A Single Man (2009)Director: Tom Ford
Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Hoult
Colin Firth gives the performance of a lifetime in A Single Man, a drama directed and adapted for the screen by fashion designer Tom Ford, who clearly has a deft vision and ability in the world of film as well. A Single Man is based on a novel by Christopher Isherwood, and Ford's--and Firth's--gift is bringing the inner-turmoil world of the novel to believable, and devastating, life on the screen. Firth may be best known as a dashing romantic-comedy hero (Pride and Prejudice, the Bridget Jones films), but in A Single Man he demonstrates nuance and depth that will stay with the viewer long after the film is over. Firth plays George, a gay British professor, living a life of true, if closeted, bliss with his partner, Jim (Matthew Goode), in the straitlaced early '60s. When Jim dies suddenly at the beginning of the film, George wrestles with how to go on without his true love--and with never being able ever to express his grief openly. The film flashes back to scenes of George and Jim and their dogs, scenes awash in warm tones, and then forward to the present, shot in subtle sepia tones that show joy has disappeared from George's life. Yet there are flashes of hope and feeling: one brief scene--showing George's seeing a dog similar to one the couple had owned, and drawing his face close to the dog's for a familiar and comforting scent--lasts but a moment yet resonates that grief and loss are felt the same by everyone, no matter what they have lost. A Single Man's cast also includes Julianne Moore, playing a complex role as George's best friend and long-ago lover--one of the only people on the planet who can know all that George is going through, yet with vast vulnerabilities of her own. Nicholas Hoult plays a student who reaches out to George, saying, "I guess I just thought you looked like you could use a friend." But it's Firth who triumphs in the film, and who drives the complex emotions--all true, all rewarding--that hold A Single Man aloft and give it its impact. A Single Man can hold its own against Brokeback Mountain as a story of love and loss that transcends any single genre. --A.T. Hurley - Trailer
Drama, Gay. DVD and Blu-Ray
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)Män som hatar kvinnor
Director: Niels Arden Oplev
Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Lena Endre
Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her beloved uncle is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) and the tattooed and troubled but resourceful computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) to investigate. When the pair link Harriet s disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vanger s are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves. Trailer
Foreign, Swedish, Crime, Mystery, Thriller. - DVD and Blu-Ray
Brooklyn's Finest (2009)Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Vincent d'Onofrio, Ellen Barkin
Fans of the grit of HBO's The Wire, as well as of the mean-streets story intersection plot of Crash, will find a lot to like in the intense crime drama Brooklyn's Finest. Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) with a sure hand, Brooklyn's Finest follows three NYPD cops who come from very different places (geographically and personally) as their lives, and the compromises they have made daily to coexist with the mean streets of Brooklyn, dovetail to a climax that will have viewers on the edge of their seats. Fuqua has assembled a stellar cast here, including Richard Gere, a veteran cop just a week from retirement; the always amazing Don Cheadle, an undercover officer whose loyalties to the force may be compromised by his growing loyalties to the groups he's infiltrating; and the film's true revelation, Ethan Hawke, a young corrupt cop whose morals make the stomach turn, though Hawke's performance is nuanced and riveting. Supporting cast members include Wesley Snipes as a badass gangster whom even the police have second thoughts about messing with. Other great performances are turned in by Vincent D'Onofrio, whose wooden delivery works here to make his character all the more menacing; Lili Taylor; and a ravishing, world-weary Ellen Barkin. The action is propelled along by the great performances, the excellent cinematography, Fuqua's deft direction, and the moody score by Brazilian composer Marcelo Zarvos. If the plot is a little far-fetched, even for a crime drama, the stellar performances more than make up for it, making Brooklyn's Finest one of Fuqua's, and certainly Hawke's, finest. --A.T. Hurley - Trailer
Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller. DVD and Blu-Ray
Director:Alex Knudsen
Alex Knudsen, Shannon Lucio, Gregory Itzin
The haunting story of a young man, Tanner (Alex Knudsen) just released from a mental institution sixteen years after accidentally killing his mother. He attempts to adapt to a “normal” life with the help of his sister Sara (Shannon Lucio), his childhood friend Mike (Charlie Hofheimer) and his new therapist Dr. Brian (Gregory Itzin) - 110mn - Trailer - Drama, Independent, Mental Illness - DVD
Director: Emily Abt
Louisa Krause, Sonequa Martin, Julia Garro
At a politically correct prep school in Washington, DC two girls – one black, one white – go toe to toe. Jesse (Louisa Krause) is a privileged but troubled white girl whose slutty tendencies pull her towards self-destructive behavior. Tosha (Sonequa Martin) is a fiercely determined African-American from Anacostia, one of DC's most impoverished areas. Both new seniors and star players on their school’s lacrosse team, the two girls click despite their differences. Their fledgling friendship begins to falter when they discover their shared interest in Rashid, a dashing Lebanese deejay. Trailer
Drama, Independent - DVD
Director: Phil Agland
Emily Woof, Rufus Sewell
The story is set in late 19th century rural corner of South England. The daughter of timber merchant Melbury, Grace, returns to the town after finishing school. Her father now believes she can find a better husband than her childhood sweetheart, woodsman Giles. She marries handsome young doctor FitzPiers, but soon finds out he's not the man of her dreams and she still loves Giles.
