DVDs of the Week

[Üncle Snake]

There weren't any interesting new releases this week, so here's one of my favorites that I watched recently.

June 25, 2006: ALMOST FAMOUS UNTITLED - THE BOOTLEG CUT




Here is a well-written review from an Amazon.com user (Mike Stone):

There's a moment early on in "Untitled", Cameron Crowe's 'Bootleg' Director's Cut of "Almost Famous", where rock critic Lester Bangs (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), in mid-rant, claims that the Box Tops' "The Letter" says more in less than two minutes, without even trying, than Jethro Tull can say in hours, while trying their damndest. It got me thinking: why didn't Crowe take his own advice? Why did he take a perfectly serviceable 122-minute movie that appeared to say everything, and turn it into a 162-minute movie? Well, I've seen "Untitled". It blows up "Almost Famous", makes it spectacle and spectacular, while never losing its intimate edge.

This is a case where more of a good thing doesn't turn into too much of a good thing.

What do you get with "Untitled"? Well, more character. Backstories are fleshed out, relationships are better defined, and the humanity becomes more human. We see William's (Patrick Fugit) kleptomania, along with more examples of how his youth made him an outcast. We get Penny Lane's (Kate Hudson) nurturing side, explicitly portrayed. And we get a full-on glimpse of Jeff Bebe's (Jason Lee) envy, why it started and how it manifests itself. A couple of full scenes are added, most notably a radio station appearance that's terribly funny, albeit irrelevant to the plot. But most of the additional footage comes from existing scenes being lengthened. More often than not, the point is clarified without boring the audience with tediousness.

The audio commentary begins with Cameron Crowe outlining the two paths they might go down. The first is the hemming-and-hawing path, where all the truths are covered up, in favour of banal stories and technical information. The second path is the heart-on-your-sleeve path, where all the inspirations and backstories are owned up to, where mistakes are agonized over, and the truth is king. If you've ever seen a Cameron Crowe movie, or heard the man speak more than two sentences, you'll know which path he chooses.

Crowe dominates the track. He's joined by a couple of execs (or PA's or something; they're never really introduced and don't say much). But the real treat of the track is the inclusion of one Mrs. Alice Crowe, Cameron's mom (and Frances McDormand's doppelganger). Besides being a doting mother, and quick to offer praise for her son, she also offers some real insights into the genesis of the film. She appears to know the movie backwards and forwards, and acts as further proof of the film's accuracy. It's amazing to see how much of the movie was really based on actual events. Every scene appears to begin with either Cameron or Alice being taken aback by the memories it invokes.

This is probably one of the best commentary tracks I've heard, for the inclusion, in equal measure, of technical information, on set anecdotes, and passion.

Also included on Disc One is real life video footage of an interview with Lester Bangs. Lester's vitriol is palpable, his menacing nature is enormous, but his warmth shines through. It's an interesting tidbit, in that it offers further proof that Hoffman is one of the greatest actors working today, for he doesn't stoop to imitating Lester. It's more like channeling. Then, Cameron includes a list -- complete with fully-represented album covers -- of his top albums of 1973 (the year the film is set). An interesting curiosity. Some of the works actually inform specific scenes from the film, which is kind of a neat trick. They've also put together a "video" for the Stillwater song "Love Comes and Goes", which is basically a montage of behind-the-scenes moments from the Rock Camp the actors had to go through. More of this can bee seen on "B-Sides", another video montage. Most interesting is the inclusion of seven of Crowe's Rolling Stone articles from the era, printed in their entirety. It's not hard to see the nascent voice of Crowe the filmmaker shining through these passion-filled pieces.

Disc Two has a lot less going for it. Its main feature is the original theatrical version of the movie. Also included is the full-length (15 minutes or so) Cleveland Concert, parts of which we see in the movie. Despite the fact that Billy Crudup sometimes plays notes not actually in the songs, and that Jason Lee still has to work on his between song banter, this footage shows just how well the actors did in achieving their collective band persona. The music's not that great, but the vibe, captured by on-stage camera work, is authentic. The Production Notes section is basically the same essay you'll find in the box's liner notes, only with additional information. There's an interesting little video moment, with Pete Droge and Elaine Summers singing "Small Time Blues" in a Hyatt House hotel room. It's a moment quickly passed by in the actual movie. But here you get to hear the whole song, from William's voyeuristic point-of-view, and it's just stunningly beautiful. You can also scroll through Crowe's screenplay, peruse the cast and crew bios, and watch the theatrical trailer.

Disc Three is an audio CD. It's got the six Stillwater songs, written variously by Nancy Wilson, Cameron Crowe, and Peter Frampton, among others. They're not very good songs, and I'm not sure they fit the era they're supposed to come from, but for an "Almost Famous" completist, like myself, it's neat to have them in all their (sub-)glory.

