Home Video

Good Time Charlie

  • Title: Charlie Wilson’s War
  • IMDB: link

“Why is Congress saying one thing and doing nuthin’?”
“Well, tradition mostly.”

charlie-wilsons-war-dvdThe film is based on the true events of a Congressman from a small district in Texas named Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) who with the help of a rich debutante (Julia Roberts) and a rebel CIA agent (Philip Seymour Hoffman) changed the world.

This is simply a fascinating tale written with the trademark Aaron Sorkin wit, performed by three wonderful leads and a strong supporting cast (including the beautiful Amy Adams, Jud Tylor, Cyia Batten, Hilary Angelo, and Emily Blunt), and directed with both humanity and flair by Mike Nichols.  For more on the film read the original review.

Here’s a terrific tale, all the more mesmerizing because it’s true.  Charlie Wilson and his covert war in Afghanistan is a piece of history told exceptionally well by this list of talented professionals.  Although the DVD isn’t packed with as much extra material as I would like, the featurettes are nice, and the film itself is the real prize.

Good Time Charlie Read More »

Dark City

  • Title: Dark City
  • IMDb: link

“That’s what Science Fiction and Fantasy is for, after all; to take one behind the scenes,
to force one to reinvent the paradigm. And Dark City does that in spades.”
—Neil Gaiman

I’m a big fan of The Matrix, but I’m a bigger fan of Dark City. Released more than a year before Neo took the red pill to the delight of audiences everywhere, writer/director Alex Proyas presented a similar tale of a man trapped in a world where nothing is quite what is seems. Although not as widely known (more than six times the number of people have taken the time to rate The Matrix on IMDb), it is a superior film in almost every conceivable way. Released in 1998 we mark the occasion by reviewing the DVD ten years later.

Back in the spring of 1998 I was in the middle of a particularly brutal college semester and looking for a few hours respite.  Checking the paper I discovered the local $1 movie theater was showing a film I had missed, Dark City.  Taking a chance, I went.  I went back the next night as well.  And the third night I dragged my two roommates and went back again.  I long ago lost track of the number of films I have seen over my lifetime, but I can count on one hand the films which have had this reaction on me.

Dark City Read More »

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

I went on a vampire movie kick this weekend, you know, the good ones, Frank Coppola’s Dracula, Nosferatu [1922] and Interview with the Vampire.  Finally, on Sunday, I spent a great deal of time frantically searching for an anime to watch and I stumbled upon this one.  Here’s to mayhem and sucking blood, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.  I have to say that this put a damper on my stay-in-bed-cause-I’m-sick weekend movie mash, but it nonetheless was a pretty decent flick in its own right.

Banpaia hantâ D
4 & 1/2 Stars

I went on a vampire movie kick this weekend, you know, the good ones, Frank Coppola’s Dracula, Nosferatu [1922] and Interview with the Vampire.  Finally, on Sunday, I spent a great deal of time frantically searching for an anime to watch and I stumbled upon this one.  Here’s to mayhem and sucking blood, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.  I have to say that this put a damper on my stay-in-bed-cause-I’m-sick weekend movie mash, but it nonetheless was a pretty decent flick in its own right.

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is set a few thousand years in the future.  Vampires once ruled the night, but that was years before the fearless bounty hunters succeeded in diminishing their numbers.  D is one of those audacious bounty hunters, and his competition is the Markus brothers, a group of rough and tough guys and a girl.

When Charlotte, the daughter of a rich family, is taken from her home by the vampire Meier Link, her father contacts both D and the Markus brothers to retrieve her.  The two battle it out and race to save her before Meier Link turns her into a vampire, even if that isn’t Meier Link’s intentions.  As the heroes follow along their journey, fighting Meier’s hired guards and getting passed Carmilla, they finally begin to suspect that Charlotte may have gone willingly.

D, even though he is out numbered, still has a huge advantage over the Markus brothers.  D is a dhampir, the product of a vampire and a human, his father is Count Dracula.  Being Dracula’s son has its rewards for instance, D has super human abilities and he doesn’t age.  Nevertheless, with benefits, there is always a downside, dhampires cannot handle too much sunlight, and a lot of people shun him for being related to a vampire.

Carmilla ends up being the true villain in the film, only using Meier Link and Charlotte as pawns for her master plan.  Many years ago D’s father imprisoned Carmilla’s spirit to the Castle of Chaythe after her bloodlust got the best of her.  She intends to steal Charlotte’s body once the couple reaches the castle in search of a still-functional ship that will take them away from the castle.  You will have to watch this flick to get the rest of its juicy details.

 

It took me the entire time I wrote this review to come up with an excuse of why I didn’t like the movie as much as other vampire movies, I was disappointed, but that’s probably because I watched so many vampire movies before this one.  The only disappointing part about the entire film is that there is no blood sucking involved, so that’s why it gets a 4.5 out of 5.  Blood sucking is such a huge part to vampirism, and I didn’t notice it was lacking it until I got to thinking.  I knew I was disappointed once the credits rolled, I just couldn’t put my finger on it.  Talking about it, and almost doing it do not count as blood sucking, so don’t even try that.

Other than that, the film is good, well written, well drawn and the dubbed version is not bad.  It is worth watching for anime and or vampire fans, either way it is appealing.

 

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust Read More »

Dewey Cox Walks Hard on DVD

  • Title: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
  • IMDB: link

walk-hard-dvdLast year the combination of writer/director Jake Kasdan and writer/producer Judd Apatow produced one of the best parody films in recent memory, and one of my favorite films of 2007.  Although the film received generally favorable reviews it struggled at the box office.  Those who missed out on their opportunity to see the film in theaters can finally check it out on DVD.

The film centers around the fictional life of music legend Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly).  The script, which parodies a variety of music biopics including Walk the Line, Ray, Great Balls of Fire!, Beyond the Sea, and others, is filled with the clichéd moments these films have been known for: tragic childhood, bad parents, drug use, affairs, etc.  For more on the film check out my original review.

Dewey Cox Walks Hard on DVD Read More »

Air Guitar Nation

  • Title: Air Guitar Nation
  • IMDb: link

“To err is human.  To air guitar is divine.”

Air Guitar Nation DVD review

The documentary Air Guitar Nation takes a look at the first ever American Air Guitar Championships as men like Dan Crane (AKA Bjorn Turoque) and David S. Jung (AKA C-Diddy) compete to earn a chance to travel to the International Air Guitar Championships in Finland to compete against air guitarists from all over the globe.

The documentary accepts and celebrates the absurdity of the situation and takes us all on a wonderful ride filled with people who view air guitar as a serious art form.

We watch the early competitions in New York and Los Angeles, then travel overseas and view the two week training course in Finland where the artists are instructed on the finer points of performing (including handling groupies!).  Silly?  You bet!

By the time the final competition arrives we are fully immersed in this world with our own favorites and are ready to root for them (or even take the stage ourselves and show them how its done).  Bjorn and C-Diddy push each other and the other performers from around the world to put on their best and leave it all out on stage.  Although only one is crowned champion all the performers earn the chance to live out a dream, and so each is a winner.  In a world where competition can divide and destroy it’s refreshing to see it bring together a diverse group from around the world in a peaceful competition and a shared dream.

Air Guitar Nation Read More »