Holy hell, it’s another week for DVDs. There’s most likely only one title on your must list, the first one mentioned, in fact. Just make sure as you skip downward to ignore everything written to see the snazzy Cover Art and be mesmerized into some sort of ignoramus state. That’s mostly how I am when I’m preparing this thing for all nine of you.
Forgive me Father
It was dark and stormy, as couples huddled together for warmth and a little Alien Mother face hugging. I flashed my wallet, looking to score. The blunt realization was that Sin City (enter CHUDs DVD contest) was sold out and I was less than thrilled, especially after reading Nick’s Pulp Frankenstein review followed by Devin’s New Times Square review. Brushing aside a runny glob of saliva Jabba would be jealous of, the couple agreed, and upon payment, I was in. The opposite of this is Robert Rodriguez. The man promptly renounced the confines of the Directors Guild, tearing up his Members Only card (and hypothetical jacket), opting to work with creator Frank Miller as cohorts and partners in dirty grime. It’s a tricky situation for two to play in the games of film. Spinning the roulette wheel at the game of Life is the various stories that make up Miller’s own superb graphic novel of Sin City. As a whole it’s a very visual film, filled with jaw-dropping contrasts and tiny slivers of color that shows how far we’ve come in a digital medium. Make no mistake, this is a technological advancement. It’s almost possible for anyone to do it, although you’ve got to have a good story first. Let that be a lesson for all of you fledgling filmmakers out there. Moving on, Mickey Rouke’s Marv is the highlight of the film, molded into a mesmerizing mixture of his horrific attitude and slimy machinations. These make him absolutely fascinating, because oddly enough, you want to see him get away with everything, as opposed to the other characters who are just plain interesting. Since most of us know what the hell the films about, the three inter-connected stories work their hardest to entertain you, but as a whole they’re jumbled and after a while you almost feel like you’ve watched certain parts more than once. Not to say that Sin City isn’t good, it’s damn rebel rousing, but the developments of character lead much to be desired (especially Madsen as a cringe-inducing monotonous piece of wood, Brittany Murphy as herself and even Willis himself as ‘just adequate’). In the end, all of my rambling is for naught, because you’ve already made up your mind regarding this film and how you feel. My work here is inadequately done. This house … is clean.
I wouldn’t be half surprised if Dimension takes ‘multiple bites of the apple’ with this one, so if you’re on the fence about a possible SE (which should come down the pipeline sooner than you think … like tomorrow) maybe it’s best to hold off. In fact, check out Rodriguez’ interview with IGN here, where he states: "the real DVD should come out fairly quick, [and] it’s the one that will be obviously the double-disc set with all of the goodies on it." Special Features are minimal and include: a behind-the-scenes featurette and come encased in one of four slip sleeve covers (look above and below you), which, depending on your hard-on for the film, could cause blindness and lead to an overgasm.
The skies have opened and the joyous rapture you hear is the people of Earth singing, while the screams from those unfortunate to have forgotten about the Eighties have subsided. So now, in the words of Arnhuld – ‘eet is tymeh." The Breakin’ Collection arrives, bringing the masses unfamiliar with the antics of street stylin’ and profilin’ back into your homes and black hearts. Pop and lock your own awesomeness with Breakin’, the great film that needs no explanation, except that it’s best to just sit back and let the film wash over you. The mighty team of Golan-Globus, the two prophetic geniuses that ran the powerhouse known as Cannon Films, understood what audiences wanted, then and now. Less plot, more action. In the case of The Apple, less coherency, more songs. Breakin’ knew this and added more dancin’ to the dream team of Ozone and Turbo, two of the most aptly named dudes this side of Paradise (minus Kelly, of course – she had to become some Broadway superstar). F. Scott Fitzgerald even said "people unconsciously admit it, but they’re afraid to talk about Quinones and Shrimp, almost as if the Earth was pulling them apart." Fortunately for us, those forces we take for granted (gravity, energy, wind, water … uh, heart, all combining to form Captain Planet) pushed, pulled and prodded all of those together for the necessary roughness in the form of Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo. And thus cemented hordes of MB posters to act all funny when in reality, they’ve been played. Either one could duke it out to lay claim to greatest breakdancing film ever, but 2 does indeed have people dancing on the ceiling and of course, the pre-requisite of having to save the Rec Center (most likely named after AOL’s greatest American Ronnie Regan). Step back and freak out on the windmill, the jackhammer, airflare and the dreaded nutcracker, as these boys and girls show you a thing or two. You’ll never be the same.
