Hey folks, Harry here with one of those late DVD columns. This was due out on November 2nd, and yes, I'm well aware I owe you a column for today, and I am going to try and pound that out before going to sleep tonight. Seriously. As usual the images and titles link over to AMAZON, and if you purchase something, a portion of the price goes to help this column going. I love doing it, but man - some weeks - it gets crazy in casa del Knowles. Here ya go...
Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010
WINNEBAGO MAN
Most likely this will go down as the greatest documentary based upon outtakes of an old Winnebago Ad shot for the Industry. As in, the Industry that sells Winnebagos. This documentary is ridiculously funny. I’m talking side-splittingly funny. I’ve known of WINNEBAGO MAN’s director, Ben Steinbauer, for a while. Actually, more of knew of him. He’s been around the Austin film sceen for quite sometime. Usually known as, “that guy that looks like Bobby Birdman,” but I’d heard he was an indie filmmaker, but the first work of his I saw was WINNEBAGO MAN at SXSW Film Festival a couple years ago, and was so happy to hear that KINO picked up the movie, not just for this DVD release, but also an arthouse theatrical run. I just wish that more theaters ran it. I’m serious, this is probably the best ‘frustrated with the way this world has gotten’ movies I’ve ever seen. WINNEBAGO MAN feels like a documentary about a guy who has just gotten fed up with just about everything this world has to offer. Which is amazing, given the footage that made Ben Steinbauer hunt Jack Rebney down – was him losing it on an industrial film on an incredibly hot summer day with bugs buzzing and a semi-competent film crew that constantly exasperated Jack to Christian Bale levels. Then to find that Jack Rebney had moved into seclusion… hid away from the world, completely unaware of his cult video fame… and find, he’s still pissed, and that he cusses like Rembrandt painted. It glows! I can not recommend this film enough. It isn’t just about seeing an old guy cuss, it’s what he’s cussing about. Universal aggravations that either political party could really listen to ol Jack. This is a fantastic documentary!
TOY STORY 3
I really like TOY STORY 3, but I still have that nagging problem with the overall message of the film. Mainly because I’m such a man-child – it seems most don’t share those hiccups. But I watched this a few nights ago on Blu Ray and wow it looks great on my screen. The sound design really feels robust here too. The film really goes for the heart, and there’s no denying that they hit their mark. The more I watch NIGHT & DAY, the short included on the Blu and before the film theatrically, the more I feel that it is very likely the very best animated short in the history of PIXAR. And that is saying a lot. By going incredibly retro, they hit a spirt that I haven’t seen in nearly enough animated works of the last few decades – and that’s to have a conscience. To impart in some small way a sense of calm about something that is continuing to grow grotesquely out of hand. I know with the RALLY TO RESTORE SANITY, it is beating a dead horse, but the sheer vitriol that permeates all discourse these days is really absurdly insane. None of it serves to do anything, but distract from how we can get along and admire the uniqueness that each side has. But DAY & NIGHT does it in a manner that makes whimsy of the issue. Makes one smile, rather than rant. And in days like these – that is very unique.
TOY STORY TRILOGY
OK – so you don’t yet own TOY STORY or TOY STORY 2… You held out, because you knew a third movie was coming, and you were going to be smart and wait for the whole dealio. Congratulations, it is here for you!
If you have the first two on Blu Ray – and you’re asking what more you get for the money you’d set down. Well other than the amazing TOY STORY 3 bluray… you do get the ability to make digital versions of the first two TOY STORY movies, which didn’t come on their stand alone copies.
Now – upon rewatching the entire TOY STORY TRILOGY, I’ve decided that this should be retitled, “ANDY’S TOYS’ STORY” because – you know and I know there will be more TOY STORIES… The money that TOY STORY 3 pulled down was obscene. And Bonnie is mostly likely a way cooler kid than Andy ever was. I mean just thinking back upon how badly Andy treated Woody over that dumb flash in the pan Buzz Lightyear. The only thing I find incredibly unrealistic about TOY STORY 3 is… if Andy had really become so uninvolved with his toys – why on Earth would ANY of Buzz’s battery powered functions still work? They would have run down. And I don’t believe that Andy replaced the batteries more than twice. I’d even bet that realistically, Buzz’s battery acid would have begun corroding his inside Battery Compartment. Realistically speaking that is. I know toys. I know what happened to my Robots when I neglected them for more than 3-4 years.
