May's DVD Reviews, Part
I
Quick reviews from my Netflix queue and/or
the library.
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 should 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).
Copyright 2008
Ale[x]plorer.