(For previous weeks, click on the "DVD" thread icon, or use these individual links: week beginning 1/2 - 1/9 - 1/16 - 1/23 - 1/30 - 2/6 - 2/13 - 2/20 - 2/27 - 3/6 - 3/13)
Hello.
We have an astonishing *441* new DVD releases (or at least new to Amazon) starting Tuesday, 2/27/07. Only a hundred are from TEAM VIDEO. To make my life "easier," I have included IMDb links when I found them - to learn more about any individual movie (and some TV!) go ahead and click on the IMDb icon and a new window will be opened with the goods.
This week, you may also be intrigued by the Royal Rumble, a DVD all about transgendered men, a DVD which will turn your television into a (virtual) fireplace, countless films from foreign lands, countless forgotten "classics" which somebody could put out on the cheap, Blu-Ray, HD DVD, combat, love, horror, naughty bits, and getting to know your Nikon D40.
As usual, if anything sparks discussion in you, please let it out in a reply! (Don't be afraid of registering, either!) Also feel free to tell everyone if you see a tremendous movie which I have somehow overlooked - or, even worse, brushed off with some kind of "clever" smartass remark
In addition, if you'd like to show off and let us know that you've seen any of these - the more obscure and foreign, the more impressive....to somebody, probably - please fire away!
Hovering over the titles makes magic happen!
I've moved the movies down a bit, just for grins - if you get confused, just remember - skip to the next line if it looks like you're getting bored by the group in the current section. I know it's long and disorganized - but try looking at Amazon! Feel free to revisit this post many times until you've taken it all in - but hopefully before the NEXT one of these comes out in about a week! OK! OK!
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO
PICK OF THE WEEK: Super Fuzz (The W at Amazon) (Poliziotto Superpi - USA/Spain/Italy, 1980) Another movie you will remember fondly if you are a certain age and had Home Box Office during a certain time - which I am, and we did - cop gains superpowers so long as he doesn't see the colour red - catchy "Super Snooper" disco theme song - Terence Hill, Ernest Borgnine
IF YOU LIKE THAT, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Crime Busters (I Due Superpiedi Quasi Piatti - Italy 1976) Terence Hill and Bud Spencer are like the Italian (insert YOUR favourite American "buddy" male movie duo here).
JUST IN TIME TO COINCIDE WITH THE MOVIE: Reno 911! - Reno's Most Wanted (Uncensored) a "best of" compilation but without the bleeps, presumably for those who think buying the season sets is too great of an investment in this show - or people who hate bleeps, hell, I dunno
INTERNATIONAL MINISERIES: The Rector's Wife (Channel 4 miniseries, 1994) Above & Beyond (CBC miniseries, 2006) The State Within (BBC miniseries, 2006) Freeze (프리즈) Korean miniseries involves "Jung Won, a vampire who has lived for most of his 350 years of age trying to forget the love he lost..." Prayer Beads (Omoinotana) Japanese horror anthology from Masahiro Okano - 9 half-hour stories
MOVIES MOVIES MOVIES BIG MOVIE RELEASES OF THE WEEK: A couple of these were actually in the theatres as recently as November (they were also pretty big bombs) Guess which ones!
MOVIES WITH RODDY PIPER IN THEM: Honor (2006) Also has a lot of MMA guys in it, so you can probably guess it's another "Bloodsport" ripoff Honor (2006) (Fighter) - exact same thing?
MOVIES WITH ZEUS IN THEM: Asylum of the Damned (2003, aka "Hellborn") Vegas Vampires (2003, aka "Vegas Vamps") Is it just COINCIDENCE that TWO movies with Tommy "Tiny" Lister appear in the same week? YOU DECIDE!
