Hey folks, Harry here with this week’s DVD PICKS AND PEEKS. Lots of good stuff this week and as usual it isn’t intended to be complete, but to reflect what I like and am looking to pick up this week. Let’s stop wasting time and get to it. You have links to the Amazon pages on everything you can click on, use that to find out more info, purchase the item or just load the titles into your Netflicks account and have at it!
MEET THE ROBINSONS
This is the first Disney Animated film in the post Pixar takeover. This wasn’t developed under John’s watchful eye – but it was reworked by him – apparently fairly heavily. The resulting film is… alright – but feels less than it should be. It feels like a series that should be running on CARTOON NETWORK that I catch a part of while waiting for something better. That said – there’s a lot that I like. The design of the worlds I love. The character work is a bit stiff and uninspired. The extras on the disc are pretty extensive and the DVD looked pretty sharp on my screen – I can only imagine how much sharper it would be in BLU-RAY, which it is coming out in today as well.
HOSTEL – PART II
In my opinion – Eli Roth’s very best film to date. I am really quite fond of this film, mainly because in advance – I thought the idea of a sequel to HOSTEL was not really the best idea in the world. I loved the original film, but didn’t want to see a film that merely did a step by step retelling, but with female victims. Luckily – that’s not what we got. The kills are spectacular… the cameos are awesomely obscure but delicious for fans of the genre. And this time, there’s lovely main characters that I cared about – which made the whole thing just that much more intense. The DVD is loaded with tons of extras – especially fun is the Gore fun that plays out – and I like the Elvis Mitchell chat with Eli as well. Note for all you BLU RAY lovers – this is out exclusively on Blu-RAY where you can tell with crystal clarity what is being cut off in that final sequence. And long to taste it.
THE ADVENTURES OF YOUNG INDIANA JONES – Volume One
I don’t know what I was doing back when this series was on the air, but I only seem to remember ever watching that one episode with a very old Harrison Ford as Indy – with a beard playing a saxophone. But I remember wanting to see this series and just never catching it when it aired. PROBLEM SOLVED. This first set takes you through the younger adventures of the Young Indiana Jones and over the 12 discs you begin to realize almost instantly just how amazingly ambitious this was. Take for example the episode where young Indy meets a kid in Morocco that is a slave and learns about slavery when he screws up and ends up sold into slavery himself. It’s kinda super fucked up. This isn’t a case of being a slave where you get to build your own robot and podrace for the helluvit. No – this is being beaten and abused. It’s brutal, scary and rough. And at the end of the episode – does Indy say anything to try and free his friend? No. Kid is doomed to be a slave forever and not realize any of the dreams that Indy gave him. OR the episode where Indy ends up hanging with a young Norman Rockwell in the Parisian Bohemian Art Scene. It’s classic. A gun-wielding Pablo Picasso. It is classic. There’s a ton of great stories and locales. It isn’t preachy or teachy – but you learn tons as you watch it. Highly recommended for families with kids to get them hungry for history.
BREATHLESS – CRITERION COLLECTION
You don’t need me to tell you about this one, but if you do… I will. Jean-Luc Godard’s BREATHLESS is a visually arresting and frankly breathless film starring the amazing Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg. While I prefer BAND OF OUTSIDERS – this is the other absolutely essential film… and historically more significant film by Godard. Criterion has a stunning transfer here and the two discs are filled with interviews, video essays, a feature length French produced documentary on the making of the film and much much more. Including Francois Truffaut’s original film treatment. This is another jewel from Criterion!!!
DAYS OF HEAVEN – CRITERION COLLECTION
Did I just say how much I love Criterion? Well, here’s the other masterpiece of the week they have coming out. Terrence Malick’s DAYS OF HEAVEN. Do you love stunning cinematography? How about the most amazing film that Richard Gere has ever been a part of? Or a hot as hell 70’s era Brooke Adams? DAYS OF HEAVEN is utterly fantastic. Criterion again lives up to being the best in DVD with a wonderful brand new transfer that kicks the shit out of the previous release. There’s a commentary by Jack Fisk, Billy Weber, Patricia Norris and Dianne Crittenden – all of whom are conspirators of Malick’s and they talk quite openly about how Terrence works. There’s interviews with Gere and Sam Shepard that talk about Malick’s working with actors – Gere isn’t that loving. But damn if this film isn’t fan-fucking-tastic.
