Knight at HOME at the Movies
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Eight DVDs a Week
Just eight of the DVDs I've been watching as of late - something here for everyone to dig into - enjoy!
Just eight of the DVDs I've been watching as of late - something here for everyone to dig into - enjoy!
Mad Men Season 2 - From Lionsgate. The wait is over and Season 3 is back! While waiting around for the return of Don Draper
and Co., this 4-disc set of Season 2 made the wait a lot more pleasurable. Cool extras and nifty packaging, too!
Coraline – From Universal. Dark, creepy and tremendously cool and fun - that's Coraline - the movie that I thought finally married
eye popping stop motion animation with a great story and characters. Not for the wee ones but everyone else should take the trip to
the pink palace apartments pronto.
The Haunting in Connecticut – From Lionsgate. Based on a true story, this is a good old fashioned haunted house story with
minimal doses of the requisite gore (but telegraphed enough in advance even in this unrated edition so that you can turn your
head) and lots of ghoulish atmosphere. Virginia Madsen stars and participates in the making of featurettes and a commentary with
the director. The second disc includes a digital copy. This will pair nicely with The Others, Amityville Horror or The Haunting, the
granddaddy of haunted house movies.
I Love You Man – From Paramount. Now onto something light. Paul Rudd and Jason Segel shine in this winning, ultimate
"bromance" comedy that examines the friendship that develops between two straight dudes who bond over some air guitar and
ultimately a lot more.
and Co., this 4-disc set of Season 2 made the wait a lot more pleasurable. Cool extras and nifty packaging, too!
Coraline – From Universal. Dark, creepy and tremendously cool and fun - that's Coraline - the movie that I thought finally married
eye popping stop motion animation with a great story and characters. Not for the wee ones but everyone else should take the trip to
the pink palace apartments pronto.
The Haunting in Connecticut – From Lionsgate. Based on a true story, this is a good old fashioned haunted house story with
minimal doses of the requisite gore (but telegraphed enough in advance even in this unrated edition so that you can turn your
head) and lots of ghoulish atmosphere. Virginia Madsen stars and participates in the making of featurettes and a commentary with
the director. The second disc includes a digital copy. This will pair nicely with The Others, Amityville Horror or The Haunting, the
granddaddy of haunted house movies.
I Love You Man – From Paramount. Now onto something light. Paul Rudd and Jason Segel shine in this winning, ultimate
"bromance" comedy that examines the friendship that develops between two straight dudes who bond over some air guitar and
ultimately a lot more.
The Class - From Sony. From France comes this tremendous Palm d'Or winner and Foreign Film Oscar nominee. An almost
documentary portrait of a high school teacher in a Paris inner city school trying to impart something to his bored and disruptive
students. Good stuff.
12 – From Sony. A Russian remake/variation on "12 Angry Men," this is anything but subtle. Filled with passionate, extraordinary
performances, this is a canny, creative update of the original material - helped along by the political themes injected into the
screenplay. A long movie that slowly envelops the viewer and rewards the patient. Love these foreign dramas!
The Soloist – From Dreamworks. Robert Downey, Jr. and Jamie Foxx in the true story of a homeless cellist with mental challenges
and the newspaper columnist who does his best to help him. Though the movie tries to throw too many irons into the fire, the music
is gorgeous and the heartfelt performances of the leads certainly helps.
The Jack Lemmon Film Collection – From Sony. I can't end without at least one classic recommendation and this Jack
Lemmon collection boasts five movies never before released on DVD and long out of print as well as a sixth disc with a batch of
special features including a memorial tribute hosted by Lemmon's son. The movies are Phffft! (1954) which finds Lemmon teamed
up with the incomparable Judy Holliday as a couple who decide, seemingly on a whim, to divorce. The film has moments of brilliance
(with these two, how could it not) and the sequence in which they show off what they've learned in separate dance classes is a
classic. Next up is the Mister Roberts cash in Operation Mad Ball (1957) with Lemmon again as a conniving seaman. Mickey Rooney is
also on-board for this so-so outing. Also not great, but stuffed with great English character actors is The Notorious Landlady (1962), a
comedic murder mystery with Kim Novak that includes Fred Astaire as Lemmon's boss. Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963) finds Lemmon
in one of those swingin' bachelor pad comedies so prevalent in the early 60s (see Mad Men above for background research!) and
finally there is the real gem in the set, Good Neighbor Sam from 1964, a ripe parody of the advertising world and life in the suburbs in
which Lemmon co-stars with Dorothy Provine, Romy Schneider, and Edward G. Robinson. For Lemmon enthusiasts, obviously, this is
an obvious must and there's more than enough here to keep classic enthusiasts happy. Let's hope this encourages Columbia to
release more from their voluminous vaults - About Mrs. Leslie please Columbia!
documentary portrait of a high school teacher in a Paris inner city school trying to impart something to his bored and disruptive
students. Good stuff.
12 – From Sony. A Russian remake/variation on "12 Angry Men," this is anything but subtle. Filled with passionate, extraordinary
performances, this is a canny, creative update of the original material - helped along by the political themes injected into the
screenplay. A long movie that slowly envelops the viewer and rewards the patient. Love these foreign dramas!
The Soloist – From Dreamworks. Robert Downey, Jr. and Jamie Foxx in the true story of a homeless cellist with mental challenges
and the newspaper columnist who does his best to help him. Though the movie tries to throw too many irons into the fire, the music
is gorgeous and the heartfelt performances of the leads certainly helps.
The Jack Lemmon Film Collection – From Sony. I can't end without at least one classic recommendation and this Jack
Lemmon collection boasts five movies never before released on DVD and long out of print as well as a sixth disc with a batch of
special features including a memorial tribute hosted by Lemmon's son. The movies are Phffft! (1954) which finds Lemmon teamed
up with the incomparable Judy Holliday as a couple who decide, seemingly on a whim, to divorce. The film has moments of brilliance
(with these two, how could it not) and the sequence in which they show off what they've learned in separate dance classes is a
classic. Next up is the Mister Roberts cash in Operation Mad Ball (1957) with Lemmon again as a conniving seaman. Mickey Rooney is
also on-board for this so-so outing. Also not great, but stuffed with great English character actors is The Notorious Landlady (1962), a
comedic murder mystery with Kim Novak that includes Fred Astaire as Lemmon's boss. Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963) finds Lemmon
in one of those swingin' bachelor pad comedies so prevalent in the early 60s (see Mad Men above for background research!) and
finally there is the real gem in the set, Good Neighbor Sam from 1964, a ripe parody of the advertising world and life in the suburbs in
which Lemmon co-stars with Dorothy Provine, Romy Schneider, and Edward G. Robinson. For Lemmon enthusiasts, obviously, this is
an obvious must and there's more than enough here to keep classic enthusiasts happy. Let's hope this encourages Columbia to
release more from their voluminous vaults - About Mrs. Leslie please Columbia!
