* Overheard in the store:
"What he SAID: 'You'll surely have an unforgettable travel experience.' What I HEARD: 'You'll surely have an on-board cannibal experience.'"
* Borderlands Cafe is currently on the lookout for some stalwart adventurers to join our Caffeinated Coalition (i.e. the Cafe is hiring!). Our adventuring schedule is flexible and occupies 20 - 40 hours per week. No prior experience in either making coffee or slaying dragons is necessary, but fluent English is required and avid readers are preferred. Strong work ethic, active imagination, & sense of humor also all pluses. Resumes may be left at the cafe counter, and inquiries may be directed to Z. Jenerik, Cafe Manager, zjenerik@borderlands-books.com.
* Borderlands and Comix Experience were profiled in SF Weekly. Read the article Open Borders: Keeping a Mission Bookstore Open here: http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/open-borders-keeping-a-mission-bookstore-open-borderlands-books-minimum-wage-gentrification-alan-beatts-comix-experience/Content?oid=4828224
* SFist also included Borderlands among its list of The 12 Best Independent Bookstores in San Francisco. How wonderful! (It’s also important to remember how lucky we are to live in an area that has more than 12 independent bookstores.) http://sfist.com/2016/07/21/the_best_independent_bookstores_in.php
* The first footage from the upcoming "American Gods" television show has been released. All the fans who thought it would never be made can now let out a huge gust of air, and then proceed to hold their breath again and hope it’s everything they want it to be: http://www.tor.com/2016/07/22/feast-your-eyes-on-the-first-footage-from-american-gods/
Showing posts with label Film. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Film. Show all posts
August 09, 2016
October 07, 2015
Media Matters
by Alan Beatts
As much as I love books, SF, horror, fantasy and mystery as a whole are still my first and greatest love. Which means that movies, TV shows, and even video games within our field have a place very close to my heart. The last few months have included some good news and neat discoveries that I thought I'd share with you.
The Expanse TV Series
James S. A. Corey's excellent Expanse novels, which begin with LEVIATHAN WAKES, is one of my favorite SF series in recent years. So I was concerned and pleased in equal parts when I heard that Syfy was going to be producing a series based on the books. But, I've seen both the regular trailer < http://www.syfy.com/theexpanse/videos/the-expanse-season-1-trailer > and the background trailer, which includes interviews with the cast, < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydKmedH336Q >. I've got to say that it looks pretty darn good and the casting also seems impressive. Of course, it's hard to tell from such limited information, but I'm hopeful that we'll be getting a big treat this December.
And, regardless of whether the series is any good, we fans of the books win at least a little bit because there's an original prequel story, Drive, available on line as part of the promotion for the show < http://www.syfy.com/theexpanse/drive/prequel.php >.
As much as I love books, SF, horror, fantasy and mystery as a whole are still my first and greatest love. Which means that movies, TV shows, and even video games within our field have a place very close to my heart. The last few months have included some good news and neat discoveries that I thought I'd share with you.
The Expanse TV Series
James S. A. Corey's excellent Expanse novels, which begin with LEVIATHAN WAKES, is one of my favorite SF series in recent years. So I was concerned and pleased in equal parts when I heard that Syfy was going to be producing a series based on the books. But, I've seen both the regular trailer < http://www.syfy.com/theexpanse/videos/the-expanse-season-1-trailer > and the background trailer, which includes interviews with the cast, < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydKmedH336Q >. I've got to say that it looks pretty darn good and the casting also seems impressive. Of course, it's hard to tell from such limited information, but I'm hopeful that we'll be getting a big treat this December.
And, regardless of whether the series is any good, we fans of the books win at least a little bit because there's an original prequel story, Drive, available on line as part of the promotion for the show < http://www.syfy.com/theexpanse/drive/prequel.php >.
July 02, 2013
B&N, Marriage, and World War Z
by Alan Beatts
Barnes & Noble's Financial Report
B&N had a very poor year based on their recent financial filings. Their 2013 fiscal year (which ended on April 27th) showed a total loss of $154.8 million dollars, compared to last year, which showed less than half that loss ($65.6 million in 2012). Much of that was a result of sales of their e-reader, the Nook, falling off a cliff (sales down 16.8%). But sales at their retail stores were also poor: same-store sales (the comparison between stores that have been open for at least a year) were down 3.4%.
Most telling to me, however, are the figures for the last quarter of this year. In the 4th quarter alone, ebook sales (both devices and ebooks) were down 34% and same-store retail sales were down 8.8%. That looks like an accelerating slide to me. If you dig through the accountant-speak in the report, some of the retail store sales drop was tied to poor Nook performance, but that could also be wishful thinking. Likewise, that quarter lacked some big sellers like Fifty Shades of Gray and such but still . . . it's not looking very good. What will tell us a great deal is what the quarterly reports for the next two look like. If the drop continues or increases, it'll be a very bad sign for the company's future.
Barnes & Noble's Financial Report
B&N had a very poor year based on their recent financial filings. Their 2013 fiscal year (which ended on April 27th) showed a total loss of $154.8 million dollars, compared to last year, which showed less than half that loss ($65.6 million in 2012). Much of that was a result of sales of their e-reader, the Nook, falling off a cliff (sales down 16.8%). But sales at their retail stores were also poor: same-store sales (the comparison between stores that have been open for at least a year) were down 3.4%.
Most telling to me, however, are the figures for the last quarter of this year. In the 4th quarter alone, ebook sales (both devices and ebooks) were down 34% and same-store retail sales were down 8.8%. That looks like an accelerating slide to me. If you dig through the accountant-speak in the report, some of the retail store sales drop was tied to poor Nook performance, but that could also be wishful thinking. Likewise, that quarter lacked some big sellers like Fifty Shades of Gray and such but still . . . it's not looking very good. What will tell us a great deal is what the quarterly reports for the next two look like. If the drop continues or increases, it'll be a very bad sign for the company's future.
May 09, 2012
Stars Wars, Machete-Style
Turn the geek dial up to eleven! I just read an old-ish post about the best order in which to watch all six Star Wars movies, the "Machete Order". The author, Rod Hilton, deserves huge geek credit for the amount of thought he put into it but he deserves even more credit for being so right.
So very right. He explains it better than I could so I urge you to check out the entire post but the key point is -- don't watch episode one at all. And the absolute best part about that in my book is, by doing so, you can almost completely avoid the horrid, horrid, offensive and hateful . . . Jar Jar Binks. I don't think that there is a fictional character that I loath more than that lame-ass, floppy eared, poor excuse for a sophant.
Plus you also avoid the interminable land-speeder race and any significant reference to midichlorians (critters which, in one short scene, demoted the Force from the mystical, barely understood foundation of the universe to something a bit like a yeast infection).
I am full of awe and now I want to go home and watch the whole thing (minus episode 1, of course).
So very right. He explains it better than I could so I urge you to check out the entire post but the key point is -- don't watch episode one at all. And the absolute best part about that in my book is, by doing so, you can almost completely avoid the horrid, horrid, offensive and hateful . . . Jar Jar Binks. I don't think that there is a fictional character that I loath more than that lame-ass, floppy eared, poor excuse for a sophant.
Plus you also avoid the interminable land-speeder race and any significant reference to midichlorians (critters which, in one short scene, demoted the Force from the mystical, barely understood foundation of the universe to something a bit like a yeast infection).
I am full of awe and now I want to go home and watch the whole thing (minus episode 1, of course).
