Releases through Tuesday, Sept. 9
THIS WEEKS TWIN PEEKS
BABY MAMA
2008; $29.95, PG-13
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler two of SNLs brightest lights of recent years come together in this damn funny look at the path to modern-day motherhood. Fey is perfect as the successful career woman, too busy to be fertile, who hires Poehler as her ditzy, free-spirited surrogate, and together they go through all the hilarious training and other mind-altering experiences that modern child-bearing demands. A perfect topic handled with excellent comic timing by two masters of the art; this is an instant classic.
THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM
2008; $29.95, PG-13
A wonderful kung-fu fantasy starring Jet Li and Jackie Chan, together on the screen for the first time. The characters form a Whos Who of Chinese literary classics with Li as The Monkey King, warrior/sage/monk from Journey to the West (also the inspiration for Dragon Ball Z!), and Chang as Lu Yan, a Taoist saint better known as Iron-Crutch Li, one of the Eight Immortals. When an American teen finds a magic relic, he is transported to ancient China, where he must free The Monkey King and kick a lot of people in order to save Eternity. A love song to those of us who grew up on Shaw Brothers movies.
<>
BRIAN REGAN: THE EPITOME OF HYPERBOLE
2008; $19.95, UR
Laid-back and lazy, but incredibly intelligent, Brian Regan is one of our favorite stand-ups. In this Comedy Central special, he takes a stab at the stupidity of the world around him including psychics, criminals and, our favorite, the opera offering his own brilliantly clever solutions.
FOX HORROR CLASSICS COLLECTION, VOL. 2
2008; $19.95, UR
We dont usually bother with Volume 2 stuff like this, but this one is exceptional. First, a new release of Chandu The Magician, progenitor of a popular serial from the 30s, directed by William Cameron Menzies, with Bela Lugosi as the evil Roxor. Then, Dr. Renaults Secret plays like Frankenstein meets Beauty and the Beast with George Zucco as the doc and J. Carrol Naish as his foil. Finally, Dragonwyck may be Vincent Prices best film. Made very early in his career, its the perfect tale of Gothic madness, with Price lounging in a massive throne-like chair while beautiful Gene Tierney begs for his love or freedom. All are wonderfully restored and contain never-before-seen bonus material highlighting the historic nature of the films.
LIGHT AND THE SUFFERER
2007; $19.95, UR
A pair of loser brothers in NY decide to commit a crime to raise money, then move to California to escape their dead-end existence but then something unexpected happens. It seems their world is shared by Sufferers Sphinx-like cat-aliens who move about quietly observing troubled members of the human race. Theyve long become so much a part of the fabric of life that no one pays them any attention but one decides to pay attention to them, complicating their criminal efforts. What kind of movie is this? Hell if we know, but it is worth checking out.
NYMPHA
2007; $24.95, R
Splatter-babe Tiffany Shepis (soon to appear in Bonnie & Clyde vs. Dracula really!) stars in this Italian-made tale of a young woman entering a convent that hides a history of pain and perversion. Yeah, sounds like every Catholic Mass weve ever been to, too, but this ones got lesbians and nekkid boobs! Recommended.
SEED
2007; $26.95, UR
Horro-wunderkind Uwe Boll wrote and directed this Canadian tale of a supernatural serial killer who after three eye-boiling tries lives through his execution and is buried alive. Now thoroughly P.O.ed, he claws his way out of the grave and picks up where he left off torturing and killing everything in his path. We cant wait for Boll to pen a ballet.
SHELLEY DUVALLS FAERIE TALE THEATRE: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION
2008; $99.95, UR
Shelley gathered such luminaries as Tim Burton and Francis Ford Coppola to write and direct a Cast of the Gods Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Mick Jagger, James Earl Jones, Howie Mandel, Christopher Reeve, Susan Sarandon, etc. for these 26 perfect adaptations of the greatest tales of all time. Comes complete and remastered on seven discs, along with lost episodes, a 112-page illustrated booklet, game cards and much more.
SOMETHING BENEATH
2007; $14.95, UR
Kevin Hercules Sorbo who must really be hurting for work joins forces with Natalie Dawn of the Dead Brown for this environmental cautionary tale about an intelligent, toxic-sewer-slime creature that causes hallucinations. Yeah, of course its from the SciFi Channel.
TAKING 5
2007; $24.95, PG
A pair of HOT high-school chicks (or is that redundant?) kidnap a popular boy-band in order to satisfy some sort of social obligation. It never made any sense to us, but then this is PG, and PG rarely does.
TERROR FROM ABOVE TRIPLE FEATURE
2008; $19.95, UR
A killer bargain for under 20 bucks! The original Alien in widescreen, the Donald Sutherland Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Tobe Hoopers simply extraordinary LifeForce. One of about a dozen new themed triple-features from Fox, all of them terrific.
THE LAST DAYS OF LEFT EYE
2008; $19.95, UR
In 2002, the late Lisa Left Eye Lopes of the R&B group TLC went to her second home in Honduras to face down some personal demons away from the constant eye of the media, recording her thoughts on a home-video camera. Those tapes form the core of this doc, along with home movies and her private journals. First video release of the VH1 special.
OTHER DVDS OF INTEREST
GREYS ANATOMY: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON
1994; $59.95-$96.95, UR
ITS ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA: SEASON THREE
2008; $39.95, UR
SMALLVILLE: THE COMPLETE SEVENTH SEASON
2007; $59.95-$79.95, UR
SYLVESTER AND TWEETY MYSTERIES: SEASON 1
2008; $19.95, UR
UGLY BETTY: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON
2008; $59.95, UR
A more complete listing and free vids at www.videotapeworm.com
This article appears in September 2, 2008.