Hey folks, Harry here – finishing up this week’s DVD column in the early twilight hours here in my London hotel! Got a lot of cool titles on this week’s offerings. As always – you can click on the box art or the title to go to AMAZON where you can learn more on a title – or if you feel like it, you can purchase the title and a small percentage will go to help support this column. Here ya go…

Tuesday, June 24th, 2008

FUTURAMA: THE BEAST WITH A BILLION BACKS

Why Fox doesn’t put this out in Blu Ray – I just don’t understand. 1080p animation is so lovely. Not quite as good as BENDER’S BIG SCORE – this one is quite a bit of fun though. Yivo (David Cross) is awesome! He’s an other dimensional thing that’s controlling characters in the universe of FUTURAMA. At the very least we’re getting new Futurama – isn’t that a blessing?

10,000 B.C.

This is an incredibly ridiculous movie. And as soon as we get to the civilization – it derails into a turd of epic levels – BUT – man. I love pre-history bullshit man and creature flicks – and we’ve never had one that was anywhere near as great as CAVEMAN with Ringo Starr. Don’t get me wrong – I love QUEST FOR FIRE and ONE MILLION YEARS BC and WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH… and they are all better films than 10,000 BC. That said – I can’t help it – I still enjoy the hell out of this movie. It’s retarded and silly – but that’s exactly why I like it. That and the creatures – and Camilla Belle… yummy.

THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES

I wished this film had done better. It’s such an amazing world – and Nick Nolte is scary as hell. But the digital effects are truly remarkable. The fantastical work is top notch – and really captured me. On Blu Ray this work is all the more evident. Freddie Highmore can be a bit grating – and I think the human characters are not quite as convincing as the digital ones – but in this film – that’s actually praise, cuz I love the digital work at play. If you missed it, check it out. It’s actually kinda intense – so watch out for kids under the age of about 4 – this can get to them.

IN BRUGES

I missed this one in theaters – and really wish I hadn’t – but sometimes life gets between me and some films at the theater. Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes and Brendan Gleeson are fantastic in this film. The film is hilarious and thrilling all at once and marks the debut feature of this Academy Award winning Director. Is it any surprise then that he did good? Very enjoyable film.

PERSEPOLIS

Here’s the best animated movie of 2007 and hands down one of the best films of 2007. Here’s a film about growing up in Iran – during the incredible changes that transformed Iran into the place it has become. It’s a heartaching story – brutal, fun, hilarious and thrilling all at once. This story should be required viewing – especially given the situation that we’re finding ourselves in these days. If you have a Blu Ray player and love animation this is a must own – the stylistic animation looks so great on this format – literally bringing the the graphic novel to moving life. Fantastic.

XANADU – Magical Musical Edition ( with Complete Soundtrack CD )

Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly and ELO… Yes, the Electric Light Orchestra. Sure it’s a remake of an old Rita Hayworth film – but it also marks the first independent Don Bluth animation, great Disco era songs – roller skating, disco visual effects and dammit… I love it. But then I was a roller rink kid – and loved and love OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN. My first several girlfriends were all very much based upon her GREASE character. It didn’t hurt that her PHYSICAL concert was the first concert I went to by myself and sat front row center entranced and boy crushing on her. I love love love this movie. I know folks trash it, label it as one of the films that killed the musical – but that certainly wasn’t my opinion. I love the music and the goofiness of the story. And Gene Kelly – dancing to ELO and Olivia’s singing? Bliss. I love it. And getting a complete soundtrack CD as a bonus… oh yes, I have you now!

JOURNEY TO THE FAR SIDE OF THE SUN

You like the actor Roy Thinnes? The fella from THE INVADERS televison series? What about Gerry Anderson’s puppet and model work – you know the THUNDERBIRDS fella? Well, all that – and a lot more came together on this really rather special Science Fiction B movie – that is quite a bit of fun – and long in coming to this format. It has classic model work at a very high degree of sophistication. If you love older science fiction this is really great.

THE FURIES – Criterion Collection

Now this is a great Anthony Mann western – if you have a lady in your life that hasn’t dug a Western yet – and she counts herself as a strong independent woman… well, unleash this Barbara Stanwyck character on her. This is also, sadly, the last performance of the brilliant actor – Walter Huston – and as always he’s incredible here. The Father / Daughter dynamic isn’t simple by any means – and Barbara is great as usual. The extras are robust as usual for Criterion. You should discover this western.

