New releases, 19 Aug 2003
This week’s very short list of interesting DVD releases comes to us courtesy of DVDJournal.com, which has a much more complete list at their site. I’m just picking and choosing. This week, there’s not that much to discuss:
Chicago (2002)
I’ll probably throw it on my Netflix queue. I’m curious, but not all that interested…
National Lampoon’s Vacation: 20th Anniversary Edition (1983)
Fun movie, but not one I need in my library.
Rediscovering Dave Brubeck (2001)
I don’t know what this is, and IMDB doesn’t have a listing for it. It’s probably a TV documentary. Brubeck’s stuff is highly recognizable because they’ve been using it for decades now in everything from commercials to movie soundtracks. It’s fascinating stuff from a musical perspective, and just plain fun to listen to. “Take Five” and “Dave Digs Disney” are two great CDs, for entirely different reasons.
Simon and Garfunkel: The Concert in Central Park (1982)
How can two men hate each other so much, yet still produce something vaguely resembling harmony? No, I don’t mean their appearance at the Grammys this year, which was mind-boggling dreary. Still, they have some classic songs together, and this concert is legendary.
August 19th, 2003 at 10:44 am
If you like musical theater at all, Chicago is simply brilliant. If you’re not a fan of the form then, of course, don’t bother. ;)
August 19th, 2003 at 6:37 pm
Don’t miss out on uber-docu-dork Michael Moore’s Bowling for Columbine (not as good as the Oscar would suggest, but given the subject matter, worth viewing) and Roger and Me (still his best film to date), along with Neil Jordan’s latest, The Good Thief starring Nick Nolte.
August 19th, 2003 at 10:35 pm
I skipped over Moore’s stuff completely on purpose.
-Augie
August 20th, 2003 at 5:32 pm
I wanna back up what John says. I can’t stand stage musicals and Chicago was not my thing, though my wife loved it. Moulin Rouge, however, is on my list at YMDB.com and is quite a rush for any film buff. I’m sure it could be argued that Chicago is a great film too, but I think it sticks to its theater roots a lot more than Moulin Rouge does.
August 21st, 2003 at 12:03 pm
Chicago is cynical brilliance. It does a bit of tweaking on the way the story is told - the musical numbers are all imagined by Roxie, whereas in the musical itself, they just play them straight, very vaudevillian.
And good for you with the skipping of Michael Moore. Man does NOT need more publicity. Bleah.