WARNER DIRECTORS SERIES – STANLEY KUBRICK ( 2001 – A SPACE ODYSSEY / A CLOCKWORK ORANGE / THE SHINING / EYES WIDE SHUT / FULL METAL JACKET / A LIFE IN PICTURES – Documentary )
Warner Brothers has been fairly mysterious about this release. Which kinda pisses me off. They sent me a press release saying they were sending me this set on HD DVD to check out – because if you’ve seen FULL METAL JACKET on HD DVD – it is an HD version of a really inferior transfer and the disc had problems. The only HD DVD that I’ve had that I would actually say sucks. Now they claim this box set is coming out on HD DVD and BLU RAY – but I can’t seem to find the Box Set listed on AMAZON – which is aggravating the living shit out of me – but the single titles are available. If you’re just on DVD – I would recommend waiting till you upgraded to HD DVD or BLU RAY before diving into this title. Below are the HD DVD individual titles – with BLU-RAY links beneath them…. BUT at this stage – I haven’t received product to review for you yet. But in terms of High Def film – these are the releases of the week – let’s pray they’ve been done right!
on BLU RAY Here!
on BLU RAY Here!
on BLU RAY Here!
on BLU RAY Here!
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Ultimate Collector’s Edition)
I’m a huge fan of the Alastair Sim version of the SCROOGE story. It’s my very favorite rendition of the tale. Now – I’m not recommending this version because of the colorized version of the film. Rather – it’s all the extras – like the commentary by George Cole that played the Young Ebenezer Scrooge – and what it was like to work with Alastair Sim. The visual fx – a look at the producer George Mintner and more. This is a classic that has often been released with no-frills… this two disc set is finally done right. Nice.
TALES FROM THE CRYPT – Seventh Season
I’m not a big fan of the final season of TALES FROM THE CRYPT – but there’s some fun here – like Ewan McGregor in COLD WAR or Eddie Izzard in CONFESSION. But frankly this season is for completist only. I love TALES FROM THE CRYPT – so it’s for me.
O LUCKY MAN! (2 disc special Edition)
This is probably the very best release of the week. If you know IF… which was directed by Lindsay Anderson and starred Malcolm McDowell – this is the film that Malcolm and Lindsay brainstormed together while working on IF… And it is finally fucking available on DVD!!! The highlight is Malcolm’s fantastic performance, but closing in at a very close second was the music by Alan Price which absolutely is perfect!!! Absolutely fantastic. This is a treat! Enjoy it, this will be a film you’ll show your friends that’ll make them love you for introducing it, they’ve never seen it… most likely.
THE SUPER POWERS TEAM: GALACTIC GUARDIANS
This was the final season of Hanna Barbera’s SUPERFRIENDS – titled SUPER POWERS TEAM: GALACTIC GUARDIANS. Unlike most shows in their final season – I personally have always felt this final season was the very best. It added Firestorm and Cyborg. Darkseid and his disciples appeared. It was just real cool! I believe this was the first time Batman’s origin was told on TV – and my fave Bizarro episode animated ever. I loved this season – and if you’re an old fart like me, you probably did too. If not, it’s time you begun.
BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN (The Ultimate Edition)
While I prefer ALEXANDER NEVSKY, I also love BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN – well – KINO has launched a fantastic undertaking to restore the film to it’s most complete edition yet. This is an HD transferred restoration – Dozens of missing shots from the prints we’ve seen have been restored. The 1926 score has been recorded with a 55 piece orchestra in 5.1 stereo. If you know KINO’s work – they’ve done their very best to bring this film back to as close as we’ve seen to the 1925 premiere print. It blew me away.
FIDO
This was wonderful. A 1950’s Uplifting Zombie film is the most delightful thing I’ve seen in a very long time. It’s like Old Yeller, but like Old Yeller came back from the dead and… well… you’ll have to see. The performances are outstanding – and I love the set design – in particular the sheets and drapes in the kid’s room. I love that print and would kill to get a shirt made out of it. Zombies and Army Men print. Fucking awesome. Wasn’t in theaters long – but this is a great one to show at your Halloween party this year. Noone that loves zombies, won’t love it.
