Harry here - Been boxing and moving all day - and been at it since 9am. It's now 20 hours later and I'm finishing this weeks list. Please excuse the first draftness of this - but after a big day - this was a big bunch of work. As always - either use the Amazon links or don't. There's further information there - as well as the ability to purchase. Or just fill your queue - or wave it all off as crap. Though - you'd be wrong in doing that. There's some fantastic films - and some great grind stuff at play here. Enjoy... I hope...

March 27th, 2007

HAPPY FEET

While my favorite animated film of last year was MONSTER HOUSE, this was the one that beat both that and CARS for the Best Animated Film from the vaunted Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. It’s a fun movie, I like it quite a bit, but a lot of the film doesn’t hold up to me upon multiple viewings – especially the broad humor stuff. That said – Miller did some amazing work with this film – and the crazed penguin perspective on what is happening in the world and why – is kinda freakin’ hilariously upsetting and dead on… of course – the penguins aren’t real and this isn’t really their perspective, but the imagined perspective of penguins that are fucked by a shifting environment and having to compete in a wild that is being fished far beyond it’s natural order. But hey… who wants to live forever. My favorite stuff is Elijah Wood’s crazy captive penguin stuff. Absolutely killer! The coolest extra feature on this DVD is the classic cartoon, “I LOVE TO SINGA” – sadly – the dvd isn’t a LOADED DVD. Let’s hope for us Animation junkies – that we get a packed dvd for us more adult kids.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS

I give Will Smith a lot of shit from time to time -- But when he’s not being “The Fresh Prince” in films – and he gets to the mental state that… well, let’s say he did in this film… I love the guy. In my opinion, this is my favorite Will Smith performance to date. I don’t know if it’s just him acting opposite his own son – and imagining being in the situations that his character was in – with his son… but whatever the reason… an excellent director, an excellent script, a great story taken from a true life tale… whatever… Will was in great form here. I even liked Thandie Newton’s performance, and I usually am not that kind with her. The dvd is very well done – in particular I like the feature about Will working with his Son. Just a nice feature about working with family and keeping it real nice. There’s commentary, Rubik’s Cube stuff and of course a look at the man this movie was based upon. Good stuff all around.

CHILDREN OF MEN

Arguably the best film of 2006 – and definitely the most fucked over of 2006. This is that film that will have an exponential growth in audience on DVD if there is any justice in the world. Brilliant in script – performance and the skilled capturing of it all. Alfonso Cuaron is a god and I await his every film with great anticipation. And having said that – I hope he makes a microscopic foreign language film next – just to keep the world guessing. The DVD is a gorgeous transfer – and just seeing how he shot the car scene – is just jaw dropping. What a rig. But the best features are THE POSSIBILITY OF HOPE and the Comments by Slavoj Zizek. Fucking mind opening. Thank you, Alfonso for putting that man in my head. Beyond thought provoking. Truly great use of “Special Features”.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY – VOL. 2

They’re creepy and they’re kooky, one can never have enough ADDAMS FAMILY in their lives. You’re either with it or just not worth it. It’s getting the joke of Goth life, without making it your life. It’s that fine line that Tim Burton walks – that makes NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS so blissful. But no matter how cool you want your family to be, they’ll never be… the Addams Family…snap snap. Totally worth it for the THING and COUSIN IT commentaries!

CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER

I kinda hate how this film was treated by audiences as just another film by that HERO guy. Dammit – this movie kicks ass. Literally one of the most beautiful films I’ve seen. One of the coolest films I’ve seen – what with the badass NINJAS – and Chow Yun Fat – just being Chow Yun Fat cool on screen.. If you love Zhang Yimou’s work – you’ll love this. If that sort of fantasized martial arts filmwork turns you off… Wow. Ok, this isn’t for you. This isn’t a big extras DVD – but it’s a gorgeous DVD.