Additionally, because I keep forgetting, the third disc features Beat Street, one of the first most excellent films to have rap music prominently. One of "the many attributes of [the film] is the authentic street moves on display. The locations also retain their street cred, with graffiti covering subway cars and abandoned buildings populating the mean streets. The story concerns a group of Bronx teens using their dancing, rapping, and artistic skills to lift themselves out of the ghetto. Musician Harry Belafonte teamed with David Picker to produce." Belafonte knows, man, and he understands, so show him some goddamned respect next time you slur the man’s talent. In the meantime, while we all wait for the greatness, make sure to satiate your Breakin’ needs with the trailer and two face/off clips right here.
Push it to pop it, rock it to lock it with all three films and a bonus disc, which has: the culture of hip-hop, the elements of hip-hop, Beat Street Battle: Rock Steady crew vs. New York City Breakers, some shout outs, the living Legends: we will not be destroyed and some text and photo galleries.
I absolutely loved the 40 Year-Old Virgin, so Judd Apatow has cemented his abilities as a goddamned exciting comedy guy in my mind. His Freaks & Geeks should be required viewing for anyone interested in revisiting the old wounds of growing up, so just purchase the sparkling gem from CHUD right here. America just doesn’t love Apatow as much as it should, having cancelled both that and his wonderful Undeclared before its time, much like when the hordes of people came gunning after the Universal monsters, pitchforks in hand. So that’s why you (and I) love DVD, because the goods that got the shaft return for the ball cradling and gentleness of your own forbidden love in the center of your ‘digital love cave’. Undeclared makes college even more immediate for some, putting front and left of center the expository snarks, friends and awkward encounters (see this MB thread of its existence) of your first time with Rutger Hauer. He has gigantic man hands. Steven Karp’s first year at University of North Eastern Cali is filled with more craziness than anybody south of Mason-Dixon (including Pynchon), as his Dad has just announced that he’s getting divorced, in the middle of his dorm room. At his first party he gets with a girl (something most of us can only dream of) before learning that Lizzie has a boyfriend. He might get with him too. Swinging all the way around is the weird times between Steven’s dad Hal and his roommates, most of those you’ll recognize from Freaks & Geeks and … Nicolas Nickelby. Throwing off your pompous Englishness for bulging events, like losing his religious chastity belt (REM optional), working on a term paper with speed freak Will Ferrell (that episode was great), interning for NH golden boy Adam Sandler, and dealing with Amy Poeler’s fling with Dad Loudon Wainwright III, Ben Stiller and Fred Willard in a three way sandwich. Battling the last two is tough enough when they’re out for your man-flesh. There’s libel all over my remarks! Lawyers, thanks for staying away.
Buy a decent used Car, or an amazingly thorough Prostitute with: 18 commentaries with directors, writers & cast, "Lloyd’s Rage": an unproduced script for the second season that never was, some Loudon Wainwright live concert footage, a Museum of Television & Radio Q&A, deleted scenes, auditions, outtakes, and extended takes and a 28 page booklet highlighting all of the greatness in printed form. My lips are splitting in half!
