All Entries in the "DVD Zone" Category
DVD Zone: November 2008 – Indy Rocks!
Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
Paramount
When you’re dealing with one of the most successful franchises in film history, it’s awfully hard to resist the lure of “just one more.” Producer George Lucas, director Steven Spielberg, and Indy himself Harrison Ford all gave in to temptation and dug out the whip and fedora [...]
DVD Zone: October 2008
Iron Man
Marvel
As a kid spending a healthy portion of my misspent youth with a face full of comic books, I never pledged allegiance to either of the big two, Marvel or DC. Though others will argue to the death one is clearly better than the other (and God help you if you get in the [...]
DVD Zone: September 2008
Shine A Light
Paramount
After 45 years, countless live albums, and several live films and videos, it was only a matter of time before The Rolling Stones hooked up with Martin Scorsese. It’s a natural: The biggest band in the world teams with the most acclaimed director since Kurosawa, who seems to be contractually obligated to use [...]
DVD Zone: August 2008
The Bank Job
Lionsgate
Swinging London of the late ’60s/early ’70s found itself at the center of the cultural universe. Music, fashion, literature . . . it was all happening there. The town also found itself at the center of the crime world in 1971 with the “Baker Street Bank Raid.”
DVD Zone: July 2008
Joe Strummer:
The Future Is Unwritten
Sony
After the demise of The Clash, Joe Strummer wandered. His musical inspirations stagnate, he relegated himself to film scores and the odd acting gig with a side project or two here and there. Eventually, he would hold a series of “bonfire discussions” originating at the Glastonbury Music Festival. At these bonfires, [...]
DVD Zone: June 2008
I’m Not There
The Weinstein Company
How strange is it to be Bob Dylan? On one hand, you’re revered as one of the most respected and influential artists in the history of music. Every bit of your work is dissected, annotated, and sifted through for every possible meaning. On the other, your past achievements are held in [...]
DVD Zone: May 2008
Juno
Fox Home Video
Time was when an independent film simply meant a film released outside the studio system by an independent production company. However, once the Sundance festival became as much of a corporate-sponsored entity as any other film festival in the world, a vast majority of independent films have tried to one-up each other [...]
DVD Zone: April 2008
I Am Legend
Warner Home Video
What is it about the end of the world? The current trend is to speculate about what the planet would be like if humans weren’t around to tend to the old homestead. Both The History Channel and The National Geographic Channel have run specials about it, and there’s I Am Legend. [...]
DVD Zone: March 2008
DVD Zone
Sony’s Revenge
Do you like having the newest gadgets? Does the thought of running out and buying the latest technology, no matter the cost, make you a little moist? If so, you might have been one of the few who plunked down some hard-earned coin on a spiffy new HD-DVD player. Guess what? You’re screwed.
DVD Zone: February 2008
Strike? What Strike?
What seems to be troublin’ ya, bunkie? Are you bummed because you haven’t seen a new episode of your favorite show in months? Do you feel you’ll projectile vomit if you stumble across another inane “reality” show? Have you gotten a little sick of all those high-falootin’ writers thinking they should get [...]
DVD Zone: January 2008
Once
Fox Searchlight
It seems to happen every year: The S.L.I., or Scrappy Little Indie. At some point a scrappy little indie flick from across the pond shows up on our doorstep to remind us $300 million is not needed to make a good film. It will generally be about a scrappy dweller (or dwellers) of the [...]
DVD Zone: December 2007
Help!
Capitol/Apple
After the success of A Hard Day’s Night, it would have been easy for The Beatles to try to recreate the faux documentary style that made that film such a delight. Instead, for their second foray into the big-screen world they went a totally different direction. While it isn’t the grand slam that Night was, [...]
DVD Zone: November 2007
Grindhouse Presents: Planet Terror
Grindhouse Presents: Death Proof
Dimension
B-movies have been around practically as long as the film industry itself. Originally, the studios would knock off a feature with second-tier actors to toss on the bill at drive-in theaters, often using the same sets as other films to keep the budget to a minimum.
DVD Zone: October 2007
The Graduate:
40th Anniversary Edition
MGM
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With all of the hoopla surrounding the 40th anniversary of all things 1967, it’s about time someone got around to the best film of the year, The Graduate. Tons of ink has been spilled about the summer of love, and now MGM has released a two-disc Special Edition of director Mike Nichols’ [...]
DVD Zone: September 2007
The Elvis Re-Releases
Warner Home Video
You could say that Warner Home Video is commemorating the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death by re-releasing a healthy portion of Elvis’ Hollywood work. There’s a six-film box set, two “Deluxe” editions, and one giant oversight. However, “commemorate” is the wrong word. Let’s just call it what it is: “cashing [...]
