Headsup: Shag Carpet of the Future! (And Other Items of Interest)

There’s a lot of stuff that comes out all the time, and the companies are want your attention and mostly…your coin. But, you know, it’s your coin and you have to take care where you spend it. With these posts we try to take you through recent releases so you can make up your mind. If you find the info here to be of use, do us a favor and purchase stuff from Amazon through us. Especially if you were going to buy the stuff anyway. That gives us kickbacks, which help pay for things. Like the server. And coffee. And therapy. We thank you.

[ad#longpost]The American Dream, out on DVD from Image Entertainment, tells the story of two newly-enlisted friends who are about to ship out for the Marines but want to have one last hurrah before they end up in Afghanistan. To this end, they carry a camera around and record the goings-on, revealing that they enlisted mostly because they didn’t see a better way to advance themselves. The film is directed by star Jamil Walker Smith (Stargate Universe) and also stars Malcolm Goodwin (Breakout Kings) as the two friends. Fans of military films will probably want to give this a watch, as it gives a different angle for the genre–and is also interesting from the standpoint of Smith as a budding filmmaker. No bonus bits on the DVD release make it hard to recommend for a purchase–a rental will do for most. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

How to explain Barbarella to someone. Hmm. Well, here’s what springs to mind: I think the majority of my audience understand what I mean when I say “80s sci-fi.” You know, that thing that if you’re familiar with it, and it’s dated for you–but others might not pick up on it right away. That sort of thing where they knew it’s probably dated–but “80s sci-fi” wouldn’t leap out as obvious to the uninitiated. Yeah. Barbarella is like that, but for the 60s…but it screams 60s to everyone. Even if you showed this a ten-year-old (bad idea, BTW), they could say, “Was this from the 60s?” Jane Fonda, scantily clad, occasionally naked, always very young and ravishing-looking, runs around a universe populated with shag carpet, non-violence, and sex without actual sex. This opens up our titular (hello) character to explore all manner of physical naughtiness, though not to the extent that it becomes softcore. This is Roger Vadim, however, so you get the feeling there might be an unexpurgated version kicking around somewhere. Just has that feel. While this mayhem looks and sounds absolutely incredibly on this Paramount release…the fact that it has nothing in the way of bonus bits is terribly disappointing. Hardcore fans only on the purchase side of things. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Foreign language Academy Award nominee Bullhead hits Blu-Ray from Drafthouse and Image. The titular character is a cattle farmer who, for various reasons, has decided to use his access to hormones and steroids and become an expert in, shall we say, self augmentation. If he wasn’t torturing himself enough, he finds himself dealing with a crime syndicate, shady business dealings, the cops and a woman from his past. Enough to ruin your chemically enhanced day, to be certain. The Blu-Ray release is impressively stacked for a foreign film: there’s a making-of, a commentary with the director, an interview with both the lead actor and the director plus the short film they first worked on together, plus a booklet. While the film doesn’t require hi-def, it certainly looks and sounds damn good. As to replay value, well, it’s not the cheeriest film in the world–so I would say give it a rental first. If you do want to buy, the Blu-Ray is only about $1 more than the DVD. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

I was one of Tarsem‘s staunchest supporters. I enjoyed The Cell. I think The Fall is pretty bloody brilliant. So I’m at a loss to explain both the “What was that about?” of Immortals and the even more “No, really, what was that about?” of this: Mirror Mirror. Created seemingly for eight year old girls who even at that age probably know better, we get everybody hamming it up and saying dialogue that makes you want to grab a poison apple smoothie and end it. Lily Collins is lovely, yes, and the dwarves, when they’re not being goofy beyond belief do make you really want that proposed Time Bandits sequel…but that’s it. It does look really amazing in hi-def with excellent audio, so you can get the most out of the out-Disneying Disney color schemes. The bonus bits are a bit lacking, however: deleted scenes, an alternate opening, interviews, a choreography featurette, a storybook, and some other things that make my head hurt. Buy it for your kids if forced to, but they’ll probably hate you for it later in life. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

