Hey folks, Harry here… This past week has been crazy for me. I’ve been recovering from a crazy Halloween party, an awesome Election night and working on a lot of stuff regarding Forrest Ackerman. But the hardest part has frankly been concentrating. My liberal brain has been in overkill with Election mania since Obama got elected and I have been absolutely addicted to reading every article every where. I’ve since recovered, slightly, only spending a moderate amount of time distracted – as frankly – we’ve got around 60 days before it begins to get really really interesting. But two years of, “I hope he wins” melted down to “He Won!” on Tuesday – and my brain just wanted to soak it all in.

I finally finished it – so here it is. As always, if you click on the box art or title you’ll be taken to AMAZON where you can learn more or purchase the item in question giving a portion of the cost back to support this column, which will be back on time for Tomorrow’s DVDs.

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

PLANET OF THE APES 40th Anniversary Collection (Blu-Ray)

This set contains all 5 original Planet of the Apes features – including the amazing director’s cut of the 4th. (Saw that amazing film at FANTASTIC FEST this year! Just stunning) This huge box set comes with a great booklet, there’s 6 new featurettes offered in 1080p including an interview segment with all sorts of sociologists, scientists among others – all discussing the significance and science of the first film. There a nifty public service announcement from ANSA reporting on the mission of the “doomed brave astronauts”. All the films have an isolated 5.1 score track – there’s commentaries by folks like Jerry Goldsmith, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Natalie Trundy and the great makeup god, John Chambers. Honestly this box set is one of the very very best releases in the realm of Blu-Ray. And it includes a 200 page love letter of a book to PLANET OF THE APES! This is as great as it gets. It’s time for all of you to… GO APE!!!

KUNG FU PANDA

From talking apes to a Kung Fu Panda – ah, this week is getting off to a great start. KUNG FUN PANDA was the surprise joy of the year. I don’t think many of us thought this film was going to be spectacularly badass, but it wound up being exactly that. Jack Black’s Po was instantly endearing – but oddly, my favorite character was the Monkey (Jackie Chan) – his face and look was just fantastic. The turtle was also great. But more than anything was the fantasy of it all. The joy of a kung fu maniac getting to just be with his heroes and discover his own hero inside. As corny as all that sounds, the film resonates as well.

FUTURAMA: BENDER’S GAME

Finally a day and date release on a Futurama Movie in Standard Def as well as Blu Ray! Nice job Fox! Now if only I had a copy in advance so I could tell you folks whether or not it was worth picking up early. So we’ll just have to hope that the Futurama guys are still kicking ass (of course they are) and blindly order on faith alone.

GET SMART

This is a cute little film, I don’t think it is nearly as cool as the original TV show, but it is a light fun affair. I just wish there was more to it than what it was. I wish it had been a satire of the Spy genre, like Galaxy Quest was of episodic Television, not that device, but just where when the threat became genuine – that the emotion became genuine. Afterall this isn’t a “Nude Bomb” we’re talking about going off in Los Angeles, but an actual Nuclear device. That has a weight to it.

PRIMEVAL: THE COMPLETE SERIES 1 & 2

I got sent this a while back and I’m serious, I think at some early age somebody injected me with an anti-British Science Fiction TV Show virus, which absolutely makes me incapable to grok this stuff. I was lightly amused, but unaffected, however, there’s a great many people that I know that absolutely dig this. If you like DOCTOR WHO – I’m told that you’ll love this.

STAR WARS TRILOGY

Nothing new here. Basically just a repackaging of the Star Wars Trilogy we grew up with, having both the Special Editions along with the Original Editions. However, if you have previous versions, you should probably just wait for the Blu-Ray… someday. It’s $35.

STAR WARS PREQUEL TRILOGY

Why this Trilogy is priced at the same as the original will always stun me, but here it is. Again, this is just a repackaging to capitalize on the Holiday season, really no reason to pick it up til Blu-Ray.

Budd Boetticher Box Set – ( TALL T, DECISION AT SUNDOWN, BUCHANAN RIDES ALONE, RIDE LONESOME, COMANCHE STATION )

This is actually a set of movies that I’ve never seen. But I do know the films by reputation and having spoken to Western freaks for quite some time. The only Budd Boetticher Western that I’m familiar with off the top of my head is the absolutely fantastic RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY, which isn’t a part of this set. However, I’ve always known that the 5 films in this set made up the mystique and aura of Randolph Scott. They’re the reason you say his name in singing reverence. And if you say it’s BLAZING SADDLES’ fault, you’re only partially right, because it really comes down to Mel Brooks’ love for these Westerns and the awesomeness that is Randolph Scott. In particular – I’m dying to see TALL T and COMANCHE STATION which I’ve heard were simply great, right up there with the best of the genre.

