Pina | the Story of Film

Home , 5 Broken Cameras, Aardman Animations, Anjul Nigam, Aria the Scarlet Ammo, Ari Graynor, Arthur Lubin

January-February 2013

VOL. 28 THE VIDEO REVIEW MAGAZINE FOR LIBRARIES NO. 1

IN THIS ISSUE 2012 Best Docs | Pina | The Story of Film | Guilty Pleasures | We Are Legion | Hot Flash Havoc | Searching for Sugar Man | Undefeated BAKER & TAYLOR’S SCENE & HEARD Access to new releases, classics & hard-to-ﬁ nd music CD, DVD and Blu-ray titles Digital Media Processing Baker & Taylor offers all the A/V services to deliver circulation- products, services and expertise that ready product your library needs to meet the continued Titles available from major and demand for movie and music products. independent suppliers Exclusive studio incentive programs and sales Automatically Yours™ standing order plans DVD Lease and Subscription Plans Music and Movie Parade auto-ship plans The Red Carpet and the Green Room, our customized buying websites for music and video CD Hotlist, our exclusive source for the best in niche music Extensive on-hand inventory and fast delivery nationwide TechXpress cataloging and processing The Alert, your monthly A/V buying guide Experienced, dedicated A/V Sales Consultants Order online 24/7 through Title Source™ 3

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Pina HHH1/2 Bausch would pose questions, like a psycho- (2011) 103 min. In therapist, and her graceful, multinational German, English, dancers would answer—not in words, but Russian, French, Italian, with improvised gestures, movement, and Slovenian, Spanish, Publisher/Editor: Randy Pitman body language, expressing their intimate Portuguese & Korean w/ emotions and experiences. Following her Associate Editor: Jazza Williams-Wood English subtitles. DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $44.95. example, Wenders asked each of Bausch’s Copy Editor: Kathleen L. Florio The Criterion Collection distinctive dancers to convey their personal Editorial Assistant: Chris Pitman (avail. from most memories of Pina in solo performances, distributors, Jan. 22). filming them in and around Wuppertal Graphic Designer: Carol Kaufman and in the countryside of Bergisches Land. Marketing Director: Anne Williams Wenders’ Pina doesn’t include much per- An Oscar nominee for Best Documentary, sonal or background information as un- this exhilarating film from director Wim identified dancers pay tribute to their leader Contributing Writers Wenders celebrates legendary German (who departed to “dance in the clouds”) in Kathleen C. Fennessy, Reviewer, choreographer Philippina “Pina” Bausch. reverent voiceovers and talking head inter- Amazon.com For nearly 10 years, Wenders worked on the views, but as a performance documentary, Erika Gieschen, Teacher, Norwalk-La Mirada concept with Bausch and the Ensemble of this one shines. Extras include a director’s Unified School District of Los Angeles County the Tanztheater Wuppertal. Sadly, Bausch audio commentary, a “making-of” fea- suddenly and unexpectedly died on June Sam Graham, Reviewer, Amazon.com turette, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes 30, 2009, at age 68, just days before film footage, an interview with Wenders, and a Susan Granger, SSG Syndicate production was scheduled to begin. After a booklet. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, Donald Liebenson, Reviewer, period of mourning and extensive re-evalu- P. (S. Granger) Entertainment Weekly, Amazon.com ation, Wenders decided to turn his focus on Stephen Rees, Librarian, Bucks Co. Free Bausch’s uniquely innovative and highly will Library, Levittown, PA Video Librarian stylized choreography. Featured among be exhibiting at the an- Frank Swietek, Associate Professor the composed dance selections here are nual ALA Midwinter of History, University of Dallas, TX Café Müller, Le Sacre du Printemps, Vollmond, Meeting in Seattle, WA, and Kontakthof—Bausch’s four signature from January 25-28. We Additional Contributors: pieces, which had already been prepared for hope you will drop by filming before her untimely demise, along our booth (#737) to say Sean Axmaker with archival footage of Bausch at work. hello! Carson Block What’s intriguing is her creative process: Charles Cassady Fran Gardner Phil Hall Tom Keogh TABLE OF CONTENTS Kendahl Kruver Maureen Puffer-Rothenberg Michael Sandlin Video Newsbriefs Relationships & Sexuality Jeff Shannon 6 62 Books Into Movies 8 Food & Spirits 62 Mixed Media 10 Business & Economics 63 Video Movies 18 Sports, Games & Recreation 63 Video Librarian (ISSN: 0887-6851) is pub- lished bi-monthly by Video Librarian, Classic Films/TV 37 The Arts 64 3435 NE Nine Boulder Dr., Poulsbo, WA 98370. Subscriptions: $64 for one year 2012 Best Documentaries 47 History & Current Events 66 in the United States; $69 (US) in Canada (includes GST); $86 elsewhere. Address all Key to Star Ratings 49 Travel & Geography 71 correspondence to Video Librarian, 3435 NE Nine Boulder Dr., Poulsbo, WA 98370. Peri- Video Reviews 49 Biography 71 odicals Postage Paid at Poulsbo, WA and at additional mailing offices.POSTMASTER: Children’s 49 Series Update 72 Send address changes to Video Librarian, 3435 NE Nine Boulder Dr., Poulsbo, WA Psychology & Self-Help 50 Japanese Anime 73 98370. Copyright © 2013 by Randy Pitman. All rights reserved. Religion & Philosophy 52 Music/Dance 75 Telephone/Fax/E-mail Social & Political Issues 53 Distributor Addresses 82 Subscriptions: (800) 692-2270 Editorial: (360) 626-1259 Teen Issues 57 Title Index 84 Advertising: (800) 265-7965 Fax: (360) 626-1260 Law & Crime 57 Advertiser Directory 84 E-mail: [email protected] Nature, Math & Science Final Frame Web: www.videolibrarian.com 58 86 Health & Fitness 59

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 3 VIDEO LIBRARIAN New Films For Your Campus & CommuNitY ComiNG sooN to Home ViDeo

VITO 93 minutes, color, $295 w/PPR THREE STARS GIRL MODEL 94 minutes, color, SRP: $27.95 77 minutes, color, SRP: $27.95 In 1969, a police raid on a gay bar called the Stonewall took a surprising turn when patrons decided to fight back. A riot erupted FRF 915236D FRF 915342D and a new era was born. Vito Russo, a 23-year-old film student, was among the crowd. Newly politicized, Vito found his voice as STREET DATE: JANUARY 15 STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 12 a gay activist and critic of LGBT representation in the media. He went on to write “The Celluloid Closet,” the first book to critique Hollywood’s portrayals of gays on screen. During the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Vito became a passionate advocate for justice via the newly formed ACT UP, before his own death from AIDS in 1990. “I highly recommend it to anyone interested in pop culture, in civil rights, or in how the two are deeply connected. Through his story, “The dishes dazzle in “A must-see movie ‘Vito’ becomes not just a biography but a history of his times, as a fight against discrimination became a fight for life.” this cinematic helping as intriguing as it -James Poniewozik, Time of some of the world’s is disturbing.” “Moving! ‘Vito’ is lush with fascinating archival interviews and footage.” -Marie Claire -Hank Stuever, The Washington Post finest restaurants. Most tantalizing - “A powerful documentary. serious foodies Essential viewing.” will chow down!” -Boston Globe -The New York Times THE END OF TIME 56 UP 109 minutes, color, $295 w/PPR 139 minutes, color, $195 w/PPR “Recalling the work of Terrence Malick, Werner “Give me the child until he is seven and I will give Herzog and the late Chris Marker” (Hollywood you the man.” Reporter), Peter Mettler’s new film combines ele- The UP Series has explored this Jesuit maxim Focusing on ten world-class chefs, Three Stars depicts the everyday Girl Model explores how young girls are discovered in obscure corners ments of documentary, essay, and experimental for over half a century. The original concept was drama of life in gourmet restaurants and includes exclusive interviews of the globe and initiated into the high stakes modeling industry. The film cinema to create a tour de force that challenges to interview children from diverse backgrounds and behind-the scenes access to these multi-talented culinary artisans follows two protagonists: a former model and now scout who scours the our conception of time – and perhaps the fab- from all over England about their lives and their as they explore new creations in their gastronomic laboratories, hunt for Siberian countryside looking for fresh faces; and one of her discoveries, ric of our existence. Travelling from the CERN future dreams. Every seven years, renowned particle accelerator to the lava flows of Hawaii; exquisite ingredients in local markets, and gather rare edible plants along a 13-year-old plucked from her rustic home in Russia and dropped into director Michael Apted has returned to talk to rough coastlines. the center of bustling Tokyo with promises of a profitable career. from the disintegrating Detroit where Ford built them, examining their progress. Now they are his first factory to the tree where Buddha was 56. An extraordinary look at our time, The UP By highlighting not only their culinary philosophies but also their daily As the Los Angeles Times said, the film “gets under the skin-deep enlightened, the film explores the links between Series is, according to critic Roger Ebert, “an kitchen routines, the film reveals the business of cooking on the highest promises of glamour and wealth that lure an endless stream of very renewal and destruction, between primordial inspired, almost noble use of the film medium. mysticism and modern science. level. It also opens a window into what goes into the world’s most impor- young hopefuls...and captures something beyond hard facts.” Apted penetrates to the central mystery of life.” tant restaurant review book – the iconic red Michelin Guide.

FERLINGHETTI: MUMIA: LONG DISTANCE A REBIRTH OF WONDER REVOLUTIONARY 73 minutes, color, $195 w/PPR 120 minutes, color, $295 w/PPR PHOTOGRAPHIC WAITING FOR This definitive documentary is an incisive portrait Focusing on Mumia Abu-Jamal’s prolific career MEMORY LIGHTNING of literary polymath Lawrence Ferlinghetti. In one- from the depths of prison, this film chronicles 87 minutes, color, SRP: $27.95 80 minutes, color on-one interviews made over the course of a de- his life and work as a journalist, philosopher, FRF 915335D DVD: $24.95 (FRF 915397D) cade, he reflects on events that began to unfold and revolutionary and his impact on political STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 12 Blu Ray + DVD Combo: $29.95 in postwar America – including the publication of discourse around the globe. The film spans the (FRF 915403D) STREET DATE: MARCH 5 Ginsberg’s Howl, Burroughs’ Naked Lunch, and events of Mumia’s early career in journalism as Kerouac’s On the Road – as well as the Vietnam a writer for the Black Panther newspaper, to his War, the sexual revolution, and the founding of promising future as a reporter for NPR, to his City Lights. Ferlinghetti reads his poems, dis- battles with the American justice system over the “Ross McElwee adds “HHHH! cusses his activism, and offers unguarded insight continuation of his revolutionary journalism and into nine decades of his life. Features appearanc- radio broadcasts from prison – both before and another wonderful An eye-opening, es by Allen Ginsberg, Michael McClure, Billy Col- after his incarceration on Death Row. personal memoir, compelling, inspiring lins, Dennis Hopper, Robert Scheer, Dave Eggers, and Pulitzer Prize winner Gary Snyder. a film that is both story. Simply put, in forward-looking and skateboarding slang, ORCHESTRA OF EXILES WAGNER & ME elegiac. Grade: A.” this is one gnarly film.” 85 minutes, color, $195 w/PPR 89 minutes, color, $195 w/PPR -Christian Science Monitor -Noah Lee, FILM THREAT From the director of the Oscar-nominated English actor and raconteur Stephen Fry ex- Sound and Fury comes the meticulously craft- plores his passion for history’s most contro- ed tale of the man who saved Europe’s best versial composer, Richard Wagner. Can he Jewish musicians from the Nazis during WWII. salvage Wagner’s music from its association As Hitler began firing Jewish musicians across with Hitler? Animated by Fry’s trademark wit Filmmaker Ross McElwee (Sherman’s March, Bright Leaves) finds himself Waiting For Lightning is the story of Danny Way, a young boy from a Europe, he unwittingly created a unique op- and intelligence and set against the backdrop in frequent conflict with his son, a young adult who seems addicted to and broken home whose passion for skateboarding would one day bring portunity – never before had so many top or- of Germany’s annual Bayreuth Festival, this is distracted by the virtual worlds of the internet. To understand his fractured him and his creation - a ramp of dangerous proportions – across many chestra players been simultaneously jobless. a provocative yet enjoyable introduction to the love for his son, McElwee travels back to St. Quay-Portrieux in Brittany cultural and ideological boundaries to attempt the impossible: jump Overcoming extraordinary obstacles, violinist life and legacy of one of music’s most compli- for the first time in decades to retrace his own journey into adulthood. A China’s Great Wall on a skateboard. It’s a film about how much abuse Bronislaw Huberman moved these virtuosos to cated geniuses. meditation on the passing of time, the praxis of photography and film, and the body can sustain, how deep you have to dig to survive the betrayals Palestine and formed a symphony that would “HHHH With an enthusiasm as genuine as the digital versus analog divide. of family, and how high and far dreams can fly. become the great Israel Philharmonic. it is infectious, Stephen Fry investigates his “Demonstrates the very concrete way in which fondness for the opera of Richard Wagner.” “The most Proustian of McElwee’s documentaries,” (New York Times), Featuring a who’s who of action sports all-stars including Travis Pastrana, culture is preserved and maintained, with -Nick Schager, Time Out Photographic Memory is “beguiling and utterly delightful” (New York Post). Laird Hamilton, Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Mat Hoffman and Ken Block. transmission and human survival becoming intertwined realities.” -The New York Times

To purchase these DVDs with PPR for campus and community screenings, please contact Nicole Baer at 800.229.8575 x17 To purchase, please contact John Bione at 800.229.8575 x13 or [email protected] or [email protected]. Streaming licenses also available; please inquire for more information. For Non-Theatrical/Institutional PPR, contact Nicole Baer at 800.229.8575 x17 or [email protected] New Films For Your Campus & CommuNitY ComiNG sooN to Home ViDeo

adventure Peter Pan Criterion February Releases with its Blu-ray de- Include Blu-ray Debut of “On but (Blu-ray/DVD Combo: 2 discs, the Waterfront” $39.99), which fea- Criterion’s February slate kicks off tures a new digi- February 5 with the release of The Bal- tal restoration and lad of Narayama (DVD: $19.95, Blu-ray: high definition $29.95), Keisuke Kinoshita’s gorgeous picture and sound. 1958 film based on a Japanese folk tale Based on the classic set in a remote mountain village, where tale by J.M. Barrie, the 1953 film is the food is scarce and tradition dictates that work of Walt’s “Nine Old Men” collective citizens who have reached their 70th year of directing animators. The story of the NAPPA Gold Award Winner! must be carried to the summit of Mount Darling children—Wendy, John, and Worlds Together series takes you to Narayama and left to die. Bonus features Michael—who fly with Peter Pan and countries that are fascinating yet not on include a booklet. Coming February Tinker Bell past the second star to the the top of the list of usual travel destina- 12 is the latest work from the Belgian right and straight on ‘till morning to tions. Learn about the culture, history, Dardenne brothers, 2011’s The Kid with the enchanted world of Never Land, this food, geography and people. Closed- a Bike (DVD: 2 discs, $29.95; Blu-ray: timeless film from Disney’s “Golden Age” captioned. Free Teacher’s Guide. $39.95), which tells the story of an angry features the voices of Bobby Driscoll, 25 min. each Recommended for all ages. 12-year-old (Thomas Doret) living in a Kathryn Beaumont, and Hans Conried. $29.95 each group home who refuses to believe he has Also available in a three-disc combo V3202 Ethiopia 978-1-60480-106-4 been rejected by his single father (Jérémie pack (for $44.99) with a bonus digital V3203 East Africa 978-1-60480-107-1 Renier)—see review in this issue on page copy and storybook app, extra features V3201 West Africa 978-1-60480-105-7 26. One of the most iconic of all American include an intro by Diane Disney Miller, films bows in high-definition on Febru- the featurette “Growing Up with Nine Families of the World ary 19: Elia Kazan’s 1954 Oscar-sweeping Old Men,” deleted scenes, and a never- On the Waterfront (DVD: 3 discs, $39.95; before-heard deleted song. New! Blu-ray: 2 discs, $49.95), starring Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, and Marlon Brando in a career-defining role as a prizefighter- Universal Studios Home Enter- turned-longshoreman who struggles tainment Announces 28-Day with a deepening moral crisis. Bonus features include the 1982 documentary Window for Libraries “Elia Kazan: Outsider.” Slated for Febru- Beginning with the January 8 release ary 26—and newly available for the first of Hit & Run, new releases from Universal time on Blu-ray or DVD in the U.S.—is Studios Home Entertainment (both the- the landmark cinema vérité snapshot atrical and made-for-video) will be subject of Paris in 1960, 1961’s Chronicle of a to a 28-day embargo before being made “Recommended.” Summer (DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95), available to libraries through distributors. BL • SLJ • VL • LJ a fascinating collaboration between These titles will still be the retail versions, www.familiesoftheworld.com filmmaker-anthropologist Jean Rouch and the new policy will have no effect and sociologist Edgar Morin that reveals on TV and catalog titles. Warner was the V1876 Germany 978-1-60480-113-2 the hopes and dreams of a wide array of last studio to adopt an extended window V1877 Italy 978-1-60480-155-2 people, from artists to factory workers $29.95 each • V1877S Set of 28 $838.60 policy for video stores and libraries, to an African student. Bonus features but—like Sony, Fox, Paramount, and other Families of the World include the 2011 companion doc Un été studios, who all ultimately abandoned Families of Afghanistan Families of Japan + 50. Also newly available on February 26 similar plans—Warner reversed their Families of Australia Families of Kenya is the Blu-ray debut of Kenji Mizoguchi’s policy (although in Warner’s case, the Families of Brazil Families of Korea 1954 drama Sansho the Bailiff (Blu-ray: studio continues to sell “rental” versions Families of Canada Families of Mexico $39.95), a heartbreaking masterpiece from to libraries—but with no delay period). Families of China More Families of Mexico Japanese cinema’s golden age that follows Families of Costa Rica Families of Panama an idealistic governor separated from Families of Egypt Families of Philippines his family after being cast into exile by Correction Families of France Families of Puerto Rico the reigning feudal lord. Bonus features In my November-December editorial Families of Germany Families of Russia include a booklet. Families of Ghana Families of Sweden “The Digital World,” I noted that Morgan Families of Guatemala Families of Thailand Spurlock’s documentary Mansome had Families of India Families of UK “Peter Pan” is Walt Disney’s been released in a digital-only format Families of Italy Families of USA in July and was not available on DVD or Families of Israel Families of Vietnam Latest “Diamond Edition” Blu-ray. Two days after we went to press, Bowing on February 5 Lionsgate announced a December 11 DVD release date for Mansome. The point master-comm.com On February 5, Walt Disney Studios of the editorial—about how digital re- youtube.com/mastercommunications celebrates the 60th anniversary of ex- leases impact libraries—remains the same. Phone: 1-513-563-3100 ecutive producer Walt’s iconic animated Randy Pitman, Editor

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Coming in January Safe Haven ( F e b. 14) is adapted from the Gangster Squad 2010 novel by Nicholas (Jan. 11) is based on Sparks. Directed by Lasse Paul Lieberman’s 2012 Hallström, the roman- nonfiction book about tic drama stars Julianne a special LAPD unit Hough, Josh Duhamel, devoted to battling Cobie Smulders, and Da- gangsters in the 1940s vid Lyons. and ‘50s. Directed by Ruben Fleischer, the Looking Ahead film stars Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Sean Penn, Slated for March is the and Nick Nolte. third adaptation of Ste- phen King’s 1974 debut Quartet (Jan. 11, novel, Carrie. Directed in limited release) is by Kimberly Peirce, the based on the 1999 play classic horror story stars by Ronald Harwood. Chloë Grace Moretz, Juli- Set at a retirement anne Moore, Judy Greer, home for musicians, Gabriella Wilde, and director Dustin Hoff- Michelle Nolden. man’s dramedy stars Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, and Billy Connolly. Also slated for March is The Host, based on Parker (Jan. 25) is Twilight author Stephenie adapted from Richard Meyer’s 2008 sci-fi ro- Stark’s (aka Donald E. mance novel. A story of Westlake) 2000 crime aliens taking over human novel Flashfire. Direct- bodies, director Andrew ed by Taylor Hackford, Niccol’s adaptation stars the thriller stars Jason Saoirse Ronan, Diane Kru- Statham, Jennifer Lo- ger, Max Irons, Frances Fisher, William pez, Michael Chiklis, Hurt, and Bokeem Woodbine. Nick Nolte, and Patti LuPone. Also coming in March Coming in February is Oz: The Great and Powerful, director Sam Warm Bodies Raimi’s film inspired by (Feb. 1) is based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 Isaac Marion’s 2011 classic The Wonderful debut novel. A story Wizard of Oz. A prequel of romance during a to both the book and the zombie apocalypse— 1939 movie, the fantasy with an undead pro- adventure stars James tagonist—director Franco as the titular magician, along with Jonathan Levine’s Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, Rachel adaptation stars Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Weisz, and Zach Braff. Palmer, and Dave Franco. Coming in April is The Beautiful Crea- Company You Keep, tures (Feb. 13) is based on Neil Gordon’s adapted from the 2003 novel. Directed by 2009 New York Times Robert Redford, the po- bestselling YA fantasy litical action thriller stars novel by Kami Garcia Redford, Shia LaBeouf, and Margaret Stohl. Julie Christie, Sam Elliott, The first book in the Susan Sarandon, Terrence “Caster Chronicles” Howard, and Brendan Gleeson.

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Mixed Media features new release Featuring animation by the legendary Stu- turned into an urban rainforest beneath information on upcoming video dio Ghibli (Spirited Away, The Secret World a giant nanodome. games and TV series on DVD/Blu-ray, of Arrietty), this third-person role-playing as well as notable older titles that are epic sends young Oliver on a quest into an Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance re-priced or new to DVD/Blu-ray. alternate world to save his mother. (Konami, PS3/X360: $59.99, Rated: M). In this third-person action game set in February 3—February 9 the near future, players control Raiden, a Video Games child soldier transformed into a half-man, Dead Space 3 (Elec- half-machine cyborg ninja, equipped with Note: Entertainment Software Ratings tronic Arts, PS3/X360: a high-frequency katana blade and a soul Board (ESRB) ratings for video games are: E $59.99, Rated: M). Isaac fueled by revenge. (Everyone), E10+ (Everyone 10+), T (Teen), Clarke is back in this third M (Mature), and RP (Rating Pending). installment of the bestsell- February 24—March 2 Some titles are not rated until just prior to ing third-person survival release date. horror action game, set on Rayman Legends the frozen planet of Tau (Ubisoft, WiiU: $59.99, Available Now Volantis, which holds the Rated: E10+). Making full key to ending the Necromorph plague. use of the new Wii U con- Ratchet & Clank: Full troller, this sequel to one Frontal Assault (Sony, Omerta: City of Gangsters (Kalypso, of the best platformers of PS3: $19.99, Rated: E10+). X360: $49.99, Rated: T). In this simulation 2011 is a strikingly-ani- In the latest installment game with tactical turn-based combat, mated third-person ac- of this classic third-per- players start with small jobs, eventually tion game that finds Rayman and the gang son action-adventure establishing their own crime syndicate being sucked into mysterious paintings. franchise, the titular duo in order to become the de facto ruler of return to wipe out waves of enemies on Prohibition-era Atlantic City. battlefields using outrageous weapons in TV on DVD/Blu-ray single-player or multiplayer campaigns Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (Sony, with new styles of play, including a tower PS3: $59.99, Rated: E10+). In this stealth- defense mode. oriented, third-person, action-platform Available Now next-gen addition to the popular PS2 series, January 6—January 12 Sly’s old buddy Bentley must round up the Breaking In: The Complete Series gang and save the Cooper Clan legacy from (Sony, DVD: 2 discs, $38.99). Christian Anarchy Reigns (Sega, PS3/X360: being destroyed forever. Slater, Megan Mullally, and Bret Harrison $29.99, Rated: M). Players can choose star in this short-lived 2011-12 series set at from eight different human and cyborg February 10—February 16 a high-tech security firm. characters with unique styles, weapons, and signature kills in this open-world Aliens: Colonial Marines (Sega, PS3/ Chiller: The Complete third-person fantasy brawler. X360: $59.99, Rated: M). In this first-person Television Series (CAV, shooter inspired by the claustrophobic and DVD: 2 discs, $29.95). January 13—January 19 terrifying atmosphere of the Alien film This five-episode 1995 franchise, the player steps into the boots horror anthology features DmC: Devil May Cry of a marine tasked with wiping out the U.K. stars including Nigel (Capcom, PS3/X360: Xenomorph infestation. Havers, Martin Clunes, $59.99, Rated: M). In this Sophie Ward, and Kevin next-gen prequel to the Painkiller: Hell & Damnation (Nor- McNally. popular third-person ac- dic Games, PS3/X360: $29.99, Rated: M). tion series, players step In this remake of the classic first-person Justified: The Complete Third Season into the boots of Dante shooter PC game, players take on the role (Sony, DVD: 3 discs, $55.99; Blu-ray: 3 during his early years as of Daniel Garner, tasked with fighting his discs, $75.99). Continuing with the ac- he discovers and comes to way past hordes of demons and fiends. tion-packed duties of U.S. Marshal Raylan terms with what it means to be the child Givens (Timothy Olyphant), who protects of a demon and an angel. February 17—February 23 his rural Kentucky hometown, this 2012 third season based on the character cre- Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 (City Interac- Crysis 3 (Electronic ated by Elmore Leonard introduces a new tive, PS3/X360: $59.99, Rated: M). Players Arts, PS3/X360: $59.99, villain (Neal McDonough). suit up as a special ops sniper in this real- Rated: M). In this three- istic first-person shooter sequel that ranges quel from the popular Shipping Wars: Season One (A&E, from Bosnia to the Himalayas. first-person shooter se- DVD: 2 discs, $19.98). Independent ship- ries, the player returns pers take on bizarre cargo in this 2012 January 20—January 26 to the fight as Prophet, first season that includes episodes such as wearing a powerful “Cash for Tanks,” “Double Down and Bean Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch nanosuit while taking on alien hordes Town,” “Pain in the Caboose,” and “Tavern (Namco Bandai, PS3: $59.99, Rated: E10+). in a future New York City that has been on the Greenbacks.”

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 10 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

Top Shot: Season Gray) search for Earthlings on alien worlds of British broadcasting during the mid- Four (A&E, DVD: 4 discs, in this 1981 second and final season of the 1950s and incorporating historical events $29.95). Contestants com- sci-fi adventure series. including the Space Race and the Cold pete in battles featuring War, this 2012 second season stars Romola weapons and tactics rang- Dallas: The Complete First Season Garai, Tom Burke, Peter Capaldi, and Oona ing from medieval cross- (Warner, DVD: 3 discs, $39.99). Featuring Chaplin. bows to contemporary the return of stars Linda Gray, Patrick sniper missions in this Duffy, and the late Larry Hagman, among An Idiot Abroad 2 (BBC, DVD: 2 discs, 2012 fourth season of the History-aired others, this 2012 first season of the reboot $34.98). Executive producers Ricky Ger- reality series. of the classic nighttime drama adds Josh vais and Stephen Merchant help pal Karl Henderson and Jesse Metcalfe as members Pilkington work on his “bucket list” in Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities, Un- of the newest generation of the wealthy this 2011 second series of the satirical derbelly: The Golden Mile, and Under- Ewing clan. travelogue show. belly: War on the Streets (eOne, DVD: 4 discs each, $39.99 each). Based on the real Dance Moms: Season 2, Volume 1 Midsomer Murders: life 1970s Australian crime wave, these and Dance Moms: Season 2, Volume Set 21 (Acorn, DVD: 4 boxed sets compile the 2008-10 series star- 2 (Lionsgate, DVD: 3 discs each, $24.98 discs, $49.99; Blu-ray: 2 ring Paul Tassone and Caroline Craig. each). Pittsburgh dance instructor Abby discs, $59.99). Midsomer Lee Miller clashes with the parents of continues to be a treach- January 1 young performers in these episode collec- erous place to reside in tions from the 2012 second season of the this 21st set that features Being Human: The Complete Second Lifetime-aired reality series. John Nettles and Barry Season (eOne, DVD or Blu-ray: 4 discs, Jackson in episodes culled from the 2011 $39.99). Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath, and Doctor Who: Shada (BBC, DVD: 3 discs, 14th season. Sam Huntington star as a trio of super- $39.99). Filmed for the 1979-80 season, natural roommates in this 2012 sophomore this unfinished and never-broadcast story Red Dwarf X (BBC, DVD: 2 discs, season of the Syfy-aired stateside remake of revolving around the titular lost planet $34.98; Blu-ray: 2 discs, $39.98). Featur- the popular British fantasy series. features Tom Baker as the Doctor. ing the first new episodes since 2009, this 2012 10th season of the sci-fi comedy series Trial & Retribution, Set 6 (Acorn, DVD: Enlightened: The about incompetents on the titular mining 2 discs, $49.99). Starring David Hayman Complete First Season ship features Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, and Victoria Smurfit, this final collection (HBO, DVD: 2 discs, and Danny John-Jules. from Lynda La Plante’s popular crime se- $39.98; Blu-ray: 2 discs, ries includes four two-part episodes from $49.99). Laura Dern stars Smash: Season One 2008-09: “Tracks,” “Siren,” “Ghost Train,” as a fortysomething re- (Universal, DVD: 4 discs, and “Shooter.” turning home after learn- $59.98). A gifted newcom- ing self-healing tips at a er (Katharine McPhee) January 8 mental treatment facility in this 2011 first goes up against a veteran season of the HBO series that also features (Megan Hilty) for a juicy Anger Management: Diane Ladd and Luke Wilson. Broadway role in this Season One (Lionsgate, 2012 first season of the DVD: 2 discs, $29.98; Blu- Episodes: The Complete First & Second musical drama that also features Debra ray: 2 discs, $29.98). Char- Seasons (Showtime, DVD: 2 discs, $39.98). Messing and Anjelica Huston. lie Sheen stars as a chaotic A married British writing team (Stephen private therapist in this Mangan and Tamsin Greig) see their work January 15 FX-aired 2012 debut sea- being butchered by a wacky American ac- son of the series (inspired tor (Matt LeBlanc) after it crosses the big Being Human: Season Four (BBC, by the 2003 feature film) pond in this compilation from the 2011-12 DVD: 3 discs, $49.98; Blu-ray: 3 discs, that also stars Selma Blair, Shawnee Smith, first and second seasons of the Showtime $59.98). This 2012 fourth season of the and Brett Butler. comedy series. BBC original fantasy horror series about supernatural creatures struggling to live Archer: The Complete Season Three The Goode Family: like humans stars Leonora Crichlow and (Fox, DVD or Blu-ray: 2 discs, $29.98). In The Complete Series Michael Socha. this 2011-12 third season of the Emmy- (Shout! Factory, DVD: 2 nominated animated comedy, super spy discs, $22.99). Co-created Ghost Hunters Academy (Image, DVD: Sterling Archer’s (voiced by H. Jon Ben- by Mike Judge, this short- 4 discs, $24.99). Aired on Syfy, this 2009- jamin) deceased fiancée comes back as a lived 2009 animated sit- 10 series spin-off from the Ghost Hunters cyborg. com about a politically franchise follows “students” who learn the correct family features tricks of the trade from members of the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: Sea- the voices of Nancy Carell, Atlantic Paranormal Society. son Two (Universal, DVD: 4 discs, $24.99). Linda Cardellini, and David Herman. Following a devastating nuclear catastro- Jackson 5ive (Classic Media, DVD: 2 phe, Captain William “Buck” Rogers (Gil The Hour 2 (BBC, DVD: 2 discs, $34.98; discs, $32.99; Blu-ray: 4 discs, $39.99). Gerard) and Colonel Wilma Deering (Erin Blu-ray: 2 discs, $39.98). Set in the world Produced by Rankin/Bass, this collection

