Hey folks, Harry here with the April Top Ten Selling Titles via AICN. I liked how this turned out and I’ve decided to add a slightly new wrinkle. You see – I realized the other day that this is the 6th year that I’ve been doing the monthly DVD columns. Jesus, I’ve been doing this forever. Heh. Still love it too. The new wrinkle is this – Because AMAZON really does have a great log history – I’m going to list the prior 4 year’s top seller for this month as well. When I curiously looked it up – I was kinda ecstatic to see what those titles were. Figured you might as well…



10. YOJIMBO & SANJURO ( Criterion Blu-ray )

Classy folks! Nice to see y’all appreciating the Master! The funny thing is – I didn’t review this two BluRay set, but the individual Blu-Rays – but it seems most of y’all vied for the set. Smart shopping! I’ve been contacted by quite a few of you that loved this set. I’m in total agreement with ya!

WOW. Just WOW. So crisp. So exactly as I’ve never seen it before. Absolutely perfect. This and SANJURO just really make me hungry to get all the other Kurosawa on Blu as soon as possible. There’s just such an incredible level of detail. Criterion has it’s usual perfect work of transfer and sound – along with Stephen Prince’s very scholarly commentary – making of Docs, essays, trailers, etc. Love FISTFUL OF DOLLARS – see where Leone got his inspiration. But then… really. You didn’t need me to tell you that. You’re a film geek. Right? While I prefer YOJIMBO, SANJURO is simply more fun. Mifune is back as an unnamed samurai in a much lighter tale than Yojimbo. This isn’t an outright comedy, but it does make me laugh. The quality of this disc is beyond reproach. And it has the exact same sort of extras as YOJIMBO. But you kinda have to get both of these films. Right?

9. ICONS OF SUSPENSE: HAMMER FILMS ( STOP ME BEFORE I KILL!, CASH ON DEMAND, THE SNORKEL, MANIAC, NEVER TAKE CANDY FROM A STRANGER, THESE ARE THE DAMNED )

Again – I’m really proud of you folks! Of everything on this year’s list this is probably the best “WOW” release, simply because the accessibility of these titles have been next to nil domestically. And they don’t have any manner of high rotation on any cable channels either. And they’re all really rock solid films!

Now here’s a fucking treat! Now I know – these aren’t “THE HAMMER TITLES YOU KNOW!” Exactly my point! Take for example, STOP ME BEFORE I KILL! Directed by the awesome Val Guest in 1960. It is all about a vacationing couple – where the husband begins wanting to strangle his wife. Knowing this is a wrong thought he sees a local psychiatrist who decides he should follow the couple back – then one day, the Hubby’s wife goes missing. And he thinks he might have killed her. WONDERFUL film! But the next, CASH ON DEMAND is an even better suspense flick, starring Grand Moff Tarkin himself, circa 1961! Then you see a title like THE SNORKEL and you may believe it’s a filler. But what you get is a great little film from a story by Antonio Margheriti – featuring one of those amazing fucking jewels of a villain performance by Peter Van Eyck – who died way too early. You won’t know his name, but he’s one of those faces that you see in a ton of weird import titles from the 60s and a few big things like THE LONGEST DAY – but he really and truly shines here. You’ll be similarly happy with the remaining 3 titles. This is a fantastic set of great HAMMER suspense titles. Not the flashy Horror titles, but great nevertheless. A real treat for this week’s column!

8. PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE ( Ultimate Edition ) Blu Ray

Very likely it made it on this list for it’s second month in a row due to the list last month. Or perhaps it is because you good folks have finally discovered the greatest DePalma film ever. Just ask Guillermo Del Toro!

