This page will house not only a list of DVD's that I add to my collection, but also some humble reviews of said entertainments. Differing opinions are always appreciated, unless I end up not agreeing with them.
I admit up front that I'm no technical expert, and the finer points of 'aspect ratios' and 'remastered audio' are quite lost on me. I just review the goodies, knowutimsayin? Also, look elsewhere on this site for reviews of the movies themselves...this page is just to address the packaging.
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Big Trouble in Little China Chasing Amy Clerks Conan the Barbarian Fight Club Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back Mallrats Run Lola Run Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders Superman The Sword and the Sorceror Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI Oh, and if you keep your eyes peeled? There's an easter egg that will finally explain just what that watermelon was doing there.
BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA
CHASING AMY
CLERKS
CONAN THE BARBARIAN
FIGHT CLUB
JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK
MALLRATS
RUN LOLA RUN
SCOOBY-DOO AND THE ALIEN INVADERS
SUPERMAN
THE SWORD AND THE SORCEROR
TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME
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ACROSS THE EIGHTH DIMENSION
Yes, it's finally arrived on DVD, and happily, BUCKAROO BANZAI has gotten A-list treatment at long last. There are lots of goodies on the disc for every little Blue Blazer out there, starting with a deleted scene archive (which includes an alternate opening sequence to the film, featuring Jamie Lee Curtis as Buckaroo's Mom), many of which serve to shed some light on the nearly-mythical proposed sequel, BUCKAROO BANZAI AGAINST THE WORLD CRIME LEAGUE. A featurette on the making of the film entertains (referred to as a declassified documentary...the disc takes great legths to keep up the appearance that all the events portrayed in this film are 100% true), several trailers and still photo galleries are a good diversion. But teh real treat is with the commentary tracks. The audio track with director WD Richter is a little disappointing, featuring long periods of silence and not as much inside info as one would like. But you MUST watch this movie with the subtitle track, featuring Pinky Carruthers' unknown facts. It practically makes it a whole new movie. Find out what Buckaroo carries in his briefcase, learn just whose Mazerotti Bora Emilio Lizardo steals when he escapes from the Asylum, and gain wisdom from Buckaroo's five verities. It is seriously not to be missed.
My fourth Smith DVD, yet the first one I've put down a review for. Oh, sweet irony! Anyhow, Kevin Smith's admitted prediliction for dick and fart jokes aside, he sure knows how to assemble a crackin' DVD. There are tons of deleted scenes, many of which are really kick-ass funny (and hey! Unseen gratuitous lesbian fun to boot!), and accompanied by intros featuring Smith and various guest stars, most often the one-of-a-kind Jason Mewes being amusingly weird. You also get a blooper reel, several music videos (if anyone's not sick of CAUSE I GOT HIGH yet), and a great behind the scenes featurette. The commentary track featuring Smith, Mewes, and Producer Scott Mozier, isn't as good as on some other Smith features, but it still entertains. If you dug the movie, you'll love the disc.
Mallrats, Kevin Smith's least movie to date (in my opinion, among others) gets primo treatment on DVD. Oodles of deleted scenes, including a HUGE original opening sequence that almost changes the entire course of the movie. The commentary track, as with most Smith discs, is terrific and worth a listen. A small featurette describes not only the making of the film, but it's subsequent disastrous results upon release in theatres. A few other goodies strewn about, including a music video by indie coolcats THE GOOPS round out a great effort. Definitely a must-have for Mallrats fans...however many of those there are out there.
Aside from the major glaring flaw that this is a Warner Bros. disc, and therefore has cheap packaging equivalent to an upper-echelon greeting card (yo, WB...spring for a jewel case, 'kay?), this is a fine purchase for the Superfan. The movie's been extended with plenty of scenes not shown in theatres or on previous video releases (although, oddly enough, I distinctly recall seeing many of them during the film's tv appearances over the years), including extended Krypton sequences explaining a bit about the Phantom Zone for the layman, and Superman running Luthor's gauntlet. The documentaries on side B of the disc are great, and I advise watching them before bothering with the main commentary track, featuring director Richard Donner and 'creative consultant' Tom Mankiewicz, as it helps to give you a bit of a mental image to go along with the voices. It's also cool to see Chris Reeve putting in his two cents in the docs. Nice to see credit being given to a much-maligned actor who, let's not forget, made one of the most indelible screen performances of the twentieth century. Seriously, will there ever be a better Supes? Thinking not over here.
At this writing, I haven't checked out the 'enhanced pc' features on the disc, but they sound like standard fare. Still, crappy packaging aside (shape up WB, I mean it), this's a great dvd.
Precious few extras on this DVD, a couple of trailers (which, unless I'm going mad, are the exact same trailer played twice) and the usual chapter breaks. Buy it for the same reason I did...to marvel at the fact that they actually made a DVD of Sword and the Sorceror, for crying out loud! Who would have ever thunk it??
Sadly, there aren't many extra features on the disc of this brilliant, disturbing movie. The deleted scenes, long now a sort-of Holy Grail of Peaks fans, were deemed too expensive for inclusion. We have to settle for a trailer (a good one, if awfully revealing if you haven't seen the film) and a documentary feature. Though excellent in parts, this feature is ultimately too disjointed in its approach, the makers perhaps trying too hard to be Lynchian in their delivery. Still, some of the revelations from the cast members (of the show itself, not just the movie) are more than worth watching this tidbit.