July's DVD Reviews, Part
II
Quick reviews from my Netflix queue and/or
the library.
Performance, 1970
Mick Jagger's film debut in which
he's just one of a number of wild ingredients thrown into an effective
(if kind of plotless) experimental film. The flat-chested naked French
girl was the highlight for me though.
Queen of Outer
Space, 1958
Zsa Zsa and '50s sci-fi.
Add another element to that equation and you'll have a movie so camp that
light would escape the projector.
New Police Story,
2004
One of the more recent (Hong Kong-based)
Jackie Chan movies. And you know what that means... His budget goes
up while his acrobatic abilities decline. It's more dramatic than
most, so there isn't a lot of his trademark comedy. Verdict: Check
out one of the earlier films instead as they're at least inventive enough
to have a decent title.
Sopranos, Season
6, Part I, Disc 3, 2006
You shouldn't be reading this.
Either you're willing to stick with them this far to see where this is
going or you've split before the Feds close in.
Session 9,
2001
One for urban explorers only.
It was filmed in one of everyone's favorite abandoned insane asylums.
You'd have to need committing to one to find anything interesting about
this film otherwise.
Death Tunnel,
2006
Dumb. Really dumb.
Boo, 2005
It tries to be Scream or
something, but I didn't care for that one either and some of those people
actually had talent. No such luck here.
Entourage: Season
3: Part 1: Disc 1, 2006
As with The Sopranos, it's
just more of the same. If you weren't into the show by this point,
there's nothing new here for me to recommend.
Robot Chicken:
Season 1: Disc 1, 2005
I like that it's random and fast-paced.
Unfortunately, that means that in spite of the fact that this show is far
more inventive than tired series like SNL, it isn't as effective at parodies
as the old guard, so you get bored with it after a few episodes.
The Rocky Horror
Picture Show: Bonus Material, 1975
A treat mostly for die hard fans
(guilty!), but there are enjoyable bits such as Meatloaf's surprisingly
funny behind the scenes stories and a tour of the original castle location
by Richard O'Brien in which he performs several songs on a solo acoustic
guitar. Time Warping indeed!
My Name Is Earl:
Season 1: Disc 4, 2005
It's all good. That's would
Earl would say. Now that I've caught up on the first season, I'm
gonna have to agree with him.
Penn & Teller: Bullsh*t!: Season 1:
Disc 1, 2003
If you hate bullshit (the cultural
phenomenon), you'll love P&T for ripping on people who spout it and
sell it under the banner of alternative medicine, pop psychology, parapsychology,
or any religion.. Great stuff!
Robots,
2005
I love robots, but I didn't get
this at all. I wasn't feeling it, so you would think maybe I would
have liked it more if I was an emotionless robot, but I didn't see the
point of it on any level.
The Ravagers,
1965
Junk war movie that looks like
it was thrown together by a bunch of amateurs (for the most part) without
a script. How it made it to dvd is beyond me.
Robotech: The
Shadow Chronicles: The Movie, 2006
Awesome sequel/update to the Robotech
saga that takes it into the CG age. It's a bit too crammed with characters
which is why the fans will love it (because we've missed those guys for
the past couple decades), but there's more than enough action and new twists
for this to make a great intro to the series for the newbies.
Twin Peaks:
Season 2: Disc 6, 1990
It's over, and it's a shame that
it's a cliffhanger that will never be adequately resolved, but I have to
admit I enjoyed the ride even where it was bumpy. The fairly decent
updates among the extras are an enjoyable closure that make up for the
fact the episodes lack that.
Ravenous,
1999
A different kind of a vampire
story. It never gets to the level of the great thriller I think it
might have been, but it gets points for originality alone.
PICKS OF THE
LITTER: Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles was a winner for me
since I didn't expect it to be able to successfully tackle anywhere near
as many plot threads as it did (both leftovers and new inventions).
Add to that any of the tv shows listed above since there's a reason why
they're in my queue disc after disc.
NOTE: Netflix
just lowered their price. I don't own stock in them or anything,
but they're a good company who doesn't deserve to be bullied by Blockbuster.
If you're sick of wasting gas going to the local video chain store, sign
up with them.
Copyright 2007
Ale[x]plorer.