I realized, watching this story of a self-obsessed super-rich genius, that the problem with most superheroes is that they’re completely egotistical. Most can do things no one else can, so there’s some justification for it, but all believe that they’re above the law and a force unto themselves. Iron Man brings that superhuman approach down to the realistic level, because its lead character has always been that way, and so there’s much less distinction between the two “identities”.

Who else but Robert Downey, Jr. could play Tony Stark? His charm stays the right side of obnoxious, you believe him as a hard-living playboy, and his self-possession is very sexy. (The mustache and goatee are elegantly devilish, and the man is incredibly good-looking.) He’s also excellent at the humor that makes this so entertaining — when he, surprised in a compromising situation by Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), says something to the effect of “Let’s be honest, this isn’t the worst thing you’ve caught me doing,” it’s hilarious (and the mind reels). Some of my favorite bits were during the test sequences, when he keeps smashing himself into the walls.

The special effects are astounding, and this is the first film (yes, even counting Superman) to perfectly capture what must be the sheer exhilaration of self-powered flight. I did have some quibbles — that must be amazingly padded armor, to have him take some of those crashes without breaking any bones. And I couldn’t believe that no one ever made him go see a proper doctor, or that everyone was so blase’ that he now effectively had a nuclear reactor implanted in his chest. But my “wait a minute” moments were quickly superseded by the sheer wonder at what I was seeing.

Yes, there are only two women in the film (not counting a brief but funny early scene that’s there just to show how much of a hound dog Stark is), the loyal assistant and the pushy reporter (Leslie Bibb). Both are well-trodden paths, both bring little new to the screen (except, apparently, a new fashion trend for 7! inch heels). Both at least contribute some small necessity to the plot, even if too often they’re simple devices. Unfortunately, that’s also part of the genre.

I also wasn’t impressed by Rhodey, played by Terrence Howard. I know stiff and official was part of the character, but I didn’t get much sense of any person beyond that, although he was pretty to look at. Jeff Bridges, as Obidiah Stane (whom I’d never heard of before) had this bushy beard balancing out a huge bald cranium! Apparently he is from the comics and that is a faithful look to the character. It’s definitely distinctive, and Bridges is excellent as well. I did love that director Jon Favreau also played Hogan the chauffeur, in a couple of brief scenes. And I liked the agent I’m going to call Jasper, who sets up the potential of the Marvel universe but doesn’t get in the way.

At the end of the movie, as the credits rolled, I immediately wanted more. (First truly surprising ending in a LONG while, although perfectly in keeping with the character.) I was immensely curious to see what happened next. Since that’s not possible, I’m going to see it again tomorrow. At that point, I’ll probably think more closely about the politics — right now, I’m left with the idea that making weapons is bad only if the bad guys buy them when you don’t want them to. The message is muddled, but that’s not really the focus. It’s one guy’s coming-of-age (at a welcome middle age) story, without much consideration to the bigger picture, although it’s definitely more powerful for the setting to be of today, with Middle Eastern warlords hiding in caves.

Mostly, I liked that, while there was plenty of action, the character and his motivations and growth came first. The story had a definite emotional arc, which made the movie even more satisfying. And they did a great job keeping the focus on the man inside the suit. Surprisingly, Tony Stark has replaced Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in my affections.

Oh, there’s one more reason why I liked it: it seemed so modern and real. As I left the theater, I got into my electrically powered Prius with its display screen and back-up camera. I picked up my smartphone, which gives me internet access anywhere, and I felt a certain kinship with a superhero who talks on his cellphone while ducking fighter jets.

In February, Warner Bros. announced that Season 5 of Nip/Tuck would be released on May 20. Later that month, a correction stated that the announcement was “premature”, and no release date was set.

(In that promo image, Julian McMahon (on the right) reminds me of pictures I’ve seen of a 70s-era Stan Lee, with the glasses and leather blazer. You may also know him as Dr. Doom.)

Now, the company has released the season digitally. Seasons 1 and 2 are also available. (No word on whether the DVD set is still coming or plans for Seasons 3 or 4.) “Get it digitally before you can get it anywhere else.” says the press release. The 14 episodes can be bought as a set for $27.86 (iTunes) or $22.29 (Amazon, Windows only) or for $1.99 each (either site). For comparison, at the time of writing, Amazon has the four previous seasons at $20.99, a substantial discount from the list price of $59.98.

