Hey folks, Harry here with the latest DVD column, a day late – due to massive shitting and vomiting attacks. That’s right, I’ve been dying the last couple of days, yesterday, so weak, I barely spent time either not in bed or on the toilet – watch out folks, this thing is a trending topic on twitter and if it hits you, it is seven fists in the gut. So drink lots of water and cement to plug your butt up. Or else you’ll be nicknamed THE FUNNEL for life. This week has some pretty great releases – so let’s get to it. Remember the images and titles link to Amazon, where you can learn more about the title in question – and if you feel so motivated, you can purchase it, which helps keep this column going. So thanks for that – and have fun with the flicks!
Tuesday, October 19th, 2010
PREDATORS
I like PREDATORS. I do. My major complaint was that I felt it was missing a third act that ramped it up a notch for the summer season that it was released in. But for the budget and scope of the story that the film focused upon, it was a damn fine flick. Very much exactly the tone and look that a PREDATOR movie should be. Hopefully, the film succeeded enough for Fox to finance the next scale up PREDATORS flick. This is a good solid relaunch. Here’s the extras:
Commentary by Robert Rodriguez and Nimród Antal
Motion Comics
Moments of Extraction
Crucified
Evolution of the Species: Predators Reborn
The Chosen
Fox Movie Channel presents Making a Scene
Deleted and Extended Scenes
Theatrical Trailer
APOCALYPSE NOW (Three-Disc Full Disclosure BluRay)
Everybody! Gather around. This is how to release a classic on Blu Ray. The 1st Blu-Ray disc has both the 1979 cut and APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX in full 2:35:1 for the first time on home video in 1080p. And that is reason enough to buy the set. APOCALYPSE NOW is one of THE movies. The kind of film that creates so many legendary actions – that people make movies about what went down in the making of the film. Someday, someone will attempt to make a feature narrative film about the production of APOCALYPSE NOW – and it will either be a work of genius or an epic creative failure – but it will happen. Because the story of this film is bigger than just Conrad’s book. It ties up names like George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, John Milius, Marlon Brando – the Vietnam War – a very real political hot-bomb at the time – and a disaster that turned to creative genius. To underline this – one of the 3 Blu-Ray discs is devoted to HEARTS OF DARKNESS – the amazing feature length Documentary which also has audio commentary from Eleanor and Francis Ford Coppola. The third Blu Ray disc is devoted to the extras. Which are legion. This will take a full day to fully enjoy. And it’ll be a good day. Here:
• Apocalypse Now - The 1979 Cut and Apocalypse Now Redux are presented for the first time in Hi-Def!
• New 1080p transfers supervised by Francis Ford Coppola - first time ever in original theatrical aspect ratio (2.35:1) in home entertainment release!
• Exclusive to Full Disclosure edition: Hearts of Darkness, the feature-length making-of documentary with optional audio commentary from Eleanor and Francis Ford Coppola
• Exclusive to Full Disclosure edition: 48-page printed collectible booklet with letter from Francis Ford Coppola, never-before-seen archives from the set, behind-the-scenes photos and more!
