Hey folks, Harry here with the third Tuesday of the month’s selection of DVDs for us all to collectively look at. As usual – I have Amazon links – use them or don’t. Matters not to me. This is a very nice selection of really great films – and some of the worst films of all time. You’ll see when you get into this week’s list. Here ya go…

March 20th, 2007

ROCKY BALBOA

AICN and Talkbacker Favorite son, Sylvester Stallone’s stunning closer to the ROCKY franchise has finally hit DVD. And Stallone has done a knock out job on the DVD giving us a Commentary, an alternate ending, deleted scenes, boxing bloopers (that hurt), making ofs and the shooting of the final fight. Oh and the CG fight. It’s a damn good dvd for a wonderful film. This absolutely deserves to be added right alongside the original 4. Sly is on the otherside of the world right now shooting JOHN RAMBO – and I can’t wait to learn more on that film as well. This is a must own.

BLOOD DIAMOND

I’m a huge fan of Ed Zwick’s work. One of the first advanced screenings I saw as a hungry film fan was his movie, GLORY – and I’ve been with him ever since. He’s had films that didn’t quite fulfill their promise, but his worst films are still better than most filmmakers out there. This, however, is not one of his worst. This is a very satisfying and dramatic tale that is superbly acted out by Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and the gorgeous Jennifer Connelly. After the film – which after watching THE DEVIL RODE ON HORSEBACK – it shows you the horrors that take place in Africa, when the world turns its collective backs on a region. This isn’t new. One of my favorite films on this subject is Rod Taylor’s THE MERCENARIES (aka DARK OF THE SUN) directed by the wonderful Jack Cardiff – and still not available on DVD dammit. Anyway, this is the two DVD special edition. What’s so special? Well, you’ve got Zwick’s commentary. There’s the documentary that tracks a diamond from the ground to the store where you buy it. There’s featurettes on Leonardo’s training for the film, Jennifer Connelly on female journalists in war zones and Zwick on the siege of Freetown scene. This is a powerful film worth checking out.

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED – Season Two

A couple of weeks ago, my nephew and I enjoyed a 13 episode marathon thanks to this DVD. That this series was cancelled is a travesty. Each and every episode is a delight. The coolest part is… for us advanced comic geeks – it gave me a chance to pull out some classic Silver Age comics to give my nephew background on characters like the Shining Knight – or my old serial for SPY SMASHER – which every good kid should know. This was a fantastic season of animated bliss for comic lovers – and if it be true that Warners is attempting a Justice League feature – using the creative talent behind this series would be a step in the right direction. The possibilities would be unlimited.

ERAGON

Box looks cool doesn’t it? The beginning and end of Fox’s grand Inheritance Trilogy. This turd sank quickly as the public flushed on sight. That said – when grand ambitions fail as miserably as this – I love to check them out on DVD and the bigger the edition the better. I saw a truly shit stained film during SXSW, an indie that I really wanted to walk out on – but the one thing that kept me in my seat was – the morbid curiousity regarding the Q&A, where the Director would most likely be asked to explain himself. --- Well this 2-Disc edition has more extras then you’ll know what to do with. You’ll have a detailed pitch featurette explaining the entire Inheritance trilogy. Seriously – I don’t think there has ever been a shittier movie with more pomp about how they made it. It has seemingly endless features. I don’t recommend purchasing it. However – when the fools that do buy this, realize their bad luck and take it to a second hand shop – and it hits $3, check it out. OR – just put it in your rental queue.

THE WILD WILD WEST – 2nd Season

How can a TV show kick the living bejeesus out of a grotesquely budgeted Hollywood nightmare? Check out the second season of THE WILD WILD WEST. This show has more wit and sense of fun and just pure Badassery than any moment of that nightmarish Jon Peters envisioned trash heap of celluloid. But this is pure, this is awesome, this is fun. The color is gorgeous, the music cool and Robert Conrad and Ross Martin are aces. The guest stars of the episodes include Victor Buono, Boris Karloff, Ida Lupino, Carrol O’Connor, Ricardo Montalban, John Astin and many many more.

BATMAN BEYOND – 3rd Season

I loved this series, and was genuinely excited when Boaz Yakin had brought on Paul Dini and Alan Burnett to develop and script a live-action version of BATMAN BEYOND. Sadly, that fell apart – but the original episodes are still here to kick ass. This was such a completely different and fun series for the great minds behind the classic BATMAN animated series… which I wish would have continued FOREVER. Including my fave episode of BATMAN BEYOND ever – the two part THE CALL. This is another in a long line of DVDs in my DC animated collection!

W. C. Fields Comedy Collection, Vol. 2 ( THE MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE / NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK / YOU’RE TELLING ME! / THE OLD FASHIONED WAY / POPPY )

I love W.C. Fields. He was one of the great personality comedians in history. I love his hats, his noise, his snarl and I love that he reminds me of Burgess Meredith’s Penguin on the Adam West BATMAN tv show. Here you get an absolutely exciting selection of funny as hell W.C. Fields’ work. I’ve only see NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK, which is a hilarious film biz parody. The others I’ve only ever heard about, which is what makes this set so damn exciting to me. They’ve also got a vintage 1965 television retrospect on Fields’ career which is always neat. I love vintage docs on actors – they’ve just got a sense of playfulness about them that we don’t get these days. Universal did a great job on the first set.