A lot of effort was put into making this set look like a real bootleg, the kind of clandestine little document you'd pick up at a seedy record store. I think the look and feel enhance the movie. Which was pretty good to begin with.

[Üncle Snake]

July 2, 2006: THE MATADOR




Pierce Brosnan gives one of his finest performances in The Matador, a low-key buddy comedy with an agreeably sinister twist. Light-years from his former James Bond image, Brosnan is unshaven, unnerved and unpredictable as freelance assassin Julian Noble, who encounters desperate businessman Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear) in the bar of a modern Mexico City hotel. Danny is intrigued when Julian reveals that he's a "facilitator of fatalities," and his wife "Bean" (Hope Davis) is equally fascinated when Julian shows up unexpectedly, six months later, at Danny's home in Denver. Having lost his touch as a reliable hit-man, Julian needs Danny's help with "one last job," but the logistics of Julian's lethal profession (involving an employer played by Philip Baker Hall) are secondary to writer-director Richard Shepard's offbeat, slightly uneven character study, which gives Kinnear and Brosnan a memorable opportunity to riff on their established screen personas. In making Julian a likable yet tormented drifter who's made a habit of "running from any emotion," Brosnan creates an edgy yet sympathetic character as mysterious as he is fun to be around; if you're going to befriend a hired killer, you could do far worse than a guy like Julian. As Brosnan plays him, he's worthy of a sequel, but The Matador is the kind of entertainingly quirky movie that's a hard act to follow. --Jeff Shannon

DVD Features:
- Commentary by director/writer Richard Shepard
- Commentary by Richard Shepard with actors Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear
- 11 deleted and extended scenes with optional commentary by Richard Shepard
- "Making The Matador" featurette
- Audio-only "The Business and the Treatment" radio program discussing The Matador
- TV spot
- Trailer

[Üncle Snake]

July 11, 2006: BILL MAHER - NEW RULES




Collected from one of the most popular segments of the acclaimed HBO Original Series Real Time with Bill Maher, New Rules takes steady aim at, well, just about everything in sight, bringing in the host's incisive wit and hilarious asides. Bill Maher: New Rules brings these cleverly conceived barbs to DVD for the first time, along with some brilliant bonus feature editorials that you're unlikely to find in the pages of your local newspaper.

[Üncle Snake]

July 16, 2006: SOME LIKE IT HOT




Two Struggling musicians witness the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and try to find a way out of the city before they are found and killed by the mob. The only job that will pay their way is an all girl band so the two dress up as women. In addition to hiding, each has his own problems; One falls for another band member but can't tell her his gender, and the other has a rich suitor who will not take "No," for an answer.

DVD Features:
- New documentary "The Making of Some Like It Hot"
- New documentary "The Legacy of Some Like It Hot"
- Commentary featuring interviews with Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and others
- "Nostalgic Look Back" with Tony Curtis
- "Memories from the Sweet Sues" featurette
- "Virtual Hall of Memories" 3-D tour
- Original pressbook gallery
- Original theatrical trailer

[Üncle Snake]

July 23, 2006: SEETHER - ONE COLD NIGHT




Seether reveals a new side to their sound with One Cold Night, a two disc CD/DVD package. Recorded at Philadelphia’s Grape Street on February 22, 2006, the live acoustic show features hits from the albums Disclaimer, Disclaimer II and their current release, Karma & Effect.

Included on the CD are Seether’s smash hits “Remedy” and “Broken.” The final track listing also showcases some of the band’s most hard-rocking anthems including “Gasoline” and “Truth” in a fresh, intimate setting that provides a unique experience for both new and long time fans.

The bonus DVD includes an in-depth interview with the band, the music video for “The Gift,” a behind the scenes package from the Oaxaca video shoot, and a gallery of still photos from the performance.


Review from IGN.com ...

Seether melts the ice with a fiery acoustic set

by Chad Grischow

July 11, 2006 - South Africa natives, Seether's tense and brooding brand of rock generally falls into post-grunge. It would be appropriate, then, to file their new album, One Cold Night, under post-Unplugged. Reminiscent of appearances on the mid-'90s MTV staple by Nirvana and Alice In Chains, Seether deliver a tension filled acoustic performance recorded, as the title hints, at Grape Street on February 22 2006 in chilly Philadelphia.

Seether's decision to grind out their hard rocking tunes on acoustic guitars works because of lead singer Shaun Morgan's growling tone. Despite the toned down music, the edge of the originals is intact thanks to the intensity that Morgan puts into them. Only once, on the nearly screamo "Diseased", does Morgan forget that they are at an acoustic show; almost destroying the song with overly aggressive vocals. The remainder of the set, comprised of material from all three albums and including an early rarity and a Pearl Jam cover, receives a restrained, yet powerful, performance.