POPEYE THE SAILOR: 1941-1943, Vol. 3

I’ve gotta put a warning on this set, as the second disc of this set came smack dab in the midst of WWII and… well, Americans were pretty goddamned angry at the Japanese. And still later, they were pretty pissed at the Germans and Italians. As a result, you’ll see some pretty scathing nationalized racism in place. Pure Propaganda. THAT SAID -- As a huge fan of animated propaganda and politically incorrect works, it is nothing short of a fucking awesome miracle that there’s a DVD selling all over this glorious country with YOU’RE A SAP, MR JAP and SCRAP THE JAPS and SEEIN’ RED, WHITE ‘N’ BLUE. These are completely uncensored and spectacular. You have to understand, this was the unleashed hostility of various cartoonists and directors that for one reason or another didn’t end up with a chance to exact bloody revenge during WWII, so instead they worked out their frustrations 24 frames a second with calloused hands and silly grins. Most of the second disc is dedicated to War Time themes and stories. This is truly a treat!

BATMAN – THE COMPLETE ANIMATED SERIES

Hands down the best animated series ever animated. I remember being at Comic Con when Dini, Timm and crew unleashed that first peak at what they were up to. I didn’t have AICN at the time, but I spent about an hour and a half walking the floor with Dini chatting about the hopes and dreams that he and his co-conspirators were looking forward to unleashing upon the unsuspecting midgets and geeks that were going to tune into the toon. Now… over 16 years later, we have all 109 episodes of this now classic and must have animated series. That’s over 35 hours of stylized Batman action. It is filled with extras, 12 commentaries on pretty awesome episodes and it’s all packaged in this fantastic box set. As much as I love the live action BATMAN films of Nolan – there’s a part of me that can’t wait for that undetermined future, where a live action BATMAN will reflect the animated dream of BATMAN!

CALIGULA (Blu-Ray)

Because – this is what 1080p was meant to show you. Every pore of a sodomized victim must be seen cleanly! You must see the Roman scandals with absolute perfection. Perversion does not want to be pixilated, it wants perfect clarity. And here it is. And you’ll see all that stuff better than you ever should’ve seen it. This is kinda like a demonic miracle of perversion. No, not kinda… it is a demonic miracle of perversion…

GET SMART – THE COMPLETE SERIES GIFT SET

Can a human being actually endure every GET SMART episode ever? I mean, I love me some Don Adams and Barbara Feldon… and it’s actually a whole lot smarter than you probably remember it as. I mean, Buck Henry and Mel Brooks did know what the hell they were doing. And it’s almost universally better than the any second of Austin Powers. Ah hell, I love me some shoe phone action!

WATERWORLD

Ahhh… the much maligned WATERWORLD. No where near as awful as one would imagine, and today – its budget is kinda quaint. But in 1995, WATERWORLD was a disaster of epic scales. And frankly, I think it is why we’ll still have a bit to go before we see a SUB-MARINER or AQUAMAN movie. That said, the film really did have a great idea at its heart – one that has grown more and more plausible as the years go on. It’s a worst case scenario – and the director’s cut that you see here is something I’ve had on a video tape for years – and it really is much better than the theatrical cut, but at the same time, the film never really looks nearly as big as the budget led one to believe. It is an ok movie that dreamt of being outstandingly great. Definitely worth checking out.

EMMET OTTER’S JUG-BAND CHRISTMAS

Pretty much the greatest thing ever. Seriously. If you love Jim Henson’s work – and you haven’t seen this, you will literally die of delight. It is really that great.

TRANSSIBERIAN

Don’t you just love Emily Mortimer? This is such a vacation gone wrong film. Remember MIDNIGHT EXPRESS? It doesn’t quite go there, but it does get pretty damn rough. I really do love the work of Brad Anderson, and this is another feather in his cap!