Mummy, I’ve found something! Camilla Bell excitedly yelled before being torn apart by those vicious little dinosaurs in the hunters & gatherers sequel. Apply that to now, Mummy, and we’ve seen Ms. Bell sprout up into a capable actress, now working with filmmaker Rebecca Miller (whose first feature Personal Velocity, you should check out here, although don’t be confused that one is the Sheen/Kinski terminally produced opus). Miller’s been married to master (capital A) Actor Daniel Day-Lewis for quite some time, so it’s strange to see him working again without much of an Italian shoe-crafting break in The Ballad of Jack & Rose. Check out Devin’s "often engrossing character piece" review right here. I got a chance to read this back when it was called The Rose & The Snake, and it was well thought out, moving and worthy of any film crew. I hope those, which made it worthwhile, have spilled out into the moving frame, like when Ironsides and heads explode. Now I’m almost positive most of you are groaning, complaining about the absence of space/time travel/the infamous fast to slow-mo camera move that is as much overplayed as it is clichéd, but films can have all of those and more. Excuse me, Professor Obvious, you might remark, screw you. Sadly, my pithy thanks is all I can muster. Back to the basics, "soured radical Jack and his adoring daughter Rose have formed an unsettling degree of happy intimacy in an abandoned commune. But Jack’s heart condition leaves him fearful of what will happen to Rose when he dies; to create a family, he invites home his secret girlfriend Kathleen (Catherine Keener) and her two sons, one overweight and neurotic, the other an aspiring thug (Paul Dano). The collision of cultures and personalities leads to disaster." Interestingly, enclosed in that collision is kinda like when you lost your cool over Captain Picard’s brother being a clone. Those were sad times. I’ll meet you in the quad for our weekly virgil, praying that they get this series back on track.
Slow ride, take it easy – with: no features, subtitles and 5.1. Surround sound.
"[Roger Ebert is a] fat pig with the physique of a slave trader." – Vincent Gallo
"Although I am fat, one day I will be thin, but Mr. Gallo will still have been the director of ‘Brown Bunny‘" – Ebert
[paraphrased] "I put a hex on your colon!" – Gallo
"Even my colonoscopy was more entertaining than his film." – Ebert
If the above isn’t drama to the nth degree, I don’t know what is. The two have made-up since then, I’ve heard, but the realization of it all were those painful moments of two strong willed people going El Mono-a-El Mono on one another. All of this over Gallo’s Cannes wow’ing film The Brown Bunny, a film in which most of your perverts are probably tuning into check out Chloe Sevingy’s infamous scene where she, uh, yeah, does things most films outside of the Valley are afraid to do. Oral Sex. There, I said it. Cut from the original length of 118 minutes and Bris Milah’ed into the now 92 minute version, Vincent Gallo’s film has been receiving the lions share of hatred, elation and downright head-scratching comments from all of those who have seen it (I still have not). The plot revolves around Bud (Gallo) the motorcycle driver who packs it up, packs it in, and drives across the country while lamenting his mysterious personal misfortunes. They arrive at the end of the film. That might also be precisely where you arrive, if you haven’t ‘arrived’ already at that infamous scene. Washing the sickening thoughts out of all of our minds, Gallo’s film is "a flawed yet ultimately moving example of maverick, unconventional cinema … that places [it] firmly, and refreshingly, out of the mainstream." If you could see me, I’m drinking some Soda Pop right now and saying "ahhhhh".
The choice of a new generation – with: A SUPERBIT edition! Nothing else, though.
The Bastardization and Americanization of Ricky Gervais’ The Office began officially a long, long time ago, this time NBC Universal snapping up their opportunity (in its Complete First Season) to ‘remake’ the show in its fathers image. "Nah, I’m just foolin’ with yous" – God. "Blasphemy!" – My Reverend Lovejoy. "What the hell is going on here?" – Sister Mary. "Fuck all y’alls!" – The Devil. Zooming and punching our way back onto the tree-lined path is "this hilarious and faster-paced adaptation of the popular British comedy series, Steve Carell is Michael Scott, the egotistical, insensitive and almost supernaturally incompetent regional manager of the Dunder Miffin paper supply company. Michael sees himself as the office funnyman, a fountain of business wisdom and his employees’ cool friend. He has no clue that his staff merely tolerates his inappropriate behavior because he signs their paychecks. Michael acts as the obnoxious tour guide for an omni-present documentary crew who unflinchingly capture his many shortcomings along with Dunder Miffin’s petty workplace politics, simmering romances and side-splittingly awkward moments." If sounds a lot like the original BBC version, you’d be correct. Only the name of the paper company has been changed to protect those entirely too innocent capitalists.
