Product: Gods and Monsters (1998)
Rating: 4.0
Good movie but slim on the extras
Without a doubt, those who appreciate fine, character-driven films will find much to like in Bill Condon's 1988 critically acclaimed biopic on legendary horror director James Whale. Ian McKellen delivers his finest performance to date as the charming, charismatic director whose best days are behind him along with Lynn Redgrave as the doting maid and Brendan Fraser as a young gardener who strikes up a quick and quirky friendship with Whale. The beauty of this film lies in its narrow scope with its very small palette of locations and supporting characters, giving the film a very intimate feel in the close confines of the three major players along with the subtlety of their interaction.On the disc itself all you'll get is a poorly transferred trailer and a ho-hum 30 minute featurette that offers little in the way of further value. Also disappointing is the lack of a proper Dolby 5.1 audio track - all you'll get on this shiny disc is a paltry 2.0 mono job.