The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the Quick Stop Weekend Shopping Guide – your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…
Thank You For Smoking (Fox, Rated R, DVD-$29.99 SRP) is one of those flicks you walk away from thanking jebus that the filmmakers pulled no punches in their satire. What could have been a watered-down ersatz treatment of the tobacco lobby instead unspools as a hilarious indictment of our modern consumer culture. Aaron Eckhart’s performance as Nick Taylor – brilliant spin-meister for big tobacco – is a brilliant portrait of the devil with a wink and a smile, out to further his client’s cause in society and culture. This is definitely a must-see flick. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, a Charlie Rose interview with the director and cast, and more. Smoke if you got ’em.
It’s encouraging and heartening to me that, even almost 60 years after he was created by Carl Barks, Scrooge McDuck has a rich enough mythology that amazing stories can still be spun by what Barks wrote all those years ago. The average person would think that modern Duck artist Don Rosa had mined all there was to be had in his 12-part epic masterpiece The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, but they’d be wrong. There’s are plenty of areas to be explored in Scrooge’s storied past, and Rosa has done that with the stories featured in The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck Companion (Gemstone, $16.99 SRP), which features seven tales reaching back into McDuck’s adventures in Panama, Java, the Old West, and the Yukon. There’s even commentary on each by Rosa. Here’s hoping for another volume in the near future… So get crackin’, Don!
While fans who have been snapping up the seasonal sets will have virtually every episode on the new 2-disc South Park: The Hits Volume 1 (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$26.99 SRP) – save for the still-scathing Cruise indictment “Trapped in a Closet” – there is one overriding reason why fans of Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s cutout world will want to grab this as fast as they can. That reason? The first official release of the legendary short that started it all, “The Spirit of Christmas.” I honestly never thought I’d see the day. The other 14 episodes are just icing on the cake.
Conspicuously missing from the recent remastered re-releases of George Harrison’s catalogue was 1973’s Living In The Material World (Capitol/Apple, $29.98 SRP). That’s now been rectified via a special edition featuring a pair of bonus tracks (“Deep Blue” & “Miss O’Dell”), and a limited edition bonus DVD featuring a 5.1 remastered performance of “Give Me Love” from his 1990 concert in Tokyo, a video for “Living In The Material World,” and alternate/demo versions of “Miss O’Dell” and “Sue Me, Sue You Blues.” Here’s hoping that even more releases like this are in the offing, since there’s still plenty of unreleased material in the vaults.
Having a friend who was a big fan of The Greatest American Hero (Anchor Bay, Not Rated, DVD-$99.99), I can think of no better Christmas gift for him than the tin-encased collection of the complete 43-episode series, which is limited to an edition size of only 20,000. Why so limited? Well, in addition to the 80’s classic, the set also features a reproduction not only of Ralph Hinkley’s cape, but also an iron-on transfer and a copy of the famous alien instruction manual (which is a battery-powered delight). Believe it or not!
The end of the Baudelaire orphans’ tragic journey is nigh, but there’s one last piece of Lemony Snicket’s puzzle to piece together before resolving the series of unfortunate events, and the clues are to be found in The Beatrice Letters (HarperCollins, $19.99 SRP). The beautifully bound volume (the material itself is actually contained within a hardbound file folder) contains correspondence between Snicket and the doomed Beatrice. There’s just as many questions as there are answers (well, actually, there are more questions than answers), but there are plenty of clues for fans to chew on until volume 13 is released.
It’s been double-dipped already, but the Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Extraordinarily Deluxe Edition (Sony, Rated PG, DVD-$29.95 SRP) justifies its purchase price – and its very existence – with a brand new high definition transfer of the film that is truly spiffy. In addition to the bonus materials available on the previous special edition (including commentaries from the Pythons, sing-alongs, “How To Use Your Coconuts” educational film, “The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations,” 1874 BBC Film Night, unused ideas, trailers, and more), the new set features an animated medley of songs from Spamalot, Secrets of the Holy grail featurette, and a bonus 3rd disc with the film’s soundtrack album. Ni!
