We fell in love with An Education last year and think you will too. Pick it up on dvd this week and check out our review here
Pick up the soundtrack on Amazon here.
Enjoy the trailer below.
DVD
DVD: Our Pick Is “An Education”
Thursday, April 1st, 2010THE Yes Men: Left Forum Comedy Show This Saturday!
Monday, March 15th, 2010
The Fair & Balanced Comedy Show! will be the third major event at this year’s Left Forum conference at Pace University . The Left Forum brings together organizers and intellectuals from across the globe to share ideas for understanding and transforming the world. The show will bring together some of the country’s sharpest political satirists – from the culture-jamming antics of those provocative pranksters The Yes Men (Mike Bonnanno and Andy Bichlbaum) to the sharp and incisive wit of Daily Show creator Lizz Winstead.
The event starts at 8. Alll the info on the event is on the website here. Tickets are cheap, but limited and available in advance here. Enjoy the trailer for “The Yes Men Fix The World” below. It’s available on dvd starting April 1st.
“Zombieland” Thrills on DVD
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
When we saw Zombieland last fall, we weren’t sure if we were going to buy it. But, less than 20 minutes in, we were hooked. From the lists to the Dale Earnhardt 3 on the truck, it’s the little things that make this movie fun. Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson could have gotten a nomination for this role too as far as we’re concerned. He’s a hoot and a half. And, this film has one of the best surprise cameos ever. Really. Lots of extras and interviews on the DVD. Enjoy the trailer below.
Picks On DVD: “Hurt Locker” and “Moon”
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010What a great week for DVD’s and a perfect time to catch some major award winners you may have missed.
We first told you about The Hurt Locker here and it’s been collecting awards and accolades ever since. While the film is powerful just based on the subject matter of the Iraq war alone, the style of the filmaking is equally impressive. The film is certain to be nominated for a bunch of Academy Awards, including some in smaller categories. And now, you’ll have the edge in your office Oscar pool you see it pop up in categories like Sound Editing.
Sam Rockwell is “Sam”, in director Duncan Jones sci-fi thriller, Moon. We loved this movie and appreciated it’s storytelling and throwbacks to thrills that involve human drama rather than scary space creatures. And check out our interview with director Duncan Jones here.
Extra Hip/Hidden Gem Alert: The Damned United
Monday, August 24th, 2009Take a peek at the trailer below for a little British football movie coming out October 9th. Starring Michael Sheen ( Frost/Nixon), Jim Broadbent (Moulin Rouge) and Colm Meaney (he’s the new Michael Caine! What hasn’t he been in?), The Damned United tells the confrontational and darkly humorous story of Brian Clough’s doomed 44 day tenure as manager of the reigning champions of English football Leeds United. Previously managed by his bitter rival Don Revie, and on the back of their most successful period ever as a football club, Leeds was perceived by many to represent a new aggressive and cynical style of football – an anathema to the principled yet flamboyant Clough.
Extra Hip: Review of “Little Red Riding Hood and Other Stories” Starring Christina Ricci New On DVD Today!
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
Little Red Riding Hood premiered at Sundance and went on to screen in over fifty international film festivals where it received several awards. It’s a bit of a cult title, but this trilogy of eerie and provocative fairy tales is worth a look on DVD.
You’ve never seen a Little Red Riding Hood quite like the one who lives in director David Kaplan’s world. A teenage Christina Ricci stars as a minky Red Riding Hood who finds her way to Grandma’s house through a trippy black and white forest inhabited by a Big Bad Wolf that dances like Nureyev and looks like a whacked out member of a rouge German touring company of “Cats”. But, it all works in a wonderfully creepy and provocative way. The narration by Quentin Crisp adds just the right tone of a caring Grandpa reading you a bed time story even when the action gets gruesome. The film relies heavily on music to help tell the story as well and it’s a lovely, evocative score by Dubussey.
