| Well, awards season is over and the summer movie blowout has yet to begin. Time for some videos. But if the prospect of Nude Dudes and Topless Golf Vol. 1 and 2 doesn’t appeal, then maybe it’s time for some of these titles.
· 3 Films by Louis Malle (dir. Louis Malle, Criterion) – For four decades, Malle’s name was synonymous with brilliant French cinema. Separately or as part of this box set, Murmur of the Heart (1971), Lacombe, Lucien (1974) and Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987) are all solid viewing.
· The Best of Youth (2005, dir. Marco Tullio Giordana, Miramax) – More than six hours long, this story of two siblings spans four decades and explores the history and politics of the characters and their homeland of Italy. Well reviewed by those who saw it in two sittings at the Calgary International Film Festival.
· Bukowski: Born Into This (2002, dir. John Dullaghan, Magnolia) – Featuring interviews with Sean Penn, Tom Waits and Charles Bukowski himself, this documentary takes an in-depth look at the life of one of the literary world’s cult icons.
· Care Bears: The Gift of Caring (2006, dir. Larry Jacobs and Ron Pitts, Lions Gate): Care Bear countdown – four, three, two, one.
· The Complete Mr. Arkadin (1955, dir. Orson Welles, Criterion) – In the film, a smuggler gets swept up in Cold War espionage. Behind the scenes, Welles was kicked out of the editing room. Since no definitive version exists, Criterion cobbles together several versions including the radio and print stories and a new "comprehensive version" of the film.
· The Dark (2005, dir. John Fawcett, Sony) – A well above average ghost story starring Sean Bean and Maria Bello. More importantly, it was written by Calgary’s own Stephen Massicotte.
· Immortal (1995, dir. Walt Bost and Stephen D. White, Razor Digital Entertainment) – This little seen horror film was outshone by its soundtrack, heavy on artists from the Chapel Hill, N.C. music scene.
· Lie with Me (2005, dir. Clement Virgo, ThinkFilm): A film fest favourite, this in-depth look at intimacy and attraction earned as much press for its explicit sex scenes as it did for its honest performances.
· Little Fish (2005, dir. Roman Woods, First Look) – In her first role after winning the Oscar for The Aviator, Cate Blanchett took home an Australian Film Institute award for her turn as a recovering junkie.
· Masters of Horror Set (2005, Anchor Bay) – A TV miniseries with episodes directed by horror meisters like George Romero, Tobe Hooper and John Carpenter.
· Plymptoons: Complete Early Works of Bill Plympton (dir. Bill Plympton, New Video) – A collection of mind-blowing classic shorts by visionary animator Bill Plympton.
· Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic (2005, dir. Liam Lynch, Roadside Attraction) – Standup comedy and more from the incomparably acerbic Silverman.
· A Sound Of Thunder (2005, dir. Peter Hyams, Warner): New? It comes out March 21. Notable? It is the second-worst film of all time.
· The Warrior a.k.a Musa (2001, dir, Hooting Xiao and Shiro Sagisu, Sony Pictures): Another violent, feudal martial arts epic starring Ziyi Zhang. This one is an epic battle between the Yuan and Ming dynasties.
· Where the Truth Lies (2005, dir. Atom Egoyan, Sony Pictures) – Egoyan sparked controversy when he refused to recut this thriller after it got an NC-17 rating. This unrated DVD comes with deleted scenes and a making-of documentary. |
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