If you didn’t see the little circle on the front of the Image DVD release of Radio Rebel, you might be saying to yourself, “Man, this looks like a Disney Channel movie.” But yes, it is exactly that. In fact, it could be considered “My First Pump Up the Volume.” This because shy girl at school Tara has a Secret Identity! She’s Radio Rebel, first an online then an actually on the radio DJ who inspires everyone to [insert cliche here]. Unfortunately, wherever there’s a fun-loving person with a secret identity there’s always an authority figure who wants to bring them down. And hijinks thus ensue. The special features on this are a bunch of small fluffy featurettes that probably work for the film’s demographic–but not being in that demographic, I cannot say. The ones we would most recognize are deleted scenes, a blooper reel and a music video that is terrifying as all music videos associated with TV movies are. I would be hard-pressed to say who should own this, as only kids in middle school would be drawn to it enough to even have any replay factor IMO. My last thought on this is: do kids really dress like that? Really? (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

When presented with a film entitled Mac and Devin Go to High School starring Snoop Dogg and presenting itself as a stoner comedy, well, you sort of know what you’re in for. I must say, I was trying to figure out why “The Movie” was necessary after the title–but apparently the soundtrack came first and inspired the film after the success of the first single. That’s what Wikipedia says, anyway, and as we know, Wikipedia is always right. Regardless, what you’re in for is an excuse for Snoop and Wiz Khalifa to goof around in the genre and, as the song says, “we’re just havin’ fun, we don’t care who sees.” So you’re either on board with it or not–and it’s not going to do anything to redefine the genre, although if you, like me, find Snoop to be hilarious either in this or on Martha Stewart–this is going to definitely be worth a rental. The one bonus bit is a commentary with Snoop, Wiz and the director. Only the hardcore Snoop fans will want to own. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

So Project X, the What If We Threw a Party And Everyone Came and a Minor Apocalypse Happened as a Result movie, has hit Blu-Ray thanks to Warner Brothers. And really, the previous sentence is almost all the synopsis you need, besides the fact that it’s three high school losers wanting to make a mark who launch said party. But this is far removed from the subdued madness of John Hughes sort of blowouts…as if somebody believed the hype and tried that in the real world. So you can either go with the madness or not. It’s definitely not for everybody, even for people who are drawn in by the connection to The Hangover. Alas, even for people who want to own, the Blu-Ray is a hard sell, with only a marginally extended cut with little in the way of added substance (even for a film with little substance), a short making-of, a tally of damages for the party, and a character featurette. Worth renting if you want to check it out, but only the truly hardcore will want to plonk down the coin. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

So you’re Pink Floyd. You’ve released Dark Side of the Moon which has blown right the hell up. Now what? Well, that’s what’s revealed in The Story of Wish You Were Here, the album that features the immense/epic tribute to Syd Barrett, “Shine On Your Crazy Diamond,” along with the mayhem of “Welcome to the Machine” and “Have a Cigar.” And the title track, which opens with a guitar playing a solo with its match on the radio. Interviews with the members of Floyd are here (including the late, great Wright) detailing how the album was put together…and the whole thing is a fascinating study of how a mega-musical group deals with both adversity and ridiculous amounts of success. The Eagle Vision release looks well enough in hi-def–you’ve got new interview segments mixed in with varying archival footage–and the audio steps up when it counts. There’s also close to a half-hour of additional footage, bringing the total amount of content approaching two hours. Floydians like myself will want to rent if not own. The candid interviews plus watching Gilmour and Waters pick up guitars are worth the time. It’ll go quite well on the shelf next to your Immersion Editions. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

