| | | Everything is Under Control.
Features: DVD, Sensormatic, Checkpoint
When a platoon of Korean War G.I.s is captured, they somehow end up at a ladies' garden club party. Or do they? Major Bennett Marco (Denzel Washington) can't remember. As he searches for the answer, he discovers threads of a diabolical plot orchestrated by the utterly ruthless Mrs. Iselin and involving her war hero son, her senator husband and a secret cabal of enemy leaders.
"A hugely entertaining thriller..." David Ansen, NewsWeek
"...entertainingly edgy..." Desson Thomson, Washington Post
"An exceptionally intelligent entertainment..." Los Angeles Times
Editor's Note
Jonathan Demme updates the original 1962 John Frankenheimer classic with plenty of new paranoid twists: This time a sinister Halliburton-style corporation is behind the brainwashing of a Gulf War hero turned vice presidential nominee, Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber). Shaw's old unit commander Ben Marco (Denzel Washington) recommended him for the National Medal of Honor, though he can't remember exactly why, and his recurring nightmares drive him to uncover a massive conspiracy. Sinister forces at work include shifty-eyed bodyguards, a love interest with questionable motives (Kimberly Elise), and Raymond's domineering senator mother (Meryl Streep). Demme infuses the proceedings with enough paranoia and uncomfortable close-ups to rival his 1991 Oscar-winner, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Layered sound, overlapping dialogue, and creepy cinematography by Tak Fujimoto (who also worked on LAMBS) further heighten the uneasiness. Demme regulars Roger Corman, Charles Napier, Paul Lazar, and Tracey Walter show up in bit parts as usual. Comedian Al Franken is a welcome face as a TV correspondent, and quirky indie rocker Robyn Hitchcock plays one of the brainwashing specialists. Needless to say, Denzel is superb. Streep is terrifying and hilarious as the maniacal Mrs. Shaw. As with the original (which focused on communist instead of terrorist fear-mongering), the events depicted here are doubly unsettling considering their uncanny resemblance to real-life politics at the time of this film's theatrical release.
| Features | 2 Behind The Scenes Featurettes | | 2 Outtakes | | 5 Deleted/Extended Scenes | | A Political Pundits Feature With Director Commentary | | Audio Commentary With Director Jonathan Demme & Screenplay Writer Daniel Pyne | | Audio: English Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 Surround Sound | | Audio: English, Spanish, French DTS 5.1 Surround Sound | | Dubbed: Spanish, French | | Interactive Menus | | Liev Schreiber Screen Test | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English, French, Spanish | | This Is An HD-DVD Made For HD-DVD Format Players Which Produce Higher Quality Picture And Sound |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Paramount |
| Release Date: 8/15/2006 |
| Running Time: 129 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2004 | | Catalog ID: 118174 | | UPC: 00097361181745 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English, French Dubbed, Spanish Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: English, French, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Nominee (2005) | | | British Academy Awards, Meryl Streep, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role | | | Golden Globe, Meryl Streep, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture |
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| | Professional Reviews | Entertainment Weekly
"[A] scary summer flick about mind control and corporate conspiracy." 08/06/2004 p.56Rolling Stone
"All hell breaks loose as Demme catches the audience in a vise of churning suspense and corrosive wit." 08/06/2004 p.130 Los Angeles Times
"[An] exceptionally intelligent entertainment and a high point of director Jonathan Demme's career." 07/30/2004 p.E1 Sight and Sound
"[A] strong and substantial work....[It] feels not just refreshingly vital but uncannily topical." 12/01/2004 p.55-6 Uncut
"Intelligent and engrossing....Demme's movie shares more of a kindred spirit with documentaries like FAHRENHEIT 9/11 than with its big-budget studio peers." 12/01/2004 p.176 Ultimate DVD
4 stars out of 5 -- "[W]ith the excellent Liev Schreiber cast as the political candidate whose past as a hero of the Gulf War isn't what it appears." 08/01/2007 p.87 eFilmCritic.com 8 of 10
The 2004 Manchurian Candidate is a good movie, but I don't think it will displace the original. In five years, mentioning the name will once again call to mind the names of Frankenheimer, Sinatra, and Lansbury as opposed to Demme, Washington, and Streep, though the new movie will be worth discussing as it relates to millennial paranoia and election worries. It's a decent diversion, but no substitute for the original. - Jay Seaver
DVD Verdict 9 of 10
Demme's film and Frankenheimer's classic original make fascinating bookends around the last 40 years of U.S. politics. Each belongs in every discriminating film lover's collection. The pair would make an outstanding double feature, and as such are highly recommended. - Steve Evans
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