Hey folks, Harry here with this week’s DVD Column! Some really great titles this week, and I must call your attention to the first title listed. It really is an extraordinary performance from Brando. You really do deserve to enjoy it. As usual the images and titles link to Amazon where you can learn more on the title – as well as purchase it, which helps to keep this column going. Which is very much appreciated. Now – let’s hop to it!
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
FUGITIVE KIND (Criterion)
Wow. Somehow – even though I went through different movie obsession phases – where I sought out every BRANDO film I could get my hands on… I had never seen Sidney Lumet’s THE FUGITIVE KIND and Thank Criterion that that very heinous exclusion to my Brando filmography has been filled! FUGITIVE KIND is a masterful film about a form of prejudice that isn’t racial or religious or even necessarily economic in how it is. This is one of those films that is about the simple prejudice that was based upon one’s generation and the lifestyle that one projects. Written by that hack, Tennessee Williams – you shouldn’t be surprised to find this taking place in the south. What was surprising to me, was just how fucking awesomely cool Brando’s jacket in this movie is. Like Rodriguez’s El Mariachi… Brando is a cooler than cool man that’s turning 30… and has decided to give up the club life he led in New Orleans… He wears the single coolest jacket in film history. He projects SEX with his every motion, phrase and moment upon the screen. He’s a BEAUTIFUL man in an ugly backwoods town where lynching and small town justice is the rule of the tiny burg. One of my fave film discoveries of this year so far. I’ve shown the film to several friends, my sister and I’ve only had it a couple of weeks. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Amazing film.
TOMBSTONE (Blu Ray)
I seriously love this movie. For me, this is just an awesome MAN movie. A film about MEN, when MEN carried guns, drank hard imperfect whiskeys, played cards when cheating was punishable by death and everyone had some manner of cool facial hair. This was a time when men rose to occasions, where scared of nobody or nothing. This is the OLD WEST movie to put on to grow hair on your chest while watching!
I first saw this at a Dollar Cinema here in Austin. Back in my – ain’t got spare dimes days. Absolutely fell in love with this movie. It is a tone of film that not nearly enough people make films in. The film is rewatchable as hell and one of those favorite Action westerns… pretty much ever. Is it the best OK Corral film? Nah, I’d probably have to give that to John Ford’s MY DARLING CLEMENTINE, but TOMBSTONE is my personal favorite. Kilmer and Russell and Biehn all just walk like Gods through this movie.
That said – personally on this title I want more. I really want to see the massive amount of cut-scenes that have never been available – especially the scene with Heston confronting Ringo at his Ranch. It is like legend to me. Transfer is beautiful – very glad to have it in 1080p!
THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS (Blu Ray)
There are films for mass audiences, and there are films that I wish represented the Mass Audience that I wish existed. This is one of those films. I wish that Terry Gilliam’s DOCTOR PARNASSUS had grabbed the same audience that flocked to Burton’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND – and I get it… People don’t know what an Imaginarium is. Perhaps the name PARNASSUS sounded alien, but for sheer imagination on display – PARNASSUS exceeded my wildest expectations. But the film got buried by AVATAR. Once again steering us further from surreality, which ruled Gilliam’s film – and more towards realism, that was exemplified in the effects of AVATAR. That said – I hope most of you give it a shot on Blu-Ray and home video. This is a tremendously imaginative and dramatically sound film – one of the great Gilliam movies. The Blu Ray is a great way to experience the film – it has an introduction by Gilliam, along with a feature commentary, along with commentary on the Deleted Scenes. There’s an interview about the film with Heath Ledger, his Wardrobe test (also with Gilliam commentary optional) – and just a lot more. Discover a truly brilliant visualist playing in top form!
ARMAGEDDON (Blu Ray)
There are those that love ARMAGEDDON and those that feel it represents Satan with a Camera. Well, I love ARMAGEDDON. I love that physics need not apply in a Michael Bay space shuttle film. I love that the world hangs on a balance on the hopes of insane roughnecks. I love the schmaltz and the cheese. I love the whoring use of Rockwellian Americana. I love the tearful goodbye – and yes, I especially love the Animal Crackers scene. Why? Because I’m that kinda retarded. Animal crackers are awesome foreplay material. That said – I wish this release was handled by Criterion. In terms of extra bits – that is still the best for the title, although this is the best sight and sound release yet.
