Comments on: DVD Releases for September 16th, 2008

By: Craig Kennedy

Craig Kennedy — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:22:51 +0000

The failure of Speed Racer is still a sensitive open wound for me. I flinch whenever the name is mentioned.

By: Evan Derrick

Evan Derrick — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:18:18 +0000

“@#*$%-it, Evan, did you know that you’ve almost singlehandedly convinced me to do something I promised my mother on her dying day I’d never do? Go out and rent “Speed Racer” and watch it?”

Those are the comments that make me proud to be a film blogger, Rick.

Pacino and Avnet must be smoking buddies or something, or maybe Pacino is godfather to Avnet’s son. There’s really no other explanation.

By: Rick Olson

Rick Olson — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:05:10 +0000

@#*$%-it, Evan, did you know that you’ve almost singlehandedly convinced me to do something I promised my mother on her dying day I’d never do? Go out and rent “Speed Racer” and watch it?

And I cannot believe that after the critical and social and fan and every other kind of thrashing “88 Minutes” took that Pacino would even allow Jon Avnet into the same room with him, much less appear in one of his films again.

By: Matthew Lucas

Matthew Lucas — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:02:12 +0000

Daniel, I definitely agree about YOUNG @ HEART. I hope it has a very long life on DVD.

88 MINUTES is going straight to the 99 cent shelf at Blockbuster.

I missed THE RAPE OF EUROPA at last year’s River Run Film Festival around here, and hope to catch it soon. I’ve heard very good things.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:28:41 +0000

I’ve been intrigued by Noise all year. Considering the new releases over the next few months, though, I’ll probably just remain intrigued about it.

Y@H needs to be seen by humanity.

By: Evan Derrick

Evan Derrick — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:33:46 +0000

I imagine the issue is fairly complex, Sam, but I bet the critics’ hatred for Speed Racer can be boiled down to “they just didn’t get it.” Simplistic, I know, but that’s all I can come up with without delving into market considerations and all kinds of overly analytical stuff (there are other people out there who have done that).

By: Sam Juliano

Sam Juliano — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:11:35 +0000

I have not seen SPEED RACER, and Evan’s review surely makes an excellent case for it as does opinions evinced by LIC members, but I must ask this question: Why did the film receive absolutely horrendous reviews from the professional critics? It received the dubious “rotten tomato” at RT, and the majority of critics thrashed it. Somebody was intoxicated while watching it, and I hope it was the professionals! LOL. The proof will be in the pudding for me tomorrow. I don’t take anything for granted, as I am well-aware that my beloved THE FOUNTAIN split the critics down teh middle in 2006.

Similarly I didn’t think YOUNG AT HEART was all that great, though that wheelchair scene near the end with the moving song brought on tears. I felt it was too unfocused and disjointed, but I feel guilty for saying it.

I won’t comment on the other releases, although to be truthful I didn’t see them all. This is quite a comprehensive round up here, and I commend you for all the work involved. And the lay out is great too.

By: Evan Derrick

Evan Derrick — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:50:34 +0000

I lose sleep over questions like that, Fox.

And Ari, beautifully said. That’s a wonderful description of the final race – it is a masterpiece of editing, and I was practically crying from exhilaration the first time I saw it. The critics really missed the boat on this one.

By: Fox

Fox — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:31:57 +0000

The real question is this:

If I’m at the video store, and I hold 88 Minutes and The Love Guru in my hands… which one do I go with?

p.s. I have a gun to my head and I have to choose one.

By: Evan Derrick

Evan Derrick — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:27:10 +0000

Thanks Collin for the compliments... perhaps *sniffle* my website ISN'T a waste of time. And I figured as much about Finding Amanda and The Love Guru, Phillip, but if I was holding both DVDs in front of my face, I would pick the trainwreck of The Love Guru over the blandness of Finding Amanda, at least as a kneejerk reaction.

By: Ari

Ari — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:18:14 +0000

Speed is damn near locked for my #1 of the year. And that’s saying something if you look at the schedule for the next few months. There’s Che, though. Soderbergh’s epic. Maybe.

But Speed’s something else entirely, and like every misunderstood landmark, it will take many years for a mass audience to recognize it. I can’t believe the film works the way it does. It’s a children’s film, right? Or is it? A children’s film for adults? I love that the Wachowski’s so brilliantly convey the feeling of being a young dreamer. There are no limits, no boundaries, no restrictions. It contains, for me, quite easily the most spectacular use of CGI I’ve seen. Period. And it’s sweetly sentimental, which works for the universe they’ve created.

And let’s talk about the Grand Prix for a moment, especially the expressionist final lap where past and present collide as the world becomes a blur around him. As a friend of mine noted, “the Mach 5 isn’t even touching track”. The back and forth editing between Speed’s memory and the actual race is close to masterful. An innocent piece of pop entertainment that successfully uses techniques generally found in high-art? Ummm…..”whoa”.

By: Phillip Johnston

Phillip Johnston — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:51:29 +0000

Finding Amanda isn't too special, but it is certainly more worthy of watching than The Love Guru. Broderick is in a sad state, though. He's got a beer belly and of the two movies he made this year, he played the exact same part. Disappointing, because Finding Amanda is much more about his character than the Brittany Snow character. Steve Coogan is in it too, so that's worth something. The Rape of Europa is very, very interesting as well. That Hitler guy was a real jerk.

By: Collin

Collin — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:11:27 +0000

A highly entertaining breakdown of the new releases Keep up the good work!