RoosterFlix DVD Picks for August 12th

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The Wire - The Complete Fifth Season (2008)
dir. David Simon, Ed Burns

One of the best TV shows of all-time comes to an end. In episode 8 (I think), keep an eye out and you'll see me in the crowd at Mayor Carcetti's speech in front of City Hall!

Product Decsription:
A barroom toast to Det. Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), a one-man good cop/bad cop, offered in The Wire's final episode could very well serve as this series' epitaph: "When you were good, you were the best we had." Season five bears witness to this. The 10 riveting, wrenching episodes focus on yet another beleaguered Baltimore institution, The Baltimore Sun daily newspaper, whose staff, much like the police, is forced to do more with less. One editor (Clark Johnson) struggles to maintain the paper's journalistic standards in the face of declining ad revenues, employee buyouts and bureau closures. An ambitious reporter (Tom McCarthy) undermines him by taking a page out of the Stephen Glass/Jayson Blair playbook, manufacturing sensational quotes, and eventually, whole stories, while bean-counter management encourages its rising star and keeps its eye on the (Pulitzer) prize. Meanwhile, on the streets, the year-long investigation of rising drug lord Marlo Sansfield (Jamie Hector) and the 22 bodies found in "the vacants" has been discontinued and police morale is at an all-time low (the money promised to the department has been diverted to the schools). McNulty manufactures a serial killer case that will have far-reaching repercussions in the mayor's office, where Tommy Carcetti (Aidan Gillen) is mounting a run for governor a mere two years into his term. "I wonder what it would be like to work at a real police station," McNulty rages at one point. The Wire, as ever, is all about real. It's a gritty and unflinching look at life in one of roughest districts of a "broke-ass city." There is street justice for some characters, and street injustice for others. Some meet sad, sudden, or shocking ends that defy TV convention. Referring to Marlo, McNulty declares early on, "He does not get to win; we get to win." The hard-earned victories are mostly small, or come with a price. Not that The Wire does not offer glimmers of hope. Bubbles (Andre Royo) struggles to maintain his sobriety (Steve Earle portrays the leader of his 12-step program and also does the theme song honors this season), and the final episode features a cameo by Jim True-Frost as the once overwhelmed teacher, "Prez," who now seems to have the hang of the job. The ratings-strapped and criminally Emmy-snubbed The Wire has always been a critic's darling with a passionate fan base. To the show's credit, it did not make itself more accessible in its final season (consequently, its send-off did not receive near the fanfare of The Sopranos or Sex and the City). That should not dissuade newcomers to the show. It is heavy lifting, and if you're just joining The Wire, a visit to the show's official website for orientation is recommended. But buy it, watch it, and be patient. It's so worth it. From the masterful storytelling to the peerless ensemble, it just doesn't get any better than The Wire. But that's not exactly news.

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South Park: The Complete Eleventh Season (2008)
dir. Trey Parker, Matt Stone

Another one of the TV best shows, let alone animated shows, of all time, except this one is still going very very strong. When a show is on for 11 seasons and they're still knocking episodes out of the park (e.g., "Naggers", the rip on Guitar Hero, Cartman's fake Tourette's, the Easter episode, Imaginationland), you've got a special, special show on your hands.

Product Decsription:
All fourteen uncensored episodes from South Park's eleventh season are now available in this exclusive three-disc collector's set. Join the boys as they attempt to rescue Imaginationland from nuclear annihilation discover the secret behind the Easter Bunny and get head lice. For them it's all part of growing up in South Park!

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CJ7 (2007)
dir. Stephen Chow

The latest effort from renaissance man Stephen Chow, although this time around he's not the focus of the movie. As much as I love Stephen Chow, the previews for this movie never really got me excited, but now that it's on DVD I'll most definitely check it out. Actually, it's been out overseas and has been on the internet forever, but I'll try and check it out now anyway.

