DVD releases for week beginning 14-06-2004

Written by Duke De Mondo
Published June 15, 2004
Part of New DVDs

I'm sorry, folks, but this is a shockingly bad week for you Region 1 purchasers. I had a hard time picking five out of this, and to be honest, there's only two I would go so far as to purchase. There's some interesting stuff, but I don't know that I can live much longer in a world where there is no special edition of Pink Flamingoes and yet Live Nude Girls graces the shelves of DVD Retail emporiums.

The one I would have bought if I hadn't got it for free, would be the GG Allin number, but it'd be a motherfucking act of insidious immorality for me to put it as one of the recommendations, even though I think it's easily the most entertaining disc listed.

Anyway, this week I took note of a message left under last weeks' column, which read something like "Duke, you lazy son of a whore, get some motherfucking genre descriptions under those titles, otherwise I'll beat you, man, I'll cut you up is what."

Therefore, although the titles are still in handy alphabetized stacks, you'll be pleased to see that underneath the studio info and what not, is a bit what tells you if the film is a horror, like Heartstopper or if it's a Scandinavian melodrama, like 50 First Dates.

Here, then, are The Duke's picks

Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Second Season

When I bought the 1st season of this wonderful comedy about how your trousers sit a certain way and folks think you have an erection, or about a vulgar typing error on an obituary, I immediately got The Duchess to sit down and embrace its majesty.

All she embraced was the TV Guide, seeing if there was anything worth watching on telly, anything for the love of God, just not this soul-destroying vacant nonsense.

The Duchess didn't like it, is the point, but if you can keep it between us, I think she may have been wrong, because this semi-improvised, cringe-inducing, wickedly sarcastic sitcom from the writer of Seinfeld is televisual gold, and the perfect excuse for folks to say "It's funny cause it's true."

The Simpsons - The Complete Fourth Season

How long does it take these folks for to throw together a box set? How come the Star Trek types have got every episode known to civilized man sitting on their shelf, sometimes in tin boxes that make them impossible to stand with the others, and still we only have four paltry seasons worth of Simpson wonder?

What, you need The Duke to tell you how amazing this is? Haven't you heard Do The Bartman? Yeah, it was from this show. I know. Of course you need it, man.

High School Confidential

What this is, is one of those exploitation flicks masquerading as "educational", like Reefer Madness or whatever. It's no doubt filled with "shocking" scenes of utter fucking depravity, 1958-style, and is probably worth an intoxicated chuckle.

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The Duke (Aaron McMullan to his parents and the clergy) is a Northern Irish writer, performer and insomniac currently residing in London. He is the creator of Mondo Irlando, wherein his scribblings and hollerings can be found. He is currently working towards the completion of his first novel, and his debut "punk / country / folk / whatever" album has recently been released by Ex Libris Records . You can also pop by His MySpace Page and maybe have a coffee and a biscuit.
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DVD releases for week beginning 14-06-2004
Published: June 15, 2004
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Section: Video
Filed Under: Video: Documentary, Video: Music, Video: News, Video: Television
Part of a feature: New DVDs
Writer: Duke De Mondo
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#1 — June 15, 2004 @ 00:48AM — Shark

Gosh, Duke, a helluva lotta work to list the future contents of the Cosmic Cultural Dumpster.

Whatta bad week for releases. Phillip Winn must be laughing his ass off, kicking back with a bowl of popcorn and a worn-out-copy of "Girls Gone Wild".

And best of luck with your carpal tunnel, mano. I hope it heals in time for next week's truckload of shit from Hollowood.

xxoo
Shark (looking for a copy of "Faces of Death" just for something a bit more uplifting than this list)

PS: What? No "F Troop: The Final Season"!?

#2 — June 15, 2004 @ 02:04AM — TDavid [URL]

Groening has said in interviews that they are so busy on the weekly episodes that the DVDs take a backseat. But if you figure they plug out say 2 a year on average it will take 10 years to get caught up.

I wonder if we'll see The Simpsons motion picture before the DVD box sets catch up.

Look how fast they got the final episode of Friends out on DVD ... so it certainly isn't an issue of being too busy, I don't think.

#3 — June 15, 2004 @ 02:30AM — visualsimplicity [URL]

"Duke, you lazy son of a whore, get some motherfucking genre descriptions under those titles, otherwise I'll beat you, man, I'll cut you up is what."

Hey! I never said that.