HONG KONG MOVIE: Moment of Romance 2 (Tian Ruo You Qing Er - Hong Kong, 1992) Directed by Benny Chan My Name Is Fame (Ngor Yiu Sing Ming - Hong Kong, 2006) Warrior (Hong Kong, 2005) Animated story based on the live action Wong-fei Hung series presented by Hark Tsui Zen of Sword (Xia Nu Chuan Qi - Hong Kong, 1992) Cop Unbowed (Shi Bu Di Tou - Hong Kong, 2004)
ITALIAN HORROR: Perversion Story (Una Sull'altra - Italy, 1969) DVD + CD of Lucio Fulci's "erotic thriller" Don't Torture a Duckling (Non Si Sevizia Un Paperino - Italy, 1972) directed by Lucio Fulci Autopsy (Macchie Solari - Italy, 1975) directed by Armando Crispino - ALSO set to be a crappy USA remake in 2008 - soundtrack by Ennio Morricone! Deep Red (Profondo Rosso - Italy, 1976) directed by Dario Argento, music by GOBLIN - this would be, I think the third version of this movie my wife will buy Shock (Schock - Italy, 1977) suspense from Mario Bava City of the Living Dead (Paura Nella Citt Dei Morti Viventi - Italy, 1980) directed by Lucio Fulci Inferno (1980) (Italy, 1980) directed by Dario Argento
AND THE REST OF THE FURN FILMS: Un chant d'amour ("A Song of Love" - France, 1950) Notorious "way too gay and erotic for 1950" short - only film by Jean Genet - 2 discs feature loads of extras, interview with Genet (in his 70s), commentary by Kenneth Anger! Another Sky (UK, 1954) Depot of the Dead (Baza Ludzi Umarlych - Poland, 1959) Heat (Upal - Poland, 1964) Jess Franco's Count Dracula (Special Edition) (Nachts, Wenn Dracula Erwacht - Spain/West Germany/Italy/Liechtenstein, 1970) IMDb says it's Jesus Franco but I guess you can call him Jess - Christopher Lee is Dracula (again) Ronnie Barker - Futtock's End (UK, 1970) Dialogueless film relies on sound effects to get its comedy across Megilla 83 (Ha-Megillah '83 - Israel, 1983) Sallah: Ephraim Kishon Satire (Israel?) Emperor's Naked Army Marches on (Yuki Yukite Shingun - Japan, 1987) Elegy of the Land Pair from Alexander Sokurov - Mariya (Soviet Union, 1988) plus Last Day of a Rainy Summer (Soviet Union, 1978) Recruiter (Verbovshchik - Soviet Union, 1991) Recruiter same film, different distributor? Oedipus Mayor (Edipo Alcalde - Colombia/Spain/Mexico/Cuba, 1996) Citizen Vclav Havel Goes on Vacation (W/Book) Before he was president of the Czech Republic, he lived dangerously My Sister Maria (Meine Schwester Maria - France/Germany/Switzerland/Austria, 2002) One Missed Call Pack Slated to be a crappy US remake in 2008 - 4 disc set contains Chakushin Ari (2003) which was directed by Takashi Miike and Chakushin Ari 2 (2005) which wasn't Conejo En La Luna (Rabbit in the Moon - Mexico/UK, 2004) in Spanish with subtitles Hawaii, Oslo (Norway, 2004) Tideland (Canada/UK, 2005) directed by Terry Gilliam Synesthesia (2pc) (Gimmy Heaven - Japan, 2005) Journey to the End of the Night (Brazil/Germany/USA, 2006) Brendan Fraser, Mos Def
ST CLAIR VISION "MEGA-SETS:" To see similar releases, Click Here (stclairent.com) Femmes Fatales 10 movies on 3 discs, but good luck trying to find out what any of them ARE Classic Teenage Rebels 11 movies on 3 discs Master Ninja Collection 9 movies on 3 discs - cover promises Bruce Lee, Sonny Chiba and Jet Li - approach with skepticism Unfortunately, their website (stclairent.com) is a little light on actual DETAILS...
