May’s DVD reviews, Part I
Teeth, 2006 - With the premise of a midwestern girl with a vagina dentata, there’s so much potential to rip on the Christian right and their imposed ignorance of human sexuality and even fundamental anatomy. But then you take a first-time director who penned the script himself and what you get is a clumsy, campy horror movie that is ineffective at playing to either camp or horror audiences. In short: No teeth.
Battlestar Galactica: Season 3: Disc 3, 2006 - Dani never gets into sci-fi, and to her this show is fucking crack. Normally I rotate through my Netflix queue so that, once I’ve finished a season, I don’t really come back to a show until I get through some other things I’ve been wanting to watch. Not so in this case. At the end of the first season, Dani was all like, “When does the next disc come.” I’m like, “I haven’t added it to the queue. I thought we’d watch [insert other shows I only thought she was into] first.” No, we had to add it. You should too.
Wholly Moses, 1980 - Really, really weak attempt by mostly American comedians to do to the Old Testament what the Pythons did to the New with The Life of Brian which you absolutely should see instead.
Gilmore Girls: Season 7: Disc 1, 2006 - Nothing special here. If you didn’t like the first six years of the same fast dialog, hot mom, and no plot developments that have always characterized this series, then you aren’t going to jump in at this point.
Where the Truth Lies, 2005 - Pretty good mystery. Lots of sex. They made this for me, mostly, but I’ll let you see it since you’ll enjoy it as well, I think.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 2: Disc 1, 1997 - After a really, really tired start to the series, it’s finally starting to pick up some steam. Some intrigue introduced early on in this season actually has me wanting to watch it for more than that band camp girl.
The Warriors, 1979 - Somewhat updated “director’s version” (but not a new cut exactly) of the cult classic. It’s definitely worth a viewing.
The Whales of August, 1987 - Starring an almost-dead Lillian Gish, Betty Davis, and Vincent Price, you’ll feel like this movie lasts almost as long as their respective careers summed.
Twelve Chairs, 1970 - Mediocre early Mel Brooks movie. You already know the good ones, so there’s no need to track this one down unless you’re a completist, but odds are you stopped trying at Life Stinks when his movies started to do the same.
The Office (the original BBC version), Season 1, Disc 1 - It’s been years since Dani and I watched this, so we gave it another go during a lull between Netflix discs (I own it, believe it or not). It’s still just as hilarious as it ever was, though I hesitate to recommend it to viewers who have only seen the American version that plays like slapstick (albeit a sophisticated variety thereof) by comparison.
Bug, 2006 - Potentially interesting, it just becomes silly and borders on self-parody were it not for the attempts to be gross that ground it in plotless sensationalism. Bugger off!
PICKS OF THE LITTER: Atom Egoyan’s Where the Truth Lies never found its audience unless it happens to be reading this, in which case you shout give it a shot. The Warriors acknowledges its comic book influences, but while you’re watching for the next Batman flick, check this out. Oh, and did I mention The Office was great? Yes, the BBC version. And even if I hadn’t seen Battlestar Fracking Galactica this month, I’d still recommend it. Honestly, every time I think they’re going to slip up and let a weak script slip through, they fracking surprise me (as with this disc).
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