Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
And so we close out 2005, not with a bang but a whimper, the same way we usher in 2006. These are painfully thin weeks for DVD releases, which makes sense I guess. All the big titles were on the shelves before Christmas, so for the next few weeks, we get a big bunch of not much. For the hardcore film freak like me, there’s always something that’s got me curious, but I doubt I’ll be denting the wallet in any serious way until sometime near the end of next month. For now, I’m just going to keep focusing on the DVD blog, while I work to finish watching 2005 titles so I can make my end-of-the-year list for Ain’t It Cool, which I hope to publish at the start of next week.
For now, let’s run down the titles that came out last week and this week that are worth discussion. Anything marked with an asterisk (*) was sent to the Labs for review, but everything else is just stuff I’m curious about that I’ll be picking up when I take my dad, who’s visiting LA right now, to Amoeba for the first time later today. I’m pretty sure he’s going to give his wallet a workout while he’s there. Let’s get to the list so I can grab some sleep, eh?
2046
I haven’t seen the Region One edition of this film, but I wholeheartedly recommend Wong Kar Wai’s latest for anyone even moderately interested in his work. It’s not his best film, and it’s too indulgent and too willfully incoherent, but it’s ravishing, and the moments that do connect can be devastating. Ziyi Zhang does some of the best dramatic work of her career here playing the not-coincidentally-named Bai Ling, and she nails the sense of longing and missed opportunity that underlines so much of the filmmaker’s previous work. I almost wish he’d made the sci-fi film that’s used as the story within the story here, because that stuff seems fascinating from the brief glimpses we get. Even so, it’s a lyrical way to spend an afternoon, and an interesting step in the career of one of the most doggedly personal filmmakers working anywhere in the world today. Well worth picking up.
*ALL IN THE FAMILY: THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON
Any season of this landmark show is worth picking up, but this one in particular features the episode that served as the de facto pilot for THE JEFFERSONS, as they move on up and out of the neighborhood, and then Mike and Gloria end up moving into the house where the Jeffersons used to live. The show was running like a well-oiled machine at this point, and there are a lot of laughs in this particular collection of episodes.
BROKEN FLOWERS
Jesus, was it really last June when I reviewed this film? I haven’t seen it since, but I’m looking forward to a second viewing. It’s a film that I’ve found myself thinking back on several times over the course of the year, a sure sign of something substantial. It’s one of those Murray performances that seems so minimal, but there’s just an amazing amount of subtext and richness to it. It may well be the most mainstream thing Jarmusch ever made, but it still feels completely organic to his particular sensibilities as a director, which makes it a pretty rare thing. If you missed it, check it out now. It’s worth at least a rental, but I’ll definitely end up owning it.
THE CAVE
I admit it. I’m a sucker for cheesy horror movies, and this one looks shameless. If you’re going to rip off PITCH BLACK, you might not want to actually cast Cole Hauser in the film, because it’s going to make the unavoidable comparison even more unavoidable. I fully expect to roll my eyes and groan my way through this one, especially since I’ve already seen THE DESCENT, but I’m going to give it a try anyway and hope for some sort of fun.
*DARK WATER
How does Walter Salles go from THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES to this? Seriously. Did he lose a bet with someone? The original DARK WATER was one of the weakest of the J-horror films, and this remake proves to be so uninspired and half-baked that it makes me long to see the original again instead. Jennifer Connelly continues to mope, something that should be outlawed at this point, as she plays the hottest welfare mom to ever live in the slummiest slum in film history. The conclusion of this film is ridiculous even by the standards of the ghost-story-with-a-lame-twist genre of the last few years, and all the pretty photography in the world can’t dress this one up. Genuinely, one of the year’s worst films. Having said that, I know some of you will still have to peek for yourselves, so be sure you rent it. Don’t buy. Not even the “unrated” version. You’ll thank me later.