Product Decsription:
Chinese writer-director-comedian Stephen Chow (SHAOLIN SOCCER, KUNG FU HUSTLE) takes a break from his usual action-comedy adventures for an E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL-inspired tale of family bonds and personal integrity. Chow stars as Ti, a down-on-his luck widower who must funnel all of his wages into the private school education of his nine-year-old son, Dicky (Xu Jiao). The two are reduced to living in an abandoned building and scrounging for necessities, as well as playing nightly games of "clobber the cockroaches." Ti tries to appease Dicky's desire for a trendy new toy by bringing home a mysterious green orb found at a garbage dump. Dicky is soon shocked when the orb transforms into a perky doglike alien being, dubbed "CJ7." When Dicky witnesses CJ7's otherworldly powers he imagines CJ7 to be the answer to all of his school troubles: passing tests, excelling in gym class, and overcoming the school bully. But CJ7 is not as all-powerful as Dicky believes, and when tragedy strikes the family both Dicky and CJ7 must overcome doubt to reveal their true inner strength. Both CJ7's creature animation and a side order of Chow's kung fu kinetics provide plenty of laughs for kids. At the same the film's adult themes of social inequality, honesty, and self-sacrifice will give kids and parents plenty to discuss once the film is over. Frequently silly but genuinely heartfelt, CJ7 features enough of Chow's trademark twists to make for a unique family entertainment experience.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary - Cast & Crew Commentary
Behind The Scenes - 1. THE STORY OF CJ7
2. THE MAKING OF CJ7 International Television Special
3. ANATOMY OF A SCENE
Clips - HOW TO BULLY A BULLY Lesson
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Smart People (2008)
dir. Noam Murro

The last two movies I've seen that have featured Ellen Page (Hard Candy, Juno) have been two of the worst movies I've ever seen in my life. Needless to say, I'm not that psyched to see this one. Maybe I'll catch it on TV or something.

Product Decsription:
Much in the manner of Curtis Hanson’s Wonder Boys, the very funny and bracingly intelligent Smart People concerns a college instructor meandering through life until unexpected developments force a cascade of personal changes. Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid), a recently widowed literature professor, is a numb and chilly intellectual who rebuffs his students, ignores his all-but-emancipated teen kids (Ashton Holmes and Juno’s Ellen Page), and spurns cries for financial assistance from his ne'er-do-well but rather soulful adopted brother, Chuck (Thomas Haden Church). After an accident lands Lawrence in the hospital and deprives him of the right to drive, someone else falls into his bleak sphere: Janet (Sarah Jessica Parker), a physician and former student of Lawrence who remembers her disappointment in him as a teacher and role model. Against all logic, Janet and Lawrence become a romantic item, a choice for which neither of them is entirely prepared. Meanwhile, Chuck and Vanessa (Page) enter an awkward phase in their relationship as niece and uncle, just another sign that the Wetherhold clan has become too insular and self-referential. Screenwriter Mark Poirier's inspired and literate story sets up lots of chaos, attitude, and cross-conflict, then hangs back and lets the characters verbally spar, much to our great amusement. What's happening, however, are deep changes in relationships and destinies that Lawrence and the others naturally resist, until they can't. Director Noam Murro knows one of his most important contributions to the film is to stay out of the characters' way and provide Poirier's barbed humor a supportive setting. Quaid is outstanding as the pivotal figure in this tale, a man who looks creaky and washed up beyond his years, but who is not entirely past redemption.

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Brand Upon the Brain! - Criterion Collection (2006)
dir. Guy Maddin

I know of Guy Maddin, but I've never seen any of his work. If Criterion thinks this is good enough to add to their collection after being released 2 years ago, then I might have to get on board.

Product Decsription:
In the weird and wonderful super-cinematic world of Canadian cult filmmaker Guy Maddin, personal memory collides with movie lore for a radical sensory overload. This eerie excursion into the gothic recesses of Maddin s mad, imaginary childhood is a silent, black-and-white comic science-fiction nightmare set in a lighthouse on grim Notch Island, where fictional protagonist Guy Maddin was raised by an ironfisted, puritanical mother. Originally mounted as a theatrical event (accompanied by live orchestra, foley artists, and assorted narrators), Brand upon the Brain! is an irreverent, delirious trip into the mind of one of current cinema s true eccentrics.

