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LIVING HEALTH DIVORCE ARTS BOOKS RELIGION IMPACT EDUCATION COLLEGE NY LA CHICAGO DENVER BLOGS
Michael Giltz
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Posted: April 11, 2010 04:40 PM
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3Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazySixteen New DVDs You Must Check
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Read More: Criterion , Crude , Doctor Who , Dvds , James Brown , James Mason , Joe Berlinger , Katharine
Hepburn , Leo McCarey , Make Way For Tomorrow , Maurice Sendak , Miyazaki , Ponyo , Reviews , T.A.M.I.
Show , The Mary Tyler Moore Show , Where The Wild Things Are , Entertainment News
I've been lax the last few months so it's time to play catch up. Here are 16 DVD releases that are the best
of the best from the first four months of 2010. Out of the hundreds if not thousands of DVD titles putout, these are ones you shouldn't miss. Rent them, buy them, stream them; do whatever you want. Just
don't miss them.
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Radio Station, TV Ratings
T.A.M.I. Show ($19.93; Shout) -- This is the Moby Dick of rock concerts, a long sought after, almost
fabled show from 1964. We've seen scratchy excerpts, breathless descriptions but --until now -- not the
actual show itself. The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Lesley Gore, Smokey
Robinson & The Miracles -- just listing the acts that appeared is exciting. Shout has done an exemplaryjob of restoring the film. From the Chuck Berry opener -- with guys and gals dancing their asses off in thebackground (including Teri Garr!) -- it's clear this is as much time capsule as concert and indeed the
screams of the high school students in the audience often drown out the sound from the tiny speakers
available in those days. Some great camerawork (such as an extreme, slow zoom into a close-up of DianaRoss) show genuine artistry. But it's mostly an enjoyable spectacle...until James Brown and the Flames
take the stage. It's been repeated so often it must be gospel by now: this little-seen concert has always
been touted as the absolute pinnacle of Brown captured on film. Well, there's no need for any faith inthat statement any longer. Watching him galvanize the audience with all his showmanship (the repeatedcollapsing to the ground, remarkable dancing, etc.), it's not just James Brown at his best but pop music
at its revolutionary best. Before Brown, T.A.M.I. was a great peek back at pop in its early days. After
Brown, it's a landmark.
The African Queen ($39.99 BluRay or $25.99 regular; Paramount) -- The African Queen scares me.
Not the film itself; it's a grand entertainment with Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart gentlysatirizing their screen personas while creating indelible, genuine characters. It's one of many peaks by
John Huston but not listed among the greats as often as it should be simply because it's so muchuncomplicated fun. No, what scares me is that this film was unavailable so long and had fallen into
disrepair. If a wildly popular film featuring two of Hollywood's biggest stars can go missing so long,
what's happening to more obscure works?
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Tester Pushes to Reform Senate
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Poldark Set 1 ($69.99; Acorn) -- What a goofy name. Poldark. For decades, it kept me from watching
this Masterpiece Theatre classic from 1977. How dashing can someone named "Poldark" actually be?
Pretty darn dashing as it turns out. His one-time love Elizabeth (Jill Townsend) may be a bit of a pill, butPoldark returns from fighting in the colonies to late 1700s Britain and fights to reestablish his estate,revitalize his copper mine and revenge himself on those who betrayed his interests. Tremendous fun and
season two comes out in the fall.
The Informant ($35.99 on BluRay and $28.98 regular; Warner Bros.) -- Matt Damon got an Oscar
nomination last year, but for the wrong movie. This Steven Soderbergh film based on the true story of
the highest-ranking whistleblower in US history is hilariously good. The score by Marvin Hamlisch is
wickedly funny and sets the perfect tone for this look at a seemingly clueless executive who cooperateswith federal investigators in the most bumbling fashion imaginable, from "narrating" his every move into
hidden mikes ("I am now walking into the building") to the great finale. Boy, Damon is good. One of the
best films of the year and a movie whose stock is certain to rise in years to come.