Shanghai International Film Festival won Best Film and Best Director
Independent, Drama, Romance - DVD
Director: Steven Spielberg
Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins,
As Earth is invaded by alien tripod fighting machines, one family fights for survival. Trailer
Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi - Added the Blu-Ray version. DVD was already in stock.
- City of Fear (1959) Irving Lerner
- Nightfall (1957) Jacques Tourneur
- Pushover (1954) Richard Quine
- Human Desire (1954) Fritz Lang
- The Brothers Rico (1957)DVD
For Buster Keaton, the era of the talkies was a tumultuous time. As a result of signing with MGM, the quality, the quality of his ambitious, eclectic comedies began to decline and in 1934, he signed a contract with Earle W. Hammons Educational Pictures which, despite its name, specialized in comedy short subjects. Keatons move to Educational was a return to his roots, crafting a stream of two reel comedies in rapid succession, as he had done in the early 1920s, when he first refined his cinematic craft.
The films Buster Keaton made with Educational Pictures (ALL sixteen of which are collected here) pay homage to his earlier work, but at the same time incorporated the element of sound, all while exploring new possibilities for his recurring comic persona, Elmer.
This FIVE HOUR+ collection features all 16 Educational Pictures shorts (14 of which have never been available on DVD until now) including: The Gold Ghost, Allez Oop, Palooka From Paducah, One Run Elmer, Hayseed Romance, Tars and Stripes, The E-Flat Man, The Timid Young Man, Three on a Limb, Grand Slam Opera, Blue Blazes, The Chemist, Mixed Magic, Jail Bait, Ditto and Love Nest on Wheels.
Special Features include a Stills Gallery, Film Notes by David Macleod (author of The Sound of Buster Keaton) and more! @ Amazon - DVD
Gamera vs Barugon Daikaijû kettô: Gamera tai Barugon
Freed from the Z Plan capsule, Gamera attacks a dam upon his return to Earth. Meanwhile, a private expedition to retrieve a rare opal in New Guinea unwittingly unleashes the malevolent Barugon. Virtually unstoppable and able to freeze anything in its path, the monstrous lizard turns modern cities into glaciers until Gamera arrives to challenge the marauder! But even the fire-spitting terrapin becomes trapped in the creatures frozen grip. Can one of the explorers, Keisuke Hirata (Kojiro Hongo, Satans Sword), and a New Guinea native, Karen (Kyoko Enami, The Woman Gambler), help to defeat Barugon before it plunges Japan into a new Ice Age?
Gamera Vs. Barugon, the second entry in Daiei Studios monster series, was directed by veteran Shigeo Tanaka (The Great Wall) and is more lavish than the original in terms of scale and scope it was shot in spectacular color! Noriaki Yuasa (Gamera, The Giant Monster) was charged with helming the visual effects for this outing, and the results are fantastic. For the first time, Shout! Factory presents Gamera Vs. Barugon in an all-new HD anamorphic widescreen transfer, both in Japanese with English subtitles and English audio.- DVD
Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars (2009)Mars, 2059. Bowie Base One. Last recorded message: "Don't drink the water. Don't even touch it. Not one drop"... all will be revealed in The Waters of Mars starring Lindsay Duncan as the Doctor's cleverest and most strong-minded companion yet. - DVD
What's Underground About Marshmallows (1996)The complete, extraordinary "reperformance" by Ron Vawter of Jack Smith's 1981 performance piece, What's Underground About Marshmallows, in which Jack, strongly against the commodification of art and fearful that people were making illegal copies of his films, accuses Jonas Mekas, the champion of avant-garde film in the early '60s, of this diabolical infringement. In Marshmallows, Jack tells a funny, pathetic tale "on" himself--a nightmare of failing to catch Mekas--called variously "Uncle Artcrust," "Uncle Fishhook" and sometimes "Old Uncle Oldie"--in the act of duplication. 60mn - Jill Godmilow - USA - Independent - DVD
Romanian drama with Vincent Regan, Michael Ironside and Patrick Bergen. Directed by Adrian Popovici. 106 mn. In English.