January 01, 2010
Notes from a DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
Welcome to 2010. While most of the world is focused on James Cameron's latest special effects extravaganza ("Avatar," AKA "Dances With Smurfs"), I thought I'd start out the new year by going over some of Cameron's earlier efforts. Cameron's first film job involved building miniature sets, and supervising process-projection on Roger Corman's "Battle Beyond the Stars". Not a great movie by any means, but Roger Corman once again launches the career of a future Hollywood heavyweight. Cameron's first directorial effort was still within the area of low-budget genre thrillers -- "Piranha 2: The Spawning". He was originally hired to be the special effects director, but the director quit before production started, and he inherited the big chair.
Welcome to 2010. While most of the world is focused on James Cameron's latest special effects extravaganza ("Avatar," AKA "Dances With Smurfs"), I thought I'd start out the new year by going over some of Cameron's earlier efforts. Cameron's first film job involved building miniature sets, and supervising process-projection on Roger Corman's "Battle Beyond the Stars". Not a great movie by any means, but Roger Corman once again launches the career of a future Hollywood heavyweight. Cameron's first directorial effort was still within the area of low-budget genre thrillers -- "Piranha 2: The Spawning". He was originally hired to be the special effects director, but the director quit before production started, and he inherited the big chair.
December 01, 2009
Notes from a DVD Geek
Happy holidays, DVD fans. I'd like to recommend some gift ideas for the movie geeks you may be buying presents for. Let's start off with some classics that have really nice editions available.
With James Cameron's latest opus storming theaters this holiday season, I thought the original Cameron masterpiece, "The Abyss," should get some play. There is a beautiful edition out right now, that has both the theatrical and the extended Director's Cut, along with a ton of extras. If your secret-Santa buddy is more action-oriented, it's hard to go wrong with Cameron's "Aliens". . . which of course has a beautiful 2 disk collectors edition that has both the theatrical and extended cuts of the movie. Or, if you just want to go whole hog, there's always the 9 disk "Alien" Quadrology.
Sticking with SF classics, I wanted to point out that Borderlands still has one of the limited edition, 5-disc "Blade Runner" suitcase editions, containing a ridiculous number of cuts of the movie, as well as a bunch of crazy-ass (Origami unicorn? Flying police car?!?) pieces of "Blade Runner" themed plastic-gack. This is truly the edition the hard core "Blade Runner" fan in your life has been calling out for. This suitcase edition comes with the original "workprint" version of the movie that features a DIFFERENT voice-over from the original theatrical edition. So yeah. Gotta have it.
Moving back to the realm of recent SF, the current "collector's edition" of "Serenity" is a nice gift for the Joss Wheadon fan in your life who is mourning the cancellation of Doll House. If just one movie won't make up for the loss of a Wheadon tv series, I recommend picking up the "Buffy" complete series package. All seven seasons in one box. It takes up a lot less room then all those individual seasons, and has a bunch of bonus features not found in the single-season packs. So if your Wheadon fan really needs something awesome this Christmas, "Buffy". Always "Buffy".
For the Harry Potter fans who just can't get enough, there's a series of 4 disk ultimate editions of the first two movies coming out in December. . . . The usual ton of extras plus. . . a copy of the book! This may seem a bit redundant, but true fans know you can never have enough Potter.
Another awesome gift idea out there is the "Family Guy 'Star Wars'" episodes. There's a Blue Harvest/Something Something Something Darkside double pack, that collects both of the amazing "Family Guy" spoof episodes in one package. This is a great fit for any "Star Wars" fan, or "Family Guy" fan, or any combination of the two.
For the hard core Euro-trash horror fan. . . you can not go wrong with The Blind Dead Collection ("Tombs of the Blind Dead"/"The Ghost Galleon"/"Return of the Evil Dead"/"Night of the Seagulls"/ from director Amando De Ossorio). . . all in one coffin-shaped package! Nothing says "I love you" like "The Blind Dead".
Another classic for the horror movie fan in your life is the 9 movie Val Lewton box set. Val Lewton was a legendary producer at RKO studios, and the low budget "thrillers" he produced ("Cat People" / "The Curse of the Cat People" / "I Walked with a Zombie" / "The Body Snatcher" / "Isle of the Dead" / "Bedlam" / "The Leopard Man" / "The Ghost Ship" / "The Seventh Victim"), are legendary. This set also includes a documentary, "Shadows in the Dark," which covers Lewton's career and influence. This will be appreciated by anyone who loves classic horror movies.
For those who like their horror with a more modern flair, you might consider the Dark Castle Collection box set. This production company was named after William Castle, and this DVD set includes "The House on Haunted Hill," "Thirteen Ghosts," "Ghost Ship," "Gothika," and "House of Wax". Several of these were amazingly good, and all of them were far more entertaining then one would have expected. Highlights definitely include "The House on Haunted Hill" and "Gothika". Even "House of Wax" works if you imagine it as a kind of twisted homage to Dario Argento -- it doesn't have to make sense, it just has to look incredibly weird, and compelling!
For the anime fans on your list, I recommend looking at various complete series sets that exist. "Ramna 1/2" is available in season sets, and the first couple seasons are hilarious. "Gunslinger Girls" is an excellent example of the "little girls who kick ass and have existential angst" sub-sub-genre. Another great example for this sub-genre is "Elfen Lied". Instead of secret government orphan assassins, we have secret government psychic weapon experts.
Finally, the best Christmas gifts are ALWAYS Studio Ghibli films. From "Totoro," to "Porko Rosso," to "Howl's Moving Castle," to everything in between. There's a Hayao Miyazaki film for everyone. Get one, or more, for folks on your Christmas list. They will definitely thank you.
That's all I've got for now. I'm going to go watch "Pom Poko" again. (I just love raccoons with giant testicles.) Happy Holidays!
With James Cameron's latest opus storming theaters this holiday season, I thought the original Cameron masterpiece, "The Abyss," should get some play. There is a beautiful edition out right now, that has both the theatrical and the extended Director's Cut, along with a ton of extras. If your secret-Santa buddy is more action-oriented, it's hard to go wrong with Cameron's "Aliens". . . which of course has a beautiful 2 disk collectors edition that has both the theatrical and extended cuts of the movie. Or, if you just want to go whole hog, there's always the 9 disk "Alien" Quadrology.
Sticking with SF classics, I wanted to point out that Borderlands still has one of the limited edition, 5-disc "Blade Runner" suitcase editions, containing a ridiculous number of cuts of the movie, as well as a bunch of crazy-ass (Origami unicorn? Flying police car?!?) pieces of "Blade Runner" themed plastic-gack. This is truly the edition the hard core "Blade Runner" fan in your life has been calling out for. This suitcase edition comes with the original "workprint" version of the movie that features a DIFFERENT voice-over from the original theatrical edition. So yeah. Gotta have it.
Moving back to the realm of recent SF, the current "collector's edition" of "Serenity" is a nice gift for the Joss Wheadon fan in your life who is mourning the cancellation of Doll House. If just one movie won't make up for the loss of a Wheadon tv series, I recommend picking up the "Buffy" complete series package. All seven seasons in one box. It takes up a lot less room then all those individual seasons, and has a bunch of bonus features not found in the single-season packs. So if your Wheadon fan really needs something awesome this Christmas, "Buffy". Always "Buffy".
For the Harry Potter fans who just can't get enough, there's a series of 4 disk ultimate editions of the first two movies coming out in December. . . . The usual ton of extras plus. . . a copy of the book! This may seem a bit redundant, but true fans know you can never have enough Potter.
Another awesome gift idea out there is the "Family Guy 'Star Wars'" episodes. There's a Blue Harvest/Something Something Something Darkside double pack, that collects both of the amazing "Family Guy" spoof episodes in one package. This is a great fit for any "Star Wars" fan, or "Family Guy" fan, or any combination of the two.
For the hard core Euro-trash horror fan. . . you can not go wrong with The Blind Dead Collection ("Tombs of the Blind Dead"/"The Ghost Galleon"/"Return of the Evil Dead"/"Night of the Seagulls"/ from director Amando De Ossorio). . . all in one coffin-shaped package! Nothing says "I love you" like "The Blind Dead".
