Terrific films on DVD & video ... Any suggestions?

I watched these 3 recently:

Pollock: I loved it. Ed Harris is wonderful as the inspired but impossible, cantankerous artist, Jackson Pollock. A fascinating recreation of the period. Loved watching Harris (as Pollock) at work on his canvases! Found myself wondering, though, what Lee Krasner saw in him as a person, as opposed to an artist.

http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/5949257/review/5949258/pollock

A Home At The End Of the World: I really liked this novel (& others) by Michael Cunningham. I read it years ago, long before The Hours. And I had no idea it had been made into a film till I stumbled onto this copy at my video shop. As Cunnigham had written the script, I thought it'd be really good. Wrong. While it captured some of the atmosphere of the book, A Home ... was disappointingly schmaltzy & unsatisfying. Surprisingly because of the script, IMO. The acting was fine, but the story lacked the depth of the book.

http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/movies/mmx-040728-movies-review-ss-home,0,659059.story

Finally, Capturing The Friedmans. Phew, what an experience! A documentary about a well-known pedophilia case. With lots of home film exploring some truly dreadful Friedman family dynamics. And plenty of other talking heads giving their theories & accounts of events. Anyway, after nearly two hours of the film, who knows if Arnold Friedman (& his son) was actually guilty or not? It depends on who you believe, I guess. Very engrossing viewing, though.

http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0322,atkinson,44379,20.html

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0321,nathan,44228,1.html

Yeah, I remember when they were shooting Pollock, but then I
missed when it hit the theaters. I don't think it lasted very long
though (how many do nowadays????)

I will have to pick that one up, because I read an article about
this guy and it did seem very interesting.

YES, I've heard so much about the "Friedman Movie!" and it seems
like everyone describes it similarly to you. I will definitely have
to get that one too!

Just saw Waiting for Guffman. What can I say?

Yeah, I remember when they were shooting Pollock, but then I
missed when it hit the theaters. I don't think it lasted very long
though (how many do nowadays????)

I will have to pick that one up, because I read an article about
this guy and it did seem very interesting.

YES, I've heard so much about the "Friedman Movie!" and it seems
like everyone describes it similarly to you. I will definitely have
to get that one too!

Just saw Waiting for Guffman. What can I say?

Well, what can you say, tomasso? Feel free, tell all!

I hope enjoy Pollock & Fieldmans as much as I did.

Question: what has been the most satisfying DVD movie you've seen .... in say, in the past 6 months?

Tonight I watched Broken Wings, a 2004 Israeli film exploring the impact on the remaining family members after the death of the father. It isn't as depressing as it sounds, in fact had some amusing moments as well as the dramatic ones. I really liked it.

http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/movies/mmx-040402-movies-review-mw-brokenwings,0,7280637.story

well, finally getting back to "Waiting for Guffman,"

I'm sorry I even mentioned it, because this is a thread about
great films, right?

"WfG" stars Christopher Guest, Posey Parker and others who
play smalltown wannabe actors putting on a show about the
history of their town in order to commemorate its anniversary
of ? years.

It's made like a documentary, and in somewhat the same style
as "This is Spinal Tap," but I found it much less funny.

Sorry for the delay msolga!

Oh, absolutely no need for apologies, tomasso!

And you are not the only one whose viewed crapolla. For example, last week I saw The Devil Wears Prada. For some reason thought it might be interesting. Ha!
Verdict: 1 out of 10. Fluff, unadulterated.

I picked Casablanca from my library of VCRs and watched it last night. It's one of the classics that always entertains no matter how often I watch it.

Speaking of Bogie, I'm going to watch "Key Largo" this evening
(for the first time.)

I'm sure it's not as great as "Casablanca" but I have a good
friend (whose major passion in life is movies) who claims
"Key Largo" to be one of the all-time great films.

Can they even be compared? I'm curious.

What do you "guys" think?

I let you know my opinion after I see it tonight!

FYI - you just can't compare Key Largo with Casablanca.
Not at all. Two totally different films.

Although I enjoyed Key Largo, Casablanca was MUCH more
interesting, more romantic and had the international element.

For some reason I thought there would be much more romance
between Bogie and Bacall in Key Largo. Probably because of
some song I heard.

