Alvin and the Chipmunks * Christie's Revenge * Fiorile (Italian) * The Good Night * Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2 * The Island on Bird Street * Kaos (Italian) * Lascivious World of A.C. Stevens & Ed Wood Jr. * The Low Life * Moolaade (Senegal) * Slave Widow: Grindhouse Sexploitation Collection(Japanese) * Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street * Wakeful Nights (Japanese) * Who Killed Martin Luther King?
SPECIAL EDITIONS:
Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (Special Edition)
The Bette Davis Collection, Vol. 3: All This, And Heaven Too * Deception * The Great Life * In This Our Life * Old Maid * Watch on the Rhine
Fox Film Noir:
Black Widow * Dangerous Crossing
Warner Gangsters Collection:
Black Legion * Mayor of Hell * Picture Snatcher
NEW TELEVISION:
Father Knows Best Season 1 * How I Met Your Mother Season 1 * John from Cincinnatti Season 1 * Law and Order: SVU Season 6 * Murder She Wrote Season 8 * Tell Me You Love Me Season 1 * Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder: John, Paul, Tom, & Ringo
REPLACEMENTS, CUSTOMER REQUESTS
Assassination Tango * Bachelor Party * B.A.P.S. * The Crucible * Little Women * Seinfeld Season 7 * Mrs. Soffel * 24 Hour Party People * The Valet * Varsity Blues * Wild Things
BLU-RAY:
Black Rain * Breaker Morant * Cars * The Cowboys * Die Hard * Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room * The Lives of Others * Manchurian Candidate * March of the Penguins * Monty Python's Life of Brian * Night of the Werewolf/ Vengeance of the Zombies * Over America * Over California * Pixar Short Films * Rio Bravo * Roving Mars * Run Lola Run * Saw 4 * Twilight Zone: The Movie * We Own the Night
Finally on DVD... (when I say that, I mean here in the USA, Region 1. It seems like Europe always gets the good shit first, they have Magnificent Ambersons on DVD for god’s sake!!!).
In June, Criterion is releasing the mesmerizing, Macedonian flick Before The Rain (1994). Back when I saw it in the theaters, the younger-me declared to anyone who would listen “this director Milcho Manchevski is gonna be a major film maker! Keep your eye on him!” Needless to say, he never became major or even do many more films (strangely enough he did direct an episode of HBO's The Wire).
I’ve was taken down memory-lane as I found lots of rumors of DVDs to be released.
It’s helping me recall a life spent (wasted) at the movies, twas a simpler time, carefree and full of joy... (this will all be covered in my upcoming autobiography- Spring 2009 Random House Books).
A Criterion DVD Fan Forum Site said these are up coming certainties...
- Man, I musta been a weird kid. when I was like twelve, I saw My Dinner With Andre (Malle 1981) and I dug it, thought it was the funniest thing I ever saw (along with Foul Play). They claim a Criterion-makeover DVD is coming.
- When I saw White Dog (1982) starring Kristy McNichol and her racist mutt, at the time I didn’t realize that director Sam Fuller was such a revered (overrated) ‘auteur” (mostly by the French and Film-theory doctorate candidates). I just knew I really wanted to make-out with the object of my kiddy-crush McNichol. Oh if only.... I wish Criterion would put out a three-disc deluxe bells/whistles edition of Little Darlings.
(Hold the press, wait now I’m just realizing White Dog did get released last year on DVD, though not by Criterion. That site is a little dated. But me like rumors!)
- The site said that Bottle Rocket (1996) will joining the other Wes Anderson flicks (except that last terrible one) as Criterion titles.
- They claim that the cool little Brit thrillerThe Hit (1984) will be getting a Criterion edition, directed by Stephen Frears with a young Tim Roth and a brilliant John Hurt, this flick is worth a look (and been available on DVD for a while).
Some other possible flicks for to get the high-end treatment, they mention....
- Leading man (gulp, yikes) Brad Dourif in John Huston's adaptation of Flannery O'Connor oh-so depressing depression novel, Wise Blood(1979).
- Teenage me caught on cable and really liked the moving ‘Bowie On The River Kwai’ POW flick Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence (Oshima 1983) mostly because of it’s amazing amazing score by Ryuichi Sakamoto (The Last Emperor).
Other titles mentioned include Lars Van Trier’s first feature Zentropa (1991). Sexy as hell, Harriet Andersson is Monika and it’s her summer (Bergman 1953). Before The Conformist, Berolucci got put on the international-map with Before The Revolution (1964). Richard Burton has a runny nose as The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (Ritt 1965). And many more.
But let me move on...
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What sounds a little less rumory, I hope, being reported on Fin de Cinemaby way of DVD Drive-Inas releases from the Paramount vaults this summer...
- A bunch of never before available DVD titles including two recently talked about here on the Rocket Video Blog, you may recall the brilliant articles on King Of The Gypsies (Pierson 1978) and Baby It’s You (Sayles 1980).
