Hey folks, Harry here with the final DVD Preview Column of the year! That's right, DECEMBER. Now usually - they front load this month with great stuff - but then after Christmas - it ain't so hot. And - well, that's mostly true this time too. Got some great titles so let's get to it. Here ya go...

Tuesday - Dec 7th

24 – SEASON THREE

3rd Season of this highly acclaimed series. Got this set early – took a look, though I was a tad lost – just cuz I hadn’t seen the previous two seasons. It was still exceptional broadcast television material. Besides – it’s just great to see Kiefer doing great work!

THE BOURNE SUPREMACY

Second film in the Bourne series – and frankly it is exceptional. This is a great two film series, that in a way reminds me of Michael Caine’s Ipcress character. Smart, superbly cast and shot… Now the director of this is doing WATCHMEN – one of the greatest stories to ever come from the comic’s medium. If he approaches that story with the raw intensity he displays in this film… gets his actors to perform as well as he got Matt to in this, then we’re in for something special! The set has tons of behind the scenes, deleted scenes – Matt training and more. It’s a really great disc.

BUSTER KEATON COLLECTION (THE CAMERAMAN, SPITE MARRIAGE, FREE & EASY)

This Set comes from those great folks at Turner Classic Movies! I love Buster Keaton – his face, timing and comedy are just plum brilliant. The long standing film geek fight of Keaton or Chaplin is ludicrous. Both were brilliant – it’s more about whether or not you’re white meat or red meat. They’re two fine wines that delight with a given meal. On this set – Glenn Mitchell performs commentary on THE CAMERAMAN. Two Keaton-philes chat on SPITE MARRIAGE. Plus there’s a Keaton Documentary “SO FUNNY IT HURT: BUSTER KEATON AND MGM” I have yet to see these three Keaton’s – which is reason enough to buy. If you enjoy this – I highly highly recommend getting THE BEST ARBUCKLE/KEATON COLLECTION which puts together many of their best shorts from Fatty and Buster’s 2-reeler days. HILARIOUS stuff!

CARNIVALE – THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON

I LOVE THIS SERIES! This set arrived the other day. All of my coolest friends had been raving to me about it. And noted TV hater - Father Geek had caught a couple of episodes – and been raving. So the second I got it I put it on… 12 hours later I was finished. Any series whose star is Michael J Anderson… well that’s a series for me. This thing plays like some strange Lynchian riff on GRAPES OF WRATH and DARK CARNIVAL mixed with a touch of Stephen King. It’s a geekgasm waiting to happen. I mean – the whole younger / older relationship with Stahl and ADRIENNE BARBEAU!!! OH MAN!!! FUCKING A! MAGGIE!!!!!!!!! Then there’s Clancy Brown, fingernails on a chalkboard creepy! A truly great series – and a great set. Commentary on 3, behind the scenes – and more. Definitely a must for all those without HBO. This is a GREAT series!

THE FLINTSTONES – THE COMPLETE FIRST & SECOND SEASONS

Wow – the first two seasons of THE FLINTSTONES. I don’t know about you, but I love THE FLINTSTONES. Sure – I wish these discs had extras of their Cigarette Ads and various other promos they did back in this era. But much of that is flavored into the show itself. Truly great television. Funny as hell. And in this era – it was more adult than what it transformed into later in life!

GUNGA DIN

One of the greatest adventure films ever made. Highly influential! Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks Jr and Victor MacLagen are classic in this tale. But nobody can touch Sam Jaffe as Gunga Din in my book. He’s the bomb! George Stevens knocked this one out of the park. I wish this disc had been given the same treatment that ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD or TREASURE OF SIERRA MADRE got, but I’ll take what I get on a title this great. This is the prototype of the Hollywood Buddy Action Film – and it doesn’t, frankly, get much better. Rousing score, great story-telling. A MUST SEE!

HELL’S ANGELS

Ok – So AVIATOR blew you away this month – and the footage of the shoot for HELL’S ANGELS was amazing. Well – here it is. A great deal of this flick was shot down in San Antonio to make use of the Air Fields and planes. Really quite amazing early early proto-epic-action. Original shot silent, then reconfigured for the introduction of sound. The film also unleashed Jean Harlow on an unsuspecting world… her platinum lockes changed women’s hair fashions forever – and the “slut blonde stereotype” charged into high gear. Great classic film!