Another classic for the horror movie fan in your life is the 9 movie Val Lewton box set. Val Lewton was a legendary producer at RKO studios, and the low budget "thrillers" he produced ("Cat People" / "The Curse of the Cat People" / "I Walked with a Zombie" / "The Body Snatcher" / "Isle of the Dead" / "Bedlam" / "The Leopard Man" / "The Ghost Ship" / "The Seventh Victim"), are legendary. This set also includes a documentary, "Shadows in the Dark," which covers Lewton's career and influence. This will be appreciated by anyone who loves classic horror movies.
For those who like their horror with a more modern flair, you might consider the Dark Castle Collection box set. This production company was named after William Castle, and this DVD set includes "The House on Haunted Hill," "Thirteen Ghosts," "Ghost Ship," "Gothika," and "House of Wax". Several of these were amazingly good, and all of them were far more entertaining then one would have expected. Highlights definitely include "The House on Haunted Hill" and "Gothika". Even "House of Wax" works if you imagine it as a kind of twisted homage to Dario Argento -- it doesn't have to make sense, it just has to look incredibly weird, and compelling!
For the anime fans on your list, I recommend looking at various complete series sets that exist. "Ramna 1/2" is available in season sets, and the first couple seasons are hilarious. "Gunslinger Girls" is an excellent example of the "little girls who kick ass and have existential angst" sub-sub-genre. Another great example for this sub-genre is "Elfen Lied". Instead of secret government orphan assassins, we have secret government psychic weapon experts.
Finally, the best Christmas gifts are ALWAYS Studio Ghibli films. From "Totoro," to "Porko Rosso," to "Howl's Moving Castle," to everything in between. There's a Hayao Miyazaki film for everyone. Get one, or more, for folks on your Christmas list. They will definitely thank you.
That's all I've got for now. I'm going to go watch "Pom Poko" again. (I just love raccoons with giant testicles.) Happy Holidays!
October 01, 2009
Notes from a DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
Welcome to October, my favorite month of the year. Mainly because ALL of the horror movies, good, bad and terrible, make their way to home video around this time of the year.
First up is a special edition reissue of the classic horror movie from the late 80's. . . "The Gate". This disk features commentary, and a couple of mini-documentaries, and a really nice transfer of this classic "there's a big hole in my back yard and it leads to hell" movie, which featured some incredible stop-motion effects that are still very effective today. If you never saw this one, pick it up now. If you remember the movie fondly. . . pick it up and watch it again, because it does stand the test of time, and is just as awesome as you remember.
Next I wanted to talk about some of the forthcoming releases from Sam Rami's home video label, Ghost House Underground. Consider this label to be somewhere between the "Danger After Dark" label, and the "Dark Castle" label.
One of the new releases from Ghost House is a contemporary British horror film by director/writer Tom Shankland, called "Children". Shankland's first movie was a gory yet effective serial killer/police thriller called "Waz". This time out, he's got a bunch of kids and teenagers running around a lake. Bad things start happening, and the parents and kids start blaming each other, as seeming accidents descend into overt violence. "Children" is filled with a lot of subtle scares and a very effective sense of foreboding, which contrast effectively with its outbursts of sudden ferocity.
Another by-the-numbers-but-effective-in-its-own right thriller is "The Thaw". This one stars Val Kilmer, putting on his best "Kurt Russell from 'The Thing'" performance. A parasite is unearthed in a glacier that infects and kills its hosts, but not before releasing a swarm of flying, burrowing baby parasites that spread through the scientific camp like wildfire.
Another effective bit of mayhem is "Offspring". Yes . . . the same "Offspring" as Jack Ketchum's splatterpunk classic novel. Feral cannibals terrorize folks in a remote New England town. Sure, it's a bit like "The Hills Have Eyes," except in New England, instead of the desert southwest. But it's based on Ketchum's very smart novel, and even has (I think it was him anyway) a cameo appearance by Ketchum himself. Good stuff.
"Blair Witch" co-director Eduardo Sanchez delivers something that looks like a modern, slightly better-scripted version of Fulci's "City of the Living Dead". Lots of fast moving demons/sprits of the dead/guys in white body paint chasing our protagonists around. Lots of fake blood. Lots of screaming. Good stuff that should not be missed this October. Because of the miracles of modern filmmaking, I suspect that this film was probably made with a SMALLER budget then Fulci's "City of the Living Dead" . . . but in this case, the filmmakers didn't run out of money at the end and have to just kind of fake an ending.
Those are the four that are coming out in October, but an earlier Ghost House film that I failed to mention was "Dance of the Dead". Take your standard teem dramady about geeks who can't get dates for the prom, and add zombies. All those dumb high-school cliches who never watch zombie films? Yeah . . . they get their asses kicked. But the "sci-fi" club? They know how to kick zombie ass. This is director Gregg Bishop's second feature film, and has a better budget than his first effort "The Other Side," which even despite its small budget was really well done.
Leaving Ghost House Underground, I have to point out the latest Lance Henrickson direct to video extravaganza. "The Seamstress" sets up an urban legend come to life . . . the murderous spirit of a . . . yes . . . seamstress, who weaves (ugh, sorry) a bloody path across the small town where she died, oh so many years ago. I know. It's nothing we haven't seen before. But it has Lance Henrickson chewing the scenery. If you need some Halloween cheese . . . this is the place to go.
Moving from your normal Halloween slashers to the "Hot damn! I've been waiting for that film to hit DVD for years!" category of film, comes Richard Stanely's "Hardware". This post-apocalyptic killer android movie sports one of the best movie soundtracks since "Return of the Living Dead" (PIL, Ministry, Iggy Pop, etc.) as well as a "Greek chorus" provided by a joke-cracking radio dj, played by Iggy Pop. Damn. This is one of the greatest movies ever. It is hot and sexy, and dusty and crazy, and . . . oh yeah. It features an under-siege/final fight sequence that is legendary. I'm getting chills, just waiting for this one to arrive. I can finally toss out my laserdisc of this film, and enter the 21st century!
Finally . . . the live-action version of "Blood: The Last Vampire" hits DVD this month. Bloody sword swinging half-vampire assassins, demons, and the undead. This movie is produced by Ronny Yu! What's up, Ronny "Bride With White Hair" Yu! Don't miss this one.
That's what my Halloween is looking like this year. Be sure and email me some of your favorite movies (horror or otherwise) if I've missed them here in this column.
Welcome to October, my favorite month of the year. Mainly because ALL of the horror movies, good, bad and terrible, make their way to home video around this time of the year.
First up is a special edition reissue of the classic horror movie from the late 80's. . . "The Gate". This disk features commentary, and a couple of mini-documentaries, and a really nice transfer of this classic "there's a big hole in my back yard and it leads to hell" movie, which featured some incredible stop-motion effects that are still very effective today. If you never saw this one, pick it up now. If you remember the movie fondly. . . pick it up and watch it again, because it does stand the test of time, and is just as awesome as you remember.
Next I wanted to talk about some of the forthcoming releases from Sam Rami's home video label, Ghost House Underground. Consider this label to be somewhere between the "Danger After Dark" label, and the "Dark Castle" label.
One of the new releases from Ghost House is a contemporary British horror film by director/writer Tom Shankland, called "Children". Shankland's first movie was a gory yet effective serial killer/police thriller called "Waz". This time out, he's got a bunch of kids and teenagers running around a lake. Bad things start happening, and the parents and kids start blaming each other, as seeming accidents descend into overt violence. "Children" is filled with a lot of subtle scares and a very effective sense of foreboding, which contrast effectively with its outbursts of sudden ferocity.