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Vengeance Trilogy ($49.99 Vivendi/Palisades Tartan Asia Extreme) -- At the end of 2010, this is
definitely going to be one of the boxed sets everyone singles out. It's a Criterion-worthy collection of
three films in a loose "vengeance" trilogy by director Park Chan-wook: Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance,
Oldboy, Lady Vengeance. They play perfectly well on their own, but do rebound and reflect on each
other in fascinating ways taken as a whole. Oldboy -- about a businessman imprisoned in a room by
mysterious assailants -- is perhaps the best known in the US, but all three are exceptional thrillers. The
DVDs are bursting with extras including multiple commentary tracks, alternate versions, deleted scenes,
making-of documentaries and more. Essential viewing.
Thirtysomething COMPLETE SECOND SEASON ($59.99; Shout) -- This is the second of three
season for this yuppie drama and it's the one where the show leaped from a pop culture phenomenon to
greatness. Mostly, this was due to the introduction of the Machiavellian businessman Miles Drentell, who
slapped Michael and Elliot (and the show) out of its hyper-articulate faux maturity into a realization thatthe big bad world is pretty scary and confusing, even for people who are smart, good-looking and
prepared to analyze every move in agonizing detail. Cast interviews and commentaries are included, but
as always it's the show itself that really matters and thirtysomething delivers. The final season comes out
May 11.
Ponyo ($39.99 BluRay combo or $29.99 regular; Disney) -- Disney released the much-ballyhooed but
bland The Princess and the Frog in 2009, a return to hand-drawn animation. But far far better is the
latest gem from Hayao Miyazaki, the master from Japan who has deeply influenced Pixar and anyanimator worth their salt. A gentle spin on The Little Mermaid, it involves a little boy who befriends a
goldfish. The goldfish falls in love with him, tries to take human form and unwittingly unleashes agigantic storm. This sounds far more dramatic than the beautiful, dream-like tone set at the very
beginning and maintained throughout this sweet story. Best of all, Disney took Ponyo as an excuse to
remaster and re-release other Miyazaki gems like My Neighbor Tortoro, Kiki's Delivery Service and
Castle In The Sky ($29.99 each; Disney) all of which should be devoured by anyone with children or a
love of animation or who just enjoys good films.
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Crude ($24.95; First Run Features) -- Director Joe Berlinger is developing a fascinating resume as a
documentary filmmaker. As my friend Aaron said, he seems to tackle complex issues, but in facts
illuminates them as very simple and clear. Whether it's Paradise Lost (in which teens are wrongly
targeted as murderers simply because they listen to goth music) or Crude , in which a wildly complex
court case is shown as indigenous people of Ecuador suffering and dying due to the neglect of Chevron
and other oil companies. Throw in Brothers Keeper and Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster and you've got
a director in the midst of one of the more intriguing careers around. Presented with typical care by FRF.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show Sixth Season ($29.98; Fox) -- It's quite simply the greatest sitcom of
all time. No other sitcom has delivered more brilliantly for more years than this one. It got better and
better every single season. Indeed, this penultimate season includes "Chuckles Bites The Dust," the best
episode of them all and it's far from the only gem. Only short run series like Fawlty Towers and The
Office (UK) come close to the legendary accomplishment of this. Nearly 35 years on and it remains as
funny, sweet and beautifully acted as ever.
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin ($19.97 on BluRay; Dragon Dynasty/Vivendi) -- I'm not a martial arts
expert, so it's kind of trippy to see a landmark film like this and realize how influential it's been on movies
I have seen, including everything from The Karate Kid to Kung Fu Panda to just about any film where an
apprentice learns his craft. Interestingly, this isn't non-stop action but mostly an engrossing training filmas our hero masters kung fu. This is not a sterling print but it's solid and inexpensive with some extras to
give it context. Also out on DVD is Return To 36th Chamber ($19.93 regular DVD; Vivendi/Dragon
Dynasty), one of the great sequels. In this case, they said, enough of the training. Let's fight!
Leonard Bernstein Omnibus ($49.98; E1 Entertainment) -- The footage shows its age, but this is a
rare opportunity to see Leonard Bernstein in full teacher mode as he gently leads audiences through
Beethoven's Fifth, jazz, the art of conducting and more. It's amazing to think of this in prime time on a
major network, but that's exactly what the classy and popular Omnibus on CBS did for years. It's great
that they dug out so many of his talks, since anyone interested in one of them will want them all,
including What Makes Opera Grand, The Music Of J.S. Bach, Modern Music and Musical Comedy. Plusthere's a performance of that warhorse Handel's Messiah. Well done. Also out is King Lear ($29.98; E1)
with Orson Welles in an 82 minute presentation of the Peter Brooks version. Again, it's from 1953 andthe age shows. While it's rather pricey, they have stuffed it with great extras including a preview from theweek before, a later talk on the Globe Theatre, Alistair Cooke reporting live from the Yale Shakespeare
Festival and more.