MAN OF A THOUSAND FACES

This is one of the films you have to thank for my love of cinema. I was fascinated with Lon Chaney as a little boy. I had this book in my room as a small boy called LON CHANEY: FACES, FORMS & FIGURES. And my parents showed me this movie – and I was hooked. I owe the film for my love for James Cagney, behind the scenes of filmmaking and a passion for make up and the fantastic…. And a love for smaltzy melodrama to boot. It’s why I purchased one of Lon Chaney’s makeup kits – and it is a film I love despite the fact that Cagney’s face was wrong for the character – he made it work. The makeup is funky and awesome all at once. Watching Cagney as a clown is bliss. This is a lurid melodrama about the Man of a 1000 faces – and one of my very favorite films of all time. I watched it later the night that the news broke about Winston’s death – and I rewatched it again tonight. God I love this movie.

CHARLIE BARTLETT

A bit of an updating of the FERRIS BUELLER kinda film. Robert Downey Jr is having so much fun as an alcoholic principal – that hates that everyone hates him. And Checkov/Anton Yelchin/Charlie Bartlett is a revelation in the film. Absolutely fantastic. Definitely someone to watch. Really entertaining movie about a very extrovert kid with moral quandries. I like this film an awful lot.

BEFORE THE RAIN – Criterion Collection

You think things are bad in the U.S.? Check out this film – a brilliant movie about life in Macedonia where religious and racial hatred sears the country. Incredibly powerful movie – the sort that Criterion is known for heralding. Great job guys!

STEP INTO LIQUID (Blu Ray)

I don’t know why I love surfing documentaries so much – maybe it’s just the astonishing beauty of the dynamic environment that these dudes throw themselves into… welll, it’s beyond anything I’ve been a part of. Who knows – maybe once I get down to 210 or so – I’ll attempt it… get eaten by a great white… or at least make the funniest YouTube blooper video of all time. C’mon – wouldn’t you like to see me wipe out? Me too. In BLU RAY – you can absolutely recapture the jaw dropping beauty of this film – that you witnessed in theaters – if you caught it. If not – here’s your chance. Fantastic and beautiful film.

SIMON, KING OF THE WITCHES

Ridiculously funny. SIMON, KING OF THE WITCHES is something you have to witness… to understand the powers of the unknown, the supernatural…. And Simon! Made in 1971, this film has all the Hippie-Satan connections that you always knew existed. PROOF – show your children!

MAID IN SWEDEN

I lust after Christina Lindberg – circa early Seventies. The girl from THEY CALLED HER ONE-EYE aka THRILLER – and any number of amazing Swedish eroticas – she has an allure that is absolutely irresistible. And I really want to hire this Maid in Sweden. Honestly honey, we need help cleaning up the house. That’s all. Really. No Truthfully, she’ll vacuum the crumbs from our red furred carpet. Ahem… anyway – this film is as hot as the cover of the dvd.

THE SECOND COMING OF EVA

Ok – I also have a thing for Brigitte Maier. Because I’m not only a Perv, but an educated Perv with a healthy respect for lovely ladies from the past. This film is as good as the cover, again. Impulse gets it. May they never run out of material. Curiously enough this was directed by the cinematographer of REANIMATOR!!! There’s your geek tie-in.

GOODBYE UNCLE TOM

Perhaps you didn’t attend last year’s BUTT-NUMB-A-THON… Perhaps you did. This was the film that fascinated, horrified, traumatized and unhinged the audience. This is a Time-Travel bit of pseudo-science fiction – from the makers of MONDO CANE. A documentary crew goes back in time to document the actual atrocities of America’s Slave Trade. The film is unbelievably offensive – but does have an African-American following that feels this movie is more truthful about that shameful period of America and the Black Experience than anything Hollywood has conjured. That said – that they do what they do… that they … Mr Gold Hands. My god. The most offensive thing I’ve ever seen. This is so far past any barrier of bad taste you might’ve experienced. That said – you’ve never seen anything like this before.

DICK TRACY RKO CLASSIC COLLECTION: DICK TRACY DETECTIVE; DICK TRACY VS CUEBALL, DICK TRACY’S DELIMMA & DICK TRACY MEETS GRUESOME

Get all 4 of the classic 1940s Ralph Byrd DICK TRACY features for under $10! These are not great films, but if you’re a Chester Gould freak that want more live action films than Warren Beatty made with the character – then here ya go. In particular – I love “Vs Cueball” and “Meets Gruesome.” Just too good of a deal!

Next week we’ll be taking a look at the first titles for July – including MAD MEN – SEASON ONE, GANGS OF NEW YORK (BluRAy), MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS, IN THE LINE OF FIRE (BluRay), Second Season of THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO, MISHIMA: A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS, ONLY THE VALIANT, POINT BREAK (BluRay), PATRIOTISM – Criterion, Adam West BATMAN Movie in Blu Ray!, CITY OF MEN, DRILLBIT TAYLOR, SEX AND DEATH 101, GIRL ON THE BRIDGE and lots lots more!