DVD Articles: April 2008

Though the notion may be blasphemous to some, this proves that Heidecker and Wareheim are the rightful heirs to the sketch comedy throne that was vacated by Mr. Show years ago.

A dreamy, explosive collaborative effort steeped in a mystical past but forward-looking in its execution -- human music fueled by a touch of the sacred.

Once you dance with Richard Simmons, there’s no going back.

In this excellent collection of eight 30-minute episodes shot for the BBC, Terry Jones offers a kind of Holy Grail redux -- informed, intelligent, and often hilarious.

The US has been involved in so many wars and conflicts that comparably the depth of this DVD set is very thin

One would think the whole 'spooky child' setup would have run its course, but this film finds a few new wrinkles to explore.

Muse wows on headphones, but live, the band occupies rarified air, and HAARP is among the greatest shows on Earth.

This is the cinematic equivalent of whale bone-enforced corset, silk from the colonies, and the kind of workmanship only extreme class disparity can provide.

This film illustrates the genius and brilliance of Godard, who always was a step or two ahead of most critics, academics, and viewers.

Sorkin's signature dialogue -- smart, rapid fire chatter that packs a punch -- makes this the most engaging poli-sci class you'll ever attend.

This is a solid throwback to an era where the scope and poetry of the eloquent imagery were the only things that mattered.

An interesting tale about the intent of lying and the strengths of good old-fashioned work.

The pre-Hays Code sexual innuendos of these films capture a side of the musical rarely seen in classical Hollywood films, of guilt-free dalliances and blatantly carnal wordplay in the style of Cole Porter.

Abel's target is not the general public specifically, but rather a point somewhere between the public and the media where lines of believability, responsibility and truth, are confused and always shifting.

Sometimes the simplest stories about the most ordinary of people can be the most engaging, rewarding and entertaining.

The flawless performances and bracing humor enliven this film's grim subject matter.

By being both absolutely verisimilar and absolutely unreal, Cloverfield highlights the extent to which reality is natively constructed.

Verhoeven's shows, through this history of the Wehrmacht, just how true the "banality of Evil" philosophy is, and how it happens with such seeming ease.

With this well-packaged collection, the viewer is given the idiosyncratic, the polish, the esoteric, and the translation. In short -- a wonderful and full sense of Paradjanov as a director.

Whether in the frozen tundra or the desolate ennui of an industrial village, spirits may take flight but there is no doubt that the laws of gravity apply.

Schnack has gone to great lengths to humanize Cobain and offer more than the usual icon worship usually attributed to such a tragic figure.

Virtually the entire returning cast makes some kind of life-changing decision in season two.

This film about a charmingly warped, desperate, and divorced dad in drag has held up well 15 years after its original release.

A biography more interested with the whiff of scandal (or even creating it) than documenting the process, survival and impact of an artist dedicated to pursing his vision of the world.

Fiery yet flawed, this 22-song collection of live Clash clips is a visual feast of gritted teeth, sopping hair, and snarled lips.

Didactic, straightforward, and trying too hard to speak to me “in a language I’ll understand”, this film made me want to cut class and go smoke cigarettes in the parking lot.

Teens have their precious catchphrases and secret languages, but they're nervous, fumbling creatures. They don’t come equipped with Chaucer-like witticisms, or razor-sharp retorts.

The question arises: if Carter can’t criticize Israel, then who can? Apparently the answer is no one.

The classics 'Black Widow', 'Dangerous Crossing', and 'Daisy Kenyon' are found again, buried deep within the blanketing cloak of the 'film noir' category.

In the wake of the newly Jim Carrey-fied version of Dr. Seuss' classic tale, we revisit the first screen adaptation of the story of a faithful elephant and his tiny friends.

Both dazzlingly brilliant and incredibly irritating, often most irritating when it catches itself being brilliant.

Though disappointing as an apocalyptic tale, this is a remarkable depiction of decay and adaptation.

This film's attempts at clever misdirection are by the book and glaringly obvious. There is nothing remotely "chaotic" about anything that happens.

Whatever flaws this Apatow-produced genre parody may carry, it's all forgotten when you're presented with a DVD overstuffed with extras that are almost as funny as the movie itself.

The ghost in the Beatles musical machine is the personalities of the "something-extra" in their performance that resists transference to others.

No dramatization of the American Mafia can ever prepare you for this chilling documentary on the Italian Mafia.

However fictional, Daniel Plainview is like history come to life -- more Frankenstein's monster than wax doll.

A reunion performance sure to appease true fans of this surprisingly mostly alive band.

This show meets all my criteria for good humor, and it’s a welcome relief from all the wishy-washy, pussy-footing comedy that’s been grazing at my doorstep, lately.

A superbly acted, complex serial story, this show is well-suited to the DVD medium as it can followed at your own pace without fear of missing some of the story.

The general fuzzed-out sense of malaise that Lee is able to tap into while exploring the Nixon-era sexual revolution (and repression and adventure), creates a point of view that both ruthlessly observes and empathizes with these alien suburbanites.

An infinite universe must contain a lot of fun, even when it’s trying to kill you.

There are so many perspectives to be considered in this film, that it might be said director Joe Wright had one too many cooks in the English country estate’s proverbial kitchen.

A well-acted Chilean art film that tries, but fails, to overcome an empty script.

San Fran dirge punks’ memory is no longer related to a grunge hero’s homemade t-shirt.

Burton indulges in meticulously designed, deliberately artificial sets, cinematography that makes the world monochromatic, protagonists with pale skin and sunken eyes – but it's that passion coursing beneath the surface that makes this film feel more alive than anything he's done in years.

The stereotypes on display make the films fascinating to watch as a piece of American film and social history. But they’re a shortcoming when it comes to the stories’ pure entertainment value.

This is something of a late East German addition to film noir: a downbeat tale of moral corruption and heartbreak across an entire society.

Poor quality film, grainy photographs, and but snippets of songs – it's difficult to imagine who this DVD is geared toward.