OUT OF AFRICA: 25th Anniversary (Blu Ray)
I hate Combo discs. Just for the record, I really do think they suck. I don’t understand them. I like 1 sided discs. That said, OUT OF AFRICA at 1080p… damn lovely. My second favorite Africa shot epic, right behind AFRICAN QUEEN – which you are required to purchase and watch before this. They are very different films – and very similar. Except cooler woman would prefer to sleep with Bogart than Redford… cuz seriously… who wouldn’t want to sleep with Redford. He’s a comfy leathery couch of awesome. But Bogie is Bogie. Besides – I love starting a debate about Bogie vs Redford and Katherine Hepburn vs Meryl Streep. This is a tremendous movie, a Best Picture winner and just wonderful.
DUNE (Blu Ray)
I’ve heard from a few people that have visited Asgard – that the sets remind them in some ways of the sets in DUNE. Personally, that should be a high complement – as I love the opulence of Lynch’s DUNE. There’s a lot I love about this movie. I love mostly that it introduced me to Frank Herbert and David Lynch and Sting. That’s a pretty amazing group of personalities to be introduced to. I also love that DUNE represented a firm and permanent argument for a group of people to always feel the best SUPERMAN movie ever would have starred this era of Kyle MacLachlan…. And I love that I think those people absolutely bugnuts insane. I love the force field armor… I love the “voice”… I want SPICE so much. I love the sand penises that orgasm with lightning. I love floaty fat man. I love Chucky in the film. And I love watching it, followed by Dino’s other science fiction conceptual freakshow… FLASH GORDON. And yes, I do often wonder what David Lynch’s FLASH GORDON with Queen would’ve been. (and no, there were never discussions about that happening ever, but it is just something I always ponder when watching this and FLASH GORDON back to back) This is not the extended edition. That’s a good thing. This is a very simple clean version of the Theatrical cut. As I prefer.
IT’S COMPLICATED
It doesn’t suck. But I doubt I’ll watch it again. I would just prefer something a bit meatier for this group of talent to do together.
FIVE MINUTES OF HEAVEN
I love IRA movies. I hate that there was ever a reality behind these stories, that people ever radicalized at that sort of level, but at the same time, this was THE Terrorist story of my youth. I remember hearing about every incident when I watched the National news with my parents as a kid – and it wasn’t until College that I began to think I had an inkling of understanding of what was behind all of that – but as a film goer… my first IRA flick was John Ford’s THE INFORMER – which my Dad showed me a very very long time ago. Prior to that – my only real notion of Ireland was formed by Darby O’Gill & The Little People and THE QUIET MAN. Then I stumbled into chicks with dicks thanks to a certain infamous film from the 90s – and that is what really got me watching everything in this particular genre. And I really hate I didn’t see this film in a theater. It was directed by DOWNFALL’s Oliver Hirschbiegel – This is a film based upon a true story from that ‘war’. An assassination, the punishment, the release and an event to try and put the past in the past. Really wonderful film.
ELIZABETH (Blu Ray)
Shekhar Kapur’s ELIZABETH and its sequel, ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE (below) are truly tremendous films. Most seem to prefer the original ELIZABETH – and overall I do think it is the better of the two films, but I can make an argument for the second film too. Cate Blanchett is seriously amazing in these films – but no more so than the atmosphere that she is set against. These are amazing films to gawk over. So beautifully made, yet grounded with real emotions and motivations. ELIZABETH is one of the great figures that led to women having the power they have today. Just a beautiful Blu Ray!
ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE (Blu Ray)
Absolutely riveting. I love Clive Owen’s Sir Walter Raleigh. I love Samantha Morton’s Mary Stuart – and if pushed on the matter – I just flat out love Samantha Morton in everything and anything she has done. There, I admit my crush. Can’t help it. She’s just curvy in a very “That’s a woman” way. Anyway - I wonder how long we’ll have to wait for the next chapter. I really would like about 6 of these features. I love me some Virgin Queen stories.
THE DESCENT: PART 2
Comically awful entertainment. On movie night here on Sunday nights at my place, we watch a lot of films – and there is a freedom to discuss what we’re watching as we watch it, but never in the history of Movie Night have we ever watched a film that resulted in a hilarious running commentary that was mainly focused on how badly lit this movie was. I’m serious – there’s scenes where they’re acting like they’re in total darkness – but where EVERYTHING IS LIT BRIGHTLY BY HALOGEN LIGHTS. And the character acts like they can’t see.
I’m actually very curious about this train wreck of a sequel. You see – I love the first DESCENT. Really do love it, love that I got to premiere it at BUTT-NUMB-A-THON and man… this is the JAWS 3D sequel to that. They decide to show more of the cave monsters… VERY BAD IDEA – they look terrible. They light up the caves like you were at Carlsbad Caverns. The result is very very bad. The acting is pretty uniformly hammy. And dammit, I kinda loved it too. This is a trash sequel. But there are 4 or 5 moments that just ruled! You like crazy conceptual deaths on camera – this has some great ones. But it is that kinda sequel where they paid for a few gags and a few too many lights – and the resulting film is pretty much junk, but fun junk – if you can look at shoddy filmmaking and have fun with it, this is worth checking out. Otherwise – steer clear.