Opening with two songs from the band's debut, Disclaimer, the band roars to life with "Gasoline". The slowly building tension serves as a perfect introduction to the set, which moves seamlessly between the two Disclaimer albums and the latest, Karma And Effect. The gorgeous and perfectly restrained "Truth" is a testament to what "Diseased" could have been. Interestingly, the song that sees the biggest change from the album version is also their biggest hit, "Broken". Sans Evanescence singer, and Morgan's girlfriend, Amy Lee, the song actually benefits from becoming a solo tune. The loss of Lee appropriately gives the ballad a sharp lonely edge.

Fans of the band will be most interested in the two non-album tracks, "Tied My Hands" and "Immortality". An unreleased rarity, "Tied My Hands" is a deliberate aching tune whose tone fits on the set, yet fails to match up to the more intense songs. Longtime fans will be pleased, but it is clear that this track has not made an album for a reason. Blending in perfectly, the handful of music fans not familiar with Pearl Jam might mistake "Immortality" for a new Seether tune. The melancholy Vitalogy standout receives a facelift, thanks to Morgan's gruff vocals and some inspired guitar work.

The acoustic show captured on One Cold Night only fails in its singular purpose to rock the listener. Sure, that is what a rock album is supposed to do; but a little stage banter would have gone a long way to cementing this as a top-notch live album. It is, however, a minor complaint in comparison to the stunning acoustic rock Seether provides.

Definitely Download:
1. "Immortality"
2. "Truth"
3. "Broken"
4. "Remedy"

[Üncle Snake]

July 30, 2006: V FOR VENDETTA




Amazon.com
"Remember, remember the fifth of November," for on this day, in 2020, the minds of the masses shall be set free. So says code-name V (Hugo Weaving), a man on a mission to shake society out of its blank complacent stares in the film V for Vendetta. His tactics, however, are a bit revolutionary, to say the least. The world in which V lives is very similar to Orwell's totalitarian dystopia in 1984: after years of various wars, England is now under "big brother" Chancellor Adam Sutler (played by John Hurt, who played Winston Smith in the movie 1984), whose party uses force and fear to run the nation. After they gained power, minorities and political dissenters were rounded up and removed; artistic and unacceptable religious works were confiscated. Cameras and microphones are littered throughout the land, and the people are perpetually sedated through the governmentally controlled media. Taking inspiration from Guy Fawkes, the 17th century co-conspirator of a failed attempt to blow up Parliament on November 5, 1605, V dons a Fawkes mask and costume and sets off to wake the masses by destroying the symbols of their oppressors, literally and figuratively. At the beginning of his vendetta, V rescues Evey (Natalie Portman) from a group of police officers and has her live with him in his underworld lair. It is through their relationship where we learn how V became V, the extremities of the party's corruption, the problems of an oppressive government, V's revenge plot, and his philosophy on how to induce change.

Based on the popular graphic novel by Alan Moore, V for Vendetta's screenplay was written by the Wachowski Brothers (of The Matrix fame) and directed by their protégé, James McTeigue. Controversy and criticism followed the film since its inception, from the hyper-stylized use of anarchistic terrorism to overthrow a corrupt government and the blatant jabs at the current U.S. political arena, to graphic novel fans complaining about the reconstruction of Alan Moore's original vision (Moore himself has dismissed the film). Many are valid critiques and opinions, but there's no hiding the message the film is trying to express: Radical and drastic events often need to occur in order to shake people out of their state of indifference in order to bring about real change.

DVD Features:
- "Freedom! Forever!: Making V for Vendetta" – The cast and crew of V for Vendetta reveal the intense filmmaking process
- Theatrical Trailer
The Two-Disc Special Edition features these exclusive supplements:
- "Designing the Near Future" - A look at the artistic process of creating the frightening future world of V
- "Remember, Remember: Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot" - The history behind the story of Guy Fawkes
- "England Prevails: V for Vendetta and the New Wave in Comics" - The origins of the original V story is illuminated
- Cat Power Montage – Cat Power song played under images of the film
- Easter egg: Saturday Night Live digital short

[Üncle Snake]

August 6, 2006: PRISON BREAK - SEASON ONE




Amazon.com
Season one of Prison Break is great television. Here's the set-up. Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) is framed and wrongfully convicted for assassinating the Vice President's brother. Lincoln's brother Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), who just happens to have designed Illinois' Fox River Penitentiary where Lincoln is on death row, hatches an elaborate escape plan. Michael's plan involves getting himself incarcerated in Fox River and smuggling the prison's blueprints by having them hidden in tattoos that cover his entire torso. Once inside, Michael must form alliances with a rogue's gallery of felons with their own sometimes unsavory motives. Meanwhile, on the outside, Lincoln's lawyer and one-time girlfriend Veronica Donovan (Robin Tunney), pursued by Secret Service agents, attempts to unravel the conspiracy that sent her man to the slammer.