Bigger Than Life ($39.95; Criterion) -- I can't remember the last time a release from Criterion
WASN'T one of the best of the year, either a beautiful presentation of a film I love or some great workthey introduced me to. Nicholas Ray's Bigger Than Life is the latter, an absolutely gorgeous, Sirk-like
meditation on suburbia and a man (James Mason) trapped by his life who becomes horribly addicted to
cortisone. It's not really a "problem" film about addiction but more about shattering a seemingly placidlife into jagged little pieces. Superlative filmmaking and the extras include commentary from scholars, an
interview with Ray's widow, an appreciation by writer Jonathan Lethem and more.
Doctor Who: The Complete Specials ($59.98 on BluRay and $49.98 regular; BBC) -- I pity the poor
Doctor who has to follow David Tennant. But what a grand send-off these final specials were, from the
amusingly misleading The Next Doctor to the fun Planet Of The Dead to the creepy The Waters Of Mars
and the wonderful, heartbreaking two-part The End Of Time. The Doctor's final words in this incarnation
are typical of the great work of Russell T. Davies -- poignant, funny, spot-on for the scene, perfect for
fans, Tennant himself and yet also deeply true for anyone facing death. He said, simply, "I don't want togo." It's enough to make a hardened DVD critic get all misty-eyed.
Where the Wild Things Are ($35.99 on BluRay and $28.99 regular; Warner Bros.) -- Like The
Informant, this was one of the best films of 2009. It beautifully expanded on the picture book by Maurice
Sendak to show a sad little boy who runs away from home to be with himself only to find that even
imaginary friends can come with baggage. The wonderfully named Max Records (he should start his own
music label) gives a truly great performance as Max. It's a raw, wounded, heartbreaking film that's reallyfor adults. Bold stuff. Also out is Tell Them Anything You Want ($24.99; Oscilloscope), a look at the
legendary author Sendak in all his controversial glory, presented lovingly by Lance Bangs and SpikeJonze.
Wish Me Luck Series 1 ($39.99; Acorn) -- This ITV series from 1988 is a corker about women
recruited as spies by SOE and trained and then sent into occupied France. if you're like me, that's all you
need to know. With only 23 episodes in all, I do wish they'd just released the entire show in one fellswoop. Also out is Wartime Britain ($69.99; Acorn), a grab bag of three different works: a Harold Pinterscreenplay of romance and danger as Michael Gambon forces a woman to have sex with him or
undermine her real lover's possible treason, the story of a housewife who blossoms during her volunteer
efforts (both of them movies) and the great miniseries Island At War, about life on a Channel Island
occupied by the Nazis.
Make Way For Tomorrow ($29.95; Criterion) -- I've literally saved the best for last. For years I'd
heard about this little-seen Leo McCarey film from 1937, which is almost never seen on TV and basicallyunavailable. McCarey is one of Hollywood's greats, from pairing Laurel & Hardy and overseeing their
best work to "creating" Cary Grant in The Awful Truth, giving Bing Crosby his most popular role in Going
My Way, the praised Ruggles Of Red Gap and this, the film most of his contemporaries considered
McCarey's masterpiece. Indeed. It's the heartbreaking story of an elderly couple who lose their home and
have to be split up among their children, just for a while mind you. Both are in the way in their respective
homes and miss each other terribly. Does that even begin to capture how masterful this movie is? How inabout three minutes they tell us everything we need to know about the couple, their children and whatwill happen to them? Does it describe the brilliant, unsentimental acting of Victor Moore and especially
Beulah Bondi, who was easily 30 years younger than the age she was playing and delivered one of the
great moments in acting history in her final scene? Wonderful extras place the film in its historicalcontext (Social Security was just coming online) and make the argument for McCarey's greatness. All you
need to do is watch this film. It's one of the champs.