I still cannot comprehend why ABC cancelled Whose Line Is It Anyway? (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP). It was an improv show with a single set – dirt cheap – but it was one of the most gut-bustingly funny shows to spend a half-hour with. With regulars Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Colin Mochrie, Wayne Brady, Brad Sherwood and host Drew Carey, it was must-see TV. I’m quite happy that we’re finally getting season sets (sort-of) with the release of Whose Line: Season One Volume One, containing the first 10 episodes. What’s even more brilliant, though, is that the outtakes and gag reels featured on the set are completely uncensored – and believe me, these guys knew how to go spectacularly off-color. More sets in a hurry, please.
Compared with Sinatra’s almost sterile duets package – during which Frank never met a single one of his singing partners – Tony Bennett’s star-studded Duets: An American Classic (RPM Records, $18.98 SRP) is positively energized by the fact that Tony actually recorded every track with his guests. The guest list is a thing to marvel at – including Paul Simon, Elton John, Billy Joel, Bono, Elvis Costello, The Dixie Chicks, John Legend, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, and more – and the tracks themselves are fantastic. Give it a spin.
Before his regular spotlight on The Daily Show, I had no idea who Lewis Black was. Who would have thought that he’d be one of the most caustic, insightful, and hilarious political comedians of our generation. In an age where we our lives as Americans seem to be lived in a perpetual state of irony, Black is a welcome slap across the collective face. Which is all to say that you should definitely allow yourself to be pleasantly slapped by his latest stand-up special, Lewis Black: Red, White & Screwed (HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP). The DVD features 15 additional minutes of footage, plus 5 additional pieces.
It’s been a few months since Warner Bros. unveiled one of their fantastic “Signature Collection” box sets, but they’ve certainly returned with a pair of must-haves for any film fan. Humphrey Bogart: The Signature Collection Volume I & Volume II (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP each) have, as their centerpieces, the newly remastered 3-disc special edition of The Maltese Falcon – which features both the 1931 & 1936 versions of the film, as well as an audio commentary, Warners’ 1941 “Night At The Movies” (with a vintage newsreel, musical short, and cartoons), trailers, makeup tests, 3 radio show adaptations, and a newly-produced documentary (“The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird”) – and the 2-disc special editions of Casablanca and The Treasure of The Sierra Madre, which feature audio commentaries, featurettes, documentaries, Warners’ “Night At the Movies,” radio shows, trailers, and more.. That alone should be reason enough to pick up the sets, but if you need more proof, they also feature Bogie in Across The Pacific, High Sierra, They Drive By Night, Action In The North Atlantic, All Through The Night, and Passage To Marseille. Each film features its own complement of “Night At The Movies”, with additional featurettes, radio shows, commentary, and even blooper reels.
As the new 2-disc special edition proves unequivocally, even four decades on, Brian Wilson was a certified genius. The newly remastered 40th anniversary edition of The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds (Capitol, $29.98 SRP) features both the mono and stereo versions of the album, plus a DVD with 5.1 mixes. The DVD also features a new edit of the 1997 “Making of Pet Sounds” documentary, Brian Wilson interview material from 2003’s “Brian Wilson Presents Pet Sounds Live In London,” a previously unreleased discussion between Wilson and Sir George Martin, a trio of 1966 promotional films, and a photo gallery.
Amid Amidi has provided a much-needed fill for a gap in animation history with his comprehensive look at the UPA-style of design that came to prominence in the 1950’s. The book is Cartoon Modern (Chronicle, $40.00 SRP), and it’s packed with not only a ton of information on the period and the artists behind it, but also loaded with artwork, which makes it a tome to sit with on a cold winter day and fully take in at your leisure. One disappointment, though, is that I always get a certain sense of elitism from Amidi’s discussion of design, dismissing the contribution of story to great animation and over-elevating the art itself. In animation, I believe the two go hand-in-hand in creating the pieces that truly strike a chord in a viewer. Still, a minor quibble for an overall great book.
Slowly but surely, the Disney animated feature library is getting the 2-disc “Platinum Edition” treatment, although I think that the quality level – and intelligence – is not quite as good as the original 2-disc special editions of flicks like Emperor’s New Groove, Tarzan, and Atlantis. The new edition of The Little Mermaid (Walt Disney, Rated G, DVD-$29.99 SRP) does sport a very stunning remastered picture and soundtrack (even if Disney has done their PC revision to a few scenes), and bonus features (I don’t consider a crappy music video with a Disney Channel “star” a bonus feature, mind you) including an audio commentary, deleted scenes, The Little Match Girl animated short, a making-of featurette, a Hans Christian Andersen featurette, and a virtual tour of the aborted EuroDisney Little Mermaid ride.