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 12 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 edu Best Sellers and New Releases from

BOB FASS AND THE RISE OF FREE EXPRESSION ON THE AIRWAVES “SUPERBLY RECREATES A TIME WHEN THE RADIO MATTERED.” – indieWIRE

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$249(with PPR) “A must-see film for anyone concerned about enforced ignorance $149(without PPR) and intolerance, and for those who still believe in science - and Thomas Jefferson.” – Michael Moore WINNER SPECIAL JURY AWARD LTRIBECAl

THE REVISIONARIES $349(with PPR) $249(without PPR)

“A LOVE LETTER TO THE CUISINE AND A JOURNEY TO THE ORIGINS AN ALARM BELL FOR THE INDUSTRY. OF MODERN YOGA THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS MOVIE CANNOT BE OVERSTATED.” – Casson Trenor, Green Peace BREATH OF GODSTHE FEATURING B.K.S. IYENGAR, PATTABHI JOIS $249(with PPR) AND T. KRISHNAMACHARYA $149(without PPR) $249(with PPR) $149(without PPR)

To purchase or to learn more about other Kino Lorber Edu Titles, Visit: www.kinolorberedu.com Not available on home video. Email: [email protected] To inquire about exhibition Call: 212-629-6880 Fax: 212-714-0871 or digital site licenses, @kinolorberedu kinolorberedu.com please contact us at 212-629-6880 includes 23 episodes from the 1971-72 Waking the Dead: Sea- freak accident results in superpowers animated series (with 46 original songs) son Seven (BBC, DVD: 3 stars Antonia Thomas, Iwan Rheon, and based on the Jackson Five. discs, $39.98). DSI Boyd Robert Sheehan. (Trevor Eve) and his mystery James May’s Man Lab: Series 2 (BFS, investigation crew get to the Pan Am: The Complete Series (Sony, DVD: 2 discs, $29.99). Presenter James bottom of unresolved cold DVD: 3 discs, $30.99). Christina Ricci May tackles challenges that include cases in this compilation of stars in this 2011-12 short-lived 1960s-set building a pool table and reuniting indie six two-part stories from the series focusing on the lives and careers rock group Love Fungus in this 2011 2008 seventh season. of Pan Am airline flight attendants and second series. pilots. January 22 Last of the Summer Wine: Vintage February 5 1997 (BBC, DVD: 2 discs, $34.99). Peter Kendra: Season 4 (MPI, DVD: 2 discs, Sallis, Bill Owen, and Robert Fyfe are back $24.99). Former Girl Next Door and Playboy Above Suspicion, Set in this compilation of episodes from the Mansion resident Kendra Wilkinson and her 2 (Acorn, DVD: 2 discs, 1997 18th season of the long-running NFL wide receiver husband Hank Baskett are $29.99). Kelly Reilly stars comedy series revolving around the esca- featured in this 2011 fourth and final season as recently promoted pades of an elderly trio. of the E!-aired reality series. DCI Anna Travis in this 2010-11 second set of Life’s Too Short: The Public Enemies (BFS, DVD: 2 discs, episodes—also starring Complete First Season $29.98). This 2012 three-part series revolves Ciarán Hinds—from (HBO, DVD: 2 discs, around a controversy involving a probation the crime drama series based on the best- $29.99). English little officer (Anna Friel) whose former client (Dan- selling books by Lynda La Plante. person actor Warwick iel Mays) spent 10 years in jail for strangling Davis stars in a mocku- his girlfriend. Gunsmoke: The Seventh Season, mentary about his life Volume 2 (Paramount, DVD: 5 discs, in this 2011 first season Scarecrow and Mrs. King: The Fourth $36.99). Marshal Matt Dillon (James of the BBC series that also features Ricky and Final Season (Warner, DVD: 5 discs, Arness) protects the citizens of Dodge Gervais and Stephen Merchant. $39.98). Bruce Boxleitner and Kate Jackson City in this second set of episodes from star as the titular undercover agents in this the 1961-62 seventh season of the long- Men of a Certain Age: The Complete 1986-87 fourth series finale of the Golden running Western series, also featuring Second Season (Warner, DVD: 3 discs, Globe-nominated adventure series. Amanda Blake, Dennis Weaver, and $39.99). Ray Romano, Andre Braugher, and Milburn Stone. Scott Bakula star in this 2010-11 second Spy, Series 1 (BFS, DVD: 2 discs, $29.99). and final season of the Emmy-nominated A clumsy single dad (Darren Boyd) is mis- Testimony of Two Men (Acorn, TNT dramedy series following a trio of takenly recruited as a spy for MI5 in this DVD: 3 discs, $59.99). Based on Taylor friends going through midlife crises. 2011 first series of the BAFTA award-winning Caldwell’s bestselling historical novel, comedy. this 1977 Emmy-nominated minise- Merlin: The Complete Fourth Season ries tells the story of a surgeon (David (BBC, DVD: 4 discs, $49.98; Blu-ray: 3 January 29 Birney) practicing in post-Civil War discs, $59.98). Set in the realm of Camelot, Pennsylvania. this 2011 fourth season of the adventure Downton Abbey: Season fantasy series stars Katie McGrath, Bradley 3 (PBS, DVD: 3 discs, $49.99; The Virginian: The Complete Sea- James, and Colin Morgan as the titular Blu-ray: 3 discs, $54.99). son Seven (Shout! Factory, DVD: 9 sorcerer. The Great War is over, but discs, $59.99). Set at a Wyoming Terri- all is not well at the titular tory ranch in the 1890s, this 1968-69 Perry Mason: Season English country estate in seventh season of the Western series 8, Volume 2 (Paramount, this 2012 third season of the starring James Drury features guest DVD: 4 discs, $55.98). In Emmy-winning series star- appearances by Tom Skerritt, the Irish this second compilation ring Dame Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Rovers, and Cloris Leachman. of episodes from the pen- Elizabeth McGovern, and guest star Shirley ultimate 1964-65 eighth MacLaine. February 12 season of the Emmy-winning courtroom drama, Femme Fatales: The Complete First Bonanza: The Of- Raymond Burr stars in his classic role as Season (eOne, DVD: 3 discs, $29.98). Aired ficial Fifth Season the titular defense attorney. on Cinemax, this 2011 first season of the (Paramount, DVD: anthology series profiling stories of powerful 9 discs, $58.98). The Twenty Twelve: The Complete Series women features guest appearances by Adam Cartwright family en- (BBC, DVD: 2 discs, $34.98). This 2011- Goldberg, Ryan Bittle, and Richard Kind. joys the ups and downs 12 mockumentary series following the of life on their Pon- ups and downs of the team tasked with Misfits: Series Two (BBC, DVD: 2 discs, derosa ranch in this organizing the London Olympics stars $24.98). This 2011 sophomore season of 1963-64 fifth season set, featuring guest Hugh Bonneville, David Tennant, and the sci-fi dramedy series about a group of appearances by Gena Rowlands, James Olivia Colman. young people whose community service Doohan, and Marlo Thomas.

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 14 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 NATURE & WILDLIFE TITLEs FRom JANsoN mEDIA The Secret Life of Whitetails Elk in America Filmed in high definition, the stunning This international award-winning, images and absorbing soundtrack will wildlife documentary captures the life immerse you in the secret domain of cycle of elk amidst the unforgettable the white-tailed deer. images of the Rocky Mountains. Filmed over three years by renowned, wildlife cinematographer, Gary W. Griffen, the Narrated by actor Peter Coyote, this superb images and original soundtrack superb wildlife documentary records in will immerse you in the elk’s natural brilliant color and clarity, the life-cycle of environment. deer amidst the breathtaking scenes and natural sounds of the whitetail’s world. Narrated by actor Stacy Keach, Elk In America provides the viewer with a better understanding of when elk came to North America, their mystimysti- cal relationship with Native Americans and their drastic decline when settlers spread westward.

LENGTH: 50 Minutes • MSRP PRICE: $24.95 NEW NEW CATALOG# 20530 • UPC# 6-4603205309-8 LENGTH: 54 Minutes • MSRP PRICE: $24.95 CATALOG# 20529 • UPC# 6-4603205299-2

Summer with Selik The Nature Connection and the sequel Selik & Katrine with David Suzuki

An enchanting story In this four-DVD set, Dr. David of the relationship Suzuki leads a group of children on between a teenage twelve field trips to discover different Norwegian girl aspects of the environment and learn named Katrine and how we are all “connected” to nature. a newborn harbor seal. The collection is designed to inform, The bond that develops between stimulate and motivate parents and Katrine and Selik during the seal’s their children to take up an environ- recuperation is all the more poi- mental project. It encourages the gnant because Katrine knows she natural instinct children have for dis- must return Selik to the open sea covery, and increases their awareness once he is healthy and strong and of the beautiful and complex web of has learned to survive in the wild. life and our place in it.

LENGTH: 122 Minutes • MSRP: $24.95 LENGTH: 360 Minutes • MSRP: $59.95 CATALOG# 20316 • UPC# 6-4603203169-0 CATALOG# 20269 • UPC# 6-4603202699-3

AVAILABLE FROM ALL MAJOR DISTRIBUTORS View trailers online: www.janson.com • [email protected] www.janson.com Become a fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/jansonmedia www.youtube.com/jansonmedia Doctor Who: The Reign of Terror stars Mary-Louise Parker, Kevin Nealon, and Looking Ahead (BBC, DVD: $24.99). The TARDIS time Hunter Parrish. traveling craft appears near Paris dur- Coming in March is the second season ing the French Revolution in this 1960s February 19 of The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, story arc starring William Hartnell as the seventh season of Dalziel & Pascoe, the Doctor. Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome and the miniseries Ripper Street. Slated (Universal, DVD: $29.98, Blu-ray: $34.98). for April is the complete series of The Family Matters: The Starring Luke Pasqualino as a pilot protago- Restless Gun. Complete Third Season nist, this 2012 addendum to the popular sci-fi (Warner, DVD: 3 discs, franchise revolves around a battle between $29.99). Irritating neigh- Cylon robots and humans. Re-priced or New to DVD/Blu-ray bor Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) grates on the Gossip Girl: The Com- Comic Book Confi- nerves of the Winslow plete Sixth Season (War- dential (Strand, Blu-ray: family in this 1991-92 ner, DVD: 3 discs, $39.99). $24.99). Newly available third season that features guest stars The Upper East Side clique on Blu-ray, the 20th an- such as Vivica A. Fox, LaWanda Page, and tries to uncover Gossip niversary special edi- Johnny Gill. Girl’s identity in this 2012 tion of Ron Mann’s 1988 sixth and final season of documentary profiles 22 The Hardy Boys: Season Three (Shout! the nighttime soap starring of the most significant Factory, DVD: 3 discs, $24.98). Shaun Blake Lively and Leighton Meester. artists and writers working in comic Cassidy and Parker Stevenson star as the books, graphic novels, and strip-art in titular sleuth siblings in this 1978-79 The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams: North America. Bonus features include third and final season of the family series Season Two (Shout! Factory, DVD: 4 discs, exclusive outtakes, an interview with based on the books by pseudonymous $29.99). Dan Haggerty stars as the titular Mann, and an intro by Kevin Smith. author Franklin W. Dixon. wrongly-accused mountain man who becomes friends with a bear he names Ben in Decasia (Icarus Films Home Video, The Loretta Young Show: Best of the this 1977-78 second and final season of the Blu-ray: $34.98). Debuting on Blu-ray, Complete Series (Shout! Factory, DVD: short-lived Western adventure series. Bill Morrison’s haunting 2002 experi- 17 discs, $99.99). This “best of” compila- mental film VL( -3/04 HHHH) combines tion features episodes from the Golden Swamp People: Season 3 (A&E, DVD: decomposing nitrate footage with music Globe-winning 1953-61 anthology series 6 discs, $24.99). This 2012 third season of by composer Michael Gordon (of Bang on hosted by Oscar-winning actress Loretta the History-aired reality series follows the a Can). Bonus features include Morrison’s Young. escapades of alligator hunters living in the 2004 short “Light is Calling.” bayous and swamps of Louisiana’s Atchafa- Matlock: The Eighth Season (Para- laya River Basin. The Escorial: The mount, DVD: 6 discs, $49.99). Andy Dream of a Devout Griffith is back as pricey Atlanta defense Top Gear—The Hit US Show: The Com- Monarch (Kultur, attorney Ben Matlock in this penultimate plete Second Season (BBC, DVD: 4 discs, DVD: $19.99). Part of 1993-94 eighth season of the Golden $29.98). Presented by comic Adam Ferrara, the “Sites of the World’s Globe-nominated mystery series. pro driver Tanner Foust, and racing analyst Cultures” series, this Rutledge Wood, this 2011-12 sophomore sea- hour-shy 1999 docu- Nurse Jackie: Season Four (Lionsgate, son of the BBC spin-off car adventure series mentary explores the DVD: 3 discs, $39.98; Blu-ray: 2 discs, features guest appearances by comedian Bill architecture and history $39.98). Starring Edie Falco as a compe- Engvall and Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine. of the titular royal Spanish residence, as tent but drug-addicted ER nurse, this 2012 well as the story of its patron, King Philip fourth season also features Peter Facinelli February 26 II. Also newly available at the same price and Eve Best. from the series is Hue: The City on the Law & Order: The Perfume River. Storage Wars, Volume Four (A&E, Twelfth Year—2001-2002 DVD: 2 discs, $19.99). This fourth volume Season (Universal, DVD: 5 Manufactured Landscapes (Zeit- from the A&E reality series follows a discs, $36.99). This 2001-02 geist, Blu-ray: $34.99). Newly available group of professionals who bid on repos- 12th season of Dick Wolf’s on high-definition Blu-ray, Jennifer sessed storage units in order to turn trash longest-running crime se- Baichwal’s 2007 documentary (VL-11/07 into treasure. ries stars Jerry Orbach, Jesse HHH1/2) on Canadian photographic L. Martin, S. Epatha Merker- artist Edward Burtynsky focuses on his Weeds: The Final son, Sam Waterston, and Dianne Wiest. pictures depicting massive construction Season (Lionsgate, projects that are changing the natural DVD: 3 discs, $39.98; West Point: The Television Series (Shout! landscape in China. Extras include ad- Blu-ray: 2 discs, $39.98). Factory, DVD: 4 discs, $29.99). Produced in ditional scenes, a discussion with Bur- Featuring all 13 episodes cooperation with the U.S. Department of tynsky and Baichwal, and an interview from the 2012 eighth Defense, this 1956-57 drama series centering with cinematographer Peter Mettler. and final season, this on the iconic titular academy features guest Also newly available on Blu-ray at the Golden Globe-winning appearances by Chuck Connors, Leonard same price is Bill Cunningham New drug-crime Showtime dramedy series Nimoy, Barbara Eden, and Clint Eastwood. York (VL-9/11 HHH).

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 16 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 VL_Ad_0113_VisionVideo 12/4/12 11:25 AM Page 1

Captivated Must the Sun Set on the West? Everywhere we go, we are surrounded by screens. Dr. Vishal Mangalwadi—international lecturer, social reformer, and author—explains the root cause of the Most would agree that we are a media saturated West’s gradual decline and what must be done to reverse it. Ten 60-minute lectures plus one bonus lecture: society, but what effect is all this media having on 1. From Michelangelo to Freud: The Devolution of Human Dignity us individually and culturally? People of all ages 2. From Bach to Cobain: Losing the Soul of Music and Hope are reporting that their unchecked media 3. From Da Vinci to Dan Brown: The Decline from Reason to Mysticism consumption has led to disconnection, 4. From Science to Sorcery: Why Witchcraft Appeals More Than Science discontentment and captivity. Captivated features 5. From Luther’s Vicarage to Hefner's Harem: Turning Men into (Play)boys and Women into ‘Desperate Housewives’ insights from media experts, as well as personal 6. From the Scottish Reformation to the Iraqi War: Does Washington Know the West's Recipe for Freedom? stories from individuals and families who have 7. From the Great Awakening to a 'New Age': Beyond Good and Evil escaped media addiction and learned to make 8. From Paul to Paris Hilton: Can a Defeated Messiah Save Hollywood Heroes? discerning choices about their use of media 9. From Tolerance to Terrorism: Why Do Taxpayers Pay Advocates to Defend Law Breakers? technology. Documentary, 107 minutes. 10. From Darkness to the Light: Must the Sun Set on the West? DVD - #501496D, $19.99, UPC 7 27985 01496 8 Bonus Lecture - From Monasteries to the Twin Towers: The Crumbling Spirituality of Capitalism DVD - #501470D, $49.99, UPC 7 27985 01470 8

Letters to an Unknown Rescued Briars in the Cotton Patch: Daughter Today, there are over 160 million children 10th Anniversary Edition In the summer of 1974, 17-year old Anita Keagy worldwide who are without parents. In America This DVD tells the nearly forgotten story of discovered she was pregnant by her boyfriend. there are as many as 144,000 boys and girls in Koinonia Farm, a small community in Georgia Fearing the disgrace it would bring on her family, foster care wanting to be adopted. These are where whites and blacks chose to live and work she considered abortion, but instead gave her staggering statistics. This film inspires people to together as equals despite the brutal and child up for adoption. Years later, Anita felt love and care for the most vulnerable—the frightening consequences. Possibly the most daring compelled to communicate with her unknown orphan. Featuring interviews with R.C. Sproul, Jr., social experiment in the South during the last daughter. Through the adoption agency, she Beall Phillips, and many others, Rescued is an century, Koinonia faced years of terror, boycotts, began a file of letters. Many painful years would invaluable resource for every person who wants to and intimidation in the years leading up to the pass before these letters would bring Anita and take action and help rescue these innocent tumultuous Civil Rights era. This award-winning her daughter, Twila, together again. This is her children. Documentary, 62 minutes. documentary examines the remarkable events that moving story. Documentary, 40 minutes. DVD - #501483D, $19.99, UPC 7 27985 01483 8 planted the seeds for the global work of Habitat for DVD - #501482D, $14.99, UPC 7 27985 01482 1 Humanity and more. Documentary, 57 minutes. DVD - #501491D, $19.99, UPC 7 27985 01491 3 Vision Video PO Box 540 OUR UNCONDITIONAL GUARANTEE: Worcester, PA 19490 If, for any reason, a product does not meet your expectations, return 1-800-523-0226 • 610-584-3500 it to us, and we will exchange it or give you a refund. All DVDs are Fax: 610-584-6643 guaranteed against any defects. Available from Baker and Taylor, E-mail: [email protected] Midwest Tape, or directly from Vision Video. Web: www.visionvideo.com Video Movies

drink. When the unpopular Florence (Roxane 1973, a para-psychological séance dubbed This section features reviews of studio, inde- Duran) also turns up pregnant, she becomes the “Charles” experiment featured six people pendent, and foreign feature films. Each review part of the group, and Camille encourages concentrating on a drawing of the same includes pricing information, as well as running the other girls to follow suit so that they’ll deceased being, which produces a spectral always be together. While not stupid, the girls figure. Years later, three college students—Pat- time, rating, subtitling information, and street are certainly naive, since most of them agree, rick (Tom Felton), Ben (Sebastian Stan) and dates for yet-to-be-released titles. Most titles never taking money into account (one teen Ben’s girlfriend Lydia (Julianna Guill)—try reviewed here are widely available through even pays a boy to sleep with her). The girls to replicate the experiment using comput- most distributors. want to continue their studies, while taking ers and a 3D sculpture of the man they are turns babysitting, but there’s no mention trying to reach, with electronic help from HHHH of work. Camille’s brother, an Afghanistan 500 people. Once again, there seems to be = Excellent veteran, stands by her, but the rest of Lorient’s brief contact with the supernatural realm, HHH= Good parents and school administrators are less followed by a tragic incident. Cut to the pres- enthusiastic. And even though the same boy ent: Kelly (Ashley Greene) is busy minding a HH= Fair impregnates two girls, men play no real part suburban investment home (owned by her H= Poor in the plan. As the girls head towards term, parents) with her new boyfriend Ben—the however, reality begins to set in. The use of same guy who unwittingly opened a polter- first-person plural voiceover here recalls So- geist pathway with the reproduced Charles fia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides, which also experiment. When the couple begin to notice examined the consequences of teen group- strange things—lights flickering, black mold 6 Degrees of Hell H think. Recommended. (K. Fennessy) spores, and Kelly’s clothes being tied into Breaking Glass, 92 min., not knots—they wonder if the place is haunted. rated, DVD: $21.99 Americano HHH So Ben beckons old buddy Patrick, who blows An incoherent, slapdash MPI, 106 min., in English, into their abode babbling pseudoscientific horror movie, filmmaker French & Spanish w/English prattle. “The house isn’t haunted. You are,” Joe Raffa’s 6 Degrees of Hell subtitles, not rated, DVD: Patrick tells Ben before disappearing into a is notable only for the fact $24.98, Blu-ray: $29.98 closet. An abysmally lame chiller, this is not that it features Corey Feldman, who phones The erotic box art picture recommended. (S. Granger) in his few scenes as a self-styled paranormal of voluptuous Salma Hayek investigator called in to investigate a series of gives a mildly misleading The Awakening HHH gruesome deaths connected with a Hallow- impression of actor-writer- Universal, 108 min., R, DVD: een haunted house. Sporting a long strand of director Mathieu Demy’s debut, a bluesy, $19.98, Blu-ray: $26.98, Jan. hair that hangs over his forehead and con- border-hopping piece in which Demy stars 29 stantly puffing on an e-cigarette, Feldman as Martin, a disaffected young Frenchman Nick Murphy’s directorial smirks while delivering supposedly witty with dual U.S. citizenship. Upon the death debut is an old-fashioned lines as the story is related to him by a con- of his long-estranged mother in Los Angeles, ghost story set in 1921 Eng- cerned deputy, a tale that has something to Martin heads stateside to sort out her estate, land, a time when casualties do with 1) the possessed items a psychic has and is surprised to learn that his difficult from the Great War and collected in her living room, 2) a misguided mother was close to a neighbor named Lola, the influenza epidemic spawned a phony attempt to summon a demonic spirit, and 3) the intended recipient of the matriarch’s spiritualist movement that preyed on people that haunted house, which turns out to be a possessions. Martin follows Lola’s trail to desperate to make contact with lost loved portal to another dimension. Also involved Tijuana—only to find that Lola is a cyni- ones. Rational ghost hunter (or more properly, are a couple of juvenile delinquents, a psy- cal stripper-prostitute (Hayek), who resists debunker) Florence Cathcart (Rebecca Hall) is chotic police chief, a TV ghost hunter, and sharing information about Martin’s mother. asked by Robert Mallory (Dominic West)—a the hayseed proprietor of the haunted house. The more he is rebuffed, however, the more scarred war veteran now teaching at a boys’ The entire mess is told not just via flashbacks obsessed Martin becomes in seeking clues boarding school—to investigate reports of a but flashbacks-within-flashbacks, leading to to the past—realizing that he might be spirit that might have been involved in the narrative vertigo. Cheaply made and crudely mistaken about his childhood and broken recent death of a student. It’s amusing to acted, this is only recommended for diehard family. While Hayek does perform an exotic watch Cathcart spar with the headmaster over Feldman fans. (F. Swietek) dance in a transparent fishnet bodysuit, this her atheism, and fiddle with her newfangled is mostly a melancholy tale that features some gadgets designed to detect spirits, but it turns 17 Girls HHH second-generation movie royalty (Geraldine out that there is indeed a ghost haunting the Strand, 91 min., in French Chaplin, Chiara Mastroianni). The filmmaker school, whose secret Florence will uncover w/English subtitles, not rated, is himself the son of French cinema greats even while falling for handsome, wounded DVD: $27.99, Jan. 15 Agnes Varda and Jacques Demy, and he shows Mallory. The Awakening has a bit of a musty Inspired by a real-life in- a sure hand at creating satisfying drama from air, playing like a well-mannered relic of a cident in America, French interpersonal relationships. Recommended. bygone filmmaking age that depended more filmmaker siblings Delphine (C. Cassady) on suggestion than gore to deliver thrills. But and Muriel Coulin’s debut while it offers more goosebumps than gasps, stars Louise Grinberg as Camille, a popular The Apparition H this is ultimately a pleasurable reminder of girl who starts a trend in her coastal com- Warner, 82 min., PG-13, DVD: the sort of discreet supernatural thriller that munity of Lorient after becoming pregnant $28.98, Blu-ray: $29.98 was once a staple but is now a rarity. Recom- during a one-night stand. Although Camille First-time writer-director mended. (F. Swietek) is hardly happy with the news, her friends Todd Lincoln appears to be offer their support when she decides to have trying to ride the coattails Boogiepop and Others HHH the baby. Camille even tells her single mother of the Paranormal Activity BayView Entertainment, 109 min., in Japanese that she thinks she can do a better job, found-footage horror phe- w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $9.99 although Camille continues to smoke and nomenon in The Apparition. On May 21, Japanese director Ryu Kaneda’s live-action

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 18 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 feature film is based on Russian-made Branded, after fast-food chains Butter HHH Kouhei Kadono’s Boogiepop find their burger sales dwindling, they turn Anchor Bay, 91 min., R, DVD: series of light novels that to the supposed world marketing guru (Max $24.98, Blu-ray: $29.99 inspired a hit anime series. von Sydow), who suggests an outrageous At the Iowa State Fair, few The story centers on the scheme to change public attitudes about exhibits attract as much at- Shinyo Academy, which beauty by convincing society that thin is ugly tention as the butter sculp- is slowly depopulating as and fat is beautiful. As part of the plot, the ture. For the past 15 years, female students vanish at hero—an ad agency hack named Misha (Ed the undisputed champion night under mysterious circumstances. Stoppard), who is fingered as a villain—un- carver has been Bob Pickler (Ty Burrell), Rumor has it that a ghostly force known as dergoes a weird ritual, after which he can see churning out campy, epic-scale tableaux. Boogiepop is responsible for the mayhem, the desires implanted by marketing gurus as But now the judges have asked him to retire and one student, Nagi Kirima (Maya Kurosu), taking the form of, uh, bulbous creatures his trowel and make way for new artists. is eager to uncover the truth behind this protruding from consumers’ backs. Misha Bob’s prim, prissy, ambitious wife, Laura mystery, ultimately discovering something ostensibly attempts to destroy the entities (Jennifer Garner), is furious; refusing to give far more provocative than a simple ghost driving hamburger consumption by convinc- up the limelight, she decides to compete story. Boogiepop and Others is a genuinely ing the populace that beef is unhealthful, herself. So does a sweet-natured, 10-year-old enjoyable film that will delight fans of the but his true aim is to wipe out advertising- African-American orphan named Destiny Boogiepop franchise while also serving as a driven desires—and their related brands—by (Yara Shahidi), whose unusual talent is en- delightful introduction for newcomers. The engineering a ban on all advertising. Wait, couraged by her supportive foster parents ensemble cast boasts spirited energy, while did I mention that the film is narrated by a (Alicia Silverstone, Rob Corddry). Meanwhile, Kaneda keeps the action flowing at a steady constellation taking the form of an animated Bob’s rebellious teenage daughter (Ashley pace. Recommended. (P. Hall) cow? Itself advertised as a Matrix-like tale of Greene) is befriended by a brassy, bawdy, individualism versus authority, Branded is not gold-digging stripper (Olivia Wilde), who’s Booster HH recommended. (F. Swietek) determined to take monetary advantage of Echo Bridge, 72 min., not Bob’s clandestine visit to the club where she rated, DVD: $6.99 Bully HHH pole-dances. Helmed by British sitcom direc- This downbeat crime Weinstein, 98 min., PG-13, tor Jim Field Smith, Butter is a quirky, offbeat, DVD: $24.98, Blu-ray: $29.99, drama set in Boston has Feb. 12 sociopolitical satire that sat on the shelf too been compared to the early long (obvious allusions to prominent female Lee Hirsch’s controversial films of Martin Scorsese (as Republicans come across as stale now). Nev- documentary about our well as Ben Affleck’s The ertheless, the amusing, farcical elements re- national bullying epidemic Town), but is actually relatively devoid of main relevant, skewering small town politics, took on the MPAA rating spark or style. Anti-hero Simon (Nico Stone) sanitized hypocrisy, the foster-care system, system and won (after cutting a few four- is a low-level thief who singlehandedly sup- and Midwestern Tea Party conservatism. letter words), meaning that the message ports his senile grandmother, as well as a Hugh Jackman seems miscast as Laura’s old can reach its target audience with crucial dying former hood (Seymour Cassel), and high-school flame turned smarmy car sales- scenes left intact. Beginning with the man, but Kristen Schaall and Phyllis Smith an older brother, Sean (Brian McGrail)—the alarming statistic that more than 13 million last being a screw-up who lands in jail after score in cameos. Recommended, overall. American kids would be bullied in 2012, (S. Granger) a botched armed robbery. Both Sean and a Bully personalizes this pervasive universal criminal associate (Adam DuPaul) put pres- problem that crosses racial, ethnic, sexual, sure on Simon to help throw doubt on the and socioeconomic boundaries. Utilizing A Cat in Paris HHH case against Sean, but that will require Simon a case-study format, Hirsch focuses on five New Video, 62 min., PG, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $34.95 to become a different kind of outlaw. Simon victims. We meet 12-year-old Alex from also has love and happiness just within reach, Sioux City, whose suffering begins before Nominated for an Oscar, thanks to a new romance with Megan (Kris- he boards the school bus and escalates, even filmmakers Jean-Loup Fe- tin Dougherty), but the question remains of as he assures his parents that his predatory licioli and Alain Gagnol’s which path he will take as he faces a crucial tormentors are only “messing with him.” French animated feature has crossroads. This promising story is unfor- Kelby is a 16-year-old athlete who has been been dubbed into English tunately lost in a monotonous succession shunned since she came out as a lesbian in with a starry cast (but plays better with the of dreary moments involving the lighting Tuttle, OK. Pushed to the breaking point, 14- original French soundtrack—also included). of cigarettes or watching Sean fence stolen year-old Ja’Meya carried a loaded handgun The title actually refers to two characters— goods, when he isn’t busy looking at the floor in Yazoo County, MS; now incarcerated, honorable cat burglar Nico (voiced by Steve in a state of emotional repression. Writer-di- she’s charged with multiple felony counts. Blum) and his teammate, wayward feline rector Matt Ruskin’s Booster ultimately feels Tragically, 17-year-old Tyler Long of Murray Dino. But both are secondary to the story as suffocated as its central character. Not County, GA, hanged himself after years of of the cat’s owner, a sad, subdued little girl recommended. (T. Keogh) harassment, and—according to his bereaved named Zoe (Lauren Weintraub), whose detec- parents—indifference by school officials tive father was killed by a master criminal. Branded H (part of the problem lies with unresponsive Zoe’s policewoman mother, Jeanne (Marcia Lionsgate, 106 min., R, DVD: adults, who often dismiss bullying as “kids Gay Harden), is intent on tracking down the $27.98, Blu-ray: $29.99, Jan. will be kids”). And following the suicide of villain. All of them—along with the kingpin’s 15 their 11-year-old son, Ty, in Perkins, OK, Kirk bumbling crew and Zoe’s double-crossing Writer-directors Jamie and Laura Smalley organized Stand for the nanny, Claudine (Anjelica Huston)—become Bradshaw and Alexander Silent vigils. Hirsch allows these poignant involved in a heist that goes awry, leading to Doulerain’s would-be anti- stories to speak for themselves (absent in- a splashy finale featuring chases over cranes capitalist screed gets off structive commentary or sound bite editing). and high-rise rooftops. While the animation to a bad start by identifying Lenin, of all Likely to spur dialogue, this is recommended. is stylish—evoking a film noir look, and ex- people, as the founder of advertising. In the (S. Granger) hibiting clever touches, such as a sequence