• Exclusive to Full Disclosure edition: 52-page John Milius script excerpt (onscreen) with handwritten notes from Francis Ford Coppola
• Exclusive to Full Disclosure edition: Storyboard Gallery
• Exclusive to Full Disclosure edition: Marketing Archives
• New "A Conversation with Martin Sheen" interview by Francis Ford Coppola
• New "An Interview with John Milius" by Francis Ford Coppola
• Never-before-included Complete 2001 Cannes Film Festival: Francis Ford Coppola interview by Roger Ebert
• Audio Commentary by Francis Ford Coppola
• Monkey Sampan "lost scene"
• Additional Scenes
• "Destruction of the Kurtz Compound" - with audio commentary by Francis Ford Coppola
• "Heart of Darkness" - 1938 Mercury Theatre audio recording with Orson Welles
• "The Hollow Men" - video of Marlon Brando reading T.S. Eliot's poem
• "The Birth of 5.1 Sound" featurette
• "Ghost Helicopter Flyover" sound effects demonstration
• "A Million Feet of Film: The Editing of Apocalypse Now" featurette
• "The Music of Apocalypse Now" featurette
• "The Synthesizer Soundtrack" article by Bob Moog
• "Heard Any Good Movies Lately? The Sound Design of Apocalypse Now" featurette
• "The Final Mix" featurette
• "Apocalypse Then and Now" featurette
• "PBR Street gang" interviews with the boat crew actors
• "The Color Palette of Apocalypse Now" featurette
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (Blu Ray)
I know I have to be getting old, because I remember seeing THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW upon its initial run. Which has continually, since its initial release has continued to play here in Austin. And this is being promoted as being the 35th Anniversary Release. Yeah. I’m getting Old. I also made the pilgrimage to New York for the Broadway show, but I’ve never been part of the cult of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. I love the songs, but I’ve never felt the communal need to take part in one of those crazed fevered ROCKY HORROR screenings. I think I’ve always felt like… Maybe I wouldn’t quite belong. What if it wasn’t the dream. Maybe I’m just not cool enough. So, I’m a closeted Rocky Horror virgin, who saw it on initial release, but never with the act. Except on Broadway. Now that I have the Blu-Ray – which has the full Vintage Callback Track, Rocky Oke… well it’s a fine fine release. Maybe I’ll stay up late, boning up on my rehearsal… and one day, when I feel I confidently won’t be a lost idiot.
Here’s the details:
* Restored Picture - Brand New 4K/2K Master From The Original Camera Negatives
* The Midnight Experience: The Late Night, Double Feature, Picture-in-Picture Show, Vintage Callback Track (Unrated), Prop Box, Trivia Track
* BD-LIVE: Live Lookup, Powered by IMDb
* Rocky-oke: Sing It!
* Don't Dream It, Be It: The Search for the 35th Anniversary Shadowcast, Part I
* An-tic-i-pation: The Search for the 35th Anniversary Shadowcast, Part II
* Mick Rock (A Photographer)
* Mick Rock's Picture Show (A Gallery)
* Pressbook and Poster Gallery
PSYCHO (Blu Ray)
PSYCHO is absolutely a great film. One of the great Hitchcock films, in terms of influence – PSYCHO could very well be THE most important and influential of all of Hitchcock’s films. It just isn’t one of my personal favorites of Hitch’s. I know that seems incredibly odd. For years I had the Bates Motel neon in my bedroom. My keychain was a Bates Motel keychain. I love Mother, Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, the House, the iconography, the shower scene, Bernard Herrmann’s score, the physical editing of the film, the original screenplay – but I just prefer the other types of films that Hitchcock made. The slasher psycho killer genre, while it can be fun, has never really been my fetish of choice. Ah hell, who am I fooling, I love PSYCHO. Just watching this BluRay – watching ol Norman Bates lower that brow and watch as you see Mother peak through – chills. You know what always kept me from loving this film – the full screen transfer. That’s how I saw the film for the majority of my life. Because Hitch used his Television team – if felt less sweeping like the other Hitchcock films. Now that I watch it at home, in the crispness that this 1080p transfer gave me. I love it. Here’s what you get:
The Making of Psycho
Psycho Sound
In The Master's Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy
Hitchcock / Truffaut Interview Excerpts
Newsreel Footage: The Release of Psycho
The Shower Scene: With and Without Music
The Shower Scene: Storyboards by Saul Bass
The Psycho Archives
Lobby Cards
Behind-the-Scenes Photographs
Production Photographs
Theatrical Trailer
Re-release Trailers
My Scenes
Feature Commentary with Stephen Rebello (author of "Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho")
BD Live
THE BIONIC WOMAN: SEASON ONE
I was so happy when this came, and I only became happier when I put the first disc in and hit play. It doesn’t technically start with Season 1 Episode 1 of THE BIONIC WOMAN show. Instead, it starts with THE BIONIC MAN episodes that introduced us to Jamie Sommers. Then transitions into THE BIONIC WOMAN television series. For me it was such a delight to just watch the story of Jamie Sommers play out. Lindsay Wagner was so good in this. Just likable as hell. She seemed strong, yet lovely. That perfect balance for the character. So dig in and enjoy – you can ponder all the awesome bionic advantages to being with THE BIONIC WOMAN!