THE ADVENTURES OF AQUAMAN – THE COMPLETE COLLECTION
When I was 4 years old – the very first film I purchased was a 16mm episode of THE ADVENTURES OF AQUAMAN. I loved Aquaman – and I always wanted a giant SeaHorse and breathe underwater. I’ve done scuba-diving off a couple of great reefs – but as awesome as it is – it never captures the dream of AQUAMAN. The animation was clunky and stories were corny… but I fucking loved it.
UNDER THE VOLCANO – Criterion Collection
This is a John Huston film that I haven’t seen. I kow it’s not generally considered one of his best, but with themes of WWII, Dia De Los Muertos… and actors like Albert Finney and Jacqueline Bisset… it’s definitely worth checking out – and Criterion is giving it a shot, so I’ll be damned if I’m not gonna check it out! It’s filled with features, so it’ll be a bunch to discover! Yay!
BURT LANCASTER – THE SIGNATURE COLLECTION ( THE FLAME AND THE ARROW / JIM THORPE ALL-AMERICAN / HIS MAJESTY O’KEEFE / SOUTH SEA WOMAN / EXECUTIVE ACTION )
I’ve seen three of the films in this set. My favorite is THE FLAME AND THE ARROW – mainly because I love a good bit of swash-buckling. And that’s exactly what you get from Burt. Next – I love EXECUTIVE ACTION – which was made in 73 and is a JFK conspiracy film – long long before Oliver Stone got to it – and with quite a bit of the same material. When I discovered this, it was like a revelation. Then there’s JIM THORPE – ALL AMERICAN which is an amazing look at Jim Thorpe and the shitty situation he had that took his Gold Medals away – but moreso it shows you how amazing Thorpe was – and pulls up short of the truly tragic years that this film doesn’t address. What’s great about this set is that it shows a lot of different looks at Burt Lancaster – but it isn’t made up of any of his BEST films – but rather the overlooked films. The titles that don’t get played nearly as much as films like ELMER GANTRY or THE PROFESSIONALS or THE CRIMSON PIRATE – but you learn that even in the lesser known films… Burt Lancaster was a star!
BAVA BOX SET, VOL. 2 (LISA & THE DEVIL / HOUSE OF EXORCISM / BAY OF BLOOD / BARON BLOOD / KIDNAPPED / ROY COLT AND WINCHESTER JACK / 5 DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON / FOUR TIMES THAT NIGHT )
I love Mario Bava – and I’ve a confession to make. BARON BLOOD scared the living shit out of me when I was a kid. I remember we hung a sheet off the back of the renthouse in back of my childhood home and watched this on IB TECH – and it gave me nightmares for weeks. Watching it now – I can only presume it’s the atmosphere and luridness of the movie – which doesn’t seem scary today – but it’s one of those films from my childhood that just the mention of – rekindles the spine-tingles of long ago. This is a great look at some of the campy classics that BAVA made. In particular – I’m looking forward to checking out ROY COLT AND WINCHESTER JACK – a Bava western sounds fascinating. You should love BARON BLOOD, LISA AND THE DEVIL (Elke Summer is fucking hot as hell in that) This is another great set by Anchor Bay! And something to enjoy leading up to Halloween!
INSIDE MAN (HD DVD)
I really love this film by Spike Lee. Watching it last week on HD DVD – the film just popped to life. Gorgeous transfer – and my favorite extra was a feature between Spike and Denzel where they talk about their work together through this film. Just shooting the shit remembering the prep for MALCOLM X… it’s amazing. The film is such a showboat for Clive Owen, who is really just a great badass – and has out thought Denzel at every turn and there’s nothing I love more than a great caper flick and a perfect crime. This is one of those films and I love how it is put together. The interview process – keeping you guessing as to what happened and how it happened – and what the in game was. It holds up on multiple views too.
CARLITO’S WAY (HD DVD)
Talk about a gorgeous image for HD. Brian DePalma’s CARLITO’S WAY is just gorgeous. The neon and the lighting is just beautiful. The textures – and just the awesome nudity from Penelope Ann Miller in HD. It’s something to be appreciated. It’s weird though – I swear when I saw this back in 1993, I had problems with it. But ya know… now… with a cast counting Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller, John Leguizamo, THE GUZMAN and an amazing turn by Viggo Mortensen… well I honestly love every last minute of the film. Also on HD this week is the sequel, which I just refuse to watch on general principle.