Another by-the-numbers-but-effective-in-its-own right thriller is "The Thaw". This one stars Val Kilmer, putting on his best "Kurt Russell from 'The Thing'" performance. A parasite is unearthed in a glacier that infects and kills its hosts, but not before releasing a swarm of flying, burrowing baby parasites that spread through the scientific camp like wildfire.
Another effective bit of mayhem is "Offspring". Yes . . . the same "Offspring" as Jack Ketchum's splatterpunk classic novel. Feral cannibals terrorize folks in a remote New England town. Sure, it's a bit like "The Hills Have Eyes," except in New England, instead of the desert southwest. But it's based on Ketchum's very smart novel, and even has (I think it was him anyway) a cameo appearance by Ketchum himself. Good stuff.
"Blair Witch" co-director Eduardo Sanchez delivers something that looks like a modern, slightly better-scripted version of Fulci's "City of the Living Dead". Lots of fast moving demons/sprits of the dead/guys in white body paint chasing our protagonists around. Lots of fake blood. Lots of screaming. Good stuff that should not be missed this October. Because of the miracles of modern filmmaking, I suspect that this film was probably made with a SMALLER budget then Fulci's "City of the Living Dead" . . . but in this case, the filmmakers didn't run out of money at the end and have to just kind of fake an ending.
Those are the four that are coming out in October, but an earlier Ghost House film that I failed to mention was "Dance of the Dead". Take your standard teem dramady about geeks who can't get dates for the prom, and add zombies. All those dumb high-school cliches who never watch zombie films? Yeah . . . they get their asses kicked. But the "sci-fi" club? They know how to kick zombie ass. This is director Gregg Bishop's second feature film, and has a better budget than his first effort "The Other Side," which even despite its small budget was really well done.
Leaving Ghost House Underground, I have to point out the latest Lance Henrickson direct to video extravaganza. "The Seamstress" sets up an urban legend come to life . . . the murderous spirit of a . . . yes . . . seamstress, who weaves (ugh, sorry) a bloody path across the small town where she died, oh so many years ago. I know. It's nothing we haven't seen before. But it has Lance Henrickson chewing the scenery. If you need some Halloween cheese . . . this is the place to go.
Moving from your normal Halloween slashers to the "Hot damn! I've been waiting for that film to hit DVD for years!" category of film, comes Richard Stanely's "Hardware". This post-apocalyptic killer android movie sports one of the best movie soundtracks since "Return of the Living Dead" (PIL, Ministry, Iggy Pop, etc.) as well as a "Greek chorus" provided by a joke-cracking radio dj, played by Iggy Pop. Damn. This is one of the greatest movies ever. It is hot and sexy, and dusty and crazy, and . . . oh yeah. It features an under-siege/final fight sequence that is legendary. I'm getting chills, just waiting for this one to arrive. I can finally toss out my laserdisc of this film, and enter the 21st century!
Finally . . . the live-action version of "Blood: The Last Vampire" hits DVD this month. Bloody sword swinging half-vampire assassins, demons, and the undead. This movie is produced by Ronny Yu! What's up, Ronny "Bride With White Hair" Yu! Don't miss this one.
That's what my Halloween is looking like this year. Be sure and email me some of your favorite movies (horror or otherwise) if I've missed them here in this column.
September 01, 2009
Notes from a DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
September is upon us and I've got new DVDs to recommend. Please ignore all the new Michael Jackson DVDs hitting the shelves and go directly to the SF/Fantasy/Horror section.
First up is the complete series of the manga-turned-anime "Ah! My Goddess". Our protagonist is a college student with a hot girlfriend who is really a goddess, and doesn't know how to behave amongst humans. Hijinx ensue, and this new 6-disk collection of the series is the best way to enjoy all the hijinx.
For all you people out there who have been holding off on buying John Carpenter movies, I have to ask: "What is wrong with you?" But if you HAVE been holding out, now is your chance to buy a quadruple feature of some of his best (and one of his worst) movies. Universal is putting out "John Carpenter: Master of Fear". It contains "The Thing","Prince of Darkness","Village of the Damned", and "They Live". For my money, there is only one clunker in this set, and that's "Village of the Damned". . . but it's got Christopher Reeve and creepy little kids, so I won't complain too much. This set comes on two disks, so my guess is it's not loaded with extras like some of the JC releases are, but "Prince of Darkness" and "They Live" were pretty bare-boned as single disks, so you probably aren't missing much, and if you don't already own these movies, you probably don't care about the extras anyway. But if you don't own these movies, this is a great chance to pick up JC on the cheap -- $5 a movie. And let's face it: everybody reading this should own at least a couple of JC movies. I think there's a rule about that somewhere.
Getting into more quadruple feature action is Turner Classic Movies. This month they are giving us both a horror and a science fiction set. The horror set contains "House Of Wax" (1953), "The Haunting" (1963), "Freaks" (1932), and "Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde" (1941). The science fiction set contains "Forbidden Planet" (1956), "The Time Machine" (1960), "Soylent Green" (1973), and "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968). These are better-then-average selections for discount box sets, and with a per-movie price of $7, they are a great bargain.
For a classic of a completely different sort, don't miss the 1971 Angela Lansbury/Disney classic "Bedknobs and Broomsticks". It might not be for everyone, but if you love this movie, this restored, remastered edition has a heaping of extras. I repeat, don't miss it.
And leaving the realm of classic, and back to the realm of multi-movie sets: the first three Amityville Horror movies are collected together in the "Amityville Horror Collection". Cheesy 70s/80s haunted house movies, all in one box. It may not be great cinema, but if the profile of that house ever gave you nightmares, this might be the box set to have in your collection.
Speaking of cheesy movies that have been repackaged: this month Universal Pictures is FINALLY (they originally announced it as a May title but pulled it) releasing a new edition of "Army of Darkness" (The Screwhead Edition). Now, you might say that "Army of Darkness" has had a million different editions, and you'd be right. But EVERY LAST ONE of the Anchor Bay releases of "Army of Darkness" used a really really really bad, grainy, high-compression version of the film. It looked like crap. It looked like it was shot on 16mm, and I can tell you. . . I saw this baby in the theater the week it came out, and it looked glorious.
For a long time, the MGM Japanese DVD was THE disk to get if you wanted the best picture quality. Well, the North American rights reverted back to MGM, and they are releasing this on both DVD and Blue Ray, so the transfer is bound to be the best available. Now, the bad news is that it is ONLY the "theatrical cut" on the disk: the "slept until the future" ending is tacked onto the disk as an alternate ending/bonus material. This is NOT the significantly longer running time "director's cut" that featured the original ending and a bunch of other dialogue and bits that were cut from the North American theatrical edition. So don't throw away your Anchor Bay Director's Cut DVDs just yet. But for my money, the theatrical cut was always the tightest/best version of the movie anyway, and I say that as someone who has owned the original dual disk Anchor Bay Theatrical and Director's Cut disks since they were first released. I've watched both versions. . . a lot. Actually, I have to admit that I even had the laserdisc of "Army of Darkness" for a while too. Yeah. I'm a geek on so many levels it hurts.
I'm going to sort my "Evil Dead" disks, and move them into my zombie section, instead of my Bruce Campbell section, while I wait for this new "Army of Darkness" disk. I'll talk to you next month about a bunch of Halloween releases, and more stuff, I'm sure.
September is upon us and I've got new DVDs to recommend. Please ignore all the new Michael Jackson DVDs hitting the shelves and go directly to the SF/Fantasy/Horror section.
First up is the complete series of the manga-turned-anime "Ah! My Goddess". Our protagonist is a college student with a hot girlfriend who is really a goddess, and doesn't know how to behave amongst humans. Hijinx ensue, and this new 6-disk collection of the series is the best way to enjoy all the hijinx.