Enjoy your curry flavored condom – with: widescreen and nothing else! "Damn, that blows." – Jesus.
I seriously can’t imagine anyone visiting a movie website after a group of underground malformed dwellers would want to see the Debra Messing chick-flick film The Wedding Date. All seven of you out there are most likely married, so I suppose – (Casey Casem voice) this one goes out to you. When the incessant nagging finally dies down, the television sparks on and the trash is firmly placed outside so the family dog (read: your uncle) can ransack its treasures around 3 AM, it’s time to watch the further adventures of the pathetically doomed girl and her attempts to figure out the type of man that she loves. So grab the popcorn, zonk out and wonder why you were even misshapen and badly formed straight out of the womb, ’cause this is going to be a bumpy (run-on sentence) night. "Kat Ellis (Messing) hir[es] expensive male escort Nick Mercer (Mulroney) to fly to London and pose as her dashing new boyfriend at her sister’s wedding so she can face the best man, an ex-fiancé who broke her heart." Somebody call Fox News stat! – this is some inventive use of plot device, but wait, didn’t Pretty Woman do this before? I am so confused, so, so overwhelmed by everything. You might be too, when the divorce paperwork hits your lap after waking up, so let’s face it: this might not be targeted for our masculine, yet sensitively manly demographic.
Be family-friendly! Hire some Prostitutes – with: audio commentary by Debra Messing, a featurette: A Date with Debra and some deleted scenes.
In other news, another terrific box set is coming again from those spectacular hard workers over at the WB DVD department and it’s all about dancing. The Astaire & Rogers Collection: Volume 1 (CHUD’s DVD Reviews of each film are Coming Soon), to be exact. Did you check out Wade’s Review of The Barkleys of Broadway? If not, well you missed out. Older films around these parts aren’t really mentioned as much of the greatest films of today and the last three decades. I figure as much if there isn’t much demand, I’ll place it down here, but it does warrant a notice and a glance on your part. One day I’m going to take a poll, and I’m positively sure the four results I get will be surprising. Anyway, Astaire & Rogers were two of the biggest dancing duo this side of Turbo and Ozone. The selected scattering of films presented here in the boxed set are 5 of their most well known and beloved films, especially the wonderful Swing Time and Top Hat. Astaire was the dancing and singing man, even though they did have him dance with a vacuum for those uninitiated (and those who are 16). Rogers was a natural beauty with fancy feet – and if you’ll just get back here for a moment – who like Astaire came to Hollywood via Broadway. Even if you absolutely hate song and dance numbers, you’d be hard pressed to find a more deliciously entertaining duo, as the pair only dance for about 1/3 of their screentime together. Author Edward Gallafent even argues in his book Astaire & Rogers (buy it from CHUD!) that the music and dance routines helped aid in the films dramatic themes, thus pushing their artistic merit to unheralded levels, unpronounced and unappreciated until now. If you’re saying bullshit, the least you can do is watch the films again, after all, you could do worse, like venture over to see a certain sequel playing at your local theater right now involving man whores.