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 19 VIDEO LIBRARIAN in the dark where the characters are white ing its outdated message. Recommended. Devoldère brings a sprightly tone to the story, outlines against a black background—the (M. Sandlin) which boasts a serious heart beneath the fluff. plot is rather simple. Recommended, overall. Recommended. (T. Keogh) (F. Swietek) Cosmopolis HH eOne, 109 min., R, DVD: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: $24.98, Blu-ray: $29.98, Jan. 2 The Cold Light of Day Dog Days HH1/2 H1/2 David Cronenberg’s Fox, 94 min., PG, DVD: Lionsgate, 93 min., PG-13, pretentious contemporary $29.98, Blu-ray: $39.99 DVD: $19.99, Blu-ray: $24.99, thriller touches on numer- Greg Heffley (Zachary Jan. 29 ous topics: power, money, Gordon), celebrated hero of While director Mabrouk control, information, tech- the titular, popular YA book El Mechri’s “wrong man” nology, violence, sex, mortality, revolution, series, is looking forward to caper flick boasts star pow- destruction and, ultimately, redemption—all summer vacation with his friends. But his par- er—with Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver within the claustrophobic confines of a white ents (Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn) have plans in supporting roles—The Cold Light of Day is stretch limo. Being driven through midtown for outdoor family togetherness, although a perfunctory action film. Will Shaw (Henry Manhattan en route to his father’s old barber- that won’t include playing video games or Cavill) runs into trouble while reuniting with shop for a haircut, hotshot investment tycoon reading comics. So Greg joins best friend Row- his family on vacation in Spain, including his Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson) encounters ley Jefferson (Robert Capron), slurping fruit dad, Martin (Willis)—supposedly an attaché infuriating traffic gridlock. The President is smoothies at Rowley’s fancy country club. with the American embassy—who is actually in town with his motorcade, anti-capitalist But things don’t quite work out, and when a CIA agent. When Martin is killed by a gang demonstrations are erupting, and a funeral is a beach outing Greg was looking forward to and his mother and brother are kidnapped, underway for a rapper. Despite warnings from is cancelled because the Heffleys don’t have Will winds up becoming a target of both the his security specialist, 28-year-old billionaire enough money, Greg winds up enduring abductors and the police. The key to the plot Packer insists on proceeding, holding mobile embarrassing calamities at a public pool. The turns out to be something as banal as a brief- meetings about his company’s massive asset summer continues to slide from bad to worse case containing secret papers, and Martin’s wager against the Chinese currency (the when a camping trip goes horribly wrong, and old partner (Weaver) shows up exhibiting a yuan). As his limo inches forward, suave, Greg’s lawn care service is a bust. Plus, Greg very sinister smirk. The movie trades in stock soulless, self-destructive Packer indulges must endure Rodrick (Devon Bostick), his tropes: endless pursuits through streets and in sexual encounters on the plush leather obnoxious older brother who’s obsessed with over rooftops, as well as an alliance between upholstery and endures a rectal exam which his heavy metal band Löded Diper. Based Will and a beautiful young woman, all of reveals that his prostate is asymmetrical. on author/cartoonist Jeff Kinney’s third and which leads up to a long car chase that causes Twilight star Pattinson maintains a detached, fourth books, Dog Days is more scattershot serious damage to the attractive Madrid loca- expressionless façade as the impassive, inscru- and strung together than earlier entries in tions. Serving up a tedious slog through very table Packer, while receiving support from a the series, and since Gordon is now a teenager familiar territory, this is not recommended. cast that includes Samantha Morton, Paul with a changing voice, his angst is taking (F. Swietek) Giamatti, and Juliette Binoche. Adapted from a more adolescent turn. A strong optional Don DeLillo’s 2003 short novel, Cosmopolis purchase. (S. Granger) Corpo Celeste HHH is a cynical, bizarrely stylized, often incom- Film Movement, 99 min., in prehensible absurdist comedy. Optional. Dredd HH Italian w/English subtitles, not (S. Granger) Lionsgate, 103 min., R, DVD: rated, DVD: $24.95 $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.99, Jan. 8 A low-key Italian film The Day I Saw Your Heart On a bleak, futuristic about religious awakening HHH Earth wasted by wars and in the geographical cen- Film Movement, 98 min., in divided into overcrowded ter of Roman Catholicism, French w/English subtitles, not urban centers known as Corpo Celeste stars Yle Vianello as Italian- rated, DVD: $24.95 Mega-Cities, order is main- born 13-year-old Marta, who returns to her A lightweight but enjoy- tained by a fascistic, all-powerful law-en- native country with her mother, Rita (Anita able French comedy-drama, forcement force known as Judges. Mythical Caprioli), after living abroad for 10 years. The Day I Saw Your Heart Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is the helmeted Rita takes a job as a hard-toiling worker in a stars Mélanie Laurent as Justine, the morose lawman in charge of Mega-City One, which monotonous, pressure-cooker manual-labor youngest daughter of incorrigible 60-year- encompasses the territory between Boston job in a sweatshop-style bakery, but insular old Eli (Michel Blanc). The latter’s neurotic and Washington, D.C. When he’s told to and introspective Marta slowly begins to fixations and trail of broken marriages have train and evaluate mutant rookie Cassandra show signs of resistance when it comes to not only left Justine perpetually angry but Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), Dredd discovers being re-indoctrinated into Italy’s indigenous also given her a reason to blame her relation- that she possesses the genetic ability to read religious culture, unlike most of her blandly ship problems on dear old dad. Meanwhile, minds. Cassandra’s psychic aptitude comes obedient adolescent peers. Although direc- Justine’s older half-sister, Dom (Florence in handy when they respond to a violent, tor Alice Rohrwacher gets an adult-caliber Loiret-Caille), and the latter’s husband are triple-homicide call and encounter scar-faced performance out of Vianello, the film suffers dealing with fertility issues—a case of truly Ma-Ma (Lena Headey), a former prostitute- somewhat from the heavy-handed symbolism bad timing since Eli’s new wife is suddenly turned-drug empress, who dispenses Slo-Mo, used to articulate the dilemmas these young- pregnant. Tensions and disappointments fly a potent, aptly-named narcotic that allows sters face when confronted with the inevitable in all directions, but what makes director users to experience reality at a fraction of its dogmatic pull of the Catholic Church. What Jennifer Devoldère’s film fun to watch is normal speed. When they arrest their perp, is clear here, however, is that the Church re- Blanc’s smart performance as well-meaning Kay (Wood Harris), the judges discover that mains an elitist, ruthlessly authoritarian body but impulsive Eli, who surrounds himself they are locked into a massive, 200-story with tremendous influence, andCorpo Celeste with Justine’s ex-boyfriends because he’s vertical tenement called Peach Trees—on makes a quiet hero of Marta for subtly resist- sorry she can’t stay committed to anyone. orders from Ma-Ma. Based on a cult comic

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 20 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 strip, filmmaker Pete Travis’s Dredd bears quite satisfyingly intertwine here, although dream sequences—Bates adopts an extrava- little resemblance to Danny Cannon’s 1995 the performances are strong, with Spoladore a gantly artsy style, emphasizing buckets of cartoon-like take (which starred Sylvester spunky, soulful presence, and Cotrim shining blood along with ample doses of nauseating Stallone in the title role), instead presenting as Madonna. Optional. (T. Keogh) gore and nudity. And McCord’s snarling, a grim tale full of graphic, gory, gruesome unhinged performance makes it impossible to violence—and little else. Optional, at best. End of Watch HHH work up sympathy for a character who is obvi- (S. Granger) Universal, 110 min., R, DVD: ously in need of intensive psychological help. $29.98, Blu-ray: $34.98, Jan. Cameos from reputable actors—such as Ray Dust Up H 22 Wise and Malcolm McDowell—fail to raise Breaking Glass, 92 min., not Filmmaker David Ayer’s the overall quality here to any appreciable rated, DVD: $24.99 gritty LAPD procedural stars extent. Excision appears to be aiming for the Although Dust Up begins Jake Gyllenhaal as Brian tastelessly cheesy fun that is the specialty of as a somewhat spirited satire Taylor, a police officer who director John Waters (who also cameos as a about outcasts bonding far always carries a handheld HD camera and minister), but misses the target by a country from civilization, it even- wears a mic in his uniform. Taylor is taking mile. Not recommended. (F. Swietek) tually becomes a witless, pre-law classes and—for his art elective—is grotesque revenge story straining for laughs surreptitiously making a documentary about The Eye of the Storm between acts of rape and cannibalism. Aaron law enforcement in the South Central pre- HHH Gaffey stars as Jack—a one-eyed former ma- cinct, melodramatically emphasizing that Sycamore, 119 min., not rated, rine trying to atone for wartime violence— “beyond my badge is a heart like yours.” At his DVD: $29.98, Blu-ray: $34.98, who lives alone in a desert trailer, meditating side is his loyal Mexican-American partner, Jan. 29 and earning his living as a handyman. Jack’s Officer Mike “Z” Zavala (Michael Pena). Their Based on Nobel Prize neighbor and friend is a wannabe Indian arrogant attitude upon returning to the force winner Patrick White’s named Mo (Devin Barry), with whom Jack from leave after grabbing headlines for killing titular 1973 novel, The Eye talks about living “hectic” days of not doing two perps in the line of duty draws resent- of the Storm is a handsome dramedy featur- very much at all. But things change when ment from two, no-nonsense female cops ing intriguing relationships built on secrets. new mother Ella (Amber Benson) asks Jack (America Ferrera, Cody Horn), among others. Charlotte Rampling heads up the superb cast to repair some faulty plumbing in her home. Episodic in structure, Ayer and his “shaky- as Elizabeth, a dying widow whose consider- Before long, Jack is helping to protect Ella’s cam” cinematographer have created an able wealth is matched only by the size of her drug-addicted husband (Travis Betz) from his intricate character study of men whose lives controlling nature. During her final days, pathological supplier, Buzz (Jeremiah Birkett), are not just intertwined but also interdepen- Elizabeth is visited by her estranged, middle- a bar owner and grandiose cult leader whose dent, as they cruise around in their squad car, aged daughter, Dorothy (Judy Davis)—a crazy followers will do anything—including gulping Red Bull and dealing with domestic princess via a former marriage—and her eating the sheriff, after Buzz barbecues him disputes and foul-mouthed hoodlums. The charmingly obsequious son, Basil (Geoffrey in a fit of annoyance. Writer-director Ward pair banter and tease each other mercilessly, Rush), a mediocre stage actor trying to mount Roberts eschews all limits during the third even when they’re hanging out with Zavala’s an autobiographical stage play in London’s act, when Jack decides he has to embrace pregnant wife (Natalie Martinez) and Taylor’s West End. These three characters collide bloodletting once again to protect Ella and “badge bunny” (Anna Kendrick). A trail of in bruising but also entertaining fashion, her baby. For a would-be exploitation film drugs, guns, and money will eventually while Elizabeth drifts into memories—yet send-up, there unfortunately isn’t much here lead them into a climactic encounter with remains lucid enough to insult and dominate in the way of redeeming wit or style. Not street gangs and a rising Mexican cartel in everyone. Meanwhile, Basil and Dorothy recommended. (T. Keogh) this insightful and intense buddy cop film. engage in their own entanglements with Recommended. (S. Granger) others in Elizabeth’s orbit, including a nurse Elvis & Madonna HH (Alexandra Schepisi, daughter of the film’s Breaking Glass, 105 min., in Excision H1/2 venerable director, Fred Schepisi) and a noble, Portuguese w/English subtitles, Anchor Bay, 81 min., not rated, long-suffering attorney (John Gaden) who not rated, DVD: $24.99 DVD: $22.98, Blu-ray: $24.99 might have had a brief affair with Elizabeth. Marcelo Laffitte’s dram- Richard Bates, Jr.’s grue- An actors’ showcase of a film that eventually edy about a rocky romance some outcast-teen tale— delivers a moving and powerful revelation, between lesbian photogra- presumably intended as a this is recommended. (T. Keogh) pher Elvis (Simone Spola- darkly humorous horror dore) and transvestite hairdresser Madonna movie—is more repulsive The Falls HHH (Igor Cotrim) in Rio de Janeiro gets off to a than frightening and likely to produce more Breaking Glass, 89 min., not promising start. Working a night job deliver- grimaces than smiles. AnnaLynne McCord rated, DVD: $21.99 ing pizzas, the near-impoverished Elvis meets stars as Pauline, a stringy-haired, congenitally A sensitive portrait of Madonna after the latter is beaten and robbed nasty high-schooler who dreams (in bloody, gay men falling out of favor by boyfriend João (Sérgio Bezerra). The titular vaguely pornographic detail) about being with the Mormon church, pair quickly enter a relationship that grows a surgeon. In constant conflict with her even as they fall in love complicated due to Elvis’s pregnancy and mother, Phyllis (Traci Lords), as well as her with each other, The Falls the fact that she happens to snap a photo far more attractive classmates, Pauline per- is an earnest, well-acted drama, directed of João in a criminal act. João’s threat of suades the boyfriend of her biggest campus with an understated hand by Jon Garcia. revenge hovers over the new couple at the tormentor to sleep with her and then dumps Nick Ferruci stars as RJ, a 20-year-old “elder” same time that Elvis’s family struggles to him, while also plotting to save her younger who dutifully if reluctantly enters upon his adjust to her unorthodox relationship, and sister’s life by performing a lung transplant obligatory two-year missionary work, joining Madonna tries to mount a ludicrous stage that requires the kidnapping of a neighbor the more experienced Craig (Justin Koleszar) show. While Laffitte brings a jaunty edge kid who will serve as the involuntary donor. in the daily grind of trying to convert people to the film, the multiple story threads never Throughout—although especially in the to the Mormon faith by talking to strangers

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 22 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 on the street and going door-to-door. Mis- Balkan region—post-Iron Curtain rural Al- The Giant Mechanical sionary work brings constant challenges to bania—where ancient blood feuds between Man HHH the pair’s personal egos and sense of purpose families are making a post-communist resur- New Video, 96 min., PG-13, as they are ignored, treated with hostility, gence amidst an unstable agrarian free mar- DVD: $26.95 ambushed by those looking for an argument, ket. The Forgiveness of Blood not only portrays The Giant Mechanical Man and even physically assaulted. In time, RJ and the competition between two entrepreneurial loosely combines the softly Craig begin blowing off their daily tasks and Albanian families but also tells a parallel sarcastic attitude of contem- finding comfort in one another’s company, story of serious intergenerational conflict porary cosmopolitan dram- eventually having to face church authorities within the families themselves. The trouble edys with the Friends-style parallel universe as well as their families. The message that the begins when local bread delivery man Mark of attractive underachievers living beyond church should be more inclusive comes across (Refet Abazi) has his usual route blocked by their means in the big city. Jenna Fischer loud and clear here, but what makes The Falls business rival Sokol (Veton Osmani). Viewers plays Janice, a thirtysomething Chicago increasingly enjoyable is the way that RJ and then learn secondhand that Mark and his temp worker whose lack of direction makes Craig begin allowing more of the big world brother eventually confront the uncoopera- her a magnet for bad luck: at one point she into their narrow sphere, from trying mari- tive Sokol and kill him in some unspecified loses her job as a museum assistant because juana to watching a movie that hasn’t been manner. Mark’s brother is sent to jail, and of complaints that she looks depressed. Un- pre-censored. Recommended. (T. Keogh) Mark retreats into hiding, leaving his teen- able to make rent, Janice moves in with her age son, Nik (Tristan Halilaj), and adolescent obnoxious sister and her goody-goody dentist For a Good Time, Call… daughter, Rudina (Sindi Lacej), to carry on brother-in-law—a couple who immediately HHH the family business as best they can. In this sets her up with a repulsive self-help guru Focus, 85 min., R, DVD: tragically tradition-bound society, the sons (Topher Grace). While sleepwalking through $29.98, Blu-ray: $34.98, Jan. and daughters of the feuding adults adopt a a crappy job at the zoo, Janice hits it off with 22 more pacifist, “adult” attitude toward age-old recently jilted maintenance man Tim (Chris A raunchy, contemporary conflicts and the religion that justifies them; Messina), who moonlights as a silver-faced female relationship comedy, conversely, the adults are depicted as childish: on-stilts street performer. Like Janice, Tim is For a Good Time, Call… is hotheaded, tantrum-prone, and unwilling to adrift in occupational purgatory, and the two aimed squarely at the libidinous Sex and learn from mistakes. Highly recommended. bond over their confusion and indirection the City and Bridesmaids crowd. Uptight (M. Sandlin) in life. A quirky rom-com in which weak- Lauren Powell (Lauren Anne Miller) needs willed Janice and wishy-washy bohemian a new place to live (no mean feat in New Frankenweenie HHH1/2 Tim passively retreat into their own escapist York City) after she loses her publishing job Walt Disney, 87 min., PG, love bubble without giving the outside world and is dumped by her boyfriend. Her buddy DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray: $39.99, much of a fight, this is recommended, overall. Jesse (Justin Long) fixes Lauren up with his Jan. 8 (M. Sandlin) friend Katie Steele (Ari Graynor), not realizing Filmmaker Tim Burton that—years earlier—Lauren experienced a di- once again delights fans of Go Go Crazy HHH sastrous encounter with Katie. Nevertheless, the morbid and macabre Breaking Glass, 84 min., not Lauren moves into the spacious Gramercy with this fun-filled, spooky, rated, DVD: $21.99 Park apartment that Katie inherited from black-and-white animated tale about a boy Fred M. Caruso directed her grandmother, only to learn that bawdy, and his dog. Shy young filmmaker/scientist this very funny mockumen- uninhibited, foul-mouthed Katie earns her Victor Frankenstein (voiced by Charlie Tahan) tary centering on a shoddy living as a phone-sex operator. Although lives with his parents (Catherine O’Hara, Mar- dance contest in a gay night- initially horrified, Lauren soon realizes that tin Short) and his faithful bull terrier, Sparky, club. The story focuses on fielding calls from horny men—talking dirty, in the Dutch-influenced 1970s suburban town five ludicrous finalists—who each have to and vicariously fulfilling their pornographic of New Holland. One fateful day, when Victor creatively strip to his briefs in an artistic fantasies—is more lucrative than any job hits a baseball into the street, Sparky chases it fashion—as well as the contest’s three bizarre she can currently land. So Lauren convinces and is killed by a passing car. Victor’s parents judges and snarky hostess Hedda Lettuce Katie to set up her own phone-sex busi- try to soothe their grieving son but it brings (cross-dressing actor Steven Polito). A very ness which she will manage, kicking off a little comfort to the distraught child. So sharp group of actors with strong improvi- formulaic yet amusing story of frenemies in when his elementary-school science teacher sational skills anchors this delightful satire, the Big Apple. Director Jamie Travis has as- (Martin Landau) demonstrates in class how including Nick Kenkel as Vinnie, a Jersey boy sembled a talented cast, headed by Miller and a dead frog can be seemingly revived, Victor obsessed with his abdomen; Ken (Eric Spear), Graynor, who make the concept rise above raids the pet cemetery, and—sure enough—a whose dream is to produce a non-Equity stage its low-budget, sitcom roots. Also featuring lightning bolt will strike, bringing Sparky performance in New York; and Chase (Paul Mark Webber, Ken Marino, Kevin Smith, and back to life, minus an anatomical part or Cereghino), given to such tough-love insights Seth Rogen (Miller’s real-life husband), this two that must be stitched back on. Although as “grieving is only sexy when you’re thin.” smutty, salacious, and entertaining romp is the reanimation experiment was supposed Most of the film takes place on the night of recommended. (S. Granger) to be a secret, Sparky’s presence is soon re- the titular contest, where competing dancers vealed to Victor’s neighbors and classmates, try to impress the judges with such erotic cho- The Forgiveness of Blood and—before long—more creepy creatures are reography as pretending to drive a car while HHH1/2 revived, with amusingly subversive results. removing one’s pants. Much of the comedy Criterion, 109 min., in Burton originally envisioned this quirky film concerns the judges, including a professional Albanian w/English subtitles, inspired by horror classics as a full-length impressionist (Christina Bianco) who gets not rated, DVD: $29.95, Blu- stop-motion feature, but due to budget con- drunk and breaks into her Bernadette Peters ray: $39.95 straints, made it as a live-action short in 1984. voice. Meanwhile, Hedda spends a lot of time This affecting slice of bu- A winning animated film nicely backed by getting defensive about how much prep is colic realism from director Danny Elfman’s moody musical score, this involved in putting on women’s clothing Joshua Marston spotlights a much-ignored is highly recommended. (S. Granger) and how she’s simply cut out for better things

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 23 VIDEO LIBRARIAN than presiding over dance contests. An enter- tear them apart. Hermano features intense Shannon). On the eve of Mavis’s birthday, taining Magic Mike-with-a-wink farce, this is performances from its two young stars, while along comes Jonathan (Andy Samberg), a recommended. (T. Keogh) the on-field action boasts real punch, and the grubby, iPod-toting American backpacker gritty visual style lends the film an authentic in search of adventurous lodging. While Hello I Must Be Going feel. An occasionally melodramatic tale that the romantic attraction is immediate and HHH1/2 still powerfully captures the desperation of predictable, so is the problem: Mavis is a Oscilloscope, 95 min., R, DVD: the Venezuelan capital’s teeming underclass, vampire and Jonathan is human. Does this $29.99, Jan. 29 this is recommended. (F. Swietek) sound familiar? Energetically directed by TV Actor-turned-director ‘toon helmer Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s Todd Louiso’s third film— Hollywood to Dollywood Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls), this animated nominated for the Grand HHH family film that stakes its claim on the very Jury prize at Sundance— Breaking Glass, 92 min., not young is only fitfully funny. An optional plays a bit like The Graduate for a new era, rated, DVD: $24.99 purchase. (S. Granger) just as funny and every bit as poignant. John Lavin’s documen- Melanie Lynskey plays Amy Minsky, mov- tary about the quest for ac- House at the End of the ing back to Cheever Country—upper-class ceptance and the lure of star Street H Connecticut—after a divorce. Just as Dustin power focuses on identical Fox, 101 min., PG-13, DVD: Hoffman’s Benjamin Braddock didn’t know twins Larry and Gary Lane. Fans of Dolly $29.98, Blu-ray: $39.99, Jan. 8 what to do with his life, former photography Parton’s brand of open-heartedness, the Made back in the summer student Amy is also at a loss. When her par- Lanes have spent five years writing a script for of 2010, before star Jennifer ents, Ruth and Stan (Blythe Danner and John her, and decide to document their trip from Lawrence achieved wide- Rubinstein), hold a dinner party, Amy meets California to Tennessee to deliver it to the spread acclaim for Winter’s 19-year-old Jeremy (Christopher Abbott), son entertainer on the occasion of her 25th an- Bone or The Hunger Games, this banal, low- of a therapist who is a potential client for niversary. Raised by devout southern Baptists budget horror thriller finds the actress Stan. If Stan can win over Jeremy’s father, in North Carolina, Larry and Gary came out playing a feisty high school girl in jeopardy. he plans to retire and go on a long-awaited as gay in their mid-20s, and their relationship Seeking a fresh start, divorced hospital worker cruise with his restless and hyper-judgmental with their mother—who shares their love of Sarah (Elisabeth Shue) and her 17-year-old wife. Jeremy, a former child star, has become Parton’s music—has never been the same. daughter Elissa (Lawrence) rent a beautiful a theater actor, but internally he’s just as lost Before the siblings leave, they seek advice house in a small, upscale rural town. Mom as Amy. In a moment of privacy, Jeremy steals and support from actors Chad Allen, Beth can only afford such luxurious accommoda- a kiss with Amy, which isn’t unwelcome. Not Grant, and Leslie Jordan, who all have con- tions because a double murder took place suspecting a thing, Jeremy’s parents encour- nections to the South. They also meet with next door several years earlier: young Carrie age Amy to show him around Westport, Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, who Anne killed her parents and mysteriously which leads to a surreptitious affair (Jeremy’s suggests that they shorten their 160-page disappeared into the woods, where she pre- mother thinks he’s gay), while Amy worries draft. Along with Gary’s boyfriend, producer sumably drowned, although her body was about their 16-year age difference. Benefiting Mike Bowen, the brothers hit the road in an never found. But Carrie Anne’s older teen from a perceptive, humorously profane script RV named Jolene, visiting friends and famous brother, Ryan (Max Thieriot), still lives in the by Louiso’s wife, Sarah Koskoff, this is highly roadside attractions (like Graceland and the house as a virtual recluse, shunned by neigh- recommended. (K. Fennessy) Cadillac Ranch) during their 2,200-mile trip. bors who repeat rumors that Carrie Anne is The travelers also pass through Nashville in still alive, roaming around at night. Against Hermano HHH the wake of a devastating flood, but they her mother’s wishes, Elissa befriends Ryan, Music Box, 97 min., in Spanish manage to get to Dollywood in time, where voicing her curiosity about the tragedy that w/English subtitles, not rated, they attend several Parton performances, changed his life with the blunt inquiry, “Why DVD: $29.95 looking for the opportune moment to ap- do you still live in the house your parents Set in the slums of Cara- proach her, which proves easier said than got killed in?” Directed by Mark Tonderai, cas, Marcel Rasquin’s soc- done—although the 15 Dolly songs on the House at the End of the Street is mostly a teen cer tale Hermano begins soundtrack indicate that she gave this project melodrama that shifts into an implausible when Graciela (Marcela her blessing. Recommended. (K. Fennessy) horror tale only during the final act. Not Girón) and her young son Julio discover recommended. (S. Granger) an abandoned baby, who is then raised as Hotel Transylvania HH Julio’s brother. Fifteen years later the boys Sony, 91 min., PG, DVD: I Wish HHH are the stars of their neighborhood football $30.99, Blu-ray: $40.99, Jan. Magnolia, 128 min., in team—Julio (Eliú Armas) the rough enforcer 29 Japanese w/English subtitles, and Daniel (Fernando Moreno) a speedy Back in 1895, Count PG, DVD: $26.98 scorer—leading their mates into the champi- Dracula (voiced by Adam Japanese director Hiro- onship game. Their coach has invited a pro- Sandler) welcomed a be- kazu Kore-eda’s memorable fessional scout to look them over, but tragedy loved baby girl. Skip for- family-friendly film focuses intervenes when one of Julio’s pals targets ward 118 years and now-teenage vampire on a pair of brothers who several rival gang members but accidentally Mavis (Selena Gomez) yearns to escape from want to be reunited following their parents’ kills Graciela. Daniel witnesses the shooting her overprotective father’s cavernous castle, divorce. Twelve-year-old Koichi (Koki Maeda) but claims not to have, fearing that telling his which is inhabited by a motley variety of lives with his mother and grandparents heartbroken, hot-tempered brother the truth misunderstood Eastern European monsters, in southern Japan, while younger brother will lead him to seek revenge. The funeral including Frankenstein (Kevin James), Ryunosuke (Koki’s real-life brother, Ohshirô falls on the very day of the boys’ scheduled Quasimodo (Jon Lovitz), the Invisible Man Maeda) stays with their father in the north. tryout for the majors, and although they (David Spade), the Mummy (CeeLo Green), Koichi embraces an old superstition about can make both, Julio’s belief that Daniel and a rowdy werewolf family, headed by wishes coming true if the wish is made at knows more than he’s saying threatens to Wayne (Steve Buscemi) and Wanda (Molly a spot where two trains pass each other;

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 24 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 NEW FROM CINEMA GUILD IN 2013

