// Category Archive for: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews

An Apple A Day Keeps The Maharishi Away: Strange Fruit DVD

Published on April 24th, 2012 in: Current Faves, Documentaries, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Movies, Music, Reviews |

By John Lane

strange fruit DVD

The Beatles’ mythology has become so ingrained in our culture that even I, a self-confessed Beatle nut, rarely have the energy anymore to restate or reexamine their history. If my kids have questions about the Fabs, I’m almost half-tempted to sigh and say, “Yes, they were four guys who all lived in a funhouse together. If they ventured outside for groceries, they’d hop in their Yellow Submarine while being chased by screaming fans. Yes, Paul was the cute one, John was the smart one, George was the quiet one, and Ringo was the minotaur at the end of the maze—so, who wants to listen to some Motorhead?”
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Battle Royale: The Complete Collection

Published on April 10th, 2012 in: Blu-Ray, Culture Shock, Current Faves, DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Movies, Reviews, Underground/Cult |

By Less Lee Moore

battle royale complete

For those (like me) who have not yet been seduced by the legendary Japanese film Battle Royale, this new Anchor Bay collection—featuring the theatrical cut, the 2001 special edition, Battle Royale: Requiem, plus a disc of featurettes and extras—is nothing short of jaw-dropping. The four-disc set comes in a beautifully packaged booklet and is available in both DVD and Blu-Ray formats.

Battle Royale was originally released in 2000, and was adapted from Koushun Takami’s controversial 1999 novel of the same name. The film exploded into the new millennium, riveting audiences, breaking box office records, outraging censors, and transfixing a generation of film nerds like Quentin Tarantino. Its synopsis is straightforward:

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Dinosaur Jr., BUG Live at 9:30 Club: In the Hands of the Fans

Published on April 5th, 2012 in: Blu-Ray, DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Movie Reviews, Music, Reviews |

By J Howell

dinosaur jr bug live DVD

The bulk of BUG Live at 9:30 Club was shot by six fans who won an online contest to interview Dinosaur Jr. and film them performing their third album, 1988’s Bug, in its entirety at the legendary DC club in June of last year. The subtitle of “in the hands of the fans” isn’t just appropriate considering the film’s production, though. In the hands of fans from way back is the best place for the DVD.
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The King and (F.B.)I: Elvis Found Alive

Published on January 30th, 2012 in: Documentaries, DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Found Footage, Issues, Movies, Oh No You Didn't, Reviews |

By Christian Lipski

elvis found alive cover

Elvis Presley is alive and well and living in Simi Valley. Or at least that’s the claim of Elvis Found Alive, a new faux-documentary from Highway 61 Entertainment, who brought you Paul McCartney Is Really Dead: The Last Testament of George Harrison (reviewed here). This time around, they’re doing a complete 180, revealing a conspiracy to fake a death instead of a life.

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X: The Unheard Music: The Silver Anniversary Edition DVD

Published on December 20th, 2011 in: Blu-Ray, Current Faves, Documentaries, DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Movies, Music, Reviews |

By Chelsea Spear

x the unheard music

To the layperson in the early ‘80s, punk rock was an atonal mess of a sound made by destructive adolescent boys with an all-consuming hunger for amphetamines and an allergy to shirts. In the documentary X: The Unheard Music, director W.T. Morgan and the punk band X challenge these stereotypes by focusing on the creative process and the day-to-day experiences of a working band trying to find their audience.
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Too Much Perfection Is Not A Mistake: Sound And Landscape In El Topo

Published on December 5th, 2011 in: Blu-Ray, Dancing Ourselves Into The Tomb, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Issues, Movie Reviews, Movies, Soundtracks and Scores, Underground/Cult |

By Less Lee Moore

el topo cover

Preface

For those who have never seen an Alejandro Jodorowsky film, describing one seems a daunting task. Furthermore, once you have seen a Jodorowsky film, such descriptions prove to be a poor substitute for the experience itself.

At present, Jodorowsky is 82 years old. With a life full of many artistic accomplishments, a description of them all is beyond the scope of an analysis of his films, but some introduction is needed in the hopes of illuminating how his background has informed his art.

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The Holy Mountain: Does Real Life Await Us?

Published on December 5th, 2011 in: Blu-Ray, Dancing Ourselves Into The Tomb, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Issues, Movie Reviews, Movies, Underground/Cult |

By Less Lee Moore

holy mtn cover

Preface

For those who have never seen an Alejandro Jodorowsky film, describing one seems a daunting task. Furthermore, once you have seen a Jodorowsky film, such descriptions prove to be a poor substitute for the experience itself.

At present, Jodorowsky is 82 years old. With a life full of many artistic accomplishments, a description of them all is beyond the scope of an analysis of his films, but some introduction is needed in the hopes of illuminating how his background has informed his art.

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The Jesus Lizard, CLUB DVD

Published on December 1st, 2011 in: Current Faves, DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Music, Reviews |

By Ann Clarke

jesus lizard club

Filmed in Nashville in July of 2009, this DVD is a one-night glimpse into what was a reunion-ish tour that I really wish I’d had a chance at seeing (no shows came anywhere near me). But luckily someone had the sense to capture it (and capture it well, I might add!)

I had seen Jesus Lizard live footage before, but regrettably I have never seen them live. I had a good idea of what to expect, and what is captured on this DVD lives up to my expectations.
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FIX: The Ministry Movie, Directed By Douglas Freel

Published on October 18th, 2011 in: Current Faves, Documentaries, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Movies, Reviews |

By Danny R. Phillips

fix the ministry movie

From the wind-ravaged land known as Chicago, Ministry and its lead freak Al Jourgensen, were key in the creation of the soul-rattling, abrasive form of rock known as Industrial.

FIX, a behind the scenes, eyes wide open look at the band during their 1996 SphincTour, is informative and unsettling all at once. So unsettling that Jourgensen tried to stop its release. Luckily for us fans, he recently dropped the lawsuit.
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Spectacle: Elvis Costello with . . . (Season Two DVD)

Published on July 5th, 2011 in: Current Faves, DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Music, Reviews, TV |

By Danny R. Phillips

e costello spectacle DVD

Elvis Costello has been good at many things throughout his career as a musician. From the snot-nosed, pissed off, former IBM employee who gave us “Accidents Will Happen,” “Alison,” “New Lace Sleeves,” and “Radio, Radio” to the still-much-loved, still-bitchy-at-times entertainer that he is today, his career has run the gamut. But it seems that some of his most curious work has been as host of the love fest known as Spectacle: Elvis Costello with . . .
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