This was probably common knowledge for most of you, but now
I know too! :wink:

tomasso, I'm with you! I think Casablanca has it over Key Largo by a mile; no contest.

I finally watched this last night.

Apparently, Setanta thought he was going to have to resuscitate me. I was laughing so hard I kinda forgot to breathe. I thought it would be amusing - but it seemed to strike a particularly ready-to-bust-a-gut place in me. My ears hurt from laughing last night - my jaw and face still hurt today.

I watched Sommersby last nite before going to sleep for the very first time (on VCR), and really enjoyed the story line. Richard Gere and Jodie Foster did a great job to create the mystery of Sommersby, and the very unexpected ending. Love and mystery is one of the best.

This is not actually about a film, but about DVDs of an Oz miniseries: Love My Way. Recently I watched copies of series 1 & 2 (which I couldn't watch on TV as I don't have cable.) I was really interested as Love My Way had received rave reviews & had won heaps of AFI (Australian Film Institute) awards. I wasn't disappointed. It was fantastic! Great scripts, terrific acting & incredibly addictive! Very, very highly recommended! Series 3 is now on cable TV. I will snap it up the second it's available on DVD!

A bit more on LMW. A review from Web Wombat:

(No, I'm not on the payroll! :



".... While the first series was surprisingly raw, real and original with some of the most emotional moments and performances I've seen from a group of Australian actors (that's right, Young Einstein has nothing on this), the second series hones in on the characters inner turmoil.

Most series would suffer trying to follow up something like the first series. It was just so left of centre, so dramatic - it would seem almost impossible to follow it up without having the show take a Soap style turn (in which there's an explosion or aliens invade - just about anything to up the anti). But thankfully the producers continue with their beautifully written look at life. Just as we lived with those characters struggles to deal with grief in the first series, the second series looks at the even more traumatic journey of fighting your way back from the depths of despair.

The series scooped the pool of Australian awards (including 5 AFI Awards , a silver Logie for Most Outstanding Drama Series and a coveted AWGIE award for Best Script in a Television Series) and boasts a stellar Australian cast including Brendan Cowell, Dan Wylie, Max Cullen and Asher Keddie.

...... The key to Love My Way's success is that it just all feels so real. So many drama's tend to fall into the trap of having to up-the-anti so much that the plots become ridiculous, or that the show simply just becomes a parody of itself (a perfect example of this was Secret Life Of Us) but Love My Way happily never strays into such teritiories. Over the two series (and it is recommended that you watch it through from the start) you become part of these characters world, they are accessible and most importantly - they are human.

Believe the hype - this is a gem." ..............

http://www.webwombat.com.au/entertainment/dvds/love-my-way-s2.htm

Glad you enjoyed 40 Year-Old Virgin ehBeth.

This must have been mentioned already but Little Miss Sunshine was fabulous in that "funny & touching, life-affirming" way.

Snakes On a Plane was also a good bit of mindless entertainment.

and I've just realised that Little Miss Sunshine has the same guy from 40 Year Old Virgin in it.

Just saw 2 great flicks on DVD.......The Illusionist and Autumn Sonata.


Autumn Sonata is a 1978 Ingmar Bergman film with Liv Ullman playing Ingrid Bergman's daughter. There is not much action in the film. It is a movie simply about relationships between a very different mother and a daughter, who have been estranged for some time. Both women have a marvelous way of expressing emotions through their facial expressions.


Oh, I did get to catch Harold and Maude on TCM last night. I realized that although I had not remembered much of the particulars of the film, its flavor and message had imprinted its message in my mind over all these years.

I saw it in the theater. Imagine 40-60 people all laughing that hard at once. I don't know if I've ever been in a situation like that - maybe a comedy club.

Glad you reminded me about "The Illusionist." Think it's time to resubscribe to NetFlix.

Just saw it last night -- great movie.

(Posted elsewhere)

"The Illusionist" with Edward Norton, a Hitchcockian period piece with a "Wuthering Heights" and Bergman's "The Magician" influence. The twist ending was not telegraphed but I began to figure it out in the final scenes before the revelation. Rufus Sewel is a great heavy as the conniving and ambitious Crown Prince Leopold. Edward Norton is always good and plays the role to the hilt. Although CGI is an element, it's effectively used in the plot as the "magic." Very much worth seeing.