So for a while there, there was only the White Stripes. And I could never get into them. Even with something like “Seven Nation Army,” I loved the hell out of the many cover versions…but I preferred them to the original. And so that’s the only thing I knew Jack White for. Then that began to crack–he seemed to be launching some new damn project every week, like a Mike Patton or Les Claypool. But the first one side project where I realized I actually dug this guy outside of the Stripes was The Raconteurs. Eagle Rock has Live at Montreux 2008 available on Blu-Ray, with sixteen live tracks. The show is fairly hard with plenty of rock and fuzz–and sort of exactly what their albums would suggest. And if you dig the albums, then this is the sort of live set you would want from them, frankly. There’s nothing in the way of supplements on this Eagle Rock release and the video is decent–but what you really would care about–the audio–is tasty hi-def. And when you consider the Blu-Ray is only $3 more than the DVD, if you are going to purchase, it only makes sense. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

I first ran across Stone Temple Pilots with “Big Empty” on The Crow soundtrack. And that led me to their debut album and then beyond it. I was basically on board the train till it derailed the first major time. So it’s fascinating to check out Alive in the Windy City, out from Eagle Vision on Blu-Ray. The first thing you notice is that the staging is pretty minimal–lights, a big screen for random shapes, and the band in front of it all. The second thing you notice is that Weiland does not appear to get winded. It always bugs me when lead singers run around the stage but can’t, you know, do that and still sing without panting like they’re about to keel over any mment. And the third thing is that the band can still rock just about as hard as they ever could–which is fairly extensive. The array of songs–a nice mix of the “classics” with new stuff, will appeal to fans. I was quite satisfied with the hi-def presentation, though the bonus interview isn’t anything to write home about. Fans will want to at least give this a rental but the hardcore may want to buy a copy. The show does not disappoint. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Fox has released a bunch of MOD titles under the “20th Century Fox Cinema Archives” banner. Fifteen hit last month all at once. And to go ahead and state up front: with no bonus bits the majority of these are for the hardcore and fine as a rental. We’ll say that a lot, so we’re not trying to be a broken record…just accurate. We start off with Claudia from 1943. Notable for bringing Dorothy McGuire to the big screen for the first time (to reprise the role she created on the Broadway stage–she would later go on to have a huge career including one Academy Award nod) and pairing her with a pre-Father Knows Best Robert Young. (It also stars Ina Claire in her final film role.) She plays a young bride who has to grow up in a hurry when her immaturity puts her marriage in a bit of jeopardy. There’s also comedy and hijinks involved. No bonus bits are here, the main thing is that this lost bit of cinema history is finally hitting Region 1 DVD. Fans of the actors involved should give it a rental if nothing else. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Also from the Fox Cinema Archives is the 1947 drama Dangerous Years, a bit of a juvenile crime film in which, as the back of the case puts it best, “a district attorney prosecutes a teenage boy he doesn’t realize is his own son.” Of note in the film is a young William “Billy” Halop, Ann E. Todd, and Scotty Beckett. Oh, and some young lady by the name of Marilyn Monroe has a bit part as a waitress (her second appearance on the big screen). The disc is of course MOD and has no bonus bits–and is probably best set to appeal to people who are Marilyn completists or just appreciate the genre itself. Most curious folks will be fine with a rental of some sort. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Another from the Fox Cinema Archives collection, we get the Region 1 MOD release of Diplomatic Courier, which I guess when it was released in 1952 might have made it sound exotic…in the present day, it seems a lot like naming a film “Sous Chef” or “Chartered Accountant.” Anyway, the shot is thus: Tyrone Power (Mark of Zorro and umpteen other things) is the titular courier who can’t complete the mission he wasn’t supposed to really be on in the first place. Then hijinks ensue as he gets used as a pawn to try and draw things to a conclusion. This while a bunch of people who may or may not be what they appear to be zip around and either help or hinder. Among them: Patricia Neal (Day the Earth Stood Still and umpteen other things) and Karl Malden (like you need to be told). Also, Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson get uncredited bit parts. For the curious who would like to see a Cold War pseudo-noir film of the day, only a completist for one of the leads will want to definitely purchase. No bonus bits. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