MOULIN ROUGE! (Blu)
I was at Cannes when MOULIN ROUGE! Premiered, without a ticket. I was watching something else that night – can’t remember what now, but I wanted MOULIN ROUGE! This is easily my favorite Baz Luhrmann film – Yoko and I watch our old DVD quite often, as we’re the sort of dorks that love singing along to the film – but I have to say, that DVD is one of the worst up-converting DVDs I’ve seen in my collection. Most things seem to convert better, but that disc just blew. I think it comes down to just how filled with detail every image of MOULIN ROUGE! Is… but this 1080p Blu Ray just dazzles. To call it a sparkling diamond would be redundant. This and ROMEO + JULIET coming to BluRay on the same day makes it a day worth celebrating – now where’s STRICTLY BALLROOM?
SEVEN SAMURAI (Criterion Blu)
Really, what is there to say? It is a Criterion Blu Ray of SEVEN SAMURAI. You’d practically shoot your mother for it. It is, what it is supposed to be. A great great release of a great great film. It is Kurosawa teaching the world how to make a great western, a great CGI Family film… ya know, basically schooling the future on a simple structure, with note perfect characters, a dire situation and a brilliant gambit. This is SEVEN SAMURAI – there are films like it, but none better. I love MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, but not like SEVEN SAMURAI. There’s something primal about this film. It’s carved like the 10 COMMANDMENTS in my mind. My father’s father took him to see it, and he took me. One day I’ll show my kids. And so it shall be for as long as such things are done, because SEVEN SAMURAI is eternal.
Here’s what the good team at Criterion have for ya:
Restored, high-definition digital transfer
Audio commentaries by film scholars
Audio commentary by Japanese film expert Michael Jeck
Fifty-minute documentary on the making of Seven Samurai
My Life in Cinema, a two-hour video conversation with Oshima and Kurosawa
"Seven Samurai": Origins and Influences, a documentary
Theatrical trailers and teaser
Gallery of rare posters and behind-the-scenes and production stills
PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by Kenneth Turan, Peter Cowie
And it all rocks!
AGORA
Here’s a film that I’m not real sure how I missed in a theater, but apparently I did. Think god for Home Video – I wish this hit on BluRay though. Here’s a historical epic by Alejandro Amenabar starring Rachel Weisz as an astronomer in ancient Alexandria who tried to preserve the wisdom of the Ancient World that was stored there. It isn’t quite THE TRAIN, but it does play along the same lines. If you think about it. Abstractly. Well, not that abstractly. I think this film should have garnered a bit more attention than it got. Check it out.