I don’t personally care for this approach, because I like my DVDs. I can watch and rewatch them easily on any TV in my house, instead of worrying about computer connections and hard-drive storage space. Paying for online content doesn’t make me feel like I “own” anything. (And that’s the way the studio wants it, I think.) I also can’t resell it if I want to clean house or make a little extra money. (A growing concern in today’s economy.) It probably saves the studio a good amount, though, what with not having the costs of physical production. On their investors conference call, the figures discussed were that WB gets a 60-70% margin on digital instead of 20-30% on physical media.

Next month, the live-action Death Note movie will appear in theaters for two nights only, May 20 and 21. Tickets are available through Fathom Events, and here’s the list of participating theaters.

According to the press release, “This special two-night event includes a specially-produced 20-minute feature on how the manga translates to live action as well as the first-ever interview with director Shusuke Kaneko.”

I was disappointed by the manga, but that was in part due to its length (which meant the story effectively restarted at least twice). I suspect that the on-screen presentations in this case work better for me due to the condensed storytelling. The poster image is certainly gripping and intense, and I’m curious about how Ryuk (the death god) looks.

I was sad to note that he had to explain who Howard Hughes was, but then, I never made the connection to him as an inspiration for Tony Stark before. I’m going to see the movie on May 3rd with some local fans, which should be fun.

The original animated film will be released on July 8.

Love*Com the Movie
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The material on-screen is very broadly played. It’s not a subtle story — tall girl and short boy, both feeling limited by their heights, become friends over their shared taste in bad music, maybe leading to more — but the manga, with the additional space it has, develops the characters more and conveys a wide range of emotions believably. In the movie, the blend of over-the-top slapstick comedy and heartfelt moments feels very jumpy and shallow. Too much is compressed into less than two hours, with too many events from the manga shoehorned in. Also, lots isn’t explained, so readers of the manga will have a definite advantage in understanding the characters and their relationships.

Visually, much of the movie is distracting. The female lead looks 16 (with huge ears), the male lead looks 25, and another female high school friend looks 30-something. (That friend’s relationship consists of telling her boyfriend “buy me this and I’ll do things for you with my body.”) They all act like they’re 12. And if she’s so worried about being tall, why does she wear her hair like Pebbles, in a ponytail on top of her head?

There’s a fine line between funny and disturbing, and this movie crosses it a lot. There’s a pop-up narrator covered in stuffed monkeys (I have no idea why), and a really creepy sister. I kept waiting for her to snap and kill someone, because she looks psychotic in a Frankenstein kind of way. It’s narrated in bad English, perhaps to give it more of a wacky flavor, and colorful Japanese characters appear on-screen for additional visual distraction. Unfortunately, they often collide with the subtitles.

Once the movie gets to the point where the super-teacher shows up and plays the short guy in basketball, it leaves the manga released so far behind, so readers should be warned that upcoming events will be spoiled for them. That plotline encapsulates the Japanese tendency to keep trying even in the face of certain defeat, although to my eyes, I kept wondering who’d let a teacher get away with this kind of stuff.

DVD extras include an interlocking set of three extra scenes and lots of short trailers. Plus, the package includes a print sample of the manga, which is great cross-promotion. You can find out more at the official website. (A complimentary DVD for this review was provided by the studio.)

If you want a summary of the channel, the best of the best, tune in Monday, April 14. The best musical, Singin’ in the Rain, starts the day at 6 AM, followed by the best Hitchcock, North by Northwest, and then the best noir, The Maltese Falcon. The day continues with Casablanca, The Philadelphia Story, and Citizen Kane.

Don’t Knock the Rock
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If you haven’t seen all of these movies, you can’t call yourself a film fan — but don’t be shy, sample them all! I don’t know what prompted this smorgasbord, but isn’t it wonderful?

Tuesday then swaps the theme to odd music movies, starting with Don’t Knock the Rock (1956) at 7:45 AM. If you’ve ever wondered what DJ Alan Freed or pioneer Bill Haley looked like (hint: disappointing), this is your chance to see them lip-synching. The day continues with quite a diverse mix: more rock, the Twist, Latin music, calypso, and trad jazz. (That last one, It’s Trad, Dad!, illustrates that the titles are often the best things about these quickie trend pictures.)

