Hey folks, Harry here to shock you with the return of my DVD column. I’m sorry it has been gone for so long, but… well, it’s been quite a year for me – and I hope you’ll forgive me. However, I intend to keep these up. Now if you’re reading this column for the first time – realize this is by no means a complete look at the DVDs coming out. It is simply the ones that I’m interested in, that I’ve watched and that I’m looking forward to. At this point, I’m not including BLU-RAY in that, simply because I don’t own a player yet, I will be getting one this holiday season – and regret that I don’t have one this week, because Romero’s DAWN and DAY hit along with Bram Stoker’s Dracula – and Robocop next week. But I’ll just have to bury my tears with TOP GUN. Heh. Here’s my Picks and Peeks for the week ahead!

THE WAR

Ken Burns is a brilliant documentarian – one so good, that you don’t need me to tell you about him, because you’re already familiar with his continual success as the number one name in televised documentaries. This time his subject is World War II – and here he attacks the subject with a point of view that we haven’t really seen – how World War II affected the people that fought it, worked to support it, and… well, just about the most comprehensive and personal look at the war. Working with his co-director Lynn Novick and with celebs like Sam Jackson, Alan Arkin and Tom Hanks involved – he’s again succeeded beyond expectations. This, along with DEATH PROOF were the DVDs I took my father to watch while he was spending his time in the hospital recovering from his TIA. The doc is an essential for anyone that is a junkie on WWII.

THE JUNGLE BOOK (2-Disc 40th Anniversary Platinum Edition)

Finally I get to own JUNGLE BOOK in the right aspect ratio!!! That by itself is a reason to acquire this DVD. That it also has a digitally cleaned up and restored original soundtrack – it’s amazing. As is typical of Disney’s Platinum Edition – you’ll get stuff you’ve never seen before… like the deleted songs which I’d never heard before. As for THE JUNGLE BOOK – it is one of the most wonderful Disney animated films. Louis Prima and Phil Harris’ voice work was absolutely classic! Fantastic work. If you have a family or if you’re just a kid at heart – you’ve got to have THE JUNGLE BOOK.

FANTASTIC FOUR – RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER (The Power Cosmic Edition 2-Disc Set)

This is by no means a great FANTASTIC FOUR film. It’s not even a really good movie, but it is a fun one. The simpleton playing Doc Doom should be destroyed. If FOX ever got their shit together and had the right writing team and the right director – they’d have a film that would blow away their box office expectations and make all the fans happy, forever. Alas – this is the best they could do with the lack of talent they went with – and the result is – fun. Doug Jones’ work as the Silver Surfer is exemplary. As was Spectral Motion’s work on the Surfer and the digital enhancement work that went into the creation of the SILVER SURFER. And yes, the SILVER SURFER is not a complete CG creation – no matter what Fox publicity is telling you. It’s worth owning – for the man on the cover of this edition. The Silver Surfer rules – period.

CALIGULA (3 Disc Imperial Edition)

One of the oddest film experiences you’ll ever have. This… crazy ass edition with extra overload is well… to be expected with something so infamous. Personally – the commentaries by Malcolm McDowell and Helen Mirren are worth the disc by themselves. But the interview with Tinto Brass is also fun. There’s also a high def transfer of the film – and they have a pre-release version of the film with stuff we’ve never seen. Oh – and there’s billions of photos, a long documentary – the screenplay, Penthouse features and more. If you want to see the most crazy x-rated film produced with A-list folks – look no further, but remember – this shit is deviant as hell – so venture at your own risk.

TOP GUN (HD DVD)

I know it is very uncool to love this movie, but fuck that. I love this movie. I loved this movie as a 14 year old – and the 35 year old version of myself thinks that 14 year old kicked ass and is right on with his assessment of this film. This film will look so fucking good on my HD player – I can’t wait.

1408 (2 Disc Collector’s Edition)

Here’s a film that I missed on theatrical run – mainly due to s much going on with my wedding. That said – as soon as the film arrived in my hands for review, I put it in, because I’d heard realy good things on the film. Now it isn’t one of the GREAT haunted films. But it is a very good one. That said – next to films like THE CHANGELING, THE HAUNTING, THE SHINING or even the upcoming THE ORPHANAGE – it’s just a page turner. Sam Jackson and Cusack are wonderful in the film – and room 1408, well it is the real star. The second disc on this version has the longer director’s cut which is frankly, a better version.- it has a writer and director’s commentary – there’s also deleted scenes and a making of. It’s very good.

THE FILMS OF KENNETH ANGER, Vol 2

Ok – I alerted y’all to the first set of Kenneth Anger films – they were the rare, hard to find films. Here – you have some powerfully hard to take cinema. If you’ve never seen SCORPIO RISING of LUCIFER RISING or RABBIT’S MOON – I’m betting you haven’t a clue how rough film can be. SCORPIO RISING is a brilliant harsh vulgar film that will shock you if you’ve never seen it. Also in this set you have KUSTOM KAR KOMMANDOS, INVOCATION OF MY DEMON BROTHER.

BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA (Collector’s Edition)

I love Francis Ford Coppola’s BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA. It is wildly theatrical, it uses every trick of silent cinema and beyond – the use of in-camera tricks thrill – and Gary Oldman is beyond amazing. The score is stunning, the photography, costume design, sets – everything is spectacular. The wolf creature, the bat creature superb. Neo and the Rocketeer aside – this film is brilliant. This collector’s edition comes with commentary by Coppola, a documentary, fantastic deleted scenes and more. You should also be aware that it is available this week on Blu-Ray!

