Hey folks, Harry here – I’m at the Alamo Drafthouse South – skipping a few fest flicks for the sake of staying on deadline with my DVD column. Where this week, we don’t have the volume of cool releases as last week, we have far cooler films that kick much more ass. The two Criterions, that samurai flick, Bond… it’s all so good. Now remember – the Amazon links on the boxes and the titles are portals to either buy the film or just research further information on the films. Use this list to update your rental queues or – like me – to go shopping. I hope you enjoy this edition and I’ll see you next week with more!

March 13th, 2007

CASINO ROYALE (2-disc Special Edition)

Fucking fantastic movie. It wouldn’t matter if there were one single extra on this DVD, it would be headed straight for my collection. However, there’s a real nice look at the making of the film, Daniel Craig’s take on the Bond character, the stunts and action, the girls… and the excretable video by Chris Cornell. I really wish we’d had a commentary of some sort on the disc… I’d love a Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan and Craig commentary on all the Bonds – where you could just hear them all bitch about each other – or praise each other as the character, or what their Bond would have done in a given situation… But that’s cuz, I’m like a geek… and shit like that tickles the short hairs. I’d love an unrated edition with gobs of Eva Green nudity… but sadly, I don’t think we’re going to be getting that. However, this Bond – one of the very best that have been made is ours today!!!

THE HOLIDAY

It might not be the machismo act of the week, but I loved THE HOLIDAY. Mainly because of the 4 faces and personalities, that you see above. However, mainly it’s because of the relationship between Kate Winslet and Eli Wallach – a story aspect that was kept entirely secret in the ad campaign for the film it seemed, but main – I’ll be damned if I wasn’t rooting for her to shack up with Eli throughout the film. They were awesome together. And Jude Law and Cameron Diaz are like one of those meta-couples. Where you love them, but hate them for looking and seeming so bleeding perfect together. It was just a great little couples film. A movie to snuggle up with someone ad watch. Warning – I find the film goes best with Hot Chocolate and marshmallows. Not a lot of features, but you do have a Nancy Meyers commentary and a making of featurette.

SHORTBUS

Prepare to get your freak on, because this film is a rough wool sock and three scoops of petroleum jelly away from being a great time. John Cameron Mitchell is one weird fella – and his film SHORTBUS is an accomplished adult piece of erotic fucked up-ness – that works coherently beyond a giggle factor. It confronts you with the various realms of the world of “behind closed doors”. To force you to consider the practices of others. And challenges your interpretation of what a “wild sex life” may be. This is a fantastic film. There’s deleted scenes – a feature on how to shoot sex for film. And an overall documentary on the making of this rather unique film. If you have a daring non-traditional bone in your body… check it out.

BURMESE HARP – Criterion Collection

This week, Criterion has a pair of the best movies I’ve ever seen. First, we have BURMESE HARP – a Japanese film from Kon Ichikawa that tears at one’s soul about what war is and the cost of war upon a human soul, and how you walk away from war preparing to live each day – after a life of death. The film is set in the closing period of the Pacific campaign in World War II. Specifically centering around a a platoon in BURMA retreating, then going through a prison camp. When it comes time to attempt to get a Japanese unit that refuses to give up, to do exactly that – one BRILLIANT character is asked to try to bring them out peacefully… I’ll leave it there, though theirs is so much more movie to talk about. The imagery, the lute music and the starkness of it all is just fantastic. Criterion has again gone above and beyond with an amazing transfer, interviews with the original Japanese director, Ichikawa – as well as the brilliant actor, Rentaro Mikuni. This edition has the best English subtitle I’ve seen on the film and much more.

FIRES ON THE PLAIN – Criterion Collection

Then there is… FIRES ON THE PLAIN by Kon Ichikawa. This is… hands down… one of the most brutally poignant anti-war films I’ve ever seen. The definition of defeated. I’ve never seen stark desperation, inhumanity and hopelessness portrayed so unflinchingly. Photographed in such a stunning way that you can not look away. - I just watched a documentary at SXSW on Darfur called THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK – the images of the inhumanity of conflicts and war… well it’s the only time I’ve seen reality captured as harshly as in FIRES ON THE PLAIN. It’s a film that will shake you to the core. If you loved Eastwood’s LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, that was a wonderful wonderful film, but you really owe it to yourself to see FIRES ON THE PLAIN. Again – Criterion did a knock out job – interviews with the director and actor in the film…. As well as scholarly goodness. Great job putting this one out folks!!!