Prison Break is anchored by tight, suspenseful writing clearly relished by the largely little-known cast. Standouts include Robert Knepper as the murderer/pedophile T-Bag, who somehow makes such a despicable character likeable. Stacey Keach of Mike Hammer fame plays the warden-with-a-heart-of-gold, who clashes with Captain Brad Bellick (Wade Williams) over whether to rehabilitate the inmates or makes their lives more miserable. Peter Stormare, famous for his skills with a wood chipper in Fargo, turns in a deliciously menacing performance as mob boss John Abruzzi, while Amaury Nolasco's winsome Fernando Sucre shares a cell and secrets with Miller's Scofield. Watching the show one gets a sense that this is the opening salvo of Wentworth Miller's career, which will doubtless include roles as assassins, detectives, super heroes, and perhaps the champion of staring contests. Midway through the season it's explained that Scofield is a genius with an heightened sensitivity to other peoples' suffering, which sums up what makes the show so great--the mind-bendingly intricate plot is a framework for moments when people make others suffer and cope with the burden of their own suffering.

The six-disc set includes 22 addictive episodes, audio commentary on selected episodes, three featurettes, and alternate and deleted scenes. As with most TV shows on DVD, the "previously on Prison Break" intros can get tiresome, but that's what the fast forward button is for. --Ryan Boudinot

DVD Features:
- 22 episodes on 6 discs
- Commentary on select episodes
- Alternate and deleted scenes
- "Making of Prison Break" featurette
- "If These Walls Could Talk: Profile of the Joliet Correctional Center" featurette
- "Beyond the Ink" tattoo featurette
- "Making a Scene" featurette from the Fox Movie Channel
- TV spots

[Üncle Snake]

August 13, 2006: ROME - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON




Amazon.com
Family dysfunction. Treachery. Betrayal. Coarse profanity. Brutal violence. Graphic (and sometimes brutal) sex. No, it's not The Sopranos, it's Rome, HBO's madly ambitious series that bloodily splatters the glory of Rome just as savagely as Monty Python and the Holy Grail soiled the good name of Camelot (but with far fewer laughs; very few funny things happen on the way to this forum). Set in 52 B.C. (Before Cable), Rome charts the dramatic shifts in the balance of power between former friends Pompey Magnus (Kenneth Cranham), leader of the Senate, and Julius Caesar (Ciaran Hinds), whose imminent return after eight years to Rome after conquering the Gauls, has the ruling class up in arms. At the heart of Rome is the odd couple friendship between two soldiers who fortuitously become heroes of the people. Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) is married, honorable, and steadfast. Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson) is an amoral rogue whose philosophy is best summed up, "I kill my enemies, take their gold, and enjoy their women." Among Rome's most compelling subplots is Lucius's strained relationship with his wife, Niobe (Indira Varma), who is surprised to see her husband alive (but not as surprised as he is to find her upon his homecoming with a newborn baby in her arms!) Any viewer befuddlement over Rome's intrigues and machinations, and determining who is hero and who is foe, disappears the minute Golden Globe-nominee Polly Walker appears as Atia, Caesar's formidable niece and a villainess for the ages. In the first hour alone, she offers her already married daughter as a bride to the recently widowed Pompey. One eagerly awaits to see what (or who) she'll do next as much as we anticipate her comeuppance in the final episode.

Rome is a painstakingly mounted production that earned eight well-deserved Emmy nominations in such categories as costumes, set design, and art direction. Michael Apted (Coal Miner's Daughter) was honored with a Director's Guild Award for the first episode, "The Stolen Eagle." But artistic considerations aside, instantly addicted viewers will agree with Atia, who notes at one point, "I adore the secrecy, the intrigue. It's most thrilling." --Donald Liebenson

DVD Features:
- 12 episodes on six discs
- Commentary by Bruno Heller and Jonathan Stamp on The Stolen Eagle, How Titus Pullo Brought Down the Republic, Pharsalus, and Kalends of February
- Commentary by Steve Shill on Caesarion
- Commentary by Jeremy Podeswa on Utica
- Commentary by Ray Stevenson on The Ram Has Touched the Wall
- Commentary by Kevin McKidd on The Spoils
- "Friends, Romans, Countrymen" - Introduction to the characters of Rome.
- "All Roads Lead to Rome" - interactive onscreen guide prepared by the series' historical consultant, Jonathan Stamp
- "Shot x Shot: Caesar's Triumph" - detailing the production of the epic Episode 10 triumph scene
- "Shot x Shot: Gladiator" - A closer look at the thrilling Episode 11 fight sequence
- "The Rise of Rome" - Behind-the-scenes featurette on sets, wardrobe, and actors' boot camp
- "When in Rome" featurette on the culture of ancient Rome
- Photo gallery with over 50 never-before-seen images.
- Eight-page Roman Character Guide booklet featuring names, profiles, relationships, and other key historical information