And speaking of The Little Mermaid, while the remastered soundtrack is very much appreciated on the new 2-disc special edition of the soundtrack (Walt Disney Records, $15.55 SRP), the 2nd disc full of those aforementioned Disney “stars” butchering the tunes is definitely a waste of plastic. The only halfway decent track is Raven-Symone’s “Under the Sea,” but even that is an overproduced piece of pop trash that completely drowns a great song.
I admit that, as the death and depowerment count of some major characters in the third X-Men installment began to rack up, I found that I couldn’t care less. In fact, I’ve been so disappointed by Marvel’s mutant movie franchise as a whole, that I hoped the title The Last Stand (Fox, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.98 SRP) was a literal acknowledgment to all those who’ve detested the pathetic scripts and ham-fisted adaptations of favorite stories and characters found in all 3 films – people like me – that it was all coming to a merciful end. If only. The story this go round has to do with Frasier and some cure for mutants with wings and blue skin, and Juggernaut running around, and… Oh, who cares. The DVD features a pair of audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and 3 alternate endings – none of which are any better than the one they wound up with.
He seems incapable of cranking out anything worthwhile now, but all it takes is a spin of the new unrated director’s cut of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) to remember why we once gave a damn about Guy Ritchie. Watching the energy, intelligence, skill, and verve he displayed then makes me wonder what in the hell has happened to him since. Besides Madonna. The bonus features are limited to featurette on the film’s cinematography, and a rather ho-hum compilation reel of the flick’s expletives.
Modeled after the Disney Treasures DVD releases of rarities, Disney Comics: 75 Years of Innovation (Gemstone, $12.99 SRP) features two dozen rare Disney comic stories from across the breadth of those aforementioned 75 years, starring Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Scrooge, Br’er Rabbit, Jose Carioca, Li’l Bad Wolf, and more. Some of these stories have never been reprinted before, and it’s well worth picking this up just for them.
Currently available as a Target exclusive, the 2-disc DVD-licious! collection of some of the best highlights and interviews from The Ellen Degeneres Show (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP) is a breezy, fun watch. Ellen is a natural talk show host, never upstaging the guest, but completely unafraid to make things fun and interesting. What I can’t believe is that the show has been on for over three years. Time certainly does fly.
The fourth season of Ellen (A&E, Not Rated, DVD-$49.95 SRP) is the one that featured the PA announcement heard ’round the world, as not only the character, but also Ellen herself loudly and proudly came out of the closet. It’s a shame that her sitcom went downhill creatively after this landmark season, since it would have been even more powerful a statement if she’d been able to keep the show going for years after. The 3-disc set features all 25 episodes, plus an audio commentary with the writers of “The Puppy Episode.”
Even though this seems to be the 47th release of the film on DVD, those bastards have probably added just enough new bonus material – including newly-remastered picture and sound – to make picking up the Scarface: Platinum Edition (Universal, Rated R, DVD-$29.98 SRP). The 2-disc set features deleted scenes, documentaries, and clips comparing the theatrical and TV versions of the film.
It was only a matter of time before someone decided that a series following the real-life adventures of an Indiana Jones-type would make for interesting TV, and that show is Digging For The Truth (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$49.95 SRP). Following explorer/survival expert Josh Bernstein into the heart of the Andes in search of El Dorado or Ethiopia on the trail of the Ark of the Covenant, it’s an engaging archeological journey through history. Heck, he’s even got the hat for it. The 4-disc set features all 13 first season episodes, plus a “History in the Making” featurette.
By my calculations, the fifth set of Benny Hill (A&E, Not Rated, DVD-$49.95 SRP) should be the penultimate collection of hill’s bawdy, gut-funny long-running Thames show, covering the years 1982-1985. This was the era of the leggy “Hill’s Angels,” who are interviewed in a newly-produced featurette.
Watching the first season of Thriller (A&E, Not Rated, DVD-$79.95 SRP), it’s as if some of the best (and worst) of Hammer horror style had made it to the small screen. The stories definitely are of the old school horror bent, full of ghosts, psychosis, and oodles of Satanists. Even better for the viewer discovering this series, its also jam-packed with the kind of stars only a British series of the 70’s could deliver, including Bob Hoskins, Stephen Rea, Patrick Macgee, and even Hayley Mills. Bonus features include interviews with creator Brian Clemens and the directors, plus episode introductions.
