No one captures machismo on screen quite like David Mamet.

The testosterone-lovin’ scribe may have reached his personal zenith with “The Edge,” a taut 1997 thriller which made its Blu-ray debut last week.

The film casts Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin as two very different men forced to survive in bear-infested woods.

It’s genre filmmaking spiked with Mamet’s brute storytelling, and one anchored by two savvy vets who bring a nasty friction to their respective roles.

Hopkins stars as Charles Morse, a billionaire who accompanies his trophy wife (Elle Macpherson) to a photo shoot out in the Alaskan wilderness.

Charles decides to take an impromptu flight with head photographer Bob (Baldwin) to find a more suitable subject for a forthcoming shoot.

But a gaggle of birds brings down their small plane, killing the pilot and sending Charles, Bob and and an assistant (Harold Perrineau of “Lost” fame) crashing to earth.

Survival is the first order now, but that won’t be easy with an angry bear stalking the grounds.

Charles’ rapacious mind gives him an edge over his younger, more fit companions. He can make a compass out of a paper clip and has a survival anecdote for every scenario – a precious piece of storytelling that’s hard to swallow here. Still, Charles’ pluck might not be enough if that bear gets any closer.

And there’s something about the quiet rivalry between Charles and Bob that can’t be overlooked.

Director Lee Tamahori (“Once Were Warriors”) stages the bear battles with a “how’d they do that?” ferocity, but he keeps even the quieter moments humming with possibility.

Hopkins and Baldwin are uniquely qualified to commandeer the screen, which makes their scenes together far more than just an exercise in man vs. nature theatrics.

“The Edge” doesn’t come equipped with any extras, Blu-ray or otherwise. That’s a shame since the bear sequences alone demand a shot-by-shot breakdown, or at least some funny anecdotes from the cast and crew.

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Alec Baldwin’s transformation from leading man to character actor was so complete it’s a shock to see his old self on screen.

Baldwin flirted with A-list status thanks to “The Hunt for Red October,” but his follow up movies – like “The Shadow” and “The Marrying Man” – forced him to consider other options.

That’s a shame, since perhaps his least populist film, “Miami Blues,” gave us the best proof he could have been a major movie star.

The film, from writer/director George Armitage, let Baldwin flash a dangerous brand of sex appeal – and a hairy chest that belongs back in the 1970s.

“Blues” follows an ex-con named Junior (Baldwin) whose bid for a fresh start begins with a series of petty crimes.

He steals a suitcase, breaks the finger of an intrusive Hari Krishna devotee and orders a prostitute up to his hotel room. It’s dumb luck the man with the broken finger dies of shock, but his room service prostitute (Jennifer Jason Leigh) gives him a loyal love interest.

Junior’s activities catch the attention of a bedraggled detective named Hoke (Fred Ward) who makes it his mission to bring Junior to justice – and retrieve his stolen dentures.

But first he’ll share a porkchop dinner with him.

Suffice to say Junior isn’t a nice fellow. He’s prone to bending people’s bones in the wrong direction and harbors no remorse for anything he does – except when it comes to Susie.

“Miami Blues” doesn’t have much of a narrative beyond Junior’s downward spiral. The Miami setting gives color to a story already brimming with texture, and Armitage’s screenplay wisely includes some biting humor.

Armitage takes pains to mix up his shots, extolling in the power of Junior unhinged mind one moment, then slowing things done to reveal his shattered soul. Consider a smart sequence early in the movie using a hand-held camera to capture the tenderness – and fragility – of Junior putting the moves on Susie for the first time.

That’s quiet, beautiful movie making.

Baldwin, his voice a register or two higher than his “30 Rock” line readings, is all coiled energy here. He’s as cool as Ward is disheveled, and their cat and mouse chase is one we haven’t seen before. Or since.

Leigh turns prostitute cliches on their head, and while she’s dim enough to buy Junior’s shpiel she never loses sight of her real goal – a honest life.

“Miami Blues” may have been too dark, too scattered for mainstream success. But watching it today shows just how far Baldwin could take his talents – and what we’d see when he pushed them to the edge.

(Photo: Jennifer Jason Leigh plays a woman who takes a risk on a charismatic stranger (Alec Baldwin) in “Miami Blues.”)

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Alec Baldwin went through a curious mid-life crisis.

Rather than bemoan the fact he was losing leading men roles to other, younger actors, he went the supporting actor route.

And it worked better than anyone could have expected.

Baldwin’s work in “The Cooler,” “Along Came Polly” and “The Departed” show his versatility and willingness to grab the smaller, meatier roles and make them his own.

But one role he seems ill-suited for is politician.

No, it’s not about his left-leaning politics. Just ask Sen. Al Franken if that’s an issue for him.

Baldwin’s notorious temper apparently comes with an equally thin skin. Check him out excoriating CNN’s Jack Cafferty for daring to suggest Baldwin wasn’t fit for office.

You’ll have to read to the very end to see just how angry the column gets.

If Baldwin decides to run for office in any capacity, he can expect a lot more Cafferty-style assaults.

The Long Island native already has an impressive film and TV career. Here’s hoping he doesn’t make the unwise choice to leave both behind.

(Photo: Actor Alec Baldwin, Emmy winning co-star of NBC’s “30 Rock”)

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