[Üncle Snake]

August 20, 2006

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY: THE EUROPEAN INVASION - DOOM TROOPIN' LIVE




Black Label Society is the brain child of guitar great Zakk Wylde. Hard and heavy, big on riffs and even bigger on the solos, BLS is the bastard child of Black Sabbath only pumped up on steroids. Having graced the world’s stages for the last 18 years, both as Ozzy Osbourne’s right hand man as well as fronting BLS, Zakk Wylde has established himself as one of the few remaining guitar heroes. "European Invasion" captures BLS live on their sold out European tour last year - one of the most anticipated tours of the year and they didn’t disappoint. Witness the full Paris show as well as 4 tracks from the Astoria in London. Bonus footage includes a 1 hour long On The Road documentary, 3 promo videos taken from the Billboard top 20 album "Mafia" and the making of documentary for the promo video "Suicide Messiah".

Disc 1

Paris Chapter
1. Stoned and Drunk 2. Destruction Overdrive 3. Been a Long Time 4. Funeral Bell 5. Suffering Overdue 6. In this River 7. Suicide Messiah 8. Demise of Sanity 9. Spread Your Wings 10. Solo Acoustic Jam 11. Spoke in the Wheel 12. Fire it Up 13. Stillborn 14. Genocide Junkies

London Chapter
1. Been a Long Time 2. Suicide Messiah 3. Stillborn 4. Genocide Junkies

Disc 2

Backstage Pass – On the Road Documentary.
Promo videos for Suicide Messiah, Fire it Up and In This River.
The making of the Suicide Messiah promo video.



VERONICA MARS - THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON




The second season of Veronica Mars showcases the series' crackling-sharp writing and topnotch acting of star Kristen Bell and the rest of the cast. Veronica still struggles with the class wars in sunny Neptune, Calif., trying to find a balance between high school, love, helping her dad as a private eye, and doing the right thing. The ongoing thread of season 2 is the aftermath of a horrifying tragedy, and as Veronica and dad Keith try to find out what caused it, mysteries only compound. Shifty Sheriff Lamb, town powerbrokers, and various high-school cliques seem to undermine Veronica at every turn. Thankfully, Veronica has more chutzpah than Phillip Marlowe, and the side-of-the-mouth one-liners to match: "Well, actually," Veronica says dryly to a bad guy, "despite popular opinion, you really can't beat the truth out of someone." Some of the show's broad strokes echo the stellar Buffy the Vampire Slayer, yet Bell's Veronica doesn't need the supernatural to tackle a challenge. She's a real girl, conflicted, prickly, lovesick, yearning, sometimes even scared. As Veronica tries to solve the mystery, she must also handle her own heartbreaks, and the moral stumbles of those closest to her. Happily, she's got a great best pal, Wallace (the effervescent Percy Daggs III), and possibly the coolest, most understanding TV dad ever (Enrico Colantoni). The boxed set includes 22 episodes (many with deleted scenes), a behind-the-scenes mini-doc, a cute gag reel, and a short profile film, Veronica Mars: Not Your Average Teen Detective. You can say that again. --A.T. Hurley

DVD Features:
- 22 episodes on six discs
- 22 minutes of deleted scenes
- "A Day on the Set with Veronica Mars" behind-the-scenes featurette
- "Veronica Mars: Not Your Average Teen Detective" featurette
- Gag reel

[Üncle Snake]

