‘Phone Booth’ has line on creepiness

Phone Booth

Colin Farrell, Forest Whitaker

Fox, $28

This creepy thriller plays more like a 90-minute version of “The Twilight Zone” than a feature film, but it does boast a brave performance by Irish bad boy Farrell and some nifty jolts. Penned by veteran filmmaker Larry Cohen, “Phone Booth” finds Farrell playing a low-rent, sleazy New York publicist who picks up a phone ringing in a solitary booth on a city street and finds himself the target of an unseen sniper (the voice of Kiefer Sutherland). The film was directed by Joel Schumacher in just 10 days.

“Phone Booth” was a no-frills production and so is the DVD. The only extra besides the trailer is commentary from Schumacher, who at least is pleasant and intelligent and has some interesting stories.

*

Basic

John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson

Columbia TriStar, $28

The best thing that can be said about “Basic” is that it’s better than its director John McTiernan’s last film, “Rollerball.” That said, this overly complicated “Rashomon”-type murder mystery is a waste of talent and time. Travolta plays a former Army Ranger-turned-DEA agent recruited by an old colleague (Tim Daly) to solve the murder of a despised sergeant (Jackson) who was supposedly killed while commanding a Special Forces unit during a hurricane in Panama. Needless to say, his task becomes nearly impossible because everyone he interviews has a different story surrounding the murder.

The digital edition has one too many extras for a film this negligible, including three by-the-book featurettes. McTiernan comes across as tired and bored in his audio commentary.

*

The Barbra Streisand Collection

Barbra Streisand, Ryan

O’Neal, Richard Dreyfuss

Warner, $70 for the DVD set;

$20 for single DVD; $10 for VHS

Drumroll please. For the first time in DVD history, the Oscar-winning singer-actress provides commentary. She supplies scene-specific commentary for her hit 1972 comedy “What’s Up, Doc?” and the disappointing 1979 comedy “The Main Event,” and full commentary for the underrated 1972 dramedy “Up the Sandbox” and the 1987 courtroom drama “Nuts.” Streisand, who comes across as friendly, opinionated and funny, is really a treat talking about “Up the Sandbox” and “Nuts” because she is given the time to get comfortable and chat about her love of children and her meticulous preparation for her roles. Since Streisand only supplies about 15 minutes of commentary on “What’s Up, Doc?” and “The Main Event,” she only scratches the surface.

*

Also this week

“Bartleby” (Wellspring: $24.98); “Zus & Zo” (Wellspring: $24.98).

Top VHS rentals

1. Just Married

2. Kangaroo Jack

3. Old School

4. Dark Blue

5. Tears of the Sun

Top DVD rentals

1. Just Married

2. Old School

3. Kangaroo Jack

4. Dark Blue

5. Tears of the Sun

What’s coming

Tuesday: “Shanghai Knights,” “Laurel Canyon,” “Gods and Generals” and “Pinocchio”

-- Susan King