For November 25th releases


Pink Panther Ultimate Collection
(Purchase from Amazon)

A collection that causes the burliest of men to shed a few tears of joy over and yet some people are pissed (some people meaning those dynamos of the Amazon comments section) because... now wait for it .... "the set is filled out with tons of cartoons"  OH MY GOODNESS! Where's the petition? I want to be the first person to sign! Seriously, I can appreciate the fact that fans are upset that Return of the Pink Panther is not included (not MGM's fault as Universal owns that one) or that the 2006's The Pink Panther is but to sob because 190 hours worth of some of the greatest cartoon's ever made are on this set is just crazy.

With over 60 minutes of never-before-seen footage plus 60 minutes of Peter Sellers outtakes (that alone is worth the price tag) this collection is a must have.

Films

o A Shot in the Dark
o Inspector Clouseau
o The Pink Panther Strikes Again
o Revenge of the Pink Panther
o Trail of the Pink Panther
o Curse of the Pink Panther
o Son of the Pink Panther
o The Pink Panther (2006)
 
Cartoon Classics

o Nine volumes including The Ant and the Aardvark, The Inspector I & II, and Roland and Ratfink.

Elton John: Tantrums and Tiaras (1995)
(Purchase from Amazon)

A personal and insightful look into one of the greatest songwriters/musicians of the 20th Century. Elton John's music has had such a huge impact on me through the years I just had to give the great one his due by giving this release a featured spot on my influential and lip-drying column.

I saw this film on cable a couple of years ago and was surprised at just how much of Elton's personal life he allowed to be filmed. About the only personal insight fans have been given into Elton's life is when he came out a couple of decades ago, so it was surprising to see interviews with his grandmother and other close friends. Definitively fill up an Elton fans stocking with this feature.

Special Features

o First Time Ever: Commentary featuring Elton John and (Partner/Director) David  Furnish
o Never-Before-Seen Footage featuring Rod Stewart, Kylie Minogue, and Fashion Industry Icons Mario   Testino & Gianni Versace
o Deleted Scenes
o Bloopers
o Collectable Embossed O-Card Packaging

Spy Who Came in from the Cold - Criterion Collection (1965)
(Purchase from Amazon)

Based on the novel by John Le Carré, The Spy Who came in from the Cold is one of the best cold-war thrillers ever made, and thanks yet again to Criterion this release gets the royal treatment. Directed by Martin Ritt and stars Richard Burton, who gives his finest performance as far as I'm concerned, as a British agent who sets up an elaborate cover story for being lured into defecting to the Communists.

Special Features

o New, restored high-definition digital transfer
o New interviews with author John Le Carré and cinematographer Oswald Morris
o The Secret Center: John Le Carré (2000), a BBC documentary on the author s extraordinary life and work 
o Acting in the '60s: Richard Burton, a 1967 interview with the BBC s Kenneth Tynan examining the actor's     performances and accomplishments
o Gallery of set designs
o Theatrical trailer
o A booklet featuring a new essay by critic Michael Sragow and a reprinted interview with Ritt

Drive-In Cheezy Movie Collection
(Purchase from Amazon)

I envy those who went to drive-in's in the sixties and got to see these treasured guilty pleasure treats on the big screen. Yeah right! Those teenagers lured their date to the drive-in to just sit there and eat popcorn.

John "come on Cindy, they're playing Lisa and the Devil."
Cindy "sorry John, I'll only go if Robot Monster is on the bill."
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o Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter
o Star Knight
o Lisa And The Devil
o Dracula vs Frankenstein
o Dr. Blood's Coffin
o Robot Monster
o Horror Hotel
o Baron Blood
o Inn of the Damned
o Horror Planet
o The Headless Ghost
o Battle of the Worlds

Concert going madness

Bon Jovi: In the Third Millennium
Poison - Live, Raw & Uncut
Paul Simon - Live From Philadelphia
Welcome Back - John Sebastian live at Iowa State University
Molly Hatchet - Flirtin' with Disaster Live
Snakes & Arrows-Live

Documentary

National Geographic: Herod's Lost Tomb
Metallica: Rock Power - The Documentary

Blu-Ray goodness

Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers
Becket (1964)
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Live at Monterey
Jimi Hendrix - Live at Woodstock
Heart - Dreamboat Annie Live
Keane - Live

Pick of the week

The Atomic Cafe (Collector's Edition)
(Purchase from Amazon)

Cold-War? Paranoia? I'm there!

I saw this documentary a decade ago with my brother and was struck at how much he laughed. He participated in these tuck-and-duck drills while in grade school and this film brought back some memories for him at how crazy it all was at the time. The filmmakers created a sensation when The Atomic Cafe was released in 1982 and the thing about these drills is they would not have saved anyone from an atomic blast!

Summary "A chilling, provocative, and often hilarious reminder of cold-war era paranoia in the United States, The Atomic Cafe is artfully presented through a collage of newsreel footage, government archives, military training films, and fifties music. The Atomic Cafe captures a panicked nation, offering a fascinating and witty account of life during the atomic age and resulting cold war, when fall-out shelters, duck-and-cover drills, and government propaganda were all a part of our social consciousness."