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (Ultimate Edition Blu)
The documentary series that are a part of these ULTIMATE EDITIONS really are outstanding. The transfer on the film seems like it’s just as good as on the regular Blu-Ray – so really, you’re paying the $33.99 for that documentary – unless you don’t have it on Blu Ray yet, which I suppose is possible, but I have to say – if you’re gonna own any of the Harry Potter films, you simply must own HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN… For me, it is the perfect mix of the fun times at Hogwarts with the dire dreaded doomy sensation that the latter films have. Since then, it has all been rather continually intense. So life threatening and spooky as to be an unfun fantasy to a degree. But here… here it’s all good. The most hopeful and uplifting of the series. Also, simply the best directed of the run. The leads have never been more honestly kid like. That… and God, I love Gary Oldman in this film. He’s just amazing. Absolutely amazing. I love how intense he is in pursuing what he is after… but that turn with Harry, wonderful. Just wonderful. I’m really looking forward to these last two films. But I’m resolved to believe this will be the best film of the series. But who knows what may come. The ULTIMATE Editions continue to impress. Here’s what is on that extra BluRay and filling the box:
DISC 1:
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
DISC 2:
Creating the World of Harry Potter Part 3: Magical Creatures
Tour Nick Dudman’s Creature Shop
An Interview in Spanish with Alfonso Cuarón
3 Vintage TV Specials: The Magic Touch of Harry Potter; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Something Wicked This Way Comes; The Making of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
DISC 3:
Additional Scenes
Creating the Vision: Interview with J.K. Rowling and the Filmmakers
Conjuring a Scene: Creating Buckbeak and the Dementors for the Screen
Johnny Vaughan and the Shrunken Head Lead Raucous Interviews with the Cast
Self-Guided Tours of Honeydukes and Professor Lupin’s Classroom
Meet the Animal Trainers in Care of Magical Creatures
3 Challenges: Test Your Memory with Magic You May Have Missed, Help Crookshanks Catch Scabbers, and Go on an Unexpected Quest with Sir Cadogan
COLLECTIBLES:
48-Page Creatures Photo Book with rare images from years 1-7
Year 3 lenticular card
Two in a series of character cards: Hermione Granger & Sirius Black
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (Ultimate Edition Blu)
I like GOBLET OF FIRE an awful lot. Mainly because of that amazing scene with the glittery vamp, Potter & the rebirth of Voldemort. That sequence is so good. So bleeding good. That it carries the rest of the film. Not that I didn’t love the visiting schools, the mermaid competition, the dragon challenge and all. It was just all kinds of good. As an Ultimate Edition it continues its exhaustive documentary look at everything you could possibly want to know about the making of and behind the scenes of this series. And this really truly is a remarkable series.
DISC 1:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with In-Movie Experience: Join members of the cast as they share memorable moments, personal perspectives and fun facts while watching the movie
BD Live
DISC 2:
Creating the World of Harry Potter Part 4: Sound and Music
5 Vintage TV Specials: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Behind the Magic; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Dark Matters, New Masters; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Some Animal Magic; Inside Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
DISC 3:
Preparing for the Yule Ball
Conversations with the Cast
Reflections on the Fourth Film
Triwizard Tournament: Dragon Arena - Harry vs. the Horntail: The First Task; Meet the Champions
Triwizard Tournament: Lake - In Too Deep: The Second Task
Triwizard Tournament: Maze - Maze Challenge; To the Graveyard and Back Challenge; The Maze: The Third Task; He Who Must Not Be Named
COLLECTIBLES:
44-Page Sound & Music Photo Book with rare images from years 1-7
Year 4 lenticular card
Two in a series of character cards: Ronald Weasley & Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody
ROMEO + JULIET (Blu)
This was one of those films from the birth year of AICN, 1996. I gushed like a madman for it. It was because of this film, that we got so excited by Leo’s casting in TITANIC – I remember my teenage sister going GAGA in love with DiCaprio in this. 14 years later, little has changed. ROMEO + JULIET is still amazing. Claire Danes is still magic. John Leguizamo is still awesome. And the whole film dances with the mind. I’ve been sick so I haven’t seen this BluRay yet, but if it is as great as the MOULIN ROUGE! – it’ll really be something. Probably picking it up tomorrow.
TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE: FINAL SEASON
The last season of the incredibly fun horror television anthology, TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE. That’s over 7 hours of creepy fun. I tuned in religiously to these while living on that ranch in North Texas. Out in the middle of nowhere, I can remember being terrified by some of these. Silly scared. You know that feeling? It is no wonder – with stories by Harlan Ellison, Stephen King, Clive Barker and more. Now that I’m significantly older than the silly teenage curled up with a blanket in a leather recliner 3 miles to the nearest person… 30 miles from the nearest cop – alone in the dead of night… these things aired at 3am beaming out of Wichita Falls. And as an adult I have to say – they’re pretty damn scary! And now I have them all. And so can you.
