Hey folks, Harry here... This Tuesday has a flood of titles - and due to an early morning approaching - I must split the report into two pieces. So here's the top part of the list. Lots of great great titles and deals. As always, you can click on the box art and the titles to take you to AMAZON - where you can learn more on the title or purchase it with a small percentage going to support this column's continued existence. I hope you enjoy it - and there's a lot more coming sometime this afternoon. See you then, enjoy...

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008

INDIANA JONES – THE ADVENTURE COLLECTION ( Special Editions of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM and INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE )

Here ya go – the original trilogy. It is true that this edition is the sharpest version I’ve yet seen…. And that some of the extras – like “The Melting Man” feature – are indeed some of the absolutely most fun extras I’ve yet seen on the title… But I have a sneaking suspicion that by year’s end… we will see this trilogy – plus a new Indiana Jones movie in Blu Ray… but that hasn’t been announced… yet. I have it, but I can only recommend it for those of you that are not planning on upgrading to Blu Ray at any point soon. Still – you must rewatch the trilogy before seeing the new film… right? Right!

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE (Blu Ray)

A spotty – near great film – that isn’t quite. The confounding thing about this movie is this… Nearly everything is more magical… before they get to Narnia. The World War 2 London stuff is utterly fantastic. That’s not to say that there is no magic in Narnia… there is. But there’s a curious veneer to everything that makes it all look like it isn’t quite lived in. The colors are all a bit unreal. I love about half of the kids… And well… the Burger King on Horseback moment at the end… isn’t quite. That said, I think it was a very strong forward step from Animation to Live-Action that Andrew Adamson took – and I hope and believe that he’ll take an even greater forward step with PRINCE CASPIAN – and this film is definitely worth having… I’m a fantasy freak – and there’s a lot of great fantasy at play here – especially the Jesus Lion. The Blu Ray disc is filled with extras and looks exactly how it was presented in the theater. Gorgeous transfer.

SHINOBI – HEART UNDER BLADE (Blu Ray)

Saw this at FANTASTIC FEST last year and it is absolutely stunning on the big screen. This is a film about crazy insane CG assisted martial arts – romance and love…and it happens to be one of those stunningly gorgeous films that you put on to show people just how amazing Blu Ray and 1080p looks. OH – and if love Ninjas… This movie has all the fucking Ninjas you could ever want. And they do… indeed… kick a lot of Ninja ass!

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE – 4th Season

Ahhhh! The season that our trusty Spock joined the Mission Impossible squad. You know – MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, the television show – actually got better the further it went – and ya know some of the last seasons had some of the very best episodes. Ah hell, they were pretty great throughout the entire series. This season brought a bevy of babes including the incredibly hot Lee Meriwether. Watch Leonard Nimoy be a Che Guevara character in one. If you’re a fan – you know how wonderful this season was – there were additions in front of and behind the cameras that really kicked this series into high gear.

MASTER & COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD (Blu Ray)

I can’t believe that this isn’t a beloved film by all. It is spectacular – and arguably it is the very best film that Russell Crowe has been a part of. That said – FOX Home Video should be ashamed that they low balled this release. Nearly completely devoid of extras. Shit, I would have just been happy had they just moved the DVD’s extras on over to this… but Fox really dropped the ball here. The transfer though is the thing here – and this is a film where 1080p is on full display. But fuck it – I love the movie. I’ll trade some used DVDs for a used Copy at some point.

Fox Western Classics ( RAWHIDE / THE GUNFIGHTER / GARDEN OF EVIL )

Oh my… As mad as I am at Fox for their treatment of MASTER & COMMANDER on Blu Ray – I’m ecstatic to be getting these three titles. None moreso than THE GUNFIGHTER which features an incredible Gregory Peck as Johnny Ringo as the notable gunfighter. Also look for an awesome turn by Karl Malden. Really outstanding performance by Peck! Then you have GARDEN OF EVIL – a western about what greed does to men’s souls – featuring Gary Cooper, Susan Hayward and the always great Richard Widmark. Of particular note is this… this was the first Fox western in CINEMASCOPE and director Henry Hathaway does a wonderful job with it. Not one of the great westerns, but a damn fine film set in the west. And the last… and frankly the best… RAWHIDE – no this isn’t where that song came from, but it’s a Western starring Tyrone Power – who was ZORRO and Jamie from THE BLACK SWAN. This is a dark and moody Western Noir that captures you early and never lets you go. I don’t want to say much about it, because it really is outstanding.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE – The Complete Third Season – Limited Edition Boxed Set

SAMURAI NIGHT FEVER, Andy Kaufman, OJ Simpson, Buck Henry, Ray Charles, CONEHEADS, Madeline Kahn, Steve Martin, Hugh Heffner, Taj Mahal, Two Wild and Crazy Guys, The Blues Brothers, Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon and more and more and more and more. I love SNL from the seventies so intensely that I feel silly about my devotion. This box set was made for me… how about you?

Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection 1 & 2 ( TARANTULA / MOLE PEOPLE / INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN / MONOLITH MONSTERS / MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS / DR. CYCLOPS / CULT OF THE COBRA / LAND UNKNOWN / DEADLY MANTIS / LEECH WOMAN )

These sets were issued separately at BEST BUY – but sold so well that UNIVERSAL has finally decided to pack them together and issue them at the bargain price of $42. And folks – if you haven’t seen these films… if you do not have them. This is an incredible set. Some of the effects may be funky… in particular TARANTULA, LAND UNKNOWN and LEECH WOMAN… but at the same time the folks at Universal that made these great B movies actually did a great job in putting the stories, actors and directors together. I absolutely love each and every one of these titles. In particular THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN which is currently being bastardized by fucking Eddie Murphy. But more so – it holds one of my very favorite B Science Fiction Horror films… MONOLITH MONSTERS. Essentially the basis for TREMORS – and the premise is… at first incredibly goofy. Giant Rocks/Crystals/monoliths slowly and methodically grow at a glacial pace till they break and fall on you. Sounds ridic, right? Well – it works because the film sets it up right. Like in TREMORS – the exit to the valley is cut off… and there’s no way to escape. It’s the most fucked up stalker killer movie ever – cuz it’s just giant growing fucking rocks… BUT DUDE – you can’t shoot them. You can’t kill them. You have nowhere to run – and they will fucking squish you. Love the film. Love Love Love it. That said – this set just rules and to pick up these titles for essentially $4 each – that’s a steal!

THE WESTERNER

If you love William Wyler, Walter Brennan and Gary Cooper – you know this film. If not – you have Brennan’s final Oscar Winning Role! His third mind you. Brennan plays Judge Roy Bean – an extreme hardass of the Old West – and Gary Cooper plays a young heroic fella that beats a trumped up charge of being a Horse Thief by telling the judge of his friendship with Lily Langtry. Things get vastly more complicated from there – with Cooper at odds with Brennan. This is a GREAT western. GREAT. Walter Brennan is one of the finest character actors in the history of cinema and this is one of his very best roles. Add to that Gary Cooper at his Heroic best and you really have a great film.

Frank Sinatra & Gene Kelly Collection ( ON THE TOWN / ANCHORS AWEIGH / TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME )

If you’ve been to my house recently – you’d think I was the biggest fan in history of Frank Sinatra. The other day a box showed up on my doorstep loaded with 4 box sets loaded with 17 Sinatra films spanning his entire career. This is his Gene Kelly co-starring period. And each of these films is outstanding. My personal favorite is ANCHORS AWEIGH… but others can’t resist the baseball fun of TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME – and then… well I argue with myself about whether I prefer ANCHORS to ON THE TOWN. Yes, these are musicals – and Frank is quite the crooner… just as Kelly was a hoofer. And as you’ll learn watching these three films – you’ll be delighted at Frank’s dancing and Kelly’s singing as well. Love this box.

BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (Blu Ray)

I’m not sure why the powers at be decided this would be a heavily Western-centric Tuesday – but that’s the case! And we’re lucky for it! This is my pick for best Blu Ray of the week. It’s a no-brainer – it’s fucking BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID by George Roy Hill and starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford – and ya know… they never ever looked better than they did in this film! I love STING – but this is their film. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see more of them working together – and I would have loved one last Older version of this partnership… but with Newman’s retirement – it’s simply not likely to ever happen. Stunningly gorgeous transfer – excellent extras – and brilliant film. You can’t ask for more!

There’s a lot of DVDs coming out today – and due to a doctor’s appointment in the morning, I’ll split them up into two reports. Nothing serious – just my last exam before going into surgery NEXT Tuesday… but don’t fret, you’ll have next Tuesday’s column before they fillet me open. See you later today!