Hey folks, Harry here with this week’s DVD COLUMN – there’s lots of good stuff on here and as usual – if you click on the art or the title – you’ll find yourself at AMAZON where you can learn more on the title – or purchase it – which would send a portion of the profit to sponsor this column. Hope you enjoy it…

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

JUNO

There seems to be an odd backlash amongst some regarding JUNO. Of course – why not – it’s a sweet film, a non-realistic film. I’ve heard from readers that wonder why on Earth we at AICN love this film, when the dialogue is so unrealistic… but that’s entirely the point. JUNO is a 1930’s style comedy about Teen Pregnancy in the future. I wish teens talked with the sort of literate and ironic wit of Juno. That they weighed issues – and sought love with an exuberance – that parents understood their kids and stood by and supported them the way J.K. Simmons does in the film. Of course – this isn’t all fantasy – there are families like this out there… at least I like to think so. I love this film. The disc is loaded with extras – including a commentary by Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody – there’s tons of deleted scenes – gag reel, screen tests – lots of fun behind the scenes stuff. And you get a second disc to create your “digital copy” from.

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL

Finally a movie that understands me and Yoko. Heh – I’m so gonna get hit for that one. This is one of those films that when I first heard of it… it struck me as the weirdest most fucked up thing to come down the pipeline in a while. Truly a film inspired by Howard Stern’s obsession with Real Dolls. Well – lo and behold the actual film is funny – but more than that – it’s oddly sweet and tragic. The director of the odious MR WOODCOCK has made amends with this film, which is absolutely a great film about a very weird world that we live in. Ryan Gosling continues to impress – and the rest of the cast is solid as well. This is a modern day bizarre take on HARVEY – only – this ain’t no white rabbit.

BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD

Here was an excellent film from Sidney Lumet – about a really screwed up robbery gone completely wrong. No, not in a RESERVOIR DOGS way – but in a – you decide to knock off your parents’ jewelry store and end up killing your own mother –sorta way. That’s about as screwed up as it can get. It’s only slightly more screwed up, because their mother happens to be AUNT MAY! So evil. And the two kids that knock Aunt May off are Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke… This isn’t a light film, it’s very tough and hard. And proof that Lumet hasn’t lost his touch at all. In particular I love Albert Finney’s character in this. So touching.

AVP – ALIEN VS. PREDATOR / ALIENS VS PREDATOR – REQUIEM

Isn’t this amazing… in 1080p you can witness in perfect clarity – the shit sandwich that has been the AVP series. Would you like that on pumpernickel?

PREDATOR (Blu Ray)

I have this – but unlike the Amazon description which claims it is a 2 disc set with over 5 hours of “out-of-this-world extras” – the reality is quite different. I can’t find any extras on the Blu Ray… no commentary, no in-depth documentary and no bonus footage never-before seen. In fact – there’s no second disc at all. That said – man…having PREDATOR in high def is a blast. Oddly – Sonny Landham - “BILLY” from PREDATOR – appears in a slightly less spectacular role below… Strange how that works. As for PREDATOR – this could very well be my favorite Arnold film… It’s right there with CONAN THE BARBARIAN and T2 and TERMINATOR. Extremely great action film, wonderful science fiction story. One of the great geek films of all time.

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA ( Collector’s Edition 2 Disc)

Easily one of the greatest movies ever made. This release, I feel, is the last – non-high def release of the title. If you have HD MOVIES on Cable – you’ve seen a High Def print of LAWRENCE – and Sony has been teasing its release for ages. But we still do not have it. This edition is nice, but without the High Def edge, I don’t feel its worth picking up. It has a very nice documentary on the making of – and a conversation about the film with Steven Spielberg. Along with a good deal of other extras – which had all better be on the future inevitable BLU RAY release. If you’ve never seen the film – you must see it immediately. If, perchance, you were to die in a wreck, a robber’s gunpoint, or however you may die… to die, without seeing each of Lean’s masterpieces is to exit this world without the full knowledge of how great cinema can be.

INSIDE

Bob Weinstein pisses me the fuck off. This is an AUDIENCE movie. It’s one of the most subversive and violent holy fuck movies ever made. And in LIONSGATE’s hands – it would have been released into unsuspecting American theaters for Audiences to squeal and scream to. This is the greatest Pregnant threat film of all time. It is not the scariest movie I have ever seen – it is one of the most fucked up movies I have ever seen. When it played at FANTASTIC FEST – the audience… made up of hardened genre mavens… squirmed and threw their hands up over their faces repeatedly to block out the intense visceral thrills this movie unloaded. The film will OFFEND. It will SHOCK. And if you love disturbing horror – it will absolutely fuck your shit up. And fuck DIMENSION for not having the sack, the nerve or the intelligence to get this movie out in time for MOTHER’S DAY. This is what the hardest R rated horror can deliver. This is a horror film to invite everyone to watch… and then be prepared to explain yourself. Heh. You could blame me.

THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (Collector’s Edition – 2 Disc)

Here is yet another of the brilliant films from David Lean. We all know how to whistle its iconic theme – and Obi Wan has never ever been better. Again – I ask Sony… Where is the Blu Ray? Like with the LAWRENCE release – this is a last ditch effort to capitalize on the standard def edition. The Extras are wonderful – but dammit… let’s have the HD transfer now. Right now. Again – if you haven’t seen it – see it now.