DVD Features:
New, restored high-definition digital transfer
Optional narration tracks by Isabella Rossellini, Laurie Anderson, John Ashbery, Crispin Glover, Guy Maddin, Louis Negrin, and Eli Wallach
The Making of Brand upon the Brain!, a new documentary featuring interviews with the director and crew members
Two new short films directed by Maddin: It's My Mother's Birthday Today and Footsteps
Deleted scene
Trailer
PLUS: A new essay by film critic Dennis Lim
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Larisa Shepitko: Eclipse Series 11 (Wings / The Ascent) (2007)
dir. Larisa Shepitko

The two movies in this set have received rave reviews, and considering these Eclipse sets are so cheap, I might have to take a chance with this.

Product Decsription:
The career of Larisa Shepitko, an icon of sixties and seventies Soviet cinema, was tragically cut short when she was killed in a car crash at age thirty-nine, just as she was emerging on the international scene. The body of work she left behind, though small, is masterful, and her genius for visually evoking characters interior worlds is never more striking than in her two greatest works: Wings, an intimate yet exhilarating portrait of a female fighter pilot turned provincial headmistress, and The Ascent, a gripping, tragic World War II parable of betrayal and martyrdom. A true artist, who had deftly used the Soviet film industry to make statements both personal and universal, Shepitko remains one of the greatest unsung filmmakers of all time.

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Watching the Detectives (2007)
dir. Paul Soter

I never really pictured Cillian Murphy as the type to do a romantic comedy, but hey, dude's gotta eat. Plus, I'm sure the idea of working with Lucy Liu didn't sound too bad.

Product Decsription:
Neil (Cillian Murphy) works in a vintage video store and wishes his life could be as exciting as the movies he watches night and day. Enter Violet (Lucy Liu), a real-life femme fatale who brings enough adventure into Neil's world to make him think he has suddenly stepped into one of his favorite movies. Being with Violet might just turn out to be a lot of fun - if he lives through it.

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The Search for John Gissing (2001)
dir. Mike Binder

Product Decsription:
Mike Binder wrote, directed, and stars in this smart comedy set in corporate London. Akin to television series The Office, and many other feature length comedies about vicious takeovers, bureaucracy, and foul business practice like 9 to 5, The Search for John Gissing also stars Alan Rickman as Gissing, a British fellow out to foil Matthew Barnes, the fumbling Woody Allen-type character portrayed by Binder. This revenge tale opens with Gissing inviting Barnes and his wife, Linda (Janeane Garofalo), to London to sign a merger with a German company. From the second Matthew and Linda step off the plane, plans fall through, income disappears, and Gissing steadily botches Barnes' attempts to succeed in this new environment. Clever characters, like Francois Fuller (Allan Corduner), the French CEO whose accent confounds Matthew with his New York dialect, and Sister Mary (Sonya Walger), the sexy nun, compliment the Barnes' and their archenemy, Gissing. Since the story is about a rather straightforward competition between the two men, one can focus on the sharp-witted script and the ways Rickman, Binder, and Garofalo infuse their characters with realistic quirks and neuroses. Garofalo transforms Linda into an understanding, but opinionated, wife. Binder's underdog persona slowly dissolves to reveal a strong, intelligent "soldier" in his businessman's "war." Rickman's Gissing is a suave, yet somehow dorky villain whose ill intentions are ultimately rooted in a fear of losing power. As each of the three main characters come to clarify priorities in their personal lives, they begin to see that they are not so opposite after all.

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The Secret (2006)
dir. Vincent Perez

I love the "fuck outta here with that bullshit" look on David Duchovny's face.

Product Decsription:
Compared to pallid supernatural romances like Ghost, The Secret is a fireball of Freudian pathos about a love triangle between parents Benjamin (David Duchovny) and Hannah Marris (Lili Taylor), and their teenage daughter, Samantha (Olivia Thirlby). Directed by Swiss actor Vincent Perez, The Secret succeeds where other cheesy ghost films fail because there is always the possibility that after Benjamin's wife, Hannah, dies in a car accident and comes back to inhabit her daughter's body, Benjamin will be lured into his daughter's arms by sheer grief commingled with desire. The film's operates with increasing tension throughout, starting when Benjamin decides to believe that Sam is temporarily not Sam, but his wife. There are sappy scenes, such as when Sam, as mother Hannah, returns to high school following the accident and flails terribly in teenage situations. But the notion of a mother spying on her daughter through possession recalls Mommie Dearest, in a great way. The real credit in this film goes to Thirlby, who in essence plays two characters well, switching identities throughout. The sexual innuendo she brings to the part adds the zest The Secret needs to elevate it from a suburban nightmare to real horror. Viewers who enjoy The Secret might also look to Argento's mother trilogy, or the recently released French horror film, Inside. That said. The Secret contains no gore and relies on psychological suspense rather than violence to construct its mother/daughter tale.

