Tuesday, October 30th, 2007

Hey folks, Harry here with the final week of OCTOBER and the return of my DVD PICKS AND PEEKS column. There’s some big titles this week and some fun spooky stuff as well. As always the box art and links take you to AMAZON where you can learn more about the titles, purchase them or just use this list as a guide for your rental habits. Hope you enjoy it, it’s definitely fun to write.

SPIDER-MAN 3 (2-Disc Special Edition)

Ok – oddly – I haven’t received a SPIDER-MAN 3 review copy – but I’ll be picking this up eventually when I get a BLU-RAY player from Santa this year… I hope, I’ve been a very good boy. But I know a lot of you absolutely hated SPIDER-MAN 3… and I wrote a positive review – that just hated any and all moments regarding Venom’s horrifyingly awful character (nothing changed Venom sucks – except as a drawing or sculpture – but as a plot device, he blows). That said – I loved “Dark Parker” and everything Goblin and Sandman was great. It’s the most flawed of the 3 films with Venom essentially being this series’ Ewoks. That said if you have a BLU RAY player – that’s obviously how to pick this up. BLU RAY version - However, when I get a player – I’ll be picking up SPIDER-MAN – THE HIGH DEFINITION TRILOGY just like I did the MATRIX trilogy when I went HD.

Scrubs – The Complete Sixth Season

Ya know – I’ll admit it. I’ve watched a few of these – and Yoko loves the show. For me, there’s just one thing I’m looking for on these seasons… “Written By Kevin Biegel” – cuz then I know… it’ll make me cry laughing. Otherwise, it’s just grins and occasional guffaws – interrupted with bouts of laughing fits. Right?

TWIN PEAKS – The Definitive Gold Box Edition

Believe it or not…. I’ve never watched an episode… and I’ve never watched FIRE WALK WITH ME. However, I’m hoping to make this be an nightly edition to my schedule. Watching one episode at a time before bed. I’ve been waiting to just get it all on DVD and to start at the beginning. I’ve seen scenes out of context and read so much. But when it played, I just wasn’t there – I believe it was the night I was doing Poetry Readings at this real cool book store down from the Tavern.

The set is loaded though. 10 Discs, postcards and hours of new stuff – plus the complete original pilot and 4 new documentaries. If you’re peaked about PEAKS – how could you not get this?

LOONEY TUNES – GOLDEN COLLECTION, Vol 5

I have the other 4, no reason not to continue. Disc one features the exploits of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. I love these titles – ALI BABA BUNNY, BUCCANEER BUNNY, STUPOR DUCK, etc. Also featured is a Chuck Jones doc, isolated music tracks, Commentaries and everything you’ve grown to expect. Then there’s Disc Two – made up of the Fairy Tales riffs they did. But the real jewels on this disc are the Bonus SNAFU cartoons – which rule the earth! Disc 3: features the work of Bob Clampett – my personal favorite director at the Termite Terrace address. Here you have BACALL TO ARMS, PREHISTORIC PORKY, THE DAFFY DOC (fucking classic) and more. The extras are awesome – including a director’s cut of HARE RIBBIN’ and the storyboard reel for the great BASHFUL BUZZARD. On the Fourth Disc it’s THE EARLY DAZE – these are brilliant early toons. My fave is SCRAP HAPPY DAFFY where an absolutely insane Daffy defends America’s Scrap Heap from an evil Nazi Super Goat that threatens to doom America’s efforts. The fact is though – all the toons on this Disc just kick ass. Now – if you don’t have any of the sets – I recommend getting all 5 collections – they’ll always bring a smile and hours of joy!

THE THREE STOOGES COLLECTION, Volume One: 1934-1936

Finally – Sony has begun to treat THE THREE STOOGES with the class and respect that hitting people with anvils, hammers and crowbars deserves. In terms of physical gags and just fucking funny… The THREE STOOGES kinda rule the Earth. These first 3 years of their careers and the resulting 19 shorts that you’ll find here result in the best available 3 Stooges material released. There’s no specks or hairs. The prints have been cleaned and the footage looks unlike anything you’ve ever seen with them. This is what being a geek is all about!

