New on DVD & Blu-ray, Week of June 1: 'Alice in Wonderland' & 'The Wolfman'
'Alice in Wonderland'
What It's About: Director Tim Burton has rounded up his usual suspects: actors Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, composer Danny Elfman, editor Chris Lebenzon and costume designer Colleen Atwood, adding in the talents of cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, production designer Robert Stromberg ('Avatar') and visual effects guru Ken Ralston ('Return of the Jedi,' 'Men in Black II') for this incredible and glorious reimagining (yes, we know 'reimagining' is an overused word but it really fits here) of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking Glass.' Burton and writer Linda Woolverton add in their own plot points, transforming this 'Alice' into one that is definitely not your parents' version. It roughly follows Alice's adventures as she revisits her friends and foes in "Underland" -- 12 years after the two books, opening up all sorts of glorious set pieces (so to speak)
'The Wolfman'
What It's About: Here's another remake of a classic, but one that went just a tad too far. Benicio Del Toro stars as Lawrence Talbot, desperately (but unsuccessfully) trying to channel Lon Chaney Jr. from the 1941 'The Wolf Man'. Like the original, Talbot returns home (to Blackmoor from London, though in the original it was from America to Wales) after the death of his brother, to confront his estranged father, delve into his past, fall in love with his brother's fiance, and face the inner beast within him -- the latter which is the result of getting bitten by a strange creature, making him a werewolf. From there it begins to deviate from the original, but with not-quite-so-successful results.
'Alice in Wonderland'
What It's About: Director Tim Burton has rounded up his usual suspects: actors Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, composer Danny Elfman, editor Chris Lebenzon and costume designer Colleen Atwood, adding in the talents of cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, production designer Robert Stromberg ('Avatar') and visual effects guru Ken Ralston ('Return of the Jedi,' 'Men in Black II') for this incredible and glorious reimagining (yes, we know 'reimagining' is an overused word but it really fits here) of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking Glass.' Burton and writer Linda Woolverton add in their own plot points, transforming this 'Alice' into one that is definitely not your parents' version. It roughly follows Alice's adventures as she revisits her friends and foes in "Underland" -- 12 years after the two books, opening up all sorts of glorious set pieces (so to speak)
'The Wolfman'
What It's About: Here's another remake of a classic, but one that went just a tad too far. Benicio Del Toro stars as Lawrence Talbot, desperately (but unsuccessfully) trying to channel Lon Chaney Jr. from the 1941 'The Wolf Man'. Like the original, Talbot returns home (to Blackmoor from London, though in the original it was from America to Wales) after the death of his brother, to confront his estranged father, delve into his past, fall in love with his brother's fiance, and face the inner beast within him -- the latter which is the result of getting bitten by a strange creature, making him a werewolf. From there it begins to deviate from the original, but with not-quite-so-successful results.