A left over from February - that continues to move. That this cracked the top 5, a month after release makes me happy. That this is an import... well, it shows me that a lot of you don't care where something is released - so long as it is quality cool. And it doesn't get much better than this masterpiece from DePalma. Here's my original write up... One of my very favoritest movies ever made. Two lobby cards adorn my living room wall, one of which signed by Paul Williams. This is my very favorite telling of the Faust tale. My absolute favorite work of Brian DePalma – and most likely the reason we all really hate Tom Rothman. At least we know that you can’t directly kill Tom Rothman, you’d have to like burn his contract and get Murdock as well. Cuz that’s how these Faustian bargains work. Always some trick to dying with loopholes and fine print on it all. This is one of those films that you have to love for me to like ya. One night Guillermo Del Toro and I agreed that nobody that didn’t like PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE could be cool. And then we spent many hours as he told me why he wanted to remake it as I spent hours convincing him that it would never be as brilliant as the original. Then Guillermo cried in my arms and suckled upon my thumb. At least. That’s how I remember the conversation. I’ll never forget BNAT 1. Guillermo screened his 35mm print of this as we sat together, annoyingly singing out loud every lyric from memory. Paul Williams is a god and PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE is his Bible by way of St. Brian. This is an expensive import. But it is the kind of film that you get the expensive import for. Because it’s the sort of film that is accessible in France because… they really do appreciate the best of America.

7. THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS (Blu Ray)

It did my heart well to see the support for Gilliam’s latest extraordinary work! Sadly it also contains the very last work of Heath’s. He truly is amazing in it too.

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!

6. FANTASTIC MR. FOX ( Three-Disc Blu Ray)

A whole bunch of you picked this up, and I find myself wondering how many of you don’t have kids – because this is a release that I find is all about us grown ups. I love watching it, but when I have played it for my nephew – he seems to love it just as much – so I guess it is for kids too – I just feel it is more for me.

Sigh. My happy spot. I love FANTASTIC MR FOX. I love how different the stop-motion is from the Selick / Burton films. I love the way the hair ruffles with the touch of the animator’s hands. But most of all – I just love how Wes Anderson adapted Dahl. The look is metaphysically perfect. The disc has making of stuff that is just never long enough to sate my love of this form. However, it is quite nice. Wonderful film and Blu Ray!

5. AVATAR ( Blu Ray)

Well – I wondered how many would hold off for the more robust Blu Ray we’re being promised later in the year, but according to world sales – it seems… ALL OF YOU have this blu ray. And isn’t it just beautiful? Too bad it doesn’t have a single extra.

Ya know. The film is still playing, I hear it will be returning to IMAX screens, there’s always persistent rumors of a longer cut being issued into theaters – and there’s definitely strong rumors of a robust badass edition coming out later this holiday season. SO. The question is put to you. Do you wish to have a 1080p print of AVATAR for home use? That is essentially what you’ll get. It is gorgeous, and I think the film actually works better in 2D. So, do you need it now?

4. THE AFRICAN QUEEN (Commemorative Blu-Ray)

Yup, it is on the list again! And higher than last time! But still not high enough. Ya know, the other day when Danny Trejo was hanging on my couch (seriously ridiculous life moment) – he looked up at my KEY LARGO half sheet that Lauren Bacall signed to me… he started singing a song about Bogie & Bacall. And it turns out – Machete loves Humphrey Bogart – and now I find myself wanting to see Danny Trejo on a small steam ship going up the Amazon with a pair of scientists hunting the Creature From The Black Lagoon. I know none of that has a thing to do with THE AFRICAN QUEEN… but dammit – just thinking about AFRICAN QUEEN gets my brain going off on about 75 different tangents that spring from Huston, Hepburn, Bogie and Bacall (even if she never appears on screen). But that’s what a great classic movie can do. Stir up remembrances of countless performances, anecdotes and stories regarding the classics. This is one of my favorite classic release treatments on Blu Ray. The green screen correction is pretty remarkable. Would love to see a theatrical re-release of this print.

When people say, “They don’t make em like they used to,” films like THE AFRICAN QUEEN are what they’re talking about. Now – why get the big set above. In addition to the stuff you get on the standard Blu Ray – you get a repro of Katharine Hepburn’s out of print memoir, “THE MAKING OF THE AFRICAN QUEEN or HOW I WENT TO AFRICA WITH BOGART, BACALL AND HUSTON AND ALMOST LOST MY MIND” – and brothers and sisters… YOU MUST READ THAT! You also get some other fun stuff, but really – you’ll want to read that memoir. The disc extras are fantastic – as is the radio version of AFRICAN QUEEN which featured the voices of Bogart, but instead of Hepburn – Greer Garson played the role… very differently – but in a fascinating way. I love that as well. But the real reason to buy this version is the restoration that went into this. In addition to just the standard cleaning up of the negative and digital color work – they fixed some of the matte line problems that the film has ALWAYS suffered when you see. Now those annoying halos around Bogie and Kate are gone – and it looks absolutely without flaw. The making of is outstanding. And Lauren Bacall comes off looking like the best girl friend/wife one could ever have. What a lady!