DAY WATCH (unrated)

I love DAYWATCH. It is everything that I hope for from a sequel. It complicates and simplifies the story from the first film. It reveals and expands upon the themes of the first – and then takes them and twists them and makes a bookend that is so frickin’ perfect that I was left clapping at home watching it. I have no need at all for a 3rd film – and I’m very anxious to see what Timur is hatching for us next year… but this is an absolutely wonderful film, cool as hell.

ANGEL – Complete Series Collector’s Set

I have all the BUFFY eps on DVD, but I don’t have any of the ANGEL eps. So far, I haven’t been motivated to watch them – I’ve heard from fans that actually prefer this series to that other one, but any time that I’ve watched an episode on TV, it felt flat. So basically I’m posting this to ask you folks… is ANGEL really worth checking out?

FACE/OFF (HD-DVD)

I love this utterly ridiculous film. FACE/OFF is the last film from John Woo that I actually love. That said – it’s absurd. I showed this to Yoko as soon as it came and here at home as the DVDs play – like me – she’s surfing around on her laptop – but FACE/OFF got her attention with it’s absolutely absurd concept. It really is fucking hilarious. Travolta and Cage are both performing grotesquely over the top parodies of one another – while Woo is directing a farcical science fiction opera of his violent epics. The cast was insane, the stunts – insane – and this HD DVD is whacked completely out of control. Absolute blast!

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE – Season 3

You know – this series is one of the great discoveries for me of DVD. McQueen’s Josh Randall is a bountyhunter unlike any you’ve ever seen. Essentially the anti-Boba Fett… but retaining all the feelings that he’s a badass, smart and crafty. On this season you’ll see episodes directed by a young Richard Donner – but it’s McQueen that shines. In a filmography that just did not have nearly enough films in it to sate my thirst for great Steve McQueen films… this is a way to enjoy one helluva dynamic performer and action star.

Barbara Stanwyck – The Signature Collection ( ANNIE OAKLEY / EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE / MY REPUTATION / EXECUTIVE SUITE / JEOPARDY / TO PLEASE A LADY )

Barbara Stanwyck was my favorite pre-feminist feminist actress. She could play a strong woman that you believe still was a lady – but knew when it was time to square off those amazing shoulders and take on anything and anyone that the world threw at her. Stanwyck could be a tomboy, a bitch, a blessing and tough as the nails she didn’t care chipped. This collection begins with ANNIE OAKLEY, one of my mother’s favorite movies. This 1935 telling of the Annie Oakley story has its hoakum, but damn if I don’t love what George Stevens did here. I haven’t seen MY REPUTATION yet, but I like fragile Stanwyck as much as I do her tough act – so I look forward to this story of a widower from WWII who has to learn to survive on her own. EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE has a great cast joining Barbara. James Mason plays a husband with two wandering eyes – and who can blame him when Ava Gardner walks into his life again. Then there’s Van Heflin – who just can’t get enough praise in my book. The collection continues with TO PLEAS A LADY and JEOPARDY and EXECUTIVE SUITE… collectively this is a fantastic over view collection of Stanwyck’s work. They all have Cartoons, Trailers, misc. shorts and sometimes “Lux Radio Theater Broadcasts” – which rule.

That said – I really hope that Warners puts out a Jean Harlow Signature Collection… Just because – she’s amazing and deserves one of these sets!

THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK

There’s a handful of films on Darfur documenting the horror that nobody in the world is seriously dealing with. Back in March I saw this film at SXSW and wrote up a review of the film - and the next time I saw the director and Brian Steidle, the amazing man featured in the film and apparently my review helped them get into a host of additional film festivals that Brian would join producers to continue his quest to shine a light and try to get people to abandon complacency and work to halt the horror that is seen in this amazing documentary. This is fantastic work and emotionally this film is a complete knock out!.

THIS IS TOM JONES CHRISTMAS

Make love on a mink throw, toss back cocktails and give gifts in small jewelry boxes… and enjoy Christmas with Tom Jones. This shit will get you laid faster than a horse tranquilizer.

TALK TO ME (HD DVD)

I can’t think of a Don Cheadle film that I didn’t love. He’s just a wonderful actor and here – he’s having the most fun he’s had with a part since BOOGIE NIGHTS… to my eyes, at least. The period detail in the film really pops to life in HD – but it’s the whole package that I love.