Rounding out the trilogy are Little Suck-A-Thumb and The Frog Prince. And soap fans, take note of the young lady playing the lead in The Frog Prince. It’s a pre-teen Eden Riegel, who plays the wildly popular lesbian daughter of Erica Kane, Bianca, on All My Children.
While this may not be for everyone, those who like artsy, avant-garde films, discovering something new or just expanding their cineamatic horizons will be glad they took a look. The DVD extras includes directors commentary with David Kaplan and folklore scholar Jack Zipes. Visit the official website and view the trailer for the DVD here. Read our interview with director David Kaplan here.
Not Your Grandmother’s “Little Red Riding Hood”. Interview With Director David Kaplan
Monday, June 15th, 2009
In David Kaplan’s underground cult classic, Christina Ricci plays the not-so-innocent Little Red Riding Hood in an exciting and twisted take on the children’s story. Narrated by Quentin Crisp, the film is both provocative and eerie, combining childhood fiction with mature fantasy to create a story that will be sure to leave a lasting impression you. Little Red Riding Hood is part of the collection of short films available on dvd tomorrow. Other stories included in the collection are Kaplan’s rare award-winning films Little Suck-A-Thumb and The Frog King. Bonus features include audio commentaries by David Kaplan and folklore scholar Jack Zipes.
Everhip had the opportunity to have an email chat with David and here’s what he told us about his minky Little Red Riding Hood and how you can make New Jersey look magical on film.
EH- Why do these stories make such great short films?
DK-There is something wild and unruly about them. They come from somewhere deep and complex. They don’t pull punches.
EH- In “Little Red Riding Hood”, why did you choose to shoot such a colorful tale in black and white?
DK- Black and white felt dreamier, more mysterious. It also has a certain old-fashioned quality that helps create a storybook atmosphere which gently lures the audience into the story.
EH- Your “Little Red Riding Hood” is quite the little minx. What intrigued you about showing this version of the character on film?
DK- In the better-known versions of the tale, Little Red is either naïve, stupid, disobedient, or all three. In contrast, in this variant, we find a girl who is clever, resourceful, and flirtatious – and she manages to get herself out of a tricky situation without the help of a male huntsman. I thought that was a take on the character worth sharing.
EH- Would you call these three films a proper trilogy?
DK- Yes. They are all dark, offbeat explorations of folktales and are all written and directed by the same person. They fit nicely together.
EH- In the director’s commentary you describe “The Frog Prince” as a failure of sorts. Is it difficult for a director to admit that? And how would you describe the re-cut version that is on the dvd?
DK- It is not so difficult to admit; the flaws are plain to see in retrospect. But the problems I had with that one allowed me to grow as a director and eventually make “Little Red Riding Hood,” which I am very proud of. As for the re-cut version, it is a way of making the film less cringe-inducing to me: it’s the director’s palatable cut.
EH_How did you make the “exotic” locales of a Manhattan soundstage, Frenchtown, New Jersey and Bridgewater, Connecticut look so exotic?
DK- This was another benefit of the black and white photography. It can take the mundane and make it feel otherworldly. I also had some wonderful production designers and cinematographers on the films who helped to create the look.
EH- Because “Little Red Riding Hood” is basically a silent film, the music plays an integral part of the story. Did you have a hand in choosing it? Did it tell the story the way that you wanted?
DK- Yes, I selected the music, Debussy’s “L’aprés midi d’un faune,” before shooting. I developed the shot list while listening to it. I think it’s a perfect fit. For me, music and sound are at least 50% of the cinematic experience.
Learn more about David Kaplan and watch the trailer here.
New On DVD: A Grumpy Guy, A Few Hippies And Some Heavy Metal Icons
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009There’s a little something for everyone on dvd this week. First, Clint Eastwood stars in Gran Torino. The latest Dirty Harry is actually a grumpy Walt: Walt Kowalski, widower, Korean War veteran, retired auto worker, guy with a mint Gran Torino in his garage, and the last white resident of his Detroit side street. And, there’s a couple of things that really irk him –his blood kin (a pretty lame bunch) and the Hmong families who are his new neighbors. Kowalski’s a racist, because it has never occurred to him he shouldn’t be. Circumstances–and two young people next door, the feisty Sue (Ahney Her) and her conflicted brother Thao (Bee Vang)–contrive to involve Walt with a new community, and anoint him as its hero after he turns his big guns on some ruffians. But the twists and turns of this story surprise you–several times over. Clint Eastwood reeceived some of the best acting reviews of his career with this one. Enjoy the trailer below.
With Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music Director’s Cut 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition, the Summer of Love is fully realized in a collector’s edition box set. And if you need more, Amazon has an exclusive signed and numbered 4-Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition that features more than three hours of extras – including two hours of rare performance footage with songs from Paul Butterfield, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Grateful Dead, Johnny Winter & Mountain who played at Woodstock but never appeared in any previous film version, plus a third hour of featurettes showcasing interviews from Martin Scorsese, Director Michael Wadleigh, and Producer Michael Lang. Included in the set is an Amazon exclusive bonus disc with additional never-before-seen performance footage from Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Country Joe and the Fish plus three additional featurettes! Click here to go to amazon.com. Enjoy the video of Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock performing “Purple Haze” below.
We would have called this next movie-”Come And See The World With Iron Maiden While They Fly The Plane Themselves” , but Iron Maiden: Flight 666 is a bit catchier. (However, you do see the world with Iron Maiden and they fly the plane themselves, just sayin’) Taking you on a visual global tour from Mumbai to Sydney, Tokyo to L.A., Mexico City to Costa Rica, Bogota to Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires and Santiago to New York and Toronto and places in-between, you travel with the band and crew on the plane, to and from shows, in the bar and during leisure time, while experiencing the exhaustion and fan pandemonium that comes with such a mission.
FLIGHT 666 documents the first leg of Maiden’s legendary Somewhere Back In Time World Tour which took them 50,000 miles round the planet playing 23 concerts on five continents in just 45 days. One of the stars of the movie is the band’s customized Boeing 757, Ed Force One, which carried the band, all their crew and 12 tons of stage equipment and was piloted by Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson, a fully qualified and active Airline Captain with Astraeus Airlines.
As a very special bonus for the fans, Maiden have included a second disc of the entire set from the 2008 segment of this tour with the DVD. Sixteen songs from sixteen different cities in eleven countries around the world, for the first time ever encompassing such varied places and cultures in one concert. Enjoy the trailer below.
New On DVD: Hidden Gem “Fighting For Life”
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
It’s been called “a real-life ‘M*A*S*H.’ Two-time Oscar-winning director Terry Sanders went to Iraq and Afghanistan to shoot “Fighting For Life,”, a powerful, sobering and emotional documentary of American military medicine interweaving three stories: 21 year old Army Specialist Crystal Davis who must “bounce back” after losing a leg, military doctors, nurses and medics, working with skill, compassion and dedication amidst the vortex of the Iraq War and students at USU, the “West Point” of military medicine, on their journey toward becoming career military physicians.
The filmakers had extraordinary access to military hospitals, combat support hospitals in Iraq, medevac flights with wounded soldiers and to the people who’s stories they are telling. The Village Voice called it “staggeringly affecting” and Tom Hanks said of the combat medics, “Some of them are funny. Some are good-looking. Some are modest. Some are filled with hubris. They are all heroes.” Learn more about the movie here. Take a look at the powerful trailer below.
New on DVD Today: “Paul Blart: Mall Cop”
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
Even if you never saw an episode of ”The King of Queens” or Kevin James do stand-up, it doesn’t matter. Paul Blart is hilarious! ”Blart” is the story of a lovable and way-too-serious New Jersey mall security guard. It’s an incredibly likeable romantic comedy with a hefty dose of slapstick, which happens to be the formula for a movie to please everyone. If you need further proof, we were on a plane recently that was playing the movie and you could hear people laughing. That’s a sign of quality! Here’s a link to the trailer and some other fun stuff.
