| Well, the TV season has drawn to a close and some of us couch potatoes don’t feel like going outside to enjoy the sun. Thank goodness for us, there’s actually some stuff worth watching. And then there’s Alf.
· Alf: Season 3 (1988, Lion’s Gate) – It’s short for alien life form. I kill me. More than 600 minutes of talking puppets. Wow.
·Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970, dir. Russ Meyer, 20th Century Fox) – A deluxe reissue of this classic from the king of softcore porn. Notable for its X- rating and the fact that film critic Roger Ebert co-wrote the script.
· Billy Connolly: Live in New York (2005, Rykodisc) – Tired of all your friends impersonating standup from this incomparable Scottish comic. Why not check out the real thing?
· BloodRayne (2006, dir. Uwe Boll, Visual Entertainment) – Boll makes another film based on a video game. This one has vampires and Ben Kingsley. Cinephiles all over the world wonder how he still has a career.
· The Cecil B. De Mille Collection (dir. Cecil B. De Mille, Universal) – This box set from a master of Hollywood’s golden era includes Sign of the Cross, Four Frightened People, Cleopatra, The Crusades and Union Pacific.
· Dazed and Confused (1993, dir. Richard Linklater, Criterion) – Linklater’s sophomore effort isn’t just a great ensemble comedy about teen life in the ’70s, it launched the careers of Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, Milla Jovovich and Parker Posey,
· Enemy of the State (1998, dir. Tony Scott, Touchstone) – The fact that this surveillance thriller starring Gene Hackman and Will Smith still stands up isn’t nearly as surprising as the fact that high-octane producer Jerry Bruckheimer is also re-issuing Con Air and Crimson Tide. All of them are unrated director’s cuts.
· Facts of Life: Season 1 & 2 (1979, Sony) – Private school headmistress Mrs. G works hard to keep Jo, Blair, Natalie and Tootie in line. Keep an eye out for Molly Ringwald in the early episodes.
· Funny Games (1998, dir. Michael Heneke, Kino) – Heneke has developed a cult reputation as a master of misanthropic cinema. All his works are being issued on DVD including Benny’s Video, Seventh Continent and 71 Fragments of a Chronology.
· Harlan County U.S.A. (1976, dir. Barbara Kopple, Criterion) – This classic documentary about a Kentucky miners’ strike was inducted into the Library of Congress in the ’90s.
· Kingdom Of Heaven: Four-Disc Director’s Cut (2005, dir. Ridley Scott, 20th Century Fox) – And you thought the theatrical cut was long. Scott’s Crusades epic now spans two discs and features hours of bonus features including commentaries and documentaries.
· Late Spring (1949, dir. Yasujiro Ozu, Criterion) – A widower marries off his only daughter. Ozu’s formalist style paints a vivid picture of post-war Japan.
· Napoleon Dynamite: Like the Best Special Edition Ever (2004, dir. Jared Hess, 20th Century Fox) – Can’t wait for Nacho Libre? Revisit Hess’s quotable classic about a geek with hot moves and his pal Pedro. Features commentary, deleted scenes, outtakes and more.
· POPaganda: The Art and Crimes of Ron English (2004, dir. Pedro Carvajal, Cinema Libre) – This film fest fave follows confrontational artist English as he hijacks corporate advertising with varying degrees of success.
· The Syrian Bride (2004, dir. Eran Riklis, Koch) – This award-winner explores cultural tensions in the wake of an arranged marriage.
· These Girls (2005, dir. John Hazlett, Allumination Film Works) – Former Calgary boy Hazlett rounds up a cast that includes David Boreanaz and Caroline Dhavernas for this adaptation of Vivienne Laxdal’s play.
· Viridiana (1961, dir. Luis Buñuel, Criterion) – Buñuel’s films are always curious, but this tale of purity and vice was banned in Spain and denounced by the Vatican. It also won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1961.
· What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962, dir. Robert Aldrich, Warner) – This classic battle of the wills starring Joan Crawford and Bette Davis is as chilling today as when it was made. They don’t make rivalries like this anymore (onscreen or off). This special edition is loaded with commentary tracks and documentary featurettes. |
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