THE GREGORY PECK FILM COLLECTION – ( TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD – CAPE FEAR – ARABESQUE – MIRAGE – CAPTAIN NEWMAN, M.D. – THE WORLD IN HIS ARMS )

Amongst the greatest moments of my life was the time I met Gregory Peck – He is without a doubt one of the greatest personages to ever appear on screen. Gregory Peck commands one’s attention, he makes you smile, cry and well up with pride. The second I opened this set, I put in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD – the second I saw the title I realized that I hadn’t seen the film in too long. By that, I probably mean a few months. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is a film that hold as a moral center. The sort of film that reminds you what it means to be a man, a child and as a measure of time. But something curious had happened since the last time I watched it. I watched this about a week before the election and as the polls and pundits had convinced me that we were going to elect Obama – just as Atticus convinced me that his client was Not Guilty, a corrupt system of ignorance and racism could stop justice and what was right. And I weeped, weeped because I hoped we as a people had come far enough to realize race wasn’t something to be afraid of, something to doubt for. And I felt we would elect Barack, that perhaps this time Atticus would win his closing argument. Thankfully, I was right. This is a fully packed 2 DVD collection of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, with that great Peck documentary by his daughter.

Then there’s the other films – great, each and everyone. The original CAPE FEAR – the oh my god hot Sophia in ARABESQUE, then the lesser known MIRAGE, CAPTAIN NEWMAN M.D., and THE WORLD IN HIS ARMS which were wonderful all in their own way. This is a fantastic collection!

THE WILD WILD WEST: THE COMPLETE SERIES

I love this series and got all the seasons as they came out – and they also sent this Complete Box Set – which is essentially the same as each of those individual sets, but packaged all together. The packaging annoys some, the discs go in cardboard sleeves, but I’ve never really had a problem with this and the box is mighty cool. This is really for people that love the series. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve received about 15 of these big box sets – most of them in various “special boxes” usually secured in not the best ways for easy access. But I realized, these super sets – I think the folks at the various studios aren’t thinking so much about the idea of them being acquired by people with as many DVDs as the rabid collector. They’re there for the person that LOVES this show, this series of films, whatever the BIG BOX has – and it’s meant to sit somewhere prominently to proclaim to the world – “I’M A HUGE FAN OF THIS SERIES!” As for me, in my DVD library (yes, there is a dedicated room) there’s an area for these “SPECIAL BOXES” and its pretty damn awesome. And I’m proud to add this to those.

THE COMPLETE MASTER WORKS 2

FALL TO YOUR KNEES AND WORSHIP THE MIGHTY SATAN AND HIS VANQUISHERS… THE D!!!!!!! More bliss than you can piss!

RETURN TO SLEEPAWAY CAMP

Somewhere Quint has filled a sock.

FRAGGLE ROCK: THE COMPLETE SERIES COLLECTION

First the good news – Here’s the complete FRAGGLE ROCK series. Sadly, there’s no 4th Season individual box set, so if you want the fourth season, you’re being forced to buy this Box Set – and take your individual previous 3 Box Sets to a DVD trade in place to get whatever you can in credit or cash. Otherwise, you’ll have to get this fantastic complete collection. Which is totally worth it. I usually replace my individual boxes with the complete sets later on, but then… I get sent them.

A CHRISTMAS STORY (Ultimate Collector’s Edition) – Blu Ray

Ya know… I have perhaps the fondest screening memory of this film EVER. First – I sat out in the street in front of the CHRISTMAS STORY house in Cleveland, Ohio as it misted and lightly rained, whilst watching in 35mm, A CHRISTMAS STORY during the Rolling Roadshow with my newlywed wife… The Salvation Army Band (some of whom were featured in the film) sang, we had guests from the movie – we all sang Christmas carols in the summer – and after the screening we went to the Chinese Restaurant where they had their dinner for Engrish Carolling and Chopped Duck. It was blissful. Absolutely Blissful. For one night in the middle of the Summer, it was Christmas. This BLU RAY can’t give me that feeling, but it can give me the movie immaculately and with a strand of Christmas Story leg-lamps! Tres Cool. We get a wonderful commentary from the dearly departed Bob Clark… and that dynamic producer of badassness, Peter Billingsley. Lots of extras and a much better remastered High Def version of the film than was previously released. This really is an Ultimate Collector’s Edition!

UNIVERSAL SOLDIER (Blu-Ray)

I have a very soft spot for this film. This undead soldier story from director Roland Emmerich starring Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren… well, it’s just slick fun. This was one of JCVD’s best films, but now that we have JCVD – that film takes the ticket for best Van Damme film ever made. Seriously, it is that fucking great!