Thanks for reading. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog. Download his podcast of
celebrity interviews and his weekly music radio show at Popsurfing and enjoy the weekly pop culture
podcast he co-hosts at Showbiz Sandbox . Both available for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and
gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.
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(PHOTOS)Stacey Nemour: Inside the Life of a Shaolin Monk
Most martial artists are familiar with the extraordinary powers of the Shaolin monks.
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More in Entertainment...
I kept scrolling down this list and saying, "nope, nope, nope, nope, nope..." until I got to your very
last title and literally gasped with joy. BULLSEYE!! ! Perfect pick, Michael, I couldn't possibly agree
more with your pick of "the best for last". 'Make Way for Tomorrow' truly must be seen to bebelieved.
(I would only add that a 1953 CBS TV performanc e of 'King Lear' starring Orson Welles was
released on DVD this past February, and it's amazing, especially - of course - Welles as Lear.)
Don't forget that Toni Basil danced and choreograp hed on the T.A.M.I. show! I'll be picking this one
up.
Thanks for mentioning Toni, who definitely is having a fascinatin g, Zelig-like career in
popular music.
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FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT COMEDY SPORTS STYLE WORLD GREEN FOOD TRAVEL TECH
LIVING HEALTH DIVORCE ARTS BOOKS RELIGION IMPACT EDUCATION COLLEGE NY LA CHICAGO DENVER BLOGS
Michael Giltz
Freelance writer and raconteur
Posted: April 11, 2010 04:40 PM
BIO
Become a Fan
Get Email Alerts
Bloggers' Index
0
9
views
0
3Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazySixteen New DVDs You Must Check
Out
What's Your Reaction:
Read More: Criterion , Crude , Doctor Who , Dvds , James Brown , James Mason , Joe Berlinger , Katharine
Hepburn , Leo McCarey , Make Way For Tomorrow , Maurice Sendak , Miyazaki , Ponyo , Reviews , T.A.M.I.
Show , The Mary Tyler Moore Show , Where The Wild Things Are , Entertainment News
I've been lax the last few months so it's time to play catch up. Here are 16 DVD releases that are the best
of the best from the first four months of 2010. Out of the hundreds if not thousands of DVD titles putout, these are ones you shouldn't miss. Rent them, buy them, stream them; do whatever you want. Just
don't miss them.
MOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOSTBIG NEWS: Jersey Shore | Ellen Degeneres | Celebrity Body | Playboy | Energy Debates | More...
LOG IN | SIGN UP
SHARE THIS STORY
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Email Comments 3
More Dead Birds, Fish
Found Across The World
Comments (2,691)
WATCH: Demi Moore In A
Teeny Bikini
Comments (418)
Elizabeth Edwards' Will
Revealed
Comments (581)
Intestinal Parasites May Be
Causing Your Energy
Slump
Comments (146)
Rudeness Is A Neurotoxin
Comments (46)
Should The Leader Of The
Free World Dress Like
THIS?
Comments (494)
Camille Grammer's Porn
Past Comes Back To Haunt
Her
Comments (806)
Two House Republicans
Violate Constitution With
Voting Blunder
Comments (8,905)
BECK IN TROUBLE?
Dropped From New York
Radio Station, TV Ratings
T.A.M.I. Show ($19.93; Shout) -- This is the Moby Dick of rock concerts, a long sought after, almost
fabled show from 1964. We've seen scratchy excerpts, breathless descriptions but --until now -- not the
actual show itself. The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Lesley Gore, Smokey
Robinson & The Miracles -- just listing the acts that appeared is exciting. Shout has done an exemplaryjob of restoring the film. From the Chuck Berry opener -- with guys and gals dancing their asses off in thebackground (including Teri Garr!) -- it's clear this is as much time capsule as concert and indeed the
screams of the high school students in the audience often drown out the sound from the tiny speakers
available in those days. Some great camerawork (such as an extreme, slow zoom into a close-up of DianaRoss) show genuine artistry. But it's mostly an enjoyable spectacle...until James Brown and the Flames
take the stage. It's been repeated so often it must be gospel by now: this little-seen concert has always
been touted as the absolute pinnacle of Brown captured on film. Well, there's no need for any faith inthat statement any longer. Watching him galvanize the audience with all his showmanship (the repeatedcollapsing to the ground, remarkable dancing, etc.), it's not just James Brown at his best but pop music
at its revolutionary best. Before Brown, T.A.M.I. was a great peek back at pop in its early days. After
Brown, it's a landmark.