The Barbara Stanwyck Collection (INTERNES CAN’T TAKE MONEY, THE GREAT MAN’S LADY, THE BRIDE WORE BOOTS, THE LADY GAMBLES, ALL I DESIRE, THERE’S ALWAYS TOMORROW )
Of this collection I have this to say. You’re gonna get 6 real solid movies starring Barbara Stanwyck – but I would say that you don’t get a single GREAT Barbara Stanwyck movie. No SORRY WRONG NUMBER, no MEET JOHN DOE, no DOUBLE INDEMNITY, no THE LADY EVE, no CATTLE QUEEN OF MONTANA… But what this is – is six damn fine Stanwyck films ranging from the thirties through the late fifties – and you see how good she was, when everything wasn’t perfect. Of all the titles, the most interesting film for me was THE GREAT MAN’S LADY – I highly recommend watching that. It’s just a neat way of telling a story in reflection. But I really do dig the scope of it and Barbara’s makeup. Worth checking out.
TRAFFIC (Blu Ray)
One of those “Buffet style movies” – where you pick a subject – decide to try and cover as much as possible, while trying to tie it all together desperately – but that ends up suffering because it is trying to tell you 5 different movies – and you just can’t help but to prefer individual stories, but not the others. I love Benicio’s character arc, but not Michael Douglas or Catherine Zeta Jones. My favorite characters and part of the story was actually Topher Grace and Erika Christensen’s story of rich spoilt kids whose experimentation takes them on a very scary journey – and a film focused on Erika’s story – had she not been the Drug Czar’s daughter – which I just loathe as an element of Traffic, though I love everything about Erika and Topher. The best thing about TRAFFIC is the discussion it stirs up regarding the U.S. drug war. But on a whole, I prefer watching WEEDS.
THE GALLANT HOURS
Everybody’s favorite singing gangster plays Admiral Halsey in the fantastic THE GALLANT HOURS. Now looking at that box – that title, you might think of this as some piece of Rah-Rah America chest beating, but you couldn’t be further from the truth. THE GALLANT HOURS is a biopic that deals with some of the horrific decisions that one is put in when… oh… say commanding the U.S. Pacific Forces during WWII would do. Not your typical WWII flick. Highly recommended to any military movie enthusiast.
RIDE WITH THE DEVIL (Criterion Blu)
I think, very probably, my least favorite of Ang Lee’s films to date. Like everything Ang does – the movie is incredibly well shot – but there’s just a lack of urgency for me in the film that makes it kinda just lay there. I’m still waiting on the great film concerning the Kansas-Missouri Border war. Specifically – I’ve always wanted one focused upon what the James-Younger gang did during that period. But I’ll have to wait forever for that. Criterion has done a great job on the Blu Ray. I’m just not the film’s biggest fan.
DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM
A noisy kinetic rush – but there’s a part of me that while watching this film, found myself watching it like I do an Imax film. You know. Just stuff happening on screen that I loved staring at – but that didn’t really involve me on a deep personal or emphatic level. That’s DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM. It just isn’t the first – but it is kinda amazing to have in the background while listening to a better track of music. If you ever do that. I do. But I might be the crazy one.
TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE: Season Three
I still haven’t watched this third season of TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE – and I don’t think I ever did. I saw the first two as they aired, but when I moved to Austin to go to college, I lost track with the series. So I’m actually quite excited to see how the third season went. Am I up for pain or joy?
Fellini’s CASANOVA
First watch this:
Ok – now here’s one of those titles I’d kill to see with an audience. An appreciative one. Fellini is Fellini and there’s nothing else like it. Every now and again we get a perfect unique filmmaker and Fellini was one of those. When you discover Fellini, it feels like a secret, something the world had kept from you, but that now you have him in your grasp – you’ll devour it all. You get drunk on Fellini, you get addicted to Fellini and oh god you get silly with Fellini. CASANOVA is one of Fellini’s best. And I’d kill for this on Blu.
TOYS IN THE ATTIC
If you want to see an amazing little freak show of a movie – watch this. It kinda wants to be THE FUGITIVE KIND or STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE in a way – but instead of Brando, they cast Dean Martin. No, seriously, they really did do that. And he has crazy incestuous sisters and a child bride played by HOLY SHIT THAT’S YVETTE MIMIEUX!!! Yup, the girl from THE TIME MACHINE. Oh hell, this is a ratty tawdry bit of southern gossip fried up and served to clog the arteries to your brain while you ponder how this movie came about.
