Look, Ma! More DVD Releases!
More releases; somehow, the studios manage to put out new DVDs every week. This week, there are a bunch of re-releases. One of these is Good Bye, Lenin!. I *highly* recommend this to you, but it's a re-release, which doesn't fit into my own rules. Granted, I could bend them at any time (as I think I originally said I wouldn't recommend TV releases, but here's the third one after checking, I said no such thing). Also, I try to pick titles I think are worthwhile, not just my personal favorites (though there's a big overlap there). On with the show after this message...
Condolences to the family of Steve Irwin, world-renowned as The Crocodile Hunter. He was tragically killed today off the Great Barrier Reef by a stingray. I share in the grief of many and extend my prayers for his family in this terrible time of loss. Thank you, Mr. Irwin, for showing us nature, for helping us to see the many great wonders God put on this earth for our wonder and awe.
Supernatural: Season 1
This show is a little bit X-Files, a little bit Kolchak the Night Stalker, and a little bit Hardy Boys. The spooky show follows the adventures of two brothers looking for their father, who is in search of the creature/demon that killed his wife and their mother many years earlier. The brothers, too, encounter their own bizarre happenings in their quest. The brothers seem like real brothers, at least as I imagine them: not buddy-buddy but not mortal enemies, either. There are realistic portrayals of the effects of what they believe their dad thinks about each of them (as opposed to the reality), and their assumptions as to motivations tend to be flawed, as well. But they love each other, in spite of any protestations to the contrary.
Everything else is dishonorable this week. Well, I wouldn't mind the Dr. Who stuff coming out, but that's a very niche product I would not recommend to everybody.
Seven Samurai: Criterion Collection (3-disc)
This was my first Samurai movie, and my first Akira Kurosawa movie. In both respects and more, this is an outstanding movie. While there is a previous release of this film from Criterion, this is a new release and new transfer with new material. Kurosawa is considered by many to be the greatest director ever to have lived, and this movie is a prime example of his greatness. The story is about seven samurai who are engaged to protect a town from marauders. Excellence abounds. FYI: This movie gave rise to the American western classic, The Magnificent Seven.
- Brazil: Criterion Collection (3-disc)
Another re-release from Criterion; again, this is a new transfer with additional special material. This movie defies description (sci-fi, fantasy, drama, but so much more), and I always find something new every time I watch it. This film is a beauty whose depths I do not completely plumb, but I recognize there is so much more, something a lifetime's worth of viewing could provide great reward. - Gojira
The original king of the monsters returns in a brand-new two-disc special edition release which includes the original Japanese and the American edition starring Raymond Burr. Regardless of the shallowness of the movies to come (rubber suits, bad effects, etc.), this film is a classic and should be seen by any semi-serious movie aficionado.
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