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Any Given Sunday [2000]
from Warner Home Video
starring Al Pacino, Dennis Quaid, Cameron Diaz, James Woods, Jamie Foxx
directed by Oliver Stone

Features:

• Director's Cut
• Dubbed
• PAL
• Widescreen

Editorial Review:

Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday is a massive 150-minute American football drama which, for all its ferocity and cynicism, is as soft-centred and clichéd as any Rocky-style underdogs-make-good crowd-pleaser. The Miami Sharks have lost three games in a row and their coach, Al Pacino in an intense performance as the only half-decent major character in the film, faces crisis when untested quarterback Willie Beamen (an excellent Jamie Foxx) becomes an overnight star. Fame goes to Beamen's ego; manager Cameron Diaz ruthlessly wheels-and-deals; and team doctor James Woods sacrifices medical ethics for his career. The Gladiator-esque close-up "shakycam" visuals reflect the player's POV yet make many scenes almost incomprehensible, while the ludicrously fragmented (seven composers, 80 songs) rap-metal-ambient soundtrack obscures much of the dialogue. The world of American football is presented as brutal, nightmarish and corrupting, the players mainly drug-taking, money-grubbing, whoring, foul-mouthed barbarians. So when Stone's last act offers his hollow men as heroes, mythological noble warriors incarnate, the attempted feel-good finale rings seriously false. Stone exposed the rotten heart of the American dream to infinitely greater effect in JFK (1991), is here too much in love with his target for the shots to hit home. --Gary Dalkin

On the DVD: The first disc presents the director's cut of Any Given Sunday. The UK cinema cut was nine minutes shorter than the US release. The director's cut starts with the longer US version, removes 11 minutes, adds six, including one of the most shocking and horrifying images seen on screen in some time, then re-edits several other sequences. Stone's commentary ranges far and wide, and he is far more interesting and thought-provoking to listen to than his film is to watch. The anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 image and Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack are both flawless.

The second disc is divided into pre-game, half-time and post-game sections, beginning with Jamie Foxx's audition video and screen tests and a routine 27-minute making-of documentary. Halftime consists of two music videos by Jamie Foxx (both anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1) and one by LL Cool J. Post-game offers three sets of outtakes set to music, a stills gallery, a collection of advertising images and 33 minutes of deleted scenes with optional commentary from Stone. Completing an exceptional set of extras are DVD-ROM features on scripting and editing, plus reviews, a quiz and the complete original promotional Web site.

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

• "I honestly believe she would eat her young."
  Great movie.
  I occasionally watch the Pacino pep talk ("Life is a game of inches") when i need motivation.
  Dr Gonzo Clarke.
  8/10.

• MY FAVOURITE SPORTS MOVIE!
  Don't like NFL football - Not a problem!
  Many people that love the Rocky movies are not die hard boxing fans - What AGS does is to take the exciting bits, the touchdowns, the big hits, the fast runs & maximise them, cutting out all the more static parts of a real life game. American Football fans will LOVE it but then again so will Action movie fans! Think of it as Rollerball without the bikes...
  It's one of Oliver Stone's most underrated movies, with all the trademark
  touches to the... more info

• Oliver Stone doing one for the Good Ole Boys
  With a cast list of Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid and James Woods it was always going to be a solid contender for all kinds of awards and plaudits and it does not disappoint. The subject matter makes it more of a lads film but it is still good family viewing really. An early performance from Jamie Foxx is an interesting taste of the confidence he brings to later bigger roles.
  Just enjoy it.
  

• Great moving film, but just not for me
  The first thing i should probablly point out is the pace. Ok, it didnt appeal to me at all, i found it really boring but i must say the actual acting/plot/pace of it is brilliant and would most likely suit any american football fan! For what i saw it mainly consisted of actual games of football and some good music added to it aswell.
  If you like ongoing/sports games movies, buy this!

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