By Peter Covino

Lifestyles Editor

If you have been waiting to upgrade your copy of  Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, now is most definitely the time.

One of the big four Vietnam war films (along with Apocalypse Now, Platoon and The Deer Hunter), Full Metal Jacket is back with a 25th anniversary Blu-ray Book edition (Warner Home Video).

If you need a bit more incentive, the 2-disc set includes the 60-minute documentary Stanley Kubrick’s Boxes, a look at the legendary filmmaker. This is the same Blu-ray version of the film that was released a few years ago, but fans will really appreciate the Blu-ray book, with 44 pages of photos, as well as a personal letter from the film’s star Matthew Modine reflecting back on the experience.

Of the “big four” Vietnam films, Full Metal Jacket is my least favorite, but it is still compelling viewing.

Kubrick, who co-wrote the screenplay, opted for what amounts to a two-part film —the first part featuring Pvt. “Joker” Davis (Modine)  and others including R. Lee Ermey as the relentless Marine drill instructor on Parris Island, S.C.

The second part follows Joker as he at first has easy duty working for Stars and Stripes, but later finds himself in the thick of  Tet Offensive and the Battle of Hue.

It is a hard-hitting,  unflinching war film.

Other bonus features include:

•Commentary by Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey and critic/screenwriter Jay Cocks

•Featurette – Full Metal Jacket: Between Good and Evil

The Gallant Men

For an above average look at how war was portrayed on TV in the 1960s, The Gallant Men (Warner Archive Collection) is definitely worth taking home, or in this case ordering online.

The Gallant Men was one of two ABC Network series that aired in 1963, but unlike Combat!, it lasted for only one season. This new DVD release (available only online at Warnerarchivecollection.com) includes all 26 episodes on six discs.

The Gallant Men stars William Reynolds as the unit commander and Richard X. Slattery as a war correspondent assigned to the unit in the battle for Italy.

One of the series highlights includes using stock war footage from some classic Warner Bros. World War II films.

Chinook the
Wonder Dog

Sticking with new Warner Archive  releases, Kirby Grant and Chinook the Wonder Dog are also now available via Warner’s made-to-order DVD service.

I am guessing this series has been largely forgotten, but if you like 1950s Saturday matinee movie fare, this triple feature on one disc is a lot of fun.

Kirby Grant (best remembered for TV’s Sky King) stars as Canadian Mountie Cpl. Rod Webb. Ever present his faithful canine companion, Chinook.

This certainly isn’t Academy Award material, but it is family entertainment. In each of the three films Yukon Manhunt (1951), Northwest Territory (1951) and Yukon Gold (1952) our hero the Mountie and the wondrous Chinook have an adventure in the remote reaches of Canada.

The Beatles and
Muhammad Ali

MVD Entertainment Group has just released two new documentaries celebrating the 50th anniversary of icons The Beatles and Muhammad Ali. The Ali documentary Ali: The Man, The Moves, The Mouth, is the better of the two, and definitely a must for boxing fans.

The Beatles DVD, The Beatles: Their Golden Age is highlighted by some vintage era from TV broadcasts, but as you might expect, due to musical clearance impossibilities, there are no Beatles songs here or live performances.

The Ali DVD is narrated by boxing sportscaster Bert Sugar (it is one of his last works before his death in March).

There are many Ali highlights here including “The Fight of the Century” in 1971 with Joe Frazier.

It is a colorful look back at the game’s most famous competitor, with lots of film clips not only from his fights, but from his controversial times, when he was still Cassius Clay and changed his name to Muhammad Ali (much to the dismay of much of white America), as well as his refusal to be conscripted in the U.S. military.

The two documentaries actually have a shared moment as well: The Beatles and then Cassius Clay have an exchange in England.

The Beatles DVD  commemorates the 50th of Ringo Starr replacing drummer Pete Best in August of 1962. But the documentary goes back further to when Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison first started playing together in 1960.

Producer Krantz’ narrative is annoying most of the  times, but the film highlights (the screaming crowds, behind the scenes looks at the making of the Beatles movies etc.) make this a worthy purchase for Beatles fans.

Both DVDS are about 60 minutes in length and retail for $9.95.