THUNDER IN CAROLINA
I’m sorry – I really know nothing about THUNDER IN CAROLINA. It has Rory Calhoun and the skipper from Gilligan’s Island. I hear it has Classic Nascar Action!!! Worth 3 exclamation marks! It was make in 1963 in Widescreen. I’m afraid I clicked order. That poster has my number.
Greydon Clark Drive-In Double Feature ( HI-RIDERS & THE BAD BUNCH)
This is another BOX COVER inclusion. Now I’m interested because they said DRIVE-IN DOUBLE FEATURE. But then… look at the key art coming out of the name GREYDON CLARK. There’s a shotgun, a baseball bat, a fucking samurai sword, a Chainsaw, a pool cue and A HAIR DRYER?!?! Now – then amongst a selection of trippy background textures we have the posters for HI-RIDERS and THE BAD BUNCH. Now – Greydon Clark was the director of these two Seventies Drive In movies. HI-RIDERS has a lot of cars doing stuff that was notably unsafe back then, as well as now. Is it a great film? Depends how much you you’re your cars. I think Eric Bana would enjoy this title. Then there’s THE BAD BUNCH aka TOM from 1973. First thing you need to know is that it features a white guy as the hero in a clearly Blaxploitation film. The original title was “NIGGER LOVER” – I shit you not. Aldo plays a racist cop that gets involved. The director, Greydon Clark actually plays the white soldier that goes to Harlem to deliver his dead buddy’s letter to his loved ones… Only once in Harlem, the soldier gets… well in the wrong neighborhood in the wrong clothes. Ya know? The thing that is actually kinda great about THE BAD BUNCH is that this is a Blaxploitation film that showed white racism as well as black racism about whites. I really dug this flick.
HONG KONG GODFATHER
You know who plays the Hong Kong Godfather? Shih Chien aka HAN From ENTER THE DRAGON!!! Shot it the mid-eighties – this is a title that’s been pretty damn hard to get till now. Very much looking forward to see Shih Chien in something else!
ORSON WELLES: THE PARIS INTERVIEW
I’ve only ever seen pieces of this interview. Like this one:
But to have the whole Bernie Braden interview – that’s something I very much want to see. This interview took place in 1960 in Paris. Welles talks about… pretty much everything and he does it with a brilliance that was uniquely his. Can’t wait for my copy to get here.
VANISHING FIANCEE
Truffaut’s adaptation of Henry James’ novella THE ALTAR OF THE DEAD was originally released in the US under the title THE GREEN ROOM. Whatever you call it, it is a delicious exercise in morbidity. In an odd way it reminds me of Winona Ryder’s character in BEETLEJUICE – not that there’s anything like her in this movie, it is just. I think that character would have loved this movie. Truffaut stars in the lead role – and I love that. If you go into this expecting JULES AND JIM, you’ll be disappointed – this is a different version of Truffaut – a depressed morbid personal version of Truffaut. This is one of those films that Woody Allen would have loved to have seen within the confines of his characters in ANNIE HALL or MANHATTAN. And I love watching it from that vantage.
OPIUM AND THE KUNG FU MASTER
As an unabashed lover of all Shaw Brothers films – one with Opium in the title instantly means I must see it. The action gets crazy and if you love Ti Lung, he’s very good in this. Only hold back could be an impending Blu Ray. Which should be out this year, I’m told.
Next week we jump into May with a look at the SAVING PRIVATE RYAN blu ray, LEAP YEAR, NINE, TOOTH FAIRY, INVADER ZIM, SEVEN SWORDS Blu, DOCTOR ZHIVAGO Blu Ray, THE NOTEBOOK Blu Ray, ESCAPE FROM L.A. Blu Ray, Saturday Morning Cartoons 1980s Vol 1, DIRTY DANCING Blu Ray, TETRO, MATINEE, K-19 THE WIDOWMAKER Blu, ELEKTRA Blu, The Miyamoto Mushashi series, SUBURBIA and that’s about it.
Ok – now here’s one of those titles I’d kill to see with an audience. An appreciative one. Fellini is Fellini and there’s nothing else like it. Every now and again we get a perfect unique filmmaker and Fellini was one of those. When you discover Fellini, it feels like a secret, something the world had kept from you, but that now you have him in your grasp – you’ll devour it all. You get drunk on Fellini, you get addicted to Fellini and oh god you get silly with Fellini. CASANOVA is one of Fellini’s best. And I’d kill for this on Blu.