Anyway… Here are the features on this whole set:
Toy Story:
•Toy Story 3 Sneak Peek: The Story
•Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs Blast off
•Paths to Pixar Artists
•Studio Stories: John's Car, Baby AJ, Scooter Races
•Buzz Takes Manhattan
•Black Friday The Toy Story You Never Saw
Toy Story 2:
•Director commentary
•BD Live-portal (BD only)
•Toy Story 3 sneak peek: "The Characters"
•Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: International Space Station
•Paths to Pixar: Technical Artists
•Studio Stories: Toy Story 2 Sleep Deprivation Lab
•Studio Stories: Pinocchio
•Studio Storyies: The Movie Vanishes
•Pixar's Zoetrop
•Celebrating our friend Joe Ranft
Toy Story 3:
•Day And Night Theatrical Short Filmmakers Commentary With Commentary By Director Lee Unkrich and Producer Darla Anderson
•Bonus: The Gang's All Here - A look at the returning voice talent for Toy Story 3.
•Toys! - A look at all the toys from updating classic characters to developing the Sunnyside Daycare and Bonnie's Room toys.
•Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: The Science of Adventure (conj with NASA)
•Paths to Pixar: Pixar Editors, past and future, share anecdotes about their career path.
•Studio Stories: Where's Gordon? There's a hidden room at Pixar that we call the Where's Gordon?, and this is its story.
•Studio Stories: Cereal Bar The majestic and expansive Pixar cereal bar is explored.
•Studio Stories: Clean Start The Pixar animation team shaves their heads to mark the start of TS3 animation.
•A Toy's Eye View: Creating a Whole New Land
•Toys! A look at all the toys from updating classic characters to developing the Sunnyside Daycare and Bonnie's Room toys
•Interactive Game: Toy Story Trivia Dash
•Cine-Explore by Dir. Lee Unkrich and Prod. Darla Anderson
•Beyond the Toybox -commentary track
•Beginnings with Michael Arndt - Screenwriter Michael Arndt analyzes successful opening scenes from ToyStory, Nemo and the Incredibles.
•Bonnie's Playtime - A roundtable discussion with the Lee Unkrich and the story artists who brought the "Bonnie's Playtime" scene to life.
•Roundin' Up a Western Opening - Development process and scene analysis of "Western Opening" in its various iterations through the story process.
•Goodbye Andy - An exploration of character design, acting and animation in the scene "Andy's Goodbye".
•The Accidental Toymakers of Pixar - Meet the makers of the original Buzz Lightyear and watch how the newest version of Buzz - the Ultimate Buzz is constructed.
•Life of a Shot - Overview of artist contribution to each step of the production pipeline on a select group of shots from the Western Opening of Toy Story 3.
•Making of Day and Night
•Epilogue - Stand-alone 1.33 version of the Epilogue.
