Hey folks, Harry here… Had a bunch of late discs come in right at the end of my deadline – and decided to make my way through them, good news is – next week’s selection has been here for most of two weeks (not kidding) so I’m doing good on that one. We’re finally getting into good releases again – and some volume. As usual, the titles and the images are hyperlinked to Amazon, where you can learn more on the title – or you can purchase the item in question which would result in a tiny portion going to support this column’s continued efforts to bring you as much coolness as possible on a regular basis. Well, enough delaying, you deserve this…

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

MOONLIGHT – THE COMPLETE SERIES

I’ve watched a couple of the episodes off this series and it looked like a pretty good show, I’m a bit into vampire overload – it seems everywhere that you turn there’s fangs in a neck somewhere. However, one of those actresses I adore is a part of this series. That is, of course, Shannyn Sossamon (A KNIGHT’S TALE & RULES OF ATTRACTION & KISS KISS BANG BANG). Show got canceled early in life, so this is all there is and will be, unless some channel plays hero. The show has a pretty rabid fanbase, I can kinda see why.

REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA

Starring the little girl from SPY KIDS all growed up. This film from Darren Lynn Bousman is seven shades of surreal and isn’t for all tastes. This was a FANTASTIC FEST darling and garnered its lovers as well as its haters… But the film is pop-insanity. The sort of film that never gets seen in more than a few screens – and most of those being at a really quirky cool film festival. That said, it was one of my gifts to Yoko for her recent birthday, cuz… well, she’s quirky cool too!

KING KONG (Blu Ray)

Most of you know that the original KING KONG (1933) is my all time favorite film (tied with THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD). And like most people’s favorite films, we usually despise the concept of them being remade. For some reason, I don’t feel that way with KING KONG.I love that original so much… nothing can touch it. I love every second of it. I never fast forward to Skull Island. I sip the film in every time. And when it gets remade – I get giddy. I like the Dino version. I really like Peter Jackson’s version. I love KING KONG VS GODZILLA. There’s just something about that big ape that just makes me giddy. And Peter’s version is exactly that. It’s like watching KING KONG through his eyes. In his eyes, Denham is a fool, Jack is secondary… and ANN truly loves KING KONG and it is returned. I love that, though I don’t agree. In fact, all the technological wizardry, the advances in acting methods and what not… it all goes to show just how fucking dead on right they got it right out of the gate in 1933.

This Blu Ray has both the theatrical & the extended version of KING KONG, and has commentary, storyboards/art & picture in picture stuff which you can access from the Extended cut. Personally, I'm happy with this disc as is right now. Nice stuff. How does it look on Blu? Fucking Astonishing.

MGM: WHEN THE LION ROARS

The day that Ricardo Montalbahn died, I had a friend scheduled to come over and spend a few hours chatting about life and the future. She had some amazing developments occur and frankly just had to share. I’d finished my obit for Ricardo and decided to put something on in the background that I wouldn’t have to change and my default station to have on the screen while hanging out is Turner Classic Movies… and they just happened to be playing MGM: WHEN THE LION ROARS. This is a superior documentary about the history of one of the greatest studios of all time that at this particular juncture is a shadow of its former magnificence. And this doc kinda nails it. Louis B Mayer was a movie man… the long line of replacements have been from the business world… and they kinda can’t compare. Mayer was a genius that understood the very specific business of movie making. When the government broke the studio theater ownership, they never really could recover. This documentary is magic, any serious film geek worth their salt will see this and probably own it. Patrick Stewart hosts and is excellent.

MAX PAYNE

Pretty silly shit, but I have to say… as far as John Moore movies go, this is probably my fave. Now, you need to know that is faint praise. The movie is gorgeous to look at – and the bullshit effects do kinda make sense by the end, but I have to say… I just like Mark Wahlberg – he’s got all the dimensionality of Stallone’s COBRA here and is at most… half as badass. But I like Mark, that’s why it hurt so fucking bad when he sucked so amazingly in THE HAPPENING, which had a cosmic hole of suckage all around it that prevented any quality from accidently HAPPENING.

SAW V

SUCKS

CITY OF EMBER

I really wish two things were different about this release… 1. I wish Walden didn’t mention JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH on this DVD, cuz that film sucked and this does not. And 2. I wish this was a Blu Ray and not standard def… and it was pretty chickenshit of Fox to release this film on DVD only. This is Gil Kenan’s live action follow-up to MONSTER HOUSE and while I don’t feel the film is as great as MONSTER HOUSE, I do feel that it is entirely successful. It reeks of atmosphere and style… while also providing a Hardy Boys style mystery in a post-apocalyptic future – that’s about 79,700 years shy of THE TIME MACHINE future, but I see how they got there. Right? Right. If you didn’t catch it in theaters, and from the box office returns, I’d say most of you didn’t. You should check it out asap.

