DVD Report
Jason Katzman
If you're a fan of Japanese horror films, then you're familiar with virtually all of the conventions in The Uninvited, a reasonably clever thriller that succeeds in being creepy despite it's PG-13 rating. If you're not familiar with Japanese horror and its conventions (like trash bags containing moving parts and creepy dead children who haunt the dreams of the main character), then you're likely to enjoy this film on another level entirely.
If nothing else, the visceral elements of the average Japanese horror film have helped Hollywood cope with the conflict between true horror and the PG-13 rating, which is considered necessary for attracting the largest audience. Directors can now scare audiences without crossing the line into R-rating territory. Apparently, American directors were incapable of figuring these things out by themselves until the Japanese came along. Films like The Ring and Audition are now inspiration, though The Uninvited also owes something to The Sixth Sense.
The Uninvited opens with young Anna (Emily Browning) being released from a psychiatric hospital, recovered from the traumatic death of her mother. Waiting for her at home are her father, Steven (David Strathairn), older sister Alex (Arielle Kebbel), and dad's new young plaything, Rachael (Elizabeth Banks). Neither Anna nor Alex like Rachael, but their dislike turns into pure hatred as they stumble upon clues that lead them to believe that Rachael murdered their mother and has a sordid past that includes other murders.
Elizabeth Banks (Zack and Miri Make a Porno) plays nicely against type and directors Charles and Thomas Guard keep the plot moving without any extraneous stuff. The DVD includes a making-of featurette and some deleted scenes. While the ending may shock some, it's actually kind of typical of films with a hero or heroine of questionable mental stability. Still, The Uninvited is good enough to watch in a darkened basement.
***
By the time a comedian can pack a venue of more than 100 or so people, he or she has reached a level of fame few can claim. Still, I knew Jim Gaffigan from a soft drink commercial and Ron White not at all, which made watching their respective stand-up comedy DVDs something of a revelation. Gaffigan's King Baby follows Gaffigan's Austin performance with his trademark recollections of the depths of his laziness. Ron White's Seattle performance employs a bit more juicy language as White stands on a rug, next to a table holding his trademark glass of Scotch. For White, whose DVD is titled Behavioral Problems, drinking and smoking is his lifestyle. White was part of the "Blue Collar Comedy Tour," which played to sold-out audiences in over 90 cities and included the likes of Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy. Both DVDs are chock full of laughs, cost less than most average movies and are well worth a look.
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