For all you people out there who have been holding off on buying John Carpenter movies, I have to ask: "What is wrong with you?" But if you HAVE been holding out, now is your chance to buy a quadruple feature of some of his best (and one of his worst) movies. Universal is putting out "John Carpenter: Master of Fear". It contains "The Thing","Prince of Darkness","Village of the Damned", and "They Live". For my money, there is only one clunker in this set, and that's "Village of the Damned". . . but it's got Christopher Reeve and creepy little kids, so I won't complain too much. This set comes on two disks, so my guess is it's not loaded with extras like some of the JC releases are, but "Prince of Darkness" and "They Live" were pretty bare-boned as single disks, so you probably aren't missing much, and if you don't already own these movies, you probably don't care about the extras anyway. But if you don't own these movies, this is a great chance to pick up JC on the cheap -- $5 a movie. And let's face it: everybody reading this should own at least a couple of JC movies. I think there's a rule about that somewhere.
Getting into more quadruple feature action is Turner Classic Movies. This month they are giving us both a horror and a science fiction set. The horror set contains "House Of Wax" (1953), "The Haunting" (1963), "Freaks" (1932), and "Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde" (1941). The science fiction set contains "Forbidden Planet" (1956), "The Time Machine" (1960), "Soylent Green" (1973), and "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968). These are better-then-average selections for discount box sets, and with a per-movie price of $7, they are a great bargain.
For a classic of a completely different sort, don't miss the 1971 Angela Lansbury/Disney classic "Bedknobs and Broomsticks". It might not be for everyone, but if you love this movie, this restored, remastered edition has a heaping of extras. I repeat, don't miss it.
And leaving the realm of classic, and back to the realm of multi-movie sets: the first three Amityville Horror movies are collected together in the "Amityville Horror Collection". Cheesy 70s/80s haunted house movies, all in one box. It may not be great cinema, but if the profile of that house ever gave you nightmares, this might be the box set to have in your collection.
Speaking of cheesy movies that have been repackaged: this month Universal Pictures is FINALLY (they originally announced it as a May title but pulled it) releasing a new edition of "Army of Darkness" (The Screwhead Edition). Now, you might say that "Army of Darkness" has had a million different editions, and you'd be right. But EVERY LAST ONE of the Anchor Bay releases of "Army of Darkness" used a really really really bad, grainy, high-compression version of the film. It looked like crap. It looked like it was shot on 16mm, and I can tell you. . . I saw this baby in the theater the week it came out, and it looked glorious.
For a long time, the MGM Japanese DVD was THE disk to get if you wanted the best picture quality. Well, the North American rights reverted back to MGM, and they are releasing this on both DVD and Blue Ray, so the transfer is bound to be the best available. Now, the bad news is that it is ONLY the "theatrical cut" on the disk: the "slept until the future" ending is tacked onto the disk as an alternate ending/bonus material. This is NOT the significantly longer running time "director's cut" that featured the original ending and a bunch of other dialogue and bits that were cut from the North American theatrical edition. So don't throw away your Anchor Bay Director's Cut DVDs just yet. But for my money, the theatrical cut was always the tightest/best version of the movie anyway, and I say that as someone who has owned the original dual disk Anchor Bay Theatrical and Director's Cut disks since they were first released. I've watched both versions. . . a lot. Actually, I have to admit that I even had the laserdisc of "Army of Darkness" for a while too. Yeah. I'm a geek on so many levels it hurts.
I'm going to sort my "Evil Dead" disks, and move them into my zombie section, instead of my Bruce Campbell section, while I wait for this new "Army of Darkness" disk. I'll talk to you next month about a bunch of Halloween releases, and more stuff, I'm sure.
August 01, 2009
Notes from a DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
Hey everyone. Summertime is upon us, and while most of the big summer blockbusters have come and gone, there are some absolutely scrumptious movies hitting home video.
Right out of the gate we have a gem of 60's sleeze, with Elio Petri's "The 10th Victim". Imagine a future where society is so depraved and filled with blood lust that murder is sanctioned as a sport. The Big Hunt is an international game and its two top assassin/players are played by a Felini Playboy(Marcello Mastroanni from "La Dolce Vita") and Bond Girl (Ursula Andress of "Dr. No" fame), you've got a recipe for a cult SF classic of distopian sex and violence. Don't miss this one.
Staying in the 60s, I wanted to mention that Criterion is releasing Roman Polanski's classic movie of psychological horror, "Repulsion," starring Catherine Deneuve. Polanski, Deneuve, and Criterion? What could possibly be wrong with this? Grab it up if you don't already own it. And even if you do, it might be time to upgrade as this Criterion disc has audio commentary featuring Polanski and Deneuve, as well as both a 2003-era documentary, and a 1964 era documentary, both on the making of this classic piece of film history.
On a slightly different note, a film that may be worth checking out is "Necessary Evil". It MIGHT be a cookie cutter bio-hazard "'28 Days Later' meets 'Saw'" kind of thing. But it's got two things that are going to make me put it in my DVD player the day I get it. Lance Henrikson and Danny Trejo. Because even if it's a bad movie, there are worse ways to spend 90 minutes then to watch Lance Henrikson and Danny Trejo chew up the scenery. I'm up for this one. Anyone else?
Speaking of a different note. . . "Machine Girl" hits DVD this month. This is the tender story of a young Japanese schoolgirl who gets her arm sawed off by the Yakuza, but survives and returns for a bloody revenge spree, with cyborg-enhanced prosthetics. Part "Full Metal Yakuza," part "Ms. 45" this movie features cyborg violence galore. While not by Takashi Mike or anything, this Japanese cult film is by a promising young Japanese exploitation director Noboru Iguchi ("A Larva To Love," and "Cat-Eyed Boy").
Dwayne Johnson (AKA The Rock) "Races to Witch Mountain" this month, on DVD. The less said about this the better, I guess. Its main problem is that it is no longer two alien kids lost and alone and getting over. . . It's The Rock, helping kids get over. Far less compelling then the original, IMO. But, if you are a fan of "The People's Eyebrow". . . well, I guess there are worse ways to spend your time.
Another very forgettable remake hits the shelves this month. "The Last House on The Left," AKA "The Last Money Grab Left On The Shelf". I'm not saying that the original movie is some kind of sacred cow that can never be touched; I'm just saying that if you want to watch this story line over again, go get the Criterion Edition of "Virgin Spring" by Ingmar Bergman and be done with it.
Having just mentioned three clunkers, let me cleanse my typing pallet by mentioning that "Coraline" is out on DVD (and Blue Ray, natch) and it is just as awesome as it was on the big screen. I myself can take or leave the 3-D effects, but with or without, this is a great movie, and a great adaptation of the Neil Gaimen novel of the same name. If you somehow missed this one, run out and get it.
Until next time, I am forever yours, A DVD Geek.
Hey everyone. Summertime is upon us, and while most of the big summer blockbusters have come and gone, there are some absolutely scrumptious movies hitting home video.
Right out of the gate we have a gem of 60's sleeze, with Elio Petri's "The 10th Victim". Imagine a future where society is so depraved and filled with blood lust that murder is sanctioned as a sport. The Big Hunt is an international game and its two top assassin/players are played by a Felini Playboy(Marcello Mastroanni from "La Dolce Vita") and Bond Girl (Ursula Andress of "Dr. No" fame), you've got a recipe for a cult SF classic of distopian sex and violence. Don't miss this one.
Staying in the 60s, I wanted to mention that Criterion is releasing Roman Polanski's classic movie of psychological horror, "Repulsion," starring Catherine Deneuve. Polanski, Deneuve, and Criterion? What could possibly be wrong with this? Grab it up if you don't already own it. And even if you do, it might be time to upgrade as this Criterion disc has audio commentary featuring Polanski and Deneuve, as well as both a 2003-era documentary, and a 1964 era documentary, both on the making of this classic piece of film history.