Anyway, there's some gems in this list besides the 5 you've listed.

Sealab 2021: Season One (2000)
Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Volume 2 (2000)
Nip/Tuck: The Complete First Season (2003)
Monk - Season One (2002)

I think that's it. Good shows.

Thanks for the list once again.

#4 — June 15, 2004 @ 07:38AM — Chris Kent

I've had High School Confidential on tape for years and am glad to see this surreal classic has made it to DVD. Jack Arnold, he of Creature From the Black Lagoon and Tarantula fame, directed this laugh fest that makes Blackboard Jungle look like Citizen Kane. Oh well, any film that has a young Jerry Lee Lewis giving an impromtu concert at the local high school is ok in my book.....

#5 — June 15, 2004 @ 09:41AM — Doc

Hey, the Wedding Banquet was great!


An early Ang Lee film about cultural cross-currents about a chinese gay man getting married to a woman so he makes his parents happy...but his parents just want him to be happy with the real man in his life.

#6 — June 15, 2004 @ 10:02AM — Aaron, Duke De Mondo [URL]

Thanks guys, and vis sim, i apologise for the fabrication. That was just downright immoral with regards the journalistic ethics. Also, i was going to mention Nip/Tuck based purely on what i've read about it, but i'm not even sure what it is. Us lot haven't got to see it on the telly just yet, outside of subscription services.
Also, i guess Dead Like Me would be worth a mention. Again, i haven't seen it yet, but hear good things.
And Chris, i look forward to seeing this opus of high-school wonder. I just had a hunch it would be amazing, and there you go, confirming mine prophecy.
As to The Wedding Banquet, Doc, sounds like good stuff, more Ice Storm than The Hidden Tigers or whatever.
Finally, i must note a mistake. I said about Touching The Void was by the fella what did The Thin Blue Line, but actually it was the fella who did One Day In September, about the terrorists at the munich olympics. I got confused with The Fog Of War, which is indeed by the Blue Line man, Errol Morris.
Apologies folks.

#7 — June 15, 2004 @ 12:11PM — Phillip Winn [URL]

Shark, yeah, I chuckled a bit. Still, I came up with five picks of my own:

50 First Dates -- I haven't seen this one, but it looks pretty funny. Adam Sandler gets the crud kicked out of him by Drew Barrymore, right? Phillip sez Check It Out!

Blackhawk Down -- Helicopter fall down go boom, Somalis kick our butts, and somehow people like this movie. America-haters, the lot of them! Phillip sez Check It Out.

Fists Of Fury -- A classic martial arts film, every person should own this own. I need a better edition than the one I've got, so I might pick it up again. Phillip sez Check It Out!

Monk: Season One -- If Adrian Monk isn't already a Friday night habit, he should be, and there is simply no excuse for not owning this entire show on DVD. Well, I suppose the fact that only the first season was released is a reasonable excuse for now. USA is showing a "Monk Marathon" all day this Friday leading up to the premiere of season three, so watch that and then pick up the DVDs. Phillip sez Check It Out!

I'm torn on the fifth pick, there is just so much goodness this week. Since I've already recommended a television show, I should go with the unauthorized Queen. Everybody loves that band, and any comments to the contrary are simply people trying to deny the obvious. But, it isn't an official authorized release, so I'll stick with...

The Simpsons: Season Four -- One of the best seasons there was, it's The Simpsons! What more do you want? Yeah, I know you can catch it every Sunday night for free. But, but, but... Phillip sez Check It Out!

Enjoy!

#8 — June 15, 2004 @ 14:36PM — Pappy [URL]

"Look how fast they got the final episode of Friends out on DVD ... so it certainly isn't an issue of being too busy, I don't think."

That was just a pathetic attempt to get money (with copies of the episode sitting in warehouses ready to ship to stores as the finale aired).

This "TV series to DVD" rage is getting out of hand. It's truly pathetic: People are scrounging around to see if they have (or can acquire) the rights to any and every TV series they can to put them into $19.99, $29.99, and $39,99 box sets.

I know EVERYONE HERE can't wait for:

"Girls Club: The Entire Series" (the 2 episodes aired + some unaired episodes)

"Wanda At Large: The Entire Series"

"Century City: The Entire Series"

"WB's Superstar USA: Season 1 (perhaps, the Entire Series)"

"My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance"

"For Love or Money: Season 1"

etc, etc....god this is a joke...I can't believe some of these series' actually sell any copies...

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