Welcome back. You’re all just a bunch of hooligans, anyway.
Misanthropes
It’s irresponsible to not sink your cinematic houndstooth into The Proposition (read Russ’ Toronto Coverage) – a western fable scripted by Nick Cave. From the bravura opening to the play on modernity wrought forth by Cave’s westernization of Cain & Able, The Proposition is a damn fine film. The sublime Danny Huston (whose work spills across genres and stays immediate) portrays the twisted shell of a soul that the authorities grit their chompers for. But, they also have their qualms with his two brothers, played by Guy Pierce (read Devin’s interview with him here) and Richard Wilson. And so, by the hands of Ray Winstone, an ultimatum emerges: Pierce can either watch his brother die at the end of a rope, or track down and decimate his older one. Director John Hillcoat (read his interview here), bathes the film in a dirtiness unseen since my date with a bottle of Viper. This helps reinforce those more pressing qualities of the film, both engaging and demanding. It’s purely interesting all around, so if you must, leave those leftovers in the microwave, run from that baby unattended, and slap all latecomers to see this.
And I’ll shoot you. Am I clear? – with:
– Audio commentary by Hillcoat and Cave
– 5 Behind the Scenes Featurettes (Making-of, Info & Script, Characters, Research & History, and Themes)
– Some deleted scenes
– Stills gallery
– Previews
The tagline for Stay Alive (read Devin’s interview with the filmmakers here) always elicited guffaws from me. “If you die in the game – you die for real.” Jesus. I can only imagine getting a metal plumbing tube straight to the temple in my own personal Streets of Rage. That could be cool, unlike the glistening coiffed teens who are foolish enough to dive into such a sticky predicament (Frankie Muniz, Samaire Armstrong, and Sophia Bush among others). Stay Alive throws them into the lair of the 17th Century Blood Countess, without the beefy aid of towering great Simon Belmont. The noobs must then contend with such evil pursuits that even Adam Goldberg can’t help (and he does. But – cue threatening falsettos – he learns that the hard way). The sound you hear might not be just the bodies hittin’ the floor, but also the waning of your attention span. I’ve heard the movie is a flimsy boatload of adequacy. Still, enter our Contest by clicking your goddamned cares away here.
Go fuck yourself! – with:
– Audio commentary with the filmmakers
– A visual effects reel
– Interactive bonus menus (and let me interject here, as I can only imagine this being weird and unnecessary)
What’s gleefully scrupulous about Hard Candy (Devin’s positive review) is that they prey quickly and effortlessly becomes the predator. The whole situation gets cluster fucked fast, and it’s incredibly tough to put your feelings towards someone so despicable. Patrick Wilson is the man otherwise known as fabfu – I mean, Lensmaster319, and his deviant fingers conjure up a coffee house meeting with the 14 year old Hayley (played with gusto by the brilliant Ellen Page). Suspicions emerge against one heavy-handed side and it comes boiling up once Hayley goes to his home. The tension is thick, and Director David Slade, along with Writer Brian Nelson, fashions a little tale by way of 1970’s 42nd Street. Hard Candy’s quite adept at flipping your own preconceived notions and jabbing your feelings towards two very flawed characters that both do naughty things.
I guess they… weren’t brass – with:
– Audio commentary with Slade and Nelson
– Audio commentary with Wilson and Page
– Deleted and extended scenes
– Creating Hard Candy and Controversial Confection featurettes
– DVD-ROM: Production notebook
– Trailer
Disney/Karl Rove mustn’t be giving much thought to Stick It, since the DVD’s semi-representational cover art looks like something my toilet bowl unceremoniously shook hands with. The film’s story of teenage angst and rebellion comes from the mind of Jessica Bendinger, whose Bring It On I consider a guilty pleasure with extreme prejudice. But it would be silly to compare the two. Here, gymnastics becomes the catalyst for social change in the life of the cadre of young girls. I have a feeling no one outside of this core audience knows who they are, with the exception of Jeff Bridges. The Dude just so happens to be the tough-loving coach of their team, and with it comes the butting of the heads from the film’s protagonist. As a positive feminist experience, Stick It certainly will resonate higher than the other schlock out there, but it definitely isn’t going to be setting crotches on fire.
