DVD Picks of the Week - Children of Men, Mary Hartman & The Shield

Children of Men: So, you know how Babel was the most awarded of the triumvirate of Mexican cinema that came out last year? It’s also the flimsiest, most bloated and quickly forgettable. Don’t let anyone tell you different. On the other hand, Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth was lyrical, haunting and poignant, and Children of Men is not only the best film of Alfonso Cuaron’s already ace career, it’s the best film of last year that you didn’t see. I know, some of you saw it – you cool people. But now it’s out on DVD and you have no excuse; watch it in the dark, with the sound cranked up high, and don’t even think about reaching for the pause button. This futuristic cautionary tale demands to be seen in one unflinching, harrowing, and ultimately uplifting take.

Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman: Volume 1: If there’s any need for evidence that the 1970’s were the golden era of the American sitcom, look no further than this Norman Lear-created satire of soap operas set in sleepy Fernwood, Ohio. Louise Lasser stars as the title character, whose family crises include murders, flashers (her own grandfather) and bizarre character deaths, all the while being quite blunt about topics like impotence at a time when uttering the word was still taboo. Groundbreaking stuff, and since the show aired five days a week (Just like a real soap!) this is the tip of the iceberg. And also a great indictor that we might finally get the spin-off classic Fernwood 2 Nite on disc in the future…

The Shield: Season 5: How do you make up for the loss of the inimitable Glenn Close following her departure from The Shield? You bring in a heavyweight like newly-crowned Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, that’s how. The fifth season of FX’s hard-case police drama crackles with tension, and Whitaker and star Michael Chiklis play off each other superbly. Speaking of which, though it’ll probably be time to wrap this saga up soon, please say we’ll get one more year’s worth of Vic Mackey at least? Outside of Tony Soprano, Chiklis’s corrupt copper is the finest anti-hero on TV.

—Nicole Campos

Re-Animator: Anchor Bay Collection

Do you really need to purchase yet another version of Re-Animator? – sure, it’s one of the seminal horror films of the 1980’s and probably the most faithful adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s work yet committed to film, but seriously, – what is this, the twelfth re-issue? As much as it’s our preference to discourage the constant cash-sucking flow of endless re-issues, Anchor Bay’s new Re-Animator is actually worth getting. Unless…of course…you can’t stomach the gore.

If on the other hand, you can appreciate a few dismembered bodies, then you probably already know and love Re-Animator based on Lovecraft’s serialized stories of Herbert West. Mr. West (played by the ice-cool and batshit crazy Jeffrey Combs), arrives at northeastern Miskatonic University and quickly turns it into a raging undead-fest once he begins experimenting with his controversial re-animation agent.

What keeps Re-Animator on its toes and not constantly writhing about in the bloody muck (though there’s plenty of that, too) is a strong streak of black comedy and a purposeful decision not to take itself too seriously; Still, there are undertones both sincere and, at time, literary (director Stuart Gordon preserves the text’s homages to Frankenstein in spirit). All of which gives the film an irresistible spark, even when you’re about to hurl. (I’ll admit, I never did; sure, the infamous…er…decapitated “head” scene is pretty disgusting, but I was fine. Gordon and Combs got my ass back in From Beyond, though. That there is some vile, stomach-churning shit, boys. When do we get that DVD?!) The excellent new Anchor Bay release includes an all-new 70 minute documentary, two commentaries (Gordon on one, Combs and the rest of the cast on the other), interviews and additional featurettes, DVD-ROM features including Lovecraft’s original serial, and loads more. Bitchin’.

Other recommended titles for March 20th: Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations; Bridge on the River Kwai: Collector’s Edition; The Caine Mutiny: Collector’s Edition; The Guns of Navarone: Collector’s Edition; Lawrence of Arabia: CE; Letters From Iwo Jima; Maude: Season 1; Mythbusters: Movie Myths; Naked City (Criterion); NewsRadio: Season 5; Rocky Balboa; WC Fields Comedy Collection, Wol. 2; Wild Wild West: Season 2

—Nicole Campos

“Who iiiiiiiis it?!”