A film by Yi Seungjun

A film by Kleber Mendonça Filho

A film by Paul Lacoste fortunately, new bullet trains are travel- on their swastika-shaped compound in 2018, hopeful portrait of a boy ing at extraordinary speeds between the the Nazis launch their assault, leading to Inde- abandoned by his father but towns where Koichi and Ryunosuke live. pendence Day-style resistance that also reveals given a second chance for a Ryunosuke, although younger than Koichi, the manipulative character of the planet’s po- family by an unassuming is the more practical of the pair, ultimately litical leadership. While the special effects in but innately decent young sneaking away to visit his older brother. The Timo Vuorensola’s film are both pretty decent woman. Cyril (an intense, lives of the separated brothers are presented (aside from some toppling walls obviously vulnerable performance with wry humor—a large and loving family made of styrofoam) and sometimes cheekily by ‘tween Thomas Doret) surrounds Koichi, while his brother enjoys a amusing (like Nazi space cruisers modeled has been placed in an orphanage outside a seemingly independent existence thanks to on dirigibles), the humor here is flatfooted. working-class Belgian town by his father, a less-than-reliable father. While the concept Having the U.S. president be a Sarah Palin Guy (Jérémie Renier). Although assured that might sound a bit precious, I Wish is actually lookalike would still be a stale idea even if his stay would be a short one, Cyril never- a wise film about perceptions, reality, and she had zippier lines and were better played theless will break any rule and take any risk family relations. Recommended. (P. Hall) by Stephanie Paul. But the Nazis deliver no to escape and reunite with his dad. But on stellar thespian examples either: Udo Kier is one of his treks outside he discovers that his The Imposter HHH a perfect choice for the Moon Führer (as he’s father has simply moved. Before he’s taken Indomina, 99 min., R, DVD: called), but is given almost nothing to do but back, Cyril literally bumps into Samantha $19.99, Jan. 22 scowl, while as his ambitious heir-apparent, (Cécile de France), a hairdresser. As he clings Playing like a psychologi- Götz Otto chews the scenery mercilessly, to her while counselors try to pull him away, cal thriller, this compelling but to little comic effect. Failing in its bid Samantha reacts not with fear but rather documentary interweaves for camp classic status, this is optional, at straightforward concern, which leads her to interviews and dramatiza- best. (F. Swietek) become his foster guardian, mounting a sup- tions as it tells the almost portive, determined effort to help Cyril face unbelievable-but-true story of a 23-year-old Keep the Lights On reality and control his anger. The film’s unaf- French Algerian man who assumed the iden- HHH fected naturalism brings genuine emotional tity of a Texas teenager. In 1994, 13-year-old Music Box, 106 min., not rated, force to this tale of a boy traumatized by a Nicholas Barclay disappeared near San An- DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $38.95, damaged childhood, while also underscoring tonio. Although the Barclay family assumed Jan. 22 the fact of how strong a simple act of kindness that Nicholas was abducted by a stranger An acutely observed, can be. Without preaching, the Dardennes and killed, they lived with uncertainty until painfully detailed account have once again delivered a social message hearing—three and a half years later—that a of the deterioration of a both poignant and intensely relevant. Highly boy had been found in Spain who claimed passionate relationship, Ira Sachs’ semi-auto- recommended. (F. Swietek) to be Nicholas. After clever con-man Frédéric biographical film traces the meeting, troubled Bourdin—who contacted U.S. police stations long-term cohabitation, and ultimate separa- Killer Joe H inquiring about missing children—learned tion of two gay men, Danish expatriate Erik Lionsgate, 101 min., R/unrated, about Nicholas, he dyed his hair blond, gave (Thure Lindhardt), a documentary filmmak- DVD: $19.98, Blu-ray: $24.99 himself the same tiny tattoos described on er, and Paul (Zachary Booth), a handsome Released theatrically with the missing child report, and concocted a corporate lawyer. The focus is on attractively an NC-17 rating (edited to credible kidnapping story, describing how scruffy thirtysomething Erik—Sachs’ surro- receive an “R” for DVD, but he’d been sold into an international child gate—who first encounters Paul after a round also featuring an “unrated sex ring, where he was tortured and not al- of phone sex one night in 1998. Finding director’s cut” on Blu-ray), lowed to speak English. The fact that he was themselves drawn to one another, the pair Killer Joe is all about hardcore human deprav- a brown-eyed French-Algerian impersonating move in together and initially prove to be a ity, featuring disturbing content involving a blue-eyed American didn’t seem to deter the loving, mutually supportive couple. But by violence, sexuality, and brutality. When 22- Barclay family, Child Protective Services, the 2000 the honeymoon is definitely over. Paul year-old gambling, drug addict/dealer Chris U.S. Embassy staff in Madrid, the news media, has developed a drug problem, disappearing Smith’s (Emile Hirsch) slovenly mother steals or the FBI. Why were family members so eas- for long stretches without explanation, and his stash, he’s left with a choice of coming ily fooled? Were they perhaps responsible for Erik’s attempts to intervene are failing. Al- up with money quickly or turning up dead. Nicholas’s disappearance, or worse? These are though nearly a decade later the two are back So Chris hatches a plan with his dimwitted questions that intrigue grizzled Texas private together again, they reluctantly conclude father, Ansel (Thomas Haden Church)—who detective Charlie Parker in filmmaker Bart that the arrangement cannot last. While the is now married to trashy Sharla (Gina Ger- Layton’s suspenseful documentary, based on thrust is basically linear, the structure of Keep shon)—to hire a hit man to whack mom a 2008 New Yorker article by David Grann. the Lights On is loose, interweaving digressive and then collect the life-insurance money to Recommended. (S. Granger) sequences involving friends, family, Erik’s cover the debt. That’s where sinister, smooth- filmmaking, and the AIDS epidemic, which stalking Dallas cop “Killer” Joe Cooper (Mat- Iron Sky HH add mood and texture. The result is a multi- thew McConaughey) swaggers in. The Smiths eOne, 93 min., in English & layered tale told with subtlety and a sense of don’t have cash for a down-payment, so Joe German w/English subtitles, R, insight that comes from personal experience. demands a retainer: the Smiths’ virginal DVD: $19.98, Blu-ray: $24.98 Recommended. (F. Swietek) teenage daughter, Dottie (Juno Temple). After Talk about a great trashy that, everything that can go wrong does. premise for a cool satire: Iron The Kid with a Bike HHH1/2 Before winning a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Sky features a bunch of Nazis Criterion, 87 min., in French w/English subtitles, Award for August: Osage County, playwright who escaped from Germany PG-13, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95, Feb. 12 Tracy Letts wrote this Southern Gothic black in 1945 and somehow made their way to Noted Belgian sibling filmmakers Jean- comedy, which he also adapted for the screen. the dark side of the moon, where they have Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s The Kid with a Shamefully self-indulgent director William ever since been preparing for an invasion of Bike is a remarkable contemporary neo-real- Friedkin relishes the overtly misogynistic, Earth. After an American astronaut stumbles ist drama, a quietly devastating but gently lewd scenes in which women are sadistically

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 26 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 BASED ON A NOVEL BY NOBEL LAUREATE PATRICK WHITE A FILM BY FRED SCHEPISI “Brilliantly Performed” “Sophisticated, Smart Entertainment” “An Acting Master Class” David Denby, The New Yorker Rex Robert, Film Journal Frank Hatherly, Screen Daily

GEOFFREY JUDY CHARLOTTE DIRECTED BY RUSH DAVIS RAMPLING FRED SCHEPISI

THE eyeof the storm

In a Sydney suburb, two nurses, a housekeeper and a solicitor attend to Elizabeth Hunter (Charlotte Rampling) as her expatriate son and daughter convene at her deathbed. In dying, as in living, Mrs. Hunter remains a disruptive force on those around her. Estranged from a mother who was never capable of loving them Sir Basil (Oscar Winner Geoffrey Rush), a famous but struggling actor in London, and Dorothy (Emmy Winner Judy Davis), a penniless French princess, attempt to reconcile with her. In doing so they are reduced from states of worldly sophistication to floundering adolescence. Directed by Fred Schepisi (Roxanne, Six Degrees of Separation) The Eye of the Storm is a witty, yet savage, exploration of family relationships and the sharp undercurrents of love, comedy and tragedy, which define them.

2012 NATIONAL THEATRICAL RELEASE IN BLU RAY THE TOP 25 MARKETS SPECIAL FEATURES Including, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Boston, ... Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Houston, + Productions Stills + Behind the Scene Footage Dallas, Austin, Minneapolis + Cast and Director Interviews, ... + 92Y, Interview with Director Fred Schepisi and actors Geoffrey Rush MARKETING SUPPORT and Alexandra Schepisi. Aggressive Print, Radio and Social Media Campaign producing millions of impressions!

RunTime:119 minutes • Aspect Ratio: 2:35 Rating:NR • Language:English ... THEEYEOFTHESTORMTHEMOVIE.COM TARGETED SOCIAL MEDIA BLACK & WHITE SYCAMOREENTERTAINMENT.COM IMDB, Facebook, Twitter, AOL, Yahoo, Rotten Tomatoes

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AVAILABLE AT MIDWEST TAPES and violently degraded, with McConaughey identify and kill the youngster who will grow likely has children all over the U.S. Believing delivering a laconic, snake-like performance up to be a mysteriously omnipotent villain that Abe has asked her to travel to Florida to that is truly repellent. Not recommended. known as the Rainmaker, thereby irrevocably retrieve adult son Raymond (Matt O’Leary), (S. Granger) altering the future. Meanwhile, younger Joe Linda does just that—finding Raymond to befriends tough, enigmatic Sara (Emily Blunt) be a drug-addled reprobate with a hilarious The Light Thief HHH who lives in an isolated farmhouse where streak of creative vulgarity and a slight pos- Global Film Initiative, 80 min., she is fiercely protective of her son (Pierce sibility of being redeemed. Most of the nar- in Kyrgyz w/English subtitles, Gagnon), an angry 10-year-old with terrify- rative concerns their long road trip: the slow not rated, DVD: $24.95 ing telekinetic powers. Writer-director Rian building of trust; Linda’s maternal instincts The obscure Eurasian Johnson makes the tantalizingly twisting being matched by Raymond’s willingness to country of Kyrgyzstan is and confusing timeline as clear as possible, be nurtured; and the complications of a sexu- the site for this microcos- serving up multidimensional characters ally desperate woman in close company with mic look at how suddenly whose motivations propel the plot, while her husband’s strapping young son. O’Leary Western-style modernization can bulldoze its using only a modicum of digital technology. is raw and funny, while Harris finally gets a way over the tranquil traditions of rural vil- Recommended. (S. Granger) well-deserved opportunity in a leading role. lage life. In a poverty-ridden valley with very Recommended. (T. Keogh) few resources, Svet-Ake (Arym Kubat)—also My Worst Nightmare known as “Mr. Light”—is an altruistic elec- HHH1/2 Nobody Else But You trician whose grand ambition is to one day Strand, 100 min., in French HHH supply his entire village with wind-generated w/English subtitles, not rated, First Run, 102 min., in French electricity (essentially expanding on his crude DVD: $27.99, Feb. 5 w/English subtitles, not rated, but effective attempts to generate power for Just when you thought DVD: $27.95 his own family and neighbors). But the film the modern rom-com was This sexy, sardonic French soon introduces some silver-tongued suit- dead, veteran French writer- whodunit begs obvious and-tied outsiders with no connection to director Anne Fontaine resuscitates the genre comparisons to Fargo due to the land, who have an eye on redeveloping with help from two of the most expressive its winter setting and quirky characters, but the valley and running the humble peasant and versatile actors in contemporary French director Gérald Hustache-Mathieu has his residents out. The evil developer kingpin, film: Isabelle Huppert and Benoit Poelvoorde. own arch style and agenda. Famous mystery Bekzat (Askat Sulaimanov), takes the easily Huppert’s character Agathe, an acid-tongued, novelist David Rousseau (Jean-Paul Rouve) coerced Mr. Light under his wing: the naïve prudish Parisian art dealer unhappily mar- goes to Mouthe, a blizzardy boondocks on electrician views collaboration as a golden ried to a wealthy stick-in-the-mud publisher, the Franco-Swiss border, in order to claim opportunity to fulfill his village-wide wind- manages to cross paths with her exact op- an inheritance, but finds himself snowbound powered electric dreams. Although the film posite, Patrick (the perpetually animated with an obsession. A regional celebrity, sensu- doesn’t say anything original about the sad Poelvoorde). Patrick is a louse of a father ous blonde TV weather-girl and commercial inevitability of the slick, morally suspect whose adolescent son is best friends with pitchwoman Candice Lecouer (Sophie Quin- forces of gentrification and the onslaught Agathe’s son at school. He’s also a boozing ton), was found dead by a skier on land that is of global cultural homogeneity, it does offer working-class womanizer who strikes up a outside any legal jurisdiction. Suspecting foul an intermittently fascinating look at a little- friendship with her husband, and before you play rather than the default suicide verdict, known indigenous culture in the process of know it, Patrick’s hired to do a remodeling job Rousseau turns sleuth and delves into the rise going extinct. Recommended. (M. Sandlin) on their stodgy apartment. Chaos naturally and demise of Candice, whose life mirrors ensues, with Agathe and Patrick at odds every that of American icon Marilyn Monroe, com- Looper HHH step of the way. But when Agathe’s husband plete with dyed-blonde hair, sexpot wardrobe Sony, 119 min., R, DVD: meets a younger woman and subsequently malfunctions, private torments, infertility, $30.99, Blu-ray: $35.99 leaves, Agathe changes in completely unex- marriage to an abusive jock, and affairs with An exciting, engrossing, pected ways. My Worst Nightmare is a bawdy, unsuitable men, culminating in a dangerous action-packed futuristic riotous, risqué comedy that also features dalliance with a married eminence whose thriller, Looper revolves bittersweet and tender romantic moments. initials rhyme with J-F-K. Recommended. around the challenging con- Both a scathingly funny twist on the classic (C. Cassady) sequences of time-travel. mismatched couple comedy trope and a so- By 2044, time-travel has been achieved but phisticated comedy of manners (with a dash North Sea Texas HH also outlawed, meaning the good guys can’t of class consciousness to boot), this is highly Strand, 94 min., in Dutch do it but the bad guys can—and do. So, if a recommended. (M. Sandlin) w/English subtitles, not rated, crime syndicate wants to get rid of someone, DVD: $27.99, Feb. 19 they zap him 30 years into the past, where Natural Selection HHH Although this Belgian a “looper” (hired killer) armed with a blun- Cinema Guild, 90 min., R, film handles its weighty derbuss (sawed-off shotgun) essentially takes DVD: $24.95 theme of adolescent ho- out the gangland garbage. Zipping around A multiple award-winner mosexuality with ample a decaying, derelict-littered metropolis in a at the SXSW Film Festival, sensitivity, the storyline here features some shiny red Miata, Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is filmmaker Robbie Picker- of the same quotidian coming-of-age clichés a hotshot hit man who makes a mistake when ing’s Natural Selection is an found in heterosexual teen romance mov- he hides a desperate colleague (Paul Dano) in enjoyable comedy about ies. Living in the colorless seaside town of his apartment. All too soon, Joe realizes that a devout Christian woman named Linda Ostend in Belgium (the title is taken from a his own loop is going to be closed, and his (Rachael Harris), who has endured a chaste local bar-restaurant), Pim (Jelle Floorizone) future self (embodied by Bruce Willis) is tar- marriage for 25 years. When her husband, is a typical introverted ‘tween who enjoys geted for assassination by their mobster boss Abe (John Diehl), is suddenly incapacitated solitary activities—including dressing up in (Jeff Daniels). As the plot unfolds, older Joe by a mild stroke, Linda discovers a secret: Abe his mother’s clothing—until he meets good- escapes and embarks on his own mission to has been a sperm donor for many years, and looking neighborhood kid Gino (Mathias

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 28 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 NEW NON-THEATRICAL RELEASES FROM OSCILLOSCOPE LABORATORIES

“DO NOT MISS THIS for the world.” “UPLIFTING AND “A gorgeous new take INTIMATE.” on a classic.” - REUTERS

A TOUCHING PORTRAIT OF TWO HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS LIVING IN BERLIN, UNITED BY THEIR SHARED HISTORY AND A PASSION FOR COOKING.

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CONTACT: BOOKINGS@OSCILLOSCOPE.NET 212.219.4029 x29 s WWW.OSCILLOSCOPE.NET Vergels). Gino seems to be the typical has mysteriously vanished, leaving her young his younger brother Jack (Zac Efron) while manipulator/user—obviously in a phase niece behind. Before long, the house begins trying to uncover the truth about a death-row of bisexual experimentation—while Pim to emit strange noises as doors and shelves killer—alligator hunter Hillary Van Wetter is deadly earnest in his commitment to a open and close inexplicably, and after the (John Cusack), who might have been wrongly homosexual relationship with Gino. Pim manifestations increase and become more convicted of killing a seedy sheriff. During has “victim” written all over his face: the threatening, Annie enlists a medium with the course of the investigation, Jack is seduced next thing you know, Gino has taken off a ouija board—as well as a sympathetic cop by the racist convict’s salacious pen-pal fian- with some anonymous girl, much to Pim’s (Casper Van Dien)—to help her uncover the cée, an aging floozy named Charlotte Bless confused adolescent consternation. While reasons behind the ghostly activities, which (Nicole Kidman—in a peroxide blond wig). Pim’s inward-turning, inarticulate rage is include a dark family secret and a series Based on Pete Dexter’s pulpy novel, director skillfully expressed by Floorizone, direc- of unsolved killings. Although McCarthy Lee Daniels introduces the lurid plot with an tor Bavo Defurne’s minimalist aesthetic exhibits an affinity for using old-fashioned interview of the family’s maid (singer Macy focuses too much attention on formal detail genre conventions to generate simmering Gray), who not only delivers a retrospective and not enough on character. Optional. tension and sudden shocks, the narrative of of what happened but also contributes a (M. Sandlin) this low-budget film is both cliché-ridden and husky voiceover commentary throughout underdeveloped, with a denouement that is the indulgently episodic narrative. While the The Other Dream Team disappointingly mundane and silly. Still, The scene in which Kidman’s character urinates HHH Pact does suggest that McCarthy has a knack on Efron’s briefly ignited some sensationalist Lionsgate, 90 min., not rated, for the tricks of the chiller trade, which bodes tabloid fever, it’s actually an appropriate treat- DVD: $24.98, Jan. 15 well for future efforts. Optional. (F. Swietek) ment for jellyfish stings and not as shocking Filmmaker Marius A. as one might think, given the circumstances. Markevicius’s inspiring Painted Skin: The That cannot be said for Cusack’s character’s documentary The Other Resurrection HH autoeroticism, S&M gang rape, and animal Dream Team looks at Lith- Well Go USA, 132 min., in mutilation. Ultimately, this is scummy, uania’s love for basketball (from the 1930s Mandarin w/English subtitles, sexploitation sleaze. Not recommended. up to the present day), connecting that not rated, DVD: $24.98, Blu- (S. Granger) ray: $29.98 near-obsession to the Baltic country’s post- World War II absorption into the Soviet A sequel to 2008’s Painted The Perks of Being a Union, which was most definitely a shotgun Skin, this epic fantasy fol- WallflowerHHH marriage. While most of the populace suf- low-up shattered Chinese box-office records Summit, 99 min., PG-13, DVD: fered severely under Soviet domination, with its fast-paced swordplay, magical mar- $19.98, Blu-ray: $24.99, Feb. one group of young Lithuanian men—who tial arts, exquisite costumes, and gloriously 12 excelled on the court—earned special privi- stylized CGI, combined with a star-studded When Stephen Chbosky’s leges. In fact, the Soviet basketball team that cast. Unfortunately, the meandering plot and young-adult novel was pub- defeated the USA at the 1988 Seoul Olympics dizzying array of supernatural characters lished in 1999, some book featured four starters from Lithuania. Cut make this a somewhat frustrating—if eye- critics compared it with J.D. Salinger’s The to 1990, when the Lithuanian separatist popping—watch. The action begins 500 years Catcher in the Rye for the way it sensitively movement became the elected government after the original film, as ancient fox demon captured teenage confusion and angst. Be- and declared independence—one of the first Xiao Wei (Zhou Xun) is freed from centuries ginning his freshman year in high school in stages in the disintegration of the USSR. of icy captivity in a frozen lake, where she suburban Pittsburgh, troubled Charlie (Logan Lithuanian players living abroad formed was imprisoned for violating demon law and Lerman) is recovering from the emotional a team to represent their newly-liberated protecting a human. She transforms into a aftermath caused by his best friend’s suicide homeland at the upcoming 1992 Olympics manipulative seductress who must consume and the death of his aunt. Confiding only in Barcelona, and the Grateful Dead—no people’s hearts to become fully human. A in an anonymous pen pal, Charlie fervently less—became team sponsors. The Lithu- supernatural love triangle is formed when hopes that this will be the beginning of a new anians faced the possibility of having to take Xiao Wei encounters Princess Jing (Zhao chapter in his life. While his first few days are on America’s so-called Dream Team, which Wei), who wears a golden mask to hide facial wretched and lonely, he’s soon befriended at they eventually did. The Other Dream Team scars from a bear attack, and also pines for a football game by Patrick (Ezra Miller), an bounces easily between sports and politics, the bodyguard (Chen Kun) who failed to audaciously gay senior, and his inseparable juggling newly-shot footage (including protect her from the bear. While it might stepsister, Sam (Emma Watson). Welcomed interviews with players and politicians) appeal to the genre’s most ardent followers, into their eccentric group of rebellious, with archival material to excellent effect. A Painted Skin: The Resurrection is too much of self-proclaimed “wallflowers,” introverted rare documentary likely to appeal to both a convoluted narrative mess to recommend Charlie earnestly confronts issues related sports fans and history junkies—truly a win- to anyone else. Not a necessary purchase. to sexuality (straight and gay), experiments win—this is recommended. (F. Swietek) (J. Shannon) with mind-altering drugs, and becomes the reluctant crush of a self-described Buddhist/ The Pact HH1/2 The Paperboy H1/2 punk rocker (Mae Whitman). As the year MPI, 89 min., R, DVD: $24.98, Millennium, 107 min., R, progresses, Charlie slowly but surely struggles Blu-ray: $29.98 DVD: $28.99, Blu-ray: $29.99, toward conquering his demons while also In debut writer-director Jan. 22 discovering his own identity. Helping out Nicholas McCarthy’s The Southern Gothic to its along the way are his concerned parents (Kate Pact, Annie (Caity Lotz) re- core, this tacky, tawdry Walsh, Dylan McDermott) and sister (Nina turns to her family house melodrama follows crusad- Dobrev), as well as an encouraging English in San Pedro after being ing Miami Times reporter teacher (Paul Rudd). Directed by Chbosky, convinced by her sister to attend their abusive Ward Jansen (Matthew McConaughey), who this is a compassionate teen film that rises mother’s funeral, despite bad blood. When returns with an assistant (David Oyelowo) to above many other coming-of-age dramas. Annie gets there, however, she finds her sister his swampy hometown of Lately, FL, joining Recommended. (S. Granger)

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 30 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 Pitch Perfect HHH Los Angeles Times article by Leslie Gornstein momentum during expositional flashbacks Universal, 112 min., PG-13, about the eBay auction of a “dybbuk box,” to reveal the contents of that envelope DVD: $29.98, Blu-ray: $34.98 this is a superficially scripted and formulai- and why it is valuable to so many people, With the success of Glee, cally directed chiller that adds little to the and Jamie Chung’s portrayal of Nima—a it was inevitable that college genre, regardless of the change in religion. desperate Chinese exchange student who competitive singing would Not a necessary purchase. (S. Granger) barely speaks English and has a history with make its way to the screen. Vanessa—is cartoonish, while his character Director Jason Moore’s Pitch Prairie Love HHH is an unrealistic plot device. A triumph Perfect centers on a saucy, snarky, spirited Film Movement, 81 min., not of stunt work over storytelling, this is an female a cappella group known as the Barden rated, DVD: $24.95 optional purchase. (S. Granger) Bellas of Barden University, who are deter- While comparisons to mined to break through the “glass ceiling” the Coen brothers’ Fargo are Resident Evil: Retribution and triumph over Barden’s Treblemakers, the inevitable, filmmaker Dusty H male national champions, who are fronted Bias’s tragicomedy actually Screen Gems, 96 min., R, DVD: by obnoxious Bumper (Adam DeVine). The seems far more akin to the $30.99, Blu-ray: $35.99 Bellas’ authoritarian blond leader, Aubrey terse, deadpan narratives of Finland’s Aki The fifth entry in writer- (Anna Camp), and her redheaded BFF, Chloe Kaurismäki. The off-off Hollywood setting director Paul W.S. Ander- (Brittany Snow), forcibly recruit reluctant here is the desolate, snow-covered prairies son’s sci-fi/horror franchise freshman Beca (Anna Kendrick), who is of North Dakota in deep winter, where a based on the popular Cap- determined to be a music producer and is character known only as “Vagrant” (Jeremy com video game series once again drops only attending Barden because her father is Clark)—who is so lonesome that he listens viewers into a mad world created by the a professor at the college. Eventually, Beca to self-improvement cassette tapes in his Umbrella Corporation, a vicious bio-engi- is joined by Aussie quipster Fat Amy (Rebel car—comes across a half-frozen stranded neering pharmaceutical company that con- Wilson), soft-spoken Lilly (Hana Mae Lee), motorist called “NoDak” (Garth Blomberg), cocted the T-virus, which triggered a zombie and butch Cynthia Rose (Ester Dean). At who was en route to a women’s penitentiary apocalypse. As the human race’s last-and- the campus radio station, Beca also hooks where he planned to rendezvous with a pris- only hope, intrepid Alice (Milla Jovovich), up with wannabe film-score composer Jesse oner (Holly Lynn Ellis) he’s been carrying a former security operative for Umbrella, (Skyler Astin), a geeky Treblemaker. Adapted on a steamy “affair” with via pen-pal letters. leads the opposition. As Retribution begins, from Mickey Rapkin’s 2009 non-fiction book NoDak easily falls victim to the Vagrant, who Alice awakens in the heart of Umbrella’s Pitch: Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella proceeds on to the prison and masquerades clandestine underwater compound, reveal- Glory, this is an admittedly formulaic story as the would-be suitor for the sweetly oblivi- ing more of her mysterious past as she delves with a conventional conclusion, but it’s also ous inmate, just being released. For a short further into the complex. Utilizing a cloning infectious fun. Recommended. (S. Granger) time the strange couple enjoy an idyll in plot ruse, now-dead characters—played by the motels and abandoned farmsteads that Michelle Rodriguez, Sienna Guillory, Oded The Possession H1/2 dot the white landscape. But it cannot last, Fehr, Ali Larter, and others—once again sur- Lionsgate, 103 min., PG-13, and doesn’t. A sardonic look at characters face as Alice fights her way through a series DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.99, who very much grow out of an absurdly of holograms designed to simulate various Jan. 15 minimalist environment and hardscrabble cities (Tokyo, Moscow, Berlin, etc.), includ- Why should Catholicism culture, this interestingly offbeat indie is ing Alice’s hometown, Suburbia, located be the only faith to deal recommended. (C. Cassady) outside Raccoon City. Except when Alice with possession? Reaching maternally bonds with Becky (Aryana Engi- for equal opportunity hor- Premium Rush HH neer)—a hearing-impaired girl who may or ror, Danish filmmaker Ole Bornedal turns Sony, 91 min., PG-13, DVD: may not be her daughter—Retribution serves to Jewish folklore—specifically, a dibbuk, $30.99, Blu-ray: $35.99 up loud, über-violent, and repetitive action. which is a malicious spirit that can capture This race-against-time Not recommended. (S. Granger) and ultimately devour the soul of an inno- thriller finds bicycle mes- cent person. At a yard sale in upstate New senger Wilee (Joseph Gor- Robot & Frank HHH York, 10-year-old Emily Brenek (Natasha don-Levitt) entrusted with Sony, 89 min., PG-13, DVD: Calis) finds an old wooden box with carved a mysterious envelope from $30.99, Feb. 12 Hebrew letters, and begs her father, Clyde Columbia University in uptown Manhattan Set in the near future, this (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), to buy it. Clyde is that he must deliver downtown to China- sly, fanciful story revolves a basketball coach, recently divorced from town. Wilee is having problems with his around Frank Weld (Frank Emily’s mom, Stephanie (Kyra Sedgwick), girlfriend, Vanessa (Dania Ramirez)—also Langella), an irascible re- a jewelry designer. Like many an indulgent a bike courier—who is being pursued by tired jewel thief, divorced weekend father, Clyde complies with Emily’s his rival (Wolé Parks). And his lightweight and living alone in rural Cold Spring, NY. wishes. Pretty soon, however, she’s growling, bike only sports one gear and no brakes. But Frank’s house is a slovenly mess and his gobbling food with a voracious appetite, and that’s nothing compared to menacing Bobby memory is obviously failing, which greatly spitting out giant moths. His ex-wife blames Monday (Michael Shannon), a sneering New concerns his grown children: exasperated Emily’s ominous, antisocial behavior on York detective with a gambling problem, Hunter (James Marsden) and peripatetic Mad- Clyde, as does his sassy, often-hysterical elder who really wants that envelope. Director ison (Liv Tyler), with whom he communicates daughter, Hannah (Madison Davenport). David Koepp wins points for the terrific via Skype. Since Frank is adamant about not But Clyde’s colleague, Professor McMannis action visuals (96% of the speeding chase moving to a “memory facility,” Hunter arrives (Jay Brazeau), and a hip Judaic exorcist, sequences are reportedly real, with no CGI one day with an electronic caregiver. This Rabbi Tzakok (Hasidic rap/reggae fusion artist trickery; among the peddling daredevils is expensive robot (voiced pitch-perfectly by Matisyahu), believe that the box contained Scottish street cyclist Danny MacAskill, Peter Sarsgaard) is programmed to monitor a dibbuk that has now gained demonic pos- whose YouTube videos attract millions of Frank’s daily activities in order to stimulate session of Emily. Loosely based on a 2004 views). Unfortunately, Premium Rush loses his mind and body, while also making and

