| Tired of all the Oscar hype? Forget the multiplex. There’s tons to watch at home.
· Alexander Revisited: The Final Cut (2004, dir. Oliver Stone, Warner) – Just when you thought Stone’s historical epic couldn’t get any longer, he recuts the story of Alexander to 214 minutes and spreads it out over two discs.
· The Animation Show Vol 1 & 2 (2003, Paramount) – Curated by Mike Judge and Don Hertzfeldt, this set has three hours of shorts from the world’s best animators, including Bill Plympton. Tons of bonus features, too.
· Apartment Zero (1988, dir. Martin Donovan, Anchor Bay) – Hal Hartley regular Donovan explores insanity in his directorial debut. Colin Firth stars in this story of two creepy and emotionally fractured roommates, both of whom have something to hide. This critically acclaimed indie flick from the ’90s also spawned the Apartment Zero movie trivia game.
· Brokeback Mountain: Special Two Disc Edition (2005, dir. Ang Lee, Universal) – If you still can’t quit this Oscar-nominated tale of queer cowboy love, this edition has seven documentaries to take you behind the scenes.
· The Departed: Two-Disc Special Edition (2006, dir. Martin Scorsese, Warner) – Scorsese’s thriller remake of Infernal Affairs is a gripping double-cross in its own right, but the deluxe DVD comes with three documentaries including Scorsese on Scorsese.
· Eddie Murphy Delirious (1983, dir. Bruce Gowers, Paramount) – Eddie Murphy tells stories, talks dirty and laughs all the way to the bank in his first standup concert movie. Gooney goo goo.
· Family Ties: The Complete First Season (1982, Paramount) – Go back to the beginning with the quintessential ’80s TV family, The Keatons. See where Michael J. Fox first made it big and wonder what ever happened to Tina Yothers.
· Fiddler on the Roof (1971, dir. Norman Jewison, MGM) – A Canadian director brings one of Broadway’s great musicals to the screen. In addition to the sweeping story, the film comes with a second disc loaded with docs.
· F**k (2005, dir. Steve Anderson, Thinkfilm) – This unrated doc uses celebrity pundits to explore the origins and consequences of everybody’s favourite F-word.
· Gandhi (1982, dir. Richard Attenborough, Sony) – Attenborough’s best-picture-winning biopic gets a two-disc treatment. Ben Kingsley’s transformation into Gandhi also earned an Oscar.
· Gymkata (1985, Robert Clouse, Warner) – In the canon of crazy ’80s martial arts flicks, none is more awkward than Gymkata. This Superchannel favourite combines the niche market sports of gymnastics and kung fu. Throw in a Cold War subplot and you have a perfect way to waste 90 minutes.
· Heart of the Game (2006, dir. Ward Serrill, Miramax) – Chris "Ludacris" Bridges narrates this doc about an underdog girl’s basketball team in Seattle and the unorthodox methods of its coach.
· Infernal Affairs (2002, dir. Wai Keung Lau, Siu Fai Mak, Miramax) – After you see The Departed, check out the acclaimed Hong Kong thriller on which it was based.
· Passion of the Christ: Two-Disc Definitive Edition (2004, dir. Mel Gibson, 20th Century Fox) – If Stone can re-issue Alexander, then I guess Gibson can regurgitate his biblical biopic with four commentaries, a feature-length doc and deleted scenes.
· The Protector (2005, dir. Prachya Pinkaew, Weinstein Company) – Tony Jaa’s overrated martial arts blowout about a boy and his elephant has the longest onscreen single-take brawl on record.
· The Quiet (2006, dir. Jamie Babbit, Sony) – Edie Falco and Elisha Cuthbert star in this thriller about a deaf and mute young woman who learns dark family secrets when she is sent to live with her godparents.
· Sherrybaby (2006, dir. Laurie Collyer, Universal) – Maggie Gyllenhaal gets a Golden Globe nomination for her turn as a former junkie who tries to go straight to gain custody of her child. Don’t be fooled – it’s still just a glorified indie film.
· Tideland (2006, dir. Terry Gilliam, Thinkfilm) – Gilliam delivers another hallucinogenic and moderately warped drama. This time he adapts Mitch Cullen’s cult novel about a young girl with junkie parents who retreats into an elaborate fantasy world after her mother dies.
· Trust the Man (2006, dir. Bart Freundlich, 20th Century Fox) – Freundlich directs his real-life wife Julianne Moore opposite David Duchovny in this tale of marital dispassion.
· Viva Pedro: Pedro Almodovar Classics (dir. Pedro Almodovar, Sony) – With Volver in theatres and earning Oscar nominations it’s a perfect time to check out the catalogue of Spain’s greatest cinematic export. This set includes All About My Mother (1999), Bad Education (2005), Flower of My Secret (1996), Laws of Desire (2005), Live Flesh (1998), Matador (2005), Talk to Her (2005) and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988). |
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