The Last Days of Disco, Adventureland among new DVD reviews 

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DVD extras include audio commentary by Bahrani and cinematographer Michael Simmonds; and the theatrical trailer.

Movie: ***1/2

Extras: **

THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO (1998). Whatever else one may think of the disco era, it's hard to deny its boundless energy, its sheer joyousness and its "anything goes" irreverence. Two decades removed from the period, writer-director Whit Stillman took a look back with an easygoing comedy that proves to be as witty and wordy as his previous works Metropolitan and Barcelona, even if it doesn't overall quite match those earlier pieces. The Last Days of Disco centers on two recent college grads who thrust themselves into the New York nightlife of the early 1980s: Alice (Chloe Sevigny) is the shy and insecure one, while Charlotte (Kate Beckinsale) is sexy, socially savvy and about as subtle as a jackhammer. Together, they frequent a popular nightclub, hang out with various potential boyfriends, and engage in lengthy discussions regarding both their professional and personal aspirations. The film loses steam toward the end, and a climactic speech about the future of disco is unbearably phony. Yet while Stillman may not exactly capture the era – 1997's Boogie Nights, for one, did a better job of nailing the milieu – he demonstrates that he hasn't lost his wonderful way with words: Yuppies, Lady and the Tramp and the sexiness of Scrooge McDuck are just a few of the topics covered here. Chris Eigeman, the memorable smart-aleck from Metropolitan and Barcelona, steals scenes as Des, a cynical womanizer convinced that he can become a better man.

DVD extras include audio commentary by Stillman, Sevigny and Eigeman; a behind-the-scenes featurette; four deleted scenes; audio recording of Stillman reading from his book The Last Days of Disco, with Cocktails at Petrossian Afterwards; and a stills gallery including highly informative captions by Stillman.

Movie: ***

Extras: ***

SUNSHINE CLEANING (2009). Sunshine Cleaning's ads trumpeted that it's "from the producers of Little Miss Sunshine," and like that hit, it often belies its cheery title by exploring the darkness that descends on the lives of ordinary people just trying to get ahead. Yet while it may not be as sharply written, it contains enough fine moments – to say nothing of a strong performance by Amy Adams – to make it a worthwhile endeavor. Adams stars as Rose Lorkowski, once a popular high school cheerleader, now a struggling maid-for-hire with a troublesome son (Jason Spevack). When her married lover (Steve Zahn) suggests that she can make more money by providing cleanup services at crime scenes, she jumps at the suggestion, convincing her reluctant sister Norah (Emily Blunt) to join her in this new endeavor. Obtaining the proper license proves to be almost as challenging as the actual cleanup duties, but Rose is determined to carve out a better existence for her family. First-time scripter Megan Holley relies on too many familiar character types to flesh out her story: Here's yet another indie effort in which Mom is involved with a married man, Junior is a social outcast, and Grandpa is crusty yet kind (Alan Arkin virtually reprises his Little Miss Sunshine role). Yet other aspects of her screenplay are refreshing: The relationship between the sisters feels natural, the cleanup service angle is inspired, and the character of a one-armed janitorial store proprietor (nicely played by Clifton Collins Jr.) emerges as an original. Sunshine Cleaning's positives don't completely eclipse the tired material, but they do suggest that Holley might have a bright future ahead of her.

DVD extras include audio commentary by Holley and producer Glenn Williamson; and an interesting 11-minute short in which two real-life cleanup specialists discuss their profession and how it's portrayed in the movie.

Movie: **1/2

Extras: **

TYSON (2009). As far as documentaries go, Tyson is a crock. Director James Toback is an acknowledged friend of former boxing great Mike Tyson, so for 90 minutes, he turns on his camera and allows the man to speak at length about his troubled life, both in and out of the ring. There are no other participants, no other voices to support or oppose whatever Tyson says – even Toback himself refuses to ask any pressing questions. So when Tyson claims that he was innocent of the rape charge that sent him to jail, well, he must be telling the truth. And when he states that first wife Robin Givens said false things about his mental condition during a Barbara Walters interview, we should take him at his word (even though the footage itself reveals that Givens was probably accurate). Sorry, but no. If there's one thing that this film makes crystal clear, it's that, after all these decades, the ex-pugilist has barely developed as a human being. Tyson discusses how his jail stint turned him into a more spiritual person, but next we see vintage footage of him going psychotic on a reporter. He accuses promoter Don King of being the type of man who would "sell his own mother for a dollar" (a funny line), but he reveals himself to be equally beholden to high finance (when discussing an out-of-court settlement, he cluelessly notes, "It wasn't much money – 20, 30 million"). This documentary would matter more if Tyson came clean about his past or showed any genuine remorse for his choices, but instead, it merely functions as a disingenuous attempt to make him palatable to the mainstream (see also his role in The Hangover). Certainly, Mike Tyson has a place in the annals of boxing, but in terms of cinema, his picture is no Raging Bull. It's more like Raging Bullshit.