The African Queen ($39.99 BluRay or $25.99 regular; Paramount) -- The African Queen scares me.
Not the film itself; it's a grand entertainment with Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart gentlysatirizing their screen personas while creating indelible, genuine characters. It's one of many peaks by
John Huston but not listed among the greats as often as it should be simply because it's so muchuncomplicated fun. No, what scares me is that this film was unavailable so long and had fallen into
disrepair. If a wildly popular film featuring two of Hollywood's biggest stars can go missing so long,
what's happening to more obscure works?
1 of 5
Dylan Ratigan
Free Market Fraud
Sen. Jon Tester
Tester Pushes to Reform Senate
Rules With Greater Transparency,
EfficiencyDON'T MISS HUFFPOST BLOGGERS
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natalie portman natalie
portman pregnant raven
symone weight
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More Celebrity News at People.com
Fall
Comments (5,644)
Why Snooki Is Really Like a
Squirrel Monkey
READ MORE
Jennifer Connelly DebutsBaby Bump
READ MORE
Kendra WilkinsonDismisses Divorce Rumors
READ MORE
John Legend Parties WithPauly D, 'Precious'
John Edwards Proposes to
Mistress Already?
Poldark Set 1 ($69.99; Acorn) -- What a goofy name. Poldark. For decades, it kept me from watching
this Masterpiece Theatre classic from 1977. How dashing can someone named "Poldark" actually be?
Pretty darn dashing as it turns out. His one-time love Elizabeth (Jill Townsend) may be a bit of a pill, butPoldark returns from fighting in the colonies to late 1700s Britain and fights to reestablish his estate,revitalize his copper mine and revenge himself on those who betrayed his interests. Tremendous fun and
season two comes out in the fall.
The Informant ($35.99 on BluRay and $28.98 regular; Warner Bros.) -- Matt Damon got an Oscar
nomination last year, but for the wrong movie. This Steven Soderbergh film based on the true story of
the highest-ranking whistleblower in US history is hilariously good. The score by Marvin Hamlisch is
wickedly funny and sets the perfect tone for this look at a seemingly clueless executive who cooperateswith federal investigators in the most bumbling fashion imaginable, from "narrating" his every move into
hidden mikes ("I am now walking into the building") to the great finale. Boy, Damon is good. One of the
best films of the year and a movie whose stock is certain to rise in years to come.
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806 Comments
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Reveals Engagement Ring
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For Restraining Order
Vengeance Trilogy ($49.99 Vivendi/Palisades Tartan Asia Extreme) -- At the end of 2010, this is
definitely going to be one of the boxed sets everyone singles out. It's a Criterion-worthy collection of
three films in a loose "vengeance" trilogy by director Park Chan-wook: Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance,
Oldboy, Lady Vengeance. They play perfectly well on their own, but do rebound and reflect on each
other in fascinating ways taken as a whole. Oldboy -- about a businessman imprisoned in a room by
mysterious assailants -- is perhaps the best known in the US, but all three are exceptional thrillers. The
DVDs are bursting with extras including multiple commentary tracks, alternate versions, deleted scenes,
making-of documentaries and more. Essential viewing.
Thirtysomething COMPLETE SECOND SEASON ($59.99; Shout) -- This is the second of three
season for this yuppie drama and it's the one where the show leaped from a pop culture phenomenon to
greatness. Mostly, this was due to the introduction of the Machiavellian businessman Miles Drentell, who
slapped Michael and Elliot (and the show) out of its hyper-articulate faux maturity into a realization thatthe big bad world is pretty scary and confusing, even for people who are smart, good-looking and
prepared to analyze every move in agonizing detail. Cast interviews and commentaries are included, but
as always it's the show itself that really matters and thirtysomething delivers. The final season comes out
May 11.
