Hey folks, Harry here with this week’s DVD PICKS AND PEEKS. Some interesting films here – Especially the 3 Criterion Children’s films – which I can’t recommend enough – and of course the exact opposite – THE BEAST FROM SPACE. But there’s more… As usual you can click on any of the box art or titles and be taken to Amazon where you can choose to purchase or learn more about the title in question. If you do purchase – a small percentage of the price will go to continue this column – which I hope you good folks enjoy. Well, enough from me, here ya go…

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

THE GOLDEN COMPASS

I really did enjoy this film – it’s a very pretty movie – and I prefer it to THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE – not the story, but the execution. I love the look of the universe – and Sir Ian’s Polar Bear just rocks hard. I also love how completely realized the universe they created here was done. That said – it’s sad that we’ll never see the rest of the series… most likely. This was a very strong film with a pretty weak ending. This is a gorgeous disc.

THE RED BALLOON (Criterion Collection)

One of the truly beautiful art films… for children. The film is about a boy and a sentient red balloon in the streets of Paris – and though the film has no dialogue – it is captivating for every second. There’s no need to have dialogue – everyone knows the joys of having a balloon and not having a balloon – and to own a magic sentient balloon… what inflated bliss that must be. One of the great great children films – that will captivate the youth in anyone… no matter their age or supposed maturity. Criterion and Janus have done an amazing job bringing this film out!

THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY

The biggest problem that MIRAMAX had this past year was they had too many wonderful films under their banner. You had the films they did with Paramount Vantage – and then there were films like THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY – which is easily amongst the highest regarded films of 2007. Having had a period of my life where I was partially paralyzed – the power of imagination and a desire to not merely accept one’s fate… I completely understand. I created AICN during my bout – and Julian Schnabel… who created one of my favorite films from a few years back, BASQUIAT, he has again created an amazing film about the human existence. Brilliant film. Fantastic story. Seek this out!

THE ADVENTURES OF YOUNG INDIANA JONES, VOLUME THREE – THE YEARS OF CHANGE

Well – I don’t know if you’ve caught INDY fever yet, but I’m very much getting caught up with it – It doesn’t help that I’ve now seen in the last year… every single episode of the YOUNG INDY and the original trilogy of films. I love this series – and Sean Patrick Flanery is wonderful as Young Indy. This series is huge. Besides – the historical nature of it… I love. In particular the Ben Hecht and the Jazz episodes are so much fun. And the final chapter set within the world of classic Hollywood… what a joy! If you have the first two sets – how could you not get this set?

THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

I’m so Anthony Mann’s bitch. He has me. I love his films. I love his work on EL CID, THE MAN FROM LARAMIE, STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND, THE GLENN MILLER STORY, NAKED SPUR, WINCHESTER ’73, SIDE STREET – and then all those black & white crime films and noirs. Mann was a director that came from “B” movies to create great epics. Including EL CID, my favorite epic. FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE is gigantic – the cast… forget about it… Alec Guinness, James Mason, Christopher Plummer, Omar Sharif, Sophia Loren, Stephen Boyd, Anthony Quayle, John Ireland and on and on and on…. When you hear people say… “They don’t make em like that anymore” – this is one of the films they may very well be mentioning!

WHITE MANE (Criterion Collection)

A story of a young French boy and a wild white stallion – that he manages to befriend and break – and the tale of how they’re both trying to escape the influence and threat of man. By the same director of THE RED BALLOON and equally satisfying. Criterion and Janus has done a remarkable job of rediscovering and offering this film to us DVD lovers. Wonderful film.

