Quantcast
DVDs

20 -11



cover art

The Draughtsman’s Contract

Director: Peter Greenaway
Cast: Anthony Higgins, Janet Suzman, Anne-Louise Lambert, Hugh Fraser

(US DVD: 12 Feb 2008)

20


The Draughtsman’s Contract Zeitgeist Films


To call Peter Greenaway “the thinking man’s filmmaker” is like referring to David Lynch as “a little weird”. This British maverick who makes movies like architects create buildings, is a trained painter, and he tackles each piece of celluloid like a limitless and infinite canvas. Any one scene can contain hidden meanings, intricate riddles, blatant misrepresentation, and layer upon layer of aesthetic grace. Such is the case with this remarkable first film centering on a Restoration artist, a daunting commission, and the possibility of his being a patsy to murder. Like Blow-up mixed with Botticelli, it’s a 17th Century murder mystery where the clues are buried in passive pencil sketches. It’s also a telling tour de force. Bill Gibron





cover art

Forbidden Zone

Director: Richard Elfman
Cast: Hervé Villechaize, Susan Tyrrell, Gisele Lindley, Jan Stuart Schwartz, Marie-Pascale Elfman, Virginia Rose

(Samuel Goldwyn Company; US DVD: 29 Jul 2008)

19


Forbidden Zone: In Color Legend Films


Originally released in black and white, Mystic Nights of the Oingo Boingo member Richard Elfman (Danny’s brother) hoped to capture the spirit of his band’s unusual live show with this surreal fantasy film. The one thing he couldn’t achieve was color—until now. Thanks to a painstaking technological tweak by Legend Films, Elfman’s original vision for this nutty trip into racial slurs, sexual innuendos, Kipper Kid craziness, and outmoded musical styles becomes the motion picture equivalent of a rainbow acid trip. While slightly dated and occasionally dopey, this is avant-garde outsider cinema at its head scratching best. Bill Gibron





cover art

Spaced: The Complete Series

(BBC; US DVD: 22 Jul 2008)

Review [28.Jul.2008]
Review [28.Jul.2008]

18


Spaced: The Complete Series BBC/Warners


With Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, British badboys Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg (along with fellow partner in pandemonium, Nick Frost) have taken the spoof to a whole new, incredibly satiric level. While some would like to think their genius arrived, fully formed, with those two films, the guys actually gained most of their farcical footing taking on the standard UK TV jive. Along with writing help from co-star Jessica Hynes, this slacker romance has remained one of the highlights of their pre-superstardom. Droll, unassuming, and very, very funny, this is the reason England regularly trounces America in the broadcast humor department. Bill Gibron





cover art

American Drug War: The Last White Hope

Director: Kevin Booth
Cast: Tommy Chong, Freeway Ricky Ross, Sheriff Joe Arapio, Ron Paul, Mike Ruppert

(Sacred Cow; US DVD: 8 Apr 2008)

17


The American Drug War: The Last White Hope Sacred Cow


Few DVDs speak truth to power with such compelling evidence and with such an unassuming angle. Kevin Booth investigates drugs in America after several legal and illegal drug-related tragedies negatively impact his life. In doing so he brings together a plethora of evidence that illustrates just how entangled in treacherous, ironic lies the U.S. government is from the Iran Contra Scandal to the arrest of Tommy Chong, from crack infiltration of Los Angeles to the anti-drug propaganda produced by big tobacco and alcohol companies, from Tulia, Texas to Sheriff Joe Arpaio. One of the few drug documentaries to overtly explore racism, American Drug War covers a head-spinning amount of information and leaves the viewer to draw her own conclusions. Sarah Hentges





cover art

I’m Not There

Director: Todd Haynes
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Ben Whishaw, Marcus Carl Franklin, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood

(Weinstein Company)

16


I’m Not There: 2-Disc Special Edition The Weinstein Company


Todd Haynes has balls. He took on the most difficult of subjects (the life and shapeshifting times of songwriter extraordinaire Bob Dylan) and found a way to be both factual and fanciful. Reimagining the artistic chameleon as one of six distinct personas, and hiring an equal number of actors to play them, Haynes helped put into perspective an important, influential artist whose vocation seemed stuck in a constant state of flux. Now, thanks to DVD, everything confusing is clear as crystal. On a commentary track that should be mandatory listening for any would-be bonus feature participant, the director goes into excruciating detail, explaining almost every facet of his fascinating film. Bill Gibron





cover art

Pete Seeger: The Power of Song

(The Weinstein Company; US DVD: 5 Aug 2008)

15


Pete Seeger: The Power of Song The Weinstein Company


In a category that is growing in greatness exponentially, the stunning documentary Pete Seeger: The Power of Song superbly immortalizes an already living legend. For many decades removed from the fascinating folk movement of the ‘50s and early ‘60s, this activist artist is perhaps a Dylan-descended footnote, a name they recognize but fail to fully understand the import of. But thanks to director Jim Brown, Seeger is allowed his proper place in history. One cannot walk away from this spellbinding narrative and not feel both proud to live in a country that offers such talents and freedoms and sad for the government policies and blinkered politicians who twisted those tenets into something sordid and evil. Bill Gibron





cover art

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (3 Disc Special Edition)