Foreign, Romanian, Drama - DVD
Trailer
Battle of the Warriors (2006)
Battle of Wits - Mo Gong
Director: Chi Leung "Jacob" Cheung
Andy Lau, Sung-Kee Ahn, Zhiwen Wang
Story centers on a battle during China's Warring States Period, a series of civil wars, which spanned from the 5th to the 3rd century B.C. Based on a popular Japanese manga, which was in turn based a Japanese novel inspired by Warring States history in China. Won 3 awards including Best Picture and best actor (Andy Lau) - Foreign, Chinese, Action, War. In Cantonese - DVD
Director: Sung-Su Kim
Woo-Sung Jung, Sung-Kee Ahn, Jin-Mo Ju, Zhang Ziyi
1375. Nine Koryo warriors, envoys exiled by Imperial China, battle to protect a Chinese Ming Princess from Mongolian troops. Won Best Asian Film a the Fant-Asia Film Festival. Trailer
Foreign, Korean, Chinese, Action, Epic, Drama, History. DVD
Muyeong Geom
Director: Young-Jun Kim
Hyeon-Jun Shin, So-Yi Yoon, Seo-Jin Lee
The killer blades versus the killer babe!
After the killer-blade army topples the ruling dynastym the beautiful & deadly warrior soha sets out to find the exiled prince jung-hyun & guide him to reclaim the fallen throne.
Foreign, Korean, Action - DVD
36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)The Kung Fu Classic That Started It All!
Director: Chia-Liang Liu
Lieh Lo, Chia Hui Liu, Chia Yung Liu
The anti-Ching patriots, under the guidance of Ho Kuang-han, have secretly set up their base in Canton, disguised as school masters. During a brutal Manchu attack, Lui manages to escape and devotes himself to learning the martial arts in order to seek revenge. In a short period of time he masters the deadly use of his fists, feet and palms, along with such weapons as swords, sticks, and lances. With his learning complete, he takes on the Manchus.
Foreign, Hong Kong, Chinese, Action. In Mandarin. Blu-Ray (already had DVD)
Several Classics new to DVD:
- All I Desire (1953) Douglas Sirk
- The Bride Wore Boots (1946) Irving Pichel
- The Great Man's Lady (1942) William A. Wellman
- The Lady Gambles (1949) Michael Gordon
- Life with Elizabeth (1952) TV series 1952-1955
- There's Always Tomorrow (1956) Douglas Sirk
- Internes Can't Take Money (1937) Alfred Santell
Several Gay Movies:
Directors: Casper Andreas, Fred M. Caruso
Daniel Robinson, Joey Dudding, Jeff Metzler
Paul and Eddie have just begun previews for the new Off-Broadway musical "Adam and Steve Just the Way God Made 'Em." Their lives strangely mirror the characters they are playing. Paul is looking for the perfect man and Eddie is dealing with how his sexuality and faith can mix. After yet another disastrous dating experience, Paul has an epiphany. He is done dating and just wants to be a slut like the sexy chorus boys that share his dressing room. Eddie has to tell his parents that he's gay and is starring in a show that calls the bible the "Breeder's Informational Book of Living Examples". Eddie comes out to his family and Paul goes on Manhunt. Eddie's parents are destroyed by the news and Paul can't even have a good one-night stand. But after musical numbers with scantly clad tap dancing angels, a retelling of Genesis, tele-evangelists, a camp that attempts to turn gay kids straight, and a bunch of showtunes, everyone realizes that life gets better once they accept who they really are. And they are just the way God made 'em. Trailer
Musical, Off-Broadway, Gay - DVD
The Lost Coast (2008)
Director: Gabriel Fleming
Ian Scott McGregor, Lucas Alifano, Lindsay Benner
As a group of old high school friends wander through San Francisco on Halloween night, two of them are forced to confront their unspoken sexual history. Won Best Feature at the NY Lesbian and Gay Festival 2008.
