Hey folks, Harry here with my latest DVD column. Sorry that I’m late and sorrier still for missing last week’s altogether. I spent a few days in London and that put a damper on last week’s column, and then as I sat down to write this week’s… I spilt a big bottle of water on the keyboard of my Mac – after drying it I found that about 7 keys would no longer work. Including the first and last letter of my name, rendering me known as “arr”. I had to pick up a separate keyboard today to be able to type everything properly. I’ll probably be getting a new computer shortly – ARGH. After this week’s releases I have the best and the most fun of last week’s releases here for you to enjoy. As usual the images and title click over to Amazon where you can learn more and possibly purchase them. By doing that – a small portion of the purchase price goes to help keep this column going (and contribute to that new laptop.) ARGH! Thanks and I hope you enjoy this catch-up column…

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

HEROES – SEASON 3

While I greatly prefer this season to the second season, it still isn’t quite on par with that magical first season. I thought it had a chance at that for a while. But the last 3 episodes of the season just didn’t wrap the season up how I wanted it to. In fact, I think that’s the problem – they try to build story arcs that are contained within a season – and I think that’s a mistake. I think expanding it beyond a single season to where a complete story takes 3 seasons to tell… that I’d prefer. There’s some real fun here, but damn did I get pissed at the dismissal of Robert Forster. And I really didn’t like how things played out in that last episode. That said, I’m still on board for more. It rocks more than it sucks.

GLADIATOR (Blu Ray)

Certainly better than an upres of my DVD, but this disc should have been better. Don’t bother watching the Theatrical Cut – it is an old master and it kinda sucks. The Expanded Edition looks much better on this disc, but even that isn’t nearly as good as I know it can be. That said… It isn’t a travesty. In fact to untrained eyes you wouldn’t really notice. But if you do notice the softness and unneeded sloppy clarity… it’ll drive you nuts if you try to watch the Theatrical. That said, I literally just got finished with the Expanded Edition and golly gee splatterfest awesome! I forgot how awesome this movie is. There’s a great deal of extras and that isn’t an exaggeration.

BRAVEHEART (Blu Ray)

To understand what is wrong with the GLADIATOR transfer, you need look no further than the transfer here of BRAVEHEART which is simply as great as it gets. This Blu-Ray was lovingly assembled and put together. The visual quality is perfection. Now – since we have both movies here together… let’s ponder the question. Who would win in a fight. Russell Crowe’s GLADIATOR or Mel Gibson’s WILLIAM WALLACE. I have to say, I think Crowe would wipe the floor with Wallace – but Willy could beserker his way through to an impossible victory. What do you think? Willy or Crowe?

STATE OF PLAY

Not a bad film. In fact, I thought it was quite good – but it has the impossible job of trying to live up to the far more fascinating and brilliant BBC mini-series production which is just a much more complete story! It’s brilliant. This… This is really good. That said, I’m ready for Crowe to start whupping some serious ass soon!

SIN NOMBRE

This film is brilliant. It is a chase film, a thriller and a story of immigration, albeit illegal immigration. The film is the debut work of a filmmaker that urges further attention as he knocks his initial tale out of the park. Fukunaga directs a great film. You deserve to check this film out and if you love film, you’ll do so quickly.

Disney Nature: EARTH

I love BluRay Nature docs. I personally prefer the BBC ones, simply because they’re less fluffy. Don’t get me wrong, this film is hypnotic. You can’t take your eyes off of the screen – and the night time footage of the lions bringing down an elephant… well it is some of the most stunning footage I’ve seen captured in the wild. And James Earl Jones’ narration fills me with joy. Definitely worth picking up, but you’ll watch your BBC BluRays more than this.

MASH (Blu Ray)

FUCKING YES! Amongst the very best films of Robert Altman – and not at all what the TV show became. And I liked that TV show, but the film is its own animal. Its own beast. It is a great film. Stunning – and that 70s photography looks so good here. Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould are looking so good. You should pick this up!