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Felon (2008)
dir. Ric Roman Waugh

Product Decsription:
After the system fails Wade Porter (Stephen Dorff), a man who inadvertently killed an intruder in his home while justly protecting his wife and son, the family man faces three years in a maximum security prison where every rule he has ever lived by is thrown out the window. To make matters worse, Porter doesn't get along with his new cellmate (Val Kilmer), most likely because the guy is an epically notorious mass murderer. In order to make it out of his sentence alive, between vicious prisoners and the sadistic machinations of the corrupt Warden Lt. Jackson (Harold Perrineau Jr., LOST), Porter is going to transform himself into the toughest, meanest cat in the joint. This gritty actioner comes from writer-director Ric Roman Waugh, a popular stuntman who has worked on such films as UNIVERSAL SOLDIER, ROAD HOUSE, TOTAL RECALL, and LETHAL WEAPON 2.

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Legend of God's Gun (2008)
dir. Mike Bruce

A "rock-n-roll spaghetti western" huh? Are you allowed to call it a spaghetti western when it's made in California buy a guy named Mike?

Product Decsription:
A gun-slinging preacher visits the sinful town of Playa Diablo seeking revenge from the notorious scorpion-venom drinking bandit El Sobero lead outlaw and number one bad guy. El Sobero and his merry band of marauders are also headed to Playa Diablo seeking their own revenge against the town sheriff. Add to the mix a mysterious Bounty Hunter and it all leads to a confrontation of Biblical proportions as they all meet in the circle of death where the lead flies people die and only one man can be left standing.

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The Killing Gene (2006)
dir. Tom Shankland

Product Decsription:
How far would you go to save the one you love? Stellan Skarsgard (Exorcist: The Beginning) stars as Eddie Argo, a veteran cop investigating a string of bizarre serial murders. In each case, the victims were forced to make the unconscionable decision to save themselves or the life of a loved one. Now Eddie and his rookie partner (Melissa George, Alias) must stop the carnage before the killer strikes too close to home. Featuring Selma Blair (Hellboy) in a terrifying performance, The Killing Gene is a "thought-provoking and brutal horror-thriller that keeps the audience on the edge of the seat until the gripping conclusion"

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The Legend of the Shadowless Sword (2006)
dir. Kim Young-jun

Originally just titled "Shadowless Sword. But us crazy Americans, we sure do love our legends. The Legend of Bagger Vance, The Legend of Ron Burgandy, The Legend of the Hidden Temple....Nice work, marketing team.

Product Decsription:
The kingdom of the land has been conquered, and the ruler's only remaining descendant is the exiled Prince Jung-Hyun (Lee Seo Jin). Unaware of the darkness that has fallen over his homeland, female warrior Soha (Yoon Soy) comes to his aid and guides him toward his royal destiny. Meanwhile, the vicious Killer-Blade Army are hot on their trail, determined to spill the last remaining noble blood. Flashing swords, swift kicks, and epic action are in store in this glossy martial-arts tale.

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The American Mall (2008)
dir. Shawn Ku

Not exactly sure why this is here.......looks like it's probably just High School Musical in a mall.

Product Decsription:
In conjunction with the creators/producers of "High School Musical" "The American Mall" is the story of Ally a hardworking young woman whose mother owns a music shop that's been the soul of the mall ever since it opened. Ally's singer/songwriter ambitions seem to come closer to fruition when she meets Joey a musician who's moonlighting as a janitor at the mall in order to support his own rock star dreams. While Joey understands her songs (and heart) like no one else Ally's happiness and the fate of the store are threatened when the mall owner's spoiled daughter Madison -- who will stop at nothing to get what she wants -- gets involved.