It seems the stuff of TV movies, but Unknown White Male (Genius Products, Rated PG-13, DVD-$24.95 SRP) is a documentary which follows the true story of Doug Bruce, who woke up on Coney Island with total amnesia. Chronicling his struggle to put his life back together – from family, friends, and career to just his own sense of self – it’s a sometimes poignant, sometimes joyous, sometimes sad study of what defines a person’s life. Bonus features include featurettes, deleted scenes, interviews, and more.
Sci-Fi’s decision to cancel what was still an enjoyable series continues to be puzzling, but fans in mourning can assuage some of their pain by picking up the complete ninth season of Stargate SG-1 (MGM/UA, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP). In addition to all 20 episodes, the 5-disc set features behind-the-scenes featurettes, audio commentaries on all episodes, and a continuation of the SG-1 Directors Series.
There’s just something about seeing The Munsters in color that’s slightly… wrong. See if you agree with me by picking up The Munsters: Two Movie Fright-Fest (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), which contains both Munster, Go Home! and The Munsters’ Revenge.
No one is going to call 1961’s animated Dick Tracy Show (Classic Media, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) a great show, but it was reasonably faithful to Chester Gould’s classic strip. This 4-disc set features the entire 130-episode run.
It’s been an incredibly long wait, but the second volume of Transformers: Armada‘s first season (Rhino, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP) – ending the series, in fact – has finally touched down, featuring the final 26 episodes of the ultimate battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons.
I’m still not entirely sure to make of Danny Elfman’s Serenada Schizophrana (Sony Classical, $18.98 SRP), his foray into orchestral composition as opposed to film composing. I think I like it. It’s definitely a unique experience.
I’m still not sure what the purpose is behind Disney Dossiers: Files of Characters From The Walt Disney Studio (Disney Press, $24.95 SRP). Supposedly, it’s meant to be evocative of files kept by casting agents with information about a certain actor and their “type,” strengths, and background. Unfortunately, this results in a rather awkward collection of characters with uninteresting “Yeah, I know that” text and a poor selection of artwork accompanying it. Why can’t we get the incredibly informative Disney Encyclopedia of Animated Characters back in print? Or a deluxe collection of classic model sheets for the company’s heavy hitters? Please? No more of these cutesy, unsatisfying gimmick releases, thank you.
Often overlooked, some of the most uniquely quirky TV programs being produced today are coming out of Canada, and the series Corner Gas (VSC, Not Rated, DVD-$29.99 SRP) certainly fits the bill. It’s an oddball premises, to be sure, but the show focuses on the life of gas station proprietor Brent LeRoy, whose station is located in the sleepy town of Dog River, Saskatchewan, which is full of the usual complement of off-kilter characters. The complete third season has just come out, featuring all 19 episodes plus an hour-long documentary.
It’s hard to imagine a time when someone pitching the idea of doing an undercover agent infiltrating a gang of bank-robbing surfers would be a green-lightable affair… And then to stack the deck by casting Keanu Reeves as the agent and Patrick Swayze as the gangleader… I mean, it’s just mind-blowing. You can relive those heady times with the new special edition of Point Break (Fox, Rated R, DVD-$19.98 SRP), featuring deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a retrospective documentary.
So there you have it… my humble suggestions for what to watch, listen to, play with, or waste money on this coming weekend. See ya next week…
People will pay to see the funny.
I know just looking at some who talk about the box office are amazed by the business that OPEN SEASON did and are at a loss to explain how it came in at number one last weekend. I don’t consider myself a Kreskin of any kind, nor am I playing Monday Morning Quarterback, but when you don’t really have anything you can punt your little anklebiters into for an hour and a half for many weeks and then a movie like this comes along I am loathe to say it but you can bet dollars to doughnuts that releasing OPEN SEASON into the waters was like tossing a saltine to a dying prisoner; it was just bound to be consumed rabidly by families.
Director: Bob Goldthwait
Director: Dito Montiel
Director: Stephen Frears
Director: Marc Foster
With the first of the 2-part season finale of The Venture Bros. airing this Sunday Evening (October 8th) at 10:30pm on adult swim, we thought now would be the perfect time to run our in-depth interview with James Urbaniak – better known to fans as Dr. Thaddeus “Rusty” Venture.