I’m disappointed. My program guide says that TCM was going to show The Legend of Billie Jean (1985), starring Helen Slater and Christian Slater, on Saturday, 4/19 at 3:45 AM, but my TiVo says it’s changed to something called Delinquent Daughters from 1944.

Kissin’ Cousins
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I love Billie Jean for capturing teenage rebellion in an appropriately mid-80s way. Just like in the 20s, she becomes her own person when she cuts her hair short, although instead of showing her knees, she puts on some tight outfit made of completely artificial fabric.

Easy Living
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Kissin’ Cousins (Sunday, 4/20, 6:00 AM ET, 1964) — Elvis does Li’l Abner, with a story about a military officer who happens to have a lookalike cousin (only blond) who happens to live in the hills on land the Army needs. Yvonne Craig (Batgirl) is one of the mountain gals named, of all things, Azalea Tatum. Pure cheese.

Midnight
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Easy Living (Tuesday, 4/22, 8:00 PM ET, 1937) — Three excellent but lesser-known screwball comedies air tonight, coincidentally the same day as they all come out on DVD. Easy Living, starring Jean Arthur and Ray Milland, starts the night with the story of how a fur (thrown from an apartment) landing on a secretary changes her life.

The Major and the Minor
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Midnight (Tuesday, 4/22, 9:45 PM ET, 1939) — Next comes the story of how an unemployed showgirl (Claudette Colbert) pretends to be a foreign countess in a twist on the Cinderella story. Both of these deal with class distinctions and the nature of illusion. People believe what they want to believe, and mistaken assumptions underlie sparkling comedy.

The Major and the Minor (Tuesday, 4/22, 11:30 PM ET, 1942) — But this one’s my favorite. It’s just so demented, that a 30-something woman, tired of being hit on in the city, can be mistaken for an innocent 12-year-old in order to get discount train fare. And then Ray Milland can’t figure out why he so enjoys spending time with her. It’s hilarious!

The next original animated DC Universe movie is Batman: Gotham Knight, and Warner has just announced that its world premiere will be at Wizard World Chicago on June 28.

The evening showing will be followed by a panel featuring members of the film crew and cast, including legendary animation producer Bruce Timm (Superman Doomsday, Justice League: The New Frontier), acclaimed comics writer Brian Azzarello, and Emmy Award-winning television writer Alan Burnett.

This movie consists of six short films set between Batman Begins and the upcoming Dark Knight feature. They’ll each have different styles, but the same lead voice, Kevin Conroy. It will be available for purchase on July 8 and rated PG-13 (as all the original DC Universe animated films have been).

Previous Sets

Classic Musicals From the
Dream Factory Volume 1
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I haven’t seen the previous two in person. Volume 1 contains

• It’s Always Fair Weather
• Ziegfeld Follies
• Till the Clouds Roll By
• Three Little Words
• Summer Stock

There’s a couple of Judy Garland appearances (Summer Stock, Till the Clouds Roll By) and another couple of revue films, where a string of the era’s talents each do a number with little reference to plot. Even the best-known of this set (the first and last of that list, both with Gene Kelly) don’t do much for me.

Volume 2 is similar, containing

• The Pirate
• Words and Music
• That’s Dancing!
• That Midnight Kiss/The Toast of New Orleans
• Royal Wedding/The Belle of New York

More Gene Kelly and Judy Garland, a compilation from the 80s, two Fred Astaire, and the film debut of Mario Lanza, the tragic singer.

Volume 3’s Contents

Classic Musicals From the
Dream Factory Volume 3
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The design of volume three is much more refined than the previous two, black and silver with an elegant cover lineup (both the image and the title listing), instead of the “drop the movie posters on” approach of the earlier sets. It contains six items: three two-disc sets and three single discs, all new to DVD.

• Hit the Deck
• Deep in My Heart
• Kismet
• Nancy Goes to Rio/Two Weeks With Love
• Broadway Melody of 1936/Broadway Melody of 1938
• Born to Dance/Lady Be Good

The single discs are in color, and the movies originally date from 1954-1955. The first double disc has two Jane Powell films from 1950 (in color). Two Weeks With Love is memorable to me because it’s a very early Debbie Reynolds piece where she sings “Aba Daba Honeymoon” (”… said the monkey to the chimp”) and “Row, Row, Row” with Carleton Carpenter. Both tickle me. This disc is also one of the few with a featurette extra, an episode of Private Screenings where Robert Osborne talks to Jane Powell.

