January 29th, 2008DVD Releases (2008.01.29)
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
We reviewed this excellent documentary in Episode 11. As I said then, I got a review copy of the DVD and popped it in thinking it would be cute because of the subject matter, but either documentary-style dull or too self consciously quirky. Who knew there would be espionage, snivelling toadies and an antagonist worthy of Tolkien?
The story follows Steve Wiebe, a regular guy who seems to have almost succeeded in every endeavor he’s tried, including a 90s grunge band. After being laid off from Boeing, he starts playing Donkey Kong on a classic arcade machine in his garage. Not surprisingly, he’s really good and soon beats the world record. Or so he thinks until Billy Mitchell, a record-holding gamer with a very healthy sense of self, comes into the picture to assert his title as Video Game Player of the Century.
As a side note, the South Park episode “More Crap”, in which Stan’s dad battles Bono for the World’s Largest Bowel Movement record, was based on this documentary. Want.
King of Kong Trailer
Ranma 1/2 Season 5: Martial Mayhem (2008 Edition)
I love Ranma 1/2, but I had completely forgotten about it until I saw this. The basic story of this manga-inspired animation begins when Ranma and his father Genma, both martial artists, fall into cursed springs - Ranma into the Spring of the Drowned Girl and his father into the Spring of the Drowned Panda. The curse? When hit with cold water, Ranma becomes a girl and his father, a panda, of course. Transgender and transspecies hilarity ensues. See the intro here. Want.
The Invasion [Blu-ray]
The Invasion
Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Vol 1-5
I never actually got into the show, but I will never, ever forget Mastodon’s let’s-all-go-to-the-lobby parody Linoleum Knife [NSFW]. “Indecent exposure is a class 2 fe-lo-nee!” With parenting advice too!
Lake Placid 2 (Unrated)
Lake Placid 2 (Rated)
Lake Placid - 2 Pack
I saw this on one of those Sci Fi Channel theme days, so I honestly couldn’t remember if it was the one with the Cloris Leachman as the crazy crocodile lady or the one with the kids on the houseboat. Cloris Leachman it is! With John Schneider as Sheriff Riley.
Monty Python’s Life Of Brian - Two-Disc Collector’s Edition [Blu-ray]
Monty Python’s Life Of Brian - The Immaculate Edition
You already have this, right?
I’m not sure, but I think this is Mitchell Lichtenstein’s Teeth on the cheap.
IMDB says:
Somewhere, between the boundaries of life and death, lays the darkest places in the human heart. In these dimly lit recesses crouch fears older than mankind itself. Yet only by visiting this netherworld from time to time can we hope to unearth what lurks just beyond the grasp of our imaginations. The Unknown Trilogy dares to navigate these shadowy passages in three chilling tales that will make you glad you decided to come along for the ride…
This is the reissue title of 1974’s Nightmare Circus. IMDB says:
Three showgirls on their way to Las Vegas have car trouble and are stuck all night out in the desert. The next morning cheerful Andre (Andrew Prine) offers them help in fixing their car. However, Andre is really a maniac with a lot of family problems; his mother ran out on him when he was a child so now he keeps kidnapped women chained up in his barn and trains them to perform circus tricks. Andre’s father is still around of course, but because the old homestead is next to a nuclear test site he has been transformed into a raving homicidal mutant that Andre keeps locked up in a shed.
IMDB says:
A low-tech FX film about the horrors of war and robots.
Compelling.
We could take in an old Steve Reeves movie!
Five classic horror movies plus a documentary on the filmmaker.
January 29th, 2008 at 6:51 am
[...] DVD Releases (2008.01.29) The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters We reviewed this excellent documentary in Episode 11. As I said then, I got a review copy of the DVD and popped it in thinking it would be cute because of the subject matter, but either documentary-style dull or too self consciously quirky. Who knew there would be espionage, snivelling toadies and an antagonist worthy of Tolkien? The story follows Steve Wiebe, a regular guy who seems to have almost succeeded in every endeavor he’s tried, including a [...]