Ponyo ($39.99 BluRay combo or $29.99 regular; Disney) -- Disney released the much-ballyhooed but
bland The Princess and the Frog in 2009, a return to hand-drawn animation. But far far better is the
latest gem from Hayao Miyazaki, the master from Japan who has deeply influenced Pixar and anyanimator worth their salt. A gentle spin on The Little Mermaid, it involves a little boy who befriends a
goldfish. The goldfish falls in love with him, tries to take human form and unwittingly unleashes agigantic storm. This sounds far more dramatic than the beautiful, dream-like tone set at the very
beginning and maintained throughout this sweet story. Best of all, Disney took Ponyo as an excuse to
remaster and re-release other Miyazaki gems like My Neighbor Tortoro, Kiki's Delivery Service and
Castle In The Sky ($29.99 each; Disney) all of which should be devoured by anyone with children or a
love of animation or who just enjoys good films.
Animals
Beauty
Natalie
Portman
Golf
Celebrity Skin
Chile
Models
Gulf Oil Spill
Celebrity BodyHUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES
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FOLLOW HUFFINGTON POST
Crude ($24.95; First Run Features) -- Director Joe Berlinger is developing a fascinating resume as a
documentary filmmaker. As my friend Aaron said, he seems to tackle complex issues, but in facts
illuminates them as very simple and clear. Whether it's Paradise Lost (in which teens are wrongly
targeted as murderers simply because they listen to goth music) or Crude , in which a wildly complex
court case is shown as indigenous people of Ecuador suffering and dying due to the neglect of Chevron
and other oil companies. Throw in Brothers Keeper and Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster and you've got
a director in the midst of one of the more intriguing careers around. Presented with typical care by FRF.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show Sixth Season ($29.98; Fox) -- It's quite simply the greatest sitcom of
all time. No other sitcom has delivered more brilliantly for more years than this one. It got better and
better every single season. Indeed, this penultimate season includes "Chuckles Bites The Dust," the best
episode of them all and it's far from the only gem. Only short run series like Fawlty Towers and The
Office (UK) come close to the legendary accomplishment of this. Nearly 35 years on and it remains as
funny, sweet and beautifully acted as ever.
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin ($19.97 on BluRay; Dragon Dynasty/Vivendi) -- I'm not a martial arts
expert, so it's kind of trippy to see a landmark film like this and realize how influential it's been on movies
I have seen, including everything from The Karate Kid to Kung Fu Panda to just about any film where an
apprentice learns his craft. Interestingly, this isn't non-stop action but mostly an engrossing training filmas our hero masters kung fu. This is not a sterling print but it's solid and inexpensive with some extras to
give it context. Also out on DVD is Return To 36th Chamber ($19.93 regular DVD; Vivendi/Dragon
Dynasty), one of the great sequels. In this case, they said, enough of the training. Let's fight!
Leonard Bernstein Omnibus ($49.98; E1 Entertainment) -- The footage shows its age, but this is a
rare opportunity to see Leonard Bernstein in full teacher mode as he gently leads audiences through
Beethoven's Fifth, jazz, the art of conducting and more. It's amazing to think of this in prime time on a
major network, but that's exactly what the classy and popular Omnibus on CBS did for years. It's great
that they dug out so many of his talks, since anyone interested in one of them will want them all,
including What Makes Opera Grand, The Music Of J.S. Bach, Modern Music and Musical Comedy. Plusthere's a performance of that warhorse Handel's Messiah. Well done. Also out is King Lear ($29.98; E1)
with Orson Welles in an 82 minute presentation of the Peter Brooks version. Again, it's from 1953 andthe age shows. While it's rather pricey, they have stuffed it with great extras including a preview from theweek before, a later talk on the Globe Theatre, Alistair Cooke reporting live from the Yale Shakespeare
Festival and more.
Bigger Than Life ($39.95; Criterion) -- I can't remember the last time a release from Criterion
WASN'T one of the best of the year, either a beautiful presentation of a film I love or some great workthey introduced me to. Nicholas Ray's Bigger Than Life is the latter, an absolutely gorgeous, Sirk-like
meditation on suburbia and a man (James Mason) trapped by his life who becomes horribly addicted to
cortisone. It's not really a "problem" film about addiction but more about shattering a seemingly placidlife into jagged little pieces. Superlative filmmaking and the extras include commentary from scholars, an
interview with Ray's widow, an appreciation by writer Jonathan Lethem and more.