DVD Pick of the Week - Bosom Buddies: The Complete First Season

Now that we have Queer As Folk, Ellen’s daytime resurgence and “Just Jack!,” it’s hard to imagine what an uproar was caused by Billy Crystal’s openly gay (and occasionally cross-dressing) Jody on the excellent Soap. Jody came along and made it okay for situation comedies to examine alternate sexualities in more detail. Before that, drag seemed mostly limited to sketch comedies; think - Flip Wilson’s Geraldine or the myriad the female characters played by those Monty Python fellers. And then the 80’s rolled along, and with it came Bosom Buddies. Two guys in dresses were the leads! Okay, fine they were straight, but while draggin’ it they learned an awful lot about the fairer sex and themselves while bemoaning the runs in their nylons. Oh, and then there’s that Tom Hanks guy.

But let’s talk about Peter Scolari – oh, Scolari. How often you are unfairly made into the butt of “the other guy” jokes; seriously, Alex Winter has nothing on you, dude. Fact is, as you can discover on Bosom Buddies’ first season set out this Tuesday, both he and his emerging megastar cohort pull their comedy weight ably as Henry and Kip - just a couple of sweet advertising agency shlubs who need a place to live. In hairbrained-schemery worthy of Lucy Ricardo, they end up posing as their “sisters” Buffy and Hildegard to get a room in a building for single ladies only. And thus somehow, for two seasons they manage not to get caught shaving, peeing while standing up, inappropriately adjusting their nether regions, or having their unspeakably deep voices questioned. Now to be fair, it was never quite bust-a-gut hilarious, but the chemistry of the “girls” (Damn, Hanks does look like Stockard Channing!) makes for some damn fine classic TV. Paramount keep ‘em coming (or at least, put out the second season of this, which had that infinitely better Billy Joel cover as the theme tune; there’s a reason no one remembers the first season theme, which has a lot to do with it blowing.)

Other recommended titles for March 13th: Casino Royale; Harsh Times; Shortbus.

—Nicole Campos

“NERRRRRRRRDS!!”

DVD Pick of the Week - REVENGE OF THE NERDS: PANTY RAID EDITION

You could get away with a lot in the 80’s if you were a teen comedy. Blatant sexism and a touch of racism (Yes, I love me some Long Duk Dong too, but come on – all he’s missing is buck teeth and a ponytail) to start, but other -isms abounded. Nerdism, for example; for every dweebish but deeply realistic Mitch Taylor (that’s your first Real Genius reference out of me, readers – start keeping score. ;), there were a dozen knock-kneed, braces-wearing, pocket-protectored dorks of the cartoonish variety who tended to paint the multi-faceted subculture of geekdom into a sports jacket-wearing corner. And none of the culprits painted a more Looney Tunes-worthy picture (albeit quite an ethnically diverse one) as Revenge Of the Nerds.

Yet what keeps the alpha and omega of all nerd movies pretty fresh over twenty years later is a certain balls-out dedication to relishing in everything that is inept, uncool and socially awkward as possible, right down to the theme song in which the title of the film is brayed in a downright dorky whine over a plucky synthesizer. Even the Neanderthal jock bully Ogre is cock-eyed. Still, for an updated twist on Animal House, for the most part it works; on paper and in execution, a hopeless gaggle of nerds getting Greek acceptance by pledging a black fraternity who never saw their photos is hilarious. In the end, though, what really keeps the film fresh and entertaining is its cast: chiefly Robert Carradine as Skolnick (the laugh, of course, is now legend) and Anthony Edwards as Gilbert, though the backed by the likes of Curtis Armstrong (who probably gets called “Booger” to this day), Brian Tochi, Michelle Meyrink (unrecognizable from her later role as Jordan Cochran – Real Genius reference #2!) and especially Timothy Busfield. Watch the man who was a scant few years away from TV’s thirtysomething smoke a doob and find his inner dance machine, and you’re watching comedy gold. This week’s release includes a commentary with Carradine, Busfield, Armstrong and director Jeff Kanew, plus deleted scenes, the failed Revenge of the Nerds TV pilot (!!!) and more.

Other recommended titles for March 6th: Billy Budd; Borat: Cultural Leanings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan; Fast Food Nation; Hawaii Five-O: Season 1; Madame Bovary (1949); Moonlighting: Season 5; Night of the Comet; Northern Exposure: Season 6; Peter Pan: Platinum Edition; Private School; South Park: Season 9; The Three Musketeers (1948)

—Nicole Campos