Pick(s) of the Weeks
Computer Chess (Kino Lorber) — The dislocation caused by the physical aspects of the production, the weird haircuts, lingo, clothes and the black-and-white imagery transport you to a world that for sure existed but has never really been explored on the big screen with such texture. Unlike other films of this period, Computer Chess doesn’t attempt to evoke warm fuzzy nostalgic feelings of a bygone era; instead, it uses the dislocation generated by the video image to cause us to be hyper-aware of how different the world was in the past from how it is now. Andrew Bujalski depicts an innocent computer age when the excitement of technology was driven by a pure pursuit of exploration, rather than the pursuit of application value. At one point a programmer says the future of computers is in dating and we are reminded that there was a time when computer science had yet to be fully co-opted by the corporate consumer driven mentality that currently fuels the dreams of young tech geniuses. Read Mike S. Ryan’s full HTN review. Available on DVD and at Amazon Instant.
Tabu (Lorber Films) — When was the last time you saw a film in which you were fully aware, from very early on, that you were watching a masterpiece? Miguel Gomes’s Tabu hits so many of my cinematic sweet spots that before I was even halfway through my first viewing I couldn’t wait to see it again. It’s easily the best film of 2012 and lucky for us it has emerged from the thickets of the international film festival circuit to open theatrically here in America (thanks to Lorber Films). Shot in glorious 16mm and 35mm black-and-white, Tabu is both a sublime celebration of life’s passage and of cinema itself. Read Mike S. Ryan’s full HTN review. Available on DVD.
Recommended
The Green Wave (Strand) — Ali Samadi Ahadi’s fourth film, The Green Wave, begins as a calmly narrated, fairly traditional documentary. The story is meticulously set up for the viewer, the omniscient narrator speaking in unaccented English in a clearly modulated voice. Through talking head interviews and slickly produced, precisely narrated animated scenes, the story of this second stolen election is revealed. The careful detail, the reliance of first-person accounts, the tone and mood of the country and the people at the time is explicitly recounted. Which makes the onslaught of the most horrid human rights violations that follow all the more shocking and devastating, whether it’s directly from live footage or from recreated animations, and gives this documentary its urgency as a powerful testimony to a revolution solely documented by the victims of a vicious crackdown by the state militia, one fully sanctioned by Iran’s governmental and religious leaders. Read Pamela Cohn’s full HTN review. Available on DVD and at Amazon Instant.
As I Lay Dying (Millennium) — From afar, the idea of James Franco adapting William Faulkner’s classic novel sounds… well, frankly, it doesn’t sound like a very good idea, now, does it? And while I’m not here to tell you that Franco does Faulkner justice and delivers a classic of his own, his adaptation might just surprise you. It at least surprised me. If you’ve got too much Faulkner baggage, there’s no way this one will win you over, but as an example of well acted, well executed low-budget independent cinema, you could do much, much worse. Available on DVD and at Amazon Instant.
Redlegs (FilmBuff) — Full disclosure: This micro-budget drama was written and directed by frequent HTN contributor Brandon Harris, but I ain’t gonna let that stop me from recommending it here. Available on DVD and at Amazon Instant.
Mad Men: Season 6 (Lionsgate) — Available on DVD and Blu-ray.
Broken (Film Movement) — Available on DVD and at Amazon Instant.
Happy New Year (Snag Films) — Available on Amazon Instant.
New/Old to DVD/Blu-ray
La Notte (Criterion) — Available on DVD and Blu-ray.
The Best Years Of Our Lives (Warner) — Available on Blu-ray.
Giant (Warner) — Available on Blu-ray.
Have Not Seen Yet But Really/Kinda/Sorta/Maybe Wanna
Passion (Entertainment One) — Available on DVD and Blu-ray.
Byzantium (MPI Home Video) — Available on DVD, Blu-ray, and at Amazon Instant.
Family Tree: The Complete First Season (HBO) — Available on DVD.
Girl Most Likely (Lionsgate) — Available on DVD, Blu-ray, and at Amazon Instant.
Parkland (Millennium) — Available on DVD, Blu-ray, DVD/Blu-ray Combo, and at Amazon Instant.
Under the Dome (Paramount) — Available on DVD, Blu-ray, and Totally Nerded Out Limited Collector’s Edition Blu-ray.
Bomb It 2 (Bomb It 2) — Available on DVD and at Amazon Instant.
Lovelace (Anchor Bay) — Available on DVD and Blu-ray.
Renoir (New Video) — Available on DVD, Blu-ray, and at Amazon Instant.
The Fitzgerald Family Christmas (Magnolia) — Available on DVD, Blu-ray, and at Amazon Instant.
Syrup (Magnolia) — Available on DVD, Blu-ray, and at Amazon Instant.
Free Samples (Starz/Anchor Bay) — Available on DVD and at Amazon Instant.
The Great Hip Hop Hoax (MVD Visual) — Available on DVD.
Post a Comment