On a slightly different note, a film that may be worth checking out is "Necessary Evil". It MIGHT be a cookie cutter bio-hazard "'28 Days Later' meets 'Saw'" kind of thing. But it's got two things that are going to make me put it in my DVD player the day I get it. Lance Henrikson and Danny Trejo. Because even if it's a bad movie, there are worse ways to spend 90 minutes then to watch Lance Henrikson and Danny Trejo chew up the scenery. I'm up for this one. Anyone else?
Speaking of a different note. . . "Machine Girl" hits DVD this month. This is the tender story of a young Japanese schoolgirl who gets her arm sawed off by the Yakuza, but survives and returns for a bloody revenge spree, with cyborg-enhanced prosthetics. Part "Full Metal Yakuza," part "Ms. 45" this movie features cyborg violence galore. While not by Takashi Mike or anything, this Japanese cult film is by a promising young Japanese exploitation director Noboru Iguchi ("A Larva To Love," and "Cat-Eyed Boy").
Dwayne Johnson (AKA The Rock) "Races to Witch Mountain" this month, on DVD. The less said about this the better, I guess. Its main problem is that it is no longer two alien kids lost and alone and getting over. . . It's The Rock, helping kids get over. Far less compelling then the original, IMO. But, if you are a fan of "The People's Eyebrow". . . well, I guess there are worse ways to spend your time.
Another very forgettable remake hits the shelves this month. "The Last House on The Left," AKA "The Last Money Grab Left On The Shelf". I'm not saying that the original movie is some kind of sacred cow that can never be touched; I'm just saying that if you want to watch this story line over again, go get the Criterion Edition of "Virgin Spring" by Ingmar Bergman and be done with it.
Having just mentioned three clunkers, let me cleanse my typing pallet by mentioning that "Coraline" is out on DVD (and Blue Ray, natch) and it is just as awesome as it was on the big screen. I myself can take or leave the 3-D effects, but with or without, this is a great movie, and a great adaptation of the Neil Gaimen novel of the same name. If you somehow missed this one, run out and get it.
Until next time, I am forever yours, A DVD Geek.
June 01, 2009
Notes from a DVD Geek
By Jeremy Lassen
The big release for science fiction fans this month is a documentary about legendary SF writer Harlan Ellison. This documentary, "Dreams With Sharp Teeth", is directed by the producer of "Grizzly Man" (You know… the documentary about the guy who disappeared while filming bears in Alaska,) Erik Nelson.
This documentary is not a tell-all attack piece, nor is it an even-handed, balanced documentary that gives equal time to Ellison's critics. Instead, it is a riotous celebration of the man, his work, and the character that he has created, "Harlan Ellison", over the course of his career. Many funny tidbits and gems are in this documentary and in the associated "extras" on the DVD.
In celebration of this documentary, I'd like to point out some of the movies and TV episodes that have been based on Harlan Ellison's work.
Probably the most famous movie adaptation is "A Boy and His Dog", staring a very young Don Johnson. This story of Ellison's is one of his most memorable, and the movie does it some justice . . . even though the tone of the film does tend to veer wildly from act to act.
One of the most (in)famous movies inspired by Ellison's work is James Cameron's original "Terminator" movie. Ellison sued to get a credit for this movie, and won, claiming it was inspired by his Outer Limit episodes "Soldier," and "The Demon With a Glass Hand". Despite losing this battle in court, director (and script co-writer) James Cameron has always resented this assertion, and there seems to be a back-and-forth battle of the credit line in the various home video versions of this film, with Ellison's story credit slipping in and out of the credits as each new version of the film is released.
Moving past "Terminator", we can get to some of Ellison's television writing, which includes the above-mentioned Outer Limits episodes and the famous Star Trek episode, "The City on the Edge of Forever". He was also responsible for the episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents' "Memo from Purgatory." There were numerous other lesser-known TV episodes that he banged out early in his tv writing career, from episodes of "Burke's Law", to an episodes from "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea".
Much later, several of his stories were adapted for the 1980's "The New Twilight Zone" series ("Crazy as a Soup Sandwich," "Gramma," "One Life," "Furnished in Early Poverty," "Paladin of the Lost Hour" and "Shatterday").
There were also a couple of "Babylon 5" episodes written by Ellison, a "New Outer Limits" episode from 1999 based on "The Human Operators", and a "Masters of Science Fiction" episode based on his story "The Discarded."
There were many other legendarily unproduced pilots and scripts, which Ellison chronicles at length in his books, THE GLASS TEAT, and THE OTHER GLASS TEAT. [Editor's note: Both of these volumes are now out of print.]
Moving away from Ellison, to another cult SF personality, Joss Whedon's "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" hits DVD in June. This one was the "online only" production that Whedon worked on during the writers' strike last year, and it's now more widely commercially available, with a bunch of extras on the DVD that were not part of the original download.
And, moving from the cult SF side of the house to the cult horror side of the house, I bring you the most unlikely adaptation to ever be made. "Header". A movie based on Edward Lee's "classic" splatter-porn short story, soon to be available on DVD. This looks to be a mostly mediocre low budget horror film, but wow. "Header". Edward Lee. I can't wait. It's like when I found out "The Girl Next Door" was being made into a movie. But somehow sleazier and seedier.
And that's all I've got for you this month.
The big release for science fiction fans this month is a documentary about legendary SF writer Harlan Ellison. This documentary, "Dreams With Sharp Teeth", is directed by the producer of "Grizzly Man" (You know… the documentary about the guy who disappeared while filming bears in Alaska,) Erik Nelson.
This documentary is not a tell-all attack piece, nor is it an even-handed, balanced documentary that gives equal time to Ellison's critics. Instead, it is a riotous celebration of the man, his work, and the character that he has created, "Harlan Ellison", over the course of his career. Many funny tidbits and gems are in this documentary and in the associated "extras" on the DVD.
In celebration of this documentary, I'd like to point out some of the movies and TV episodes that have been based on Harlan Ellison's work.
Probably the most famous movie adaptation is "A Boy and His Dog", staring a very young Don Johnson. This story of Ellison's is one of his most memorable, and the movie does it some justice . . . even though the tone of the film does tend to veer wildly from act to act.
One of the most (in)famous movies inspired by Ellison's work is James Cameron's original "Terminator" movie. Ellison sued to get a credit for this movie, and won, claiming it was inspired by his Outer Limit episodes "Soldier," and "The Demon With a Glass Hand". Despite losing this battle in court, director (and script co-writer) James Cameron has always resented this assertion, and there seems to be a back-and-forth battle of the credit line in the various home video versions of this film, with Ellison's story credit slipping in and out of the credits as each new version of the film is released.
Moving past "Terminator", we can get to some of Ellison's television writing, which includes the above-mentioned Outer Limits episodes and the famous Star Trek episode, "The City on the Edge of Forever". He was also responsible for the episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents' "Memo from Purgatory." There were numerous other lesser-known TV episodes that he banged out early in his tv writing career, from episodes of "Burke's Law", to an episodes from "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea".
Much later, several of his stories were adapted for the 1980's "The New Twilight Zone" series ("Crazy as a Soup Sandwich," "Gramma," "One Life," "Furnished in Early Poverty," "Paladin of the Lost Hour" and "Shatterday").
There were also a couple of "Babylon 5" episodes written by Ellison, a "New Outer Limits" episode from 1999 based on "The Human Operators", and a "Masters of Science Fiction" episode based on his story "The Discarded."
There were many other legendarily unproduced pilots and scripts, which Ellison chronicles at length in his books, THE GLASS TEAT, and THE OTHER GLASS TEAT. [Editor's note: Both of these volumes are now out of print.]
