August DVD Quick Picks
The Dark Backward: Special Edition: Okay, deep breath – Judd Nelson portrays Marty Malt, a squirrely nebbish who lives with his mother and toils as a garbage man whilst dreaming of making it as standup comic; too bad he barely speaks above a whisper and isn’t at all funny. With the obnoxious encouragement of his cadaver-licking, dogshit-eating best friend Gus (Bill Paxton), he chases a slimy shyster of a talent agent (Wayne Newton) who has no interest in him… until a third arm mysteriously begins growing out of Marty’s back. Dude, I couldn’t make this up if I tried… and I don’t know if I want to. But for sheer jaw-dropping strangeness, it’s impossible to beat Adam Rifkin’s 1991 oddity, finally out on DVD with bonus freaky, no less. Must be seen to be believed.
House of Games: Criterion Collection: Love Mamet? Loathe Mamet? Either way, you owe it to yourself to check out Big Dave’s outstanding, sly thriller in this terrific Criterion package, which beats the tar out of MGM’s previous bare bones edition. Joe Mantegna, Lindsay Crouse and the late great J.T. Walsh star in this superb, twisty tale of a best-selling therapist who crosses paths with a suave cardshark who rattles her foundations; the two-disc set includes a commentary with Mamet and Ricky Jay – sure to be filled with snipey goodness, much of it directed at Orion Pictures whom it’s well-known the playwright felt botched the film’s promotional campaign – interviews, featurettes, storyboard galleries and more.
Robocop: 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition: Speaking of Criterion, are you one of the poor sods who have been cursing yourselves ever since their Robocop edition went out of print? Sulk no more – MGM turns the tables with this 2-disc edition of Paul Verhoeven’s masterpiece, which includes many of the same features as the Criterion. Peter Weller’s performance as a top cop killed in action and transformed into a publicity stunt-cum-law enforcement dream is one of the best the genre’s had to offer, and the cast (Nancy Allen plus a slew of character actors specializing in assholes – Ronny Cox! Miguel Ferrer! Kurtwood Smith!) are sublime. Plus, who could forget all that controversial gore – for many, Robocop was our first foray into shock cinema. Amongst the excellent features is yet another great, mind-bendingly frantic Verhoeven commentary. (The guy never shuts off, does he?!)
Serenity: Collector’s Edition: Seems like if there’s anything less popular than saying you’re a liberal these days, it’s saying you’re a Firefly/Serenity fan. I’m both, dammit; yes, some fans of Joss Whedon’s aborted sci-fi series Firefly have engaged in notoriously tenacious behavior, though not without good intention. A lot of them are also lovely, brilliant people who may just know something you don’t… that this yarn about a close-knit group of rogues on the lam from a totalitarian government is some of the smartest, most entertaining scifi of the past 20 years. Discover the series, then pick up this week’s jam-packed special edition of 2005’s Serenity, the motion picture which caps off the saga with rollicking aplomb. And will someone please write Nathan Fillion a star-making part already?! Man’s a legend.
Also recommended this week: Dexter: Season 1; House: Season 3; The Namesake; South Park: Season 10.
- Nicole Campos