From Walt Disney Records, the Brave Soundtrack. Primarily the score from Patrick Doyle, you also have two tracks from Julie Fowlis, one from Birdy with Mumford & Sons and then two featuring songs from the cast. “Song of Mor’du” features Billy Connolly and “Noble Maiden Fair” features Emma Thompson. Connolly started off as a musician–but I had no idea Thompson has such a great voice. I mean it’s quite good. The score from Doyle is a good one and captures the feel of the film quite well–I think whether or not you’re going to want to snag this is dependent on your feelings about the film…which as we’ve discussed elsewhere on the site, can be mixed. That being said, if you have a kid who likes the film–this might be a good entry point to get them interested in “world music.” The MP3 version has all the songs of the CD for a few bucks cheaper, FYI. (Click here to buy the MP3s from Amazon. Click here to buy the CD from Amazon.)

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a bloody brilliant animated short–about a man who gives his life to books and writing–and What That Means. It’s the sort of thing that if you love books, either reading or writing them, you can’t help but be moved by it. Now the short film, which won the Oscar, by the way, has been adapted into a picture book, out from Atheneum. The art is marvelous and the story is still solid, but I guess my one reservation about it is that, well, it’s not the film. I know, that’s bleeding obvious, but the silent nature of the animated short is part of its strength–where here, somehow the power is diminished by having to have words on the page to explain what’s happening. I see this more as a companion piece to the film than something that stands alone. If you enjoyed the artwork in the film, then it’s worthwhile to own this–though I would have appreciated this along with some “bonus features,” like sketches or a word from author William Joyce or whatnot. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

There’s something interesting that can be said about all of these Fox Cinema Archive releases, but especially so with The Foxes of Harrow. Not only do you get a young Rex Harrison playing an Irishman in New Orleans dedicating himself to winning the heart of Maureen O’Hara and rising to the top, but this apparently marks the first time that an African-American author had a book’s film rights purchased by a major Hollywood studio. And this was 1947. The film here is worth watching for posterity’s sake, if not for the interesting performances, although I understand there are significant things dropped from the source material (which admittedly, I have not read). Harrison or O’Hara completists will want to consider purchasing, but the lack of bonus bits do make it a harder sell. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Another entry in the Fox Cinema Archives release slate is Fraulein from 1958, with Dana Wynter (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) as a German woman whose chance meeting with an escaped American POW during the close of WWII (the POW played by Mel Ferrer from War and Peace) shapes her survival after the War ends. After Ferrer’s character leaves, circumstances leave Wynter with little in the way of support or even shelter, and that’s just the beginning of what happens. Also features her dealings with a very Thenardier-esque couple who are opportunists to the extreme. Also of note are director Henry Koster (Harvey) and scribe Leo Townsend (a lot of TV credits including Bewitched and Batman). As always, no bonus bits here but fans of the actors involved will enjoy checking it out as a rental. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

So from what I can tell about Wyatt Earp films, the only way you can go earlier than the 1939 Frontier Marshal, now out on DVD from Fox Cinema Archives, is to go back to 1934 for another Frontier Marshal, which changed all the names. But if that’s correct, then Randolph Scott’s your first cinema Wyatt Earp and Cesar Romero (yes) is your first Doc Holliday (though they changed the name to Halliday for some reason). Also look for John Carradine and a pre-Of Mice and Men Lon Chaney Jr. As far as old school westerns go, this is a good one, though the story’s a little different here than you might remember. Because it’s the first Earp-as-Earp film, though, fans of the genre will want to seek this out for posterity’s sake, and if they’re fans of Scott as well, will probably see fit to own this, despite having no bonus bits. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Some people are born responsible, some achieve responsibility and some have responsibility thrust upon them. Or they at least have it thrust at them and take the baton when it comes. That’s one of the notions at play with A Bag of Hammers, the film that has Jason Ritter and Jake Sandvig as perpetually immature car thieves who also play landlords–and rent out a place to a woman and her young son, both refugees from Hurricane Katrina. I would think that your response to the film will be formed by your ability to roll with a dramedy shifting back and forth between its two natures–if you can make the leap, you might be fine. If not, well, you can’t. If you read this site you probably have seen enough indie dramedies to guess where you’re going to end up. This MPI Blu-Ray is worth a rental if that notion hasn’t scared you off–a sale of it regardless is going to be hard–despite looking and sounding like a decent hi-def offering–seeing as how it comes with only a behind the scenes bit and the trailer. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Sometimes you just want a romantic comedy that’s not going to challenge you. And if that sounds like a backhanded semi-compliment, well, perhaps. But that’s what springs to mind with the IFC Blu-Ray release of The Decoy Bride, which seems like it would be a no-brainer as far as drawing a crowd. You have David Tennant of recent Doctor Who fame. You have Kelly Macdonald of even more recent Boardwalk Empire fame. And they’re going to wind up thrown together whether they want to be or not in a scenario that shows her as part of a PR stunt that ends up becoming very real. Completists for those two actors might want to check this out or if you’ve ever just wanted a rom-com with accents. The bonus bits aren’t bad with a decent spate of interviews, behind the scenes bits and more. The hi-def doesn’t thrill, but it’s a rom-com…it’s not like mecha appears or anything. Sorry for the spoilers. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