William Wyler’s HOW TO STEAL A MILLION is a delightful romantic comedy – and something I was altogether unfamiliar with till getting this dvd. I’m more used to O’Toole’s epics and dramas… fully unprepared for how great he was as a romantic leading comedy fella! The scenes between him and the angel, Audrey Hepburn are simply heavenly. She’s cute as a button. He’s – well, he’s dashing and charming and rogue-ish. Wyler is a great director – and this was certainly a walk in the park for him. Nice small little romantic comedy.

INFERNAL AFFAIRS

Being Remade by Martin Scorsese with Brad Pitt. It was supposed to get a good domestic theatrical release, but alas… that never came to be. Instead – we just get an American DVD release. Starring Tony Leung and Andy Lau and Anthony Wong – this is one of the best damn Gangster / Cops cat and mouse style movies you’ll ever see. The Cel Phone Tracking sequence is breathlessly brilliant and tense – without a single gun in play. The DVD cover is ridiculous as there isn’t a significant female character in the whole thing. Ahem. Weird. God forbid they sell it as just being one of the best films of last year and internationally lauded. Let’s stick a gal with a gun on the cover, that’ll do it. Heh. Maybe they’re right.

THE KING OF KINGS (1927) – Criterion Collection

Here’s what Amazon had to say about this set: New, restored digital transfers of both versions of The King of Kings: DeMille's 155-minute roadshow version and his subsequent 112-minute general release * New Dolby Digital 5.1 scores by composers Donald Sosin (1927 Version) and Timothy J. Tikker (1931 version) * Behind-the-scenes footage from the making of The King of Kings * Cast portraits by photographer W.M. Mortensen * Production and costume sketches by renowned artist Dan Sayre Groesbeck * Original illustrated program and press book * Plus: a booklet featuring a 1927 essay by DeMille, an excerpt from Robert S. Birchard's new book Cecil B. DeMille's Hollywood, production notes, and a new essay by film critic Peter Matthews -- Ok – that tells you about the extras – but what about the film. This is an epic. EPIC. The DeMille Silent Religious Epics are to be held in awe. Casts of thousands upon thousands. Artistry akin to that on LORD OF THE RINGS, if not grander – and without the aid of CG. This is stunning filmmaking at the dawn of time. Having both versions on here… well what a treat for cinephiles!

THE ULTIMATE MATRIX COLLECTION

Ultimately – I was greatly underwhelmed by this set. If you have the original release discs on each of these – then essentially – you’re just getting this for the pretty damn cool GENTLE GIANT STUDIOS “NEO” Bust – the Groovy Display Case – a Wachowski Text Introduction – which isn’t particularly grand. Commentaries by folks, you didn’t really want commentaries from. And the two really new discs feel short changed if you have THE ART OF THE MATRIX book. Only the PHILOSOPHY OF THE MATRIX and THE HARD SCIENCE OF THE MATRIX docs were both new and genuinely fascinating. I really was hoping to see what I had heard was going to be a great history of the action film, action cinematography, etc… but alas those features never appeared on the set… kinda ankling my enthusiasm for it. HOWEVER – for the hardcore MATRIX fan – this is a mighty nice presentation – and there is new material. But nothing spectacular.

WALT DISNEY TREASURES – MICKEY MOUSE CLUB

Of the 3 sets coming out today – this is the least attractive to me, but… Collecting these early Mickey Mouse Club shows means getting a real treat from Walt Disney, himself. His presence here was cool as hell. Great to remember, but also… it’s just children’s programming on a FAR better level to what the kids tend to get today. On the plane back from Seattle last month, there were 3 little girls in Mickey Mouse ears with their names stiched on the back. Who’s The Leader of the Club that’s made for you and me?

WALT DISNEY TREASURES – MICKEY MOUSE IN BLACK & WHITE, VOLUME TWO

Ok – so here’s the titles on this set:
1. The Barn Dance 1928
2. The Opry House 1929
3. When The Cat's Away 1929
4. The Barnyard Battle 1929
5. The Plow Boy 1929
6. Mickey's Choo-Choo 1929
7. The Jazz Fool 1929
8. Jungle Rhythm 1929
9. The Haunted House 1929
10. Wild Waves 1929
11. Just Mickey 1930
The Barnyard Concert 1930
13. The Cactus Kid 1930
14. The Shindig 1930
15. The Picnic 1930
16. Traffic Troubles 1931
17. The Castaway 1931
18. The Moose Hunt 1931
19. The Delivery Boy 1931
20. Fishin' Around 1931
21. The Barnyard Broadcast 1931
22. The Beach Party 1931
23. The Grocery Boy 1932
24. The Mad Dog 1932
25. Barnyard Olympics 1932
26. Musical Farmer 1932
27. Mickey In Arabia 1932
28. Trader Mickey 1932
29. The Wayward Canary 1932
30. Mickey's Good Deed 1932
31. Mickey's Pal Pluto 1933
32. Mickey's Mellerdrammer 1933
33. Mickey's Mechanical Man 1933
The Steeple Chase 1933
35. Shanghaied 1934
Playful Pluto 1934
37. Mickey's Steam-Roller 1934
38. Mickey Plays Papa 1934
39. Mickey's Man Friday 1935
40. Mickey's Kangaroo 1935