So You Want to Be on TV Best Buy says this DVD "features a series of tips on how a budding professional actor can gain work more easily in commercials, as well as tips on how to acquire voice-over work." No comment necessary
WTF #2 OF THE WEEK: Cracking the Code of Experience "When Adi Da Samraj was born, in New York in 1939, he was completely aware of his Divine Condition. He existed only as this Radiant State, full of Love-Bliss, and named it the "Bright". Around the age of two years, in a spontaneous gesture of Love toward those around him, he relinquished the enjoyment of the "Bright" and identified with the self-contracted state of ordinary beings. This initiated an unprecendented ordeal of relentless investigation into the Nature of Reality." It goes on...
NASCAR: 1979 Daytona 500 Marvel at the lack of in-car cameras and instant telemetry, but cheer for the fisticuffs 1993 Talladega DieHard 500 SPOILER ALERT: Ernie Irvan is awesome 1997 Daytona 500 SPOILER ALERT: Ernie Irvan DOESN'T win Jr Takes Texas 1998 Coca-Cola 300, 2000 Texas 500 - gee I wonder who wins both of them (hint: not Ernie Irvan)
Those were some of the first cartoons Disney made, before Mickey Mouse, before Oswald the Rabbit even. If you look at the cover, you'll notice a character who looks a lot like Felix the Cat (his name was Julius). That's because this was made for Winkler Pictures, which at the time distributed Felix the Cat as well. I guess the rights should still belong to NBC Universal, like Oswald's were before Disney reacquired them, but under US Copyright law at the time, it had to be renewed after 28 years (which would have been about 1952), and that wasn't done.
Originally posted by CRZTerence Hill and Bud Spencer are like the Italian (insert YOUR favourite American "buddy" male movie duo here).
Terence Hill and Bud Spencer are HUGE in Quebec (also France) Terence Hill was Lucky Luke you know. Also Nobody. (Or was Nobody Henry Fonda. Nah pretty sure it was Hill.)
Originally posted by CRZCall Northside 777, Laura, Panic in the Streets, House of Bamboo, Nightmare Alley, Street with no Name, House on 92nd Street, Somewhere in the Night, Whirlpool, Dark Corner, Kiss of Death, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Fallen Angel, The House on Telegraph Road, No Way Out, I Wake Up Screaming and House of Strangers - if you wanted 17 IMDb links here, you should be paying me to write this for you.
It is scary how many of these films that I have either heard of or seen. Well, this won't be pretty and it won't have the cute little IMDB button, but here goes...
Laura http://imdb.com/title/tt0037008/ DING! DING! DING! Your Winner. MUST-SEE film about a private detective obsessed by the woman whose murder he is investigating. Won an Oscar for Best Cinematography (Black & White). Nominated for Best Director (Otto Preminger), Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Supproting Actor (Clifton Webb)
Panic in the Streets http://imdb.com/title/tt0042832/ Richard Widmark hunts a criminal who is infected with the BUBONIC PLAGUE! Won an Oscar for Best Screenplay.
House of Bamboo http://imdb.com/title/tt0048182/ One of Sam Fuller's first great films. (The Big Red One is his most famous.) Fuller was Peckinpah before there was Peckinpah if that makes sense. If you don't know who Peckinpah was a) insert Clint Eastwood instead, b) slap yourself silly, c) go watch the Wild Bunch. A young Robert Stack is in it. Robert RYAN is the lead so you know that I have to like it.
Nightmare Alley http://imdb.com/title/tt0039661/ It's about criminal carnies and hypnotism. Not too far removed from the wrestling sleaze thread.
Street with no Name http://imdb.com/title/tt0040843/ Richard Widmark again. Hey and Ed Begley Jr.'s Dad is in it. Part of the make fictional movies that look and feel like documentaries trend.
House on 92nd Street http://imdb.com/title/tt0037795/ The FBI protects us from the Nazis who were going to steal the ATOMIC BOMB! Also very documenatary and from the time when the FBI would issue a press relaese and Hollywood would be making the film by the next Monday.