There was a time when the indie movie was just something nice that happened and worked quite well on occasion. It wasn’t a sub-genre of its own that it felt people were actually aiming for. And that’s how I feel with Jeff, Who Lives at Home, which has Jason Segel as the titular slacker, Susan Sarandon as his long-suffering mom and Ed Helms as his long-suffering brother. And I think that’s where my problem is: everybody’s so bloody unhappy and it’s in that this-is-supposed-to-be-interesting way rather than, you know, actually being interesting. But that could just be me. The film hits Blu-Ray from Paramount with excellent audio and video but nothing in the way of bonus bits. Even if this is an indie film that works for you and not others (it’s hit and miss, I know…I love Garden State and I know some people just loathe it) it’s hard to recommend purchasing it, bare bones as it is. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

The 1938 version of Kidnapped hits DVD from Fox Cinema Archives…this is apparently the first feature film adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel in which a young heir gets setup by an evil uncle to be kidnapped and carted off…his adventure involves finding a companion in the guise of another exile and the trip back home. It stars Warner Baxter (The Arizona Kid) as Alan Breck and Freddie Bartholomew (David Copperfield) as David. Worth checking out for fans of the novel, though this is yet another early example of Hollywood playing fast and loose with the source material, as some might wonder where certain bits have gone. Lack of bonus bits again make this worth owning strictly for the hardcore. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

We also have Life Begins at Eight-Thirty which puts Monty Woolley (The Man Who Came to Dinner) in the role of a washed up alcoholic actor who can’t even keep a job down as a department store Santa. His daughter is played by Ida Lupino (tons of stuff, including Food of the Gods) and she wants her composer boyfriend (Cornel Wilde, Leave Her to Heaven) to help her get dad back on track. But can he hold it together (the father, not the boyfriend) long enough not to screw everything up for everybody? Easy to see why something like this might get the MOD treatment, and worth checking out for anyone who wants to see more of Woolley and Lupino…but the lack of bonus bits would make this a hard sell, even for the hardcore. Rental should be fine for all interested parties. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Love is News is another Fox Cinema Archives release, this time pitting journalist Tyrone Power against heiress Loretta Young. He wants the story about her, but she starts playing games to thwart him–starting with announcing that they’re secretly engaged–and then things are definitely off to the races. Is this on par with the bar set by the on-screen warring banter of one of Cary Grant‘s full-on classics? No, but it holds its own fairly well and anyone who appreciates that sort of subgenre might want to give this a spin. Watch for Don Ameche as Power’s editor. No bonus bits, but worth a rental. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Hiding is about a young high school girl who’s doing just that–having witnessed her parents getting killed, she’s relocated to the middle of nowhere as part of the Witness Protection Program and tries her best to fit in. As the pretty newcomer, you can guess where all this will lead. Guy trouble? Sure. Girl trouble with the cliques at the school? Oh yeah. Her past coming back to haunt her in potentially deadly ways? Yeppers. And that’s just it: you can guess what’s what, and while something like this isn’t necessarily my cup of tea–some people want safe thrillers that, you know, don’t thrill that much. The Anchor Bay Blu-Ray looks okay–the video and audio do nothing to offend, let’s say. The bonus bits are rather shallow, but there’s only so much one can do, I suppose. You’ve got a chat with lead actress Ana Villafañe, a behind the scenes bit, a look at the director and cinematographer and a deleted scene. Rent it if it’s your thing–but the audience that wants to own will be limited. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