August 27, 2006

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT: SEASON THREE



Arrested Development--one of the greatest comedies in the history of television--went out in a blaze of glory. The truncated final season packed more biting humor per minute than ever before. In only 13 episodes, dozens of intertwining storylines spun in all directions: In addition to the overarching story about the fractious infighting of the Bluth family and the family's housing development company being investigated for treason in Iraq (a plot arc that comes to a dazzlingly surreal conclusion), the put-upon "good son" Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman, Teen Wolf Too) pursues romance with a lovely British woman (Charlize Theron, Monster) who turns out to be woefully inappropriate; swaggering magician Gob (Will Arnett, Monster-In-Law) flees from his newly-discovered teenage son while still pandering for the affection of his self-absorbed father (Jeffrey Tambor, The Larry Sanders Show); flighty Lindsay (Portia de Rossi, Ally McBeal) and her sexually blurry husband Tobias (David Cross, Mr. Show) both get the hots for the family's new lawyer, Bob Loblaw (Scott Baio, Charles in Charge); and much, much more. It's difficult to describe what makes Arrested Development so brilliant. The ensemble is uniformly superb (Jessica Walter, as the family's boozing, scheming matriarch, is particularly devastating this season) and the surprising guest stars (including Andy Richter, James Lipton, Justine Bateman, and many others) are perfectly cast; the characters' abominable behavior defies conventional television notions of "likability", yet they only grow more endearing the more you watch; the humor embraces wild slapstick and sharp satire, often within a single scene; and the nimble documentary style allows for sly glancing references to jokes and scenes from long-past episodes, rewarding devoted fans. But the key is that, no matter how screwball Arrested Development becomes, the show offers a rich, textured, and wonderfully coherent world in which these characters feel genuine, a world completely unlike the flat, plastic simulacrum offered by the average sitcom. Arrested Development was true to itself to the end. Its followers will cherish it forever. --Bret Fetzer

DVD Features:
- 13 episodes on 2 discs
- Commentary on 3 episodes by creator Mitchell Hurwitz and the actors
- 19 deleted and extended scenes
Blooper reel
- "The Last Day on Location" featurette


DREAM THEATER - SCORE: 20TH ANNIVERSARY WORLD TOUR LIVE WITH THE OCTAVARIUM ORCHESTRA




Message from (Dream Theater drummer) Mike Portnoy regarding the Radio City Music Hall show
Added on 04-03-2006

"Without going into too much detail (I promised myself and my family some rest and time away from the computer), I have to THANK all of you in attendance last night at Radio City Music Hall for helping to make last night's show one of the most incredible evenings of my life.

Of the hundreds of shows (maybe thousands at this point?) that we've done through the years, never before have I been moved on stage as much as I was last night.

There were several points in the night where I was literally brought to tears by the power and emotion in the air.

I just wanted to thank our AMAZING fans from all over the world that helped make last night so electric and magical from start to finish....you guys were the ULTIMATE audience last night!

We always dreamed of playing with an Orchestra one day and last night's performance surpassed my wildest expectations.

Jamshied Sharifi (our beloved arranger & conductor) and the incredible musicians behind us rose to the occasion and lifted our music to a whole new orgasmic level.

I cannot wait to share this evening with all of you that weren't able to attend via the upcoming DVD and CD sets that I will be working on in the coming months.
(No rest for the wicked...or at least me!)

I truly believe last night was the PINNACLE of our 20 year career thus far and an incredible ending to the latest chapter in DT history.
How the hell will we top it??

Give me some time, and I'll think of something!

Luv, MP"


New York City - Radio City Music Hall - 4/1/06
Set #1: (Band Only)
THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL
I WALK BESIDE YOU
ANOTHER WON
AFTERLIFE
UNDER A GLASS MOON
INNOCENCE FADED
RAISE THE KNIFE
THE SPIRIT CARRIES ON

Intermission

Set #2: (Band & Orchestra)
SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE
VACANT
THE ANSWER LIES WITHIN
SACRIFICED SONS
OCTAVARIUM

Encore: (Band & Orchestra)
METROPOLIS

[Üncle Snake]

September 3, 2006

LOST: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON




4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. Push the button and prepare to be blown away by the groundbreaking television event USA Today calls "TV's best series." The multiple Emmy® Award-winning drama reaches new heights in its spectacular second season as the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 discover they are not alone in their battle against "the Others," and a contested decision to open the hatch reveals a new realm of mystery and intrigue. Prepare yourself for the DVD experience of Season Two, complete with over 8 hours of original bonus material you can't see anywhere else -- including unaired original flashbacks -- and you'll discover for yourself why "everything happens for a reason."



UNITED 93




One of the most shocking events in modern American history gets a skilled and respectful treatment in United 93. The movie begins by following the four terrorists who hijacked the plane that never reached its target on 9/11/2001, tracking them as they enter the airport and wait for their flight, surrounded by the people who will die from their actions. From there, it cuts to and fro among air traffic controllers and the military as, gradually, it becomes clear that planes are being hijacked and crashed into buildings. As the focus turns to the captive United Flight 93, the passengers discover, due to cell phone connections with family, that they're on a suicide mission and--almost paralyzed by stress and anxiety--decide to fight back. Most movies create tension by implying what might happen, but with United 93 the audience knows exactly what happened: Every person on that plane died. As a result, the movie is more relentlessly gut-wrenching than suspenseful (though the dawning realization of the air traffic controllers has an effective creeping dread). But writer/director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy) manages to keep the scale of the events human; there are no glamorous heroics, only terrifying confusion and desperate, hopeless bravery. One can only hope the movie brings some peace to the families of the passengers, as United 93 is the cinematic equivalent of a war memorial, commemorating lives lost in a moment of horrible, harrowing conflict. --Bret Fetzer