Two flicks I’ve always wanted to see...
- Twelve year-old me read EL Doctorow’s novel The Book Of Daniel. Sidney Lumet shortened the film’s title, but still Daniel (1983) has never been available on DVD and the VHS tape has been out of print for some 20 years (no matter when Amazon wrongly claims the release date was). This was Timothy Hutton's follow up to his Oscar for Ordinary People (along with Taps). Twelve-year-old me declared “Tim Hutton the next Paul Newman!!”
- Mob boss Robert Ryan sends his toady played by Sid Caesar to retrieve a corpse in William Castle's The Busy Body (1967). Twelve year-old me liked the play on words of the title.
- After catching it on cable twelve-year-old me thought the slasher spoof Student Bodies (1981) was pretty dang funny. Directed by Michael Richie, who then had his name taken off it. I've been waiting years to see it again, twelve- year-old me loved the big retard Melvin or Melbert or Albert (he “pee red’).
- Twelve year-old me also enjoyed Tony Curtis as Houdini (Marshall 1953).
I fondly recall stowing away images of Janet Leigh, in her magic-show costumes and tight sweaters, into my bursting twelve-year-oldspank-bank.
- Rocket has a beat up old VHS copy of goofy overly scientific Phase IV(Bass 1974), But now finally on DVD the world can witness the electric intensity between the young Michael Murphy (of Manhattan, not The Dooby Brothers) and Nigel Davenport (according to IMDB2001’s original voice of Hal, neat-o!). Twelve-year-old me & adult me like that actress lady Lynne Frederick.
- The magical, shrill French flick, Girl On The Bridge (Leconte 1999) is one of those films people always ask why don’t you have this on DVD?
We say, it’s not available in the Region 1 DVD Format.
They respond, yes it is.
We say (in a shrill mocking voice), no it’s not. Etc.
They huff off.
- The very-young me saw Grease at the drive-in with the Henry Winkler vehicleThe One And Only. And back then, even being a big Fonzi fan, very-young me still understood that the flick was horrible. Now I’ll finally be able to reconfirm on DVD my childhood instincts.
- I remember Siskal & Eberthaving a classic argument over Ebert’s drooling attraction for the actress Kathryn Harrold in the thriller The Sender (Christian 1982).
Siskal said, “if you like her so much, ask her out, don’t recommend her terrible movie”.
You may recall her from Albert Brooks classic Modern Romance and or as Larry Sander’s first wife or on the short lived series (my mom watched it) MacGruder And Loud. Now you can see what was being stowed in a younger Ebert’s spank-bank.
Full Circle: twelve-tear-oldme saw The Sender, at the Telex Theater on Telegraph Road in Detroit as part of a double-feature with... (the aforementioned) White Dog.
A whole slew of other random titles are also mentioned.
Twelve-year-old me wants to know... Where the hell is American Hot Wax(Mutrux 1978)?
Alpha Male * Atonement * Broceliande (France) * Day Zero (2008) * Don't Drink The Water (1969) * Enchanted * Five Days * I Am Legend * Jack Ketchum's The Lost * Justice League: The New Frontier * Love in the Time of Cholera * Revolver * Rockaway * The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising * Southland Tales * Revolver * When A Man Falls
DOCUMENTARIES:
Lake of Fire * Steep * Tongues Untied
NEW BOX SETS:
After Dark Horrorfest:
Borderland * Crazy Eights * The Deaths of Ian Stone * Lake Dead * Mulberry Street * Nightmare Man * Tooth and Nail * Unearthed
Golden Age of Musicals:
Breakfast in Hollywood (1946) * The Fabulous Dorseys (1947) * Let's Sing Again (1936) * New Faces (1954) * Rhythm Parade (1942) * Something to Sing About (1937) * Swing Parade of 1946 (1946) * Trocadero (1944) * Youth on Parade (1942)
Shemp Cocktail: A Toast To The Original Stooge (2 disc)
Includes: Henry the Ache (with Bert Lahr), Knife of the Party, Convention Girl, Private Buckaroo, Africa Screams (1949) (Abbott & Costello classic, includes out-takes), The Brideless Groom, Sing a Song of Six Pants, Malice in the Palace, Camel Comedy Caravan (1950) – A rare, live kinescope with The 3 Stooges and Ed Wynn, Remembering Shemp (documentary)
CRITERION:
Antonio Goudi * The Ice Storm * Mafioso * Miss Julie
TELEVISION:
Battlestar Galactica, Season 3 * Best of Bozo, Volume 1 * The Bronx is Burning * McHale's Navy, Season 3 * Route 66, Season 1, Volume 2 * Tin Man * Untouchables, Season 2, Volume 1 * Wild Wild West, Season 4
NEW ARRIVALS, REPLACEMENTS, CUSTOMER REQUESTS:
Alexander * All That Jazz * Basquiat * The Big Chill * Cellular * Cutting Edge: Magic of Movie Editing * District B13 * Door In The Floor * Guys And Dolls * Hard Rain * Infernal Affairs * Postcards from the Edge * Shine * Spirited Away * Star Trek III: The Search for Spock * Terror's Advocate * 13th Warrior * Three Amigos * Tricheurs * Vertigo
* I was reading a pretty good article by James Christopher in The Times Of London (or is it the London Times?).