3. TALES FROM THE SCRIPT

Seems we have a whole bunch of aspiring screenwriters out there. Or maybe it is all you directors just trying to get a sense of who these great screenwriters are and how they seem. I’ve actually heard from both types of purchasers. It really is a wonderful doc on screenwriting for the film biz.

If you want to be a screenwriter, if you want to know about the life, the frustration, the horror, the elation, the marginalization, the anger and the happiness of getting it perfect… TALES FROM THE SCRIPT is absolutely for you. This is a doc about Screenwriters… folks like Paul Schrader and William Goldman, John Carpenter & Shane Black with a dash of Frank Darabont. This is for everyone that ever wanted to pursue the life, understand the life or just plain avoid the life… Best doc on screenwriting ever made.

2. John Carpenter’s ELVIS

I’ve gotten a lot of mail from you folks glowing about this release. And the question of, Blu-Ray? And frankly, I have no answer for you folks. I believe the sales on this title may only be upon this lunatic of a site. But for geeks like us, this was a helluva release!

And this is why you people rule! Absolutely reigning supreme on my clickthroughs and purchases for the month of March is JOHN CARPENTER'S ELVIS starring Kurt Russell in a stunning stunning role! Helping this is the fact that it is the first time that I know of that you can see this in Carpenter's signature widescreen. If you still haven't seen or picked this up - do not hesitate for a second. Those of you that bought this - speak out and share what you thought of this. You did love it right? Fucking Awesome. I had never seen this, until the disc came. I was offered a chance to see it full screen once, but I just can’t imagine watching anything by John Carpenter in full screen. God, I’m so glad I didn’t see that version. There’s a sense of Carpenter’s eye throughout. The composition is completely counter to FULL SCREEN. Kurt Russell’s ELVIS is a thing to behold. Next to his role as Jack Burton and Snake Plissken, I think Kurt’s ELVIS beats the others. A really great effort by John Carpenter, finally in widescreen!!! SO GOOD!

1. John Woo’s RED CLIFF – International Version – Part 1 & Part 2 (Blu Ray)

I can tell you this – on last month’s list, I mentioned that I thought this could make a run at possibly making this list two times in a row, but I really didn’t expect just how many of you went after this. But then, I suppose this version isn’t commonly available or in deep supply via Netflix. But I haven’t really been hearing what you folks thought of this full release? Didja love it?

Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES buy the U.S. Theatrical version of this film. It is a nearly unwatchable. Whereas this is masterful. I love the 2 film version of this movie. The nuance and the elegance to the story-telling is wonderful. The best John Woo film in ages. Be sure if you purchase RED CLIFF that you get this version. In my opinion the other version is unreleasable. I put it on out of curiousity and watched it all. And I’m telling you. STEER CLEAR – get this one!

#1 from April 2009: TIMECRIMES

This was bought in extremely high numbers back in 2009’s April. And as a result we all kinda discovered Nacho Vigalondo – and now we await his next masterpiece, and the inevitable remake of this brilliant Time Travel tale.

A truly great Time Travel film. A brilliantly written tale of just how complicated Time Travel can get – and why you should never ever sit in your backyard with binoculars and then obsess over a pretty lady. If you didn’t learn enough from your nights watching BODY DOUBLE – this film will also cut down on the peeping! This is an amazing independent film. With minimal budget, tiny resources and a perfect understanding of how to use what he had, Nacho Vigalondo created a TIME TRAVEL story without any time lapse photography, no computer effects and fancy smancy gadgetry. This is a film that is all about understanding the physics of Time Travel and the danger inherent to it. A beloved FANTASTIC FEST film!

#1 from April 2008: THERE WILL BE BLOOD

Another outstanding title choice. Of course it has since been released on Blu-Ray – a gorgeous Blu Ray I will add. But again, it shows me how cool you folks are. Checking out the coolest stuff.