[Üncle Snake]

September 10, 2006: THE OFFICE - SEASON TWO




It's time to clock in for Season Two of The Office, the hilarious and witty TV-mockumentary starring Steve Carell (The 40-Year-Old Virgin) in his Golden Globe Award-winning role. From sexual politics to performance reviews to email espionage, the employees at Dunder-Mifflin are there to get the job done…or not. Join earnest but clueless boss Michael Scott (Carell), Assistant to the Regional Manager Dwight (Rainn Wilson), receptionist Pam (Jenna Fischer), sales rep Jim (John Krasinski), and the office temp, Ryan (B.J. Novak), as they make the daily grind a lot more laughable. Fully staffed with 22 outrageous episodes and hours of side-splitting bonus features, it’s the must-own collection that caused Time magazine to declare "Never has a lousy job been so much fun."

DVD Features:
- 22 episodes on four discs
- Commentary on 10 episodes by the actors, writes, directors, and producers
- Deleted Scenes
- "Faces of Scranton" video (from the episode "Valentine's Day")
- Fake PSAs
- Webisodes from nbc.com
- Blooper Reel
- Olympics promo
- Steve on Steve

[Üncle Snake]

September 17, 2006: MY NAME IS EARL - SEASON ONE




The most original comedy since Arrested Development, My Name is Earl marked the launch of a lovable new loser. Earl Hickey (Jason Lee) sleeps all day and drinks all night. The pattern ends when he buys a "scratcher"--and wins $100,000. Seconds later, he's hit by a car and loses the ticket. While in the hospital, wife Joy (Emmy nominee Jaime Pressly) leaves him for Darnell the Crab Man (Eddie Steeples). Doped up on morphine, he's watching TV when Carson Daly says something about karma. Earl decides that's his problem: bad karma. He resolves to spend the rest of his life making up for all the harm he's ever done. In the pilot, Earl and brother Randy (Ethan Suplee) start by picking up litter around their motel (Joy got the trailer). While they're at it, Earl finds the lost ticket and collects his bounty. The plan is working! Along with comely maid Catalina (Nadine Velazquez), they set off to right more wrongs. Created by Greg Garcia and teamed with The Office, My Name is Earl put NBC back on the must-see comedy map. Unlike most sitcoms, it drops the studio audience in favor of flashbacks, freeze frames, first-person narration, and extensive So-Cal location work. A soundtrack heavy on blue collar favorites, like Lynyrd Skynyrd, completes the picture.

Throughout the season, Earl gives an old girlfriend self-respect ("Faked My Own Death"), plans his ex-wife's big day ("Joy's Wedding"), and makes up for the birthday he ruined ("Monkeys in Space"). First year guests include Brett Butler ("White Lie Christmas"), Juliette Lewis ("The Bounty Hunter"), and Emmy nominee Jon Favreau ("O Karma, Where Art Thou?"). Giovanni Ribisi and Beau Bridges also stop by as, respectively, Earl's pal Ralph and father Carl. Speaking of originality, "Dad's Car," which takes place during Mother's Day, features commentary from the mothers of Lee, Suplee, Garcia, and director Marc Buckland. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

DVD Features:
- Commentary by creator Greg Garcia, stars Jason Lee and Ethan Suplee, and others on 5 episodes
- Commentary by the mothers of Greg Garcia (Natalie Garcia), Marc Buckland (Mary Buckland), Jason Lee (Carol Lee) and Ethan Suplee (Debbie Suplee) on the episode Dad's Car
- Exclusive Earl Mis-Adventure "Bad Karma"
- "Karma Is A Funny Thing" Blooper Reel
- "Making Things Right: Behind The Scenes Of My Name Is Earl" featurette
- Deleted Scenes

[Üncle Snake]

Time to revive an old feature because one of my favorite movies FINALLY has a special edition ...

BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA (COLLECTOR'S EDITION)



Includes:
Introduction by Francis Ford Coppola
Commentary by Francis Ford Coppola
Four documentaries: The Blood is Life - The Making of Dracula (29 minutes), The Costumes and the Sets - The Design of Eiko Ishioka (14 minutes), In-Camera - The Naïve Visual Effects of Dracula (19 minutes), Method and Madness - Visualizing Dracula (12 minutes)
Twelve deleted and extended scenes

[Dementro]

I too always liked this movie and felt it never got the praise it deserved. Glad to see it's out and will be running to BB to snag it.

[muthagoose]

Glad to see your column return and the return of Dementro.