URBANIAK: So, I was really excited about the play. And I was so excited that I memorized the entire play. I memorized the lines I was understudying, but I just couldn’t help it. I learned the whole play. And I remember being at recess reciting it to friends of mine, the entire play. And I understudied a kid named David Briman, who played one of the main characters. There was also a kid in the play named Mark, who was kind of a weird kid who had a sty in his eye – he had this red mark in his eye – who was one of the other main characters, and his understudy was a kid who everyone felt probably wasn’t up to the job. And that kid’s name was Lance. And you could tell Lance wasn’t really into plays. He didn’t seem to really care. And I remember the day before the show someone saying to Mark, “Hey, don’t be sick tomorrow ’cause Lance is your understudy.” And the next day, I came into school and Mark was absent. And I remember a bunch of kids gathered around Lance, and Lance was reading the script, looking really uncomfortable, and kids saying, “Well, maybe your character could have a book on stage, and you can have the lines in the book.” And I said to my teacher, “I know all the lines in the play. I could do the part.” And they said, “Lance, is that okay?” and he said, “Oh yeah.” And he was really happy to be relieved of that duty, and I went on. I went on… (laughing)
Check out the preview to the Image comic Jeff writes…
Check out the preview to…
Howdy folks. Welcome back to everyone’s favorite waste of time. Let’s do this.
This week on Live, we saw one of my favorite games released, the OG of FPS’, DOOM. The classic PC shooter is back, featuring 4 player deathmatches and 2 player co-op, as well as fancy new upgrades like a remixed soundtrack in 5.1 digital surround sound and redone in High Def…not that you’d really notice.
I know this was released quite a few weeks ago, but sadly, my Xbox Live has been down for a bit, so I missed this when it was first released. Still, I’m no stranger to the game. Taking the 12 World Warriors into battle brings back some great yet strange memories of my youth, and some of them actually aren’t that happy.
Fall has come, and that means another volume of The Complete Peanuts (Fantagraphics, $28.95 SRP). The sixth collection contains strips from the years 1961 to 1962, and is the first volume that I can fully state that Charles Schulz’s comic universe had fully matured into a form – both in writing and art – easily recognizable as modern Peanuts. This was a span that found Lucy entrenched in her psychiatrist booth, Charlie Brown as the world’s most maligned baseball manager, Sally finally coming of age, Charlie making a habit of writing to his pen pal, Snoopy at home on top of his doghouse, and the return of the Great Pumpkin. If you haven’t been picking up these collections, catch up while it’s still manageable – there’s a reason why Peanuts became a classic so quickly.
I’ve been a fan of Scrooge McDuck’s adventures ever since I began reading comic books as a kid, many of whose stories were crafted by the legendary Carl Barks (who created Scrooge in 1947). It was natural that, as soon as it premiered, I became an instant fan of Disney’s animated DuckTales, which adapted many of Barks’ stories. With that in mind, I recommended to the good folks at Gemstone that they collected those Barks tales that were adapted and release them as such. Well, they took my idea, giving us two volumes of Carl Barks’ Greatest DuckTales Stories (Gemstone, $10.95 SRP), featuring a dozen classics from The Duck Man.
Without The Chris Rock Show (HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP) to pave the way, I doubt we would have seen Chappelle’s Show. Rock took edgy, matter-of-fact – and deeply funny – social observations about culture and race and built a show around talking frankly. Through sketches, guests, and musical performances, Rock was able to present a show were anything went, opening the door for Dave Chappelle to truly blow the rest of the walls down on basic cable. When watching the episodes found in this 3-disc set collecting seasons 1 & 2, it’s interesting to see just how much slower the pace was compared to what Chappelle would later do, but there’s no denying that the material is still strong and quite funny. The set also features commentaries from Rock.
During the 80’s, running across and watching an episode of Mama’s Family (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$26.99 SRP) was like comfort food – no matter when I switched it on or ho much of the episode had already gone by, I couldn’t help but watch it. Spun off from The Carol Burnett Show and featuring Vicki Lawrence’s caustic-but-loving Mama character, the show always featured that old-school sitcom writing – always dependable for a solid belly-laugh. The 2-disc first season features all 13 episodes, but sadly no bonus features. Where’s our Mama commentary?