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 31 VIDEO LIBRARIAN serving him healthy, nourishing meals. Frank obscure singer-songwriter catastrophically wrong—placing Pixie Hol- initially balks, but soon the cheerful robot brings surprising and af- low in grave danger. Returning members of is accompanying him everywhere, even to fecting revelations in Malik the stellar voice cast include Anjelica Huston, his favorite haunt: the local library. Here, Bendjelloul’s hugely enter- Lucy Liu, and Raven-Symone, while Timothy kindly librarian Jennifer (Susan Sarandon) taining, Sundance award- Dalton makes a first appearance here as the regretfully informs him that all books are winning documentary Winter Woods leader Lord Milori. Directed by being removed to make way for the “digital Searching for Sugar Man. Sixto Peggy Holmes and featuring the catchy tune experience.” But locked in a safe, she’s stashed Rodriguez was discovered “The Great Divide” by the McClain Sisters, a rare, valuable copy of Don Quixote. Making in a small Detroit bar by Motown music this solid entry in the series is recommended. plans to steal the book, Frank discovers—to executives who produced his first album (R. Pitman) his surprise and delight—that given proper in 1970. Although critically acclaimed, the instruction the robot learns how to pick locks record commercially bombed, and Rodriguez The Skinny H1/2 quickly and, best of all, has no conscience. quickly faded into obscurity. Eventually, a Breaking Glass, 100 min., not For the first time in his life, Frank has an rumor circulated that Rodriguez had com- rated, DVD: $21.99 accomplice, as one successful heist leads to mitted suicide onstage, either by shooting This barely compe- another. Director Jake Schreier establishes a himself or by self-immolation. Meanwhile tent dramedy concerns a lighthearted, believable bond between man a copy of his album found its way to South group of African-American and machine, while Langella delivers a tour Africa, and as the protest movement against friends—four gay men and de force performance (his character not only the apartheid regime began to gain steam one lesbian—who meet up in New York City has real memory lapses but can also feign among disaffected whites, several of Rodri- a year after graduating from Brown Univer- them). Combining pathos with humor, Robot guez’s songs were adopted as anthems, with sity. Relationship mayhem ensues as Magnus & Frank leaves a bittersweet afterglow. Recom- the singer becoming the voice of opposi- (Jussie Smollett) discovers that his supposedly mended. (S. Granger) tion despite official efforts of suppression. committed lover (Dustin Ross) has not only Apartheid ultimately died in South Africa, been attending orgies but also clandestinely The Salt of Life HHH but Rodriguez’s popularity lived on. A man shot a pornographic video in Magnus’s own Zeitgeist, 90 min., in Italian named Stephen Segerman spearheaded a apartment. Meanwhile, the puppy-ish Sebas- w/English subtitles, not rated, search for genuine biographical data on the tian (Blake Young-Fountain) has decided he DVD: $29.99 singer, setting up a website that led to con- wants to lose his virginity by sleeping with Comically examining tact from one of Rodriguez’s daughters, who longtime friend Joey (Jeffrey Bowyer-Chap- the invisibility of the mid- informed him that the singer was still alive man); Kyle (Anthony Burrell) is dodging dle-aged male, filmmaker in Detroit. Rodriguez came to South Africa romantic attention; and Langston (Shanika Gianni Di Gregorio stars to perform before astonishingly large crowds Warren-Markland) is summoning the cour- as Gianni, a married man with an adult who came out to hear this man who had been age to take up an implicit invitation to have daughter (played by the director’s real-life living a simple life for decades—unaware of sex with a bar waitress. Written and directed daughter, Teresa), and a controlling mother, the popularity his songs had achieved on an- by Patrik-Ian Polk, The Skinny smugly lurches Valeria (96-year-old Valeria De Franciscis other continent. Bendjelloul’s absorbing film along with a lot of momentum-killing breaks Bendoni). Everywhere he goes, Gianni runs tells this fascinating tale through interviews, for soft-core porn action, which only detract into attractive younger women (his employer archival material, new footage, and lots of from the reasonably good performances here. forced him to retire at age 50), but they either great music. A joyous surprise, this is highly Not recommended. (T. Keogh) don’t notice him or see him more as someone recommended. (F. Swietek) to walk their dog or pick up their groceries Sleepwalk With Me (although older women treat him much the Secret of the Wings HHH same). In an American movie, Gianni might HHH MPI, 81 min., PG-13, DVD: buy a sports car or try a spray-on tan, but Di Walt Disney, 75 min., G, DVD: $24.98, Blu-ray: $29.98 Gregorio’s approach plays more like Fellini $29.99, Blu-ray: $39.99 Standup comedian Mike by way of Nanni Moretti, if lighter in tone. Not all Disney spin-offs Birbiglia’s self-referential The Salt of Life also sports a subtext about the shine, but the candy-col- one-man show serves as the idle rich, since Valeria—who has a refrigerator ored CGI-animated Tinker basis for his slight but agree- full of champagne—expects Gianni to keep Bell franchise starring the able film in which he stars as a comic named providing for her in high style. Gianni tries beloved fairy from Peter Pan has been a consis- Matt Pandamiglio. Matt starts off as a hapless to make himself more visible, while encourag- tent winner, popular with viewers young and would-be performer in the open-mic club ing his mother to go easy on the spending. old. In this fourth trip to Pixie Hollow, Tinker where he works as a bartender, but gradually Unfortunately, his lingering glances towards Bell (voiced by Mae Whitman) longs to cross achieves some success after becoming the women make him come across as a little the border into the Winter Woods, home of client of an aged but aggressive agent (the creepy, especially since he isn’t single (he the winter fairies. Although she is warned not hilarious Sondra James). Unfortunately, this also experiences a misadventure with a little to, headstrong Tink nevertheless makes the has a negative impact on his relationship with blue pill). Still, an unexpectedly surrealistic trek—only to wind up damaging her wings long-suffering live-in girlfriend Abby (Lauren ending, after Gianni accidentally ingests a from the bitter cold. After recuperating, Tink Ambrose). As Matt works on personalizing hallucinogen, is delightful. While not quite makes a second trip and with the help of a his material, the jokes come more and more as charming as the director’s wonderful de- kindly “keeper”—a librarian-type named at Abby’s expense, and since he’s reluctant but Mid-August Lunch, this is recommended, Dewey (wink, wink)—meets her sister (born to even consider marriage, the pair drift overall. (K. Fennessy) from the same laugh), Periwinkle (Lucy Hale). apart. Matt must also deal with his gruff Naturally, the sisters are torn apart by the fact father’s constant prodding to do something Searching for Sugar Man HHH1/2 that due to climate issues they must remain, with his life, although his spacey mother is Sony, 86 min., PG-13, DVD: $30.99, Blu-ray: well, torn apart. But tinkers are resourceful, more supportive of his ambitions. Added to $35.99, Jan. 22 and Tink and her pals devise a wonderful the mix is Matt’s struggle with a dangerous An obsession to uncover the truth about an solution…until everything goes terribly, sleeping disorder that literally compels him

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www.musicboxfilms.com to act out his dreams, with life-threatening another bank. Competently directed by West and Grand Bazaar. Here, Bryan and Lenore results. Much of the film finds Birbiglia telling and shot during Mardi Gras for background are snatched by revenge-seeking Albanians, Pandamiglio’s story directly to the audience color, Stolen is ultimately just too pedestrian, led by a bitter tribal chief (Rade Sherbedgia), as he drives from gig to gig, pleading for the sort of by-the-numbers fare that would who has vowed diabolical vengeance for the their understanding and sympathy (while barely pass muster as late-night premium death of his gangster son. Director Olivier the thread dealing with Matt and Abby is cable fodder. Not a necessary purchase. Megaton has young Kim escaping capture, presented in conventional narrative fashion). (F. Swietek) adroitly scampering over Turkish rooftops Sleepwalk With Me was obviously made on a and tossing grenades, while also following modest budget, and like its star is a mite sham- Tai Chi Zero HH1/2 specific telephoned directions from her calm, bling and unkempt. But Birbiglia is a likable, Well Go USA, 95 min., PG-13, remarkably resourceful father as he’s held cap- amusing screen presence. Recommended, DVD: $24.98, Blu-ray: $29.98, tive, and her blindfolded mother is tortured. overall. (F. Swietek) Jan. 22 Implausible? Yes. Absurd? Yes. Will there be a Splashy but vacuous, Ste- Taken 3? Most likely. Optional. (S. Granger) Speechless HHH phen Fung’s martial-arts Breaking Glass, 96 min., in epic is essentially a live-ac- Tazza: The High Rollers Mandarin w/English subtitles, tion cartoon. The hero is HHH not rated, DVD: $21.99 Yang Lu Chan (Yuan Xiaochao), a historical CJ Entertainment, 140 min., in At the beginning of figure who was famous for mastering the tai Korean w/English subtitles, not Speechless, a European man chi form of kung fu invented by the Chen rated, DVD: $29.99 (Pierre-Mathieu Vital) is family. In this imaginative telling, he’s a Based on a popular Ko- found in a remote corner of kid called The Freak because of a prominent rean comic book set in the rural China in a seeming trance-state—swim- horn on his forehead that is actually a sign world of high-stakes gam- ming naked, while also refusing to speak. of innate martial arts prowess. Yang becomes bling, Choi Dong-hoon’s Tazza serves up an When the local hospital decides to transfer a military secret weapon capable of downing epic tale of tense card games, brutal reprisals, him to a mental institution, a sympathetic scads of warriors. But when his energy begins chicanery, and double-dealing in every sense. orderly named Jiang (Gao Qilun) decides to to wane, Yang travels to Chen Village to learn Seung-woo Cho stars as Goni, a callow young liberate the stranger instead, taking him on the special technique that will save him. fellow who loses both his life’s savings and his the road. By chance Jiang discovers that the Unfortunately, the locals are unwilling to sister’s alimony payments during a crooked silent man is named Luke, a French national teach outsiders, so Yang learns by imitating game of “hwatu,” roughly translated as the who enrolled in a foreign-exchange program the moves of those he fights. After being ac- “war of flowers.” Determined to seek revenge, that brought him to China. Luke’s trauma cepted by Master Chen (Tony Leung Ka Fai) Goni catches the eye of Pyeong (Baek Yun stems from a fateful transgendered love and his lovely daughter (singer Angelababy), Sik), a retired card master who becomes his triangle with two Chinese medical students, Yang helps them rebuff a ruthless railway mentor. Goni must deal with dangerous an idyll that wound up being poisoned by company that is planning to destroy the foes—Agui, a sadistic thug with a grudge jealousy. This ultra-melodramatic turn of village by running their line through the against Pyeong, and a slick mobster named events might be hard to take were it not for mountains. Tai Chi Zero is goofy to extremes, Kwak—while also meeting the expectations the non-sensational, neo-realist style of direc- half martial arts and half slapstick romp, of the notorious Madam Jeong (Kim Hye tor and co-writer Simon Chung, who here jazzed up with all sorts of visual bells and Soo), a sultry woman whose expertise at the creates a sensitive gay drama. Recommended. whistles—silent movie imitations, abrupt card table is matched by her dexterity in (C. Cassady) shifts to animation, elaborate special effects, manipulative self-interest (she becomes ir- and fight scenes choreographed to look like ritated when Goni finds a girlfriend his own Stolen HH video games. But a little of this pizzazz goes age). Tazza—Korean slang for professional Millennium, 96 min., not rated, a long way, and by the halfway point view- gamblers at the top of their game—is long, DVD: $19.99, Blu-ray: $24.99, ers are likely to feel more exhausted than somewhat repetitive, and depends on some- Jan. 8 exhilarated. Optional. (F. Swietek) times hard-to-follow flashbacks. But Choi’s Director Simon West re- direction makes this an exciting “sting” teams with star Nicolas Cage Taken 2 HH film with a visceral punch. Recommended. (the pair had a major hit 15 Fox, 92 min., PG-13, DVD: (F. Swietek) years ago with Con Air) for $29.98, Blu-ray: $39.99, Jan. this cheesy New Orleans-set B-movie that fea- 15 Undefeated HHH tures bank robberies, kidnappings, multiple In the original Taken, Kim Anchor Bay, 114 min., PG-13, car chases, and even human immolation, yet (Maggie Grace), daughter of DVD: $19.99, Blu-ray: $24.99, still manages to be almost unremittingly dull. former CIA operative Bryan Feb. 19 Cage plays this one straight—as opposed to Mills (Liam Neeson), was Filmmakers Dan Lindsay his occasional manic performance—as Will, a abducted in Paris by Albanian sex traffick- and T.J. Martin’s Oscar-win- supposed genius at planning elaborate heists, ers, after which Mills embarked on a bloody ning sports documentary whose partner is volatile Vincent (Josh Lucas). one-man rescue mission. As this sequel follows the fortunes of an After a bank job goes wrong and Vincent is begins, Bryan and his wife Lenore (Famke inner-city West Memphis high school football apparently killed, Will is nabbed and sent Janssen) are divorced and sharing custody team—the Manassas Tigers—during the 2009 to prison. When he gets out, Will discovers of teenage Kim, who is not only trying (for season, as they reverse their reputation as sure that Vincent is actually still alive; disfigured the third time) to obtain her driver’s license losers and overcome incredible obstacles to and angry, he’s holding Will’s daughter (Sami but also has her first boyfriend. When Lenore become a serious challenger for a district (and Gayle) hostage and threatening to kill her confides that her new husband has cancelled maybe even state) title. Undefeated isn’t really unless Will brings him the loot from that last their family vacation, Bryan impulsively in- an accurate title: the Tigers actually lose their robbery. Since he burnt the cash, Will enlists vites his ex-wife and daughter to meet him in opening games badly before turning things their old getaway driver—pretty bartender Istanbul to tour the exotic sites along the Bos- around, but while their on-field performances Riley (Malin Akerman)—to help him rob phorus, including the Suleymaniye Mosque are a significant partof the story, the film’s

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 34 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 real emphasis is on the players themselves, Marcel Pagnol, The Well-Digger’s Daughter is a preachy film that clearly tries to appeal and remarkable coach Bill Courtney, a is directed by Daniel Auteuil (who gained to desperate and often rightfully outraged paunchy, gregarious lumberyard owner world recognition in the 1986 prestige-scale parents who are deeply concerned about who volunteers to rebuild the team, hoping Jean de Florette, based on a novel by Pagnol). some obvious failures in the American to revive the spirit of the school’s blighted Auteuil also stars as Pascal, a well-digger public school system. A disappointing neighborhood. The spotlight falls on three and salt-of-the-earth type in Provence in misfire, this is an optional purchase, at particular players: O.C. Brown, who must the early 1900s. Of his six daughters, the best. (S. Granger) improve his grades in order to get into col- widowed Pascal is proudest of Patricia (As- lege; hot-tempered Chavis Daniels, fresh trid Bergès-Frisbey), who was briefly Paris- The Words H from a stint in juvenile lockup; and bright, educated and is the rustic clan’s brightest Sony, 97 min., PG-13, DVD: amiable Montrail “Money” Brown, whose prospect. When Patricia is seduced and im- $30.99, Blu-ray: $35.99 season is threatened by a serious injury. pregnated by an admiring Jacques (Nicolas Buried somewhere in Revealing moments occur throughout the Duvauchelle)—a dashing aviator son of a this jumbled mess of a film, which culminates in a surprising mix prosperous village merchant—Pascal’s aged movie is the kernel of a of uplift and reality, underscoring the fact partner, Félipe (Kad Merad), offers to wed provocative idea about eth- that victory takes various forms. A compel- Patricia to avoid scandal, but the well-dig- ics and plagiarism and the ling slice of inner-city life with an affect- ger will settle for nothing less than rightful difference between fiction and reality. The ingly hopeful message, this award-winning marriage with the high-born culprit…or title refers to a new book written by Clay documentary is recommended. (F. Swietek) be forced to exile and disown Patricia. A Hammond (Dennis Quaid), who is read- modern dramatist might cast the well-digger as a mean, small-minded bumpkin, but ing excerpts (which are dramatized) to V/H/S HH an assembled group of rapt aficionados in Magnolia, 116 min., R, DVD: such is the unapologetic old-school Pagnol $26.98, Blu-ray: $29.98 magic that the unyielding father seems as Manhattan, including a predatory Colum- much the offended victim as the daughter bia University grad student (Olivia Wilde). The found footage genre Hammond begins by describing ambitious popularized by The Blair (Pascal is seen as heroically adhering to a moral code). Sex, profanity, and edgy Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper), who yearns Witch Project (and copied by to be a great writer, like Ernest Hemingway. innumerable horror movies histrionics are eschewed here in favor of pastoral scenes of amber-colored fields of Struggling Rory is married to an adoring ever since) receives the an- wife, Dora (Zoe Saldana), who—on their thology treatment in this low-budget effort, grain. Whether intentionally post-ironic honeymoon in Paris—buys him a bat- which offers five short films by different di- or a sincere revisit to a more conservative tered briefcase. When the couple return rectors, with a wraparound story to loosely and sentimental brand of drama, this home to Brooklyn, Rory discovers that the tie them together. The linking segment has tranquil tale is a winner. Recommended. briefcase contains a yellowed, typewritten four goons being hired to break into a house (C. Cassady) manuscript. Enraptured by the tragic, post- to retrieve a VHS tape; once inside, the quar- World War II love story of a U.S. soldier in tet stumble on a dead body and roomfuls HH Won’t Back Down Paris, Rory copies it onto his laptop, prints of videocassettes—ultimately examining Fox, 121 min., PG, DVD: it out, and shows it to an agent at the talent five. The first shows three friends taking a $22.98, Blu-ray: $29.99, Jan. agency where he works in the mailroom. girl to their motel room, only to discover 15 Almost overnight, Rory becomes a literary that she has a strange taste for human flesh. As a single mom whose The second concerns a young couple fol- child attends Adams El- sensation. One day, while sitting in Central lowed during their cross-country drive by ementary in the poverty- Park, basking in his fame and fortune, Rory someone or something, and the third finds stricken, downtown Hill is engaged in conversation by a mysterious a quartet of teenagers going off into the district in Pittsburgh, PA, Jamie Fitzpatrick old man (Jeremy Irons), the manuscript’s woods to visit a lake where a mass murder (Maggie Gyllenhaal) runs into a wall after real author, who tells him: “We all make occurred years before (which we know is she realizes that her daughter, Malia (Em- choices in life. The hard thing is living with never a good idea). The fourth is a tale told ily Alyn Lind), is dyslexic. Although Jamie them.” Co-written and co-directed by Brian entirely via video conferences between a asks for help, Malia’s teacher (Nancy Bach) Klugman and Lee Sternthal, The Words is young woman who’s suffering from odd ignores her pleas, as does the smarmy a tiresome tale featuring a platitude-filled physical problems—while also harboring principal (Bill Nunn). Jamie’s frustration story-within-a-story structure that defies suspicions about an intruder—and her leads her to befriend Nona Alberts (Viola all logic and reason. Not recommended. best friend, a med student. In the closer, Davis), a conscientious teacher whose (S. Granger) four young guys attend a Halloween party son (Dante Brown) has math problems. where the action isn’t all in fun. V/H/S suf- Together, they discover a “parent-trigger fers from tired tropes—including extreme law” allowing concerned parents who shaky-cam and fuzzy blackouts—while wish to rescue a failing school to take Online the payoffs generally fall flat. Not recom- control and re-design it to foster effective mended. (F. Swietek) learning. Obviously, their educational Visit Video Librarian Online (www. reform campaign is opposed not only by videolibrarian.com) during January The Well-Digger’s the stubbornly entrenched administration and February for DVD/Blu-ray-specific HHH but also by a representative (Holly Hunter) comments added to the video movies Daughter reviewed here, as well as new reviews, Kino Lorber, 105 min., in of the powerful teacher’s union. Based French w/English subtitles, not on a 2010 incident that occurred in Los including Celeste and Jesse Forever, rated, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: Angeles, Won’t Back Down is unfortunately Farewell My Queen, Hit & Run, Holy $34.95 burdened with a contrived, exposition- Motors, Liberal Arts, Little Birds, Seven A French period drama heavy script and heavy-handed direction Psychopaths, Trouble with the Curve, remake of 1940’s La Fille by Daniel Barnz. Distorting or simplifying and much more! du Puisatier, made by revered filmmaker complex issues into banal generalities, this

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 36 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 Classic Films TV

Abraham Lincoln HH1/2 The remaining entries are Saboteur (1942), true-life tale of progressive white journalist Kino, 93 min., not rated, Blu- The Trouble with Harry (1955), The Man Who John Howard Griffin, who darkens his skin ray: $34.95 Knew Too Much (1956), Torn Curtain (1966), through a medically induced tanning treat- Timed to coincide with Topaz (1969), and Hitchcock’s amusing final ment and then travels the American South in the release of Steven Spiel- work, Family Plot (1976). This set has been the late 1950s to write about what life’s like berg’s feature film Lincoln, criticized for mastering problems on some of for the average southern African American. this is the Blu-ray debut of the entries (notably The Man Who Knew Too Griffin is played by a seemingly under-confi- a 1930 biographical effort by D.W. Griffith, Much, Marnie, Frenzy, and Family Plot), but the dent James Whitmore, who looks undeniably the first of the two sound films made by worst offer better images than the previous ridiculous in his blackface disguise here. And the legendary director before his career col- DVD releases, and the best (such as Vertigo) short of a lynching, he is treated just as badly lapsed. While a few crowd sequences are well are superb. The generous extras (with a new as you would expect. Whitmore as Griffin composed (although the battle scenes are featurette on the legacy of The Birds) include never seems comfortable in his new dark skin, sloppy), Abraham Lincoln—which suffers from audio commentaries, retrospective and and he’s too awkward to comfortably settle historical inaccuracies that are only exceeded archival behind-the-scenes documentaries into African-American culture; but, of course, by their dramatic flatness—mostly consists and featurettes, interviews, storyboards, stills he’s black enough for bigoted Southerners of stilted, stagy tableaux, beginning with galleries, a 58-page booklet, and more. Highly to threaten and belittle him. Picked up as a Lincoln’s birth and ending with his assas- recommended. (S. Axmaker) hitchhiker by white motorists, Griffin has to sination. Walter Huston plays Abe solemnly, field creepy questions about things like his with huge, theatrical gestures more suited to American Horror Story: presumed burning desire for white women. silent film than a talkie, and while the rest of The Complete First Not surprisingly, his experiences turn him the cast—including twittering Una Merkel as HHH into an angry, broken man ready to lash out Season at any perceived slight. Whitmore’s perfor- Lincoln’s first love—aren’t nearly as stiff, the Fox, 532 min., not rated, DVD: acting here is generally old-fashioned. Still, 4 discs, $49.98; Blu-ray: 3 mance leaves a lot to be desired, but Black Like this is an interesting curio, presented with discs, $59.99 Me boldly confronts powder-keg racial issues a fine high-def transfer made from a 35mm From Glee creators Ryan like few films—then or now. Bonus features print remastered by the Museum of Modern Murphy and Brad Falchuk, include the hour-long documentary profile Art, complete with excised scenes that have this dark, disturbing FX channel original is Uncommon Vision: The Life and Times of John been recovered over the years (many lack a creepy (at times gruesome) and increas- Howard Griffin, and an excerpt from Robert the audio track, so are accompanied by title ingly compelling horror story told over the Bonazzi’s authorized biography Reluctant cards). Extras include a two-part conversation course of a season. Set in a gloomy haunted Activist. Recommended. (M. Sandlin) between Huston and Griffith in which the house in Los Angeles, the series stars Dylan director restates both his disdain for Recon- McDermott and Connie Britton as Ben and Call the Midwife: Season struction and his positive attitude toward Vivien Harmon, a married couple trying One HHH1/2 the Ku Klux Klan that made his The Birth of a to start again in the wake of infidelity and BBC, 2 discs, 360 min., not Nation so controversial. For its historical value a miscarriage, with Taissa Farmiga as their rated, DVD: $34.98, Blu-ray: alone, this should still be considered a strong angry teenage daughter, Violet. Jessica Lange, $39.98 optional purchase. (F. Swietek) who won Emmy and Golden Globe awards Drawing from the mem- for her flamboyant performance, is Sister oirs of Jennifer Worth, the Alfred Hitchcock: The Jude, the displaced Southern belle next door. BBC’s Call the Midwife stars Masterpiece Collection Most of the other “neighbors,” however, turn Jessica Raine as Jenny Lee, a middle-class 22- year-old nurse who takes a job as a midwife HHH1/2 up in the Harmons’ home—trapped in an Universal, 15 discs, 1,762 min., afterlife that forces them to replay their ter- at an Anglican convent in 1957, working not rated/PG/PG-13/R, Blu-ray: rible stories for every new living resident. The alongside experienced nuns, including calm $299.98 show is filled with voyeuristic and ominous Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter), stern Sister Not all of the 15 films shots (watching from on high, behind doors, Evangelina (Pam Ferris), and spacey, cake- in this Blu-ray boxed set are masterpieces, down the stairs), a kinky sexual aura, and addicted Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt). but because they hail from the Master of a hyper-weird atmosphere. The first half of Jenny is hardly judgmental, but she finds the Suspense, all have their merits (and 13 the season seems like all perverse spectacle, poverty permeating London’s East End to be are making their high-def debuts here). but eventually a story (of sorts) emerges. challenging (suffice to say that gynecological Along with the previously available North Benefiting from a superb cast that also in- care has come a long way since the 1950s). by Northwest and Psycho, these are some of cludes Frances Conroy, Evan Peters, Denis To be effective, however, she must learn Hitchcock’s greatest films: Shadow of a Doubt O’Hare, and Mena Suvari, American Horror to put her preconceptions aside regarding (1943), Hitch’s personal favorite, with Joseph Story is a mature series with large dollops of unwed mothers, squalid living conditions, Cotten as the charming “Merry Widow” sex, violence, brutality, betrayal, and sadism. and seemingly inappropriate relationships. killer; Rope (1948), Hitch’s bold long-take Compiling all 12 episodes from 2011, extras Jenny’s upper-class colleague, Chummy experiment, starring James Stewart; Rear include an audio commentary on the pilot (Miranda Hart), would appear likely to be Window (1954), starring Stewart and Grace episode, and behind-the-scenes featurettes. even more out of her depth, but looks can be Kelly; Vertigo (1958), recently anointed by Recommended. (S. Axmaker) deceiving—even if Chummy finds it harder the Sight and Sound poll as the Greatest Film to handle the bikes the nurses use to cycle Ever Made, pairing Stewart with Kim Novak; Black Like Me HHH between appointments. Written by Heidi The Birds (1963), his memorable contribution MVD, 2 discs, 105 min., not Thomas and narrated by Vanessa Redgrave to the “animal attack” genre, starring Tippi rated, DVD: $24.98 as the older Jenny, the series has proven to Hedren; Marnie (1964), featuring Hedren and Originally screened in be as much of a favorite among PBS viewers Sean Connery in a chilly vision of psychosis Manhattan the year of the as Downton Abbey. The post-war setting also and domination; and Frenzy (1972), his first landmark Civil Rights Act brings the films of Terence Davies and Mike and only film featuring nudity, with a largely of 1964, Black Like Me is a Leigh to mind, particularly Leigh’s Vera Drake, British cast that includes Alec McCowen. fictional adaptation of the in which Imelda Staunton provided off-the-

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 37 VIDEO LIBRARIAN books care to desperate mothers. Although invasive medical trials. Lauren Ambrose plays The Crimson Petal and Worth was involved with the series, she plucky intern Susan Wheeler, who digs into the White HHH sadly died two weeks before filming began. the cover-up and is subsequently targeted by Acorn, 2 discs, 244 min., not Compiling all six episodes from the 2012 first the cabal of doctors and researchers behind rated, DVD: $39.99 season, extras include a cast featurette. Highly this enormous conspiracy. Steven Pasquale Based on Michel Faber’s recommended. (K. Fennessy) is Mark Bellows, a young physician and excellent 2002 novel—a romantic interest who joins Susan’s inves- Dickensian-like tale with Cinderella HHH1/2 tigation. Handsomely made, Coma displays very naughty bits set in Walt Disney, 75 min., G, Blu- a high-tech color scheme of hospital-gown 1870s London—this four-part 2011 BAFTA- ray: $39.99 green and operating-room off-white, and the winning BBC-aired miniseries adapted by Walt Disney’s 1950 ani- climax in a factory-like laboratory filled with Lucinda Coxon and directed by Marc Mun- mated classic softens and hundreds of bodies is an impressive set piece. den stars Romola Garai as a young prostitute sweetens the classic fairy tale But the characters are poorly developed, the named Sugar, whose reputed willingness to with music, comic asides, action and suspense sequences contrived do “anything” entices perfumery heir (and and familiar, and the storytelling falls into and a supporting cast of colorful animals. would-be literary fop) William Rackham the predictable rhythms of TV drama, with In this brightly-designed version, the pretty (Chris O’Dowd) into a longstanding rela- obvious commercial breaks. And then there and plucky Cinderella endures the abuse of tionship. Besotted and obsessed with Sugar, are the potholes in the script, which fails her wicked stepmother and snotty stepsisters, William ends up buying her outright from to explain how a conspiracy of this scope who have turned the bright, sunny young the bawdy-house of Mrs. Castaway (an almost has managed to remain hidden. Despite the woman into their servant. Cinderella has unrecognizable Gillian Anderson), installing impressive costar roster—including Geena the mice on her side, of course, a squeaky her in a nice flat where she continues work Davis, Richard Dreyfuss, James Woods, and army of scurrying do-gooders, and she has a on a vengeful novel (“I am a fallen woman, Ellen Burstyn—this fairly tepid remake is fairy godmother who swoops down to give but I assure you I did not fall. I was pushed.”), optional, at best. (S. Axmaker) her a magic transformation into the belle scenes of which are sometimes played out as of the ball, where she wins the heart of the fantasized attacks on William. Eventually, bachelor prince. This bright, lively musical Copper: Season One Sugar finds herself drawn into the affairs of delight hails from the second half of Disney’s HHH the Rackham household, where William’s classic animation period, and while it doesn’t BBC, 440 min., not rated, wife, Agnes (Amanda Hale), suffers from a boast the rich character of classics such as DVD: 3 discs, $49.98; Blu-ray: nervous mental condition—which is not 2 discs, $59.98 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Bambi, improved by the lascivious attentions of her its clean style, vivid imagery, and strong sto- The first original drama doctor (Richard E. Grant)—and the Rack- rytelling have made it a beloved perennial. created for BBC America hams’ young daughter, Sophie (Isla Watt), is Disney’s new “Diamond Edition” Blu-ray combines the historical kept entirely sequestered from her mother. features a high-definition remaster, along crime show template that is so successful Also on hand is William’s clergyman brother, with a slew of extras, including an alternate in Britain with the provocative period dra- Henry (Mark Gatiss), who guiltily longs for opening sequence, the new animated short mas proliferating on American cable. Tom the flesh of a consumptive Rescue Society ma- “Tangled Ever After” (with the characters of Weston-Jones is Det. Kevin Corcoran, the tron (committed to saving prostitutes) named Tangled), a featurette on the real woman who one good cop in Civil War–era New York Mrs. Fox (Shirley Henderson). Although it inspired the fairy godmother, a segment on City, who along with his loyal partners fights fails to match the psychological richness of the new Disney Princess Fantasyland attrac- crime both in the slums and in the halls of the book—and the filmmaking is sometimes tion, and a French animated short on glass power, while grappling with rampant corrup- too strongly influenced by David Lynch—this slippers. Also included is a bonus DVD edition in the police department. Ato Essandoh is an often powerful Victorian drama that tion with previously-available supplements, is Dr. Matthew Freeman, secretly working benefits from a haunting soundtrack by Cris- including the “making-of” documentary with Corcoran as the city’s first forensic pa- tobal Tapia De Veer. And make no mistake, “From Rags to Riches,” a tribute to Disney’s thologist, and Franka Potente is Eva Heissen, even though it deals with class differences, “Nine Old Men,” deleted scenes, and more. a brothel manager with a personal interest this is not Upstairs Downstairs, which—as I Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker) in the lawman. Created by Tom Fontana recall—did not sport full-frontal male nudity, (Homicide, Oz) and Will Rokos (Southland), or simulated oral sex on dirty, pox-ridden HH this American crime show convincingly Coma streets. DVD extras include deleted scenes, Sony, 160 min., not rated, re-creates 1860s-era urban blight, with brief and cast and crew interviews. Recommended. DVD: $38.99 peeks at the enclaves of the rich and pow- (R. Pitman) A remake of the 1978 film erful. Played against a culture of rampant by Michael Crichton—based crime and deceit—where the well-to-do can on Robin Cook’s bestsell- simply buy their way out of trouble—the Cut to the Chase: The ing novel—this 2012 A&E first season is historically entwined with the Charley Chase Collection miniseries was made by re-election of President Abraham Lincoln HHH producers Ridley and Tony Scott and direc- and a burgeoning Confederate conspiracy Oscilloscope, 2 discs, 303 min., tor Mikael Salomon, the same team behind in New York. For all the lurid details (the not rated, DVD: $29.95 the 2008 remake of The Andromeda Strain. first episode features a pederast politician), This two-disc set presents Coma updates the original story, bringing the mud and blood of street violence, and 16 comedy shorts from a a 21st-century perspective to the subjects the cozy ties between money and power, great silent-movie actor and of medical experimentation and corporate Copper still feels like a contemporary crime slapstick comedian who emerged from the ethics. Patients at respected hospitals are drama in period clothing. Compiling all 10 Keystone Cops to become a major star of the still slipping into comas during routine op- episodes aired in 2012, extras include audio 1920s. Charley Chase hit his stride playing erations at an alarming rate, but here they commentary, behind-the-scenes featurettes, the dapper urban everyman in a series of are shuttled to a high-tech care facility that deleted scenes, and character profiles. Recom- smartly made two-reelers, and this collection secretly uses the comatose individuals for mended. (S. Axmaker) features some of the best from his prime years

