DVD Buying Guide: March ’07

Christ, March has a lot of DVDs coming out.  The STD front is quite packed, but this time around there are more than a few movies I readily want to check out – some I’ve actually been waiting for.  The After Dark Horror Fest releases most of November’s films the last week of March, the majority of which I missed in theaters and have been looking forward to catching on disc.  Finally, spread across the weeks are three truly great mainstream movies and one kick ass gem from the ’80s.

March is going to hurt the wallet.

Let’s just get it out of the way.  Night of the MuthaFuckin’ Comet!  Finally, two decades later, a good looking copy of Night of the Comet (review) is available for legitimate sale.  The disc sports zero special features, but hey, it’ll be cheap and plenty worth it.

Straight to DVD: Blood Trails, Cult, Death Row, Decoys: The Second Seduction, Delirium.
I actually have a screener copy of Death Row (when it was titled Haunted Prison) that I never got around to watching, but the trailer looked cooler than most Sci-Fi channel movies: plus a Busey.  Speaking of, I’ve caught a half or two or the first Decoys and found it tolerable enough for cable, so who knows how the sequel works the tired plot of ‘sexy aliens need warm earth men to breed’.  The other three I don’t know too much about.

Borat needs no introduction.  If you like the character, you’ll like the movie.  If not, you won’t be converted.  Plain and simple.  Keep in mind, though, that there is guaranteed to be a more feature packed release within a few months, as this disc isn’t all that rich.  Richard Linklater is a fantastic filmmaker and I’ve heard great things about the relatively unseen Fast Food Nation.  And, lastly, some flick called Manitou that had a cool sounding plot description on the IMDB.

I know nothing about it, but Tartan is releasing Bloody Reunion so that is enough for me to raise an eyebrow.  I really dug the trailer for Sublime, so I’m hoping the full thing lives up some expectations.  I’m not the biggest fan of Tom Cavanagh’s one-trick acting style, but he choses great roles most of the time.

Horror Business is a documentary about the hell that is independent filmmaking and I’m told it is a must see for any aspiring filmmaker, genre or not.  Everyone’s favorite Ed Wood has a collection out, containing six of the legendary man’s films – including Plan 9 From Outer Space.

Casino Royale is the best Bond film, end of discourse.  Daniel Craig bleeds suave in ways few men on earth do.  I love this movie so much that I am genuinely entertaining the idea of dropping hundreds on some sort of a Blu Ray player just so I can own this bad boy in HD.

Finally, the internet-buzzed, festival hit Shortbus.  Not seen, no real interest to, but if retarded people having hardcore sex in the name of ‘art’ is your thing, by all means have at.

Is there any news item that experiences a film version turn around faster than serial killers?  They’re all over the damned place.  The only reason I mention Hunt for the BTK Killer is because I remember when the man was caught.  I was in my Mass Media Law class and the professor came in, mentioned his capture and then breathed a comical sigh of relief and put the killer’s picture on the big screen.  Dopplegangers, they truly were.

Sci-Fi channel plopper, Return of the living Dead: Rave to the Grave will be sharing retail space close to a fancy release of the classic Re-Animator, thanks to Anchor Bay.  I’ve heard great things about this newly minted disc, so you’d do right to buy one.  Anchor Bay also puts out John Carpenter’s Season 2 episode of "Masters of Horror", titled Pro-Life (review).  The episode is by no standards special, but you can expect the Bay to stack the disc with nice features, which may make it worth a rental.

Much to my own surprise, Blood Diamond was one of my favorite films from last year.  The acting is angry and the direction is equally fierce.  Great film, worth a blind buy in my book, but at least a rental in most others’.  Rocky Balboa was also better than expected, but expectations were nil so take that with a grain.  If you like the series, see the movie.  If not, see it on TNT in 14 months.

Oh, and the uncensored Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner is sure to be a riot, but the price will probably be out of proportion.

Yet again, a real life serial killer story makes someone’s cut.  This time its the far more interesting Albert Fish, but take that as no word as to whether the movie will showcase that.  All roads lead to Lance Henriksen, even if that means a direct-to-Sci-Fi sequel to Pumpkinhead.  Scarier than both of these, however, is the documentary Hacking Democracy.  There is no need to rush out and buy it, but it is an eye opener that should be seen by all Americans.

I have monumental respect for the people behind the After Dark Horror Fest.  I may not have been able to catch all the movies upon release, but the theatrical push they gave Indie films was something I would love to see more of in any capacity.  The films seemed to scale in quality, but at least they were out there on the big screen.  And this Tuesday, almost all will be available on your screen as well.  I really, really want to the medical chiller Unrest.  Gravedancers (review) was entertaining, especially if drunk.  Past that, I can’t give any definitive word on the Fest’s other current releases: Dark Ride, The Hamiltons, Penny Dreadful, Reincarnation, and Wicked Little Things.

Lucky McKee directed the wonderful Angela Bettis in the great, great May and now Bettis puts McKee under the lights in her directorial debut, Roman.  Co-staring the evercute Kristen Bell, Roman looks micro-budget enough to shy off casual goers and grim enough to claw into the hardcore crowd.  I’ll be checking it out at some point.

HND favorite Thai film, Shutter (review) is finally on US shores.  I love this movie.  I won’t over hype it, but its a refreshing take on J-Horror that outclasses a lot of the films that inspired it.  Speaking of Asia, Kim Ki-Duk’s second latest film comes across as well.  The Bow is a let down for the fantastic director, so I’m just going to acknowledge its presence and demand that that you rent 3-Iron instead.

I’ll watch anything that Patrick Bateman Christian Bale is in, so Harsh Times is on my rental list as well.  Happy Feet is a great, great movie that really fires on all kinds of entertaining cylinders.

Finally, Children of Men.  One of the best science fiction films ever made.  If you have not seen this true masterpiece yet, buy it now.  This is what film was invented for.

Definitely Worth Renting, if not Buying:
Blood Diamond
Sublime
Night of the Comet
Re-Animator
Shutter

Probably Worth Renting Once
Unrest
The Gravedancers
Horror Business
Borat
Fast Food Nation