The more I watched of Comedy Central’s Stella (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$26.99 SRP) – starring Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and David Wain – it gradually dawned on me exactly what the show was… it’s a postmodern version of the Monkees TV show. The trio room together in a Manhattan apartment and engages in various absurd, often wacky, adventures in the face heavily-caricatured authority figures. They are the Monkees, and I love it. The 2-disc set features all 10 first season episodes, plus audio commentaries, Comedy Central Presents: Stella, deleted scenes, a history of Stella, and a blooper reel.
If Rushmore‘s Max Fischer had been more inclined towards becoming a stand-up rather than a filmmaker, then he probably would have an act and delivery like Demetri Martin’s. As dry as Steven Wright and as skewed as Mitch Hedberg, his comedy is definitely a grower, but once you get swept up in the absurd observations and view of reality, it’s definitely worth the ride. See if you agree by picking up Demetri Martin: These Are Jokes (Comedy Central Records, $15.98 SRP), containing not only his CD, but also a DVD of his Comedy Central stand-up special and various bonus features including animations and rare footage.
If you think the muck-racking, sensationalistic, celeb-fueled, vindictive journalism of people like Drudge is a recent invention, then you’ve never heard of the titular subject of Winchell (HBO, Rated R, DVD-$14.98 SRP). Stanley Tucci plays Walter Winchell with the verve and vigor of a man possessed by a desperate need for the attention his control of the airwaves in the 1930’s gave him – and the power it brought over both his friends and enemies, including stars and politicians. If history is cyclical, than Winchell’s legacy is still very much with us today.
One of the BBC’s best literary adaptations – Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice – gets a deluxe 10th anniversary box set (A&E, Not Rated, DVD-$59.95 SRP), featuring not only the full 5-hour miniseries, but also a newly produced retrospective documentary with the cast and crew, and the new Jane Austen episode of Biography. If that weren’t enough, the gold-embossed cloth slipcase also includes a 120-page companion book packed with photos and behind-the-scenes information.
Dave Smith’s The Official Encyclopedia of Disney (Disney Editions, $40.00 SRP) is one of those tomes that find a welcome slot in the library of any nerdy fan, packed with trivia and information about every scrap of minutiae you can imagine ever wanting to know about all things Disney – from the films to the theme parks. Heck, it even has an entry for Honker Muddlefoot. That, my friends, is one comprehensive book.
First off, let me say that the soundtrack album for Running With Scissors (EMI, $18.98 SRP) is one of those wonderful mix tapes we’ve come to expect from an indie flick – including tracks like Manfred Mann’s “Blinded By The Light,” Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets,” Phoebe Snow’s “Poetry Man,” the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s version of “O Tannenbaum,” Crosby Stills Nash’s “Teach Your Children,” and more. That being said, the film’s poster image (found on the cover) is the most disturbing use of an anthropomorphized hand since the poster for M*A*S*H.
You want a new way to plan a weekend’s cinema experience? This past June, Docurama released a batch of amazing documentaries to DVD that had only been seen at select festivals around the country, inaugurating a DVD-based “Docurama Film Festival”, giving many of these films a shot at the spotlight and audiences. Encouraged by the success of the first go-round, they’re doing it again, and I’m going to take a moment to recommend the first trio of flicks I’ve seen from this go round, starting with Paul Devlin’s Power Trip (Docurama, Not Rated, DVD-$26.95 SRP), which chronicles American power company AES’s attempts to transform the dilapidated electrical infrastructure of Tbilisi (the capitol of the former Soviet Republic of Georgia), in the face of a political, economic, and social instability. It’s a quite touching portrait of the formerly Communist populace – who never had to pay for power under the old system – and the company’s attempts to get the people back on their feet in the face of open mutiny at the concept of paying for power. The disc features deleted scenes, Georgian PSAs, and more.
The Education of Shelby Knox (Docurama, Not Rated, DVD-$26.95 SRP) focuses on one young girl’s attempt to bring sex education courses to her oppressively conservative Texas town, which is filled with religious fervor and raging hormones, plus the usual social ills and stigmas facing kids in any town, but which are amplified by the fanatical blindness of community leaders, parents, and even some of Shelby’s fellow teenagers.
Finally, there’s Parallel Lines (Docurama, Not Rated, DVD-$26.95 SRP). On September 11, 2001, filmmaker Nina Davenport was in California. Her apartment was thousands of miles away in New York, overlooking the World Trade Center. Unable to book a flight back home, she was forced to rent a car and drive cross country – during which she decided to get out her camera and document her trip across America, and the people and opinions and hopes and dreams she encountered along the way. As the media went maudlin with their 9/11 anniversary coverage and Washington tried to use it as a political tool, Davenport’s film is a much-needed reminder that America isn’t about symbols – it’s about people. The disc also features an interview with Davenport.