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION – Complete Series

It’s hard to believe that it has been 20 years since we were introduced to Captain Picard and his crew at ENCOUNTER AT FARPOINT – but then those of us that watched that initial broadcast… anxious to see it suck or succeed – well, I remember being incredibly blown away. Not so much by that first episode, but by the cast and the characters. I was genuinely interested to see them in action. And for the following 7 years, I don’t think I missed an episode. I still prefer the classic Trek, if only because it had better writers, more audacious concepts and a perfect trifecta of command. But here on this set you get every episode aired. 49 Discs – 8085 minutes of Trekker love. Now for the bad news. Paramount really didn’t do much of anything with this edition. You won’t find commentaries or special features on a per-episode basis. There is A special features disc, but that’s like a kiss on the ass of a cadaver. Too little. Too late. Still – the $305 price at Amazon is $151 off the “retail” price and is a very nice way to go through this set. The packaging is a tad on the annoying side. Without any clear labeling as to where the seasons begin and end, but again – this is the cheapest way to pick up this amazing set. – However, I wouldn’t be surprised if PARAMOUNT does a spectacular set to promote and push to help enhance the visibility of the STAR TREK brand around the release of JJ’s Trek relaunch. I’m glad I have this set though. I get to brainwash my new wife.. I’ve got the binding chair and the eye moisteners set up…. Now she’s just got to watch 8085 minutes non-stop… I love the espresso drip machine I’ve constructed! Wow – Yoko is as old as STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION… now I feel dirty.

FUNNY FACE (50th Anniversary Edition)

Stanley Donen, Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn. Yeah – it’s S’wonderful, s’Marvelous! I love this film – that black leotard suit she wears… dreamy. They’ve finally added some special features, but alas – Astaire and Hepburn aren’t around to add to them. They’re nice, but the real jewel is FUNNY FACE itself. It’s one of the classics. I just can’t wait for Paramount to release every title, day and date, in HD. Because 50’s Technicolor looks stunning as hell in HD. Cie la vie.

FLIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: OUTBREAK ON A PLANE

Saw this at Fantastic Fest. It’s a goofy fun forgettable addition to the Zombie genre. There’s some neat gags, but the casting and low-budget hurts the production – and the direction is threadbare. However, if you like ridiculous funky zombie movies – you might squeeze some enjoyment out of it.

MISERY (Collector’s Edition)

My favorite Rob Reiner film. I love MISERY. I love it because it’s about a writer and his fans. It’s about the eccentricities of writing, the method, the ritual of writing. The superstition of success. Then there’s Annie. She’s the ultimate Talkbacker – that fan that demands that George Lucas do it right. That Fox make a great FANTASTIC FOUR movie – and she’s willing to go all the way to making it happen. To strapping Jorge down and hobbling his ankles until he makes Star Wars kick ass the way they always dreamt of. This movie is in the back of the minds of every creative person when a fan walks up and says those deadly words, “I’m your number one fan!” This edition has commentaries by Rob Reiner and another by William Goldman – and it is genuinely difficult to decide which is better. Then there’s a lot of special features, my fave being the series of “Stalker” documentaries and the CELEBRITY STALKERS feature. Great stuff and genuinely scary.

THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (1932)

A brilliant film. I absolutely love it. Now we come to the controversy of the digital coloring of these films and the using of Ray Harryhausen’s name upon films he was not a part of. Frankly, I’m fine with it – the digital coloring has come a long way since it’s early Turner days – and with the other versions, the original versions so readily available, I don’t feel threatened. For me, upon this title the best version is the Criterion version - that said, I always love checking out these versions – they remind me of the lobby cards and movie poster art from the films. A fantastical color, not real, but then this is a film that was not striving for realism, but theatricality. Call it a curiosity and I enjoy curiosities – how about you?

EVIL ALIENS

If you loved BLACK SHEEP, UNDEAD or FEAST – this is your sort of candy. It’s a low budget film by a promising filmmaker that we should all keep our eye on. It’s bloody fun – and this is your first chance to give it a look. It’s worth looking at. Especially for those in love with comical over the top gore and craziness.

Welcome To Grindhouse: THE HELLCATS / CHAIN GANG WOMEN

Frankly, I’d recommend picking up every film in the “Welcome To Grindhouse” series – simply because – if you can’t attend The Alamo Drafthouse’s SOMETHING WEIRD WEDNESDAY series – it can serve as the next best thing. This edition contains a wonderful exploitive double bill of THE HELLCATS and CHAIN GANG WOMEN. HELLCATS is about a wild female biker gang – and CHAIN GANG WOMEN is self explanatory. Both films are presented in their original aspect ratios and looking pretty fabulous. If you like to see rough and tough women being handled and handling other roughly – this is a delight. It’s funky and fun.

MYSTICS IN BALI

If that box art doesn’t say everything you need to know to want this title – then the film isn’t for you. Suffice to say – the film is actually weirder than the box art and delivers even more. This is one of those foreign films that’s taken 26 years to reach our shores, but let me tell you, it’s been worth the wait. It is a strikingly bizarre work that will leave you wondering what the hell you’ve just seen – throughout the film.

I PASSED FOR WHITE

In 1960, this film was stunning and a shocker. Today it’s a bizarre picture to compare how far we’ve come. If you love societal exploitation – you’d love a chance to see this film. I first knew about this film when we had the one-sheet in my father’s poster collection. It was such a lurid one-sheet – so naughty and edgy. Now it’s just a fascinating bookmark of history.

See you next week with looks at titles like 28 Weeks Later, The Lodger, Poltergeist, Degrassi High, Black Sheep and Lon Chaney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame. Till then, enjoy your DVDs!