Hands down the best film of at least 2007 – I’ve watched my DVD of this film 5 times now and everytime – I get enraptured by the story, the acting, the choice of how to film certain scenes, the musical choices…. This isn’t a paint by numbers film. This is high cinema – about grand themes – put together in a mesmerizing masterpiece by Paul Thomas Anderson. The behind the scenes extras are well worth it – and a glimpse at how PTA does what he does. An absolute necessity – and is it me – or does this DVD cover look like it was Criterion Inspired?

#1 from April 2007: 42ND STREET FOREVER: XXX-TREME SPECIAL EDITION

You’re all fucking pervs like me too. This happens to be my all-time highest selling release for the month of April. But where else are you going to get sexually explicit vintage trailer? These things are crazy, sick and hilariously hot. And there’s probably just a few of you that would ever admit to having gotten this one. That’s ok, that’s what’s awesome about online purchasing… anonymity!

The Grindhouse doesn’t get dirtier, raunchier or as lurid as this DVD filled with over 2 hours of the most exploitive in your face sex charged trailers that you’ll ever see… unless you go to the Alamo Drafthouse on special occasions. I’ve seen things there that rival and surpass some of this…. But not all of it. This is definitely not for you babies out there. This is very hardcore. So buy at your own risk, your fragile little mind might blush or gag.

#1 from April 2006: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA – Season One (2004)

Back in April of 2006, I had my head up my ass. I still hadn’t seen BATTLESTAR GALACTICA season one, I’d judged the whole thing as being shit based on an advance fx-less copy of the pilot that Syfy (hate that) sent me. As a result, in 2006 this didn’t even get written about by me. Herc had that covered. But a shit ton of you folks picked it up after clicking over to AMAZON and it is the first title I’ve noticed that y’all got that wasn’t in my list. Just an example of where y’all were right and I was wrong. Rare though that may be. Giggle.

#1 from April 2005 - Hanzo The Razor Box Set (SWORD OF JUSTICE, THE SNARE, WHO’S GOT THE GOLD)

Perhaps the single best title that I have ever discovered in the history of doing this DVD column. This was sent to me and blew my mind. I then, in turn, blew a shit ton of minds with the unbelievably fucking awesome awesome that is HANZO THE RAZOR! If you’ve never seen this – it is never ever to be missed. Exploitation Japanese Samurai Detective with an astonishing cock. One of the craziest fucking series ever created – and amazing to watch!

Ok – from the wonderfully sick & twisted genius of Kazuo Koike (creator of LONE WOLF & CUB) and starring the amazing Shintaro Katsu (the original ZATOICHI) comes the greatest exploitation cult anything I’ve ever seen. I really had no earthly idea what I was getting ready to watch as I put SWORD OF JUSTICE in. OHMYGOD! On back of the box – the tagline, “HE’S DIRTIER THAN HARRY AND SHAFTIER THAN SHAFT,” is boldly proclaimed. My thought was bullshit. Then I watched. It’s astonishing. Try to imagine this. This is, essentially a 70’s Exploitation tougher than railroad spikes Cop film. Think Popeye Doyle or Dirty Harry or McQ or Bullitt or Shaft. Think of that Lalo Schifrin jazzy 70’s funk sound. Imagine that open empowered sexuality. Think about how those characters handled their chiefs. NOW – it isn’t set in the 70s and in New York or Los Angeles or San Francisco. It’s set hundreds of years ago – and Hanzo is a badass samurai ‘cop’ in feudal era Japan. He’s every bit as deadly as Ogami Ito, but this time there ain’t no babycart. Instead. Instead. Goddamn. How to put this. Ok – I have to tell you this. TRUST ME ON THIS ONE! Don’t do further research, don’t ask around. Just get it. Just put it in. Afterwards, you’ll call up everyone you know and you’ll laugh your asses off as your jaws hit the fucking floor. Now, I love exploitation film. I love the work of Miike. This is just so damn pervasive. It’s perverse, sick, twisted and so far from anything you’ve ever seen. There is serious nudity and things you’ll see that may forever change the fetishistic wet dreams you’ll have after having witness Hanzo the Razor. It is that amazing. Now excuse me, I must go buy a cargo net and a block and tackle. Heh. -- Oh hell, I forgot to mention THE SNARE and WHO’S GOT THE GOLD? These are also fantastic, but not quite at the stunning production level as SWORD OF JUSTICE. Brilliant film!