While most people might only know of The Byrds for “Mr. Tambourine Man” or “Turn Turn Turn,” listening to the 4-disc The Byrds: There Is A Season box set (Sony Legacy, $54.98 SRP) firmly establishes their place in music history, including soaring harmonies, folk transitioning to country-rock sound, and members who went on to seed other 60’s super-groups (including David Crosby). In addition to all of their album tracks, the set also features rarities, demos, and live cuts, plus a bonus DVD of rare TV appearances. Oh, and let’s not forget the nearly 100-page photo-filled booklet. Great, great stuff.
I love peeks behind-the-scenes of the often absurd, unexpected realities behind-the-scenes of the entertainment industry, which is probably why I got a kick out of I Killed: True Stories of the Road from America’s Top Comics (Crown, $23.95 SRP). As you can guess from the title, it’s a collection of anecdotes and experiences culled from stand-ups including Chris Rock, Brett Butler, Larry David, Drew Carey, Tom Arnold, Ron White, Jay Leno, Mike Myers, and more, all about their time criss-crossing the country from club to club.
I will say this – regardless of how kiddie-friendly the story itself may be, I found the character design and animation in Curious George (Universal, Rated G, DVD-$29.98 SRP) to be absolutely stunning. I mean, this is some of the most appealing design work I’ve seen from any studio in years, and that includes the biggies at Disney and even Pixar. Like I said, the story is slight and mainly for the youngsters, but adults can get quite a few visual oohs and ahs of their own. Bonus materials include deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a sing-along Jack Johnson music video.
I’ve always been interested in the story of Bettie Page – the legendary 1950’s pin-up model whose erotic photos in that straightlaced era led to a Senate investigation. In particular, what motivated her to become an icon of sensuality in an age of repressed sexuality, and even more than that, what happened to her? The Notorious Bettie Page (HBO, Rated R, DVD-$27.98 SRP) attempts to answer many of those questions, and features an amazing performance by Gretchen Mol as Page. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, a featurette on the “Pin-Up Queen Universe,” “Presenting Bettie Page,” and the theatrical trailer.
The Art of Winnie The Pooh (Disney Editions, $35.00 SRP) is a collection of dozens of pieces featuring the denizens of the Hundred-Acre Wood done by Disney artists. While that may seem pretty straightforward, what’s surprising about the artwork is just how diverse the styles are – no one was restricted to a house style or thematic, but were instead allowed to interpret Pooh and friends in their own style, making for a page-turning range with plenty of surprises.
To his day, I can think of no crueler – and honestly, no sadistically funnier – joke than to make an aspiring actor of 20 years believe that he has finally landed the lead in an epic movie. That the victim is a completely clueless, incredibly deluded man who could never land such a role – with good reason – is only half the joke, with the remainder made up by his unbelievable faith that the elaborate fantasy around him is actually deserved. Windy City Heat (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP) deserves its place as a cult classic, and watching Perry – the victim – actually develop a star complex over the course of “filming” is truly priceless. The DVD features an extended cut of the film, footage from when Perry found out about the joke, audio/video commentary from Perry, deleted scenes, and more.
I’ve said it before, but it’s absolutely true that practically every season of Everybody Loves Raymond (HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$44.98 SRP) is virtually interchangeable, and that goes for the show’s 7th season, as well. The antics of the Barone family were pretty consistent across its run, making for the perfect escapist sitcom – like a latter day Honeymooners, with clearly defined characters and conflicts. And I mean that in the best possible way. It’s like the Law & Order of sitcoms. The 5-disc set features all 25 episodes, plus a quartet of audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and a blooper reel.
A Slight Case of Murder (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) is wonderfully comic noir-throwback, starring William H. Macy as on-air film critic Terry Thorpe, a man in the wrong place at the wrong time who’s seen one-too-many crime movies. With a supporting cast that includes Adam Arkin, James Cromwell, and Felicity Huffman, you know it’s got to be at least worth checking out.
