Labyrinth (Blu-Ray)
SONY
MOVIE B+
SPECIAL FEATURES B
DVD GEEK FACTOR 7
(OUT OF 10)
I hadn’t seen this film in the 20-plus years since I first rented it
on VHS. Jim Henson’s ambitious directorial venture away from Kermit and
friends (following his equally cool The Dark Crystal) remains a
true treat.
A very young Jennifer Connelly plays Sarah, an imaginative teen
pissed off that she has to baby-sit her little brother. When she
angrily wishes for goblins to take him away, they do, and she must
outwit the notorious Goblin King (David Bowie) in order to get her
brother back.
The puppet creations are extraordinary, and the script (provided by
Monty Python’s Terry Jones) has a hilarious British tone. (I love the
repeatedly farting Bog of Eternal Stench.) Bowie provides some decent
music, and Henson makes it all come together nicely.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Some new picture-in-picture interviews, a
commentary by Brian Froud (who helped design the film’s world),
documentaries and more.
Audition: Collector’s Edition (Blu-Ray)
SHOUT FACTORY
MOVIE A-
SPECIAL FEATURES C+
DVD GEEK FACTOR 7.5
(OUT OF 10)
This film has eluded me over the years. I’ve had various
incarnations of it lying around my home, but I never popped it in for a
viewing.
After seeing it on the Blu-Ray rack, I purchased it (again) and took
it home, determined to watch it this time. Then a friend of mine
demanded that I see it last week, and I finally set out to take
the damn thing in.
Wow, I loved this movie! The character of Asami (played hauntingly
by Eihi Shiina) is an all-time-great horror-film icon, one of the
creepiest characters to ever grace the screen. I will not tell you what
she does, or what her problems are. I will let the film reveal her
horrific afflictions.
Ryo Ishibashi plays poor-bastard Shigeharu Aoyama, a sad widower who
wants a new wife. He and a friend come up with a plan to audition women
for a movie, allowing Aoyama to choose from the candidates. He falls
for Asami, and they begin a rather sweet courtship. Or so it seems.
This movie has garnered a notorious reputation over the years, and
it’s justified. The payoff is a doozy, and the performances are
first-rate. You will never look at acupuncture in the same way
again.
SPECIAL FEATURES: A commentary from director Takashi Miike,
and some new interviews.
Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection Remastered
BBC WARNER
SHOW A
SPECIAL FEATURES B+
DVD GEEK FACTOR 9
(OUT OF 10)
John Cleese followed up Monty Python’s Flying Circus with
this classic hotel comedy about grouchy hotel proprietor Basil Fawlty
and his long-suffering staff. Cleese based the character of Fawlty on a
real hotel owner that gave the Pythons a difficult time during their
stay. (He had real contempt for his guests.)
There were two series, four years apart, for only 12 total episodes.
In just those 12 episodes, the series has attained acclaim as one of
history’s best sitcoms. Cleese did the show with Connie Booth, who was
his real-life wife when the series started and his ex by the time it
concluded. The character of Manuel (played by Andrew Sachs) got laughs
every second he was onscreen, especially when he was enduring Cleese’s
physical assaults.
If there is any Cleese project ripe for a revisit, it’s this series.
All the main stars are still alive, and seeing Cleese doing Basil 30
years down the road would be something special. Somebody please throw
millions of dollars at the man and make it happen.
SPECIAL FEATURES: The three-disc set is surprisingly full,
with a slew of new commentaries and interviews with Cleese, who looks
awfully pleased to be participating. Among his stories is his account
of the hotel proprietor who inspired Fawlty throwing Eric Idle’s
suitcase over a wall because it was ticking; he thought it contained a
bomb.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live
TIME LIFE
PERFORMANCES VARY, BUT MOSTLY A
SPECIAL FEATURES B
DVD GEEK FACTOR 8
(OUT OF 10)
This nine-disc set contains a collection of live performances by
inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame over the last
quarter-century. The likes of Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Mick
Jagger, U2 and Metallica all performed on their induction nights, and
now you get to see them.
Some of the inductions, like that of The Who, didn’t feature big
televised productions, so the footage is a little more intimate and
rough. As things progressed, and VH1 started televising the events, the
production values improved.
The performances are not gathered in chronological order; instead,
they are categorized on the discs with such titles as “Light My Fire”
and “Come Together.” Each disc provides plenty of variety, with a full
range of artists from the entire span of the performances.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Rehearsal footage, induction speeches and
backstage material are featured on each disc.
This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4, 2009.