The Barkleys of Broadway comes with: a new featurette: Reunited at MGM: Astaire and Rogers Together Again, a vintage short: Annie Was a Wonder, a classic Droopy cartoon: Wags to Riches and the theatrical trailer. Follow The Fleet comes with: a new featurette: Follow the Fleet: The Origins of Those Dancing Feet, a musical short: Melody Master: Jimmie Lunceford and His Dance Orchestra, a classic cartoon: Let It Be Me and the original theatrical trailer. Shall We Dance comes with: audio commentary by songwriter Hugh Martin and pianist Kevin Cole, a new featurette: They Can’t Take That Away from Me: The Music of Shall We Dance, a musical short: Sheik to Sheik and a classic cartoon: Toy Town Hall.
Swing Time arrives with: audio commentary by John Mueller, author of Astaire Dancing, a new featurette: The Swing of Things, a musical short: Hotel a la Swing, a classic cartoon: Bingo Crosbyana and the original theatrical trailer. Finally, Top Hat takes it off with: an audio commentary by Fred Astaire’s daughter, Ava Astaire McKenzie, and film dance historian Larry Billman, a new featurette: On Top: Inside the Success of Top Hat, a comedy short: Watch the Birdie with Bob Hope, a classic cartoon: Page Miss Glory and the original theatrical trailer.
Every week there are a lot of releases that come and go, moreso than usual. It’s tough picking and choosing, but hopefully you’ll think I chose poorly. The cup of life holds everlasting glory, and for me it certainly ain’t. Crash and burn, dude. Totally. Anyway, check out The Simpsons: Season Six with its new cover art, entirely too different to match your other season sets. That’s all I have to rant about on that one. Walt Disney comes through with some timeless tales and I know some of you are dying for that one. Dave Chappelle proves he’s not crazy, just a little stressed in For What It’s Worth, My Left Foot gets a Special Edition worthy of the insane, Saved By The Bell: The New Class welcomes Season Four (and the people don’t care), while The Mambo Kings gets a DVD release and a CHUD DVD Review – Coming Soon. Don’t forget about the Studio Ghibli titles, though, they’re rocking.
I see the future, and it’s memos. Suck.
The movie that not many people loved the first time around (I saw it in the theatre and thought it was ok, before being converted on VHS), Office Space gets the fully deluxe DVD treatment with Office Space: Special Edition with Flair. Now is the time in which I would like to call attention to the kidsy marketing effect of calling something a (fill in the blank with movie line/significance/etc) Special Edition. It’s grating on the public fast. Does anyone think it works? Does it make you extra inclined to purchase the title based on a new word added to the original title? Seriously? While my veins continue to pop out of my head, causing brain damage, consider this: supposedly (and allegedly) Mike Judge wanted nothing to do with this. We all know he’s busy on his smartest man in the world movie, but I think he might believe that this movie has come and gone. Time to move on with our lives. Now, while most people can’t do that, I respect the man. His decision shall live on. Ron Livingston solidified his excellent status as a snarky straight man with this film (his performance in Band of Brothers is another good example), and while he did make Little Black Book, I might not hold that against him. Unless he does it again. Livingston nailed down the pathetic days of cubicle living, the kind that makes you wanna smash people’s faces in and beat your chest Tarzan style for the end of the day, before biting into some red meat and guzzling down a low calorie beer. All hyper masculinity aside, Judge’s understanding of comedic instances between friends and co-workers plays out pretty spectacularly in all respects. Chances are you’ve explained your work as "kinda like in Office Space." He wins, we all lose. So, here’s to you Mike Judge, may all your future endeavors be wonderful and awesome, so that we can escape our horrid days.
Makin’ Copies – with: Out of the Office: An Office Space Retrospective with Mike Judge, a veritable boatload of deleted scenes (Peter Lies to Lumbergh, Happy Hour and Chotchkies, Peter Goes off on Nina, & Tom’s Mixed Heritage Called into Question), DVD-ROM audio, visual downloads and the theatrical trailer. Wait? That’s it? No Judge commentary? Livingston commentary? No "Dude, Breast exam!" documentary? Sadness.