I LOVE LUCY: THE COMPLETE SERIES
I can’t imagine owning the complete series to I LOVE LUCY… but ya know – there’s crazy people that love this show. Lucy kind of made me scared of marriage for my entire life – until I finally met someone that wasn’t at all like her. Beautiful box set here – and if you go now, you can buy this and QUEER AS FOLK – THE COMPLETE SERIES for 125.00 off the suggested retail. Odd pairing, don’t you think?
FANTASTIC PLANET
When my parents bought a VCR – they bought 3 films in VHS that day. FANTASTIC ANIMATION FESTIVAL, FLESH GORDON and FANTASTIC PLANET. I love this film. It’s like some surrealistic science fiction shroom trip from hell. I love it. Made back in 1973 by Rene Laloux, this animated classic, we got to show at FANTASTIC FEST last year as a double feature with THE FOUNTAIN and Darren Aronofsky presented this with me. If you loved THE FOUNTAIN – you absolutely owe it to yourself to check this out. This is intelligent challenging science fiction that is visually mesmerizing and brilliant. Fantastic film.
HELLRAISER: 20th ANNIVERSARY EDITION
I can’t believe that Pinhead is the same age as my wife – but at the same time – this is the film that changed what I thought I knew about horror forever. It prompted me to read Clive Barker – which led me to a lot of darker material still. The skinned suits are stunning. The make-up astonishing. And it feels so fucking dirty and twisted and fucked. I can’t imagine the remake. But this dvd owns. There’s a commentary by Clive Barker. Lots of interviews, making of features, posters, stills, the screenplay and more. And the transfer is quite nice. But man – this is a title I’d love to see in HD. EW.
THE TRIPPER
Are you throwing a politically charged Halloween party – then this is the horror film for you. Wanna see Ronald Reagan chopping up hippies and tree-huggers? Well… you kinda get it with this. It’s a hilarious film directed by David Arquette that just is a shitload of fun. It’s kinda funky, trippy and weird – but it is a lot of fun. However, if you wanna see an awesome Paul Reubens character – you’ll get that here too. A very fun movie. Give it a look.
SEED OF CHUCKY (HD DVD)
I’m a Chucky fan. And SEED OF CHUCKY is the most filthy and deliciously wrong film in the series. Watching the opening title sperm adventure in HD is just very weird and a little too perfectly twisted. That said, this is the horror title that Universal put out this year. Next year – I’m hoping to see HELLBOY II at this time in HD, cuz that’ll make me real happy. Or how about the classic UNIVERSAL HORROR films? I love Jennifer Tilly in this film… and John Waters. Life is good.
THE IRWIN ALLEN TV GIFTSET ( LAND OF THE GIANTS – the full series / LOST IN SPACE Seasons 1-3 / VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA Seasons 1-3 / THE TIME TUNNEL Vol 1-2 )
Do you know an Irwin Allen TV geek that you love dearly? Well – for $400 bucks, you save $340 and you get them an amazing fucking collection. LOST IN SPACE, LAND OF THE GIANTS, VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA and my fave, THE TIME TUNNEL. It’s kinda bliss. The look of these series are perfect. Gorgeously funky production design and really fun plot lines that were playful and great. The scores by folks like John Williams. I love this collection. And can’t recommend it enough!
THE STRANGE CASE OF HOWARD PHILLIPS LOVECRAFT
A documentary on the life of HP LOVECRAFT is something that all geeks should have, but in the most fitting manner – this is a strange and bizarre documentary about a strange and bizarre character. The narration and the visuals are archaic and weird – taking a cue from Lovecraft’s own musings in his letters and stories. The final product is a very unique look at a very unique individual. It’s nice to have this finally on DVD.
WILD STYLE (25th Anniversary Edition)
If you know it, you’ll own it. If not – well, if you have a love for 80’s graffiti, breakin’ and rapping… this is a wonderful look at that world and era. A quasi documentary… but it’s more than that… or maybe less than that. Anyway – it’s 25 years old and coming back atcha!
We’ll finish out October next week with titles like SPIDER-MAN 3, TWIN PEAKS, Looney Tunes, DAY WATCH, a Three Stooges collection, Barbara Stanwyck collection, THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK, BASKET CASE 2, THE EROTICIST and much more! Till then, enjoy…
