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19 Jul ' 13:58
Updated July 20, 2010 The Art of the StealMPI, 101 min., not rated, DVD: $24.98, July 27 
Don Argott’s fervent, fact-packed documentary chronicles the decades-long battle over control of the Barnes Foundation, a private collection of impressionist, post-impressionist, and early modern art worth more than $25 billion. A strong-willed, rags-to-riches iconoclast, Albert C. Barnes invented a medicine to treat gonorrhea and spent his resulting fortune on Renoirs, Cézannes, Matisses, Picassos, Monets, Seurats, Modiglianis, and Van Goghs at a time when establishment organizations such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art were not buying these works. Barnes kept his treasures in an arboretum in Merion (a Philadelphia suburb), where serious students could study them, and his will gave control over the collection (although specifying that it remain in Merion) to Missouri’s historically black Lincoln University. After Barnes died in 1951, a powerful group of philanthropists and politicians aiming to use the masterworks to attract more tourists to downtown Philadelphia decided to flaunt Barnes’ wishes, and so began the highbrow brawl that continues to this day, with a group called Friends of the Barnes going to court to stop the scheduled 2012 transfer of the collection to a new locale. Argott combines interviews, home movies, photos, and TV reports to illustrate what he characterizes as “the greatest act of artistic vandalism since World War II.” Although a resolutely partisan documentary, this suspenseful tale evolves like a crime thriller.
CollapseMPI, 80 min., not rated, DVD: $19.99 
“The whole economy is a pyramid scheme.” While that statement might not sound so crazy, given the last couple of years, it’s just the first of many warnings delivered by Michael Ruppert in Chris Smith’s documentary. An author, decorated cop, CIA whistleblower, political watchdog, and independent investigative journalist, Ruppert has been trying for decades to convince America that a civilization built on oil and petroleum products is unsustainable. Playing like a minimalist version of An Inconvenient Truth—with a paranoid dimension—this feature-length interview film presents Ruppert’s vision of an impending meltdown that borders on science fiction apocalypse. While Ruppert’s critics have labeled his ideas as crackpot extremism and fringe conspiracy theory, the evidence Ruppert presents regarding the oil-based economy and covert U.S. policies suggests that global disaster may indeed be waiting in the wings. But Smith isn’t out to challenge or debate his subject, merely to offer him a platform, so the result here is less of a dialogue than a lecture with prompts. A nonpartisan portrait of doom that seems especially timely in the wake of the BP catastrophe, Collapse should play well with survivalists of all stripes. [Note: DVD extras include deleted scenes (16 min.), a “Collapse Update” (13 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an interesting documentary portrait.] (
The LosersWarner, 97 min., PG-13, DVD: $28.98, Blu-ray: $35.99, July 20 
In the Bolivian jungle, special forces ops have scoped out a narcotics kingpin’s hacienda in preparation for launching a military air strike—at least until they discover that the sneaky drug lord has just brought in a busload of 25 children to use as his drug mules. Unit leader Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan)—along with explosives expert Roque (Idris Elba), sniper Cougar (Óscar Jaenada), computer specialist Jensen (Chris Evans), and transport whiz Pooch (Columbus Short)—advises command to abort the mission, but a mysterious CIA phone voice, known only as Max (Jason Patric), not only doesn’t care but also sets the team up for slaughter. Presumed dead, the five expendable “losers”—now fugitives—vow revenge and are bankrolled by a sexy mystery lady named Aisha (Zoe Saldana). Meanwhile in Dubai, psychopathic Max has arranged to buy “snukes” (aka sonic dematerializer nuclear weapons) to use for his own nefarious purposes. Of course, a heinous double-cross waits in the wings. Based on characters developed by DC Comics/Vertigo’s Andy Diggle, filmmaker Sylvain White’s aptly-named film takes a blood-splattering sledgehammer approach to the confusing story, which is presented with senseless rapid-fire editing. Optional, at best. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “Zoe and the Losers” featurette on actress Zoe Saldana (6 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are a few “Band of Buddies: Ops Training” production featurettes (17 min. total), an “Action-Style Storytelling” featurette on comic series writer Andy Diggle and artist Jock (11 min.), a brief deleted scene, a sneak peek at the upcoming straight-to-video animated film Batman: Under the Red Hood (14 min,), and the BD-Live function, as well as bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a lame film.] (S. Granger
The RunawaysSony, 105 min., R, DVD: $27.98, Blu-ray: $34.95, July 20 
In adapting Cherie Currie’s memoir Neon Angel, filmmaker Floria Sigismondi focuses on three figures: impresario Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) and the pair he brought together—blonde Bowie fanatic Currie (Dakota Fanning) and raven-haired rocker Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart). Manufactured bands weren’t a novelty in the 1970s, but the Runaways (which expanded to include other members) significantly wrote their own songs and played their own instruments, paving the way for the all-girl outfits to come. With a mother in Singapore (Tatum O’Neal) and a perpetually drunk father (Brett Cullen), Currie and her sister Marie (Riley Keough) must fend for themselves. When the group goes on tour, there’s no adult supervision, leading to drinking and drugging from to Japan The Warlords 
Magnolia, 113 min., in Mandarin w/English subtitles, R, DVD: $26.99, Blu-ray: $29.99
Peter Chan’s opulent military action film (co-directed by Wai Man Yip) is set during the Taiping Rebellion of the 1860s. General Pang Qingyun (Jet Li) is the sole survivor of a massacre, able to escape only because he plays dead while his troops are overtaken. Given shelter by the lovely Lian (Jinglei Xu), Pang later joins a gang led by bandits Zhao (Andy Lau) and Zhang (Takeshi Kaneshiro), forming a union as “blood brothers” in a bonding ritual that involves cutting the throats of three strangers. Matters are later complicated by Pang’s love for Lian, who happens to be Zhao’s wife. The Warlords is a visually stunning film full of brilliantly staged battles that delivers both old-style screen spectacle and a harrowing view of warfare’s less glorious aspects. The film’s crowning achievement involves the blockade of Suzhou City, a sequence offering harsh insights into the effects of combat on everyone, from the organizers to the trench soldiers ordered to fight despite disease and starvation. Fueling the action is Li’s vigorous performance, which features surprisingly dark edges as Pang’s militaristic strategies run afoul of his bandit partners’ guerrilla-style attacks. The one weak link is the love triangle, which feels like an afterthought, but aside from this subplot, The Warlords is a very satisfying film. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “117 Days” production journal (36 min.), deleted scenes (27 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are a behind-the-scenes featurette (18 min.), an HDNet promo featurette (5 min.), and the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a fine war epic.] (P. Hall
is unfortunately heavy on contrived coincidence and cliché-laden bickering that goes well over the top when Lucia’s grandmother (Lupe Ontiveros) orders a live goat for an authentic Mexican celebration, only to have the terrified creature gobble up some Viagra (don’t ask). Not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (17 min.), extended scenes (4 min.), a gag reel (3 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a “‘Til Dads Do Us Part” featurette (15 min.), and a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a disappointing film.] (S. Granger
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