The last double disc is an Eleanor Powell focus. I’m not a huge fan (about which more below), but I’m curious about the 1936 Born to Dance because it co-stars Jimmy Stewart with Cole Porter songs.

Broadway Melodies

I started watching with the film I knew best, Broadway Melody of 1936. I love the number that gorgeous Robert Taylor does with June Knight, “I’ve Got a Feelin’ You’re Foolin”. (It’s the only time the heartthrob sung on film, and he does a good job.) There’s weirdness when furniture starts popping out of the floor, and some camera trickery where the chorus girls switch between black and white outfits during the number. Very deco. And it’s all supposedly taking place at an apartment party, only it’s a pad with a balcony large enough for a stage and a 25-person dance number.

The movie is very old-fashioned, of course; it’s of its time. It starts right off with musical performances, simply people standing in front of microphones singing “Broadway Melody”, followed by “You Are My Lucky Star” (which later returns as the song in a glittery fantasy production number). It’s a radio show, and Jack Benny is the Broadway gossip columnist. His boss is upset that all he talks about is who’s going to have a baby; he wants “hot news”.

Taylor is a show producer looking for funding, and Benny wants the scoop. Eleanor Powell is an old school friend and aspiring dancer (of course). She’s nice enough, and she plays the friendly girl next door well, but I find her dancing an acquired taste. It’s energetic and athletic, but I think she lacks a certain grace. Some of her numbers, she reminds me of a string puppet. She does a nifty Hepburn impersonation, though, and pretends to be a famous Frenchwoman, although she doesn’t do her own singing in any of these movies.

I’m no expert, but the reproduction is excellent, crisp and unmarred, and the sound is clean and not scratchy. And although I hate the guy with the different varieties of snoring, I’d forgotten how much I loved seeing Buddy Ebsen (wearing a Micky Mouse sweater!) do “Sing Before Breakfast” with his sister Vilma as they tap through preparing a rooftop meal.

The other disc in the set, Broadway Melody of 1938, re-teams Powell, Ebsen (as the world’s tallest jockey), and Taylor and adds George Murphy and a very young Judy Garland. The snoring guy is back with sneezes this time, and the plot revolves around horse racing. I admit, watching both these movies back-to-back was too much for me, so I started noticing things like scratches in the print in this one. And I didn’t like the songs as much, with the best being Garland’s numbers: “Everybody Sing” and then “You Made Me Love You (I Didn’t Want to Do It)” with the “Dear Mr. Gable” opening.

I wondered why the 1940 entry in the series wasn’t in this set as well, but it’s already been released as part of the Cole Porter Gift Set.

Reaction

The DVD format makes it easy to revisit my favorite scenes and skip the snoozers, with the musical numbers called out on the menu. Extras for each film include a contemporaneous short feature and MGM cartoon and the theatrical trailer plus audio outtakes and radio promotions. They’re not essential viewing, but they give a picture of the entertainment of the time. The quality of the film remasterings can really be seen when comparing them to the trailers.

There’s so much here to savor that that’s all I’ll cover for now. I don’t want to rush through the other movies, most of which are new to me. If I do, I’ll quickly tire of them.

This is definitely a product for the dedicated, many of whom already have their own opinions about the films. Me, I just find it terrific that such sets exist. If you’re interested in more than half of the contents, buying the set is a great deal. It will be available on Tuesday, April 8. The official site is www.whvdvdcollections.com.

Saturday is the 100th anniversary of Bette Davis’ birth, so there’s a whole day of her movies in her honor. There’s a wide range, from melodramatic romance to historical epic, and even a documentary, Stardust: The Bette Davis Story. (Saturday, 4/5, 6:30 PM ET). I recommend, in particular, The Letter (12:45 PM, 1940); Now, Voyager (4:30 PM, 1942); Dark Victory (Sunday, 4/6, 12:30 AM, 1939); and if you can only watch one, All About Eve (8:00 PM, 1950), which I talked about last month. The first and third show off different facets of her uniquely obsessive attraction, while the second softens her (in the story of a shy caterpillar blossoming) and the last is quite witty.

