Here’s yer DVD goodness…
TV DVD of the Week: Moonlighting: Seasons 1 & 2. When I first heard Lions Gate would be releasing this on DVD, my first thought was that it would be a bare bones affair that would have the episodes and nothing else. But considering this was the early days of the series, before David and Maddie made the beast with two backs and ruined everything, I was okay with that. Just to see the show again would be enough. But nooooooooo. Five episodes come with commentaries, including creator Glenn Gordon Caron, directors, editors, writers, and Willis and Shepherd even show up for a commentary each. There’s a half-hour docu on the series, and a featurette on the phenom of the show. Very, very pleased. (Buy)
DVD of the Week: My Brilliant Career. This DVD is notable, not only for having Needcoffee fave Sam Neill on board, though that’s cool–but it’s Judy Davis’ screen debut. She plays a young woman who wants to, despite the pressures of her family and the pressure of being attracted to Neill’s character, stay independent and have a writing career that’s…well, look at the title. Blue Underground gives this thing a royal treatment, with a director’s commentary, an interview with the director, a newsreel from the Cannes Film Festival, and a Teacher’s Study Guide as a DVD-ROM feature. And more. (Buy)
Adverse Video of the Week: Hellraiser: Deader. Okay, I know you’re looking at the title of this thing and thinking that’s the dumbest thing you’ve heard since “Die Harder.” Not just Dead…but Deader. But it’s actually referencing the goth-cultists who commit suicide and come back due to a loophole in the Lamentation Configuration. Or something. Yeah, I know, still dumb. But I had to try. This mess comes with two, count them, two commentaries, deleted and extended scenes with commentary, an FX featurette, a making-of featurette, a gag reel, and more. Oh, and the promise of another sequel on the way. It’s okay to cry. (Buy)
Docu DVD of the Week: Tying the Knot. If you were waiting for the world to end back when a bunch of homosexual couples decided to get married–legally–a while back, sorry to have disappointed you. Didn’t affect my life in the least. More power to them. But for some reason, some people are really threatened by this concept. Well, this docu isn’t going to change their minds, since it actually looks at things from a human perspective and gets into the details of why this entire debate is so goddamn stupid. My words, not necessarily theirs. This Docurama release comes with an audio commentary, a Q&A session, a panel discussion, outtakes, an update on two of the people profiled, and more. (Buy)
Anime DVD of the Week: The Melody of Oblivion, Vol. 1: Arrangement. Apparently there was a bigass war in the 20th Century between humans and monsters, and the humans had their asses handed to them, leaving the monsters in charge. We’ll pause for a moment to let you formulate the joke of your own choosing. Anyway, mankind needs to do something to get back on top, and that means seeking out the Melody of the title, whatever the hell that is. And you know what that means: a girl, a badass motorcycle and a “chosen” type of guy. This Geneon release comes with four episodes and clean opening animation. (Buy)
Family DVD of the Week:Fairly Odd Parents: School’s Out. I don’t know if you’ve checked this cartoon out, but it’s pretty twisted. Do kids understand everything that’s going on in them? Or is it like Looney Tunes when we were kids? I don’t know. But anyway, this time our hero Timmy has to face a summer with no, well, summer…as he’s enrolled in a summer school that means no fun eight week vacation. This is a musical episode, so it gets even crazier. You also get two bonus episodes, a couple of shorts, and the Fairly Odd Parents on MTV’S TRL. This is released by Paramount. (Buy)
Noir DVD of the Week: The Street With No Name. Richard Widmark is a guy who served in uniform and has applied what he learned in the service to crime. He runs the syndicate for Center City and does it well. Meanwhile, the FBI is aiming to take him down with one of their agents going undercover. The two sides are going to clash, and it’s going to be good. This Fox Noir release is stacked as you would expect it to be: besides the theatrical trailer, you’ve got an audio commentary with a pair of film historians, Alain Silver and James Ursini. (Buy)
Music DVD of the Week: Our Burden is Light. This two-disc set from BCI concerns how fate works in weird ways in these screwed up lives that we all live. Karen’s mother has just committed suicide, and Kyle’s given up everything to try and please his wife. When an accident leaves them both together and with no memory of their previous lives, they have to deal somehow with what comes next. Comes with a bonus CD of music from the film, composed by Nate Mendel (of the Foo Fighters), who also acts in the film. (Buy)
Classic DVDs of the Week: The Josephine Baker Collection. Kino continues to bring classics to DVD with a vengeance. Here, they bring you these previously unavailable on DVD films. All three are taken from new masters, and unbelievably, there’s bonus bits. Gotta love that. There’s interviews with actress Lynn Whitfield, critic Margo Jefferson, dance critic Elizabeth Kendall, and Jean-Claude Baker, Josephine’s adopted son. There’s also a stills gallery. Siren has a bonus performance of a song written for the film, plus the short silent film that was Josephine’s first appearance, behind the scenes footage and more. Zou Zou has a video tour of Jean-Claude Baker’s poster and poster exhibition. All are definitely worth checking out. (Buy Princess, Siren, Zou Zou)