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 38 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 MUST-HAVES From tHe criterion coLLection

ON THE WATERFRONT PURPlE NOON THE MAN WHO KNEW THE TiN DRUM DVD EDiTiON • SRP: $39.95 DVD EDiTiON • SRP: $29.95 TOO MUCH DVD EDiTiON • SRP: $29.95 ISBN: 978-1-60465-660-2 ISBN: 978-1-60465-527-8 DVD EDiTiON • SRP: $29.95 ISBN: 978-1-60465-682-4 blU-RAY EDiTiON • SRP: $49.95 blU-RAY EDiTiON • SRP: $39.95 ISBN: 978-1-60465-680-0 blU-RAY EDiTiON • SRP: $39.95 ISBN: 978-1-60465-659-6 ISBN: 978-1-60465-526-1 blU-RAY EDiTiON • SRP: $39.95 ISBN: 978-1-60465-681-7 ISBN: 978-1-60465-679-4

PiNA THE bAllAD OF THE KiD WiTH A biKE CHRONiClE OF DVD EDiTiON • SRP: $29.95 NARAYAMA DVD EDiTiON • SRP: $29.95 A SUMMER ISBN: 978-1-60465-684-8 DVD EDiTiON • SRP: $19.95 ISBN: 978-1-60465-690-9 DVD EDiTiON • SRP: $29.95 blU-RAY 3D/blU-RAY EDiTiON ISBN: 978-1-60465-688-6 blU-RAY EDiTiON • SRP: $39.95 ISBN: 978-1-60465-692-3 SRP: $49.95 blU-RAY EDiTiON • SRP: $29.95 ISBN: 978-1-60465-689-3 blU-RAY EDiTiON • SRP: $39.95 ISBN: 978-1-60465-683-1 ISBN: 978-1-60465-687-9 ISBN: 978-1-60465-691-6

THE QATSi TRilOGY SANSHO THE bAiliFF iVAN’S CHilDHOOD TWO-lANE blACKTOP DVD EDiTiON • SRP: $79.95 blU-RAY EDiTiON • SRP: $39.95 blU-RAY EDiTiON • SRP: $39.95 blU-RAY EDiTiON • SRP: $39.95 ISBN: 978-1-60465-671-8 ISBN: 978-1-60465-686-2 ISBN: 978-1-60465-685-5 ISBN: 978-1-60465-678-7 blU-RAY EDiTiON • SRP: $79.95 ISBN: 978-1-60465-670-1

AVAilAblE AT www.criterion.com Visit www.baker-taylor.com/criterioncollection for the complete Criterion Collection. of 1924–1926, most directed by the great Leo parts—is a magnificent si- fans. Extras include the documentary “The McCarey. The highlight is Mighty Like a Moose lent spectacle, a blood-and- Science of Doctor Who,” the five-part web (1926), in which Chase’s character, Mr. Moose, thunder myth of warriors, series Pond Life (essentially a series of cheeky and his wife, Mrs. Moose (Vivien Oakland), dragons, brotherhood, and promotional spots), episode prequels, and transform themselves with cosmetic surgery betrayal, based on the epic the featurette “Doctor Who at Comic Con.” and then no longer recognize each other. 12th-century German poem Although the complete season will eventually Considered not only Chase’s best motion that inspired Wagner’s Ring be issued in a single set, interest is likely to be picture but also one of the greatest comedy cycle. In Part One, Siegfried, high when the new episodes are broadcast. shorts from the era (added to the National the titular warrior prince (Paul Richter) sets Recommended. (S. Axmaker) Film Registry in 2007), this mistaken-identity out on a journey, intent on winning the hand farce epitomizes Chase’s charismatic screen of Princess Kriemhild of Burgundy. Embody- Fear and Desire HHH persona while also underscoring the creative ing the mythic Aryan ideal, Siegfried faces Kino, 60 min., not rated, DVD: energy of his collaboration with McCarey. death-defying physical challenges before $29.95, Blu-ray: $34.95 Another notable offering presented here is finally reaching Burgundy and marrying In Stanley Kubrick’s 1953 Isn’t Life Terrible (1925), which includes a Kriemhild. But a series of betrayals leads to debut feature, four soldiers brief, uncredited appearance by Fay Wray. his death, which becomes the springboard for crash-land behind enemy All of the films have been remastered from Part Two: Kriemhild’s Revenge, an enormous lines in an unidentified archival prints, including two shorts exclusive and devastating epic in which two kingdoms country where they lose to this collection: The Uneasy Three (1925) are nearly destroyed in a literal conflagration. their moral and physical and Charley My Boy (1926), both directed The production boasts mythic landscapes of bearings while trying to get back. “There is a by McCarey. And all are silent with original ancient forests, fairy-tale waterfalls, lakes of war in this forest,” explains a narrator. “Not scores by various composers performed by the fire, and caves and crevices hewn out of earth a war that has been fought, or one that will Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. A fine and rock—all entirely built in Germany’s Ufa be, but any war.” Kubrick shoots much of addition to any collection of classic cinema Studios. While Die Nibelungen was edited for Fear and Desire in tight close-up, enhancing and a worthy companion piece to the works re-release over the years and some of the origi- the sense of dislocation and isolation, while of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, this is nal footage was lost, this restoration from the also reaching for aesthetic effects that suggest recommended. (S. Axmaker) Murnau Institute is the closest that viewers the men’s increasing anxiety and eventual will come to seeing the film as Lang intended. spiral into paranoia and madness. This in- Dial M for Murder Not only a wonderful cinematic landmark, dependently made platoon drama is quite HH1/2 Die Nibelungen is also a foundational work accomplished, but the young filmmaker, a Warner, 105 min., PG, Blu-ray: in a genre that would later include Excalibur, former photographer for Life magazine who $35.99 Lord of the Rings, and Game of Thrones (not apprenticed on short documentaries, is not Set next to the great cin- to mention Lang’s own Metropolis). Kino yet a director of actors, and his cast (which ematic accomplishments in presents the complete two-part version with includes Frank Silvera as Sgt. Mac, Paul Alfred Hitchcock’s oeuvre, a new recording of the original orchestral Mazursky as Pvt. Sidney, Kenneth Harp as 1955’s Dial M for Murder (based on Freder- score by Gottfried Huppertz. Extras include Lt. Corby, and Stephen Coit as Pvt. Fletcher) ick Knott’s hit play) doesn’t quite measure a retrospective documentary, and newsreel is not strong enough to fill in the blanks. up—either for suspense or drama—but it does footage of Lang on the movie set. Awesome Think of this arch, imperfect, ambitious feature a glamorous cast, and was the only in every sense, this is highly recommended. work as a first draft (Kubrick would return 3D movie the director ever made. Grace Kelly (S. Axmaker) to the same themes in Paths of Glory and Full (one of Hitch’s favorite actresses) stars as Mar- Metal Jacket) from a man who would become got Mary Wendice, a blonde beauty targeted Doctor Who: Series one of cinema’s great perfectionists. Largely for death by her ne’er-do-well husband, Tony Seven, Part One HHH unseen since its release—Kubrick was dissat- (Ray Milland), and then framed for murder BBC, 2 discs, 222 min., not isfied with the film and discouraged screen- when she turns the tables and dispatches her rated, DVD: $24.98, Blu-ray: ings—and newly restored by the Library of attacker. The murder scene—shot in tight, $29.98 Congress, Fear and Desire arrives on DVD and discomforting close-up—is the film’s high- The 21st-century BBC Blu-ray with extras including Kubrick’s The light, and Hitchcock used the then-new 3D revival of Doctor Who has Seafarers, a 1953 documentary short (and his process to explore space rather than exploit become one of the network’s first color production), made for the Seafarers it with gimmicky effects. Otherwise, the most popular exports. Bowing to demand, International Union. Recommended, overall. movie—which costars Robert Cummings and this set features the opening half of the (S. Axmaker) John Williams—suffers from a musty stagi- seventh season—a mere five episodes—while ness that is only partially overcome by Hitch’s the sci-fi favorite lies in hiatus before the Grey’s Anatomy: trademark sense of humor and playful ap- second half starts in 2013. These are the Complete Eighth Season proach to character. The 3D boom had passed final segments featuring the time-traveling HHH by the time Dial M for Murder was released, Doctor (Matt Smith) with his only married Buena Vista, 6 discs, 1,032 so it was ultimately also issued in a standard team of companions, Amy and Rory Pond min., TV-14, DVD: $45.99 2D format—both of which are included here (Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill). After some While Grey’s Anatomy in handsomely remastered versions. Blu-ray very colorful adventures—featuring the mad began as a look at a group extras include a retrospective featurette. A extraterrestrials, the Daleks; a western town of young doctors, they’ve strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker) under threat from an alien gunman; and an since grown up. Now in the fifth year of attack on Manhattan by the creepy “Weep- their residency, the core physicians spend Die Nibelungen HHH1/2 ing Angel”—the Ponds make a poignant and the 2011-12 eighth season gearing up for Kino, 2 discs, 280 min., not rated, DVD: $34.95, profound exit. Doctor Who remains as inven- their boards. As Karev (Justin Chambers) Blu-ray: $39.95 tive as ever, and the farewell to the Ponds, puts it, “George is dead and Izzie is gone, Fritz Lang’s Die Nibelungen—originally re- along with a return visit by River Song (Alex and we’re all different.” Now, two of the leased in 1924 in two separate, feature-length Kingston), will make this of great interest to couples have children, but if Torres (Sara

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 40 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 Ramirez) and Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) are obnoxious versions of themselves). The 21 action, reams of cheesy dialogue, and lots of going strong, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and episodes compiled here touch on issues old-fashioned beefcake to go along with the Derek (Patrick Dempsey) hit a rough patch ranging from parental dating and divorce, lovely scenery. In addition to McGarrett and due to her involvement with his clinical to marriage-like workplace friendships (and his crew—Danno (Scott Caan), Chin (Daniel trial, which affects their adoption, even if she V-neck shirt addiction). DVD extras include Dae Kim), and Kono (Grace Park)—the series was just trying to help Chief Webber (James deleted scenes and outtakes. Recommended. has some stalwart recurring characters, Pickens, Jr.). Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Owen (K. Fennessy) including Terry O’Quinn as McGarrett’s (Kevin McKidd) also struggle with an abor- mentor, and Mark Dacascos as evil nemesis tion and an indiscretion, but she supports Hart of Dixie: The Wo Fat. Notable guest stars (Ed Asner, James his promotion to chief after Webber steps Complete First Season Caan, and Robert Englund among them) also down. Unfortunately, Lexie (Chyler Leigh) make appearances in this 23-episode set from HH1/2 and Avery (Jesse Williams) break up, because 2011-12, which wraps with another nail- Warner, 5 discs, 928 min., not she isn’t over Sloan (Eric Dane), Avery’s plastic rated, DVD: $59.98 biting finale meant to whet the audience’s surgery mentor. And Teddy (Kim Raver) and appetite for next year. Extras include audio Rachel Bilson stars as Dr. her husband, Henry (Scott Foley), a former commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, Zoe Hart, an ambitious, patient, also face a variety of medical and a featurette on the training of Navy SEALs, an abrasive (in a cute way) career complications. If Karev remains a interactive guide to locations, deleted scenes, Manhattan medical resident who leaves gloomy gus, he gains an opportunity for a gag reel, and a crossover episode of NCIS: Los the Big Apple to take a position as a general redemption here as he helps with Meredith’s Angeles. Recommended. (F. Swietek) practitioner in the kind of quaint, quirky, adoption—even going behind her back to aggressively Southern small town that ex- pull a few strings. Each season features at ists only on TV. Hart of Dixie comes across Hazel: The Complete least one special episode, and this year’s like Northern Exposure south of the Mason- Fourth Season HH1/2 finds Meredith imagining what life would be Dixon line, with Zoe as the obligatory urban Shout!, Factory, 4 discs, 608 like if Webber had married her mother (Kate fish-out-of-water who clashes with socialite min., not rated, DVD: $34.99 Burton), among other alternative scenarios. Lemon Breeland (Jaime King) and Lemon’s At one point during Ha- Other guest stars include Alfre Woodard as country-doctor father, Brick Breeland (Tim zel’s penultimate 1964-65 a bestselling novelist, and Debbie Allen as Matheson), who also happens to own the season, “Mr. B.” (Don De- Avery’s mother, a superstar surgeon. Compil- other half of the medical practice. Zoe finds Fore) refers to the beloved ing all 24 episodes, DVD extras include an herself instantly attracted to golden-boy character created by cartoonist Ted Key as extended episode, a featurette on McKidd, lawyer George Tucker (Scott Porter), who is “some housekeeper named Hazel.” He of all deleted scenes, and outtakes. Recommended. Lemon’s fiancé (of course), while a rough- people should know better. As brought to (K. Fennessy) around-the-edges charmer named Wade (Wil- brassy life by Shirley Booth (in a two-time son Bethel) hides his attraction to Zoe under Emmy-winning performance), salt-of-the- Happy Endings: The a barrage of insults. This is a show where the earth Hazel is an indomitable force of na- Complete Second laidback mayor (Cress Williams) is a former ture who generally ignores her boss Mr. B’s Season HHH NFL star, Zoe’s fondness for short shorts is a demands that she mind her own business. Sony, 3 discs, 450 min., not favorite topic of the gossip mill, and the local What’s a woman with a font of “sensational rated, DVD: $45.99 mascot is an alligator named Burt Reynolds. ideas” to do? Hazel is quintessential comfort, The 2011-12 second sea- Zoe is befuddled by her new acquaintances’ if not classic, television. Oscar-winner Booth son of ABC’s Happy Endings folksiness and obscure aphorisms (they roll is the show, although DeFore as corporate builds on the show’s abbrevi- their eyes at her big-city ways), but in the end lawyer George Baxter makes a capable straight ated mid-season debut, as six Chicago friends they all kind of fall in love with one another. man. Hazel is light on stunt casting, as befits grapple with career and relationship issues, Compiling all 22 debut season episodes from a show about a live-in maid, but one episode including the unresolved egg donor mystery 2011-12, DVD extras include a behind-the- features professional golfer Tony Lema, whose from the first season. Childhood friends scenes featurette, deleted scenes, and a gag golf clubs Hazel unwittingly loses (Lema Alex (Elisha Cuthbert) and Dave (Zachary reel. Utterly unsubstantial and completely tragically died a year later in a plane crash). Knighton)—who were once engaged—form harmless (southern) comfort TV, this is an The rest of the season is vintage Hazel, as she the nucleus of the ongoing storyline. Penny optional purchase. (S. Axmaker) takes the starch out of ill-tempered stuffed (Casey Wilson), also single, kicks things off shirts, mends relationships, plays match- by buying a condominium, after which Alex Hawaii Five-0: The maker, and cannily manipulates George to moves in. Penny’s ex-boyfriend, Max (Adam Second Season HHH do her bidding, like remodel the kitchen. Pally), who has since come out of the closet, Paramount, 985 min., not Compiling all 26 season four episodes, DVD lands a boyfriend (James Wolk), and a paying rated, DVD: 6 discs, $55.98; extras include a promo used to sell the show job as a limo driver. While it’s not especially Blu-ray: 5 discs, $72.99 to potential sponsors. A strong optional believable that Max secured the funds to The second season of purchase. (D. Liebenson) buy the vehicle by selling his Beanie Baby CBS’s revived Hawaii-set collection, Happy Endings tends to prioritize police procedural features Heaven’s Gate HHH1/2 humor over realism, otherwise Dave wouldn’t beautiful locations and handsome young Criterion, 216 min., R, DVD: 2 have named his food truck Steak Me Home stars but relatively routine plots revolving discs, $39.95; Blu-ray: 2 discs, Tonight. As the only married couple, Alex’s around a special unit of the Honolulu squad $49.95 sister, Jane (Eliza Coupe), and her husband, created to deal with high-profile cases. After When Michael Cimino’s Brad (Damon Wayans, Jr.), continue to keep resolving last season’s cliffhanger by clearing $40 million Western epic their relationship lively. Guest stars include hunky, rule-bending, ex–Navy SEAL Steve premiered in New York in Megan Mullally as Penny’s New Age mother, McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) of a trumped-up 1980, the savage response Michael McKean as Dave’s sportscaster father, murder charge, the show offers up another from critics created a chain reaction that and Fred Savage as himself (Ed Begley, Jr. and spate of stories that will hardly test a viewer’s killed United Artists and wrecked the Oscar- Colin Hanks also drop by as particularly deductive powers but do feature plenty of winning director’s career. Harvard-educated

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 41 VIDEO LIBRARIAN federal marshal James Averill (Kris Kristof- creatures, like Kane Hodder’s axe-wielding be Bond. And he will leave viewers shaken ferson) is at the center of an 1890 imbalance maniac, and special effects, like exploding and stirred as police sergeant McLoughlin, between a massive wave of Eastern European heads and disintegrating faces. Other fun who is brought in on a very cold case in- immigrants and old-money cattle barons touches include his animatronic cat and the deed. Is the body in the ice house that of who consider them to be a threat to their tweaking of various sitcom conventions, al- long-missing David Maybury, a man who power—and who view Averill as a class trai- though the laugh track and puke effects grow McLoughlin’s superior, Walsh (Corin Red- tor. The result is a sprawling and provocative annoying. Featuring guest stars including Ray grave), is convinced was murdered 10 years cinematic tapestry of 19th-century socio- Wise and Tony Todd, storylines in the eight before by Maybury’s wife, Phoebe (Penny economics played out against Wyoming’s debut season episodes compiled here revolve Downie)? Walsh is not the only one assured majestic plains. Writer-director Cimino around attempts to rent the station camera, of her guilt; the very hostile villagers also fashioned a deep, multi-textured screenplay a misadventure with a skunk, and a visit to believe she got away with murder and don’t populated with fully dimensional characters, a horror convention. Extras include behind- approve of her living arrangement with two and the solid ensemble cast—including Isa- the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and women, Diana (Frances Barber) and Anne belle Huppert (in a rare Hollywood appear- bloopers. Recommended. (K. Fennessy) (Kitty Aldridge). From the decomposed body ance), Christopher Walken, Sam Waterston, to intimations that the missing husband John Hurt, Jeff Bridges, Brad Dourif, and Hung: The Complete was something of a “total bastard,” things then-unknowns Mickey Rourke and Willem Third Season HHH turn rather nasty before all of the secrets are Dafoe—offer strong performances. Vilmos HBO, 2 discs, 261 min., TV- revealed. The performances by the core en- Zsigmond’s luscious cinematography and MA, DVD: $39.98, Blu-ray: semble are uniformly excellent, although the David Mansfield’s subtle score are beautiful $49.99 portrayals of the homophobic townspeople enhancements. While some aspects of the During Hung’s 2010- are a little over the top. DVD extras include critical carping are justified—the film is 11 third and final season, an hour-shy profile of Walters that does not much too long, and the rambling 25-minute friends and business part- shed much light on The Ice House, but does opening sequence at Averill’s 1870 university ners Ray (Thomas Jane) and Tanya (Jane illuminate her creative writing process. graduation should have either been severely Adams) are at the bottom of the ladder, with Recommended. (D. Liebenson) cut or jettisoned—Heaven’s Gate is still a Ray working as a substitute teacher and Tanya highly impressive and deeply original work as a barista until she gets the bright idea to The Incredible Mel that does not deserve its negative reputation. take out a loan. Her Wellness Center for Brooks HHH Presented in a beautifully restored edition on Women looks like a clinic, and offers courses Shout! Factory, 5 discs, 660 DVD and Blu-ray, extras include interviews in “orgasmic living,” but it’s mostly a front min., not rated, DVD: $89.95 (with Cimino, Kristofferson, producer Joann for her gig as a “happiness consultant,” i.e., This five-disc collec- Carelli, and others), a featurette on the resto- Ray’s pimp. Things get off to a swell start until tion offers a grab bag of ration, and a booklet. Highly recommended. nemesis Lenore (Rebecca Creskoff) finds a all things Mel Brooks outside of his feature (P. Hall) stud of her own, Jason (Stephen Amell), and films: talk show appearances, TV specials, hones in on their business. But little does comedy skits, shows he wrote and others in Holliston: The Complete Lenore realize that Jason’s fiancée, Sandee which he appeared, commercials, animated First Season HHH (Analeigh Tipton), has a mind of her own; shorts, and documentaries about the man, Image, 223 min., not rated, although she’s willing to let him sleep with all spanning 60 years. Highlights include the DVD: 2 discs, $24.98, Blu-ray: other women, she also won’t allow anyone pilot for Get Smart, the spy-spoof sitcom that $29.98 to take advantage of him. Lennie James Brooks created with Buck Henry; Brooks’ FEARnet’s Holliston gives also returns as Charlie, a veteran pimp who favorite episode of the short-lived Robin the sitcom genre a jolt with threatens to destroy Tanya’s business. Over Hood series When Things Were Rotten, with lashings of metal and hor- the 10 episodes compiled here, other compli- Sid Caesar; and the Oscar-winning animated ror. Hatchet director Adam Green’s semi- cations arrive in the form of a police officer short The Critic (1963), with Brooks provid- autobiographical creation centers on Adam with a violent side (Ana Ortiz), and a former ing improvisational narration. Just as funny (Green) and Joe (Joe Lynch), who direct student (Kaitlin Doubleday) with the hots for are his many appearances on TV talk shows: commercials and introduce horror movies for her high school history teacher. Although The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, The a Massachusetts cable access station (in the Ray’s kids get short shrift this season, his Dick Cavett Show, the British Wogan, plus bonus cast audio commentaries, Green says ex-wife (Anne Heche) finally gets a job and the 1984 British special An Audience with he started out the same way, and that Hol- learns to stand up for herself. Extras include … Mel Brooks and the 2010 cable special liston was originally created for UPN—with episode audio commentaries by co-creators Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again the exteriors shot in his Holliston hometown, Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson, behind- (with a guest appearance by Carl Reiner). and the interiors in Hollywood). Dee Snider, the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and a Brooks, a born improviser, thrives in these in full Twisted Sister drag, plays station boss music video. Recommended. (K. Fennessy) situations no less than when he was doing Lance Rockett, who also fronts a Van Halen The 2000 Year Old Man with Reiner (some tribute outfit. Stranger yet, GWAR’s Dave The Ice House HHH of which is here too). Also included are a Brockie, in his Oderus Urungus persona, BBC, 180 min., not rated, DVD: 1981 profile of Brooks from the British arts plays an imaginary friend who gives Adam $19.98 series Arena; the 2012 PBS special Excavating advice. When Adam and Joe aren’t working “There’s a body in the old The 2000 Year Old Man; and hours of new at the station, the pair are toiling away on ice house.” Thus begins this interviews in Mel and His Movies, covering their own low-budget horror movie. On the gripping and at times grisly his entire career (edited into five parts). A social front, Joe is seeing Laura (Laura Ortiz), 1997 BBC two-part adapta- bonus audio CD features more songs, skits, who likes to paint creepy babies, while Adam tion of international best- and interviews, and a 60-page illustrated pines for ex-girlfriend Corri (Corri English), selling British crime writer Minette Walters’ book provides notes and program guides. A a nurse who has recently returned to town murder mystery, no doubt released on DVD fine survey of one of the defining comedy with her doctor boyfriend. Just as Adam can to coincide with a new movie featuring one creators from the ’60s to the present, this is only see Oderus, he can also only see the of its stars: Daniel Craig, the man who would recommended. (S. Axmaker)

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 42 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 The Kathy Griffin tured with Anne. Not surprisingly, the pro- most memorable appearances. Among the Collection: Red, White ceedings then turn very strange (and often highlights of disc two are “Wabbit Twouble” HH violent), with the chaotic rush of emotions (1941); the “hunting” trilogy—“Rabbit Fire,” + Raw 1/2 ultimately winding up in a justly celebrated “Rabbit Seasoning,” and “Duck! Rabbit! Shout! Factory, 2 discs, 330 min., not rated, DVD: $24.98 cinematic denouement. Presented in a beau- Duck!”—with Bugs, Daffy, and Elmer caught tifully restored edition on both DVD and in verbal gymnastics and surreal zigzags; Kathy Griffin’s Red, White Blu-ray—highlighting the film’s opulent de- the complete “Bugs Bunny vs. Cecil Turtle” + Raw presents seven of the sign and inventive cinematography—extras threesome; and five outstanding one-offs, actress-comedienne’s spe- include a 2009 documentary on the film’s including the celebrity-caricature-stuffed cials for the Bravo network (filmed in San Di- tumultuous production, and a booklet with “Hollywood Steps Out.” More a sampling than ego, Knoxville, Temecula, Milwaukee, Costa an essay by noted critic Michael Atkinson. a focused compilation organized by character Mesa, Atlantic City, and Boston). Griffin Highly recommended. (P. Hall) or creator, not all of the titles here are classics, speaks to the audience as if they were her best but this is as interesting and entertaining friends, lacing her comments with liberal Letter from an Unknown a gathering of 50 Warner Bros. cartoons as profanity, sexual references, mentions of her you could hope for. While bowing in both Woman HHH1/2 mother Maggie, and catty comments about DVD and Blu-ray editions, the Blu-ray release celebrity culture. Subjects include reality Olive, 86 min., not rated, DVD: $24.95, Blu-ray: $29.95 features exclusive bonus material, including shows such as Dancing with the Stars, Hoard- audio commentary tracks, featurettes (on cre- ers, and Bravo’s Real Housewives of New Jersey, Max Ophüls is most famous for the elegant, bit- ators, characters, and genres), and a third disc but she reserves the lion’s share of her spiel devoted to special content and rarities from for tabloid staples, such as Bristol Palin, Kim tersweet romantic pictures the vault, including 11 of the best cartoons Kardashian, Michael Jackson, and Whitney he made in France in the Tex Avery made for MGM after leaving Warner Houston (in comedy, timing is everything, so 1950s (notably La Ronde and The Earrings of Bros. and several Private Snafu cartoons made it’s worth noting that her bits about Jackson Madame de…), but his American films of the for the Army during World War II. The Blu-ray and Houston preceded their deaths). Other 1940s are equally good, including 1948’s Let- edition also features an illustrated booklet routines revolve around Griffin’s appear- ter From an Unknown Woman, an exquisitely with brief notes by animation historian Jerry ances on The View, Law & Order: SVU, and stylish melodrama that anticipates the grace Beck. Recommended. (S. Axmaker) The Teen Choice Awards, which she attended and continental sensibility of those later clas- with Palin’s ex-boyfriend, Levi Johnston. A sics. Joan Fontaine delivers one of the best few of the bits are region-specific, such as a performances of her career as Lisa Berndle, an The Lucy Show: Official routine about the Waffle House, which might awkward young Viennese woman hopelessly Sixth and Final Season not make as much sense to non-Southerners. enthralled by dashing pianist and bon vivant HHH Whether Griffin goes too far is surely a matter Stefan Brand (Louis Jourdan), a handsome Paramount, 4 discs, 612 min., of personal taste, although her account of cad who briefly takes her as a lover and then not rated, DVD: $39.98 an awkward encounter with Sharon Stone forgets her in the blur of women who pass An otherwise unremark- struck me as insensitive. While there’s a little through his bedroom. Fontaine’s Lisa is vul- able vehicle for its beloved overlap between a few shows—all filmed nerable without lapsing into sentimentality, iconic star, The Lucy Show between 2009-11—most of the material is and she ultimately shows a hidden strength found its footing during its 1967-68 sixth fresh (in both senses), while the Milwaukee as she risks everything for one more moment and final season. The show’s original prem- and Costa Mesa specials include taped and with the love of her life, while Jourdan’s ise—widowed mom raising two children live appearances from Maggie, an endearing Stefan is genial and callow, an empty figure and trying to get by with a little help from staple from Griffin’s Life on the D-List. DVD confronted by the meaningless of his life and her friends—had long been jettisoned. The extras include unaired bonus footage. A shamed by self-discovery. Ophüls’ endlessly 24 episodes compiled here give fans what strong optional purchase. (K. Fennessy) moving camera circles around the characters they love about Lucy: lots of physical com- while maintaining a measured distance, of- edy and celebrity guests. A clip episode fea- Les Visiteurs du Soir fering an intimate view that deftly captures tures former costar Vivian Vance, although Lisa’s life-defining rapture and Stefan’s fleet- HHH1/2 for this season, veteran Gale Gordon as ing engagement. A beautiful and devastating Criterion, 121 min., in French banker Mr. Mooney takes over the role of w/English subtitles, not rated, romantic drama making its long-awaited second banana. The guest-star wattage this DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95 stateside debut on both DVD and Blu-ray, this season is klieg-bright, with Carol Burnett Filmed during the Nazi is highly recommended. (S. Axmaker) costarring in a season-opening two-parter occupation of France, Mar- as a stewardess-in-training. Joan Crawford cel Carné’s 1942 feature Looney Tunes Platinum appears as herself, with Lucy and Viv mis- Les Visiteurs du Soir (The Devil’s Envoys) is a Collection: Volume Two takenly thinking that she is destitute. Phil fantasy set during the late 15th century, but HHH Harris plays a gin-soaked lounge singer; was widely seen as a subversive commentary Warner, 365 min., not rated, Edie Adams heats things up as—incred- on the political climate at the time of its DVD: 2 discs, $26.99; Blu-ray: ibly—a romantic stalker of Mr. Mooney; production. A pair of envoys sent by the 3 discs, $44.98 and Lucy tries to get Jack Benny to open devil—Gilles (Alain Cuny) and Dominique This second volume of an account at the bank. Other episodes (Arletty)—disguise themselves as minstrels Warner Bros. “platinum feature Milton Berle, Ken Berry, and Dick and arrive at a baron’s castle before the an- collection” cartoons is another creatively Shawn, and several conclude with musical nouncement of the engagement of Anne curated set that combines fan favorites, production numbers. The Lucy Show went (Marie Déa), the nobleman’s daughter. Gilles historically significant pieces, and notable out almost on top, second in the ratings seduces Anne and winds up in the dungeon, one-shots. Disc one is dedicated to the Loo- to The Andy Griffith Show, while Lucy won while the baron and his future son-in-law ney Tunes stars—Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, her second consecutive Emmy. DVD extras both fall in love with Dominique. But things Porky Pig, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Pepé include archival clips (Ball’s gracious 1968 become complicated when the devil himself Le Pew, Foghorn Leghorn, and Speedy Gon- Emmy acceptance speech, and her return- (Jules Berry) shows up and becomes enrap- zales—showcasing some of their earliest and the-favor appearance on The Carol Burnett

