Tuesday, October 23, 2007

DVDs: Zombies, Kubrick and Lancaster

Mmmm brains
Fido –It's a zombie comedy --apparently Shaun of the Dead needed company. It's also a period piece (!) and stars Dylan Baker (Spider-Man 3) as well as Billy Connolly (White Oleander) who plays the title zombie, a family "pet".

But get this: longtime Film Experience reader and fellow Pfeiffer enthusiast Mike Azevedo (pictured, left) plays one of the zombies. How cool is that? I hope Mike asked Billy what it was like to be poisoned by Michelle Pfeiffer herself!

Also
Hostel Part 2
–If you wanna see Dawn Weiner (aka Heather Matarazzo) get sliced up this is the movie for you. Not for me though
Meet the Robinsons –this past Spring's animated hit
Mr. Brooks -Demi Moore, Kevin Costner, and William Hurt are all in the same movie, folding the space time continuum over and returning us all to 1988. Not a bad year at all but still... Note: For some reason Dane Cook is there too. That I can't figure. But I don't even understand why he's in 2007.

From the Vaults
Burt Lancaster: The Signature Collection -He swashbuckled, he conned, he made hot love to Deborah Kerr on Hawaiian beaches and stared at Susan Sarandon lemony breasts... this manly Oscar winner did a lot of cool guy things. But this collection doesn't feature any of that. Instead it offers up The Flame and the Arrow, Jim Thorpe All-American, His Majesty O'Keefe, South Sea Woman and Executive Action. Also: How much would David Lynch have loved Burt's crazy follicular style?

Kubrick Specials
Eyes Wide Shut – a special edition for those of you who take the movie seriously. I know that’s many of you. Despite my amusement at watching a sexless film end with Nicole Kidman's matter of fact come on order "Let’s f***” I’ve always disliked this movie. Maybe we'll talk about it sometime. Maybe not. Maybe I just can't look past the hilarity of CGI people blocking the naughty parts from my virgin eyes. Maybe I don't know why Nicole Kidman is reading all her lines like she's stoned. Maybe I don't understand why Tom Cruise is in it
2001: A Space Odyssey -the seminal classic
A Clockwork Orange -the future shock dystopia
Full Metal Jacket -I haven't seen this one. Abuse me in the comments
The Shining –I wish I loved this movie (a great one) as much as everyone else but I have such issues with the ending (otherwise I love it as much as you). The finale takes me out of chilling fear and plops me into Twilight Zone silly. On a less serious note: I sometimes think that "30 Second Bunny Theater" has passed its expiration date but their their reenactment of this film is one of their best.
...If by know you're suspecting that I'm the least Kubrick mad cinephile alive... well, maybe. It's not that I dislike his filmography. I'm just agnostic about it.

11 comments:

RJ said...

I have you beat...I'm shamefully un-versed in Kubrick. I didn't even finish 2001. I'm gonna give it another go soon, but I much prefer Solyaris

nor said...

I'd get that boxed set if it weren't for Eyes Wide Shut.

My favorite of his have always been Paths of Glory (despite a near-critical mass of hamminess from Kirk Douglas) and Barry Lyndon (despite the terrible accent of Ryan O'Neal and the amateurish acting of Marisa Berenson, whom you never believe is a mother, let alone of a teenager).

The first half of Full Metal Jacket is probably as good as it gets. The second half makes the overall picture in the bottom third.

RC said...

kubrick is a tough director for me...definitly like the concepts and script to clockwork orange, just hate watching it.

in fact, his only film i really get into is the Shining. Even after doing a group film study project on him when i was in college, i still don't get too excited.

i loved your comments on mr. brooks. hello 1988!

J.D. said...

When I saw 2001 earlier this year, I accidentally fell asleep (I was up for 20 hours at that point) during the whole bright colors swooshing thing thing, and when I woke up like twenty minutes later... it. was. still. going. on.

I was freaked out, to say the least...

Glenn Dunks said...

"Maybe I don't know why Nicole Kidman is reading all her lines like she's stoned."

Isn't she meant to be?

Also, Full Metal Jacket is possibly my favourite Kubrick. I need to see 2001 again though because, like JD, I was sleepy the first time around. That or the movie made me sleepy. ...

NATHANIEL R said...

"isn't she meant to be?"

for one scene yes. but the whole movie?

Anonymous said...

Kubrick is one of my favorite directors of all time for the simple fact that his films are far from perfect. But the man reached for the stars when he decided to make a film (not very frequently) and more often than not stretched the limitations of film far beyond that of most directors. His ideas, theories, and cold approach to characterization have always been fascinating to me. You can watch Kubrick's films over and over again and get something different everytime. Eyes Wide Shut is my favorite film of his because of how strange and sexless it all really is. The films marketing strategy was genius. No one knew what the damn film would be about. The whole point of Eyes Wide Shut is its dream like quality and the desire for sexual awakening. I know it wasnt everyone's cup of tea, but one cant argue that it was just as fascinating as much of his older work.

Sean Knight

Cinesnatch said...

I love Kubrick from a purely superficial standpoint. I love his carefully composed frames.

I loved EWS. It had this other worldly quality that I appreciated. NYC didn't feel like anything I've experienced of the city. It was Kubrick's far removed idea of NYC and I just found it intoxicating for some reason. I loved the scenes with Kidman, especially the ballroom seduction scene.

My only major gripe with Kubrick is Barry Lyndon. Pass. Everything else has something I enjoyed.

Still, I wouldn't die by Kubrick.

Anonymous said...

Whaou I'm very disappointed in you Nat. You really did not get Kidman's character in Eyes Wide Shut. She's extraordinary in this film. And YES SHE'S STONED OR DRUNK MOST OF THE TIME IN THE FILM. DUHHH !

Anonymous said...

Well, Kidman was either drunk, stoned, or half asleep in almost all of her scenes. Loved her in it, though. Robbed of a supporting actress nomination for sure.

Anonymous said...

Well since you've led me to Bun-O-Vision, Nat (shame on you), I have to admit the bunny rendition of Brokeback Mountain is amusing...especially when the sheep and moose make out in the closet.

RedSatinDoll