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Jeffrey Tambor, Seth MacFarlane, John Hurt

(US DVD: 11 Nov 2008)

Review [5.Dec.2008]

14


Hellboy II: The Golden Army Universal


Sometimes, the most outrageous vision is the most personal. As part of the amazing three disc DVD presentation we hear director Guillermo Del Toro, in his own self-deprecating way, explain how the larger than life flights of fancy peppered throughout the underappreciated Summer blockbuster represents an literal illustration of his own fertile imagination. It’s everything he wanted the original film to be and much, much more. Purposefully plotting out certain scenes to thematically represent his view of mankind and its uneasy coexistence with forces outside of reality, Del Toro delivers the kind of wide-eyed entertainment that will only grow in approval in the coming years. Bill Gibron





cover art

The Wire: The Complete Fifth Season

(HBO; US DVD: 12 Aug 2008; UK DVD: Available as import)

Review [15.Aug.2008]

13


The Wire: The Complete Series HBO Home Video


The Wire is a narratively complex oasis in a sea of television that begins and ends week to week. Not even content to weave its massive webs of drug-fueled deception per season, it continues its story through all five seasons. For a cop show to use that large canvas today is kind of a miracle. The multifaceted tale of decay stretched across this expanse of storytelling is no less deserving of notice. The Wire is just another reason why HBO simply isn’t even television anymore, but takes the medium to a whole new level. Aaron Marsh





cover art

Persepolis

Director: Vincent Paronnaud, Marjane Satrapi
Cast: Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Simon Abkarian, François Jerosme

(Sony Pictures Classics; US DVD: 24 Jun 2008)

Review [8.Jul.2008]
Review [3.Jan.2008]

12


Persepolis Sony Classics


Based upon the graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi, an award-winning film about a girl’s coming of age and her life before, during and after Islamic revolution in Iran. On DVD, this animated film brings home not only an entertaining, original story but also an important one: for its compelling history, its strong female protagonist, and the art of the film as a whole. The blue, black, and white of the DVD cover capture the tone of the film as well as its crisp visuals. The stark animation buffers the realities of war that Marjane and her family experience and the bitter tone reminds us of the ways in which lives—in this case the life of a young girl with big hopes and dreams—can be dramatically altered by war. Sarah Hentges





cover art

The Last Emperor

Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Cast: John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O’Toole, Ruocheng Ying, Victor Wong

(Columbia Pictures; US DVD: 26 Feb 2008)

Review [16.Mar.2009]

11


The Last Emperor: Criterion Collection Criterion Collection


One of the most extravagant cinematic experiences in history is now presented in the most extravagant of forms. The Criterion Collection has released the definitive four-disc edition of Bernardo Betrolucci’s masterpiece, The Last Emperor, which contains both the Theatrical Version and the extended Television Version (in its proper 2:1 format—no the sides aren’t cut off). Also included are two full discs of special features, including a fantastic BBC Documentary that follows Betrolucci during the making of, as well as audio commentary by Betrolucci, producer Jeremy Thomas, screenwriter Mark Peploe, and composer-actor Ryuichi Sakamoto. Emperor Pu Yi has never looked so good. John Bohannon