SUGAR

My initial impression upon holding this Blu Ray was… “Eh, a touchy feely baseball flick” and I didn’t rush to put it in. I’m not a gigantic Baseball geek, though cinematically – I do love a good Baseball story. Because in film, the sport is humanized. It means something for those characters to win, but I’ve never cared enough about a particular baseball team to get myself invested in the story of an existing baseball team. Movies sate that experience for me. And this story of AZUCAR… Sugar… is a story that really captivated me. This isn’t a touchy feely family film. It is R-rated. That was the first sign that something was not as it seemed. Give this a chance.

TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Murder Mysteries ( THE MALTESE FALCON / THE BIG SLEEP / DIAL M FOR MURDER / THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE )

TCM is putting out a series of sets to basically introduce young burgeoning cinephiles with the best of genre filmmaking. Here for $20 you get 4 of the greatest murder mysteries ever made. They are bare-boned, but they’re solid looking releases, very watchable prints, but the films are so much better than you’re expecting… if you’ve never seen them. The first two are brilliant Bogart works, DIAL M originally was in 3D, Hitchcock’s sole work in the realm of the third dimension. I’d really love to see this film get a deluxe 3D release with a restored print. The last film is the brilliant John Garfield and Lana Turner classic, that was remade with Nicholson and Jessica Lange. But the original is where it’s at… save for that amazing kitchen fuck with Lange and Jack – jesus that’s a hot scene!

FIRE AND ICE (Blu Ray)

How great is this transfer? It is so good, that you can see the specs of dust between the cels and the background that were originally photographed as the cels were photographed. I’ve never seen a great film print of this film. Having found the film on cable, then on VHS and then on DVD. However, this Blu Ray made me so damn happy. Literally I was blown away by the image quality. Watching Teegra in this quality was practically pornographic. Btw – is there a hotter cartoon fuck than Frazetta’s Teegra? I think not. Sure Olive Oyl is more flexible and Betty Boop knows all the best tricks, but Teegra’s lines draw one thing from any man that watches her on screen… and that’s desire. FIRE AND ICE isn’t the sort of film that Bakshi was known for. It isn’t a brilliant satire of society hidden in the realm of adult animation… this is simply a wonderful straight fantasy animation. The rotoscoping is wonderfully done here. One of the most amazing things is that sometimes Frazetta would actually direct some of the action and movement himself, although Bakshi was clearly the director, he worked with Frazetta throughout this film and there’s a love in this film by the artists that you can see throughout. They cared about Frazetta’s character designs and they endeavored to bring them to life like they never have before… or since for that matter. THIS is the release of the week. The only thing that kinda blows here is with the lack of extras. There's a really dupey 15 minute behind the scenes, but there's convention burnt dvds with better extras... but there's nothing that compares to the image quality on this release of the feature itself and that's the main thing I want!

TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Science Fiction ( 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY / SOYLENT GREEN / FORBIDDEN PLANET / THE TIME MACHINE )

Ok – Just like the murder mysteries, this is a 4 film education in science fiction for $20 from TCM. What you have here are two of the great old fashioned science fiction films ever made. 1st, there’s FORBIDDEN PLANET starring a pre-spoofy Leslie Nielson and introducing the world to Robby the Robot. This Scope, stunningly beautiful film captures a magic of a period of science fiction that we’re unlikely to ever see as wonderful as it is here. Then there’s George Pal’s TIME MACHINE, a perfect film. Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimeaux… that friggin beautiful machine. Then you have the science fiction film that grew the genre up beyond what it had ever been before with Kubrick’s 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. And the last title is SOYLENT GREEN. If you’ve never seen the film, do not read the talkback below, cuz you can bet your money that some wise ass is going to throw a spoiler up in the subject line. This is one of the classic Charlton Heston films.

TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection:Horror ( HOUSE OF WAX 1953 / THE HAUNTING 1963/ FREAKS / DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE 1941 )

For me, this set is marred by the inclusion of the Spencer Tracy DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE, mainly because I’ve just never been a fan of it. It is filled with great casting, but I greatly prefer the Fredric March version. That said, you get a great 2D version of the 3D classic HOUSE OF WAX starring Vincent Price. That said, 3D or 2D, this film is great no matter what. But the greatest two films in this set are Robert Wise’s brilliant HAUNTING, which is infinitely superior to the Spielberg meddled with de Bont film. Now the film that will blow your mind if you have no idea about it is FREAKS. There has never been a film like FREAKS – it is a horror film for more reasons than perhaps any horror film has ever earned that moniker. The exploitation of these remarkable performers at the surface might seem inconceivable, but this film showed audiences something they’d never seen before. Half men, a man with no arms and legs rolling a cigarette. And that’s just the beginning. This film must be experienced. You must learn the chant.

THE EVIL THAT MEN DO

Possibly the bleakest of all of Bronson’s films, but I love it. But then, I love all of Bronson’s flicks. I love just looking at those amazing eyes of his. They make you sweat. And there is an absolute purpose in the eyes of Bronson, a determination and a power that you can never underestimate. This is not one of the best Bronson’s, but it gets the job done. Just don’t expect a huggy experience. Heh.

And then, from the week prior – the highlights I want to share with you:

ADVENTURELAND

One of my very favorite films of the year. I mean that. ADVENTURELAND isn’t some crude sex comedy, but it is funny and it is about sexually active people. It is just better than that. This is about that fragile point in a person’s life where they have to come to a realization that they’re not going to be about the dreams you had in High School – that you can’t live at home forever, that you must evolve beyond the plan. And in a very different way, this is that story about the last time you lived at home and that moment that you left knowing it was never going to be the same. Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Bill Hader, Ryan Reynolds and especially Martin Starr all deliver fantastic performances as Greg Mottola shows us he is even better than SUPERBAD. That film was funnier, but this film is better. Love this movie!

THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO (Criterion Collection)

I love this film. It isn’t about Disco really. It is, in that Disco is the setting, the scene, the atmosphere and the world. More so in many ways than even SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. There, it was about the grand standing of DISCO, here it’s about the passive enjoyment of Disco – that it was the thing that a group of friends did, that they enjoyed together. And it is about that point where Disco ceased to be THE COOLEST THING EVER, and the phrase, DISCO SUCKS, came to be. And it is how that affected this group of friends. To a degree I associate with this in the same way that I feel about the original Alamo Drafthouse. There was a scene there, one that was my group of friends and we went multiple times a week. And it’s what we talked about and planned for and then… We started changing, friends moved away and the scene slowly started to change. People you saw in the audience began working there and it all just changed a bit. I still love the Drafthouse and now, it’s a different crowd that I see there and I’m friends with some of them, but the energy of it all changed a bit. THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO reminded me of the time in my life where every Tuesday me and a group of friends all hit the same bar together. That lasted for 4 years. And then… it was gone. The group was gone. For this group, it was this club and this music and this scene. I love that Criterion is championing this film. It is really worth it!

CHILDREN OF THE CORN (Blu Ray)

The book is sooooo much better, but then… I don’t know, the film is its own very special thing. The thing is, this movie never scared me. It kinda freaked me out though. That little man-child creature thing – that lil fucker scares the bejeesus out of me. There’s just something wrong with him. The transfer is actually really lovely, and that’s important when you’re walking through rows of cornstalks. Sincerely. The film kinda works better when you’re watching it alone, but even then – you’re liable to laugh more than you’ll jump.

Eclipse Series 17: NIKKATSU NOIR – Criterion Collection ( I AM WAITING / RUSTY KNIFE / TAKE AIM AT THE POLICE VAN / CRUEL GUN STORY / A COLT IS MY PASSPORT )

A few years back I discovered, whilst doing this column, the work of Seijun Suzuki and my introduction to a specified form of Japanese filmmaking called Nikkatsu began. These are films that hit you like a knife in the gut. They’ll knock you around, call you their whore and leaving bleeding at home asking for more. I’m serious. These are what the Japanese did when they saw film noir. What they did after digesting that genre was bloodier, more risqué and a lot more brutal than the typical work. They do incredibly bold and theatrical work with lighting, colors, shadows and sets. And the clothes and the world of Japan in the era they’re shooting. This isn’t the Japanese film that Film Professors teach, this is the stuff people saw in their versions of Grindhouses. This is Nikkatsu Film and after watching this set, you’ll be hooked. That I promise you.

