awesome Tagged Articles at Cinematical
No Lie: 'Pinocchio' Anniversary DVD is Pretty Fantastic
Filed under: Animation », Classics », Comedy », Music & Musicals », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Disney », Family Films », Home Entertainment »
I was on my way home from seeing the nasty new Last House on the Left movie when I got a call from a friend, to whom I quickly explained that I was on my way to get a shiny new Pinocchio DVD. She paused for a second and said "From rape-revenge horror to old-school Disney sweetness? You're a strange one, Scott." And then she told me how gorgeous I am and hung up weeping.But yes, it's true: If it's not a nasty-ass horror flick you're showing me, my second choice would be something like Toy Story 2, Flushed Away, or The Iron Giant. Call me childish if you like, but I don't know many children who could use the word "parsimonious" in a sentence. And, um, I just did. No, I don't exactly clap like a toddler as the animated features fly by, but I simply love this medium and (more pertinently) I adore most of the Disney Classics. To me they're some of the sweetest, "funnest," and most accessible form of classic cinema there is, and I'll live to be 143 before I apologize for admiring the artistry that goes into this stuff.
Anyway (as if the art of animation needs a defense from me), it's Walt Disney's second feature film, 1940's Pinocchio, that is now getting the full-bore deluxe two-disc 70th Anniversary DVD (and Blu-Ray) treatment. Couldn't come at a better time, too, because my Disney shelf (pictured below) was rrrrrreally missing this title. I'll spare you the plot synopsis (puppet becomes boy, gets into mischief, learns valuable lessons, becomes whale food, etc.) and the endless peals of laudatory adulation directed toward the old-school Disney filmmakers, and just focus on the DVD itself...
Don't Forget: 2008's BEST FILM Hits DVD Today
Filed under: Foreign Language », Horror », Independent », Magnolia »
I'll keep this short and sweet, because I've already lauded the living snot out of this movie on FEARnet, Twitter, Facebook, a few social network sites that don't even exist yet, and (of course) all the heck over Cinematical. Granted, most who've seen the film Let the Right One In would probably agree that it deserves the little extra press boost, but all I know is I love-love-loved the film, and since I work here, I can write what I want, consarnit.Anyway, as you already know by now (if you can read) the film is about vampires. But not like The Lost Boys or Lestat or the Twilight tickle-me-emos, more like a normal-Johann kid who befriends a new neighbor, only to discover that she's quite the bloodthirsty little vampiress. But as us critic-types like to say: It works on, like, more than one level, man. It's got ... depth! Plus it's gorgeous to look at (oooh, Blu-Ray!), easy on the ears, peppered with great little horror touches, surprisingly moving, and supremely satisfying in the closing moments.
Also included on the platter: Four deleted scenes, a solid (but way too brief) 7-minute making-of featurette, and a poster / photo gallery. No commentary, unfortunately, but in some cases (most, actually) I suppose it's best to simply let the film speak for itself. Maybe in a couple of years?
Blessed Are the Cheesemakers! 'Life of Brian' The Immaculate Edition!
Filed under: Classics », Comedy », Sony », Home Entertainment », Religious »
Like most hardcore movie nerds, I'm a huge Monty Python fan. And while I do own that massive Flying Circus box set, the goody-laced Monty Python Live! double feature, and even a few of their old albums ... my Python movies are my very favorite pieces of the collection. (I don't really count And Now for Something Completely Different as a "true" movie, and the Live at Hollywood Bowl concert flick is included in the MP Live! set.) So basically that only leaves three actual Monty Python movies: The legendary Monty Python and the Holy Grail (awesome Special Edition right here), the inconsistent but frequently hilarious The Meaning of Life (SE here), and the Life of Brian! And if you wanted to own a solid version of this movie on DVD, you had to invest about $35 on this (really excellent) Criterion Collection release. (Or you could opt for this bare-bones and lame-transfer DVD.) But as of November 7 you'll have another option! According to DVDActive.com, Sony will release Life of Brian: The Immaculate Edition on that date, and you Pythonites should have a ball with what's included.
