Pretty balanced bunch of releases today....
Couple of great movies, couple of shitty movies, and a bunch of question marks.
Here's the rundown...
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Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)
dir. George Clooney
George Clooney's second trip behind the camera for a feature film turns out to be a pretty damn good one.
"Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" has caught some hate, but I thought it was good, too.
You can definitely tell that Clooney has made strides as a director, though, and this is definitely the better movie.
David Strathairn is no joke, he's amazing as Edward R. Murrow. Why he doesn't star in movies more often is beyond me.
It didn't win any Oscars, but it was nominated for 6, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.
If you haven't seen this yet, put it near the top of your list.
Amazon.com's review:
Without force-feeding its timely message, Good Night, and Good Luck illuminates history to enlighten our present, when the need for a free and independent press is more important than ever. In 90 breathtaking minutes of efficient and intricate storytelling, writer-director George Clooney and cowriter Grant Heslov pay honorable tribute to the journalistic integrity of legendary CBS newscaster Edward R. Murrow, who confronted the virulent and overzealous anti-Communist witch-hunting of Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy in 1953-54, and emerged as a triumphant truth-seeker against the abuses of corporate and governmental power.
As played by David Strathairn, Murrow is a dogged realist, keenly aware of the smear tactics that will be employed against him; Clooney provides crucial backup as Murrow's "See It Now" producer and closest confidante Fred Friendly, forming a fierce but not entirely fearless triumvirate of broadcasting bravery with CBS chief William Paley (Frank Langella), who anxiously champions Murrow's cause under constant threat of reprisals. While using crisp black-and-white cinematography (by Robert Elswit) to vividly recreate the electrifying atmosphere of the CBS newsroom and the early years of television, Clooney (son of long-time Cincinnati newsman Nick Clooney) proves his directorial skill by juggling big themes and an esteemed ensemble cast, never stooping to simplification of ethically complex material. Good Night, and Good Luck is an instant classic, destined for all the accolades it so richly deserves.
- DVD Features:
Available Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Commentary by: director-screenwriter George Clooney and producer-screenwriter Grant HeslovUnknown Format
Good Night, and Good Luck. companion piece
Theatrical trailer
A History of Violence (2005)
dir. David Cronenberg
First off, that cover art is extremely stupid.
Second, it doesn't matter much because this was one of the best movies of 2005.
I'm kinda surprised this movie wasn't nominated for more awards than it was. I guess there was just way too much to contend with.
David Cronenberg does an incredible job with this material (adapted from a graphic novel).
I would venture to say that this is one of his best movies, probably in my top 3 with "The Fly" and "Dead Ringers".
But it's hard to deny the greatness of "Videodrome", "Scanners", "The Dead Zone", "Crash", and "Naked Lunch".
Viggo Mortensen has never been better than in "A History of Violence".
Ed Harris completely steals, chews up, and spits out every scene he's in.
And no one does fleshy, bloody, mangled body part close-ups (and head explosions) better than Cronenberg.
Amazon.com's review:
On the surface, David Cronenberg may seem an unlikely candidate to direct A History of Violence, but dig deeper and you'll see that he's the right man for the job. As an intellectual seeker of meaning and an avowed believer in Darwinian survival of the fittest, Cronenberg knows that the story of mild-mannered small-town diner proprietor Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is in fact a multilayered examination of inbred human behavior, beginning when Tom's skillful killing of two would-be robbers draws unwanted attention to his idyllic family life in rural Indiana. He's got a loving wife (Maria Bello) and young daughter (Heidi Hayes) who are about to learn things about Tom they hadn't suspected, and a teenage son (Ashton Holmes) who has inherited his father's most prominent survival trait, manifesting itself in ways he never expected. By the time Tom has come into contact with a scarred villain (Ed Harris) and connections that lead him to a half-crazy kingpin (William Hurt, in a spectacular cameo), Cronenberg has plumbed the dark depths of human nature so skillfully that A History of Violence stands well above the graphic novel that inspired it (indeed, Cronenberg was unaware of the source material behind Josh Olson's chilling adaptation). With hard-hitting violence that's as sudden as it is graphically authentic, this is A History of Violence that's worthy of serious study and widespread acclaim.
- DVD Features:
Available Subtitles: English, Spanish
Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
Commentary by: director David CronenbergUnknown Format
Commentary by director David Cronenberg
Deleted scene with optional commentary by director David Cronenberg
"Acts of Violence" hour-long documentary
"Violence's History: U.S. vs. International Versions" featurette
"Too Commercial for Cannes" featurette
"The Unmaking of Scene 44" featurette
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo - Little Black Book Edition (1999)
dir. Mike Mitchell
"Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo" was one of the incredibly rare movies I had to turn off in the middle of watching. I don't do it often, but it was just so mind-numbingly terrible.
I keep thinking to myself that maybe I should go back and watch the rest, with the hopes that the movie redeems itself in the second half, because I've seen quite a few movies where the second half and especially the ending completely make or break the movie.