MONSTER’S BALL (Blu Ray)

Because you have to have that couch scene in 1080p. But seriously – you need this film because it is absolutely a great film from Marc Forster, whose QUANTUM OF SOLACE is hitting this coming weekend! I had completely forgotten that Heath Ledger played Billy Bob’s son in this film. He’s really good in the film, as is everyone – especially Peter Boyle as Billy’s Dad. Damn, I miss both of those actors! This is a really a great film. Glad I revisited it.

THE HOWDY DOODY SHOW – 40 Episode Collection

Howdy Doody scares the living fuck out of me. My father ran a Collectibles Shop that mainly handled movie posters and comic books as a child, but he also handled anything he deemed cool, which happened to include a glass-eyed composition doll of this evil fucking monster. It sat at the top of a dark stairway with a light glowing upon it, giving evil boy killing life to it’s dead dread-filled eyes. EVERY TIME I WALKED THOSE STAIRS. EVERY TIME. I knew that it would be this time that it would leap out at me and that I’d fall backwards down the stairs breaking my neck and that my lifeless husk would have this doll upon my chest staring into my now lifeless eyes. I KNEW IT! So, let’s go back to the moment where I pulled this DVD out of the mailer – and THREW IT ACROSS THE ROOM SCREAMING! It was purely a knee-jerk reaction to DEATH! This is what lays for me in my nightmares. This is the lurking fear of my ID. This is what HOWDY DOODY TIME means to me!

HOME MOVIES 10th Anniversary Set (Deluxe Edition)

I don’t seem to remember ever catching any of these, but they were directed by Brendon Small – who is behind the awesome greatness that is METALOCALYPSE – which my wife and I are addicted to… gleefully. Here’s what you get:

The Home Movies Limited Edition Megaset includes 12 DVDs containing every single episode, commentary track and other bonus features found in the four original DVD box sets, as well as the 52-song CD included in the Season Four set. This deluxe box also includes two Home Movies items available nowhere else. Along with that Canvas bag and Clapboard you see above.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA FRANCHISE COLLECTION (Amazon Exclusive)

I’ll have all of you know that I’m now a huge fan of this series. I finally caught up through Season 3 and I must apologize for being a stick in the mud. I was hung up on my nostalgia for the original series and never really gave the show the chance it deserved. You really must watch it from the beginning and in order – and for doing that, you will be richly rewarded. Amazon has assembled basically everything that’s available from the new BATTLESTAR and grouped them in a set where you’re basically saving over $85 bucks. I’m just using this as my excuse to let you all know… I’m a reformed BG muckity muck!

TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. (blu Ray)

This is a pricey Japanese Import – but it will play in U.S. Blu-Ray players and it is absolutely fucking amazing! This absolutely fantastic William Friedkin movie should be seen in perfection. William Petersen vs Willem Dafoe! That car chase, which I’m sure violated a lot of human rights. Heh. And a movie that is absolutely exquisite to behold. 5.1 DTS audio.

KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN (Blu-Ray)

This one is an Amazon Exclusive, meaning the only place to get this on Blu-Ray is via Amazon. It is loaded with extras, but most importantly you get this movie pristine. William Hurt’s Oscar winning turn – and a Best Picture nominee. Raul Julia – god I miss that guy – and Sonia Braga… wow. This is a pretty sweet exclusive from Amazon!

Tomorrow night, I’ll have Tuesday’s DVDs for ya, including: HELLBOY II, SCRUBS 7th Season, Dr. Syn: THE SCARECROW OF ROMNEY MARSH, BAND OF BROTHERS Blu-Ray, Walt Disney Treasures – The Chronological Donald Vol 4, STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, QUO VADIS, FIREFLY-Complete Series Blu Ray, Mickey Mouse Club Presents Annette, NIGHT GALLERY Season 2, THE SOPRANOS Complete Series, ALL MINE TO GIVE, HOLIDAY AFFAIR, IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE, BLOSSOMS IN THE DUST, The Murdoch Mysteries Movie Collection, JFK Blu Ray, STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO, THIS IS THE ARMY, THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS, HOLLYWOOD CANTEEN, SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO, HARRY POTTER YEARS 1-5 Blu Ray, THE LONE RANGER: 75th ANNIVERSARY, PLANET B-BOY, THE GENERAL, LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE: All of em, SUNSET BOULEVARD – Centennial Collection, BLACK CHRISTMAS the good one Blu Ray, I DREAM OF JEANNIE – all of em, Complete M SQUAD, STUDIO ONE, SABRINA, ROMAN HOLIDAY, OPERATION VALKYRIE: THE STAUFFENBERG PLOT TO KILL HITLER, LA FEMME PUBLIQUE and more!