My faves are MICKEY’S MECHANICAL MAN, MICKEY’S MAN FRIDAY, MICKEY IN ARABIA, THE CACTUS KID and of course THE HAUNTED HOUSE. This set completes my Mickey B&W collection! And boy does it! In addition, the set is loaded with extras. If you want to see what made Mickey so popular back in his heyday – check it out. This isn’t the bland dork he became. This was Mickey – the guy that was the American Everyman. And he’s cool as hell… for proof check out SHANGHAIED!

WALT DISNEY TREASURES – THE COMPLETE PLUTO, VOLUME ONE

This set has about half of the PLUTO cartoons that truly featured him in the color era. There’s some great toons in play here. Maltin is doing his regular historian thing here, and doing it wonderfully. I just hope that on this set as well as the others they have a PLAY ALL feature. That should be required on all cartoon collections!

WILD AT HEART

Great disc. Wonderful transfer. Absolutely gorgeous. I mean jaw-droppingly beautiful transfer. I was stunned. The new interviews with Cage, Dern, Lynch, Dafoe, Ladd and Sheryl Lee are wonderful. The making of doc is also great. There’s so much on here besides just a really wonderful bit of Lynch madness! So hop on with Sailor and Lula! And remember – that snakeskin jacket… don’t talk shit about it – it represents his sense of individuality!

Tuesday – December 14th – BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER – THE COMPLETE SERIES – Seasons 1-7

Ok – Herc converted me. If you know some poor Buffy ignorant lout in the world – here’s a great gift. All 143 episodes on 39 DVDs for under $250. Tons of extras, Interviews, scripts… it is all 7 seasons shipped together. And a significant discount. I now have all 7 seasons. Personally, while I love the show, I greatly prefer something like CARNIVALE – simply because I like that level of weirdness and darkness – and there is a sort of pop-junk kinda feel to Buffy – that admittedly – is quite fun. However, episodes like HUSH makes just about anything pale in comparison. Pure genius!

COLLATERAL

A 2-disc Set of one of the absolute best movies of 2004. Michael Mann knocked this one over the big green wall. Breathtaking cinema on display here. One of Tom Cruise’s best performances. The film that woke me up to Jamie Foxx – before he knocked me out with RAY. It’ll be interesting overtime to see if this film holds up the way it makes me feel right now. Cuz it’s my fave Michael Mann flick, but I’m curious on DVD if it will be able to maintain that. Lots of extras, deleted scenes, making ofs, Tom and Jamie rehearsals! That’s something you don’t usually get often. Rehearsal tapes. Wow – can’t wait to see that extra. Fantastic movie, if you missed it, definitely don’t miss it now.

FAT ALBERT AND THE COSBY KIDS – ULTIMATE COLLECTION

Ok – Ya know – there’s this live action thing happening. I’ve a crazy idea – instead of seeing that crap – Get this for your kids instead. This is the real deal. Classic FAT ALBERT! None of this post-modern bullshit. Just the real FAT ALBERT – hey hey heeeeey! Ya know? This is a 4 DVD set. This is a special selection of handpicked by Cosby episodes of his classic series. All based on his classic comedy riffs he’s famed for. Outa my way! It’s time for FAT ALBERT!

I, ROBOT

More or less required for my Alex Proyas collection. By no means a great film. A rancid work of adaptation. However, divorcing the Asimov – and just looking at it as a popcorn junky fun science fiction piece, it does work. Even if I did go into the film with major reservations and an almost giddy sense of waiting to see how dreadful it was. Proyas is too good for that though. There’s some beautiful work here – and the big ROBOTS preview on here for FOX’s family CG film next year will make you drool.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS – THE RETURN OF THE KING Special Extended Edition