Rec and The Orphanage: a frightful new future for horror
The glory days of Blair Witch and The Exorcist are behind us. Who can save the horror film, asks our chief film critic
He talks about how horror flicks have peaked and running out of ideas and in Britain (and the US) horror fans may be reaching out to other countries for fresh thrills (dah). He talks about two Spanish flicks, the high quality The Orphanage which opened here earlier this year to strong reviews.
He then mentions...
“and a reality TV thriller, Rec - emphasises just how parched the English-speaking market has become for good horror.... The footage shot by her camera crew sustains the illusion of spontaneity. The jump moments will make you scream. The premise is a crude copy of Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later - but the echoes of the Franco days cut to the bone.”
I was like huh, what's this? So I started looking into it it actually seems to go by the title [Rec] (with the brackets)
But on the film's web site they have a full on trailer that looks very intense, very effective.
Even though some critics including Variety gave it a panning, I’m still gonna keep an eye out for it.
And I now see that of course... there is an American remake in the works already called Quarantine. Which is directed by some dude John Erick Dowdle, who directed the fake horror documentary The Poughkeepsie Tapes, Which I saw previews for in the theater last year, but I don’t see any listed release dates for it. It looked like it coulda been interesting or it coulda easily been lame lame (though I noticed the great singer/actor Chip Goodwin is acting in it).
* I like a couple of the fake docs horror flicks. Many hated it, but Blair Witch Project shook me up when I saw it (twice).
AndRocket Video has a copy of the lost BBC Tv SpecialGhostwatch which aired on Halloween 1992 in England and has never officially been released on DVD here, It creeped me out, loved it. After you watch it, you’ll find it fascinating to go read about afterwards.
* Speaking of remakes, I may be late but this seemed so odd to me.
Vast Wasteland’sDepartment of Fine Cinema has an interesting article about Leonardo DiCaprio plans to star in a remake of Katsuhiro Ôtomo post-apocalyptic anime epic Akira.
Very strange, indeed. I’ll be curious to see how this flick’s development plays out.
* In other remake news, Rocket Video’s Newsroom reported last week about Platinum Dickheads plans to remake the brilliant Rosemary’s Baby.
At Sense Of Cinema, Pedro Blas Gonzalez has an interesting new academic article on Polanski’s horror masterpiece.
* Over at the Independent film Channel’s blog Matt Singers has a hilarious two part article-
Those Damn Dirty Apes: Our Guide to 40 Years of "Planet of the Apes"
* Back to the Brit newspapers, writing for the Guardian thefantastic writerDavid Thomson give an overview of the studio created by Hollywood’s biggest stars in 1919 in his piece....
Dream factory
Nearly 90 years ago, Hollywood's top talent set up United Artists in a bid to escape interference and exert artistic control.
* In another piece Thompson adds another name to hisBiographical Dictionary of Film at number 32 is the vastly underrated Jennifer Jason Leigh. I think had her performance in Margot At The Wedding gotten a Best Supporting actress Oscar nomination this pass year, hence the film would of been seen by more people and she might of won (she would of deserved it).
* And in another entertaining piece of writing, this time for Sight And Sound,Thomson writes a pure candy read:
The Killer Inside
Bertolucci's The Conformist prefigured The Godfather in giving us a central character without compassion.
It's a cinema that refuses to please....
* Also at Sight And Sound, Tim Lucas the big cheese at my beloved Videowatchdog, reviews Criterion’s latest important wonder-disc
The Naked Prey may not be politically correct, but it's a key piece of independent US film-making
Some call it Indiewood, some the Frat Pack: a prolific American generation of comedians and wry auteurs.
The great wave of Indiewood cinema broke over the UK in just a few months, with Wes Anderson's Rushmore and Alexander Payne's Election arriving in late summer 1999, David Fincher's Fight Club that autumn, and David O. Russell's Three Kings, Spike Jonze's Being John Malkovich and Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia following in early 2000. Since then a slew of articles and books such as Sharon Waxman's Rebels on the Backlot, James Mottram's The Sundance Kids and Peter Biskind's Down and Dirty Pictures have recounted the moment when these mavericks "took back Hollywood".
* Speaking of the Apocalypse, a nutty religious flick that argues against Darwinism has bit it’s panties in a wad because a film critic dared to question it.
* And finally also in the Times, it’s time to start getting all giddy about this summer’s Dark Knight flick David Halfinger leads the way with a overview.
*A shout out: most of the articles I read, I usually learn about at the best film blog out there, Greencine Blog
We post things here on topics ranging from store events, to reviews of films written by our staff, to any number of random things we think you ought to know - film related or otherwise.
