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Recent DVDs ReviewsFriday, November 6 2009
Adult Swim in a BoxThis is a compilation for that large demographic that yearns for narratives about a large, talking milk shake ordering a wife from Chechnya, or the micronauts going on a breast-climbing expedition. You know who you are. The 39 StepsIn Hitchcock's world, we don't write the play; we just have to know when to act. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (Those Aren’t Pillows Edition)it's safe to say that John Hughes has a secure legacy in Hollywood laughfests. No matter the age bracket, this film stands as one of his very best. Thursday, November 5 2009
The Stepfather (1987)Unlike Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees, the monstrous title character of The Stepfather is both plausible and a rich metaphor. Wednesday, November 4 2009Doctor Who: The Next DoctorAnother one of Davies' overwrought space melodramas winds up imploding on itself, but the DVD special feature is a treat worth savoring. 
Girlfriends: The Seventh SeasonLike Sex and the City, to which it is often compared, Girlfriends is more product and champion of a pro-sex "postfeminist" culture than it is a relic of the past. Tuesday, November 3 2009Doctor Who: The Deadly AssassinHeavily based on The Manchurian Candidate, the political intrigue here makes this one of the best Doctor Who adventures ever filmed -- no, really. 
All Tomorrow’s PartiesThis more often than not pays proper attention to the artistic prowess on display, which saves it from playing too laboriously like someone else's vacation slideshow. Monday, November 2 2009Doctor Who: Delta and the BannermenIt's not that this particular story was bad -- we've just been lead to expect much, much better from this sci-fi warhorse. 
The Taking of Pelham 123Money makes The Taking of Pelham 123 shine, but no amount of cash can buy creativity. Sunday, November 1 2009Doctor Who: Image of the FendahlPsychic grandmas, the theory of evolution, and a gun-weilding Tom Baker makes for one of the most tension-filled Doctor Who outings of the "classic" era. Friday, October 30 2009
Drag Me to HellSam Raimi’s attempted return to the horror/comedy genre that was his stock in trade for the early part of his career is neither particularly horrific nor all that funny. Thursday, October 29 2009Jackass: The Lost TapesThe Jackass Boys embody a forward momentum that teeters towards the eradication of all that they can't stand: hypocrisy, condescension, and perhaps worst of all, the dull throbbing boredom of routine. 
Champions Forever: Ali—The Lost InterviewsThe selling point of this release is its extras, and specifically its half hour of previously ‘lost’ interviews with Ali. Wednesday, October 28 2009Callan: Set 1In Callan, the audience occupies a place of privilege, having access to this secret intelligence service, the high-risk information it manages, and the thrilling jobs it must carry out for the government. 
Private CenturyNot a single shot in Private Century is original to Sikl or his collaborators. This is a profound illustration of the significance of editing to the nature of film as an art and craft. Tuesday, October 27 2009
Cinema Different: Different Cinema Volume 3Nine selections from the 10th annual Festival des Cinemas Differents de Paris show a broad range of styles and approaches by contemporary film and video artists. Monday, October 26 2009Lie to MeThat this is not another procedural show is in large part due to actor Tim Roth, who injects life and mystery into a part that on paper reads like a watered down version of Dr. Gregory House. 
The Elephant KingA familiar story about two naive, young Westerners that head to the Far East in search of adventure and inner-peace. Latent Orientalism interferes with the visual delights. Sunday, October 25 2009The Chieftains - Live at Montreux 1997This DVD enthusiastically shows a collaborative collective at the peak of its prowess, melding many musical traditions with swift, deft fingers into its own interwoven representation of Irish culture. Friday, October 23 2009
The National Parks: America’s Best IdeaLike an exquisitely rendered paint-by-numbers, Ken Burns' National Parks has been designed for passive appreciation: it is gorgeous, but empty. Thursday, October 22 2009Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Diamond EditionFor Walt Disney, it was the realization of a dream, nearly a decade of wondering if his already successful short film style could actually be expanded to feature film length. 
The Least of TheseFor the three years of it’s operation, the T. Don Hutto detention center put a face of family togetherness on the harsh immigration policies of the Bush administration. Wednesday, October 21 2009Gigantor - The Collection, Volume 2 (1964 - 68)Unlike Disney who sweated every detail, the Asian aesthetic was one of punch and power. Getting to the meat of a situation was far more important than languishing over a beautifully painted backdrop. 
The Tales of HoffmannThis is perhaps the only filmed opera that one could view with the sound turned off and the viewer would still come away mesmerized. Tuesday, October 20 2009How the Grinch Stole ChristmasWhat did Dr. Seuss ever do to Hollywood? How did the genial children's author, responsible for many of the most memorable kid lit classics of all time turn into such a cinematic pariah? 
Dusan Makavejev: Free RadicalThis brilliant and controversial director is the most successful and important figure in Serbian cinema. As with most Eastern European filmmakers, this equates to him being practically unknown in the West. Monday, October 19 2009Tales From the Darkside Season 2George Romero's second anthology horror series gives us a creepy opening montage, social commentary... and George Costanza's dad! |
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