•Ken's Dating Tips, Lotso Commercials, "Dancing with the Stars" at Pixar
•Trailers and More
THE PACIFIC
I really like THE PACIFIC quite a bit, but the nagging criticism that I see hung around its neck is that, simply, “It isn’t as great as BAND OF BROTHERS,” and that is certainly true. For a narrative, the war in Europe has always felt decidedly more cinematic. You had the ultimate villains with the Nazis, and only one big beach invasion… and it was the mother of beach invasions. But THE PACIFIC was a brutal war. My favorite film about a segment of it, is MERRY CHRISTMAS MR LAWERENCE… though I surely love FIRES ON THE PLAIN, BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, EMPIRE OF THE SUN…. then all the great Black & White WWII Pacific films like SANDS OF IWO JIMA, ONE OF OUR AIRCRAFT IS MISSING, THEY WERE EXPENDABLE, BATAAN, BACK TO BATAAN and of course THIN RED LINE… it’s a great sub-genre of War films – the last great films were that double bill of Eastwood flicks… But honestly I prefer THE PACIFIC to that. I really do hope I get to make my great WWII PACIFIC War flick. Got one I’ve wanted to do for ages.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Blu Ray)
Watched THE SOUND OF MUSIC on Blu Ray and could not help but to turn it up loud and sing along. While watching, I remembered being taught “Do-Re-Mi” in 2nd Grade… around the same time I first saw STAR WARS, and a flood of memories from 2nd Grade came a’calling. I love this film. It is embedded into my consciousness. I want lots of kids, so they can put on a great puppet home theater, that I can then criticize on AintItCool. Giggle. The Blu Ray transfer was beautiful. Those great opening sweeping shots that just told you, this isn’t upon a stage… just look beautiful. Then there’s Julie Andrews, who is just note perfect. Christopher Plummer, when he’s dancing with Julie for the children… He’s amazing, and Julie has “I LOVE YOU” pouring out of her every pore. The sung line, “There you are, standing there, loving me,” gets me everytime. But then I’m a hopelessly romantic sort. Here’s the great extras you get in this awesome set:
Your Favorite Things: An Interactive Celebration — all-new immersive viewing experience with behind-the-scenes images, on-screen lyrics, trivia track and location quiz
Music Machine Sing-Along
Musical Stages: Creating The Sound of Music — all-new interactive "backlot tour" with in-depth featurettes on the songs, the stage show & movie, the film and sound restoration and the real-life von Trapp family
A City of Song — virtual map of filming locations in Salzburg, Austria
Vintage Rodgers & Hammerstein and The Sound of Music programs, including a parody with Carol Burnett and Julie Andrews, and an interview with the real Maria von Trapp on The Julie Andrews Hour
Rodgers & Hammerstein: The Sound of American Music, hosted by Mary Martin
Screen tests, rare treasures, interviews, photo galleries and more
BD-LIVE: Live Lookup Powered by IMDb
THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (Blu Ray)
It is essential that every film directed by David Lean ends up in your film collection because… well, they’re perfect movies. I’m talking just perfect filmmaking. From the emotional power they have, the way the story is told, the framing of shots, the lighting of scenes… They’re perfect, always compelling and just fantastic work. For me, I’ll always think of Alec Guinness from this first, simply because, by the time I saw STAR WARS, my father had shown me this film at least 4 times. And I’m extremely thankful for that. I’ve been lucky enough to see pristine exhibitions of all of Lean’s color masterpieces, and when you’re watching the Blu Ray – you’re getting a taste of just how great film can be, when watching a David Lean film. It is like watching a Kubrick film, but with a little more hope for humanity. This set has repros of all the lobby cards, a 35 page book of stories and photos detailing some of what happened in the making of the film. You’ll see William Holden and Alec Guinness on THE STEVE ALLEN Show and much more. The print is gorgeous, with great sound. That said, I’m not a huge fan of the clunky packaging.
THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW: THE COMPLETE SERIES
I have still never seen an episode. I have this set though. It’s sitting there, under my dining room table, waiting for me to fish it out and lose 2800 minutes of my life being absolutely delighted by most of what this show has to offer. The only reason I haven’t dug into it, well… to be honest, it is kind of to annoy Moriarty (aka Drew). Not that it annoys him much, but I do know it bugs him a little – and he knows, without a doubt, that I’m going to love this when I give it a chance, but honestly – the way I am, I’m an obsessive-compulsive – and if I were to crack this set, I could end up drowning in a backlog of other things that I have to do. Besides, I’m waiting for that time I get sick where I decide… I’m gonna watch this for the 4 days of feeling like shit, because I know this will heal me with undeniable laughter. This is something I’m saving for a point of misery. I think that’s the right thing to do. That said, this set has some good extras:
Introduction by Garry Shandling