THE EXPRESS

This is a really good movie. It’s based on the college football legend, Ernie Davis – a brilliant Syracuse football player that had talent seeping from every pore. And if you want to see just exactly how far we’ve come in the last 45-46 years… watch this. The racial problems in this film and at this time are just so unthinkable by me. Growing up in seventies Austin, well it makes the behavior of the UT Longhorns in that 62 Cotton Bowl just unbelievable, but I don’t doubt it. The world has grown so much. But more than that, it was Ernie Davis’ personal story as told in this film that just really captured me. His idol was Jim Brown, who left Syracuse for the Cleveland Browns the year he went to Syracuse ( a university that I applied for and was accepted to, btw, but ultimately chose not to go to). I’ve met Jim Brown, I know Jim Brown from his movies and high light reels, but I hadn’t really been familiar with Ernie’s career. I’m very grateful to this film for curing that. It led me to reading up on him. What an amazing athlete and man.

MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION – Criterion Collection

Douglas Sirk was a very particular genius in film – he took the soap opera life we saw in the fifties… and layered and layered and layered in subtle ways that the censors at the time could never catch. MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION is right there with WRITTEN ON THE WIND and IMITATION OF LIFE as one of his bests. Personally, I can’t wait to see Criterion releasing his titles on Blu-Ray. Here, they do a great job with this title. Here’s the extras:

New, restored high-definition digital transfer
Audio commentary featuring film scholar Thomas Doherty
Magnificent Obsession (1935, 102 minutes): a new digital transfer of John M. Stahl s complete earlier version of the film
Douglas Sirk: From UFA to Hollywood (1991): a rare 80-minute documentary by German filmmaker Eckhart Schmidt in which Sirk reflects upon his career
Video interviews with filmmakers Allison Anders and Kathryn Bigelow, paying tribute to Sirk
Theatrical trailer
PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by film critic Geoffrey O Brien

THE POWERPUFF GIRLS: Complete Series – 10th Anniversary

Once… a long time ago, I was blissfully ignorant of this thing called THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, but thankfully… around 9 and a half years ago.. a scary fat Mexican put me on his couch and raped my mind with THE POWERPUFF GIRLS and I’ve been Genndy Tartakovsky’s bitch ever since. Guillermo was so happy to spring these wonderful animated powerhouses onto me, and when he first said he was going to show me, I thought it was something I’d have to politely tolerate. I also gave this set to my wife on her 22nd birthday, as they were amongst her favorites on Cartoon Network. Again… proven coolness.

THE NOTEBOOK (Limited Edition Gift Set) Blu Ray

When this came in, my bride Yoko told me I’d have to watch this without her as she is standing in protest of this film – refusing to be yet another lovesick puppy enraptured by this catnip for hopeless romantics. Instead, she came home to find me showering after the film, as my face needed the tears washed away. This film is stunningly beautiful and the romance is solid and genuine. This is a great modern romantic film and it is sad sad sad, but in all the best ways. This edition comes with NOTEBOOK paper, NOTEBOOK envelopes and NOTEBOOK envelope stickers to seal it all up with. There’s a pair of book marks and a notebook of memories from the movie… cuz, apparently the movie isn’t quite enough. I’m sure all of that is right up the fans of this movie’s hearts, and that’s cool. That said, I really love this flick. Ryan Gosling is just a great actor and he’s surrounded by folks like Joan Allen, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, Gena Rowlands and Sam Shepard… all of whom are in rare form thanks to the very wonderful direction of Nick Cassavetes!

EL NORTE (Blu Ray) Criterion Collection

A truly great film, given beautiful treatment by the Criterion folks. Ebert called this film “The Grapes of Wrath for our time,” and it certainly has that type of theme in play. The film is a tale of siblings fleeing some pretty serious issues in Guatemala and trying to make their way to the dream of the United States. It is a tough immigrant tale detailing the hardships that such a journey means. The film is tremendous if for no other reason than it makes one understand the love and hope that the United States holds for so many that try to make their way here. It’s the same hopes and dreams that was at the root of all people that made the journey here. This is just what it was like in the EIGHTIES. Great double feature with THE VISITOR, which gives one the perspective of what it would be like today. Here’s the Criterion extras:

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES:
New, restored high-definition digital transfer supervised and approved by director Gregory Nava
New audio commentary featuring Nava
In the Service of the Shadows: The Making of El Norte: a new video program featuring interviews with Nava, producer and cowriter Anna Thomas, actors Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez and David Villalpando, and set designer David Wasco
Wall of Silence, a new short documentary by Nava and Barbara Martinez Jitner, concerning the building of the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border
The Journal of Diego Rodriguez Silva, the 1972 award-winning student film by Nava
Gallery of Chipas location-scouting photographs
Theatrical trailer
New and improved English subtitle translation
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by novelist Héctor Tobar and Roger Ebert's 1983 review of the film