Tagged as: a.j. bowen | aidan gillen | al pacino | alan rickman | aldo valletti | allyson sereboff | andre royo | andrew stanton | anessa ramsey | arlo guthrie | before the rain | ben burtt | ben whishaw | bernardo bertolucci | bob dylan | bottle rocket | brand upon the brain | bruce greenwood | bruce springsteen | cate blanchett | caterina boratto | catherine deneuve | charlotte gainsbourg | chiara mastroianni | christian bale | christopher gable | christopher lee | clark johnson | clayton corzatte | curly howard | danielle darrieux | david collings | david cross | david hemmings | diane keaton | dominic chianese | dominic west | don black | doug jones | edie falco | elissa knight | elsa de giorgi | erik steffen maahs | forbidden zone | forgetting sarah marshall | françois jerosme | frank conniff | fred willard | giorgio cataldi | grégoire colin | gretchen krich | guillermo del toro | guy maddin | gwyneth paltrow | heath ledger | helena bonham carter | helene surgere | hellboy ii: the golden army 3 disc special edition | hugh fraser | i'm not there | iron man | j. elvis weinstein | jack nance | james caan | james gandolfini | jamie campbell bowen | jason segel | jason yachanin | jayne wisener | jeff bridges | jeff garlin | jeffrey tambor | jessica hynes | joan baez | joan chen | joe gould | joel hodgson | john hurt | john lone | john ratzenberger | johnny depp | jon favreau | julia deakin | julianne moore | justin welborn | kate graham | kathy najimy | kirsty wark | kristen bell | larry fine | laura dern | lloyd kaufman | lorraine bracco | luke wilson | macin talk | marcus carl franklin | marjane satrapi | mark heap | marlon brando | mary jo pehl | matt stone | michael imperioli | michelle williams | mike ruppert | mila kunis | moe howard | nathan fillion | neil patrick harris | nicholas cage | nick frost | oliver reed | owen wilson | paolo bonacelli | paul rudd | persepolis | pete seeger | peter greenaway | peter needham | peter o'toole | phyllida law | pier paolo pasolini | poultrygeist: night of the chicken dead | rade serbedzija | richard elfman | richard gere | robert downey jr. | robert duvall | robert iler | robert musgrave | robin watkins | ron jeremy | ron paul | ron perlman | ruocheng ying | russell brand | sacha baron cohen | sahr ngaujah | salo, or the 120 days of sodom | scott poythress | selma blair | sessue hayakawa | seth macfarlane | sigourney weaver | simon abkarian | simon helberg | simon pegg | sonia saviange | steven van zandt | sullivan brown | terrence howard | the last emperor | the signal | the wire | tim burton | timothy spall | todd haynes | tom mccarthy | tommy chong | tony sirico | trace beaulieu | trey parker | tsuru aoki | umberto p. quintavalle | victor wong | wall-e
Related Articles
27 Jan 2012
Foregoing the pulpy essence of the 1945 version for a raw naturalism, this miniseries is a brilliant time portal. It's Madame Bovary with rayon stockings and a strong work ethic.
17 Jan 2012
Velvet Goldmine isn't just a story of glam rock in the early '70s. It's a story about the places where dreams and memories overlap, where time is immaterial and images and impressions are everything.
5 Jan 2012
Wes Anderson's 1998 masterpiece is a sharply observed coming-of-age film, a hilarious fish-out-of-water farce, and a bittersweet tale of unrequited love.
4 Jan 2012
Jon Favreau's adaptation of a little-known comic book was supposed to be a breath of genre-mixing fresh air in a summer dominated by sequels and superheroes.
Comments
Now on PopMatters
Short Ends and Leader: 10 Alternative Cinematic Valentines
Will we always love Whitney? (PopWire) [Tue, 12:35 pm]
Tough Like Glue: An Interview with V.V. Brown (Sound Affects) [Tue, 12:00 pm]
10 Alternative Cinematic Valentines (Short Ends and Leader) [Tue, 9:00 am]
  1. 'Nebraska': Bruce Springsteen's 'Heart of Darkness' (Columns)
  2. The 10 Greatest Shakespeare Film Adaptations of All Time (Short Ends and Leader)
  3. Not-So-Central Casting: Kevin Smith and the Birth of the Reality Podcast (Features)
  4. The 10 Greatest Movie Spies Ever (Short Ends and Leader)
  5. Bored This Way: The 54th Annual Grammy Awards (Features)
  6. Slipped Discs 2011 - Part 2: From the Go! Team to the Phoenix Foundation (Features)
  7. Slipped Discs 2011 - Part 3: From Real Estate to Youth Lagoon (Features)
  8. Lana Del Rey: Born to Die (Reviews)
  9. The Top 15 Madonna Singles of All Time (Sound Affects)
  10. Google and the Production of Curiosity (Marginal Utility)
  11. Your Anti-Valentine's Day Playlist. (Mixed Media)
  12. Carole E. Barrowman’s Authorial Journey to Hollow Earth (Features)
  13. Van Halen: A Different Kind of Truth (Reviews)
  14. “Don’t Let Me Fall”: Hip-Hop in the Age of Austerity (Features)
  15. Tower Songs: Townes Van Zandt (Columns)
  16. Black Bananas: Rad Times Xpress IV (Reviews)
  17. Paul McCartney: Kisses on the Bottom (Reviews)
  18. The Gay Ole Countryside (Columns)
  19. Of Montreal: Paralytic Stalks (Reviews)
  20. Rating the Performances at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards (Mixed Media)
  21. Nick Cave’s The Death of Bunny Munro: A Rock Star’s Midlife Crisis or Valid Literature? (Features)
  22. Counterbalance No. 67: John Coltrane’s 'A Love Supreme' (Sound Affects)
  23. A Look to the Past, An Insight Into the Present: The Use of Gender in 'Mad Men' (Features)
  24. The 10 Best John Coltrane Solos (Sound Affects)
  25. A Tale of How Great Journalism Became Revisionist History: Grambling State U Football (Columns)
  26. Mark Lanegan Band: Blues Funeral (Reviews)
  27. Chairlift: Something (Reviews)
  28. Mitt Romney Can Reside at Today's Proverbial 'Downton Abbey'... Newt Gingrich Cannot (Features)
  29. After Cease to Exist: The Far-from-Final Report of Throbbing Gristle (Features)
  30. Die Antwoord: Ten$ion (Reviews)
PM Picks
Film Archive
Announcements
Ratings

10 - The Best of the Best

9 - Very Nearly Perfect

8 - Excellent

7 - Damn Good

6 - Good

5 - Average

4 - Unexceptional

3 - Weak

2 - Seriously Flawed

1 - Terrible

© 1999-2012 PopMatters.com. All rights reserved.
PopMatters.com™ and PopMatters™ are trademarks
of PopMatters Media, Inc.

PopMatters is wholly independently owned and operated.
PopMatters is a member of BUZZMEDIA Music, MOG and Guardian Select.