NAKED CITY – Criterion Collection

One of the greatest detective films, one of the most awesome films to use the location of NEW YORK – and a powerful and stark tale. If you are familiar with Jules Dassin’s BRUTE FORCE, this was the next film – and by all means – it was every bit the artistic and cinematic success that you’d hope for it to be. It feels like a documentary, until it isn’t – and the closing narration is perhaps the single best closing line of narration ever. The film isn’t filled with the biggest names, but it is loaded with character actors I love like Paul Ford, Barry Fitzgerald and Arthur O’Connell. Criterion has done another bang up job on this one, even as I wait with baited breath the release of their BRUTEFORCE in April. Disc – get here now! NOT to be missed!

The Michael Shayne, Private Detective Collection Vol 1 ( MICHAEL SHAYNE, PRIVATE DETECTIVE / THE MAN WHO WOULDN’T DIE / SLEEPERS WEST / BLUE, WHITE, AND PERFECT )

I haven’t seen a single one of these. I’ve just never had the opportunity to, but 1930’s and 1940’s Detective yarns are a fave of mine, and I have had one-sheets and lobby cards on all of these and always wanted to find out more. That said – it is a very well regarded series – and this is a chance to discover an honest to goodness “new to me” 40’s Detective. That said, I know Lloyd Nolan’s work very well. He was in films forever – and is one of those faces you’d recognize instantly as a fan of movies… or denture commercials from the 80s. Meanwhile in BLUE, WHITE AND PERFECT – George Reeves has a pre-SUPERMAN role – so that’d be fun to check out. Like I said – this is a roll of the dice shot at a particular fetish area of mine from the forties. Fox Home Video has provided lots of extras on this set – which I can’t wait to check out and discover something new, that is very old.

RE-ANIMATOR

If you don’t know RE-ANIMATOR – what the hell is wrong with you? Anchor Bay has gone above and beyond on this DVD – including you’re your own Hypo-neon green highlighter!!!! Now here’s a film that absolutely needed every ounce of love and care that Anchor Bay put into it. This is an early fave of the year for me in the DVD arena. There’s a 70 minute documentary on the making of. There’s separate interviews with Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna, Dennis Paoli and Richard Band. Deleted scenes, extended scenes, storyboards, the screenplay, the original Lovecraft story, stills, multiple commentaries. For you lovers of RE-ANIMATOR – this is the best present you could hope for. For those of you that have never seen it – prepare to discover a masterpiece of cult horror. Now get out and read more H.P. Lovecraft – it’s good for the soul!

THE ED WOOD COLLECTION – A SALUTE TO INCOMPETENCE

Ok – you’ve seen Tim Burton’s ED WOOD – but here’s the real thing. The most charmingly awful films in history, the work of Edward D Wood Jr. You get, GLEN OR GLENDA, JAIL BAIT, BRIDE OF THE MONSTER, THE VIOLENT YEARS, NIGHT OF THE GHOULS and finally… PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE. You get all of these for like $9. This is a great set for that Grade Z film party that you’re aching to throw. You know – where you have your friends dress up in the worst possible versions of authoritative costumery. Worst cop, surgeon, detective, alien leader, vampire goddess. You know – that sort of thing. And you eat the worst foods – like SPAM, BEEF JERKY, PEZ, etc… And you drink bad beer – and… well you get the idea.

MASTERS OF HORROR - PRO-LIFE

BANNED FROM WAL-MART!!!! Do your part to protest WAL-MART!!! Also written by some crotchety old fart at AICN and his fiercely attractive, magnificent example of the human form, writing partner. It’s Moriarty’s take on Abortion… even as he was having a baby. SO WEIRD. Some love it, some hate it. Some hate it without seeing it. Don’t be one of those bastards! Plus you can hear Moriarty on the commentary with John Carpenter and someone named Scott Swan.

THE CARE BEARS MOVIE

Guys had THE TRANSFORMERS MOVIE – Chicks had THE CARE BEARS MOVIE. We guys like to think ours was better, but we didn’t have a sequel movie, Care Bears did. I took my baby sis to see this fucker, back in the day. It’s unbearably cute! I’ve never been able to shake the notion, that Care Bears were invented by Satan to replace God’s cherubs. And I believe that till this very day. However, chicks dig this movie. Not all chicks, but some very cute ones – and if you happen to have this in your video collection – you’ll probably score. I did. Btw - the following is not on this DVD, but M.D. sent it to me tonight - and it's very appropriate!

JULIA

Saw this at the World Premiere at the VILLAGE THEATER here in Austin – with Jane and Vanessa there. Now the ALAMO VILLAGE. This is a wonderful film about a playwright doing some fun anti-nazi stuff. The performances by Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave are awesome. This is a mostly forgotten film that deserves to be rediscovered.

MILPITAS MONSTER

This film was made as a High School movie in 1975, where everyone is who their characters are – but it’s a giant monster movie. It’s hokey as hell, but if you love amateur attempts at feature filmmaking from a bygone era – then this is a jewel for you. It’s literally one of the worst movies ever made, but watching the kids playing with effects, camera movement and all the tricks is very fun. It’s quite ambitious – just hokey as well.

WIFE SWAPPERS

Did you always hate that Ang Lee didn’t commit to the Wife Swapping scene in THE ICE STORM? Well – here’s the seventies sexploitation for you… and they all have English accents! BONUS! Not a great one, but definitely a fun one.

THE BLACK PIRATE

A Terence Hill, Bud Spencer PIRATE MOVIE?!?!?!?! Where the fuck has this been my entire life? The single most exciting film of the week. I bet this thing is awesome! Anybody seen this? I’ve seen the Douglas Fairbanks BLACK PIRATE many times, it kicks ass. But never even heard of this one. What a joy to have to look forward to! Just in case you don’t know who these guys are, they’re the geniuses from the TRINITY westerns. Very curious to see this one!