A GREAT DAY IN HARLEM
A hell of a good film about a hell of a great photo. In 1958, Art Keane put together a photo shoot for ESQUIRE magazine of all the great jazz musicians of the day. I’m sure he had no idea what sort of moment in pop culture history he would end up creating, but pretty much anyone who was anyone showed up, and the photo that resulted is a classic, one of those images that you can see a hundred times and always pick out something new. I’m a jazz freak, and the idea of all of these people in one place and one time always seemed incredible to me. After seeing this film by director Jean Bach, I got a sense of just how incredible that day truly must have been.
GRIZZLY MAN
This is one of the last films of 2005 that I’m going to see before putting my list together, and I’m trying to hold my expectations to a realistic level because I’ve heard so many great things. I love Werner Herzog, and the story is definitely interesting. I’m not sure why I never made it to the theater to see the film, but it happens from time to time, and this is exactly the kind of film that I love seeing hit DVD finally. I’m picking this one up today, and I’ll see it before the weekend for sure, so expect a review over on the DVD blog at that point.
INTO THE BLUE
Lots and lots of half-naked Jessica Alba. Who would begrudge a man this as a viewing experience? I’m frankly amazed that John Stockwell directed this, since he was starting to get a rep as a guy who made better-than-you’d-expect films like CRAZY/BEAUTIFUL and BLUE CRUSH, so I’ve got my fingers crossed that this isn’t just a twenty-something version of THE DEEP, but even if it is… have you seen Alba in that bikini? Puh-leeeeeze.
THE SHIELD: SEASON 4
When they first announced that Anthony Anderson and Glenn Close were joining the cast of this show, I was prepared for the worst, but both actors proved to be incredible additions to an already great series. This was an excellent season, and it set up what should be a truly kick-ass fifth season premiering in just a few weeks. I’m a big fan of cop shows, and this is one of the best of all time. Between this and THE WIRE, I’m feeling like a junkie who has his own heroin tree in the backyard these days. Even if you’ve never seen the series, this is a pretty good jumping-on point, but if you’ve been a fan the whole time, then you know what I mean when I say that they keep turning the screws on Vic, and sooner or later, something’s going to give. Can’t wait to be there when it happens.
THE TWILIGHT ZONE: THE DEFINITIVE EDITION SEASON FIVE
What can you say about THE TWILIGHT ZONE that hasn’t already been said? Speculative fiction with a moral punch has been done a thousand times by a thousand different people, but Rod Serling’s series was lightning in a bottle thanks to the incredible writers he worked with (including himself) and thanks to the fact that they were the pioneers. They pushed television in a way that no one had up to that point, and everyone who’s come after this show has had to be content to exist in its shadow. I wish these sets weren’t so insanely overpriced, but if you’re a fanatic for the series, then you can’t do any better than this in terms of transfer, so you might as well bite the bullet and pick them up. This completes the series, and I’m sure I’ll have it here on a shelf soon.
THE WEDDING CRASHERS
And finally, here’s one of the two films that made it safe for R-rated comedy at the box-office again. Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn cashed in on their already-established chemistry with this silly little film that shouldn’t have worked. I mean, the premise is ridiculous and slight, and the story depends on a thousand sub-THREE’S COMPANY coincidences just to keep moving forward, but somehow... it worked. And when it’s working, it’s hilarious. I’m curious to see what New Line’s packed onto the disc, and I’m sure my wife will end up playing this one thirty times in a week, like she does for every film she loves. It may not be a great enduring film, but it’s a nice way to ring in the New Year, especially since there’s so little on the shelves this week.
So that’s it. Like I said... not much going on right now. Still, a few gems in there, and now that we’re back on schedule, let’s see if I can keep it going for the second year of this column here at AICN. It’s going to be a big year for DVD as we see the introduction of HD-DVD and Blu-Ray to the consumer markets, and I’m dedicated to discussing all of it with you guys as it unfolds. Until then...
"Moriarty" out.