SALUDOS AMIGOS / THREE CABALLEROS

Sadly this DVD does not contain the rare Disney animation/live-action test film shot at a Donkey Show – that my father saw in San Diego’s Comic Con back in the mid-seventies… heh… not that we’re ever likely to see that test film that came from the initial tests that Walt financed… and is now merely a legend – till it resurfaces, if ever. I love these two films – as a child I traveled with my parents throughout Central and South America – so these cartoons were seen and beloved in my household. They’re not really narrative features, but compilation features loosely tied via live action and animated sequences. It actually resulted in some of the wildest and trippiest animation that Disney ever did. So – if you don’t know anything about Jose Carioca and Panchito… and if you love Donald Duck – who gets a case of Latin fever… well you must discover these films. They were created to help endear us Norte Americanos to our Southern friends at the behest of the U.S. Government. Pretty cool! Can you imagine our government asking Disney to make an animated film to help relations with our Middle Eastern situation – to be a peace offering? Can you imagine? I sincerely can’t.

KING CORN

A documentary that will scare the corn out of your shit! It is pretty much the opposite of the below Government Pro-Corn propaganda. There’s an evil to corn – and especially what has become of corn via genetic mutations and pesticides. I highly recommend the above documentary – as well as looking at the below “History of Corn” – it’s fascinating and informative. And they’re not nearly as corny as me.

PADDLE TO THE SEA (Criterion Collection)

This is a stunning, stunning short film. I know it might seem pricey for something that runs just 28 minutes – but folks – if you love art…. Wow. This is a film about a carved toy wooden canoe and it’s journey from Lake Superior to the Atlantic Ocean. The photography is truly remarkable – check it out if you want something beautiful that is unlike anything you’ve seen before. Amazing.

ANGELIQUE COLLECTION ( ANGELIQUE, ANGELIQUE: THE ROAD TO VERSAILLES, ANGELIQUE AND THE KING, INDOMABILE ANGELICA and ANGELIQUE AND THE SULTAN )

Before there was EMMANUELLE – there was ANGELIQUE - set in the world of 17th Century France (and other locales) this classic Sixties French Erotica series was epic… featuring the adventures of a French Courtesan at the time of some of the most extravagant debauchery in history. Twas classic. And HOT! Filled with hot French nudity and great sets and costumes – this is one of the very best “adult” film series of the period. Really cool that it has finally hit DVD!

SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH – The Complete Animated Series

Infinitely superior to the live-action show – finally you see her as she was meant to be seen… as a cartoon. She’s way sexier, way cuter and way funnier than anything on the live series. And this is every single episode. If you have young girls in your house – this will be a fave.

THE LIVING END

It’s the very LIVING END man! Heh. This was the first Gregg Araki film that I saw. It concerns a gay hustler and a film critic that have AIDS and go on a “Fuck The World” adventure that some would claim was highly irresponsible – and a truly classic and exciting work of Gay cinema. One of his very best films.

THE BEAST IN SPACE (Unrated Version)

You see THE BEAST – the crazy as fuck foreign perverted as fuck bestiality fuck film? Well, the beautiful Sirpa Lane is back – and this time it’s alien bestiality and it’s sleazier and even more fucked up and insane than the first film. If you really like seeing insane shit that can’t even wrap your mind around… that you can’t believe someone made… much less allowed to be put inside of another human being…. This is the film for you. It will knock you on your ass. Seriously. This is astonishingly flabbergasting and did I say… its fucked up? Cuz it is fucked up. Very fucked up.

That’s it for this week – next week I’ll be going into P.S. I LOVE YOU, BELLA, AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER BOOK 3 FIRE, Vol. 3, I’M NOT THERE, TWISTER (Blu Ray), MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000: THE MOVIE, TEETH, THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN, THE CAR, THE DEVIL’S OWN (Blu Ray), SERIAL MOM, SAAWARIYA, LA ROUE, HIYA KIDS! A 50’S SATURDAY MORNING BOX, 2007 ACADEMY AWARD: NOMINATED SHORT FILMS, GRIZZLY RAGE, SHALL WE DANCE (Blu Ray), MACON COUNTY LINE, BRAVESTARR-THE MOVIE, DEVIL TIMES FIVE, ABOMINABLE and much more! See you then!