Wow. The extended edition is just like the others… It adds so much detail and nuance to the film…. Completing the storytelling and making something even greater than what was there before. Merry’s dialogue to Aragorn as Pippin rides away may be my favorite new moment… Except the geek screaming during the new PATHS OF THE DEAD stuff and the MOUTH OF SAURON stuff and the WITCH KING and just the new Eowyn stuff, the new Faramir stuff…. OH… AND FUCKING SARUMAN RULES! But more than the pieces – it’s how it all just plays together now. It just flows better at this length. I watched it 3 times. Then watched the documentaries… which is just the gold standard. These documentaries are not just little slapped together things. They’re emotional works of passion. You can feel the emotion. On the second doc disk… when you feel the desperation and the tension of the going to the wire… nearly missing the release date. Pete pushing every department to it’s absolute limits. Everyone thinking it’s insane – impossible – They literally make you feel like it couldn’t be done, and when it is… there’s this incredible release… These docs tell an incredibly satisfying emotional tale. If you look closely – you’ll find me during the last shot of principle photography… and if you look real close… you’ll see me operating illegally a digital video camera on set. I couldn’t not not do it. I had to sneak. I had to. It’s the final chapter to the greatest trilogy of all time. Period.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS – THE MOTION PICTURE TRILOGY (SPECIAL EXTENDED DVD EDITION)

I imagine, like me – most of you have the first two Extended Editions… but there’s something really symbolically great about that above image. THE LORD OF THE RINGS – THE MOTION PICTURE TRILOGY. All 3 Extended Editions in on massive tome. As it should be. You don’t get no fancy statues – but there it is – the sacred dvds gathered as one. One day – there will be some obscene 20 disc something or another… and I’ll gladly line up for it. But if you know someone this holiday season without these extended cuts… this is the best cinematic gift you could bestow.

MARY POPPINS – 40th Anniversary Edition

This set is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! MARY POPPINS is magic. Pure and simple. Commentary by Julie and Dick, Karen Dotrice, the composer and archival recordings giving Disney a voice in it all. A 50 minute doc. The deleted song CHIMPANZOO! And much much much more. This is one of the classics. Personally my favorite is CHIM CHIM CHEREE. There’s something haunting and joyful at the same time. And not an ounce of cynicism. This is pure.

Carl Theodor Dreyer’s MICHAEL

From the director of VAMPYR, THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC, DAY OF WRATH and more… comes MICHAEL. This is simply a stunning film, along with most of Dreyer’s other work. The film tells a story of brilliant painter and his understudy. Many consider it one of the great work of “Gay Cinema” but that is never explicit – though with modern eyes it can be inferred. Kino comes through again with a great silent film that was mostly unappreciated! God I love DVD!

STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES – THIRD SEASON

In addition to the whole season 3 – this set has two versions of the unaired pilot THE CAGE! Now – Season 3 gets a lot of shit, but I love it. I mean, what sort of asshole doesn’t delight to SPOCK’S BRAIN? Having said that – I truly love The Enterprise Incident, The Tholian Web and Spectre of the Gun. This is where the series turned more campy – and lost some of the great science fiction that was there for the first two seasons. However… It’s classic Trek… must own. Koenig interview – along with I believe Doohan and George! 8 dvds in all!

TOP GUN

This was the first film I ever heard in a THX auditorium. The result blew me away! I may dislike a lot of the messages hewn throughout the film, but I love the movie. It’s just cool dogfighting machismo bravura. Possibly the best Bruckheimer film. Definitely, for me – the one that defined his career, at least thus far. 4 Music Videos… Bruckheimer and Tony Scott commentary, 6 part documentary, and Never before seen footage! WOO HOO! Time to climb into the danger zone!

Tuesday – December 21st

NAPOLEON DYNAMITE

Here’s a film that just didn’t work for me. I admit I’m the stick in the mud, but I just thought it was fucking retarded. For me it was just a sort of eye-rolling affair, as opposed to hilarity. BUT – I admit that I seem to be wrong about the film – as many seem to laugh their asses off to it, and it is a major cult hit. Just a cult I’m not a part of. I plan on giving it another chance on DVD. Too many of my friends seem to love it. I need to give it another chance.

SHAUN OF THE DEAD

CORRECTION!!! Sometimes - not having a review copy, and just going on what AMAZON says is BAD. Turns out, this dvd is loaded to the gills! Including some features not found on the UK dvd... but minus a couple too! So forget my tizzy, this is the shit! The film is one of the genre's best of the year and all good geeks must get this dvd and raise their nephews well!

SIMPSONS – 5TH SEASON

Greatest animated tv show ever continues to slowly bleed out these seasons. Dammit, I want them all now! Hehe… Filled with commentaries on multiple episodes. “Sweet Seymour Skinner’s Badasssss Song” and “Lisa Vs Malibu Stacy” are my fave episodes on this set. But they’re all funny as hell. There’s Deleted scenes, Commercials, 100th episode featurette, animation showcase and much more. These sets are spectacular. I love me Simpsons dvds!