Drama, Gay, San Francisco - DVD
Tom Macy, Andrew Roth, Regina Aquino
PRAXIS peels away the layers of narrative even as Brian (Tom Macy), the film's axis, struggles to create his true self. Brian, a writer on the verge of a breakdown, is aided by Joe (Andrew Roth) and an elusive woman (Regina Aquino) as he sifts through the fragments of his persona to discover his true core. Fighting against fear and the indifference of society, his quest reflects the classical myths of Proteus and the human search for meaning in the universe. Drama, Gay - DVD - Trailer
Only art can turn something painful into something beautiful
Director: David Oliveras
Tye Olson, Kyle Clare, Ellie Araiza
When Danny (Tye Olson) arrives at the opening of his first art exhibition, his erotic paintings trigger memories of his first love, Carter (Kyle Clare), a troubled athlete, whose depression and self-loathing mirrored his own adolescent turmoil. But while Danny used his creativity to escape, Carter, unable to handle the emotional pressures of high school, spiraled out of control.Trailer -DVD
Directors: David and Jacqui Morris
Luke de Woolfson, James Lance, Benjamin Hart
Harry hates being a TV producer and dreams of leaving his job to travel the world. He loves Alex, an aspiring actor who is struggling to create an identity for himself as a performer. Rugby player William's nine-year-old daughter is intent on sabotaging his relationships with new boyfriends, and he's finding it difficult to let Lawrence, the soap star, into his life. Lars is a handsome sometime-model kept by Tom, a successful artist, who will excuse his every betrayal so long as Lars doesn't leave him. Trailer
Foreign, British, Gay, Drama, Romance, Comedy - DVD
Redwoods (2009)Director: David Lewis
Elinor Bell, Brendan Bradley, Clara Brighton
An unfulfilled gay man in a stagnant relationship finds his life changed forever when he meets a struggling writer visiting the Redwoods Country. Trailer
Drama, Romance, Gay - DVD
New Documentaries on DVD:
- Black Sabbath: Paranoid (2010) Music
- The Rolling Stones: Stones in Exile (2010) Music
- The Brothers Warner (2008) Cass Warner - An intimate portrait and saga of four film pioneers--Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack who rose from immigrant poverty through personal tragedies persevering to create a major studio with a social conscience. Cinema.
- Into the Deep: America Whaling and the World. PBS - America, Whaling, and the World Equal parts fantastic sea adventure, mythic saga of man versus beast, and cautionary economic and environmental tale, Ric Burns Into the Deep is the thrilling, epic story of three centuries of whaling and the unique relationship between American whalers and the giant creatures they hunted. Animals, Nature
- Last Chance to See: Animals on the verge of extinction (2009) - Twenty years after Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine traveled the world in search of some of the most endangered animals, Stephen Fry joins Mark to retrace their journeys. Animals, Nature
- The Sophisticated Misfit (2007) Mark Chervinsky - A four-year exploration of modern-art phenom Shag, and his legions of obsessive fans. Art.
- Rem Koolhaas: Kind of Architect (2008) is an engaging portrait of a visionary man that takes us to the heart of his ideas. Directors Markus Heidingsfelder and Min Tesch have made a visually inventive, thought-provoking portrait of the architect, prompting Rem Koolhaas to state, 'It's the only film about me that I have liked. Rarely has an architect caused as much sensation outside of the architecture community as Rem Koolhaas. His outstanding creations such as the Dutch Embassy in Berlin, the Seattle Library and the Casa da Musica concert hall in Porto are working examples of the Dutchman's visionary theories about architecture and urban society. But Koolhaas' work is as much about ideas as it is about constructing buildings; he is equally celebrated as a writer and social commentator. For Koolhaas, what is essential is not to create individual masterpieces, but to provoke and excite through the wide range of his activities. Architecture.
TV series on DVD:
- Project Runaway Season 7 (2005) Eli Holzman
13 Ghosts of Scoobby-Doo (1985) The Complete Series 13 episodes on 2 discs - 286 mn Animation, Family - DVD
Director: Adam Elliot
The odd biography of a man who has Tourette's Syndrome, chronic bad luck, menial jobs, nudist tendencies, and a book of "fakts" hung around his neck. 23mn.
Won 2004 the Oscar for Best Short Film along 18 other awards. Check out his other production Mary and Max.
Foreign, Australian, Animation, Claymation, Short - DVD
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