Audio Video News

DVD: 25th Hour—Buena Vista
Audio: 3
Video: 4
Extras: 3
I'll admit that 25th Hour seemed slow at first. Yet, as it went on, I noticed that, instead of Hollywood's usual mind-numbing blizzard of special effects, this film has something much rarer: a great script. Edward Norton plays Monty, a drug dealer who gets picked up by the cops and sentenced to seven years in prison. The film follows Monty for the 24 hours before he has to go in, raising many interesting questions, the most simple of which is: What do people think about right before they're locked up? Through strikingly realistic dialogue and a refusal to sugarcoat any issue, 25th Hour allows you a fascinating look into the mind of an ex-criminal, ending in a satisfying twist.

Intentionally gritty in some parts and piercingly clear in others, the 2.35:1 picture does a good job of visually portraying New York City's beauty and darkness. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack doesn't offer many fireworks, but that's to be expected from a dialogue-based film. The disc offers the typical extras, including deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes featurette on Spike Lee, and screenwriter/director commentary. Unfortunately, none of the extras is too spectacular. Lee also pays homage to the fact that the film is shot in post-9/11 Manhattan by including special footage of Ground Zero. All in all, 25th Hour is definitely one to watch if you're in the mood to think.—Ekua Hagan

Web Exclusive!: Boston Baroque—Handel: Music for Royal Fireworks and Water Music (SACD, Telarc)
Beethoven called Handel the greatest composer that ever lived. That's not bad praise for someone who was going to be a lawyer. Thankfully, he decided to get into music. Although he was born in Germany, Handel spent the most illustrious portions of his career in England. It was there that King George II wanted music to go along with a grand celebration marking the end of the War of Austrian Succession. While the celebration was a disaster, Handel's Music for Royal Fireworks was well received. On the other hand, Handel wrote Water Music (one of his best-known works) for George I's traveling party that went up and down the Thames in barges. Many consider it, like Bach's Brandenburg Concertos (written about the same time), as one of the quintessential baroque pieces.

The critically acclaimed Boston Baroque recorded Water Music and Music for Royal Fireworks in early January of 2002 in Worcester (Wustah, in the vernacular), Massachusetts. Conducted by group founder Martin Pearlman, they do tremendous justice to the music. The Royal Fireworks Overture (track 1) is excellent. It has a huge sound, much larger than most baroque music. Water Music's last section, Alla Hornpipe, also deserves a listen. It has a smaller sound, but it's no less enticing. The entire mix is a little mushy, lacking much midbass definition. The surrounds are used for mostly reverb. Overall, you feel like you're in a huge, empty concert hall. For Handel fans, this performance is a standout, even if this hybrid SACD isn't.—Geoffrey Morrison