Film + TV

Year of the DogDirected by: Mike White(Paramount)At one point during Year of the Dog, veterinarian office worker Newt (Peter Sarsgaard), confides to fellow dog-lover Peggy (Molly Shannon), “I’ve always had better relationships with animals than people.” “I can relate,” she responds. In a way, the whole film’s an exploration of the feelings expressed during this […]

Bram Stoker’s Dracula: Collector’s EditionDirected by: Francis Ford CoppolaSonyIn 1992, this was taken as an AIDS metaphor. Today, that seems like a stretch. Francis Ford Coppola’s gorgeous ode to old-school horror filmmaking needs no excuses. Avoiding any special effects techniques unavailable at the time of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 Nosferatu, Coppola gives this tale of immortal […]

Hairspray: Two-Disc Shake & Shimmy Edition Directed by: Adam ShankmanAllianceThe notion of John Waters’ kitschy ode to ’60s pop/social revolution getting remade as a Hollywood musical with John Travolta seems so wrong that I’m sure Waters loves it. This new Hairspray works as the most infectious teen movie in ages. With this comprehensive DVD package, […]

Night on EarthDirected by: Jim JarmuschCriterionThe most unfairly neglected of Jim Jarmusch’s films, it hasn’t the indie cache of his early stuff (Stranger than Paradise, Down by Law) or the aging-hipster appeal of later works (Ghost Dog, Broken Flowers). This series of taxi encounters around the planet ranges from haunted (Paris) to zany (Rome) to […]

ZodiacDirected by: David FincherParamountThis barebones disc will soon be rendered obsolete for collectors—a two-disc director’s cut hits stores in early January. But David Fincher’s nifty film about California’s Zodiac killer is so good, we’ll overlook this release’s sad lack of special features. A cinematic throwback in all the right ways (often compared to All the […]

Rock School Directed by: Don ArgottA&E FilmsPaul Green is a Philadelphia-based former musician and current capo di tutti capi of Rock School, a music camp of the sort Jack Black founds in the conclusion of the Richard Linklater comedy School of Rock. Green is irrepressible, the kind of guy whose mouth is in gear way […]

Rooney: Spit and Sweat DVD(Geffen)What’s the difference between Ozma and Rooney? Seth Cohen. While both bands rob Weezer like they were an old lady on a dark street, Rooney were on The OC and that’s why you’ve heard of them. This DVD does nothing but prove that the show’s cultural influence is way too powerful. […]

Spaceballs (Collector’s Edition) Directed by: Mel Brooks (MGM)Mel Brooks gets the last laugh by releasing Spaceballs (Collector’s Edition) while the geeks are out taking their wookie suits to the dry-cleaners. The 1987 sci-fi parody takes the piss out of George Lucas, but according to an interview with Brooks—one of many special features on the DVD—he […]

The White CountessDirected by: James Ivory(Sony Pictures Classics)A little less than a year ago, Bombay-born film producer Ismail Merchant died in London. With his directing partner James Ivory and frequent screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Merchant Ivory productions were internationally renowned for their stories of love and conflict between people of different classes and cultures, from […]

Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola(Paramount)“Terminate…with extreme prejudice.” Right from the beginning, the ominous opening credits backed by The Doors’ “The End,” Apocalypse Now is one of the most powerful films from Francis Ford Coppola’s 1970s maverick period. It features seminal performances from Marlon Brando and Martin Sheen as well as […]

Body Double: Special EditionDirected by: Brian De Palma(Sony)Brian De Palma’s brutal take on lust, sexual paranoia and sex industry sleaze walks the thin line between comedy and horror. It’s so ’80s it hurts, but it’s hard to resist the style and guts of the thing. Body Double’s second DVD appearance sports new extras and improved […]