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The Orange Thief (2006)
dir. Vinnie Angel, Boogie Dean, Arthur Wilinski

Product Decsription:
Living on the outer boundaries of society an eponymous orange thief and some other country-wise ruffians steal fruit for sustenance sale and the sheer excitement of courting danger. After the thief ends up in a Sicilian jail his life takes an unexpected turn when his bunkmate promises him a deal.

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Glass Lips (2007)
dir. Lech Majewski



Product Decsription:
A kaleidoscope of surreal, emotionally provocative, and powerfully resonant imagery; in Glass Lips, contemporary artist, Lech Majewski, explores a hidden human frontier where memory, madness, and imagination meet. Banished to an asylum, a traumatized young poet relives his tormented childhood in a cascade of wordless images and tableaux. Imprisoned in a lifelong bedlam presided over by an abusive father and a passively seductive mother, the poet uses his ebbing sanity as a means of escape. The parochial cruelty the young poet endures and the transporting beauty he assays entwine into pungent layers of narrative (New York Times) that assault the unconscious and challenge preconceived notions of what is right and wrong, real and known. Acting as writer, director, composer, and photographer, Majewski contrasts the biblical with the baroque and the sublime with the profane to create an aesthetic of dysfunction that s as beautiful as it is disturbing. (New York Times). Composed of thirty-three short films entitled Blood of a Poet, Glass Lips opened the 2006 Lech Majewski Retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. A year later, the Venice Biennale presented it on multiple screens, prior to the theatrical release in the feature form offered here.

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Gospel According To Harry (1992)
dir. Lech Majewski



Product Decsription:
Combining the theatrical surrealism of Samuel Beckett and Eugene Ionesco, the pop-art playfulness of Richard Lester, scathing social critique, genuine pathos and the mind-boggling imagery for which writer-director Lech Majewski (The Garden of Earthly Delights) is renowned, Gospel According to Harry is a wholly original cinematic tour de force. Years before the Lord of the Rings trilogy catapulted him to international superstardom, Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises, A History of Violence) played Wes, a young husband locked in co-dependent discontent with his beautiful and needy wife Karen (Jennifer Rubin The Doors, Nightmare On Elm Street III). Their future prospects as barren as the sun-bleached dunes that are the surreal setting for their one room existence, Wes and Karen go through the dehumanizing motions of a modern life in which happiness is as ephemeral and elusive as the grains of sand beneath their feet. Boasting a remarkable cast, including 60 s British film icon Rita Tushingham (Doctor Zhivago, The Knack and How to Get It), haunting visuals, and incisive wit, Gospel According to Harry which was produced for David Lynch s Propaganda Films is at last ready for discovery, available here for the first time on DVD or any format.

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The Art of War II: Betrayal (2008)
dir. Josef Rusnak



Product Decsription:
When Agent Neil Shaw (Snipes) comes out of hiding to vindicate his former mentor's murder, he winds up on the trail of betrayal and lethal corruption. Under the charge of his friend and a senatorial candidate, his mission is to set things straight. But when more people turn up dead, Shaw realizes that he's been set up as bait.

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Maximum Risk [Blu-ray] (1996)
dir. Ringo Lam



Product Decsription:
A policeman takes his twin brother's place and inherits his problems and a beautiful girlfriend. He is forced to kickbox his way from France to the U.S. and back while playing footsie with the FBI and Russian mafia. Not just muscles with a badge, the policeman must find the answers to some tough questions, none harder than what the heck is an accordian player doing in a sauna.

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Belly 2: Millionaire Boyz Club (2006)
dir. Ivan Frank



Product Decsription:
Born into a life of crime G (The Game) has just spent 8 years in the pen. Now out on the streets he's back to his old ways wondering if a con can ever really straighten out. Things become more complex when G hooks up with Alexis (Shari Headley) who makes her living upholding the law. Inspired by a true story.

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Ninja Cheerleaders (2007)
dir. David Presley



Product Decsription:
They fight, they cheer, they strip and they re headed for Brown! Ninja Cheerleaders is a funny and fast action comedy about three cheerleaders who are Straight A students by day and fighting warriors at night.

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