In addition to the main feature (which is just as hilarious today as it ever was), we'll also get TWO Python commentaries (one with Gilliam, Idle and Jones; the other with Cleese and Palin; unfortunately Chapman is still dead), a two-hour animated original script "readthrough" (!), an all-new 60-minute behind-the-scenes documentary (and I'm sure they'll cover the original controversy surrounding the film), five deleted scenes, some goofy old radio ads, and (as they say) more! Finally my Python Cinema Trilogy will be ... upgraded! (Again!) To those who already own the Criterion set, the question is this: Are the new doco and the nifty-sounding 'readthrough' piece worth the price of the platters? Because I'm pretty sure the rest of the goodies CAN be found on that Criterion release.
Warning to Kubrick Fanatics: Start Saving Your Pennies!
Filed under: Classics », Warner Brothers », Home Entertainment »
Wowwy wow wow. I knew there were some new Stanley Kubrick special editions on the way, but I had no idea that Warner was going all out with new features! I don't even know where to begin! (OK, breathe.) According to DVDActive.com, five of the master's films will be hitting the shelves as part of a massive box set. Those films are The Shining, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Eyes Wide Shut. All of 'em 2-disc widescreen treat-laden Special Editions! (And yes the DVDs will also be available outside of the box set.)Each of the 2-disc sets come with documentaries / featurettes both old and new, but what I find most exciting are the all-new audio commentaries. (Yes, I'm a commentary nerd. No apologies.) The new chat-tracks break down like so: On 2001 we get actors Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood; on Clockwork it's the awesome Malcolm McDowell and film historian Nick Redman; on Eyes Wide Shut we'll hear from actor/director Sydney Pollack and professor Peter J. Loewenberg; The Shining delivers Steadicam creator Garrett Brown and Kubrick biographer John Baxter; and (this should be great) on Full Metal Jacket the participants will be actors Adam Baldwin, R. Lee Ermey, Vincent D'Onofrio and film critic-turned-screenwriter Jay Cocks. (What, Matthew Modine was too busy?)
And again I'll reiterate an important factor: All of these DVDs (which have been approved by Mr. Kubrick's estate) will come in digitally remastered widescreen. (The old-school Kubrickians know what I'm talking about.)
The discs will hit the stores on October 23, and if you're not satisfied by these five offerings, you can also pick up the new-but-movie-only releases of Kubrick's Barry Lyndon and Lolita. And just to quell any confusion, I'll remind you that Dr. Strangelove and Paths of Glory are Sony properties, whereas Spartacus is a Universal title. That's why they're not included here. But hats off to Warner Bros. for this inevitably awesome box set!
Awesome! Trailer
Filed under: Independent », Music & Musicals », ThinkFilm », Fandom », Movie Marketing », Cinematical Indie »
The promotion for the highly-anticipated Beastie Boys
concert film Awesome;
I Fuckin' Shot That! kicked into overdrive this weekend, with the emergence of a trailer, stills, and advance screenings all over North America. The trailer, however is
only a minute long and doesn't really show anything, which is sort of a bummer. Instead, it's all about the
anticipation, featuring quick images of backstage, pre-concert activity accompanied by a Very Important Movie-sounding
voice over ("At a time of upheaval and change...") - it's clever, but disappointing if you were hoping to get
a sense of the supposed energy and power of the
film.But you don't have to wait f or thatuntil the movie opens on March 31 - instead, you can buy tickets to one of the incredibly wide-spread advance screenings that are taking place this Thursday. Seriously - REALLY widespread. You know how it's really annoying to be a movie fan in, say, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas, or Idaho Falls, because you never get any preview screenings of anything, and nothing you want to see ever plays at the multiplex? Well quit worrying - ThinkFilm and the Beasties have got your asses covered, along with those of people in roughly a billion other cities in the US and Canada.
[via Twitch]
Jeremy Renner Wants To Be An Avenger
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Indie Roundup: 'Sweetgrass,' 'Clarkworld,' 'Broken Embraces'
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Watch: Famous 'Matrix' Scene Re-Created with LEGOs
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