Bite the moment – with:
– Read My Mind: Multiple feature commentaries – director and actors, director and filmmakers
– Buttaharas: Outrageous bloopers & outtakes
– Skinny Fat: Hilarious deleted scenes with two optional commentaries
– Music Videos: Missy Elliott’s We Run This and Jeannie Ortega’s Crowded
– Hard Corps: The real gymnasts who were stunt doubles for Stick It
– The Elites: Full gymnastics routines performed by some of the world’s best with optional commentary
– The Judges’ Table: Uneven bar routines in slow motion with optional commentary
– Trailers
I believe in ghosts. Before you berate me for accepting the supernatural, I know what happened that day and there’s nothing you or my Father’s belt is going to suppress out of me. Projecting that belief onto others isn’t something I do, but it is something I take with me to Ghost Hunters. TAPS’ team makes very valid points – men of science can have their EMF’s and eat it too – but sometimes the most unexplainable is better. What I’m not digging like Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s pink warriors is this sudden release strategy – Ghost Hunters: Season 2 Part One and Part Two. Scattered throughout these 22 episodes (some from Season 2.5) are situations that will scare the placenta back onto you. Unless you don’t believe in this “stuff.” Those people probably won’t get past the interesting amount of alleged scary places the team visits – like New Jersey – with paranormal residue wafting from their histories. While these episodes aren’t anything I see myself rewatching, they are truly fascinating for non-believers and those who got slimed by the floating manhood of Augustus Frankfurt.
When in doubt, get the Hell out – with:
– 11 episodes on Part 1 (Myrtles Plantation, New England, New Orleans, North Carolina, Connecticut, New York City, Springfield, Mass., Rhode Island, New York, Philadelphia, and California)
– 11 episodes on Part 2 (Mansfield, Ohio, Eureka Springs, Ark, Louisville, KY, Holliston, Mass, Canandaigua, NY, Evansville, IND, New Jersey, St. Augustine, FL, St. Augustine, FL, Guthrie, OK, and Estes Park, CO – where the Stanley Hotel resides)
Like few, I’m vaguely familiar with Daniel Johnson and his eclectic acquired taste. Like many, we all know the Devil, so that part of the title is as C.O.P.S. so astutely mentions – case closed. What not many are familiar with is that Daniel Johnson and the Devil play a mean set in the bowels of Johnson’s incredibly, insanely spiraling down life. What Johnson has done has obsessively documented his life and, as Devin mentions (in his review), is “more desperate, like he’s looking for proof of his own existence.” Throwing some fire onto these downtrodden instances is the filmmakers, who present Johnson’s life with a tinge of sadness and a Canadian boatload of depression. Those unfamiliar with his predicaments are in for a wild ride, since the veritable ups and downs of Johnson’s struggle with infamy resonate way beyond “first!” on message boards.
Be a baby in your universe – with:
– Audio commentary with Director Jeff Feuerzeig and Producer Henry S. Rosenthal
– 5 featurettes (Sundance World Premiere, Laurie and Daniel Reunion, Legendary WFMU Broadcast, Cinema of Daniel Johnston, and Personal Movies of Daniel Johnston)
– Daniel’s Audio Diaries
– Personal recording of Daniel Johnston
– Some deleted scenes
– Previews
We have plenty of fans of Battlestar Galactica on this site. It’s been called the greatest new show on television (read Devin’s interview with creator Ronald Moore here) and all of that, but I’ve never seen it. Not only do I partially feel like I’m missing out on some sort of transcendent sci-fi experience, but I’m not sure that I feel like I need to. It’s probably becaue I watch little TV. It’s that weird pull between wanting to watch something and not having the desire that fuels my shaky fire. On the one hand, I’ve heard good-to-great things, but it’s always been those few negative comments that have given me pause. I might not ever know until I break down and decide to give the DVDs a chance. For those who do slather their illegal in 48 states love on it, Season 2.5 continues with episodes 11 through 20, where I’ve heard that the longer version of the mid-season cliffhanger Pegasus is going to be included. If only I’d get off my lethargic ass to watch it.
Frack you! – with:
– Exclusive, extended version of Pegasus
– Features: On the set of the "new" Pegasus, Never Let the Inmates Run the Asylum, and The "Magic" of Battlestar Galactica
– Scenes from a video blog floor Sex, Lies and a Video Blog
– Episode 205 – Day 2 – Episode 207 – Day 4
– Producer’s Video Logos
– Some deleted scenes
– Some podcasts
Best Buy tallied up their oversized flop wigs, powdered their pale noses and gussied up old Mrs. Musket and Mr. Ball, commandeering their monopolist militia towards their nifty coup – that of Universal’s Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection. The films – Monster On The Campus, The Incredible Shrinking Man, The Monolith Monsters, Tarantula and The Mole People – haven’t necessarily aged well. They’re shaky, stilted, and wholly original. Entirely worthwhile. There’s a sheer amount of imagination on display that’s a clue into the exciting time when Sci-Fi was still primarily growing and shaving its prepubescent moustache. I sincerely love both Tarantula and The Incredible Shrinking Man (Charlie even reviewed the PAL Region 2 DVD here). For as formal as they’ve become, regulated to interesting footnotes by snarky internet message board posters, they’re all filled with spectacular promise behind the frames. There’s that sense of adventure and fantastical machinations filled with all of the good stuff that makes moviegoing worthwhile and fun.