All-New Deleted Scenes
All-New Outtakes (bloopers)
Garry Lectures At USC
60-Page Collector's Book featuring essays from Howard Rosenberg and Jeffrey Tambor
The Making Of The Larry Sanders Show: Feature-Length Documentary
Garry Shandling And Judd Apatow On "The Writer's Process"
Interviews With Cast
Garry Shandling's Personal Visits With Guest Stars Alec Baldwin, Sharon Stone, David Duchovny, Tom Petty, Jon Stewart, Ellen DeGeneres, Jerry Seinfeld And Carol Burnett
Commentaries by Garry Shandling, Judd Apatow, Peter Tolan and Todd Holland
WHITE CHRISTMAS (Blu Ray)
You ever seen this film theatrically? That opening sequence where Bing is singing against that blown to hell WWII landscape? His Technicolor eyes are so blue, that it matches exactly the blue of the sky behind him, and on film… it kinda spooks me the hell out. This is a wonderful Christmas movie, essentially a remake of HOLIDAY INN, which is a pretty good film on its own, but it just isn’t as iconic or as perfect as WHITE CHRISTMAS – that’s because of Michael Curtiz… my favorite director in the history of Hollywood. A man that could direct CASABLANCA, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, YANKEE DOODLE DANDY, WHITE CHRISTMAS, Karloff in THE WALKING DEAD, CAPTAIN BLOOD, ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES, THE SEA HAWK, MILDRED PIERCE, PASSAGE TO MARSEILLE, THE SEA WOLF, SANTA FE TRAIL and KING CREOLE – that’s just amazing. That’s just a small portion of his filmography, but he made some of the greatest films in multiple genres with completely different types of actors and personalities. He wasn’t the most obvious director, in fact he was a bit of an invisible man – but he made great movies – and this is one of them. Paramount did a great job on this Blu Ray, here’s the extras:
Commentary by Rosemary Clooney
Backstage Stories from White Christmas HD
Rosemary's Old Kentucky Home HD
Bing Crosby: Christmas Crooner HD
Danny Kaye: Joy to the World HD
Irving Berlin's White Christmas HD
White Christmas: From Page to Stage HD
White Christmas: A Look Back with Rosemary Clooney
Theatrical Trailers HD
THE GOONIES (Blu Ray)
This set comes with a GOONIES Board Game. I’m not kidding. An honest to goodness GOONIES boardgame – and that’s – something to do. I love GOONIES. That Sean Astin once told me that he was the only person who could make someone an honorary Goonie… and then he “Made me a GOONIE!” – that was one of the great days of my life. This film is about the imagination of boyhood wonder. When we thought we could solve the problems of the world by going out and finding rich stuff. Digging for treasure, following maps… making booby traps. I did all of that as a kid, before and after seeing THE GOONIES for the first time. I’m so used to seeing funky prints of THE GOONIES, that seeing a gorgeous Blu Ray transfer… well, it oddly felt out of place for me. My old VHS was recorded at the slowest speed, as part of a triple feature with COCOON and TIME AFTER TIME. And I watched that VHS a lot. And it started with GOONIES. On this edition you’re gonna get a commentary with the director and the whole set of Goonies! Cyndi Lauper’s insane video for “The Goonies ‘R Good Enough”, Storyboard reproductions, a reprint of a 1985 Goonies magazine and much more. For fans, this is Good Enough!
HIGHLANDER (Director’s Cut) (Blu Ray)
This is one of those films that I love the idea of more than I actually love the film. I love the QUEEN soundtrack. Clancy Brown is great in the film. But both Connery and Lambert… and just something about the overall style of the film… just doesn’t make me love it the way I feel I should love it. The way I know others love it. In the realm of home video, HIGHLANDER has never looked as good as this. I really love the details I can make out during the quickening this time. Ultimately, if you love HIGHLANDER – you’re going to go ga-ga over this. It looks beautiful!
HIGHLANDER 2 (Blu Ray)
I refuse to watch this one. I remember really really hating it and I have not been intoxicated enough to give it another shot. Am I wrong?
CENTURION (Blu Ray)
It sucks enormously that CENTURION did not see movie theaters on a large scale. One of Neil Marshall’s very best films – and a movie that kicks unholy ass. If you love ROME, you’ll love CENTURION. It is a different setting, but it has that sort of grit to it, but the action is some of the bloody best hack & slash you’ve seen in films. And that girl on the cover. She’s not a romantic interest, she’s amazing. Amazing as the Boba Fett of this world. SO GREAT! Michael Fassbender is fantastic in the film – as are the men around him. One of my favorite badass films of the year.
CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG (Blu Ray)
For those that love CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG (like me) – the film is a movie filled with details. Those details really really pop on the Blu Ray. While looking at audio options, I discovered at least 15 audio tracks in different languages – which kind of freaked me out, because so many discs are usually 4 maximum. The English is in 7.1 DTS and it is fantastic. I recommend tormenting your children with our favorite childhood nightmare character! You know you want to!
