Unflinching brutality, scale mark Scorsese's 'Gangs'

You know what's great about having Martin Scorsese's American epic, "The Gangs of New York" (Miramax, R), on home video for the July 4 weekend? You can pause it every time you nod off.

Don't go pointing your Roman candle at me. It's an achievement that deserves to be seen for its scale and detail, its unflinching brutality and Daniel Day-Lewis' scenery-chewing villain, Bill the Butcher. But Leonardo DiCaprio (who can't even grow decent facial hair) is weak as the hero in a too-familiar revenge plot set in New York's Civil War-era Five Points area — all stretched to 167 minutes. Years after the gang rumble in which Bill slaughtered his father, Amsterdam (Leo) returns to infiltrate Bill's outfit, and hooks up with pickpocket Cameron Diaz.

The double-DVD is loaded like an Ellis Island boat. In his audio commentary, Scorsese talks about nurturing the project over three decades. There's plenty of making-of material, U2's "The Hands That Built America" music video, and a good Discovery Channel doc about the real-life gangs.

More of what made America great — in a drinking-while-boating way: "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" (Paramount, PG-13). Step One: Rent this romantic comedy with him. Magazine columnist Kate Hudson dates unwitting Matthew McConaughey for the titular article; he bets his ad agency boss that she'll fall for him. Long, predictable, nearly laughless.

"The Real Cancun" (Warner, R) is a largely detestable reality movie from the perpetrators of "The Real World," with more sex and swearing than on TV. A group of shockingly dumb dudes and chicks on spring break! But I admit I laughed at scenes of the nerdy teetotaling virgin Alan's corruption.

Something else that made this country great: an Englishman. Of "The Chaplin Collection" (Warner, unrated) I sing. A quartet of Charlie's milestones (also available separately), with new digital transfers and a wealth of extras on two discs each.

"Modern Times" (1936): The Little Tramp's swan song, amid automation and poverty inspired by Henry Ford and his assembly lines. Extras: Newsreel footage of Chaplin — then the world's biggest star — meeting with Gandhi; an archival pro-machine doc against "human waste;" a karaoke version of his "nonsense song;" and Liberace singing "Smile." Uplifting.

"The Gold Rush" includes the restored 1925 silent version and Chaplin's 1942 re-release with his narration and score. The Tramp as a starving prospector, inspired by a picture of prospectors at the Chilkoot Pass — which he re-created with 600 real tramp extras. His inspiration for the legendary boot-cooking scene? That wacky, cannibalistic Donner Party. The documentary says his dancing-rolls bit was so popular that some projectionists immediately rolled it back for encores.

"The Great Dictator" (1940): Chaplin speaks for the first time in a daring lampoon — as Adenoid Hynkel — begun well before America understood the extent of Nazism. When he got worried, FDR encouraged him. A quality hourlong documentary (the ones on the other three are half as long) traces the lives of Chaplin and Hitler, who were born in the same week. There's evidence Hitler saw the film — twice. Recently discovered color footage is included.

"Limelight" (1952): Chaplin's last U.S. film, because his politics had made him reviled among Cold War pinko-haters here. His score won an Oscar, but not until 21 years later. An old comic on the way down nurtures a young dancer (Claire Bloom) on the way up. Extras: The score; a couple of passages from "Footlights," which he'd first written as a novel; a deleted scene in which he takes a, well, handout from an armless friend; home movies of Chaplin returning to his nasty English 'hood.

As if you needed another excuse to skip the bad Yankee remakes of these two, now in MGM special editions: "Wings of Desire" (1987, PG-13) has an audio commentary with director Wim Wenders and Peter Falk, a 43-minute doc detailing the lack of a script for the story of angels longing to be human, and more than a half-hour of deleted scenes.

"La Femme Nikita" (1990, R) is much lighter for such a stylish and influential action film, with just a 20-minute documentary and a short on the music. Director Luc Besson is MIA, but the actors discuss his planned ending that had the assassin going on a vengeance spree. Next week, Warner comes out with the 22-episode first season of the American TV "La Femme Nikita" spinoff, with "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" star Peta Wilson.

Saving the most intense for last: "The Experiment" (Columbia, R): A random group of men volunteers. Some are prisoners, some are guards. It's just a game. Right? Think "Shock Corridor" by way of "Oz" by way of that '70s Shatner movie called "The Tenth Level," and you've got a movie that had me clenched until the last minute.

Also new this week: From Fox, "Anastasia" (1956, unrated), the three-disc first season of "King of the Hill" (unrated) and "There's Something More About Mary" (1998, R), with new footage and extras on two discs. Roman Polanski directs and stars in "The Tenant" (Paramount, 1976, R).

Mark Rahner: mrahner@seattletimes.com