Moving away from Ellison, to another cult SF personality, Joss Whedon's "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" hits DVD in June. This one was the "online only" production that Whedon worked on during the writers' strike last year, and it's now more widely commercially available, with a bunch of extras on the DVD that were not part of the original download.
And, moving from the cult SF side of the house to the cult horror side of the house, I bring you the most unlikely adaptation to ever be made. "Header". A movie based on Edward Lee's "classic" splatter-porn short story, soon to be available on DVD. This looks to be a mostly mediocre low budget horror film, but wow. "Header". Edward Lee. I can't wait. It's like when I found out "The Girl Next Door" was being made into a movie. But somehow sleazier and seedier.
And that's all I've got for you this month.
May 01, 2009
Notes from a DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
Hey everyone. Got some new release info for you this month, and some rambling about "Star Trek".
First up: "The Uninvited" hits DVD this week. It's a US remake of the Korean horror classic "A Tale Of Two Sisters". It’s fairly decent, (if a little bit dumbed down,) but given how convoluted and obtuse the original was, this isn’t really a terrible problem. I enjoyed this one.
"S. Darko" proves the Joe Bob Briggs rule of sequels: just do the same damn thing over again. This beat-for-beat sequel to "Donnie Darko" is by the production company of "Donnie Darko," but original "Darko" director Richard Kelly had nothing to do with it. In fact he's pretty vocally disavowed it. But. . . it occurs to me that if Kelly had turned in this movie instead of "Southland Tales," he might still have a career in Hollywood. If you just want to experience the frission of "Donnie Darko" again, check out "S. Darko". It does exactly what a sequel is supposed to do - give you precisely the same experience all over again.
Hey everyone. Got some new release info for you this month, and some rambling about "Star Trek".
First up: "The Uninvited" hits DVD this week. It's a US remake of the Korean horror classic "A Tale Of Two Sisters". It’s fairly decent, (if a little bit dumbed down,) but given how convoluted and obtuse the original was, this isn’t really a terrible problem. I enjoyed this one.
"S. Darko" proves the Joe Bob Briggs rule of sequels: just do the same damn thing over again. This beat-for-beat sequel to "Donnie Darko" is by the production company of "Donnie Darko," but original "Darko" director Richard Kelly had nothing to do with it. In fact he's pretty vocally disavowed it. But. . . it occurs to me that if Kelly had turned in this movie instead of "Southland Tales," he might still have a career in Hollywood. If you just want to experience the frission of "Donnie Darko" again, check out "S. Darko". It does exactly what a sequel is supposed to do - give you precisely the same experience all over again.
April 01, 2009
Notes From A DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
I’m going to make it short and sweet this month. Just the good stuff!
Two films of note (recently released on DVD domestically) by Japanese director Takashi Miike: The first is an adaptation of “Crows Zero” from the popular manga of the same name. This one might be seen as "Heathers" meets "The Sopranos" --Japanese style. The other is "Sukiyaki Western: Django". This one is Akira Karasawa’s "Ran" meets "A Fist Full of Dollars". It’s in the tradition of a spaghetti western Django movie, but has a mind-blowing color pallet, and over-the-top stylization of Miike. Good stuff all around. While neither of these movies is exactly horror or science fiction, they get special mention here because of Miike’s interest to genre movie watchers in general, and because they are so damn surreal as to quite possibly be fantasy.
I’m going to make it short and sweet this month. Just the good stuff!
Two films of note (recently released on DVD domestically) by Japanese director Takashi Miike: The first is an adaptation of “Crows Zero” from the popular manga of the same name. This one might be seen as "Heathers" meets "The Sopranos" --Japanese style. The other is "Sukiyaki Western: Django". This one is Akira Karasawa’s "Ran" meets "A Fist Full of Dollars". It’s in the tradition of a spaghetti western Django movie, but has a mind-blowing color pallet, and over-the-top stylization of Miike. Good stuff all around. While neither of these movies is exactly horror or science fiction, they get special mention here because of Miike’s interest to genre movie watchers in general, and because they are so damn surreal as to quite possibly be fantasy.
March 01, 2009
Notes From A DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
This month I want to talk about Kaiju. Giant monsters! Men in rubber suits! The destruction of large cities by rampaging beasties. How can one go wrong with that? And while bad Godzilla knock-offs can get old after a while, there’s enough variation to be found in the genre (giant alligators in the sewer, giant snakes in the jungle, etc. etc.) to keep things fresh.
This month I want to talk about Kaiju
November 01, 2008
Notes From A DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
It’s not quite the Christmas season yet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start looking for gifts, or for things to put on your list. Here’s some stuff that might appeal to a genre movie buff.
First up is the giant pink Jedi in the living room: Love ‘em or hate em, the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy has been out on DVD for some time, and if you’ve just been avoiding them altogether, now is your chance to get all three movies in one. This special edition package contains all the bonus material from the previous releases, and has a documentary that hasn’t been previously released. If you are going to own it, this may be the way to go.
It’s not quite the Christmas season yet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start looking for gifts, or for things to put on your list. Here’s some stuff that might appeal to a genre movie buff.
First up is the giant pink Jedi in the living room: Love ‘em or hate em, the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy has been out on DVD for some time, and if you’ve just been avoiding them altogether, now is your chance to get all three movies in one. This special edition package contains all the bonus material from the previous releases, and has a documentary that hasn’t been previously released. If you are going to own it, this may be the way to go.
October 01, 2008
Notes From A DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
Happy October, horror fans. This is the month in which all of the good, bad and indifferent horror movies come out on DVD. Luckily, I’m here to point out the good stuff.
Before we get started with the horror movies, I wanted to point out one of the more interesting anime shows I’ve run across. . . a post-apocalyptic steampunk adventure in a world were androids and humans live side by side: "Ergo Proxy". This one went 24 episodes, and is worth checking out, now that it's available as a single box set DVD release. The director of "Ergo Proxy" is the director who brought us the 2003 series "Witch Hunter Robin". If you haven’t seen either of these, you might want to check them out.
Happy October, horror fans. This is the month in which all of the good, bad and indifferent horror movies come out on DVD. Luckily, I’m here to point out the good stuff.
Before we get started with the horror movies, I wanted to point out one of the more interesting anime shows I’ve run across. . . a post-apocalyptic steampunk adventure in a world were androids and humans live side by side: "Ergo Proxy". This one went 24 episodes, and is worth checking out, now that it's available as a single box set DVD release. The director of "Ergo Proxy" is the director who brought us the 2003 series "Witch Hunter Robin". If you haven’t seen either of these, you might want to check them out.
September 01, 2008
Notes From A DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
Hey everyone. I’m going to totally put on my film geek hat for this one.
First up, I want to talk about Orson Welles. Most might not think of him when they think of SF and fantasy, but Welles was all about the SF and fantasy, and not just in a Shakespearian sort of way. Of course the most famous thing Welles did was his Mecury Theater War of the Worlds broadcast. I’m sure most of you have heard it, or have heard bits sampled from it. It’s quite the awesome piece of writing and radio production and well worth checking out.
Hey everyone. I’m going to totally put on my film geek hat for this one.
First up, I want to talk about Orson Welles. Most might not think of him when they think of SF and fantasy, but Welles was all about the SF and fantasy, and not just in a Shakespearian sort of way. Of course the most famous thing Welles did was his Mecury Theater War of the Worlds broadcast. I’m sure most of you have heard it, or have heard bits sampled from it. It’s quite the awesome piece of writing and radio production and well worth checking out.
July 01, 2008
Notes From A DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
Hey everyone. Some great new titles and stuff hitting DVD for the first time.