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 43 VIDEO LIBRARIAN Show), a blooper reel, production notes, and result of unwise decisions (his oldest is having urday Night Live cast member Fred Armisen more. Recommended. (D. Liebenson) a dangerous liaison with The Butcher’s beau- became IFC’s biggest original hit, thanks tiful mistress). Compiling all eight episodes largely to YouTube snippets and viral clips. Mad Men: Season Five from the 2012 debut season, extras include The satire takes comedic shots at the Pacific HHH1/2 behind-the-scenes featurettes. Optional, at Northwest culture of Portland, OR, where the Lionsgate, 585 min., not rated, best. (S. Axmaker) population seems to consist largely of aging DVD: 4 discs, $49.98, Blu-ray: hippies, slackers, and New-Agers (all of whom 3 discs, $49.99 Maidstone and Other are played by Brownstein and Armisen). The Four-time Emmy win- Films by Norman Mailer sophomore season boasts a great lineup of ner for Outstanding Drama guest stars: Jeff Goldblum, Kristen Wiig, H1/2 Tim Robbins, an animated tattoo of Eddie Series, AMC’s Mad Men ex- Eclipse, 2 discs, 284 min., not amines gender roles and cultural identity rated, DVD: $39.95 Vedder, and Edward James Olmos and James through the prism of advertising executives Callis (the latter pair at a table-read of a fake During the late 1960s, Battlestar Galactica script), among others. and creative types in 1960s New York. Season pugnacious novelist Nor- five takes the story up to 1966, as the stress While most episodes feature unrelated short man Mailer decided that he skits built around one longer piece running of keeping a prestigious but struggling new wanted to become a filmmaker, so he banged Madison Avenue ad firm afloat takes its toll through the show, the finale draws the regu- out a trio of no-budget, mostly improvised lar characters (including a return visit from on founding partner Don Draper (Jon Hamm) productions that blurred the lines between and his colleagues. Although this is the only Kyle MacLachlan as the mayor) into a single home movies and experimental cinema. His story, a humorous little epic called “Brunch season the show was shut out of the Emmy first effort,Wild 90 (1967), finds three foul- awards, it’s arguably the best yet, and features Village.” Compiling all 10 second season mouthed gangsters (Mailer, Buzz Farbar, and episodes from 2012, extras include episode the most talked-about episode of the entire Mickey Knox) hiding in an apartment from series: “The Other Woman,” in which the commentaries, a director’s cut of the finale, a unspecified enemies.Beyond the Law (1968) behind-the-scenes featurette, a deleted scene, partners ask Joan (Emmy nominee Christina puts Mailer in the role of an Irish cop who Hendricks) to sleep with a prospective client. and a book excerpt from Portlandia: A Guide runs a precinct where police brutality is part for Visitors. Recommended. (S. Axmaker) The segment became the water-cooler TV of the daily routine. And in Maidstone (1970), moment of the year, and not just because of Mailer plays a controversial filmmaker who HHH the salacious dramatic edge. This plot element decides to become a presidential candidate. Ramrod 1/2 becomes a turning point for Peggy (Emmy Olive, 95 min., not rated, DVD: All three films are disasters—albeit in unique $24.95, Blu-ray: $29.95 nominee Elisabeth Moss), Don’s protégé; ways. Wild 90 features some of the worst and his amazing farewell to her (evoking sound recording ever in a theatrically released This tough, lean, mer- complicated feelings of anger, betrayal, regret, feature—perhaps just as well, considering cenary 1947 Western stars affection, and pride) is a powerful moment. the absurd abundance of scatological words Joel McCrea as Dave Nash, Compiling all 13 episodes from 2012, extras and pointless name-calling. Beyond the Law a principled cowhand in the include audio commentaries, behind-the- offers a funny surprise with writer George middle of a brutal range war, scenes featurettes, a pictorial timeline, and a Plimpton’s acting turn in a devastating par- and Veronica Lake as Connie Dickason, the Newsweek digital gallery of magazine covers. ody of then–New York mayor John Lindsay, daughter of a small ranch owner who goes to Still one of the smartest and most challenging but Mailer’s direction is hopelessly muddled war with the area’s tyrannical cattle baron, shows on the air, this is highly recommended. and his own acting is worse. Maidstone is Frank Ivey (Preston Foster), a man quick to (S. Axmaker) infamous for the bizarre moment when Rip resort to arson and bloodshed when intimi- Torn, playing Mailer’s brother, inexplicably dation no longer works. Based on a story by Magic City: The freaked out while in character and attacked Luke Short, director Andre De Toth’s Ramrod Complete First Season the director/star with a hammer (Mailer takes an unexpected approach to a familiar HH replied by biting Torn’s ear). Aside from situation as the opening scenes play out in an that strange flare-up, however, the movie is atmosphere of anticipation and tension; no Anchor Bay, 3 discs, 419 min., gunshots are fired but the threat of violence not rated, DVD: $44.99, Blu- enervated and offers no meaningful insight ray: $54.99 into the political process. Missing from this hangs over the town, giving it the feeling of an occupation. Nash is all principle and sense This Starz original drama anthology, sadly, is Mailer’s final attempt at filmmaking: 1987’sTough Guys Don’t Dance, of justice, trying to follow the law while his series centering on night- opponents resort to violence and murder, as clubs and gangsters in 1959 Miami plays like which—despite its deficiencies in screenwrit- ing and acting—at least boasted professional- the conflict escalates into surprising brutality Mad Men meets Boardwalk Empire. Jeffrey Dean (in an era in which screen gunfights tended Morgan stars as Ike Evans, an independent level standards that were painfully absent from these ramshackle efforts. Extras on to be bloodless and clean, De Toth makes it a hotelier with big dreams, and Olga Kurylenko point to draw blood when there’s fighting or (a former Bond girl) is his loving wife, Vera this barebones Eclipse set are limited to liner notes. Except for Mailer addicts and devotees shooting). Donald Crisp costars as a fatherly (they are a rare devoted couple in this kind sheriff and Don DeFore is memorable as a of cable fare). Danny Huston goes way over of outrageous underground cinema, this is not a necessary purchase. (P. Hall) likable scoundrel willing to fight dirty. One the top as Ike’s not-so-silent partner, Ben of the most underrated Westerns of its time, Diamond, a crude thug whose nickname is this is highly recommended. (S. Axmaker) “The Butcher.” Huston is the most entertain- Portlandia: Season Two ing element in this handsomely made but HHH shamelessly exploitative series, where naked VSC, 2 discs, 220 min., not Three Wicked Melodramas from showgirls and torrid affairs are sprinkled rated, DVD: $19.95, Blu-ray: Gainsborough Pictures HHH amidst the big deals and gangland hits as $24.95 Eclipse, 3 discs, 330 min., not rated, DVD: $44.95 if trying to meet a quota. The show is pure This offbeat Independent While the rest of the film industry was crime melodrama, with Ike trying to stay Film Channel sketch-com- cranking out patriotic paeans to sacrifice and honest and independent in a corrupt world, edy from singer-songwriter endurance during World War II, Gainsbor- and his sons routinely getting into trouble as a Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney) and Sat- ough Pictures in Britain had a blockbuster

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 44 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 hit with the potboiler cos- up a mix of metaphysics, secular mysticism, classics: Tod Browning’s Dracula (1931), tume drama The Man in corporate conspiracy, and feel-good family starring Bela Lugosi; Frankenstein (1931), The Grey (1943)—a success that drama (with a dash of Kabala tossed in toward Mummy (1932), and The Bride of Frankenstein spawned similar melodra- the end of the season). Gugu Mbatha-Raw (1935), all featuring Boris Karloff, with James mas about plucky heroines, costars as Clea Hopkins, the social worker Whale directing the Frankenstein duo and wicked villainesses, and who joins forces with Martin to follow the Karl Freund helming The Mummy; The Invis- darkly seductive antiheroes, clues, and Maria Bello guest stars in the two- ible Man (1933), with Claude Rains getting all defined by superficial part season finale. Compiling all 13 episodes top billing and Whale at the helm; and The elegance on a budget and gleeful plunges into from the 2012 debut run, extras include an Wolf Man (1941), with Chaney in the title bad behavior. This Eclipse line set compiles extended pilot episode, behind-the-scenes role under director George Waggner. These three of the most famous, including The Man featurettes, and deleted scenes. A strong were defining works for the first great age of in Grey, which was directed by Leslie Arliss optional purchase. (S. Axmaker) horror flicks and are still beloved for their and adapted from a novel by Eleanor Smith. vivid characters and striking black-and-white Margaret Lockwood stars as Hesther Shaw, a Twilight’s Last Gleaming gothic style. The remaining two entries—the calculating social-climber who betrays her HHH Technicolor Phantom of the Opera (1943), best friend, Clarissa (Phyllis Calvert). The film Olive, 144 min., R, DVD: with Rains directed by Arthur Lubin; and made stars of James Mason, as callous Lord $24.95, Blu-ray: $29.95 Jack Arnold’s Creature from the Black Lagoon Rohan, who marries sweet, sunny Clarissa Robert Aldrich’s 1977 mil- (1954), starring Richard Carlson—are not simply to secure an heir, and Stewart Granger, itary drama combines the in the same top echelon, but are significant who plays Peter, a handsome actor who woos men-on-a-mission-against- nonetheless. The package also includes two Clarissa. Madonna of the Seven Moons (1945), long odds adventure genre bonus films—the 1931 Spanish-language helmed by Arthur Crabtree and based on a the director mastered in The Dirty Dozen with Dracula (which was shot on the same sets novel by Margery Lawrence, is a lurid tale of the conspiracy thriller craze of the 1970s, as the Lugosi version) and the 3D version of repressed memories and flamboyant gypsy creating a high-concept heist film with a Creature from the Black Lagoon—as well as the criminals, with Calvert playing Maddalena, political edge. Burt Lancaster stars as Gen. excellent 1998 documentary Universal Horror, a married Italian woman with a split person- Lawrence Dell, a patriotic career soldier who narrated by Kenneth Branagh. Extras include ality, stemming from an earlier trauma, and leads a volatile group of misfits to take com- audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes Granger as Nino, a petty thief who is her lover mand of a military silo in Montana and ulti- and archival featurettes, short films, photo galleries, and more. Highly recommended. when she’s her “other” self. The Wicked Lady mately hold the nation hostage. Dell wants to (S. Axmaker) (1945) reunited Lockwood and Mason with reveal the buried truth behind the Vietnam director Arliss in the studio’s most successful War, a secret that America’s military brass will film, based on a novel by Magdalen King- stop at nothing to keep hidden. By 1977, the Upstairs Downstairs: Hall. Lockwood plays Barbara Worth, a bored aging Aldrich wasn’t as sharp a filmmaker, Season Two HHH rich woman who turns to robbery for fun and the film suffers from some sloppiness BBC, 2 discs, 348 min., not and profit, and Mason is Capt. Jerry Jackson, in both the action and the storytelling; but rated, DVD: $34.98 her secret lover and partner in crime. Filled Aldrich’s use of split screens during negotia- One can’t help but won- with silly twists and overwrought emotion, tions and attack scenes remains very effec- der if the creators of the these films are not the least bit credible, but tive. Lancaster and Charles Durning (as the rebooted Upstairs Down- all are disreputable good fun. Recommended. President) keep the story grounded by virtue stairs were a tad piqued at (S. Axmaker) of their characters’ moral foundations (both all the adulation thrown Downton Abbey’s are dedicated, honest men trying to do right way. Lavishly produced and meticulously Touch: The Complete by their country), while the political stakes mounted, this updated series apparently First Season HH1/2 carry a prescient punch. A solid supporting wasn’t able to compete and was cancelled Fox, 3 discs, 533 min., not cast surround Durning as cabinet members, after this 2012 second season of six episodes. rated, DVD: $49.98 including screen legends Melvyn Douglas, Surely not helping matters was the absence In this new series created Joseph Cotten, and Paul Winfield, as well of Jean Marsh, the lone holdover from the by Tim Kring (Heroes), Kiefer as cult actors Charles McGraw and William original series, who sadly suffered a stroke Sutherland stars as Martin Marshall. Although a flop during its theatri- and only appears in just a couple of scenes. Bohm, a former investiga- cal release, the film’s reputation has since Also missing in action is venerable Eileen tive reporter who now works blue-collar grown as a startlingly hard-edged political Atkins, whose popular character Maud was jobs following the death of his wife in the drama as well as one of the most interesting killed off after Atkins complained publicly September 11 attacks, dedicating himself to (and plausible) conspiracy movies of the era. about creative differences. Joining the cast caring for his possibly autistic son. Young Jake Restored for DVD and Blu-ray, extras include is Alex Kingston as Maud’s outspoken scene- (David Mazouz) doesn’t speak (although he a feature-length “making-of” documentary. stealing half-sister. Series two begins in 1938 does narrate the show in voiceover) or like to Recommended. (S. Axmaker) as “this house prepares for war.” Diplomat Sir be touched, but he sees complex patterns in Hallam (Ed Stoppard) is a lone voice against the world and communicates through num- appeasement of Hitler, while Lady Agnes bers that connect seemingly unconnected Universal Classic (Keeley Hawes) returns home after a diffi- events and people in a web of relationships Monsters: The Essential cult childbirth, and —during her husband’s and meanings. The scripts combine Martin’s Collection HHH1/2 numerous absences —becomes friendly with efforts to reach Jake through the trail of num- Universal, 8 discs, 710 min., an American Jewish businessman. Agnes’s bers and stories that spread around the globe, not rated, Blu-ray: $159.98 willful sister is in Germany still enthrall to all coming together by the end of each epi- This impressive set pres- the Nazis. Among the servants downstairs, sode in unexpected and sometimes contrived ents the Blu-ray debuts of there are the usual couplings and uncou- (but usually heartwarming) ways. Sort of like eight of the most iconic Universal monster plings, with Laura Haddock making a solid Lost meets Crash, the series makes a genuine movies from the 1930s through the ’50s in impression as the new maid, who attracts the attempt at emotional sincerity while serving gorgeous high-def. Most are unassailable chauffeur. Upstairs Downstairs looms large

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 45 VIDEO LIBRARIAN on the cultural landscape, and many will freak-show cult classic level, thanks largely want to return to 165 Eaton Place—even for to Davis’s willingness to look like a gargoyle More Boxed Sets a short while. DVD extras include cast and as Jane, who tries to recapture her childhood crew interviews. Recommended, overall. glory under blonde curls and a frilly baby- Buster Keaton Collec- (D. Liebenson) doll dress. Victor Buono costars as Edwin tion (Kino, Blu-ray: 14 Flagg, a hack accompanist hired by Jane to discs, $299.95). Compiling We Can’t Go Home Again rehearse her comeback in a scene of self- all of the Kino Classics’ HHH delusion almost as horrific as the meals she Ultimate Edition versions serves Blanche. But for all the camp value of Buster Keaton’s comedy Oscilloscope, 97 min., not rated, classics in one high-defini- DVD: 2 discs, $34.99; Blu-ray: of this bizarre melodrama, the film is also $34.99 a real psychological horror story as Jane’s tion boxed set, this 14-disc demented cruelty becomes more vicious collection includes: Short Films Collection: Legendary director Nich- 1920-1923, The Saphead (1920), Our Hospital- olas Ray (Rebel Without a and Blanche’s helplessness more dire. Davis earned her 10th Academy Award nomina- ity (1923), Sherlock Jr./Three Ages (1923/1924), Cause) never officially com- The Navigator (1924), Seven Chances (1925), pleted his final feature,We Can’t Go Home tion for her fearless performance—which only added fuel to the real-life feud—and Go West/Battling Butler (1925/1926), The Again—an experimental work begun in General (1926), College (1927), Steamboat 1971 as a collaboration with students of the film spawned a whole subgenre featuring old Hollywood stars as demented Bill, Jr. (1928), and Lost Keaton (1934-1937). Binghamton University’s Harpur College, The extensive extras include alternate ver- where he was a visiting professor. Ray here senior citizens. Presented in a remastered anniversary edition for DVD and a Blu-ray sions, production featurettes, visual essays, narrates and stars as a fictionalized version of and more. himself, a director who comes to the liberal debut, extras include an audio commentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette, vintage TV arts institution to teach filmmaking and gets Film Noir Collection, to know his students (overcoming their initial documentaries on Davis and Crawford, and a 1962 appearance by Davis on The Volume One (Olive, Blu- sense of distrust) as they embark on creating ray: 4 discs, $89.95). This a motion picture inspired by their own ideas Andy Williams Show. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker) first volume of film noir and experiences. What began as a narrative classics includes Union Sta- evolved into a freewheeling experiment that tion (1950; with William was shot in multiple formats, edited into a Wolf Lake: The Complete Holden), Appointment with dreamlike, stream-of-consciousness form, Series HHH Danger (1951; starring Alan Ladd), Dark and screened via multiple projectors and eOne, 3 discs, 465 min., not City (1950, featuring Charlton Heston) and rated, DVD: $39.98 overlapping images. Ray continued shooting Rope of Sand (1949, starring Burt Lancaster). and editing long after leaving Harpur, work- This 2001-02 series, a Also newly available is The Otto Preminger ing on the project until his death in 1979. supernatural melodrama Collection (Blu-ray: 3 discs, $69.95), featur- His widow, Susan, spent years finishing it, about a werewolf pack living Hurry Sundown, Skidoo, and Such Good using digital tools, ultimately presenting her ing as humans in rural Friends. reconstruction in 2011. While the fractured Washington state, arrived on TV between mosaic never really coheres, it stands as the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the current Francis Ford Coppola: last expression of creativity from Ray, which revival in fantasy/horror TV. Lou Diamond 5-Film Collection (Li- taps into the experimental freedom of the Phillips stars as Seattle cop John Kanin, onsgate, Blu-ray: 4 discs, early 1970s. Bowing on DVD and Blu-ray, who tracks his missing girlfriend, Ruby $39.99). Sharing a com- extras include Susan Ray’s 2011 documentary (Mia Kirshner), to a small town where cagey bined total of 12 Academy about her husband’s final years, Don’t Expect sheriff Matthew Donner (Tim Matheson) Award nominations and Too Much (of interest in its own right), as well hires him as a deputy during a volatile two wins, this set of films as Ray’s 1974 short “The Janitor,” a 1977 TV time: local werewolf leader Willard (Bruce from iconic filmmaker profile of Ray, interviews and other archival McGill) is dying of cancer, and young thug Francis Ford Coppola features Apocalypse supplements, and a booklet with essays. Sure Tyler (Scott Bairstow) is vying for the alpha Now (1979), Apocalypse Now Redux (the 2000 to appeal to both history buffs and fans of dog spot. Wolf Lake features early appear- updated and extended version of the film), avant-garde cinema, this is recommended. ances by Paul Wesley (now on The Vampire The Conversation (1974), One From the Heart (S. Axmaker) Diaries) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and (1982, making its Blu-ray debut), and Tetro costars Graham Greene (Twilight: New Moon) (2009). Bonus features spread across the What Ever Happened to as a village elder with a droll sense of hu- discs include audio commentaries, produc- Baby Jane? HHH1/2 mor and Sharon Lawrence as a den mother tion featurettes, deleted scenes, and more. Warner, 133 min., not rated, with a ferocious streak. Transformation DVD: 2 discs, $14.98; Blu-ray: here becomes a metaphor for sex, especially $34.99 among the high school characters, with the Old Hollywood divas and kids divided according to those who “do” Online bitter rivals Bette Davis and and those who “don’t.” Although only nine Visit Video Librarian Online (www. Joan Crawford delightfully go head-to-head episodes were produced before the series videolibrarian.com) for more reviews in Robert Aldrich’s 1962 baroque thriller, was canceled, this is a well-made produc- during January and February, including: adapted from Henry Farrell’s novel. Davis is tion ahead of the contemporary zeitgeist The Adventures of Mark Twain: Collector’s the demented Jane, a grotesque caricature about controlling the animal within. Extras Edition, Alcatraz: The Complete Series, who snarls her every line as she torments include a behind-the-scenes documentary, Duck Dynasty: Season One, Eating Raoul, her bedridden sister, Blanche (Crawford), and the unaired original pilot (which is very The Firm: The Complete Series, Lost Girl: a former star who’s now a helpless victim interesting in that it presents a radically dif- Season One, The Penalty, Schizo, The Sterile of sibling rivalry. The actresses do their ferent approach that was entirely reworked Cuckoo, Whitney: Season One, Zorro, and damnedest to upstage one another and in before the series went into full production). much more! the process elevate this gothic shocker to Recommended. (S. Axmaker)

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 46 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 2012 Best Documentaries

POV series, filmmaker and Hot Coffee (Docurama, New York-based photogra- 86 min., DVD: $29.95). Di- pher Ian Cheney’s poetic rector Susan Saladoff’s docu- documentary explores the mentary uses the much-bal- 2012 history of urban nighttime lyhooed 1990s civil litiga- illumination, while also tion case brought by a cof- raising questions about fee-spilling grandma against the possible consequences fast-food giant McDonald’s to spiritual and physical as a lead-in to examine the health. (VL-7/12) ways in which America’s judicial system is becoming more anti-people and pro-big Crime After Crime (Vir- business. (VL-1/12) gil, 93 min., DVD: $19.99 [$295 w/PPR from Ro*co How to Die in Oregon Films Educational, www. (Docurama, 107 min., DVD: The following list, selected and compiled rocoeducational.com]). $29.95). Winner of a Grand by Video Librarian staff, honors the best new Alternately enraging and Jury Prize at the Sundance documentaries reviewed in the magazine and inspiring, director Yoav Pot- Film Festival, director Peter online during 2012. Unless otherwise noted, ash’s documentary tells the D. Richardson’s HBO-aired titles are available from most distributors. story of Deborah Peagler—a documentary tells the heart- battered woman and 25-plus-year California breaking but also inspiring 65 _RedRoses (Virgil, 74 prison inmate—who is championed by a pair stories of terminally-ill indi- min., DVD: $19.99 [$295 w/ of attorneys working for her on a pro bono viduals who take advantage of Oregon’s status PPR from Ro*co Films Edu- basis. (VL-5/12) as the first state to legalize physician-assisted cational, www.rocoeduca- suicide. (VL-3/12) tional.com]). Aired on the The Dust Bowl (PBS, Oprah Winfrey Network, 227 min., DVD: 2 discs, The Invisible War this heartbreaking docu- $24.99; Blu-ray: 2 discs, (Docurama, 97 min., DVD: mentary from filmmakers $29.99 [$54.95 w/PPR from $29.95 [$295 w/PPR from Philip Lyall and Nimisha PBS, www.teacher.shop.pbs. Ro*co Films Educational, Mukerji focuses on twentysomething Brit- org]). Interweaving incred- www.rocoeducational. ish Columbia cystic fibrosis patient Eva ible archival photos and com]). Filmmaker Kirby Markvoort’s awe-inspiring struggles to live footage, excellent interviews Dick shines a light on the life to the fullest. (VL-3/12) of survivors, and insightful disgraceful and often-hid- comments from authors and historians, den epidemic of rape within Better This World (Pas- documentary filmmaker Ken Burns’ latest the U.S. military in this documentary that sion River, 89 min., DVD: visual opus examines the causes and effects focuses on proud, brave, once-idealistic $24.95 [$295 w/PPR from of the greatest manmade environmental servicewomen who were betrayed by their Bullfrog Films, www.bull- disaster in American history. (VL-11/12) comrades. (VL-11/12) frogfilms.com]). Directors Katie Galloway and Kelly Girl Model (First Run, 77 Jiro Dreams of Sushi Duane de la Vega’s docu- min., DVD: $27.95, avail. (Magnolia, 82 min., in mentary tells the story of Feb. 12 [$250 w/PPR from Japanese w/English sub- two unfortunate young po- Carnivalesque Films, www. titles, DVD: $26.98, Blu- litical activists—twentysomething Texans carnivalesquefilms.com]). ray: $29.98). Director David David McKay and Bradley Crowder—who An American modeling Gelb’s documentary offers were caught up in a plot to allegedly fire- scout travels to Siberia to an artistic portrait of world bomb the Republican National Convention secure models for the Japa- renowned 85-year-old sushi in 2008. (VL-5/12) nese market in this revealing PBS-aired chef Jiro Ono—a culinary POV documentary from filmmakers David master who owns a small Michelin-rated Bobby Fischer Against Redmon and Ashley Sabin that focuses on Tokyo sushi bar—and his relationship with the World (Docurama, 93 Nadya, a wide-eyed 13-year-old model from his middle-aged apprentice son. (VL Online- min., DVD: $29.95). Mer- Russia. (VL-9/12) 7/12) curial chess master Bobby Fischer (1943-2008)—who, Hood to Coast (Film The Last Mountain at the age of 29, represented for Thought [www.hood- (Docurama, 95 min., DVD: the USA in the World Chess tocoastmovie.com], 102 $29.95 [$250 w/PPR from Championship Match—is min. DVD: 2 discs, $18.95; Uncommon Productions, the subject of documen- Blu-ray: $18.95). Christoph www.uncommonproduc- tarian Liz Garbus’s absorbing biographical Baaden’s inspiring and en- tions.com]). Combining portrait, which includes observations from tertaining documentary striking images and sober- Henry Kissinger and Dick Cavett, among relates the stories of par- ing facts, Bill Haney’s docu- others. (VL-3/12) ticipants in the Hood to mentary aims to bring attention to the issue Coast competition, a 24-hour team-relay of mountaintop removal in America’s Ap- The City Dark (Wicked Delicate [www. marathon in which some 12,000 runners palachian heartland, focusing on a scrappy amazon.com], 83 min., DVD: $20 [$295 travel nearly 200 miles from Oregon’s Mount community fighting to protect an untainted w/PPR from Bullfrog Films, www.bull- Hood to the beach in the town of Seaside. mountain in West Virginia’s Coal River Val- frogfilms.com]). Aired on PBS’s acclaimed (VL Online-1/12) ley. (VL-1/12)

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 47 VIDEO LIBRARIAN The Learning (Women Canadian filmmaker Léa Raw Faith (Kino Lorber, Make Movies [www.wmm. Pool questions the corpo- 92 min., DVD: $24.95 [$189 com], 98 min., in English & rate culture surrounding w/PPR from Kino Lorber Filipino w/English subtitles, breast cancer research in Edu, www.kinolorberedu. DVD: $29.95: individuals; this enlightening docu- com]). Illustrated with fam- $89: public libraries; $295: mentary inspired by Dr. ily stills and home mov- colleges & universities). Samantha King’s 2006 ie footage, director Peter Filmed over the course of a book, which takes a close Wiedensmith’s touching school year, Ramona Diaz’s critical look at the “pink portrait explores the life PBS-aired POV documentary offers an eye- ribbon industry.” (VL-11/12) and work of Marilyn Sewell—chief minister opening portrait of four women from the at a Portland, OR, Unitarian church—as she Philippines who face major challenges when Project Nim (Lionsgate, interacts with appreciative congregants and they are recruited to teach in Baltimore’s 93 min., DVD: $19.98). struggles with personal doubts. (VL-1/12) public school system. (VL-7/12) Based on Elizabeth Hess’s 2008 book subtitled “The Ready, Set, Bag! (Pas- The Other F Word (Os- Chimp Who Would Be Hu- sion River, 80 min., DVD: cilloscope, 99 min., DVD: man,” filmmaker James $24.95). Filmmakers Justine $29.99). Filmmaker Andrea Marsh’s documentary tells Jacob and Alex D. da Silva’s Blaugrund Nevins’ docu- the fascinating and heart- infectiously engaging documentary looks at what hap- breaking story of simian Nim Chimpsky, mentary concentrates on pens to rock musicians when which began in 1973 when Columbia several contestants—rang- they become parents in this University psychologist Herbert Terrace and ing from high school and “coming of middle age story” student Stephanie LaFarge embarked on a college students to middle-aged men and that features Punk Rock Dad project to teach American Sign Language to women—participating in a national annual author Jim Lindberg of Pennywise, Brett Gur- two-week-old Nim. (VL-1/12) grocery bagging competition for the title of ewitz of Bad Religion, Black Flag’s Ron Reyes, “Best Bagger” in America. (VL-3/12) and others. (VL-3/12) The Pruitt-Igoe Myth (First Run, 83 min., DVD: Something from Noth- Pink Ribbons, Inc. (First Run, 98 min., $27.95 [$295 w/PPR from ing: The Art of Rap (In- DVD: $27.95 [$295 w/PPR from First Run First Run Features, www.fir- domina, 111 min., DVD: Features, www.firstrunfeatures.com]). strunfeatures.com]). Chad $19.98). Grammy-nomi- Freidrichs’ haunting docu- nated rapper and actor Ice-T mentary raises broad issues directs this engaging tribute about U.S. public housing documentary that explores Hawaii: A Voice For Sovereignty 1/2 policy by focusing on the the roots and evolution of (2012) 83 min. DVD: $25.00 ($150 w/ compelling history of St. Louis’s Pruitt-Igoe rap and hip-hop music through interviews project, which was hailed as a sterling model with a veritable who’s who of subjects, includ- PPR). Othila Media Productions. Available in 1956 but less than two decades later had ing Lord Jamar, Melle Mel, Big Daddy Kane, at www.hawaiiavoiceforsovereignty.com devolved into an eyesore plagued by crime Afrika Bambaataa, Doug E. Fresh, Nas, and and poverty. (VL-7/12) Eminem. (VL-11/12) "Beautiful Hawaiian scenery provides a The Queen of Versailles We Were Here (Docura- lush backdrop to this (Magnolia, 100 min., DVD: ma, 90 min., DVD: $29.95). informative, thought - $26.98, Blu-ray: $29.98). Filmmakers David Weis- provoking ﬁlm. Highly Directed by Lauren Green- mann and Bill Weber’s pow- recommended" field, this documentary fol- erful documentary center- lows 73-year-old billionaire ing on the emergence of the Nov/Dec 2012 David A. Siegel—who made AIDS crisis is told from the ~Video Librarian money selling subprime heartrending vantage point timeshare mortgages—and of five individuals who wit- “Catherine Bauknight his 43-year-old blonde trophy wife, Jackie, nessed the devastating onslaught of the has beautifully along with their children, as the family faces “gay disease” in San Francisco’s homosexual captured a timeless financial challenges and foreclosure in the mecca of Castro Street. (VL-7/12) moment in the wake of the economic crisis. (VL-11/12) The Weight of the Na- unending struggle of the Hawaiian people. Racing Dreams (PBS, tion (HBO, 3 discs, 276 Hawaii: A Voice for Sovereignty is a thought- 96 min. DVD: $24.99, Blu- min., DVD: $19.98). Made provoking documentary that respectfully ray: $29.99 [$54.95 w/PPR in conjunction with the canvasses their journey, hopes and dreams." from PBS, www.teacher. Institute of Medicine, the - Kris Kristofferson shop.pbs.org]). Originally Centers for Disease Control aired on PBS, filmmaker and Prevention, and the Na- “Imua Hawaii Imua. We the people of the Marshall Curry’s Tribeca tional Institutes of Health, 'host culture' are still here” Film Festival Jury Prize win- this four-part HBO-aired - Actor Al Harrington and Aloha Ambassador of ning documentary presents series—combining interviews with experts Hawaii a snapshot of a year in the life of three and ordinary citizens—takes a powerful and This is a seven-time award winning ﬁlm. young drivers on the go-kart racing circuit. timely look at the growing problem of obesity (VL-9/12) among Americans. (VL-11/12)

