THIS WEEK’S TWIN PEEKS
BLADES OF GLORY
2007; DVD $29.95-$39.95, PG-13
Will Ferrell and John “Napoleon Dynamite” Heder star in this just-plain-stooopid farce that pokes fun at figure skating and, in a larger sense, male-male relations, sports movies, organized games and corporate shilling. The two are bitter rivals, banned for life after a brawl on the ice, who find a loophole: They can only compete together!
PAPER CUT
2007; DVD $26.99, UR
After 10,000 years in production, Archie Borders finally delivers his long-awaited love song to Louisville. Arguably inspired by the founding of LEO, it’s the tale of three college friends who create an indie newspaper committed to the wanton excesses of youth, swearing to never sell out to any uncaring out-of-state corporation who would grossly underpay their video review guys. Say “goodbye,” virginity! Stars Megan Faye Gallagher (“Dickie Roberts”), Esteban Powell (“Dazed and Confused”), Justin Shilton (“Little Miss Sunshine”) and Nora Dunn (“Saturday Night Live”) along with lots of local faces and music by Squirrel Bait, King Kong, My Morning Jacket, Love Jones and more.
BOB SAGET: THAT AIN’T RIGHT
2007; DVD $19.95, UR
Saget, who wrote the book on bland “family” humor in “Full House” back before the Olsen twins were doing naked roller-disco Jell-O shots, comes out of the clean-closet in this raunchy stand-up performance for HBO. Damned funny — and unexpected — stuff; including a surprising talent for satirical songwriting. His riff on the sex lives of his parents will bring tears to your eyes.
HEROES: SEASON 1
2006; DVD $59.95, UR
A minor hit for NBC (which completely trashed the original pilot and started over from scratch), obviously inspired by “X-Men” comics, about ordinary human beings who suddenly sprout super-powers. Is it evolution, divine intervention or too many drugs back in the ’60s? Gangs of comic book fun; well-written with an attractive and engaging cast; what more could you want? 23 episodes on seven discs, including the never-before-seen pilot.
KICKIN’ IT OLD SKOOL
2007; DVD $27.95, PG-13
Jamie Kennedy tries to revive his career with this lively comic look at pop social affectations. After banging his head during a dance competition, Jamie awakens 20 years later. Rather than rejoin the human race, he decides to re-introduce the world to breakdancing with the help of family and friends.
MASTERS OF HORROR: SEASON ONE BOX SET
2007; DVD $79.95, UR
All 13 episodes from the Showtime series, plus an additional disc of fan-stuff that’s worth the price of the set! This includes a cool “Masters of Horror Dinner” where series creator Mick Garris invites all of the MOH directors — Stuart Gordon, Dario Argento, John Carpenter, Joe Dante, Tobe Hooper, etc. — to Hollywood’s Magic Castle for a bull session, then a meet-and-greet with fans.
NED’S DECLASSIFIED SCHOOL SURVIVAL GUIDE: SPECIAL FIELD TRIP EDITION
2007; DVD $16.95, UR
From the fun tweenie-aimed comedy series on Nickelodeon, a middle-schooler learns to survive using his sense of humor — a skill that often includes learning to laugh at your own stupidity. Refreshing, fun, clever and ultimately inspiring, regardless of your age.
ON THE SILVER GLOBE
1987; DVD $29.95, UR
Don’t ask us why, but some of the best sci-fi around comes from Poland. Case in point: this intelligent and entertaining subtitled tale of space pioneers who crash on the moon and establish a feeble lost colony. Most of the adults die quickly, leaving the children to create their own myths, laws and society. Years later they are found by a minor bureaucrat from Earth — who is immediately declared a messiah!
OVER AT THE BIG RANCH
1936; DVD $22.95, UR
One of our favorite genres is the Mexican “Charro” movie — the origin of the Hollywood Singing Cowboy, which was a national obsession in the United States until the Space Age. These good-natured films always had lively songs, white-hatted Good Guys, fun battles with heroic, noble bandits and lovely caterwauling senoritas — and this is the breakout film that started it all! Our highest recommendation.
RED ROAD
2006; DVD $22.95, UR
A stunning, mysterious and effecting drama from Scotland about a woman, part of a team that monitors workaday Glasgow-ites via security cameras, who freaks out one day after spying a man from her past on one of the screens. But you, the viewer, are not privy to exactly WHY she reacts so violently, you can only watch as she begins to track the man to a powerful finale. Quite good.
SLEEPING BEAUTY: THE CLASSIC MOTION PICTURE WITH THE KIROV BALLET
1964; DVD $19.95, UR
The ultimate in artsy-fartsy, digitally restored to its original beauty. The Kirov State Ballet performs Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty” as choreographed by Marius Petipa. Once used by schools as an example of “the perfect dance,” starring delicate Alla Sizova and Yuri Solovyov.
THE BEAUTIFUL WASHING MACHINE
2004; DVD $24.95, UR
A bizarre dark comedy from Kuala Lumpur about a guy who buys a temperamental washing machine that can do much more than wash clothes. Trouble starts when he makes it his slave and begins “pimping” it out to others. A strange and poignantly funny tale of the loneliness and despair of modern existence.
XPERIMENTAL EROS
2007; DVD $24.95, UR
A dizzying, psychedelic bungee-jump through the subject of Sex In Cinema, consisting entirely of snippets from greasy grindhousers, Neolithic rock-porn, art-house faves from the ’60s, Mr. Nude Trucker Contest of 1976, letters rejected by the Penthouse Forum and others too numerous (or embarrassing) to mention. If the largest sex organ in your body is truly your brain, then this is a peyote-fueled orgasm!
YEAR OF THE DOG
2007; DVD $29.95, PG-13
SNL’s Molly Shannon stars in this gentle, odd little treatise about what it’s like to spend your life in a figurative cage. She’s a mousy secretary who goes quietly through her days without ever peering beyond her desk or her front door. Then her dog dies and she realizes that it was her one and only connection with life. Molly is fabulous throughout.
OTHER DVDS OF INTEREST
BEYOND BELIEF: SEASON ONE
2007; DVD $26.95, UR
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: THE FIRST SEASON
2006; DVD $29.95, UR
LEGION OF THE SUPERHEROES: VOLUME 1
2007; DVD $14.95, UR
THE ODD COUPLE: THE SECOND SEASON
1970; DVD $38.95, UR
THE OUTER LIMITS (ORIGINAL SERIES): SEASON 1, VOL. 2
1963; DVD $29.95, UR
A more complete listing and free vids at www.videotapeworm.com!