Somewhere in the Night http://imdb.com/title/tt0038965/ WW II vet returns from the war with amnesia. Finds out that his past in LA was more dangerous than the Nazis ever were. A lot of film noir is about veterans having a hard time adjusting back to life at home only shielded by the metaphor that they seem incapable of escaping the cycle of violence.
Dark Corner http://imdb.com/title/tt0038453/ LUCILLE BALL!!! in a film noir? Clifton Webb as the male lead. Henry Hathaway directs. Why have I never heard of this film?
Kiss of Death http://imdb.com/title/tt0039536/ I'm actually kind of fond of the Nicholas Cage/David Caruso remake. Cage playing the weight-lifting criminal who suffers from asthma makes his psycho truly a three dimensional character. But the original. Man! RICHARD WIDMARK is THE MAN as the stone cold - I don't need a reason to be a vicious psycho - I'm just a wild animal - killer of killers. Henry Hathaway directs.
Where the Sidewalk Ends http://imdb.com/title/tt0043132/ The creative team of Laura tackles a story about police brutality and murder.
Fallen Angel http://imdb.com/title/tt0037691/ The fourth and least of the Otto Preminger films on this list. Otto's worst movie is still pretty damn good. Dana Andrews and Otto are kinda like Hitchcock and Stewart.
The House on Telegraph Road http://imdb.com/title/tt0043660/ Female Concentration Camp survivor lies to get into America. Sort of the distaff variation on the WWII vet comes home from the war only to find that he can't escape the violence inherent in the system. Robert Wise directs. Wise is one of those guys that you have probably sort of heard of and then you check the list of films that he did and go HOLY CRAP! at the variation and the quality. I mean the same guy did The West Side Story, The Sound of Music, freaking Andromeda Strain, the first Star Trek, Run Silent, Run Deep, Audrey Rose (!), The Haunting, Curse of the Cat People, Desert Rats oh and a little film called The Day the Earth Stood Still. Now that's a freaking career and a half.
No Way Out http://imdb.com/title/tt0042792/ Not related to the Kevin Costner film. That is a remake of the Big Clock. This is Sidney Poitier's debut. Richard Widmark(!) is a racist criminal who objects to Poitier saving his life.
I Wake Up Screaming http://imdb.com/title/tt0033740/ This would be one of those fims that I sort of know of without really knowing anything about it. Great title. BETTY GRABLE! OK, not as out there as Lucille Ball in a film noir but still odd. Film Noir women tend to be a little trampier and less innocent than Betty Grable and Lucille Ball. I was going to say "dirtier" but we know that Lucille Ball had no problem getty dirty. It was always good clean dirt though.
House of Strangers http://imdb.com/title/tt0041487/ EDWARD G. ROBINSON! The third Joseph L. Mankiewicz film on this list. His career isn't quite as varied as Robert Wise's but close: Guys and Dolls, Cleopatra, The Quiet American, Sleuth (!), The Barefoot Contessa, All About Eve (!!), oh and the real weird one of the bunch, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Oh the film is kinda like a Greek tragedy done as a film noir. Robinson goes after his brothers after they betray their father.
Geeze, now I want to buy this set.
(edited by Llakor on 24.2.07 1240) "Don't Blame CANADA, Blame Yourselves!"
I saw SUPER FUZZ back when it first came out in theatres with my mom... she hated it.
CRZ -- Do not let your wife buy that version of DEEP RED. It is the exact same version as the Anchor Bay DVD. Blue Underground just slapped thier name on it and are rereleasing it now that they own Anchor Bay. Get her to buy DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING instead, which is a twisted like thriller and was originally called DON'T TORTURE DONALD DUCK before Walt Disney had a shitfit over it and had the title changed.
Llakor -- Richard Widmark in KISS OF DEATH was quite awesome. The scene where he shoves the wheelchair bound old lady down the stairs gave me the creeps when I saw it as a little kid many years ago. The remake doesn't compare in the least because David Caruso was seemingly sleeping through the whole film.
