| As thrilling as the prospect of watching Jon Voight in Karate Dog is, I think we can do better.
· Akelah and the Bee (2006, dir. Doug Atchison, Lion’s Gate) – Who knew words would be so hot. The third spelling bee movie in as many years, this one features a breakout performance by Keke Palmer backed by Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett.
· Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier (1979, 2001, dir. Francis Ford Coppola, Paramount Home Video) – Loaded with bonus features, docs and commentaries, Coppola’s seminal war flick gets a deluxe two-disc treatment.
· Brick (2005, dir. Rian Johnson, Universal) – This Sundance hit is neo-noir for the backpack set. Joseph Gordon-Levitt tries to find out what happened to his girl while audiences try and deal with the lingo-laced dialogue. It’s not what high school is like, but rather what it feels like.
· Bring it On: All or Nothing (2006, dir. Steve Rash, Universal) – The second straight-to-video sequel to Kirsten Dunst’s campy cheerleader flick Bring It On. Given the no-name cast and re-treaded plot, there is a very good chance that it has already been broughten.
· Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Fifth Season (2005, HBO) – Watching Larry David put his foot in his mouth is the most fun you can have while being so uncomfortable. If you have never seen this groundbreaking sitcom, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
· Don’t Come Knocking (2006, dir. Wim Wenders, Sony Pictures Classics) – Sam Shepard re-teams with German auteur Wenders for the story of a movie cowboy who goes looking for the life he never had and the son he never wanted. Co-starring Jessica Lange, Tim Roth, Sarah Polley and Fairuza Balk, this is the first film in years that Wenders has shot on film.
· Double Indemnity (1944, dir. Billy Wilder, Paramount Home Video) – Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck star in the greatest noir of all time. Raymond Chandler’s script based on James M. Cain’s novel crackles with whip-smart dialogue and Edward G. Robinson steals the show in this tale of lust, adultery and murder.
· Film Geek (2005, dir. James Westby, First Run Features) – A hit at this year’s underground film fest, this flick dissects cinephilia to an almost insane degree. Recommended if you could be the title character.
· Friends With Money (2006, dir. Nicole Holofcener, Sony) – Starring Jennifer Aniston, Joan Cusak, Frances McDormand and Catherine Keener, this Sundance hit explores the life of four women dealing with their own personal crises. Perfectly acted, it’s one of the best-written films of 2006. Holofcener remains the unsung hero of American indie films.
· L’Enfant (The Child) (2005, dir. Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Sony) – After years on the festival and art-house circuit the Dardenne’s tale of petty crime and parenthood finally makes it to DVD.
· The Lost City (2006, dir. Andy Garcia, Manderlay) – Garcia’s directorial debut is a decade-long labour of love that chronicles revolutionary life in his Cuban homeland. Garcia convinced such heavyweights as Dustin Hoffman and Bill Murray to forgo their usual paycheque and work for scale.
· Manderlay (2005, dir. Lars von Trier, IFC Films) – Cinema’s enfant terrible Lars von Trier teams with rising star Bryce Dallas Howard to explore slavery and race relations in the second chapter of his American-based trilogy and sequel to Dogville.
· Pretty in Pink: Everything’s Ducky Edition (1986, dir Howard Deutch, Paramount) – This is the quintessential teen love triangle starring Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer and James Spader. Many would say essential viewing. See also Some Kind of Wonderful: Special Collector’s Edition.
· Radioland Murders (1994, dir. Mel Smith, Universal) – It seems odd to champion this less-than-average screwball mystery starring the almost forgotten Mary Stewart Masterson and Brian Benben, but back before George Lucas started fucking with the Star Wars trilogy, he was working on technology that would allow filmmakers to make a movie without actually making sets. He then went on to start shooting in digital. Without Radioland Murders, we wouldn’t have Sin City.
· Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979, dir. Jeff Margolis, HBO) – The first, and some would say best, concert film from the legendary standup comic.
· Rome: Season One (2005, HBO) – This unflinching and critically acclaimed series goes back to ancient Rome. Loaded with bonus features
· Veronica Mars: The Complete Second Season (2006, Warner Bros.) – You don’t need a female teen detective to figure out that this is one of the best-written shows on TV. Kristen Bell makes it one of the best acted, too.
· Zizek (2005, dir. Astra Taylor, Zeitgeist) – Focusing on the renowned philosopher, this documentary tracks Slavoj Zizek on a worldwide speaking tour and delves into the mind of this "academic rock star" onstage and off. |
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