First up is Stuart Gordon’s "From Beyond". Made on the heels of Gordon’s classic "Reanimator," this movie is the legendary Lovecraftian S&M bondage movie, and should not be missed. Previously only available on VHS and Laserdisk, this one is finally making its way to DVD. Actually, it made its way to DVD several months ago, but somehow I missed it. Sorry, everyone. This disk looks to be a tricked-out, remastered edition, with alternate scenes, interviews with Gordon, and other cool stuff.
Hey everyone. Some great new titles and stuff hitting DVD for the first time.
First up is Stuart Gordon’s "From Beyond". Made on the heels of Gordon’s classic "Reanimator," this movie is the legendary Lovecraftian S&M bondage movie, and should not be missed. Previously only available on VHS and Laserdisk, this one is finally making its way to DVD. Actually, it made its way to DVD several months ago, but somehow I missed it. Sorry, everyone. This disk looks to be a tricked-out, remastered edition, with alternate scenes, interviews with Gordon, and other cool stuff.
May 01, 2008
Notes From A DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
I’m going to cover some old ground with this one, but the really high profile new release last month was "I Am Legend". I’ve gone on about this one before, but I figure I’d mention some of the interesting bits about this release. The two-disk special includes the “original” ending that actually speaks to the source material, and addresses the problems I had with the first half of the movie, and the intelligence of the zombie/vampires. It’s still not a very good movie in my opinion, but it’s not as bad as the theatrical version, which is also included with the DVD.
Speaking of Bad Adaptations, "The Golden Compass" came out at the end of last month. It’s got a nice CGI polar bear battle, anyway.
Another big SF franchise hitting DVD this month is "Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem". The word on the street is that this one isn’t as bad as the original "Alien Vs. Predator" movie. That’s high praise indeed.
Another adaptation that just hit DVD is Tim Burton’s "Sweeny Todd". Neither of the leading actors can sing very well, and Burton manages to screw up the framing device, but hell . . . it's Sweeny Todd! Even Tim Burton can’t squeeze the goodness out of the source material.
On the good side of the DVD releases this month, there’s a two-disk 25th anniversary edition of "War Games". Would YOU like to play a game?
On the anime side of the shelf, the sequel to "KITE" just hit DVD. "KITE Liberator" follows high-school student Monaka as she becomes a feared and highly-skilled contract killer.
Two films from Spain to check out: one very high-profile movie just released was produced by Guillermo Del Toro: "The Orphanage". It got a wide theatrical release and a ton of well deserved positive reviews. On the opposite side of the spectrum is "Crazy Eights," a Spanish horror/exploitation film from the Afterdark Horrorfest series, starring Tracy Lords. "Crazy Eights" was released last year, so this isn’t one of Lord’s early efforts. But it’s got all the right moves for a gruesome little indy horror film. Check it out.
Another After Dark Horrorfest release is "Deaths of Ian Stone". I haven’t seen this one yet, but it’s a sort of slasher version of "Groundhog Day". Ian Stone must relive the day of his death, over and over until he solves his murder. I’m definitely looking forward to giving this one a watch.
And, finally, to the truly sublime part of this month's releases, we have "The Mist". This adaptation is very true to the original novella by Stephen King, and features top notch performances. It also has some really stunning fx work, and has an unbelievably grim ending. What’s not to like? This was one of my two favorite movies of the year last year, so I hope you’ll check it out. There’s a two disk special edition of this one that features an extensive mix of extras that are worth the extra $3.
I’m going to cover some old ground with this one, but the really high profile new release last month was "I Am Legend". I’ve gone on about this one before, but I figure I’d mention some of the interesting bits about this release. The two-disk special includes the “original” ending that actually speaks to the source material, and addresses the problems I had with the first half of the movie, and the intelligence of the zombie/vampires. It’s still not a very good movie in my opinion, but it’s not as bad as the theatrical version, which is also included with the DVD.
Speaking of Bad Adaptations, "The Golden Compass" came out at the end of last month. It’s got a nice CGI polar bear battle, anyway.
Another big SF franchise hitting DVD this month is "Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem". The word on the street is that this one isn’t as bad as the original "Alien Vs. Predator" movie. That’s high praise indeed.
Another adaptation that just hit DVD is Tim Burton’s "Sweeny Todd". Neither of the leading actors can sing very well, and Burton manages to screw up the framing device, but hell . . . it's Sweeny Todd! Even Tim Burton can’t squeeze the goodness out of the source material.
On the good side of the DVD releases this month, there’s a two-disk 25th anniversary edition of "War Games". Would YOU like to play a game?
On the anime side of the shelf, the sequel to "KITE" just hit DVD. "KITE Liberator" follows high-school student Monaka as she becomes a feared and highly-skilled contract killer.
Two films from Spain to check out: one very high-profile movie just released was produced by Guillermo Del Toro: "The Orphanage". It got a wide theatrical release and a ton of well deserved positive reviews. On the opposite side of the spectrum is "Crazy Eights," a Spanish horror/exploitation film from the Afterdark Horrorfest series, starring Tracy Lords. "Crazy Eights" was released last year, so this isn’t one of Lord’s early efforts. But it’s got all the right moves for a gruesome little indy horror film. Check it out.
Another After Dark Horrorfest release is "Deaths of Ian Stone". I haven’t seen this one yet, but it’s a sort of slasher version of "Groundhog Day". Ian Stone must relive the day of his death, over and over until he solves his murder. I’m definitely looking forward to giving this one a watch.
And, finally, to the truly sublime part of this month's releases, we have "The Mist". This adaptation is very true to the original novella by Stephen King, and features top notch performances. It also has some really stunning fx work, and has an unbelievably grim ending. What’s not to like? This was one of my two favorite movies of the year last year, so I hope you’ll check it out. There’s a two disk special edition of this one that features an extensive mix of extras that are worth the extra $3.
March 01, 2008
Notes From A DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
Who’s the most exciting genre director to come out of England in the last 20 years? If you said Neil Marshal, you’d be right. I mention this because his third feature film is hitting theaters next week. "Doomsday" looks from the trailer to be a "28 Days Later" meets "The Road Warrior"-esque thing, but . . . well. . . US distributors have done a really bad job of promoting his films in the past. The smartness and freshness, and just plain competence has never really been discernible in any of the promotional material for his first two films. So I’m cautiously optimistic that the film that hits the streets March 14th will be fun, and at the very least, competent (but I’m secretly hoping for a ground breaking genre classic). We’ll see.
Who’s the most exciting genre director to come out of England in the last 20 years? If you said Neil Marshal, you’d be right. I mention this because his third feature film is hitting theaters next week. "Doomsday" looks from the trailer to be a "28 Days Later" meets "The Road Warrior"-esque thing, but . . . well. . . US distributors have done a really bad job of promoting his films in the past. The smartness and freshness, and just plain competence has never really been discernible in any of the promotional material for his first two films. So I’m cautiously optimistic that the film that hits the streets March 14th will be fun, and at the very least, competent (but I’m secretly hoping for a ground breaking genre classic). We’ll see.
February 02, 2008
Notes From A DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
Hello again. February already. For Valentine's Day, be sure to check out a complete series box set of one of the most iconic anime shows of all times -- "Cowboy Bebop". Bounty hunters Spiek and Jet, and (yes, you knew this was coming, right?) Faye Valentine get their groove on -- on the space ship Bebop. If you haven’t experienced the joy that is "Cowboy Bebop", do so now.
Hello again. February already. For Valentine's Day, be sure to check out a complete series box set of one of the most iconic anime shows of all times -- "Cowboy Bebop". Bounty hunters Spiek and Jet, and (yes, you knew this was coming, right?) Faye Valentine get their groove on -- on the space ship Bebop. If you haven’t experienced the joy that is "Cowboy Bebop", do so now.
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