The Bette Davis Collection
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Tuesday morning starts with a series of wartime musical entertainments, where a nightclub owner fights Nazi spies (Panama Hattie, 8:00 AM, 1942) or a dancer taps secret messages for the government (Ship Ahoy, 9:30 AM, 1942) or singing sisters start a canteen for military men and fall in love (Two Girls and a Sailor, 2:45 PM, 1944). Why don’t we get musicals about wartime, since our current military commitment is now longer-lasting? All we get are turgid position pieces about how bad things are. We know that. That’s why we’re all trying to not pay attention. Give us happy endings about how what we’re doing is so important that it’s necessary for us all to make sacrifices… well, I guess this war would first have to be a good idea for that to happen.

I know, I know, shut up with the politics and get back to the old movies. So sometimes TCM has mini-themes, 3 or 4 films in a row with a shared actor or director or premise. They identify the ones in the evenings, but if you read their magazine, sometimes you’re left to guess at the ones earlier in the day. Best I can tell from the plot descriptions, Wednesday morning, 4/9, the theme is “rape victims”. Well, that’s interesting.

Sorry I don’t have much to recommend again this week… but I have an alternate suggestion coming up shortly with a review of a new classic DVD set.

Plus, I’m mad at them — I tried watching Joan Crawford in Spring Fever, but it ran over its scheduled slot, so my Tivo didn’t get the ending. (I HATE it when channels do that!) Can anyone tell me how he finds out she’s really rich?

But I do want to recommend the documentary Complicated Women, an examination of how diverse and powerful roles for actresses were during the pre-Code era (1929-1934).

Lilo and Stitch
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It’s just so happy-making. Like most Disney movies, it’s about family. Toddler Lilo and her older sister Nani have been orphaned, and as a result, Nani’s overwhelmed and Lilo’s acting out. Unlike most Disney movies, the adult role model is female. (Ever notice how many missing moms there are in cartoons? Apparently the Aladdin extras talk about how Princess Jasmine was supposed to break this mold and have both parents, but they removed her mother to cut costs, because each main character costs more in design and animation and voice.)

Anyway, I love the look of the characters. They’re not waif-thin and the sister isn’t excessively hourglass. Instead, she’s got a strong, attractive body, with powerful thighs, the better to surf with. Everyone’s emotions are understandable, complex, and well-voiced.

And then there’s Stitch. He’s the alien mutant, bred to be a weapon, who pretends to be Lilo’s dog in order to hide out. (When they go to the pound, all the other dogs are cowering in fear.) He’s hilarious in his demented creativity. His mission is to destroy large cities, and he hates water, so when he lands on an island with no urban areas, he goes a little crazy.

This all leads up to the best line of the movie. Alien bounty hunters have come to capture Stitch, and between them, they’re destroying Lilo’s home. She tries to call for help while watching the fight, only to report “Oh good! My dog found the chainsaw!” And the beauty is, you believe yes, it is a good thing for a destructive alien pet to have power tools.

Then there’s the setting — gorgeous Hawaii, as seen by natives. The culture is apparently quite realistic, due to help from voice actors Tia Carrere and Jason Scott Lee, who are from the islands. The surfing scenes are beautiful. Plus, the Elvis soundtrack, mixed with gorgeous modern hulu songs, is energetic. All in all, it’s a wonderful ride.

The best praise I can give it is that, right after we watched it the other night, I wanted to immediately watch it again. It’s funny and charming and not too sappy and has a bit of bite. Even if I do cry when Stitch says “This is my family. I found it, all on my own. Is little, and broken, but still good. Yeah, still good.”

Happy Easter! On Sunday, March 23, you get noble priests, preachers, and nuns, followed by this holiday musical:

Easter Parade
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Easter Parade (Sunday, 3/23, 1:00 PM ET, 1948) — Fred Astaire’s partner Ann Miller runs out on him for a more desirable catch, so he finds Judy Garland and trains her. Irving Berlin wrote the songs, including the classic title song. Astaire does a solo number in a toy store called “Drum Crazy” based on percussion that’s amusing, too.

That’s followed by two movies about the life of Christ. First, the “hippie musical” Godspell (Victor Garber, the Alias dad, as Jesus!), then the more traditional King of Kings.