SCREWBALLS

Roger Corman’s classic produced Sex Comedy. This has pretty much everything you could want with a sexploitation film from this particular era. Now many might thumb their noses at this, but you have to understand the era that it came out. To kids in High School, the concept of porn was an ALIEN notion. Where would you get it? How would you get it? But hard R raunchy sex comedies with lots of titties and a few glorious glimpses at bush?!? NIRVANA – and it wasn’t even a band yet. Add to all of the the boobtastic wonder of Raven DeLaCroix… filled the dreams of an awful lot of guys. Oddly, there’s a good deal of extras on this disc, because… it’s important film work!

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: THE ANIMATED SERIES

This is the barebones addition of the complete Animated series. Months back they released a 5 disc loaded set that is fucking amazing! This – well let me put it this way, you get all 27 episodes of the great, fucking great TV animated series for just $14. The other set sells for nearly $40. So you have to ask yourself, would you rather have all those amazing extras, or the extra $26 and the whole series? For the cost conscious D&D fan, this is a smart purchase.

STUNT ROCK

A BUTT-NUMB-A-THON LEGEND! There’s a magic about STUNT ROCK – moreso the theatrical trailer for STUNT ROCK that could very easily be the greatest film trailer of ALL TIME! The film, insane though it may be, can not possibly live up to the awe and wonder of the trailer, which is on here. Now, you have to understand – this is a film about two things… FUCKING INSANE STUNTS by one of the guys responsible for the mayhem you know from the Mad Max films… and the genius of SORCERY. I can’t possibly explain Sorcery, you just have to experience it. For BNATTERS this isn’t a great film, so much as it is a sacred bond, a sensation of awe and delight. STUNT ROCK is not a very good film, but sometimes a movie doesn’t have to be, to be great!

Exploitation Cinema: TEENAGE GRAFFITI & TEENAGE MOTHER

Perhaps the greatest programming that I ever did was playing this film at what I consider the best BUTT-NUMB-A-THON that I’ve programmed thus far. TEENAGE MOTHER played between HAUTE TENSION and UNDEAD – two films before Mel Gibson showed up with PASSION OF THE CHRIST and this film left more scars than Jesus suffered in that film. I highly recommend watching TEENAGE MOTHER with a large group of friends. Get drunk, high – whatever it is you do, schedule this as the film you put on at 3 or 4 in the morning and watch what it does. There’s a chance you’ll all be screaming and freaking the fuck out. It’s kinda special. I haven’t seen TEENAGE GRAFFITI, but I doubt it can touch the sublime brilliance of the horror of TEENAGE MOTHER.

Ok – that’s it for this week. Again, I’m sorry about not getting this out on time, but as you can see above – it’s been a tough bit of timing and luck. Next week, we’ll be looking at FRINGE, CRANK 2, REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (Blu), BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS, THE NEW WORLD Extended Cut (Blu), THAT HAMILTON WOMAN Criterion, SILVERADO (Blu), HOMICIDE Criterion, UNIVERSAL HORROR: Classic Movie Archive, THE POSTMAN (Blu), FRIDAY (Blu), CREEPSHOW (Blu), Beany & Cecil, QUICK AND THE DEAD (Blu), FREDDY VS JASON (Blu), THE HUMAN CONDITION – Criterion, MENACE II SOCIETY (Blu), DEAD CALM (Blu), SPHERE (Blu), MAD MONSTER PARTY, SUMMERTREE, OVER THE TOP (Blu) and that’s about all. Til next Tuesday!