Where do bad folks go when they die? Quite possibly the independent/Cannes route. I’m not saying Gus Van Sant is a bad guy, but I just needed a bridge, so help a brother out. Van Sant’s latest, Last Days, is still playing in most major cities right as you read this (and as I slowly form sentences explaining just that). Alas, if you live in the Mid West, or quite possibly upper New Hampshire (Berlin, you’re shit outta luck), chance were that you probably never got this one. So bide your precious time and wait for 10.25 for the movie that isn’t really based on Kurt Cobain’s last hours as much as it is suggested by. First off, let’s pull an E cord on over towards Devin’s delicate and demanding review, before firing off your own C cord and demanding that they don’t turn Last Days into Gerry. While that’s not a bad thing, it does mean those elements Van Sant has been honing in the past years, the insanely composed tracking shots, the meandering following of characters that feel like nothing and the complete study on isolation of Blake’s character, have all been crafted into Van Sant’s prodding style. Michael Pitt is Blake, the rock star whose final hours play out before us on screen, we watch as he confronts the picture head on, using what Devin calls "the kind of full body acting you see in silent films." The last time that happened, that infamous word ‘silent’ made half of my friends cower and run away. They want motherfuckin’ ‘splosions and shit to round out their awesome movie going experience, not some meditation on life, love, music and death. Save that for the arty people, like Gus Van Sant. Whoa, that was like, full circle or something.
Rape Me again – with: some deleted scenes, some music videos and outtakes. This is incredibly bare bones for a film with such a high pedigree. No word on a super deluxe Smells Like An SE version.
AgentShaolin e-mailed me, requesting the Looney Tunes Golden Collection – Volume Three this week, so without further adieu, here we go. A little while ago the WB, fearing political correctness pulled those cartoons featuring Speedy Gonzales and Pepe Le Pew, fearing the blacklash of liberal Spanish and French groups. Now, my question is, are there any? Last time I checked, the NY Post ratted them out and made them pay for their sins with a borderline racist headline and a photoshop’ed photo of a group shunning an American institution. The fans were clamoring for this one no matter what, so finally, Volume Three is intended for the mature collector, like when you were 14. Ah, those mature days of pubes and your bas moustache are coming back to haunt you, or was it just me? Either way, let’s get on with the cacophony of Special Features, surely to make even the most mature 14-year old blush with excitement, before running to the bathroom for some alone time with Grandpa’s magazines. Disc One is all about "the tall, gray and haresome one" and has the excellent episodes like Hare Tonic and A Hare Grows in Manhattan, among other greats like Duck! Rabbit! Duck! and Wackiki Wabbit. Disc Two lampoons Hollywood with its caricatures and parodies, like Porky’s Road Race, Thugs With Dirty Mugs and Daffy Duck in Hollywood. Disc Three is centered around Porky Pig, featuring his Pigs in a Polka, Porky in Egypt, Rocket Squad and Bye, Bye Bluebeard. And finally, Disc Four is about Daffy and the rest of the zany denizens of Looneyville. Look out for A Gruesome Twosome, An Itch In Time, Gonzales Tamales and To Beep Or Not To Beep, featuring my absolute favorite Road Runner and Wiley E. Coyote. A more in-depth listing of episodes is provided, by AgentShaolin of course, right here.
I thought I thaw a Puddy That – with: audio commentaries by some of the greatest people in animation known to man (like Joe Dante and John Kricfalusi), the rare Philber TV pilot, a bunch of Private Snafu shorts (Gas, Rumors and Spies), a rarely seen wartime short – Point Rationing of Foods, Chuck Jones’ 1967 cartoon "The Bear that wasn’t", storyboards, the first Looney Tunes cartoon – "Sinkin’ in the Bathtub", the first WB cartoon nominated for an Oscar – "It’s got me again", a several new documentaries on the luminous careers of Frank Tashlin, black & white cartoons, the restoration of the WB cartoons, Pepe Le Pew, the Bugs-Elmer-Daffy Trilogy, Looney Tunes Go To War and a Birds Annonymous tribute. Consider this disc stacked.