Then, that evening, it’s Joan Crawford’s birthday! She’s known best today as a caricature (thank you, Faye Dunaway, and what happened to YOUR career?), but her performances, especially the early ones, are quite powerful. Watch the documentary at 8 PM ET to find out more about her career highlights. Whatever you think of the woman’s life, she was most definitely a Movie Star.

Mildred Pierce
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Mildred Pierce (Sunday, 3/23, 9:30 PM ET, 1945) — This one won her the Oscar. It’s one of the most famous women’s pictures, about a housewife who becomes a businesswoman to give her daughter everything she never had. The daughter’s spoiled and abuses her mother’s love. Based on a novel by James M. Cain, which is most obvious during the twists of the resolution. It’s not modern, but worth watching for its blend of noir and soap opera.

They’re also airing Torch Song (which I best remember from its Carol Burnett Show parody, and today is embarrassing due to a blackface number), an early silent film that shows her beginnings playing socialites, the multi-star Grand Hotel (in which she’s a stenographer with a taste for the companionship of rich men), and Dancing Lady (did you know that she was Fred Astaire’s first on-screen dance partner?).

The Women
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The Women (Monday, 3/24, 10:00 AM ET, 1939) — The more women there are in a movie, the more diversity of roles you see, because they quit representing their gender and start being personalities. Norma Shearer is the formerly happy wife whose husband is fooling around with Joan Crawford, as a shopgirl who wants a better life. Rosalind Russell is the catty “friend” who tells tales, Paulette Goddard is the happy-go-lucky showgirl marrying for love, and there are other memorable women as well: the young girl who’s trying to cope with a much worse standard of living because her new husband earns much less than her daddy, the cosmopolitan Countess who takes divorce in stride, the forever-single authoress.

The Harvey Girls
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While the performances are superb, the message… not so much. There’s not a man in sight, and the movie still manages to be about them.

The Harvey Girls (Tuesday, 3/25, 3:15 AM ET, 1946) — Ah, the glorious days of big-budget movie-making. Judy Garland leads a squad of waitresses that “battle saloon girls to win the West for domesticity.” Basically, her girls, working under morals clauses for restaurants opening along the railroad, represent right and order, and they face off against a bunch of whorehouse prostitutes dance-hall hostesses who are used to being the only girls in town. Angela Lansbury is the head hooker, and Roy Bolger also appears. All in a glorious Technicolor musical.

Emma Roberts stars as the perky teenage sleuth. (And I was surprised to see that Tate Donovan is playing dads now.) To keep the character faithful to decades of readers while still making a modern teen movie, the creators opted for a culture clash subtext. Nancy goes from being Rory Gilmore, the most popular girl in her small town, to being a smart, accomplished, completely unpopular girl in Hollywood. (It’s rather Cordelia-ish.)

Nancy Drew
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When Nancy and her dad move to California, they’re also forced to move into the modern day from their idyllic, old-fashioned small town where the sheriff gets help from Nancy and the whole town prays for their safe departure. Their spooky new house leads to Nancy investigating the mysterious disappearance of the actress who lived there decades ago (which means she was last seen in 1981, which made me feel OLD).

I think they messed up by taking Nancy away from her friends and giving her two shallow fashion-obsessed obstacles to interact with. The message is that Nancy is weird in the wrong ways. It’s ok to be pierced and wear strange-but-fashionable clothes. It’s not ok to be smart and value old-fashioned ideas and outfits. She saves the day, but she’s still a laughingstock at school. Although I did love Nancy’s ensembles. She wears plaid almost every time, but the skirts and jumpers are adorable.

(Ok, geek gripe now. One of the pop-ups says that penny loafers were last popular in the 50s. Does no one remember the preppie comeback in the 80s? I do. I wore penny loafers to school with polo shirts and Bermuda button bags in hot pink and lime green.)

I wanted to see a lot more of the distinctions between Nancy’s attitudes and abilities and the modern day. (I wished for almost a Brady Bunch movie approach.) There wasn’t nearly enough of that kind of material, though. Most of it is a slow-moving mystery where Nancy tries to find out what happened to the movie star. Much of the plot happens because the bad guys keep attacking her, silly choices made just to keep the action moving. I get the impression the filmmakers thought a movie aimed at teens had to be dumbed down.

