Release Date: Sept. 6, 2011
Price: Blu-ray
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Dustin Hoffman goes to extremes in Straw Dogs.
One of the toughest and most controversial thrillers of the 1970s, filmmaker Sam Peckinpah’s (The Wild Bunch) notorious Straw Dogs was banned in the United Kingdom for nearly two decades.
The suspenseful 1971 movie tells the story of American mathematician David Sumner (Dustin Hoffman, Little Fockers) and his British wife Amy (Susan George, Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry) who move to an isolated English village. Their presence provokes antagonism among the village’s men, whose routine bullying slowly gives way to vicious brutality. Backed into a corner as his manhood is challenged, the usually pacifistic David is forced to respond with the kind of violent and gruesome attitude that he abhors.
Presented with new 5.1 audio mix, the Straw Dogs Blu-ray contains an original theatrical trailer and three vintage TV commercials as bonus features.
Writer/director Rod Lurie (The Contender) remade the film (in theaters on Sept. 16) starring James Marsden (27 Dresses) and Kate Bosworth (The Warrior’s Way).
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I think to cite James Marsden’s film as “27 Dresses” is misleading. He was also in “The Box,” as unpopular as it seems to be, at least it’s a drama; He also was in another drama, “10th and Wolf.”
People seem to know him best for his portrayal of Cyclops/Scott Summers in the original X-Men series, not the spin-offs. He also co-starred in “Superman Returns.”
“27 Dresses” is a comedy. And that, by the way, is not the only comedy he has appeared in.
Oh yeah, Lynn. We love James Marsden. He was also great as the crazy older brother in Sex Drive. And then there’s the overly enthusiastic prince in Enchanted. We’ll take him in anything.
I liked him in 10th & Wolf, a Donnie Brasco-ish mob flick from 2006. It wasn’t great, but Marsden was solid in the lead role. The guy definitely has range…