WOODY WOODPECKER AND FRIENDS CLASSIC CARTOON COLLECTION: Vol 2

I love Woody Woodpecker – and Volume 1 of this set was outstanding – but this edition is every bit as strong. Included here are 45 additional Woody Woodpecker cartoons – and in addition – you’ll find a good many non-Woody cartoons including my faves A-HAUNTING WE WILL GO and BOOGIE WOOGIE MAN… in all there’s thirty more cartoons. I’m afraid this set does have a good many Paul Smith directed Woody’s that are quite weak, however – they’re easy to skp past if you get tired of their tiresomeness. Basically – stay away from the post-1955 Woody toons on the set. They’re the weakest ones.

A PASSAGE TO INDIA (Blu Ray)

Well – at least they released one of Lean’s wonderful films in Blu Ray. I love this film – and having never seen it in a theater – the details found on this disc are absolutely brilliant. The colors, the compositions, the beauty of the film… are as crisp and as beautiful as they should be. Watching this film… I can’t help but miss the confidence and ease of storytelling that Lean had at his fingertips. Everything is perfect. With the backdrop of Twenties India – he has an epic landscape that is absolutely compelling. And in this format – stunning. The disc is loaded with extras – including a commentary from producer Richard Goodwin – and many behind the scenes features and docs. Superb Blu Ray. This film’s eroticism and the score from Jarre is wonderful. Truly Lean’s last great film.

COMMANDO (Blu Ray)

Bare Bones – but High Def and for this… one of the great b-grade Arnold epics… it is amazing to see the print looking so sweet. That buzzsaw head cleave… gorgeous. When the entire base blows up – you can see how cheaply it was all made. And that all the men are dolls. It cracked me up to no end. That… and the idea this guy is Governor of a State… perhaps the most powerful state in the United States… just scares the bejeesus out of me. At the same time, that it makes me giddy. When I mentioned having watched this last night at a get together at my house… 5 different friends all began quoting the film. It is indeed a B-movie, but one we all love.

WAR DANCE

This is a film about beauty and horror, music and tears, laughter and the reality of UGANDA. In all – it is a triumph and a celebration of the human spirit. You can not imagine the circumstances and world that these songs come from – and you should not miss hearing them.

BLAST OF SILENCE – Criterion Collection

Another great Criterion release – of this 1961 Noir that isn’t very well known – but thanks to Criterion – that will begin to change.. Basically a story about a hitman sent to whack a mobster – but as with all films in the Noir category – it’s far more complicated than that. This will become a film you’ll place on at Christmas time – to surprise and delight your film literate friends that love the holiday. That doesn’t mean it is a happy film, only that the Christmas setting is classic.

THE BACKWOODS

Here’s a wonderful little cautionary tale about not caring for the deformed dirty children you find in the backwoods of Spain. This is a film that wants to be like DELIVERANCE or STRAW DOGS – and while it has that sort of grit – it isn’t quite that well conceived of story. It is, however, a wonderful little film in that tone. It played at FANTASTIC FEST last year – and was very very well received.

THE MINUS MAN

This is my favorite Owen Wilson role… he’s a fantastic serial killer. And this is a wonderful small film he did ages ago. I saw it at a film festival and never forgot it. In particular Owen’s character is haunting. And Sheryl Crow’s character is a rare performance of heroin addiction. You should check it out. Really solid work.

SYLVIA – Grindhouse Director Series Edition

This is a hardcore seventies adult film – but it is a fascinating one. This is a multiple personalities storyline about a woman of deep religious conventions that has six or seven separate personalities of differing carnal powers. The film is notable for a couple of reasons. One – Sonny Landham… he plays a junkie in the film – and yes – he has his sex scenes – but more than that – his junkie performance is really really good. So bizarre to see a quality performance like this in a porn – but then that’s what Seventies porn had. It had the capacity to surprise you, not only with the sexual displays – but the creativity and audacity of the stories and cinema. SYLVIA is a crazy film – but one that is very interesting.

RUNNING WITH ARNOLD

As we’ve said on AICN before – this film is little more than a display of been there and done that character assassination on Arnold. That said – it’s basically all true – but the thing about Arnold is this… despite the volumes of pass wrongs, we seem to accept him because he is Arnold. RUNNING WITH ARNOLD had the capacity to be something stronger had it stuck to what Arnold has become as a Politician and left his past out of it. Had they just analyzed his moves as a candidate and as Governor. However, that sort of move seemed to be beyond the filmmakers here.

BITCHSLAP: CATFIGHTING SHE-BABES

I know nothing about this title… but it’s called BITCHSLAP: CATFIGHTING SHE-BABES. How could I not post that up for a look. It’s the sleaziest box I’ve seen in a while and damn it looks ridiculous.

That’s it for this week, next we’ll be looking at THE SAVAGES, CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR, CLOVERFIELD, THE ORPHANAGE, MIDNIGHT, EASY LIVING, THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR, MY BOY JACK, MERRILL’S MARAUDERS, SHE DONE HIM WRONG, A DATE WITH JUDY, SHIRLEY TEMPLE – AMERICA’S SWEETHEART Vol. 6, Eclipse Series 10 – Silent Ozu – Three Family Comedies, DEATH OF A CYCLIST, SUBLIME, HYPOCRITES (1915) / ELEANOR’S CATCH (1916), GUMBY: THE MOVIE, THE RED KIMONA, FLASH POINT, OCEAN WAIF / 49-17, BEFORE THE NICKELODEON: THE EARLY CINEMA OF EDWIN S PORTER, BRITISH HORROR QUADRUPLE FEATURE and much much more!!!