But it's just so hard to sit through it.
THIS movie, however...I (very unshamefully) love the first "Deuce Bigalow" to death...in the summer of 2001, me and two of my best friends watched it every single day for about a month and a half.
Not drunk, not high, not tripping, not mentally handicapped, we could just watch it all the damn time for some strange reason.
The jokes were juuuuust right in terms of degree of stupidity.
But DB:EG is just bashing you over the head with unbelieveably stupid jokes, terrible writing and over-overacting.
My friends and I (the ones I watched the first one with so much) were all extremely hesitant about watching DB:EG in fear that it would tarnish the legacy of the first movie, and rightfully so. It doesn't really make the first one less funny at all, but should still be avoided.
The first "Deuce Bigalow", however, gets my highest recommendation.
I'm actually kinda surprised that they are releasing a special edition of this movie. Was it that popular?
Product Description:
The hit-making producers of BIG DADDY now deliver DEUCE BIGALOW: MALE GIGOLO: THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK EDITION -- with hilarious, never-before-seen footage starring the outrageous Rob Schneider (THE HOT CHICK, THE ANIMAL) in his breakout role! A professional fish tank cleaner, Deuce (Schneider) finds himself in desperate need of cash to quickly repair the damage he's done to a client's luxurious apartment! The fun really takes off when Deuce decides the only way out of this jam is to switch to the world's oldest profession and offer his services as a lover for hire! Don't miss a new peek inside this sidesplitting laugh riot -- now with new irresistible and irreverent bonus features!
- DVD Features:
Available Subtitles: French
Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Unknown Format)
"Making of Deuce" featurette
Director's Video Diary
Fly on the Set
7 Deleted Scenes
MacGuyver - Seasons One through Five (2005)
An expensive set, but sooo worth it for all that MacGuyver.
To be honest, I never got too hardcore into this show. I followed it off and on as a kid, and can't really remember any plot details of any episode.
I just know the basics like he's an ex-Green Beret...and....that's about it.
Season 5 gets released individually this week, but they're also selling this big ass box set in case you missed the first 4.
Richard Dean Anderson really needs to star in a $300 million dollar Michael Bay movie. Seriously.
No reviews and no DVD Features listed.
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The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (2005)
dir. Jane Anderson
I vaguely remember hearing about this movie...I know that Julianne Moore is supposed to be really good in it.
Same for Woody Harrelson.
The writer/director, Jane Anderson, used to be a writer for the TV show "The Facts of Life".
She has also directed "How to Make an American Quilt" and "The Baby Dance".
...Okay.
Amazon.com's review:
Based on the true story of Evelyn Ryan, The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio is one of those overlooked gems that deserves a long life on DVD. Splendidly adapted by writer-director Jane Anderson from the memoir by Terry Ryan (one of Evelyn's daughters), the film operates on several endearing levels: as a revealing study of the housewife's plight during the Eisenhower era, an inspiring tale of tenacity and survival against formidable odds, and a charming family drama that tempers sentimental nostalgia with the emotional toll of harsh reality. As always, Julianne Moore brings subtle perfection to her role as Evelyn, the cheerfully strong-willed mother of ten who compensates for the failings of her alcoholic husband (Woody Harrelson) by becoming the most successful "contester" in the country, entering cleverly-worded poems, jingles, and slogans in corporate sponsored contests throughout the mid-1950s and early '60s. Winning everything from palm trees and pogo-sticks to sports cars and cash, she holds the financially desperate family together with happy smiles and a rock-solid defiance of her husband's volatile temper. Directing her first feature after a respected career in television, Anderson employs some delightful visual effects to liven up the period kitsch (in some cases allowing Moore, as narrator and actor, to appear with herself in the same scene), but she never compromises the emotional core of the drama, which yields an unexpectedly powerful payoff when surviving members of the real-life Ryan family appear, as themselves, in the film's touching final scene. Like Evelyn, this movie's a winner.
- DVD Features:
Available Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
Commentary by actress Julianne Moore
Commentary by director Jane Anderson
Still gallery
Debbie Does Dallas: Uncovered (2005)
dir. Francis Hanly
I would think this is pretty self-explanitory.
I know what you're thinking, "Finally, someone made a documentary about Debbie Does Dallas".
Yeah I wasn't thinking that, either.
It's cool to see that Sundance is distributing this.
Debbie Does Dallas is remarkably awful, yet is the most popular porno of all time.
Goes to show that cheerleaders are always a sure-fire success when making a porno.
Now if only they would make a documentary about "Debbie Does Dishes".
Product Description:
It was a bombshell that titillated and provoked the American imagination at the time of its release. Now, the 70s cult classic Debbie Does Dallas gets its due in DEBBIE DOES DALLAS: UNCOVERED, a fascinating peek at the turbulent lives and times surrounding the world
any emoticons capabilities.