DVD Reviews
Review: Hollywood After Dark
Hollywood After Dark The Film Crew Shout! Factory Street: 07.10 For those who were saddened by the demise (yes, demise) of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 and hoped that its off-kilter brand of DVD commentary would roam the earth again, hope some more. The Film Crew (what happened to a clever title?) is nothing more than
Review: Crusin’ Hits of the 60’s
Crusin’ Hits of the 60’s MVD Visual Street 06.07 I guess I’ve always known that minor pop stars from the 60s were active well into the 1980s, but I don’t think that point really hit home until I saw video proof. Recorded live at the Rock n’ Roll Palace in Orlando, Florida, this multi-star concert
Review: Comedy of Errors
Comedy of Errors Claude Chabrol Koch Lorber Street 05.01 Isabelle Huppert plays the little salmon swimming upstream as a French investigator trying to put the kibosh on a ring of dirty big shots spending French money on everything from mistresses to foreign bribes (Quelle horreur!). As the current swells against her, she seems to focus
Review: Billy Childish is Dead: a film by Graham Bendel
Billy Childish is Dead: a film by Graham Bendel Cherry Red Films Street: 2005 This is a full-length documentary film that sets out to offer insight into the life and art of Billy Childish. The film’s director followed Childish around for several months, through art openings, band performances, poetry readings and down time at home. The
Review: You’re Gonna Miss Me: A Film About Roky Erickson
You’re Gonna Miss Me: A Film About Roky Erickson Keven McAlester Palm Pictures Street 07.10 At this point, Roky Erickson is almost as famous for his heroin and LSD binges as he is for his mid-60s work with the 13th Floor Elevators. When the Texas-based psychedelic band relocated to the west coast, Erickson didn’t adapt
Review: The War Tapes
The War Tapes Deborah Scranton Docurama Films Street: 05.15 Presented by actual soldiers on the front line, The War Tapes does an excellent job bringing out some of the truly gruesome details of the Iraqi War. Showing actual footage of anything from soldiers being shot and killed by enemy fire, to car bombs, to Iraqi
Review: Violette
Violette Claude Chabrol Koch Lorber Street: 05.08 This re-release of the 1978 French film Violette Noziere leaves many questions unanswered. This is the story of you average rebellious teen girl, hanging out with the wrong crowd, smoking and drinking and catching syphilis like all kids do when they’re young. What makes this story different is
Review: Missing Victor Pellerin
Missing Victor Pellerin Sophie Deraspe Atopia Street: 06.05 Missing Victor Pellerin tells the story of famous Quebecian artist, Victor Pellerin, who in January of 1990, burned all his paintings and disappeared. At first, I was turned off by it and couldn’t make it past the first 30 minutes due to aloof camera angles and a
Review: Heavy Petting
Heavy Petting Obie Benz and Joshua Waletzky New Video Group Street: 05.29 A documentary based around the culture of sexuality in the 50s and 60s? Sign me up! With conversations on these topics from the likes of Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs, viewing this felt like sitting around telling somewhat shocking stories with your
Review: Gothic Vampires From Hell
Gothic Vampires From Hell Fred Austin and Rob Walker Cleopatra Street: 05.15 Getting new material to review is sometimes like waiting to be kicked in the penis. You realize it has large potential for pain, but you also know you have to get through it one way or another. When this movie was placed into