BASKET CASE 2

I came to Austin in 1989 – and sometime after that – within the first year back – I got a free pass to go see BASKET CASE 2. My father and I joked about what sort of schlock we were in line for – but once inside… much to our surprise we were told by Louis Black, editor of the Chronicle, that we were at the World Premiere of BASKET CASE 2 and that Frank Henenlotter, the director was there. I was not familiar with his work yet – but this film cracked my skull wide open and quickly thereafter I discovered the early works of Peter Jackson and Stuart Gordon and yes – everything from Henenlotter. This Halloween – if you want a funny fucked up horror flick that’ll tickle and rip out your funnybone. Here ya go!

THE PSYCHIC

This is a film that Quentin Tarantino wants to remake. Seriously. He showed it at one of those QT fests and holy shit does it kick unholy ass. Perhaps my very favorite Lucio Fulci film… all things considered. It doesn’t have the best gore or the best shot. But it’s the best story that he directed and the film is absolutely riveting. Of all the DVDs on this month’s list – this is my number one pick. Here we have the European Version which has never been seen in the U.S. and I’m drooling. It is one of the very best cult horror films you’ll ever see. Absolutely brilliant! And Jennifer O’Neill is stunning!

THE EROTICIST

Not everyone loves the skin flicks of Lucio Fulci… but then some people just can’t conceive of just how amazing 1970’s European hotties were. Like Anita Strindberg, or Laura Antonelli or Agostina Belli. The dream like hotness of these films are absolutely hot and fun. I mean – the whole plot of this movie is about a Senator that can not resist grabbing the asses of beautiful women. That’s a plot I can squeeze a lot out of. Fulci led the life that Eli Roth wants.

HIDEOUT IN THE SUN – 2 DVD Collector’s Edition

Ah… Doris Wishman, we miss you. No, Doris wasn’t a nude hottie, but rather a sweet old lady that loved to shot pictures of naked ladies and shoes. I am absolutely honored to have met Doris at an event at the original Alamo Drafthouse. This film isn’t a stunning film. The women are not jaw droppingly gorgeous – this isn’t a plot movie. What it is, is innocent. Innocent and totally not self-aware. Everyone is too busy having fun to be exploited, this is who they are. They really don’t make em like this anymore.

THE CHURCH

Co-Written by Dario Argento and directed by Michele Soavi of CEMETARY MAN fame – well Anchor Bay has this coming out just in time for Halloween. If you have DEMONS 3, but this is the best version of the film – completely uncut and gorgeously restored. This isn’t Soavi’s best film, that’s CEMETARY MAN, but it’s a damn fun film.

STAGEFRIGHT

Blue Underground scored greatly by having this film of Michele Soavi, it was his first film and it was absolutely fantastic. It’s every bit as good as CEMETARY MAN, I just prefer that film. But in the realm of slasher flicks – this is… seriously one of the very bests. This is a completely unrated version of the film. And you will love this film. Outstanding horror by a director that knew exactly what they were doing. Great film.

RATS: NIGHT OF TERROR

Brumo Mattei in 1983 made a fantastic film to play as the final film in a festival of Rat movies that begins with RATATOUILLE and goes through WILLARD and BEN. This isn’t as great a film as any of those, but it’s the umpteenth degree of it all. Here – this is a real nature gone mad flick and it’s over the top and goreliciously fun.

THE SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN

Pinku cinema is kinda an amazing mix between softcore, horror and violent cinema of Japan. I’ve never seen THE SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN – and I can’t seem to find out anything about the film itself. It’s directed by Takaaki Hashiguchi – who apparently made something called IWAKUTSUKI: DOLL HOUSE and WOMAN PRISONER TORTURE – both of which sound… well… awesome. BUT – the title THE SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN… it itches at me, makes me want to know more. The title promises… I’m not sure what, but it sounds like it has the potential to disgust and thrill

See you with the first week of NOVEMBER with releases like RATATOUILLE, SICKO, HELP, THE BEST OF COLBERT REPORT, PIXAR SHORT FILMS COLLECTION, HELP! Deluxe Edition, Complete Series for X-FILES and SEINFELD, CHINATOWN & THE TWO JAKES special edition, THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS, CHUCK JONES COLLECTION, JAMES BOND ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S SET, A LEADING LADIES COLLECTION, A Hammer DRACULA collection and much more…