NOT OF THIS EARTH
In Anamorphic widescreen – you get a crazy fun Roger Corman Traci Lords in this very goofy and cheesily fun flick. Hiring Traci Lords as a private nurse has often been a dream of mine. With this film, you’re most of the way there – and you’re being completely legal. Stay that way!
THE BING CROSBY COLLECTION ( COLLEGE HUMOR, WE’RE NOT DRESSING, HERE IS MY HEART, MISSISSIPPI, SING YOU SINNERS and WELCOME STRANGER )
Here you get 5 Bing Crosby films from the thirties and one from the 40’s. You know what’s great about these films… You’ve probably not seen them. When I got the set, I immediately put on MISSISSIPPI from 1935, where Bing takes a job singing on a Riverboat with W.C. Fields as the Riverboat captain that tries to teach Bing the old Southern meaning of Honor. And it is fantastic. Everything that I would have wanted it to be. Then I watched SING YOU SINNERS which teamed Bing with that wacky bastard Donald O’Connor and Fred MacMurray – and they’re all brothers wanting to hit the big time, but hit the racetrack for a series of misadventures. Next, when I get back to Austin, I’ll check out WE’RE NOT DRESSING that has Bing with Corole Lombard and Burns & Allen!!! That’s gold, I guarantee ya. This is a great set. Let Bing swoon you.
THE WIZ (Blu Ray)
What a pedigree… Written by Joel Schumacher, Directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell and Ted Ross in what might very well be the most gaudy film ever made. I find this movie absolutely captivating. It’s like… it really does exist. Now, I’m just waiting for SGT PEPPERS with the BeeGee’s to hit Blu Ray. Then I could really have a night of audacious holy shit. It is all worth it for the EASE ON DOWN THE ROAD number. The BluRay is far better than the film probably warrants in most eyes, but for me… I remember loving this at a Drive In as a kid, much to my Father’s horror… and I’ve had it on VHS & DVD… so why the hell not?
DESTRICTED
This is pornography as shot by filmmakers that kind of want to make it not be pornography – but it still is pornography, just with a bit of pretension and some very unusual tacts taken with the medium of pornography that might elevate its intrinsic artistic worth… but it’s still for all intents and purposes porn, even if it is Larry Clark, Marilyn Minter, Gaspar Noe, etc doing it. This could also be loathed for those that just want something to stroke to. I’d actually recommend this more for the smart ladies that like intelligent porn
THE VISTOR
There’s a very good chance you’ve never heard of or seen this film… but it stars John Huston, Lance Henriksen, Mel Ferrer and Glenn Ford… This is a crazy Italian made film that wanted to be Star Wars meets The Bad Seed by way of Rosemary’s Baby and a whole host of other flicks – and it does that while being absolutely bugnuts crazy. This film has the Rankin Bass Gandalf out in a desert doing his best Augie Ben Doggy, while an evil devil girl makes basketballs explode, while a Blonde Jesus tells little bald kids about a shapeshifting bad guy known as… wait for it… ZATIN!!!! First off. Let us now & for all time retire the word SATAN, the dark one will now be ZATIN. It’s just plain sexier. The film is insane, but oh my god watchable in a hundred ways. The film physically looks great. And with that cast, no matter how banal the story and the dialogue… it’s just kind of miraculous to see them doing this. This has been a very long time coming to DVD. For fans of weird fun flicks this is a little jewel. Give it a shot.
EXTERMINATORS
I think I saw this at SXSW last year, I think. Might have been another film fest, but I saw this – and ya know what – I really really liked it a lot. It never got any theatrical play that I saw, but that’s a shame. This is a black comedy about a group of ladies all in this rage-therapy group, who end up working out their rage in a very dark manner that would make most women giggle like monkeys. You know what ticks me off. Ladies get handed something like SEX IN THE CITY – but then a film like this, which is genuinely fun, wicked and very much for the ladies… well, it gets no traction. Heather Graham is great here, as is Jennifer Coolidge, Joey Lauren Adams and Amber Heard. Check it out!
That's it for last week. I'm pounding out this week's column now. Again - sorry for the delay, but I'm trying to catch up before this week gets away from me.