GHOST (Special Collector’s Edition)

Ahhhh… GHOST. Swayze and Moore. Psychic Whoopi. The Subway scene. Pottery. Ya know – it’s been parodied so much in the 17 years that have passed since it came out, but dorky as it maybe… I love GHOST. I love the giddiness that Swayze’s Sam gets when he realizes that he can fuck with that scumbag Tony Goldwyn. I love how angry the furor of what Swayze is doing – and how it freaks the bejeesus out of Goldwyn. I know I’m supposed to talk about how corny and bullshitty it all was, but fuck you man, I’m a big-hearted romantic sucker – that eats up this film. And I also love DIRTY DANCING… and can sing, badly, all the songs. This release has director and writer commentary. Making ofs, paranormal investigations, how to make a love sing and history of great cinematic romances… which isn’t entirely complete. Heh.

The Gene Autry 100th Anniversary Collection

Ok – first off – this set has one of the all time greatest movie serials of all time. THE PHANTOM EMPIRE. A 12-chapter rollicking good time about Gene finding an inner-Earth empire with badass robots and rayguns and the whole smear. All of which existed under his famed Radio Ranch. This is one of the rare Cowboy Science Fiction epics – and man – I love it. Gene’s personality is one of the strongest that the world of Serials ever saw. That said, seeing Gene and Champion do their thing in a 30’s era science fiction pulp page turner… it’s the stuff of geek dreams. Just ask Paul Dini – it’s a fave of his.

Then you get a great selection of his films like MAN OF THE FRONTIER, RIDE RANGER RIDE, ROUND-UP TIME IN TEXAS, YODELIN KID FROM PINE RIDGE, BOOTS AND SADDLES, MAN FROM MUSIC MOUNTAIN which featured Dale Arden from the Buster Crabbe FLASH GORDON, THE OLD CORRAL with Lon Chaney Jr, LOADED PISTOLS, RIDERS OF THE WHISTLING PINES – and there’s interviews and all sorts. If you love B-westerns and sci-fi serials – this is a treat. Cowboys… singing cowboys… kick ass!

SHOGUN ASSASSIN 2 – LIGHTNING SWORDS OF DEATH

Lone Wolf And Cub… Ogami Itto… The Baddest Fucker with a Baby Carriage of all fucking time! I love LIGHTNING SWORDS OF DEATH more than just about anything ever. The arterial sprays – the tricked out carriage. This is the classic English dub that ran 89 minutes and knee deep in blood. For those of us that know all about Tomisaburo Wakayama and this series – this was the third film in the run -- but the best trailer of the series and some of the absolute best battles. Those trailers are on the disc – But for me – it is all about having a DVD of the film I grew up with… LIGHTNING SWORDS OF DEATH. I remember watching it at the Drive-In with my parents and just being in awe. It was my first samurai film. It sliced that cherry at an early age and I’ve been a bleeding heart lover of this series ever since!

LA BELLE CAPTIVE

Before EYES WIDE SHUT – there was a great little French number called La Belle Captive that was a sexual obsession flick that did what it did – perfectly. Is this an affair of the mind, an exploration of fantasy and id-charged thoughts or is this a night of unrelenting passion and discovery? Whatever you come to the conclusion of – this is one hot fucking flick that is an exquisite film. This is worth checking out – for both you girls and guys. It’s “inspiring”.

THE PERFECT CRIME

One of the coolest moments of my life was meeting Alex de la Iglesia at the world premiere of his 800 BALAS in Sitges, Spain. I had gone to Spain as a HUGE fan of his – and whenever someone with deep pockets bets on one of his ambitious projects and lets him make it his way – he will… to the people of the U.S. – seemingly come out of nowhere. He’s a brilliant filmmaker – funny, dramatic and inventive when it comes to action – and EL CRIMEN PERFECTO aka THE PERFECT CRIME is a wonderful way to be introduced to him – though nowhere near as brilliant as 800 BALAS or DIA DE LA BESTIA – which should be on every film geek’s shelf in the world… it is still an absolutely wonderful movie that delivers on laughs throughout. It’s rare that we get his films released here in this country, so by all means enjoy it.

THE HELLBENDERS

Essentially everything you need to know about this film is on the box. First – the brilliant Joseph Cotton. Second – Sergio “GREAT SILENCE & DJANGO” Corbucci is directing. The film is – badass. The poster is accurate. It is violent to an extreme – and the dvd from Anchor Bay captures it all beautifully. Oh – and then there’s the awesome Morricone music, which ties it all together. If you love Spaghetti Westerns – or if you have never seen one. This will put the taste of vengeful blood in your mouth and you’ll ask for more.