I still exist! – with these films spread out over 3 discs:
– Monster On The Campus
– The Incredible Shrinking Man
– The Monolith Monsters
– Tarantula
– The Mole People
Note that this is only on sale at BEST BUY for $19.99.
I think that without Amy Sherman-Palladino, The Gilmore Girls will falter. As a necessary component of the show, Sherman-Palladino’s stamp was well documented over every rip-roaring sentence fired off in the show’s acerbic wit. Season Six happens to be her last season and with it came those newly minted developments – that of both Lorelai and Rory’s fractured bond and that rocky start. I’m not one to diminish the roles that people have on the show. Each actor, whether it be Graham or Bledel, brings their own portrayal to the role. But I believe Sherman-Palladino was that guiding force informing both the Writers and Creators behind-the-scenes. Even if they’re able to keep a smidgen of that je ne sais quoi floating around Stars Hollow for Season Seven, I think it’s going to be as noticeable as the craters around my broken dreams.
But why? – with:
– All 21 episodes of Season Six
First thing’s first. For the price, Universal’s Franchise Collection of Boris Karloff and Inner Sanctum Mysteries with Lon Chaney, Sr., are right up anyone’s alley. Coupled with adequate transfers, the films continue the progression of horror from the earlier more golden years and re-up the ante slightly. I can’t think of anyone who should skip these, they’d be fooling themselves. Each set contains mostly hard-to-acquire items, films like The Tower of London, The Strange Door, and The Climax on Karloff’s set, while Chaney has Calling Dr. Death, Dead Man’s Eyes, and The Frozen Ghost. Karloff always intrigued me as a child; his soothing voice could have led me into the great unknown hundreds of millions of times. Chaney, whose adeptness at sprouting hair in unfortunate places is well documented, I am not quite familiar with. Rectification is my natural resource for that. So, as wonderful B movies that sometimes recycle the same sets and numerous plot devices from other films, that shouldn’t cease anyone’s opinion from plunking down and getting all sexual with these fine films.
These Franchise Sets are all bare bones.
Sometimes other titles may be just as important. To you, anyway. For that, there’s always this section; of unwanted leftovers or half-baked cinematic trysts that recall my failed attempts to make babies with a towel. Now that we know too much about one another, it’d probably be best to sigh, nod, and solider on.
Okterionfest
Maybe Albert Markovski had it right when he said “Motherfucking shit fucker!,” because I cannot sum up my thoughts that we’re already back to the third week of the month. And you know what that means – upcoming Criterions. We’ll have ghosts and reanimated corpses of DeNiro’s former career taunting us, but we’ve got to keep it real. And steady. Coincidentally, that’s what October’s all about with the Collection – firmness. Up first is Alfonso Cuarón, a damned good filmmaker, with one of his first features – Sólo con tu pareja. Plus (and also out on 10.17.06) there’s Lodge Kerrigan with his intense Clean, Shaven. It’s a must-see, just don’t bite your fingernails. Jane Campion calls out for Sweetie, her debut feature, and finally, Rod Steiger schemes desperately in Francesco Rosi’s neo-realist Hands over the City. The latter two arriving on 10.24.06. Sounds like a full plate of interesting choices to me.
November brings False Idols, as in the Graham Greene/Carol Reed kind, while also ushering in Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Double Life of Véronique and G. W. “German” Pabst’s Pandora’s Box.
I Like Big Lists
I also lie. Here’s what you ADD jerks can expect for October. Please feel free to correct me (e-mail here), and may the false golden idol cow from 10 Commandments smite thee.
