DVD Tuesday: Here comes the monster!
It's probably your last minute on earth, you're with her...so why aren't you naked? | Photo courtesy of Paramount
I was stunned that Cloverfield didn't fare better at the domestic box office. Typically, a movie that has a $40M opening weekend easily cruises past the $100M mark, but Cloverfield plummeted after its debut and got stuck at around $80M. Is it a great movie? Of course not. But it is a pleasantly nihilistic thrill ride that won't play nearly as well on DVD. Charlie Wilson's War, on the other hand, is perfect for DVD. Big stars, interesting story, fairly visually inert. Make it a Philip Seymour Hoffman double-feature and pick up the superior The Savages as well. Unfamiliar with the mumblecore movement? Hannah Takes the Stairs is an excellent primer. Why I remember when director Joe Swanberg was just another eager poster on Roger Avary's old message board.
Cloverfield
Charlie Wilson's War
Romulus, My Father
Starting Out in the Evening
The Savages
The Orphanage
One Missed Call
Trailer Park Boys: The Movie
Hannah Takes the Stairs
My Boy Jack
Lizard King was here. | Photo courtesy of iamilk via flickr
Here's an idea that's so obvious I'm surprised it isn't more common: make a documentary that completely covers the creation of a classic album. Interview all the key players; insert historical footage; add a few cool extras. That's what you get in the new Doors DVD. I'll be buying. Now how about covering the other thousand or so essential albums? Okay, Eddie Murphy as Gumby was funny. Every other iteration of Gumby pretty much sucked, right? As a former denizen of New York City, I spent my share of nights at Wetlands. Sadly, the last show I saw there was a Hootie and the Blowfish/Cowboy Mouth double-bill. This documentary might make for happier memories. As if it needed re-stating, watch Totally Baked when you're, well, you know.
Classic Albums: The Doors
Death of a Cyclist
A Date with Judy
Hypocrites/Eleanor's Catch
Gumby: The Movie
Human Resources
The Exquisite Short Films of Kihachiro Kawamoto (1968-1979)
Wetlands Preserved
L.A. Blues
Totally Baked