Got a Region Free problem?
We might have the solution in here, somewhere. Every week I recommend three titles. There’s thousands more, but on any given day I try and narrow it down to those titles that Dave hopefully won’t cover in Dave’s Underground or Russ in his Videodrome column. Like being President, it’s hard work, and the fruits of my labor allow people to bitch and moan at me when discussing the week’s worth in Region Free titles. Retribution.
While you nervously await Michael Bay’s destruction of your favorite animated show, those frisky Brits are building up their Transformers: The Movie Reconstructed on 9.5.05, jumping on the rebuilding bandwagon after Sam Fuller had such great fanfare with his WW2 epic. Orson Welles’ last film finally gets the treatment it deserves, and Leonard Nimoy doesn’t have to mimic his voice to get everything done (this is a rumor, but I tend to believe it, especially since Nimoy’s been mum with his Thalia and everything). While this film has been available in our Region 1 market, UK Metrodome is pandering to all of the old nostalgia fans on this one, including a wealth of new material to whet your pants into oblivion and submission. Purchasing submission, that is. Starscream even was able to fool all who were involved in the film to letterbox it unnecessarily, thus masking the original 1.33:1 image. Then, then it was time to put it onto VHS, it was further panned & scanned even more, cropping the Transformers into almost half of the original image. Those DVD boys found an original print and now you’ll be able to see the original image, as the animators intended it to be seen, completely unmasked and ready for your Optimus Prime lovin’. Side note: maybe it was just me, but I always thought that Ultra Magnus was a gigantic condom, even though I was too young to figure out what it was and where it went. Now, years later, I am still in the dark. Shedding some light on the Transformers situation, we all know their home planet is being threatened by Welles’ Unicron and the Decepticons are out for blood as well. On the tracks are the battles where heroes rise and legends fall, all without Anthony Hopkins. It’s time once again for the robotic theme song, and we all know where this is going. Yes, I’m done now.
Stays long and fresh (all night) – with: a brand new transfer from the original picture negative that has been exposed for the very first time, DVD ROM content (the original movie script), US theatrical trailer, Japanese trailer, US TV spots, Alternate US/UK version footage, final title check test, Cinex check – a color and exposure check, Autobot & Decepticon main menus, character biographies, a Reconstructed booklet and the first (English subtitled) episode of Takara ‘Headmasters.’ This is a Region 2 PAL release.
Arguably one of the tensest shows on television, 24, just recently had its Season Four bow over here in the states. If you absolutely loved it and can’t wait any longer for it to hit stateside, you’re in luck, because England has it ready and available for purchase. This one’s going to be a little more expensive than the titles I normally mention, partly because it is a goddamned box set, and mostly because we’re all poor from rising gas prices. "Season four opens with Jack Bower working for the Secretary of Defense James Heller. This particular morning Jack finds himself back at CTU (the Counter Terrorist Unit) meeting with Erin Driscoll, the new Director of Operations. An explosion on a city train has CTU working on finding the terrorist cell operating in the city. Rumor has it that it is the work of Turkish terrorists. When the Secretary of Defense is kidnapped with his daughter, Jack becomes a CTU agent once more. His investigations lead him to Navi Araz who runs the terrorist cell which plans to launch a nuclear attack on the city. Bower is back…" My roommate absolutely positively loves this show. Granted, he’s enthused by anything that moves and has colors (minus Eternal Sunshine, for shame) so take that with face value. I know I do. Arguments happen daily!
Today is the longest day of your life – with: 40 Deleted and Extended scenes with Optional Commentary, 3 featurettes (Breaking Ground Building The New CTU, Blood On The Tracks and Locked and Loaded), a promotional Short Film: Nissan Shift Original Drama, a promotional preview: 24 The Game Behind The Scenes and the music video for The Longest Day. This is a Region 2 PAL release.