10.3.06:
Abbott & Costello Show: Season Two (100th Anniversary Collection)
Abominable
Against the Wall
Avenger
Body Double: Special Edition
Bugsy: Extended Cut
Calvaire (The Ordeal)
Changing Times
Curse of El Charro
The Dark Backward: Special Edition
Edmond
Forever Knight The Trilogy: Part Three
Gathering 
G. I. Joe Sigma 6: First Strike
Glass House: The Good Mother
Greatest American Hero: The Complete Series – Limited Collector’s Edition
House of Blood
Humphrey Bogart Signature Collection, Volume 2
Invader
Lewis Black: Red, White and Screwed
The Little Mermaid: Special Edition
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels: Locked ‘N Loaded Director’s Cut – Unrated
Maltese Falcon: 3-Disc Special Edition
Medium: The Complete Second Season
Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Extraordinarily" Deluxe Edition 
Penn & Teller: Bullsh*t! The Complete Third Season
Planet of the Apes: The TV Series
Point Break: Pure Adrenaline Edition
Reeker
Return to the Planet of the Apes
The Roost
Scarface: Platinum Edition
South Park: The Hits, Volume 1 – Matt and Trey’s Top Ten
Stargate SG-1: The Complete Ninth Season
Thank You for Smoking
Three Stooges – Stooges on the Run
Voodoo Moon
The Woods
X-Men: The Last Stand (also comes in a Collector’s Edition)
10.10.06:
Andy Milonakis Show: The Complete Second Season
Art School Confidential
A-Team: Season Five – The Final Season
Bad Santa: Director’s Cut
Black Rain: Special Collector’s Edition
The Butterfly Effect 2
Carlos Mencia: No Strings Attached – Live, Extended and Uncensored
Click: Special Edition
David Copperfield (1935)
Defenders of the Earth: Volume One
Ed, Edd n Eddy: The Complete First Season
Everybody Hates Chris: The First Season
Exorcist: The Complete Anthology
Feast of Death: The Dark Places of James Ellroy
Fox and the Hound: 25th Anniversary Edition
Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties
Ghost of Mae Nak
Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law: Volume 2
Holiday Inn: White Christmas Edition
Hollywood’s Legends of Horror Collection
Ju-On 2
The King
Latin Legends of Comedy
Magnum P.I.: The Complete Fifth Season
Marie Antoinette (1939)
Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green
Motion Picture Masterpieces
Napoleon (PBS)
Numb3rs: The Complete Second Season
Players
A Prairie Home Companion
Pride and Prejudice (1940)
Reds: 25th Anniversary Edition
Scrubs: The Complete Fourth Season
Simon & Simon: Season One
A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
Three’s Company: Season Eight – The Final Season
Too Cool for School: John Hughes Collection
Treasure Island (1934)
12 and Holding
Waist Deep
Wonder Showzen: The Complete Second Season
10.17.06:
Alfred Hitchcock Presents – Season Two
Al Pacino Collection: Author! Author!
American Dreamz
Astaire and Rogers Collection: Volume Two
Astaire and Rogers Ultimate Collector’s Edition
Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil
Big Black Comedy Box Set
Big Love: The Complete First Season
Blackwater Valley Exorcism
Bob the Builder: Bob’s Hard at Work Collection!
Boris Karloff Horror Flicks Collection
The Break-Up
Charmed: The Complete Sixth Season
Close Call
CSI: Miami – The Complete Fourth Season
CSI: NY – The Complete Second Season
Deadfall
Eternal Enemies
Feast
Going Back
Hard Luck
La Femme Nikita: The Complete Fifth Season
The Magus
Masters of Horror: Larry Cohen, Pick Me Up
Murder, She Wrote: The Complete Fourth Season
National Geographic Wildlife Box Set
Nick Jr. Favorites Box Set
The Omen (2006)
Omen: The Complete Collection
Only Human
Over the Hedge
The Panic in Needle Park
Panic Room (Superbit Deluxe)
Peeper
Rest Stop – Unrated
Starsky & Hutch – The Complete Fourth Season
That 70’s Show: Season Five
They All Laughed
Whales in Crisis
10.24.06:
Addams Family: Volume One
An American Haunting (also comes in an Unrated Edition)
Baby Einstein – Baby’s First Moves
Batman Beyond: Season 2
Bewitched – The Complete Fourth Season
Body Heat: Deluxe Edition
Creature Comforts – The Complete Second Season
Essential Art House: 50 Years of Janus Films
The Facts of Life – The Complete Third Season 
Father Christmas
Freak Out
Groovie Goolies: The Saturday "Mourning" Collection
Invitation to a Suicide
Jailbait
Jonathan Creek: Season 1
Journey Back to OZ: Special Edition
Justice League Unlimited: Season One
The Kid & I
Krypto the Superdog, Volume 2
Last Voyage
Looking for Kitty
The L Word: The Complete Third Season
MacGyver: The Complete Final Season 
Monster House
Nacho Libre: Special Collector’s Edition
Nightmares & Dreamscapes
The O.C.: The Complete Third Season
The Red Shoes
Reservoir Dogs: 15th Anniversary
The Road to Guantanamo
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Saturday TV Funhouse
Saw II: 2-Disc Uncut Edition
Slither
The Snowman
That’s My Bush!: The Definitive Collection
Waking the Dead: Season 1 & Pilot Episode
Wings: The Complete Third Season
10.31.06:
Baywatch: Season 1 (this is OUT ON 10.30.06)
Baywatch: Season 2 (this is OUT ON 10.30.06)
Mission: Impossible III (also comes in a 2-Disc Collector’s Edition) (this is OUT ON 10.30.06)
Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America
Ghost Whisperer: The Complete First Season