I always sit down with one of the University of Mississippi Press’s “Conversations With Filmmakers” books with the intention of reading just an interview or two before going off to do something else, but I always find myself engrossed by the in-depth discussions – and before I know it, I’m done. The latest volumes are Woody Allen: Interviews and Howard Hawks: Interviews (University of Mississippi Press, $20.00 SRP each).
If you were to cross The A-Team with Magnum PI, their bastard child would have been the 80’s series Riptide (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$39.95 SRP). It was everything an 80’s action-medy should, featuring two pals, a detective agency in LA, and a nebbish 3rd wheel solving mysterious cases. The 30-disc set features all 13 first season episodes, but not a single bonus feature.
In what can only be described as a Stephen King fest, you can blow some of your hard-earned cash picking up special editions of both The Dead Zone and Pet Sematary (Paramount, Rated R, DVD-$14.99 SRP each) – both featuring audio commentaries and newly-produced featurettes – as well as King and director Mick Garris’s adaptation of Desperation (Lionsgate, Rated R, DVD-$26.98 SRP), featuring commentary and King’s “Postcards from Bangor, ME.”
On the bubble after it was announced that UPN and The WB would be merging to form The CW, fans of One Tree Hill can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that their show will be back, and can relive senior year via the new 3rd season box-set (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP). The 6-disc set features unaired scenes, a gag reel, and both commentary and a behind-the-scenes featurette for the episode “With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept.”
If you’ve been collecting the DVDs of Cosgrove Hall’s beautiful stop-motion Wind in the Willows series, you’ll want to make sure you add the 2-disc Wind in the Willows: Feature Film Collection (A&E, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP), containing the original features that started it all, including the adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s original tales, plus A Tale of Two Toads. Bonus features include an interview with Brian Cosgrove, an episode from season 3, and a photo gallery.
If the full season box sets are a little too financially intimidating – or you’re completely unfamiliar with their work – than The Best of The Kids In The Hall: Volume 1 (A&E, Not Rated, DVD-$14.95 SRP) is probably your best bet. The first volume contains the 4 best-of shows created for the first two seasons, and also features the audio commentaries with the Kids from the full box sets.
While the movie is pretty run-of-the-mill, I found myself being carried forward by Down In The Valley (Lionsgate, Rated R, DVD-$27.98 SRP) almost entirely by its cast – Edward Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, and David Morse. Faced with troubled teen (Wood), a suburban cowboy (Norton) falls head over boots in love despite a dark secret and a father (Morse) intent on keeping the two apart. Bonus features include a filmmaker Q&A and deleted scenes.
Knowing there were some structural pitfalls, I paid extra-close attention during The Lake House (Warner Bros., Rated PG, DVD-$28.98 SRP) – which finds Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock as two would-be lovers who trade letters while living in the same house by the lake… The catch being they’re two years apart and the mailbox is magic. Or something. I don’t know. No matter how hard I paid attention, I never really understood the whole concept of the thing. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not a bad film at all, it’s just… Well, come on… Magic Mailbox. Bonus features include additional scenes, outtakes, and the theatrical trailer.
Relatively brief, the latest Danger Mouse collection (A&E, Not Rated, DVD-$39.95 SRP) sports the show’s final 4 seasons – 21 episodes in total – across its 3 discs. As if that weren’t enough, there’s also a bonus episode of Count Duckula (“Town Hall Terrors”), alternative theme song options, and a theme song karaoke.
If you want proof of close-mindedness, look no further than the case of NBC’s *extremely* short-lived The Book Of Daniel (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP). Once religious extremists in this country heard that the show featured a priest (Aidan Quinn) who actually had the temerity to question the church hierarchy and – you know – actually live in the world with his family, the sirens went a-wailing (sight unseen, mind you) and NBC buckled by canceling the show almost immediately. Some people might want to look up the word “tolerance,” while those looking for a thought-provoking show yanked before its time should check out this DVD set, featuring all 5 episodes, plus deleted scenes.
Okay, who can possibly resist a Thunder In Paradise Collection (Lionsgate, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP)? I mean, it’s 3-discs full of Hulk Hogan and speedboats. Hulk Hogan and speedboats!!! I am so there.
For the life of me, I can’t understand what anyone sees in the Fast and the Furious franchise. To me, it’s hyperactive crap in fast cars – which I guess, when I think about it, must be the appeal. For those who get off on it, there’s the third installment – Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (Universal, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.98 SRP). Bonus features include deleted scenes, commentary, a location featurette, and a look at the car customization.