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Filmation's Ghostbusters was cool because they had a gorilla!
Yeah, I didn't mention the wheelchair thing because if you haven't seen the movie it seems like such a shocking violation if you don't know that it is coming. The movie is like sixty years old and still has the power to shock.
Caruso ALWAYS looks like he is sleep-walking through his roles. I think that that's why he works better on TV than on film. He's no Pacino.
I did say i was fond of Kiss of Death. It's a bit of a tepid word, well-chosen. I probably should have added the word "perversely". It's worh seeing for Cage whose violence and obsession to working out is all linked to his asthma. And Caruso's one moment of brilliance in the film is when he realizes this and uses Cage's asthma against him.
Original is better though.
Originally posted by CRZSynesthesia (2pc) (Gimmy Heaven - Japan, 2005)
Ooo! Ooo! I've seen this! Actually Stranger Than Fiction too (which I would urge you to see/buy.) Synesthesia, on the other hand, I would say "Interesting but AVOID" In fact I even wrote about it this on this very site:
(Along with a bunch of other reviews. The thread is called Part One, because I wrote half and then went back in and edited in the other half but couldn't change the title thread.)
For the lazy, I'll c&p the relevant bits:
Originally posted by Llakor16. Synesthesia (2005, Japan, director Toru Matsuura) A deeply flawed movie with a fine visual imagination and an intriguing premise that wastes its potential in over-long exposition and self-indulgent editing. There is an entire sub-plot built around a quirky female detective that could have been left on the cutting room floor without affecting the film at all and greatly improving its pace.
Its a shame because being a fan of Alan Moores Top 10, I was curious to see how someone else tackled the idea of synesthesia, the idea of someone whose senses are garbled so he/she sees what others hear, tastes what others feel, smells what others see, etc.
Quoting yourself is fun!
Yes, I am easily amused. What's your point?
I have heard good things about One Missed Call, but never seen it. Been burned too many times by Miike. Tideland had the most wonderful reviews for it. Wonderful in the sense that every one had extreme opinions on it. Most critics LOATHED it, and the rest thought that it was great because it was CHALLENGING. There's a dangerous word for you. Jeff Daniels spends three quarters of the movie decomposing. And I thought playing dead was hard.
(edited by Llakor on 24.2.07 1721) "Don't Blame CANADA, Blame Yourselves!"
Originally posted by Guru ZimBlack Ass-Pirations...
Is that Black Aspirations, or Black Ass Pirates? This is one case where the cover might help.
Not that I'm buying it either way...
I'd just fucking Google it for the benefit of everyone here, but I like getting ad revenue, too, and I hate skirting the edges without a really great punch line involved. So many choices. Suffice to say the largest words on the box are "ALL ANAL" and that should be the last we have to discuss it...until the next one shows up on Amazon when nobody but you and I are looking...
(If you DO want to Google it, try "AFROCENTRIX #239")
I'm not sure why Fark is still listing our classified from last week, but if you came here wondering why we are obsessed with last week - well, we do this every week.
Ya know, if FARK is going to keep sending people to this thread, I feel duly bound to add another 147 DVDs which mysteriously showed up during the 2/27-3/2 period. I wouldn't do this normally, since it's mostly Discovery/TLC/Travel channel productions, which on its own isn't enough to warrant this reply, but...well, see if you can spot the item which I just couldn't leave out.
That's right - "2005/2006 Chicagoland Emergency Vehicle Show 2 Disc Collection"
There are actually about a half dozen things I would have made fun of during the normal course of a listing, though - why not try your hand at writing your own joke?
(The 3/6 listings are up past EIGHT HUNDRED. I'm off to check those RIGHT NOW)
We are Back! All of us. And I do mean all of us as we get to see what almost every character who ever existed has been up. We start with the best scene of the entire show. Walder Frey?!!! having a family dinner for all the Freys.
Thread rated: 7.42
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