DVDs: Avenues, Factories, and Errant Confessions

This week I'm arranging the DVD releases in the order of my interest. You might feel differently.

Race You to the Bottom -I really had intended to watch this already --the DVD eyes me with guilt trip intent. It stars Amber Benson as a straight woman who begins a sexual affair with her gay best friend. I like Amber Benson by Buffy association and for her devotion to GLBT roles and films. Maybe it's the only thing she's offered given that her breakthrough role was as a lesbian witch but she could say no. And she doesn't.

Esther Williams Collection I've never seen one of her films. This compilation of the novelty act movie star (she swims!) includes Neptunes' Daughter, Dangerous When Wet and more...

Factory Girl -They tried to get us interested by claiming Sienna Miller was Oscar worthy. But I don't trust the Weinstein's when it comes to cagey split second releases for Oscar buzz. I don't trust them at all. They tried to get us interested with sexual escapade rumors circling Sienna and Hayden Christensen. I suspect that was a turn off for more people than just me (Hayden?) The sole point of interest for me is the subject matter: Edie Sedgwick and the Warholian 60s. We'll see. (Any older readers remember when Warren Beatty and Molly Ringwald were threatening to make a movie about Edie together? Bit of 80s trivia for you there... too bad that didn't come to pass)

Perfect Creature B list hotties Dougray Scott (the almost Wolverine) and Saffron Burrows (Scott's Enigma co-star) star in this vampire thriller. Lots of vampire films this year. Maybe they're sick of zombies taking over as the favored movie monsters?

Premonition -Sandra Bullock sees dead people. Or rather...she sees people dying in the near future. Or something. The part in the commercial where she writes "Jim Dies!" in red marker on her calendar and underlines it always makes me laugh. For I, too, scribble on homemade calendars with markers and wield exclamation points too freely (I also sometimes use Hello Kitty stickers. Yes I am ashamed) Thankfully my scribbling is less morbid. It's usually stuff like "Finish All That Jazz Article!" or "Rewatch Network!" and I almost always ignore the messages once I've written them down. Why then do I do it? I do not know. "I wake up and he's dead. I wake up and he's alive" Sandy and I are both so very lost.

Showgirls: Fully Exposed Edition - As gullible as I am in many consumer respects the land of endless "special editions" does not fool me. I stop at the first special and if there isn't one I wait until there is so as to not be fooled the first time. Sorry Hollywood bean counters.

Dynamite Warrior -Has Thai gonzo action cinema replaced Tony Jaa already? *sniffle* Who is this Dan Chupong guy?

Avenue Montaigne -This might be of interest to Francophiles and Oscar Watchers (it was almost a nominee last year) I belong to both categories of moviegoers but I didn't much like this film. It plays like a lukewarm Gallic attempt at an Altman comedy. The most I can offer to recommend it is that Valerie Lemercier (pictured left, some of you will remember her from Claire Denis' Vendredi Soir) is mouthy and hilarious as an actress desperate for a role in Sydney Pollack's latest film (he plays an American director)

The Hills Have Eyes 2 My friend Rob gleefully told me about one particular scene (grotesque sexual violation + gruesome violence) because I think he likes to see me squirm. Just hearing it reinforced my fears about the psyche of moviegoers who love this genre. Sorry Rich...