and sound; selected scene commentary; a couple of interviews with film scholars and a short essay booklet.

The Bottom Line: Still scary after all these years.

Double Secret Bonus Tip: Film geek mythology holds that Alfred Hitchcock wanted this script and missed out on the bidding war by just a few hours.

Beverly Hills Cop

Comedy-action; rated R for language, brief nudity, drug content and violence; Blu-ray reissue

The Gist: Wiseacre Detroit cop Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) bum-rushes LA and establishes a new precedent for action movie heroes.

The Lowdown: It's a lot of fun to revisit "Beverly Hills Cop." It's really pretty amazing how fresh it remains, thanks to Murphy's undeniable genius, director Martin Brest's lean direction and the pitch-perfect supporting cast.

As the materials in the DVD extras suggest, Murphy single-handedly reinvented the action movie cop hero with this film. After "Beverly Hills," hardcase movie cops were encouraged to both kick butt and crack wise.

It's worthwhile, with this reissue, to watch the extras first. Director Brest and cast members Judge Reinhold and John Ashton tell some good behind-the-scenes stories. Many of the film's funniest moments were essentially improvised by Murphy, and Brest came to count on his star to fill gaps in the script on the fly.

The Extras: Director's commentary track; featurettes on the production, the casting and the immortal Harold Faltermeyer synth-pop score; location map and theatrical trailer. (All recycled from previous DVD iterations, by the way, but still a good collection.)

The Bottom Line: Still funny after all these years.

Double Secret Bonus Tip: Murphy - otherwise a focused, no-nonsense performer - ruined several takes cracking up during his scene with Bronson Pinchot's gallery art salesman, Serge.