THE ERROL FLYNN SIGNATURE COLLECTION ( The Charge of the Light Brigade / Gentleman Jim / The Adventures of Don Juan / The Dawn Patrol / Dive Bomber )

Warner Home Video continues their exquisite Signature line. Filled with extras. Each and every disc in the collection. But here – on my favorite Star of all time, Errol Flynn – they do yet another bang up job with a fantastic collection. One of my favorite Flynn flicks, THE ADVENTURES OF DON JUAN – part of the mental DNA that made me a sad sack romantic – It’s so much fun – even if some shots are reprinted from ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD – heh. Then there’s the fantastic CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE – which isn’t history, but legend in the way that 300 was Legend given form on screen. It isn’t how it happened, but how it was romanticized. Then you have the flying double bill of DIVE BOMBER and THE DAWN PATROL – both fantastic films in their own right. And GENTLEMAN JIM – which is an often overlooked Flynn flick, but you put it in and it will be overlooked – no longer. Flynn has a convincing sense of derring-do. His eyes searching for the most adventurous path to take. Watching him lead the Charge of the Light Brigade is just awesome. Watching him woo women in Don Juan – classic. Watching him take on the impossible in the air or in the ring. It thrills me. Forget his real life – remember his screen life. Errol Flynn lives on in this set and is one of the coolest actors of all time on screen!

Early Bergman ( TORMENT / CRISIS / PORT OF CALL / THIRST / TO JOY ) Criterion Collection

I’ve never had the opportunity to experience these early Ingmar Bergman films. I’ve loved his famous work and more modern work, but never these titles. They’re titles I’ve read about, but never saw. There’s a lot of FUN stuff on the list this month, this is essential films for serious cineastes. So if you’re like me, this is exciting films from the Eclipse series which have not been available till now. Important works from an incredibly important film artist.

TEMPEST

Any film starring John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands is a must see. I would also recommend checking out every film by Paul Mazursky. Most of us know this story from it’s science fiction telling in FORBIDDEN PLANET. Some of us have even read Shakespeare’s version or seen it produced. Here you have Mazurky’s loosely based version and while nothing can replace Robby the Robot in my heart – Raul Julia’s character comes close. And John and Gena are just a wonder to watch. And if you love early eighties Molly Ringwald – this is probably the film you missed. Check it out.

42nd STREET FOREVER: XXX-Treme Special Edition

The Grindhouse doesn’t get dirtier, raunchier or as lurid as this DVD filled with over 2 hours of the most exploitive in your face sex charged trailers that you’ll ever see… unless you go to the Alamo Drafthouse on special occasions. I’ve seen things there that rival and surpass some of this…. But not all of it. This is definitely not for you babies out there. This is very hardcore. So buy at your own risk, your fragile little mind might blush or gag.

SAMURAI 7 Box Set

I only got to see the first few DVDs of this set – and regretted that I never saw the completion. Well, here’s the whole damn thing in a fantastic DVD BOX SET put out by the great folks at Funimation! So if you want a sci-fi-ized version of SEVEN SAMURAI – as told in a very Kurosawa style, had Kurosawa gone sci fi with his vision – and – oh yeah – it’s over 11 hours in length. Is that enough badass samurai robot action? Not hardly.

ROMAN

I love this film. Did you ever get to see Lucky McKee’s MAY? I feel that is the great lost modern Horror film of the past 10 years. It’s found an audience on DVD – but since that moment – Lucky McKee has continued to work – and contrary to all the hopes of how it is supposed to work for a brilliant young filmmaker once they’re discovered… he’s been abused like you wouldn’t believe. Manhandled by the system and punks all over the place. In the midst of that pain – he teamed up with the star of MAY – and decided to shoot on DV a script he wrote before MAY – but that became a big brother to MAY. This isn’t the same story – it’s the opposite in many ways. Where MAY was about a descent into madness, this is a story that could be seen as an ascent from madness. Lucky’s performance as Roman is haunting – and this is Kristen Bell before she became Veronica Mars. And you can see that in her. But I also love Nectar Rose’s performance. And most of all – Angela Bettis brings an amazing spirit to this very very no-budget film. That’s haunting, heartbreaking and beautiful in the obscene way that death and loss can be. You may hate it for it’s lack of production value – but you’ll be missing an amazing story if you do. ROMAN is a jewel in the rough. Look for it.