When you’ve got John Landis executive producing, the guy who helmed Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus in the chair and the title Some Guy Who Kills People, then despite Kevin Corrigan looking like a badass (albeit a badass in an ice cream parlor hat and under an umbrella, despite the machete) the assumption is goof-horror city. But while this flick doesn’t revolutionize the subgenre of the horror-comedy, it holds its own and actually gives its cast things to do rather than just wade through gore. You see, Corrigan plays a down-on-his-luck former mental patient who tried to kill himself due to severe bullying in high school–although I think anything that involves tying somebody has transcended bullying, personally. Anyway, his old tormentors start dropping dead while he’s dealing with a potential love interest and his estranged teen daughter coming back into his life. If you actually want a film that doesn’t color by the numbers with such a plot (not too much, anyway), then this is worth checking out. Bonus bits include a commentary with the director and the writer/producer as well as the short film that inspired it and a making-of. Again, horror fans who like a little bit more than just buckets of blood will enjoy and should give it a rental. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Here’s an interesting experiment–before we even get to the bit about the drugs–Doug Benson performs the same basic set twice. So different crowds mean different dynamics and interactions, which is part of what Benson does well anyway. But the other twist for Smug Life is that he does the first show sober and the second show relatively baked. And honestly? There’s not that much of a difference–he’s a goofy fun guy pretty much every time I’ve heard him. But it’s just fascinating to see how the set changes between shows, drugs or not. And hey, any album that references Silver Streak works for me. Fans of Benson will want to snag this (and the MP3 download is only $3.99, so that’s a damn good deal for two albums worth of downloads) but if this is your first time, go with one of the other albums like Hypocritical Oaf or something. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

The thing about The Best of Kylie Minogue–for me, anyway–is what happens with me and dancey-pop music quite a lot. I prefer the remixes, frankly. But I’m not in the demographic for this. Whether it’s the cover of “The Loco-Motion” (I prefer the original) or “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.” A lot of these just seem even sub-pop to me (not the label), since the beats behind them feel very bland. Even something like “Slow,” where a mashup introduced me to the concept of the song–the original is like she’s singing backed by a Casio keyboard. Fans of the artist who want a greatest hits album will want to consider it–it does have twenty-one tracks that are her recognized big ones, but if you’re not already in the wheelhouse, this probably isn’t going to get you in the door. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Every once in a while I realize that Power Rangers still exists. It seems like every time I do, there’s some new wrinkle to the series. Dinosaurs. Animals. Ninjas. Something. So the latest iteration is apparently Samurai, which means they must have already tackled zombies and vampires. I guess. There’s a bad guy who wants to destroy the world and heroes in color-coded costumes must rise to stop him and his cronies. It’s a basic Power Rangers setup, but if it ain’t broke don’t excessively tweak it, I guess. Across these two volumes, The Team Unites and New Enemy, you get four episodes a piece. There’s a character gallery, auditions featurette and bonus videos on the first volume and a blooper reel, weapons gallery and an “Ask a Ranger” featurette on the second. Normally this is where I tell you to hold out for a DVD release, but looking around it appears that only Region 2 gets full season releases (no idea why), so you’re either looking down the barrel of that or snagging these individually if you want to own them. (Click here to buy Vol. 1 from Amazon. Click here to buy Vol. 2 from Amazon.)