BAD GIRLS OF FILM NOIR, VOL I & II- In the 40s and 50s, A-list actresses took juicy roles in B-movies that allowed them to take a walk on the wild side, playing cold-as-ice temptresses who’d just as soon kill you as kiss you. These DVDs feature 8 classics, including Women’s Prison, One Girl’s Confession and Bad For Each Other. Look for surprising turns from well-known Oscar winners such as Charlton Heston, Dorothy Malone and Gloria Grahame.
BIG LOVE: SEASON 3- Some critics predicted HBO’s downfall after The Sopranos, Sex & the City and Six Feet Under ended their runs, but now they’re praising the cable network’s resurgence, with Big Love leading the charge. Ex-Mormon polygamist Bill Henrickson, his three wives and their numerous kids continue battling their nosy neighbors, the Church, the evil Roman Grant and themselves with a distinctive mix of high drama and black humor.
CHE- Che- Stephen Soderbergh’s sprawling biopic of Che Guevera, originally rendered in two parts, is combined into a 4.5-hour epic that traces the revolutionary’s life from his overthrow of the Cuban government and his historic U.N. visit to his premature death. The naturalistic portrait is slow in parts, but a stunning turn by Benecio Del Toro makes it worth watching. Extras include essays, making-of docs and interviews with historians and ex-Bolivian fighters.
DEAD SNOW- A Norwegian horror comedy about Nazi zombies may not sound like the most mainstream-accessible film fare, but this campy horror flick earned a legion of fans at Sundance last year. It’s campy fun watching a group of friends out for a good ol’ time drinking, skiing and screwing instead being overrun by a defrosting band of undead SS, with irreverent humor and blood-splattering gore doled out in equal measure.
DOCTOR WHO: THE COMPLETE SPECIALS- For those whose only knowledge of Doctor Who is the geeky ‘80s series with bad special effects, this latest collection is worth checking out. Still based in sci-fi, the effects have improved greatly and the characters and story lines are fantastic with plenty of action. These four specials end with the tenth doctor exiting the iconic role, introducing the next actor to travel in the Tardis (Matt Smith).
IN THE LOOP- Despite a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it theatrical release, this razor-sharp political satire was one of 2009’s best films, with rat-a-tat dialogue that’d make Mamet proud. James Gandolfini (as a hard-nosed General) is the biggest name, but Peter Capaldi steals every scene as a foul-mouth British spokesman who leaps into action after a meek government minister suggests war in the Middle East is imminent. Shot in documentary style, the film falls between The Office and Dr. Strangelove, brilliantly skewering the ridiculousness of international politics.
THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL- Paranormal Activity got more hype, but writer-director Ti West’s low-budget revival of ‘80s-style horror was the better film, landing on many critics’ Top 10 lists. The story follows a hot co-ed (Jocelin Donahue) babysitting in the eponymous abode, with an unseen old woman, a graveyard and Satan worship adding to the creepy tension. An old school classic with a modern twist; we can’t wait to see what West does next.
PASSING STRANGE: THE MOVIE- Spike Lee’s adaptation of the smash Broadway musical tells the story of a black man who abandons his middle-class upbringing in mid-1970s Los Angeles and heads to Europe in search of his true artistic and personal identity. Narrated by Stew, on whose life the play is based, the show’s music, costumes and staging create an electric energy, delivering an emotionally-charged paean to sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.
THE PEOPLE SPEAK- Author/historian Howard Zinn, who died in January, espoused the idea that change comes from the bottom rather than the top, and that it is up to us as citizens to make a difference. Based on Zinn’s books, The People Speak finds celebs such as Matt Damon and James Brolin reading the words of American revolutionaries such as Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony, offering inspiration at a times when we desperately need it.
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