Doctor Who: The Complete Specials ($59.98 on BluRay and $49.98 regular; BBC) -- I pity the poor
Doctor who has to follow David Tennant. But what a grand send-off these final specials were, from the
amusingly misleading The Next Doctor to the fun Planet Of The Dead to the creepy The Waters Of Mars
and the wonderful, heartbreaking two-part The End Of Time. The Doctor's final words in this incarnation
are typical of the great work of Russell T. Davies -- poignant, funny, spot-on for the scene, perfect for
fans, Tennant himself and yet also deeply true for anyone facing death. He said, simply, "I don't want togo." It's enough to make a hardened DVD critic get all misty-eyed.
Where the Wild Things Are ($35.99 on BluRay and $28.99 regular; Warner Bros.) -- Like The
Informant, this was one of the best films of 2009. It beautifully expanded on the picture book by Maurice
Sendak to show a sad little boy who runs away from home to be with himself only to find that even
imaginary friends can come with baggage. The wonderfully named Max Records (he should start his own
music label) gives a truly great performance as Max. It's a raw, wounded, heartbreaking film that's reallyfor adults. Bold stuff. Also out is Tell Them Anything You Want ($24.99; Oscilloscope), a look at the
legendary author Sendak in all his controversial glory, presented lovingly by Lance Bangs and SpikeJonze.
Wish Me Luck Series 1 ($39.99; Acorn) -- This ITV series from 1988 is a corker about women
recruited as spies by SOE and trained and then sent into occupied France. if you're like me, that's all you
need to know. With only 23 episodes in all, I do wish they'd just released the entire show in one fellswoop. Also out is Wartime Britain ($69.99; Acorn), a grab bag of three different works: a Harold Pinterscreenplay of romance and danger as Michael Gambon forces a woman to have sex with him or
undermine her real lover's possible treason, the story of a housewife who blossoms during her volunteer
efforts (both of them movies) and the great miniseries Island At War, about life on a Channel Island
occupied by the Nazis.
Make Way For Tomorrow ($29.95; Criterion) -- I've literally saved the best for last. For years I'd
heard about this little-seen Leo McCarey film from 1937, which is almost never seen on TV and basicallyunavailable. McCarey is one of Hollywood's greats, from pairing Laurel & Hardy and overseeing their
best work to "creating" Cary Grant in The Awful Truth, giving Bing Crosby his most popular role in Going
My Way, the praised Ruggles Of Red Gap and this, the film most of his contemporaries considered
McCarey's masterpiece. Indeed. It's the heartbreaking story of an elderly couple who lose their home and
have to be split up among their children, just for a while mind you. Both are in the way in their respective
homes and miss each other terribly. Does that even begin to capture how masterful this movie is? How inabout three minutes they tell us everything we need to know about the couple, their children and whatwill happen to them? Does it describe the brilliant, unsentimental acting of Victor Moore and especially
Beulah Bondi, who was easily 30 years younger than the age she was playing and delivered one of the
great moments in acting history in her final scene? Wonderful extras place the film in its historicalcontext (Social Security was just coming online) and make the argument for McCarey's greatness. All you
need to do is watch this film. It's one of the champs.
Thanks for reading. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog. Download his podcast of
celebrity interviews and his weekly music radio show at Popsurfing and enjoy the weekly pop culture
podcast he co-hosts at Showbiz Sandbox . Both available for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and
gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.
Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz
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(PHOTOS)Stacey Nemour: Inside the Life of a Shaolin Monk
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More in Entertainment...
I kept scrolling down this list and saying, "nope, nope, nope, nope, nope..." until I got to your very
last title and literally gasped with joy. BULLSEYE!! ! Perfect pick, Michael, I couldn't possibly agree
more with your pick of "the best for last". 'Make Way for Tomorrow' truly must be seen to bebelieved.
(I would only add that a 1953 CBS TV performanc e of 'King Lear' starring Orson Welles was
released on DVD this past February, and it's amazing, especially - of course - Welles as Lear.)
Don't forget that Toni Basil danced and choreograp hed on the T.A.M.I. show! I'll be picking this one
up.
Thanks for mentioning Toni, who definitely is having a fascinatin g, Zelig-like career in
popular music.
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