[Chick-O-Stick]

I want that CE of Dracula. You need to keep this thread up or you'll be like Stomper and his "coming out this week" blogs on MySpace. Nice not to update since June of '06 there Stampsie! And where did the weekly list go that was always on here? I miss that, I'm too lazy to go try and find it myself.....

[Üncle Snake]

Grindhouse Presents: Planet Terror - Extended and Unrated (Two-Disc Special Edition)



Special Features:
- Feature Length Audio Commentary By Writer/Director Robert Rodriguez
- Audience Screening Track
- 10 Minute Film School
- Sickos, Bullets And Explosions: The Stunts Of Planet Terror
- The Badass Babes Of Planet Terror
- Casting Robert Rodriguez’s Son Rebel
- The Guys Of Planet Terror
- The Friend, The Doctor And The Real Estate Agent
- International Poster Gallery and International Trailer


Also, the better of the two Grindhouse movies (in my opinion), Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, came out on DVD last month.

Grindhouse Presents: Death Proof - Extended and Unrated (Two-Disc Special Edition)



Special Features:
- Trailers And Poster Gallery
- Stunts On Wheels: The Legendary Drivers Of Death Proof
- Kurt Russell As Stuntman Mike
- Finding Quentin's Gals
- The Guys Of Death Proof
- Introducing Zoe Bell
- Quentin's Greatest Collaborator: Editor Sally Menke
- Double Dare Trailers

[Üncle Snake]

SUPERBAD: 2-DISC UNRATED SPECIAL EDITION




Teen sex comedy has the makings of a classic

By GREG MAKI
Movie Critic
August 17, 2007

Earlier this summer, Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen teamed up for the funniest movie of the year, Knocked Up. Their latest collaboration, Superbad, isn’t far behind.

But let’s not give them all the credit. The director is Greg Mottola, who gave us the superb indie feature The Daytrippers back in 1996 and also directed episodes of Arrested Development and Apatow’s short-lived TV series Undeclared. Rogen wrote the semi-autobiographical script with his buddy Evan Goldberg. The two of them also have executive producer credits.

Then there are the two leads: Knocked Up alumnus Jonah Hill as the foul-mouthed Seth and Arrested Development’s Michael Cera as the introverted, easygoing Evan. And we can’t leave out the one who could become the movie’s breakout star, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Seth and Evan’s nebbish pal Fogell, AKA “McLovin.”

Superbad is a rare — especially for its genre — truly complete movie. Everything — the writing, directing, acting — is on the mark. I don’t know if a teen sex comedy has ever been this well made from top to bottom.

Seth and Evan are lifelong best friends nearing the end of their high school careers, preparing for their first prolonged separation when they move on to different colleges. But more pressing business is at hand. Seth finds himself miraculously invited to a party thrown by one of the hottest girls in school, Jules (Emma Stone). Evan’s longtime crush, Becca (Martha MacIsaac), will be there, too. Seth promises to supply the booze. His plan: Get the girls drunk so he and Evan can lose their virginity before college. All of their hopes rest with Fogell, who has recently procured himself a fake ID naming him simply “McLovin,” a 25-year-old Hawaii resident.

A robber ruins Fogell’s moment of triumph at the liquor store, and the two hapless cops who investigate, Officers Michaels (Rogen) and Slater (Bill Hader), quickly take “McLovin” under their wing. (Slater: “That’s such a cool name.” Michaels: “I know. It sounds like a sexy hamburger.”) Meanwhile, Seth and Evan continue the mission to find booze on their own. They eventually get separated, and the movie follows each of them, as well as McLovin and the cops, and to a lesser extent, the girls that hopefully await them at the end of their odyssey, through a series of bizarre events.

The movie is foul and not for anyone who is easily offended, especially whenever Seth speaks (which is quite often), but it’s laugh-out-loud funny throughout its entire running time. Most comedies don’t have enough good jokes to sustain 90 minutes; Superbad is still going strong when it ends just shy of two hours. The whole movie is filled with quotable lines, not just the trailer.

Apatow is the producer, and like his directorial efforts, which also include The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Superbad has heart and honesty. It perfectly captures the way teenagers relate to one another, the way they talk, their priorities, their awkwardness, the complexities of friendship. Much of that truth comes from Rogen and Goldberg, who began working on the script at the tender age of 14. Clothing, cars and other details make the time period deliberately vague, leaving the movie relatable for multiple generations of viewers.

Superbad is not just a good comedy. It’s a snapshot of life, an unforgettable time that mixes innocence, excitement, hope and endless possibilities. It is a great movie, one of the best of the year, rivaling The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up for the title of funniest movie of the decade. It will be a classic for years to come.

[muthagoose]

Good Review. ;D