DVD Reviews

Produced, written and directed by Jason Cohen, Facing Fear tells the story of Tim Zaal and Matthew Boger. Back in the ’80s, Zaal and a group of his neo-nazi/nazi-punk friends beat Boger to within an inch of his life and left him for dead near the Oki’s Dog restaurant in Los Angeles. Twenty-five years later, the two men encounter each other again, and begin to form a friendship. Zaal has since discarded his neo-nazi ways and Boger is now a manager at the Museum of Tolerance—who ask the pair to do a presentation together about hate in America, which motivates them to start doing the presentation at other facilities. An interesting part of Boger and Zaal’s new relationship lies in the fact that Boger has forgiven Zaal for the brutal attack, but Zaal has yet to forgive himself. Facing Fear doesn’t bring much to the screen—most of the documentary is shown through interviews with Boger and Zaal talking about their experiences—but the story of their friendship since reuniting will hold your attention and make you question your prejudices. Their unique friendship makes this short doc worth seeing. –John Ford

When The Following first premiered on Fox last January, I was not immediately eager to indulge in another gritty crime drama. However, upon viewing the first episode, I was hooked. The Following centers around retired FBI agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) who is brought back on by the Bureau to capture escaped convict Joe Carroll (James Purefoy), the case that resulted in Hardy’s retirement in the first place. Carroll has a group of dedicated followers (you see where I’m going with this?), who have not only helped him escape, but are contributing to widespread panic, all inspired by Edgar Allen Poe, Carroll’s muse. The pilot episode could be the entirety of the show, and I would be satisfied. It’s intensely written and performed, and neatly tied up into a maybe-this-is-just-a-miniseries bow, but it does much more. It sets up a whole creepy universe that illustrates just how crazy a serial killer’s fanbase can be. With Lost–inspired flashbacks that flesh out story development, you become engrossed with each character while learning to trust no one—seriously, no one. Some twists are predictable, yes, but The Following is a unique television show with a premise you only read about in true crime books. The first season set includes three hours of bonus features, including a “maximum episode mode of extended pilot” (which I recommend, as I was enthralled by the pilot) and a couple of production and character featurettes. The Following is not a DVD to own just for special features, but the authentic story itself. –Rebecca Frost

Directed by Spike Lee, Mike Tyson’s one-man Broadway show details the expletive that is his life. He goes into detail about some of the most seemingly mundane events that ultimately wound up being pivotal moments leading up to his emergence as one of the world’s best, and undeniably most renowned boxers. His willingness to address his own impediments, ignorance and oppositional defiance takes the whole show from Hollywood unbelievable to feeling like you’re swapping stories with random drunks at your underage sister’s kegger. Mike Tyson’s comedic take on storytelling renders the more somber and painful experiences he’s sharing uncomfortable and out of place. While those moments are important, they often feel incomplete and brushed over. At one point, his explanation regarding a particular public point of interest (no spoilers) is nothing more than a simple, “I didn’t do it, and that’s all I’m going to say about that.” I want the nitty-gritty truth behind things, and if avoidance is Spike Lee’s definition of the truth, I will have to start relying more heavily on outdated copies of Weekly World News to give me the scandals I want to believe. Accompany this movie with a drinking game centered around every 10-dollar word he lays down.  –Andrea Silva