THE PSYCHO LEGACY
You know – I wishy wash a bit on PSYCHO above – but there’s something that I think is even greater… and that’s my crazy love and affection for PSYCHO 2 – the crazy mad bit of awesome from Richard Franklin – where Norman Bates is just absolutely amazing. But this Documentary explores the entire PSYCHO series and beyond that its influence on current filmmakers. It is a pretty solid piece of work – another great release from The Shout Factory!
PEE-WEE’S PLAYHOUSE – THE COMPLETE COLLECTION
If you have the 5 seasons & the Christmas Special – there’s no reason to pick this up, there’s nothing new. However, if you’ve been waiting for a complete set – here ya go. All the insanity that your favorite host of your favorite show could ever muster. Good stuff!
VAMPIRE GIRL VS FRANKENSTEIN GIRL (Blu Ray)
This is one of the best flicks out of Naoyuki Tomomatsu – who makes incredibly insane Japanese titillating goriffic ejaculatory cinema. If you like that, this is two squirts of lube and a box of tissue. You’ll love it.
SCOOBY’S ALL STAR LAFF-A-LYMPICS 2
I kind of have a mad obsession of LAFF-A-LYMPICS. I suppose that it equaled the cartoon equivalent of DESTROY ALL MONSTERS meets IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD meets SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS. And it occupies a very specific manic moment of childhood for me. If I ever lose little Harry, watching LAFF-A-LYMPICS brings that kid a running. A simple pleasure.
HOLY ROLLERS
If Jesse Eisenberg deserves an Academy nomination in 2010, I honestly feel it should be for HOLY ROLLERS and not THE SOCIAL NETWORK – but there’s no way that will happen. But this was an amazing “based on a true story” film about Hasidic Ecstasy Smuggling between Old Amsterdam and New. This didn’t get near the audience that a film of this quality should have garnered… Both Capone and I loved it quite a bit. So give it a look see.
THE KILLING MACHINE
I didn’t get a chance to watch the DVD of this yet, but I have to tell you – the recent films that Dolph Lundgren has directed, while being very low budget – they’re pretty damn old school awesome. I’m hearing good things about this – planning on watching it once I feel better and laughing won’t hurt or cause a bowel movement.
GIALLO
I know me telling you to not watch a new film by Dario Argento called GIALLO and starring Adrian Brody is probably not going to work out, but believe me – the dream of that combination is not the result – I’m sad to report. That’s all I have to say about that.
COLDITZ (BluRay)
All those that bow at the shrine of Tom Hardy, click now – because you’re gonna want this. Trust me, if you have a Tom Hardy fetish, this WWII Nazi Prisoner of War Camp – meets wild escape story – meets romance and more is awesome. If you don’t know that about Tom Hardy, you do now, so check it out. He’s good throughout it all.
Next week we have some more super cool treats for you, including THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, the BACK TO THE FUTURE Trilogy on Blu (outstanding discs), 2nd season of THE CLONE WARS, Fox’s amazing ALIEN ANTHOLOGY, the great under seen WINTER’S BONE, Kubrick’s PATHS OF GLORY (Criterion Blu), the astonishing HOUSE (Criterion Blu), MANIAC (Blu), Oliver Stone’s SOUTH OF THE BORDER, ROCK & RULE Blu, YOU DON’T KNOW JACK, TONIGHT, DARK STAR – The Hyper-Drive Edition, CHAPLIN at Keystone, complete SEX & THE CITY, PSYCHOMANIA, SANTA CLAUS THE MOVIE Blu, CANNIBAL GIRLS, the amazing LEGEND OF THE BLACK SCORPION, FOUR IN A JEEP, ELF (Blu Box) and more!