Perhaps to make up for that, the version of the movie currently playing on Pay-Per-View and On Demand (and the one I watched) has been renamed Drew’s Clues and dubbed a “Movie That Pops”. Which means that pop-up video-style blips show up to give bits of trivia and making-of information. Unfortunately, I don’t think this version is available on DVD; instead, the disc includes a gag reel, a music video, and several mini-featurettes.

The very first pop-up tells us that “This movie is based on a popular book series”, shortly followed by “She solves mysteries and drives a cool car.” This did not impress me, but they did get better. When Chris Kattan showed up in an early cameo, his name appeared on-screen just as we were telling each other, “oh, it’s that guy.” That was handy. And the stunt information — how they were done, and which ones Roberts did herself — was interesting. (Here’s a clip that shows examples.) And I love trivia like finding out the missing actress’s film titles are the names of Nancy Drew books.

I’d recommend this for the younger set, but I don’t think it’s of appeal to adults on their own, unfortunately. Find out more at the official site, where you can enter to win a $5,000 shopping spree.

From the featurette, Stan Lee and Michael Uslan talk about genre cycles and how superheroes returned in the 50s. It continues with Mark Waid talking about Julie Schwartz and Uslan covering the redesign of the Flash.

If you want to see the cartoon, here’s the Flash against Gorilla Grodd with Neil Patrick Harris voicing the hero.

It’s either feast or famine — I’ve gone from recommending only a couple of cult films last week to finding the viewing overflowing this week. Much more after the jump.
(more…)

This two-disc Collector’s Edition is based on the manga by Masamune Shirow. Screenplay by Kiyoto Takeuchi; directed by Shinji Aramaki. Available on Warner Home Video, list price $34.98 US, complimentary copy provided for review.

The planet has been ravished by conventional warfare that reshaped the geological and political landscapes. Out of this chaos has arisen humanity’s latest attempt for global peace and harmony, the city Olympus. A city inhabited by humans and cyborgs, but whose main population is bioroids, genetically altered humans who feel no hatred or anger. However, terrorism and regional conflicts still plague the world.

Appleseed Ex Machina
Two-Disc Edition
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Olympus has developed the ESWAT team to combat and destroy terrorism anywhere on the earth. They’re an elite military troop of soldiers that have proven their efficiency over the years. The movie opens with the ESWAT team rescuing high-ranking EU delegates from a group of cyborg terrorists. During the rescue, Briareos, a cyborg, is injured and his partner Deunan, a human, is given a new partner, Terseus, a bioroid created from Briareos’ DNA.

After an attack on the international security conference held in Olympus, the ESWAT team discovers that humans, cyborgs, and bioroids are being turned into terrorists by electronic brainwashing. They discover an entity called Halcon is the puppet master behind it all. Halcon wants to create world peace by mind control. Briareos, Deunan, and Terseus set off for Halcon’s central base to put an end to the organization and its schemes.

Read on for Ed’s review

Where the Boys Are
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Where the Boys Are (Sunday, 3/9, 6:15 PM ET, 1960) — If you’re tired of winter weather, check out this classic paean to Spring Break mating rituals. Given its time period, you also get an old-fashioned message that boils down to “good girls get rich Ivy League boys, too-friendly girls don’t get called back, which leads to date rape, which makes them go crazy and wind up walking down a highway at night until they’re put into the hospital.” But until then, sun, fun, underage drinking, wacky hijinks with strippers, and college girls who admit that they’re interested in fooling around, before the sexual revolution.

The X From Outer Space (Monday, 3/10, 2:00 AM ET, 1967) — Gotta love Japanese monster movies — this one features a “giant chicken from outer space”. Not available on DVD! Make your own recording now!

Plan 9 From Outer Space
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Plan 9 From Outer Space (Monday, 3/10, 3:30 AM ET, 1959) — Ed Wood’s cheesy fan-favorite. Aliens, zombies, AND vampires, but all anyone remembers is the pie plate spaceships, the surprisingly light night scenes, and the guy who scratches himself with his own gun. I’d heard about it as the supposed Worst Film of All Time from the Golden Turkey Awards book long before I saw it. I’m not sure that’s true, but it’s entertainingly bad instead of “oh, please, make it stop!” bad.

And wow, that’s all I’m recommending this week. I guess I’ll finish up my Buffy rewatching session. Or maybe get more reading done.

But first, tonight finishes up last month’s Oscar focus with great films of the 90s.
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