DOMINO (Blu Ray)

I kinda love this badass version of Keira Knightley. Maybe it’s just the joy of seeing her not in period garb. Maybe it’s watching her with a shotgun. I still vastly prefer Richard Kelly’s script to Tony Scott’s shaky cam directing. And I’ve always been disappointed by the acid sequence, it read so much better. However, I really enjoy the film and it is elevated on home video, where the shaky doesn’t bother me as much as in theaters. Here you have a commentary by Tony Scott and Richard Kelly. There’s another track with script notes with both of them as well as a producer and Tom Waits. There’s deleted scenes (HD) and trailers… and lastly a few featurettes. Nicely done Blu Ray.

ELECTION (Blu Ray)

1999. I reviewed this film with Roger Ebert on his show… and I remember watching it in the Chicago Critic’s screening room and just thinking how great it all was. ReWatching it was a treat. Not a single moment fell flat. Alexander Payne’s note perfect direction and the great performances from EVERYONE INVOLVED just make me a very very happy camper. Only major extra is the feature commentary by Alexander Payne. Watch the last High School great capper of Matthew Broderick’s career (till the next one)

13 GOING ON 30 (Blu Ray)

By no means great cinema, but there’s just something so incredibly wrong with this film… It’d be like if BIG, was actually about Tom Hanks with the consciousness of a child dating and getting laid. But because it’s the body of Jennifer Garner… I suppose it’s ok. Cuz there’s nothing perverse about a 13 year old girl’s consciousness being in an adult woman’s hot body as Mark Ruffalo paws at it. EWWWWWWWW. Anyway, for you sick puppies (Jeff Mahler) that love that sort of thing, go ahead and buy it. You know you need it. Ironically enough, it is PG 13.

FRANK ZAPPA & THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION: In The 1960’s

I don’t know a damn thing about this dvd, but I’m a big fan of not eating the yellow snow, along with all the other pearls of wisdom that the Mothers of Invention and Frank Zappa gave us in their time ruling the world. For $15, I’ll give it a shot.

THE MACHINIST (Blu Ray)

Why get this on Blu Ray? All the better to count his ribs with! One of the most amazing physical transformations… all the more amazing when you look at BATMAN BEGINS and you see what he got back up to with not a whole hell of a lot of time to do it. Christian Bale has quickly emerged since AMERICAN PSYCHO as one of premiere actors working today – and this is one of his most amazing performances. Do take note that this is all region, but in PAL – so check out your system specs and whether or not it can handle PAL or not. Could be a while before we see this release in the U.S.

THE END OF AMERICA: Director’s Cut

Liberal propaganda? Yeah, but it also happens to be true. The title and the cover image is intentionally dramatic, but watch this documentary and then research the issues it brings up and you’ll find that they are right about their assertions and if you’re not unnerved by the dangerous and un-American path that our ex-Fearless Leader was trailblazing… well, I just don’t know what to say. Brilliant doc. Should be required viewing.

Coming up very soon we’ll be looking at VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, THE BOURNE TRILOGY (Blu Ray), PALM SPRINGS WEEKEND, PARRISH, ROME ADVENTURE, SUSAN SLADE, PRIDE AND GLORY, THE INVADERS-SECOND SEASON, HULK VS., FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD, GOODBYE MR CHIPS, MARY POPPINS, ROCKNROLLA, GROUNDHOG DAY (Blu Ray), CANNERY ROW, WATERLOO BRIDGE, ZODIAC (Blu Ray), THE YELLOW ROLLS ROYCE, THE ALL NEW SUPERFRIENDS HOUR, YOU’RE A GOOD SPORT CHARLIE BROWN, ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, EDGE OF THE CITY, SOMETHING OF VALUE, A PATCH OF BLUE, A WARM DECEMBER, IN BRUGES (Blu Ray), The Original PINK PANTHER series on Blu Ray, BATMAN (1989) & BATMAN RETURNS & BATMAN FOREVER & BATMAN AND ROBIN on Blu Ray, DEAD & BURIED (Blu Ray), 42ND STREET FOREVER Vol. 4, M.A.N.T.I.S.: Complete Series, ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED, DOWNFALL (Blu Ray), THE STEWARDESSES 3D, SHARKS IN VENICE, BECOMING CHARLEY CHASE, FANTASTIC FLESH: THE ART OF MAKE-UP EFX, FEMALE PRISONER: CAGED!, STARBALLZ and much more…