STANDER

Thomas Jane is so fucking great in this movie – that if you thought you liked him for even a second in PUNISHER – you’ll go apeshit over how great he could have been, had the material been up to this level. The less you know going in the more you’ll love it. But this was one of the jewels of 2004 that very few people saw. Check it out!

Tuesday – December 28th

ANCHORMAN – THE LEGEND OF RON BURGANDY GIFTSET

If you remember Moriarty’s frequent masturbation sessions regarding Ron Burgandy – you’ll remember that they shot so much material for this movie, that they had enough for essentially… another film. Well here ya go. Not only do you get the unrated ANCHORMAN, but ANCHORMAN – WAKE UP RON BURGUNDY! Hehehe… I laughed my ass off to this film, and just love the mythology that was being created with the character.

UN CHIEN ANDALOU

Luis Bunuel… Salvador Dali… the world’s first purely from the surrealist movement film… and it is one of the greatest and most important films in history. Stunning, disturbing and brilliant. For all true cineastes. One of the best damage to eye scenes in history. Definitely the most famous.

CODE 46

I love this film. Smart, intelligent, erotic, compelling. This film is one of two startlingly intelligent science fiction films of the year. Tim Robbins and Samantha Morton are fantastic here. If you loved GATTACA or THX 1138, then this film is for you. There’s a bit of mystery, science fiction and even a tad of insanity thrown in for good measure. The film is really quite good. So much better at pure science fiction than something like I, ROBOT!

FANTASTIC FILMS OF RAY HARRYHAUSEN – (JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD, THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD, SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER and THE 3 WORLDS OF GULLIVER)

Ok – If you love fantasy film. Get these immediately. If you love movies. Get these immediately. On this set are 3 of the greatest works of fantasy filmmaking ever made. Eye of the Tiger and Gulliver – are still wonderful, splendid entertainment, but they’re not the greatness of the other 3. These are the films burnt into the minds of all the great genre filmmakers working today. These are the films that they directly strive for. Even a monkey like me that is just getting started in the business of actually making films. These are the films that propel me forward. That make me dream. These are films for literally all audiences. Young, Old. Whatever – they’re the greatest cinematic dreams one can have. I love these movies with every ounce of me. I’ve seen them hundreds of times. Every motion of the creatures burnt into memory. Truly magical cinema.

GARDEN STATE

Alright – This is a wonderful little film. Zach Braff just sort of knocked this one solidly. This is that film for the current medicated generation – of diagnosed behaviors and medicated dazes. Zach’s character decides to wake up one day upon the news of his mother’s death and returning to his home town. The result is a wonderful tale of finding yourself, who you are and trying to get your life back on track. Natalie is adorable in this movie. Really good film.

GHOST IN THE SHELL 2 – INNOCENCE

Oh I love this! After years and years of James Cameron quotes on Mamoru Oshii films like GHOST IN THE SHELL and AVALON – I get to grace Oshii’s work with a quote declaring, “This is one of the ABSOLUTE BEST films you’ll see this year!” Fucking A! This film is stunning. Stunning as art, as literate science fiction and as action. It is beautiful, hypnotic and other-worldly. This is Oshii doing what he does… giving us the future today. God bless Oshii!

TWILIGHT SAMURAI

This film picked up 12 Japanese Academy Awards. It was nominated for best foreign language film at the Oscars this year. The film is a towering work. A small intimate film about a civilized samurai that just wants to raise his family at the twilight of an era. The film is stunningly beautiful and poetic. If you love Kurosawa’s work – you should enjoy this film greatly.

THE TWILIGHT ZONE – SEASON 1

FINALLY! They’re going to be putting these out be seasons! This will be a day long remembered for Zone fans. Serling’s classics in order! I’ve been belly-aching for years that this should be done. I’m pleased as punch about this. In many ways this might be my most anticipated collection of the month.

That’s it for this year. WOW – I completed an entire year of these columns on schedule and on time! I’m so proud of myself. Can you imagine actually committing to a column like this and actually getting it done on time (on or before the first Tuesday of each month)! I hope to continue this column in 2005, and I hope you continue to enjoy it. As always – the links to Amazon are provided for your convenience and for a slight profit for moi. However, by all means use this list for your NetFlicks line-up… or shop around. This is just the easiest way to find the titles I’m talking about. Have a happy holiday and I’ll see you in 2005 with Charlie Kaufman’s brilliant ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND! Till then, fare thee well…

Harry's November 2004 DVD picks are right here!!!