Kiefer Sutherland returned to series TV this year with the Paramount+ thriller ‘Rabbit Hole.’ Once again, Sutherland is cast as a loner, hunted by various forces and haunted by his past. As he said in an interview with The Boston Herald, his character John Weir, a highly paid espionage ace, was the hunter and now he’s hunted. But how does it compare to his role as Jack Bauer in the long-running, critically acclaimed, culturally significant ‘24’ series?
Q: At this point in your life, do you worry that no matter what you’ve done, you’ll still be remembered mostly for Jack Bauer? And will he ever come back?
KIEFER SUTHERLAND: I don’t worry about that at all. If I’m remembered for playing Jack Bauer for 10 years, I’d be thrilled. I’m very proud of that work. I’m very proud of that show. And we’ll always be grateful to have had that opportunity. And with regards to Jack Bauer coming back? I think it comes up every once in a while. That’s a question really for the writers — and they better hurry up because I’m getting older by the minute.
NEW DVDs:
INSTANT CLASSIC Like Chucky, ‘M3GAN’ (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Code), Universal, PG-13 and NOT RATED) scores as both horrifying killer toy thriller and campy laugh-out-loud comedy. A surprise smash with a sequel on the way, ‘M3GAN’ begins with a tragedy that leaves Cady, just 9, an orphan who is put in the care of a very busy and single auntie (Alison Willams, a terrific follow-up to her iconic horror hit ‘Get Out’) who is in AI development. She gifts her charge with the very life-like doll she is developing but, significantly, has not yet been fully tested (of course it hasn’t!). Let the carnage begin! BONUS: Unrated and theatrical versions of the film, ‘A New Vision of Horror’ and ‘Bringing Life to M3GAN.’
OSCAR! OSCAR! Brendan Fraser capped one of the great showbiz comeback sagas by winning the Best Actor Academy Award for his work as a dying, incredibly obese gay man trying to come to an understanding with his teenage daughter in ‘The Whale’ (Blu-Ray, A24-Lionsgate, R). The film’s roots are in a contrived, one-set play but the theatricality does nothing to diminish the sparks of humanity that infuse Fraser’s work – and everyone else in a strong supporting cast that includes the great Samantha Morton, Hong Chau (also Oscar nominated here as Best Supporting Actress) and ‘Stranger Things’ star Sadie Sink. ‘Whale’ won a 2nd Oscar for its makeup & hairstyling, a digital first. BONUS: Scoring and a Making of.
HANKS SCORES Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks immediately saw the cross-cultural appeal of the 2015 Swedish hit ‘A Man Called Ove’ and bought the remake rights. The Hanks’ ‘A Man Called Otto’ (Blu-ray + Digital, Columbia Pictures, PG-13) sticks closely to the Euro version, a sweetly positioned, upbeat look at Hanks’ Otto, a grumpy widower who finds joy late in life thru his new neighbors, immigrants. BONUS: A Making of, a Rita Wilson music video and a deleted scene.
A FIGHT FAREWELL After 6 seasons, it was time for the anti-Trump political satire/romantic melodrama spin-off of ‘The Good Wife’ to say Farewell. ‘The Good Fight: The Final Season’ (DVD, Paramount, NOT RATED) takes place amid continuing rioting and violent protests in Chicago’s streets as the law firm ponders whether we’re heading to a civil war. Diane (Christine Baranski) is doing doctor-supervised hallucinogens to treat midlife ennui. Eli Gold (Alan Cumming) narrowly escapes antisemitic assassination. While at the law firm name partner Liz Reddick (Audra McDonald) must deflect new rival (Andre Braugher) while seeming to be an ally. BONUS: Gag reel/deleted scenes and ‘Good Fight: A Farewell.’
ZOMBIES FINAL WALK Say so long to the long-running zombies of ‘The Walking Dead: The Complete 11th Season’ (Blu-ray + Digital, Lionsgate, NOT RATED) which concludes with no less than 24 episodes. Different survivor camps flourish or are attacked. And as always the walking dead walk on. Bonus: Deleted scenes.
CLASSIQUE FRENCH DETECTIVE The great, if fictional, French detective was revived in the late ‘50s with a trio of French films that are now in one package: ‘Arsène Lupin Collection’ (Blu-ray, Kino Classics, Not Rated). A master of disguise, the fictional gentleman thief was introduced in 1905. There have been many, many novels, short stories and film adaptations — in France, Japan and Hollywood. With these 3 from 1957, ’59 and ’62, easily the standout is the last with 2 Arsène Lupins in ‘Arsène Lupin vs. Arsène Lupin.’ Stylishly directed by Edouard Molinaro as a Chaplin-esque silent farce (although of course it has sound and dialogue, not intertitles) and set around 1900, this entry is buoyed by 2 soon to be enduringly famous French actors: handsome Jean-Claude Brialy, often called France’s Cary Grant, and Jean-Pierre Cassel. The elegant co-star is Francois Dorleac, Catherine Deneuve’s sister who died tragically young in an auto accident. Molinaro, best known for ‘La Cage aux Folles,’ has grand fun with his nods to a bygone era.
DRAGONS BACK WHEN Oscar-nominated for its superb special effects from ILM, the 1981 ‘Dragonslayer’ (4K Ultra HD, Paramount, PG) is a medieval fantasy where a King routinely offers sacrificial virgins to appease the 400 year old dragon that terrorizes the land. A co-production of Disney and Paramount, inspired by the Sorceror’s Apprentice sequence in Disney’s ‘Fantasia,’ ‘Dragonslayer” dashed expectations that it would be kid stuff and surprised with its dark themes, violence and brief nudity as a young would-be wizard attempts to kill the beast. All-new Special Features in this beautiful 4K HD upgrade! A commentary by director & co-writer Matthew Robbins with Guillermo del Toro, screentests and featurette ‘The Slayer of All Dragons.’
CALLING ALL TREKKIES There are 2 new ‘Star Trek’ entries. ‘Star Trek The Next Generation 4-Movie Collection’ (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital, Paramount, PG and PG-13) rounds up big-screen adventures with cast favorites for the first time in 4K HD and remastered bonus Blu-rays. These 4 films are all from the Next Generation which transitioned from the original cast for the 6th & 7th films on the big screen. They were followed by ‘Insurrection’ and ‘Nemesis’ which completed this cycle. ‘Star Trek Strange New Worlds: Season One’ (DVD, Paramount, NOT RATED) takes place in the decade before the original series with the USS Enterprise Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Spock (Ethan Peck) and Rebecca Romijn as Number One. Streamed in 2022, the 10-episode season was a hit which is why S2 is coming. Special Features: Gag reel/deleted scenes, audio commentary and featurettes
HUNTER BECOMES HUNTED Helmed by veteran Hong Kong action stylist Daniel Lee, ‘Code of the Assassins’ (Blu-ray, Well Go USA, Not Rated) is a revenge story that revolves around a young assassin who has lost one arm and is being hunted by the proverbial hordes. Lee is known for his distinctive stylization and that is highly evident here.
ABRUPT END The saga behind ‘Rick and Morty: Season 6’ (Blu-ray, WB, TVMA) is the shocking departure of co-creator and the voice of both Rick and Morty, Justin Roiland following domestic abuse accusations that became public this past January and resulted in his being fired. In March, however, the criminal charges were dismissed (for lack of evidence) and a furious Roiland released a statement vowing to restore his good name. For the record, this Blu-ray is uncensored.