Charlton Heston battles zombies in good old ancient Egypt with The Awakening. DeNiro and Williams are optional on this one. One of Mike Newell’s earliest films is in the mold of The Haunting and Rosemary’s Baby, those psychological thrillers whose Modus Operandi was to scare the beejezus out of you and onto the floor. It’s a bitch to clean the beejezus out of the carpet. Nasty business, that. "Archaeologist Matthew Corbeck (Charlton Heston) undertakes an expedition to find the ancient tomb of the Egyptian princess Kara, despite his awareness of a nefarious curse that is said to befall anyone who disturbs the tomb. Eighteen years after Corbeck’s discovery of the burial site, his teenage daughter (who was born at the very moment of the tomb’s violation) begins to behave strangely. She has been possessed by Kara’s malevolent spirit and embarks on rampage carrying out the Princess’ bloody and relentless retribution." Last time I went on a bloody and relentless spree of doom, the whole entire town of my birth was reduced to pointing and laughing. Just the way I like it. Unfortunately, Heston wasn’t around to aid me in my quest. I wonder if he was in the Naked Jungle nearby.
Death? Destruction? Well, let’s see what’s inside – with: anamorphic widescreen video and English audio. This is a Region 4 PAL release.
You mind doing my work for me?
You might have missed these previous titles. I know you’re busy looking at Hentai and tentacle rape videos, but there are people who, I don’t know, work for a living.
8/09: Kung Fu Hustle, T.J. Hooker: The Complete First and Second
Seasons, The
Muppet Show: Season One (Russ’ DVD review – Coming Soon), Because
of Winn-Dixie, Thundercats: Season One, Volume One, The
Eye 2, Look At Me, Muppets Wizard of Oz, Man
in the Gray Flannel Suit, Old Chicago, Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte,
Columbo:
Season Three, McMillian & Wife: Season One, Profit:
Complete Series, Roswell: Final Chapter, and The
Emperor’s New Clothes. Point, click and grunt while accessing last
weeks Special Edition right here.
8/02:
Alexander: Theatrical Edition, Alexander: Director’s Cut
(Devin’s DVD review is Coming Soon), Guess Who, Ghostbusters
I and II Double Feature Giftset, Downfall, The
Cosby Show Season One (a word of warning, this season is of the
truncated syndication episodes, meaning it’s not the originals you saw on
television in the 80’s), The High and the Mighty: SCE, Island
in the Sky: SCE, The Complete Thin Man Collection (check
out Eileen’s massive DVD review), Dukes of
Hazzard: Season Four, X-Files Anthology: Black Oil, Hearts
Afire: Season One, Over There: Pilot episode, Greatest
American Hero: Season Three, Saturday Morning with Sid and Marty
Krofft, and a trio of Disney classics like Johnny Tremain,
World’s Greatest Athlete and Tobey Tyler. Check out
the old Special Edition as it beats you with a cane to speak louder, sonny.
My wallet is empty
Do I provide the greatest selection of Bargains around town? It’s all suspect, really, since I copy and paste with the best of ’em. No one has called shenanigans on me yet, so I’ll keep doing what I do best, and that’s continue to pummel your weekly cash flow into a non-existent state of nothingness. If you don’t know about our color scheme here, I’m confident that you’re smart enough to figure it all out without me having to spell it all out. That shits tired.
Browse the multi-region DVD retailers and their sales right here! (click on the store name to get mashed away into spending!)
xploitedcinema.com,HkFlix.com,diabolikdvd.com, DDDHouse and YesAsia.com
deepdiscountdvd.com:
Sin City is $15.88
Breakin’ Collection is $24.30
Undeclared is $29.91
Brown Bunny is $19.50
Ballad of Jack & Rose is $20.64
Wedding Date is $21.59
Office (US) – First Season is $21.59
Astaire & Rogers Collection Volume One is $43.16
Simpsons Season Six is $36.59
My Left Foot: SE is $13.80
Chappelle: For What It’s Worth is $13.91