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 48 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 Video Reviews

Pound Puppies: Super Secret Pup Club the exasperated chick begins work on deco- Ordering information for the titles reviewed in HHH rating the cake, “she pretty much knew what this section can be found in the “Distributor (2012) 120 min. DVD: $12.99. Shout! Factory was coming” as far as the lazy lollygaggers were concerned…who unsurprisingly perk Addresses” listings at the back of the magazine. (avail. from most distributors). Five intrepid dogs, aided by their squirrel up when it’s time to eat. Narrated by Walter assistants and a couple of ambitious puppies, Mayes, with a jaunty guitar soundtrack from HHHH= Excellent help lonely canines find owners in this ani- Caleb Miles, this lesson on cooperation HHH= Good mated show based on the popular toy line. includes a read-along option and a recipe The pups—Lucky, Squirt, Cookie, Strudel, segment for “Simply Splendid Cake.” Recom- HH= Fair and Niblet—operate from an elaborate bunker mended. Aud: K, E, P. (J. Williams-Wood) H= Poor underneath Shelter 17, the pound they call home. Other series regulars include hapless Sesame Street: Old School 1979-1984, PPR = Public Performance Rights manager Leonard; his wealthy mother, Ag- Volume 3 HHH atha (enthusiastically voiced by Betty White); (2012) 2 discs. 398 min. DVD: $29.98. Warner DD = Digital Download her pampered puppy, Rebound; and patient Home Video (avail. from most distributors). Aud = Audience caretaker Olaf. The five episodes in this The third in Warner Bros. and Sesame set include the team’s run-in with a doggy Workshop’s release of classic volumes from K = Preschool-Kindergarten jewel thief out to snatch Agatha’s treasures, the popular children’s educational series, E = Elementary (grades 1-3) Cookie’s maternal attachment to a young can- Sesame Street: Old School 1979-1984 features didate for adoption, and Rebound’s initiation five episodes from seasons 11-15. The set I = Intermediate (grades 4-6) into a secret society of rogue pooches. Simple, kicks off with the location-footage-laden J = Jr. High (grades 7-8) hand-drawn animation and a pastel color travelogue episode number “1316,” which scheme give the show a cheerful, retro look. finds Maria (Sonia Manzano) and Olivia H = High School (grades 9-12) The cuteness factor is somewhat offset with (Alaina Reed) journeying by plane and bus to irreverent jokes (some more likely to appeal C = Colleges & Universities Puerto Rico in honor of Maria’s 21st birthday. to adult viewers) and a set-up reminiscent of While Maria’s Spanish-speaking family is ex- P = Public Libraries Hogan’s Heroes and The Great Escape. Recom- cited about the preparations, no one is more mended. Aud: P. (K. Cruver) enthused than Big Bird, who travels along with other Sesame residents—including The Red Hen HHH garbage can-dweller Oscar the Grouch (who CHILDREN’S (2012) 7 min. DVD: $59.95 (study guide included). I’ve personally never seen walk before)—to Weston Woods Studios. PPR. Closed captioned. the “Isle of Enchantment” for a big surprise ISBN: 0-545-44755-0. party that will knock Maria’s socks off (much Monster High: Ghouls Rule HHH Similar to their take on Chicken Little of the gags revolve around her thinking—cor- (2012) 72 min. DVD: $19.98. Universal (VL-5/11), author Rebecca Emberley and her rectly—that she sees one of the gang when Studios Home Entertainment (avail. from most father illustrator Ed Emberley are back in this they should all be at home). For this episode, distributors). animated adaptation of their 2010 picture the day’s letter is “A,” the number is “2,” and Based on the Mattel doll line, this ani- book based on the traditional folktale about Bert and Ernie are featured, as well as Lily mated series follows the escapades of a crew of effort and reward. Presented in a bold shade Tomlin in-character as little girl Edith Ann. cool but creepy high school students. Think of red, the titular capon asks cat, rat, and Also including episodes with guest stars hipster crossed with horror: main character frog bystanders for their assistance in mak- such as Itzhak Perlman, Madeline Kahn, Frankie Stein—daughter of the famous mon- ing a cake, but finds they have no intention Cab Calloway, and Harry Belafonte, as well ster—is an adorable green-faced teen with of helping to gather ingredients, mix, bake, as one centering on the 1983 New York City cute clothes, great makeup, and requisite or ice the “golden and sweet” dessert (“Not Marathon, this compilation features exten- stitches. In class one day, Frankie and her me…” is their piddling mantra). By the time sive extras: behind-the-scenes featurettes, an peers watch a propaganda film about how “Normies” have historically chased monsters with pitchforks during Halloween…which is just around the corner. Most of the kids Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct don’t take these tales seriously, but after HHH1/2 some masked jerks from nearby New Salem (2012) 7 min. DVD: $59.95 (study guide included). Weston Woods toilet paper prank Monster High, the students Studios. PPR. Closed captioned. ISBN: 0-545-37414-6. decide to take action. Frankie and pals dig Adapted from the 2006 picture book by prolific children’s through the school catacombs and uncover author and illustrator Mo Willems—famed for his Knuffle Bunny the real history of the holiday—which once and Pigeon stories—this animated short is narrated by Willems’ served as a celebration of friendship between wife, Cher. Although the titular dino heroine shakes the ground Normies and freaky folks—in the hopes of when she walks, Edwina is not feared by the townspeople, perhaps making peace, but Queen Bee Cleo de Nile (a because she is so nice: playing with children, using her height to daughter of Ramses who hilariously exclaims do various favors, helping old ladies cross the street, and baking “Oh my Ra!”) has other ideas about dealing her famous chocolate chip cookies to share. But crotchety young student Reginald Von with the suburbanites. Also featuring three Hoobie-Doobie doesn’t feel the love: he’s irritated that Edwina doesn’t seem to realize exclusive animated shorts, this neat tongue- that her species is extinct and he goes to great lengths—with fliers and a one-man in-cheek spin on classic monsters (including band—to inform others of the “facts,” ultimately presenting his arguments to poor a son of Medusa named Deuce Gorgon who Edwina…who is shocked, but reacts in an endearing way. Also featuring an interview rocks sunglasses and a living “snake-hawk” with Willems, a read-along option, and a recipe for Edwina’s cookies, this is highly hairstyle) is easily recommended. Aud: P. recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (J. Williams-Wood) (J. Williams-Wood)

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 49 VIDEO LIBRARIAN interview with Caroll Spinney (who plays Big Steps4Kids to Draw HHH directions while the images are created on a Bird and Oscar), and the tearjearking segment (2012) 90 min. DVD: $24.99. Steps4Kids. PPR. plain white background with a black marker. “Goodbye, Mr. Hooper,” which was selected Young artists will learn to draw a wide Beginners can start with the section on as a top 10 influential moment by the Day- range of objects—from simple shapes to shapes, which focuses on squares, circles, and time Emmys. An entertaining time capsule of more complex figures—in this straightfor- other basic building blocks. Drawing people childhood Americana, this is recommended. ward instructional program. Accompanied is slightly more detailed, with five different Aud: P. (J. Williams-Wood) by cheerful music, a narrator shares detailed faces and two profiles, each with remarkably expressive features given the simplicity of the designs. More advanced artists can attempt Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 2 HHH animals, choosing among categories for zoo, (2012) 75 min. DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray: $39.99. Walt Disney Studios farm, house, and water creatures. A “things” Home Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). Closed captioned. segment shows viewers how to draw common Pixar, the animation studio that created Toy Story, The In- items such as flowers, trees, and a house. The credibles, Up! and other contemporary classics, has long used the narrator describes each step clearly, while also short film format to nurture young talent within the company offering tips for achieving the best results ranks. Compiling 12 titles, this second collection includes both and making modifications. A solid guide to original theatrical shorts that played before Pixar features and the basics for emerging artists that will teach feature film spin-off shorts originally produced as DVD/Blu-ray them how to create their own designs, this is extras. Among the latter are “BURN•E,” the story of a repair recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (K. Cruver) robot set in the world of WALL•E, as well as shorts featuring the characters of Toy Story, Up!, and Cars. Although fun, these are minor larks compared to the best of the theatrical shorts here, including three Oscar nominees: “Presto” (2008), PSYCHOLOGY & SELF-HELP focusing on a wild battle of wits and magic between a stage magician and a rabbit who decides not to come out of the hat; “Day & Night” (2010), a retro-styled meeting of op- posites who become friends; and the fable-like “La Luna” (2011), a lovely little fantasy Delete: The Art of Forgetting HHH about the moon, the stars, and a family of celestial sweepers. While all of these have (2011) 52 min. DVD: $169.95. Films Media Group. been available previously—spread over many releases—this collection includes some PPR. Closed captioned. ISBN: 978-1-62102-944-1 fine bonus features: audio commentaries by the filmmakers, and student shorts from Although we normally consider memo- Pixar directors John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, and Pete Docter. Recommended. Aud: P. ries a positive phenomenon—shaping our (S. Axmaker) identities and helping us to learn from the past—some cause more harm than

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VIDEO LIBRARIAN 50 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 INTRODUCING THE Organa Kids COLLECTION ON DVD

Stories from East of the Moon The Adventures of Mouse and Mole The Mousehole Cat Happy Valley SRP: $19.95 Volume 1 • SRP: $19.95 SRP: $19.95 Volume 1 • SRP: $14.95 ISBN: 8-91273-00224-8 ISBN: 8-91273-00223-1 ISBN: 8-91273-00225-5 ISBN: 8-91273-00234-7 Volume 2 • SRP: $19.95 Volume 2 • SRP: $14.95 ISBN: 8-91273-00229-3 ISBN: 8-91273-00235-4 Volume 3 Coming Soon!

JOIN MISSY AND HER SPINNING TALES!

Mila is an 8-year-old girl, bursting with energy. A bit of a tomboy, she is very proud of her jumpingJOIN MISSY pig-tails. AND HER Mila SPINNING loves to tellTALES! stories in her own voice, always adding a lot ofMila humour is an and8-year-old imagination. girl, bursting She espe- with ciallyenergy. likes to A retell bit of aclassic tomboy, tales. she Sheis very proud addsof zany her details jumping and pig-tails. twists thatMila makeloves toher tell versionstories unique in herand own unforgettable! voice, always Come adding a and relivelot of somehumour old and tales imagination. with Mila! She especially likes to retell classic tales. She adds zany details and twists that make her version unique and unforgettable! Come EPISODES: The Hidden Princess The Housesand ofrelive the Pig some Brothers old tales with Mila! The Toupouloupou Elvis Baba Yaga the Witch Captain Bloody-Nose, the Pirate Djoha's Last Lie The Leprechaun's Treasure

PibouleEPISODES: and the Bear Aurel the Mocker Volume 1 Strabiwolf,The Hidden the Telltale Princess PanchoThe Pimento's Houses of Riddle the Pig Brothers The DonkeyThe Toupouloupou and the King Elvis Baba Yaga the Witch Captain Bloody-Nose, the Pirate Djoha'sRunning Last Time: Lie 91 minutes The Leprechaun's Language: English Treasure Audio: 2.0

PibouleFormat: and NTSC the Color Bear CountryAurel of the Origin: Mocker France SKU: ORG312 Volume 1 Strabiwolf, the Telltale Pancho Pimento's Riddle The Donkey and the King

Running Time: 91 minutes Language: English Audio: 2.0

Nelly & Caesar Missy Mila Twisted Tales Dougie in Disguise Iris: the Happy Professor Volume 1 • SRP: $19.95 Volume 1 • SRP: $19.95 Volume 1 • SRP: $19.95 Volume 1 • SRP: $19.95 ISBN: 8-91273-00239-2 ISBN: 8-91273-00241-5 ISBN: 8-91273-00237-8 ISBN: 8-91273-00232-3 Volume 2 • SRP: $19.95 Volume 2 • SRP: $19.95 Volume 2 • SRP: $19.95 Volume 2 • SRP: $19.95 ISBN: 8-91273-00240-8 ISBN: 8-91273-00242-2 ISBN: 8-91273-00238-5 ISBN: 8-91273-00243-9

The Angel and The Soldier Boy Pizza Party! Yoga Class for kids A Small Miracle/On Christmas Eve Castle Farm SRP: $19.95 SRP: $19.95 SRP: $19.95 Volume 1 • SRP: $14.95 ISBN: 8-91273-00226-2 ISBN: 8-91273-00231-6 ISBN: 8 91273-00227-9 ISBN: 8-91273-00233-0 Volume 2 • SRP: $14.95 ISBN: 8-91273-00236-1

To order, call your distributor or email [email protected] or call 917-902-4206. www.organa.com good. Memories of violence, death, and Minarets in Temecula: Islam and the other traumatic events can play through RELIGION & PHILOSOPHY Right to Religious Freedom ★★1/2 a victim’s mind repeatedly, complicating (2010) 28 min. DVD: $24.95. Choices, Inc. PPR. recovery and impeding ability to function. ISBN: 978-1-933724-39-3. The subjects profi led in this documentary Legacy of Peace ★★ Produced by Alternate Focus, a nonprofi t include Robert, who fought in Afghani- (2012) 120 min. DVD: $19.95. Institute of Arabic that promotes “an alternative view of Middle stan; Sonja, who lost her father to chronic and Islamic Studies. ISBN: 978-0-615-68276-1. East issues,” this short documentary focuses illness; and Joelle, who was the victim of Demonization of Islam as an anti-Western on a 2010 controversy involving an effort a violent robbery. Collectively, they suffer religion has been a cottage industry in some by the Muslim residents of Temecula, CA, from anxiety and panic attacks. For years, circles since 9/11, but effective Muslim re- to build a mosque—which was opposed by scientists have been working on ways to sponses have been few, including this docu- a Tea Party–inspired wave of anti-Muslim eliminate these kinds of harmful memo- mentary produced by the Institute of Arabic protestors. The incident serves as a foundation ries. Neurologist Karim Nader explains and Islamic Studies of Palmdale, CA. Written for a wider discussion of U.S. and European that memories occupy different parts of by the organization’s director, Faysal Burhan, backlash against Islam, including an inter- the brain, mainly the hippocampus and Legacy of Peace is, unfortunately, too histori- the amygdala. Neurological researcher view with Swiss parliamentarian Andreas cally simplistic to come across as anything André Fischer concentrates on long-term Gross about his country’s 2009 referendum but propaganda. The four half-hour segments memory, where we store our feelings of fear to ban the construction of minarets on any fall into two parts, with the fi rst presenting a (although fear contributes to survival, it can Islamic house of worship, as well as consider- also lead to irrational thoughts and overly- biography of Muhammad—based largely on able input from Rami El-Amine, editor of Left cautious behavior). On the treatment side, the hagiographic literature about the Prophet Turn magazine, on the roots of Islamophobia. psychotherapist Dr. Almut Ningel has been and illustrated with artwork—emphasizing The fi lm lambasts obvious right-wing media working on eye-movement desensitization his peaceful methods, which extended even targets, including Glenn Beck (whose name and reprocessing (EMDR), while clinical psy- to his treatment of those who persecuted him is misspelled in the production) and Bill chologist Alain Brunet has been prescribing and his followers. The tenets of Muhammad’s O’Reilly, while also serving up repetitive the beta blocker Propranolol, which reduces teachings are also sketched, with particular reminders that U.S. law guarantees freedom the adrenalin associated with stress, but focus on the prophet’s reverent attitude to- of religion without exceptions to particular only if administered immediately after the wards Jews and Christians. The second part faiths. Even though director John Odam event (in an effort to alleviate the symptoms zeroes in on the cultural impact of Islam, includes no fi rsthand interviews with any of of post-traumatic stress disorder, the U.S. arguing that rationality was the basis of the mosque’s opponents, this fi lm should still Department of Defense has contributed medieval Muslim learning, while also under- spark conversation. Extras include additional substantially to his research). An informa- scoring the numerous Islamic contributions scenes and a digital guidebook. A strong op- tive look at an interesting subject, this is to the world. Many of the points made here tional purchase. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall) recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy) have merit but tend to be overstated, as when one featured commentator argues that Islam Must the Sun Set on the West? ★★1/2 Grief & Loss: A Child’s Perspective cannot be at odds with the West because it (2011) 3 discs. 600 min. DVD: $49.99. BOM ★★★ effectively created Western civilization. Nor International (dist. by Vision Video). (2012) 22 min. DVD: $24.95. Listen 2 Kids does the fi lm address any of the serious is- The answer to the titular apocalyptic ques- Productions. PPR. ISBN: 978-0-9982270-2-6. sues between the West and Muslims or the tion is “no,” at least according to Dr. Vishal Children from ages 4 to 12 who have divisions that developed within Islam itself, Mangalwadi in this series of 10 lectures experienced the death of a loved one share which often lead to hostility and violence. delivered at the University of Minnesota. Of their feelings in this coping guide aimed at In sum, this is a laudable but disappointing course, there’s an “if”: the Indian-born Man- caregivers. The interviews are grouped into project. Not a necessary purchase. Aud: C, galwadi argues that the West can survive and various grief-related topics, each of which P. (F. Swietek) prosper provided it returns to foundational is introduced by a narrator who provides background information and strategies for assisting young people in processing their Letters to an Unknown Daughter ★★★ emotions. Exploring the subjects of death, (2012) 40 min. DVD: $14.99. JoyShop Ministries (dist. by Vision Video). funerals, and grieving, Grief & Loss offers Showing a parallel between a personal struggle and the chal- specifi c techniques for comforting infants, lenges of faith, filmmaker Anita Keagy, founder of JoyShop toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary-age Ministries, looks at how her relationship with a daughter she gave children. The interviewees here share their up for adoption is much like the relationship God wants with feelings about death and talk about how they believers (as described in the Bible). Shot in a style suggesting and their families are coping. The children’s that Keagy is giving her testimony to a small group of people in reactions are diverse: from an overcome a house, the fi lmmaker recalls when she unexpectedly became middle-school-aged boy struggling to hold pregnant as a teenager in the mid-1970s and, with the support back tears, to a younger girl who calmly talks of her loving parents, decided to give up her baby for adoption. about her family’s surprise that she is content As was common at the time, she was told to keep her eyes closed during the birth and to play as usual and not visibly shaken by did not hold her newborn infant. Over the years, Keagy contributed letters and photos the change in their lives. Although brief, the to a fi le at the adoption agency in hopes that her child, Twila, might someday want to program covers many different situations know about her biological mother (eventually, mother and daughter were reunited). The and reactions, which should prove valuable message Keagy wants to convey is that the Bible is much like that folder she created for to adults struggling to comfort a grieving Twila—messages from a loving God who cares about people and wants them to know child. Recommended. [Note: the companion the thoughts and feelings of their creator. Told with conviction, this true story will title Illness in the Family: Children Confronting speak to Christians looking for inspiration or renewed passion in their own biblical Uncertainty is also newly available.] Aud: P. devotions. Recommended. Aud: P. (C. Block) (K. Cruver)

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 52 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 principles it has tossed aside. Westerners conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza— himself away in one scene when he describes must embrace the reverence for human and adapted from his book The Roots of his anti-colonial psychobabble as another dignity that has been replaced by nihilism, Obama’s Rage—this election-year propaganda “card to play” when accusations that Obama regain the confi dence in reason and science documentary was a surprise theatrical hit, is a Muslim or wasn’t born in the United that has given way to mysticism and obscu- and could still appeal to those displeased with States haven’t worked. Not recommended. rantism (often of Eastern origin), and—most President Obama’s re-election. But while tech- Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek) important—recover the religious underpin- nically well made, this is an essentially tawdry nings that once grounded Western beliefs fi lm in which D’Souza, who recently resigned An African Election ★★★ and practices. Mangalwadi, a decidedly con- his position as president of New York’s King’s (2011) 89 min. DVD: $99.95: public libraries; servative Christian convert, casts these and College over a marital scandal, argues that $295: colleges & universities. The Cinema Guild. similar nostrums in the form of questionable Obama’s worldview fl ows from the anti-colo- PPR. ISBN: 0-7815-1378-2. contrasts between past greatness and contem- nial attitudes of the Kenyan father he barely The vibrancy of the democratic spirit on porary embarrassment (Bach/Kurt Cobain, knew and past associations with political and a continent notable for being a hotbed of Da Vinci/Dan Brown, Martin Luther/Hugh religious radicals. According to D’Souza, the discord and dictatorship is demonstrated in Hefner, the Apostle Paul/Paris Hilton), while president was able to conceal his beliefs in Jarreth Merz’s documentary about the 2008 also identifying the usual suspects in the in- order to win election, but in the next four presidential election in Ghana, the first tellectual degeneration that could doom the years can be expected to propose policies sub-Saharan African nation to achieve inde- West—Darwin, Freud, Nietzsche, and Marx. that would undermine the U.S. economy, pendence—in 1957—but one that has suf- But while Mangalwadi is a very personable endanger national security, and allow the rise fered from political turmoil ever since. Merz lecturer, his historical evidence tends to of a unifi ed zone of Islamic fundamentalism follows the two major candidates—Nana selectively arrange facts to buttress his pre- stretching across North Africa and the Middle Akufo-Addo of the ruling New Patriotic Party ordained conclusions. DVD extras include a East into South Asia. D’Souza bases much of and John Atta Mills of the National Demo- bonus lecture. While likely to appeal to those his argument on tendentious interpretations cratic Congress—as they make their pitches who already agree with Mangalwadi, this is of Obama’s own autobiography, which he to journalists and crowds of supporters, while unlikely to persuade others. Optional. Aud: connects to his own immigrant experience, interspersing candid commentary from the C, P. (F. Swietek) while also securing apparent agreement from candidates, party insiders, and outside ob- a handful of “expert” interviewees (although servers. Most notable among the array of col- Rescued ★★★ his questions are clearly phrased to lead them orful fi gures here is Jerry John Rawlings, who (2012) 62 min. DVD: $19.99. Vision Video. to agree with his own conclusions). D’Souza seized control of the government in a military Subtitled “The Heart of Adoption and Car- even plays the victim, offering a montage of coup in 1979 and remained in offi ce through ing for Orphans,” this documentary looks at television clips criticizing his book, but gives the 1990s as founder and head of the NDC, adoption from a Christian perspective, challenging the church to consider whether it’s doing all it can to care for the millions of children worldwide who have no parents. Among the views expressed are that “souls are at Kid to Kid: Staying Safe! stake” in a society that is “making the family Ages 5-12 increasingly irrelevant,” so Christians “need to be proactive.” In addition to interviews with theologian R.C. Sproul Jr., Christian Hosted by Dr. Loretta Long (Susan of radio host Kevin Swanson, and others, the Sesame Street) and 8-year old Nicole. program features fi ve families, some having Animation, Singing, Acted Scenarios. adopted as many as 12 children. The parents express a clear sense of destiny—even in cases where medical conditions played a role. As DVD gives kids real-life ways to stay one woman puts it, “The Lord closed my safe from dangerous people, at womb to prepare me for [my foster son].” The home, in the neighborhood and on circumstances vary: in some cases, children the internet. were simply abandoned, as in China, which has a “one child” law; but all of the subjects “My kids were glued to the TV. It was exemplify the teaching of the apostle James, informative and fun to watch. It gave us a who defi ned “pure and undefi led religion” chance to talk about a difficult subject.” in terms of those who reach out to widows and orphans. DVD extras include practical “The DVD will make an excellent insights on adoption, an interview with springboard for discussion between parent author and public speaker Stacy McDonald, and a featurette with adoptive mother Beall and child or teacher and child.” Phillips. Recommended. Aud: P. (C. Block) “I feel safer walking to school now.”

SOCIAL & POLITICAL ISSUES “It taught me to be smart.” Sometimes “nice” people...... can turn BAD!

Free Study Guide (Limited time offer) 2016: Obama’s America ★1/2 (2012) 90 min. DVD: $19.98. Lionsgate (avail. www.kidsafetyvideo.com from most distributors). Closed captioned. Custom packaging available for large orders Co-directed (along with John Sullivan) by

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 53 VIDEO LIBRARIAN supporting recreational use), even though it HHH is illegal under federal law. Rebecca Richman Booker’s Place: A Mississippi Story Cohen’s documentary takes a look at the (2012) 91 min. DVD: $26.95. New Video Group (avail. from most distributors). Closed captioned. ISBN: 1-4229-2192-1. 2011 social and political debate in Montana, as the state legislature began to consider Filmmaker Raymond De Felitta follows in the footsteps of his legalizing medical marijuana. Although a father, NBC-TV documentarian Frank De Felitta, who, in 1966, law approving medical marijuana succeeded gave American TV viewers a nonfiction portrait of segregated with bipartisan support, an aggressive repeal Greenwood, MS, in the citizens’ own words. A standout scene fea- movement quickly formed to have the law tured an unexpected soliloquy by Booker Wright, a charismatic overturned. The arguments from both sides waiter in a whites-only restaurant. Remarkably at ease before the grew emotional and strident as the contro- camera, Wright spoke of his keep-smiling facade while suffering versy raged, with terminally ill patients and racial slurs from customers, and his hopes for a better life for his anti-pot lobbyists making their respective children. After the piece was aired, Wright was fired, ambushed, and beaten. Now in his cases. focuses more on the 90s, Frank De Felitta remains guilt-ridden. Raymond establishes contact with Booker’s Code of the West granddaughter Yvette Johnson (who co-produced this film) for a bittersweet revisit. political process than on the medical aspects While the allegation here that Booker’s fatal 1973 shooting by a (black) town drunk of the controversy, serving up an intriguing was a (white) assassination/coverup—a charge that endures to this day—sometimes and often invigorating behind-the-scenes feels like conspiracy-mongering, Booker’s Place does successfully evoke the not so long examination of a hot topic. Recommended. ago plantation-culture of Mississippi, a proud Klan stronghold where any black (or Aud: C, P. (P. Hall) white undercover FBI agent) who got out of line could expect violence or death at the hands of racist vigilantes who were the community’s “respectable” businessmen and Endgame: AIDS in Black America police, not stereotypical poor southern whites. Employing striking black-and-white HHH cinematography to artistically link new material with the 16mm archival imagery, (2012) 120 min. DVD: $24.99 ($54.95 w/PPR). Booker’s Place is a powerful documentary that tells a deeply personal story about the PBS Video. Closed captioned. ISBN: 978-1-60883- scars of racial conflict. DVD extras include an interview with the director, additional 760-1. scenes, and a short film about Greenwood in the Jim Crow era. Recommended. Aud: Although many Americans believe that C, P. (C. Cassady) AIDS—first clinically recognized over 30 years ago—is now under control, this PBS- aired Frontline documentary from writer- until the opposition NPP swept to victory in earthquake faults. Environmentalist and director Renata Simone notes that AIDS 2000. During the 2008 campaign Rawlings commercial fishermen call it the “wrong remains a “hidden epidemic” within the remained an influential powerbroker, raising place and the wrong mine,” while develop- African-American community, too often questions about whether the democratic pro- ers and other proponents cite the need for met with silence and stigma. Initially, many cess could still work peacefully in a country jobs and economic expansion. Alaska Gold blacks felt that AIDS was a plague affecting that had just suffered from terrible floods but interviews scientists, state and local officials, mostly white gay men. One woman who saw hope for a more prosperous future due industry representatives, and concerned tested positive for the virus ruefully admits, to the discovery of substantial oil reserves off local residents, who differ sharply on the “HIV and normal didn’t go together, so I the coast—a boon that could also become an proposed mine’s impact. Meanwhile, the thought.” Many within the black commu- invitation to official corruption.An African permit process continues—evaluating the nity adhered to the adage “don’t put your Election doesn’t take sides in the race, but its elaborate and sensitive underground water business on the streets,” which led gay black vivid coverage of both the campaign and the network, the impact of outsiders who could men into double lives, secretly frequent- behind-the-scenes partisan machinations potentially overwhelm the wildlife and local ing clubs and engaging in risky behavior offers a salutary glimpse of the promise culture, and the question of how climate (historically, the black church also frowned and pitfalls of democracy in action in the change, tons of toxic waste, and mine drain- on gay sexuality). Other factors also made developing world. Recommended. Aud: C, age could affect the fish habitat. Alaska is their mark, including the explosion of drug P. (F. Swietek) known for its friendly attitude toward min- use and sharing of needles in the 1980s, ing interests, although environmentalists the high incarceration rate for young black Alaska Gold HHH plan to go beyond the state’s borders, all males (who would eventually return to the (2012) 60 min. DVD: $24.99 ($54.95 w/PPR). the way to Washington D.C. to try to save community with the virus), and the lack PBS Video. Closed captioned. ISBN: 978-1-60883- the spawning and fishing grounds. Written of committed civil rights leaders during 141-8. and produced by Kenneth Levis, this pro- the AIDS years. The documentary looks Alaska’s Bristol Bay remains one of the vocative documentary offers a thoughtful at how basketball star Magic Johnson’s most pristine salmon fishing grounds on examination of an environmental dilemma. AIDS diagnosis put a human face on the earth, capable of infinite renewal to feed Recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees) problem, but the national lack of political and support future generations of the engagement prevented progress. Various native population. But a massive mining Code of the West HHH figures are interviewed here, including proposal to extract gold and copper deposits (2012) 71 min. DVD: $150: high schools & public straight teens, a middle-aged woman who near the streams and lakes which form the libraries; $349: colleges & universities. Racing married and contracted the virus from an salmon spawning grounds has sparked an Horse Productions (dist. by New Day Films). PPR. “in the closet” church deacon, and “born- epic environmental battle. This PBS-aired ISBN: 978-1-57448-121-1. ies”—i.e., black teenagers who acquired the Frontline documentary looks at the open pit The issue of medical marijuana is one of virus from their drug-addicted mothers. mine proposed by an international consor- the thornier controversies in contemporary Misguided government initiatives—es- tium known as the “Pebble Partnership,” American law. Witness the increasing num- sentially reducing needle exchanges and a venture that would create a deep and ber of states with laws enabling the creation condom distribution—haven’t helped, but long gouge, require new roads and a port, and operation of a licensed and regulated improved medications and increased com- and could lead to the spread of toxins and medical marijuana system (and Colorado munity activism provide glimmers of hope. pollution in a region known for its many and Washington state just passed legislation Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 54 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 Not a Feather, But a Dot HHH (2012) 60 min. DVD: $20: individuals; $80: public libraries; $175: colleges & universities. Not a Feather (avail. from www.notafeather.com). PPR. Teju Prasad’s documentary traces the history of Indian-Americans in the United States, while also challenging popular perceptions and advocating for authentic Hindu culture. Combining interviews with archival and contemporary footage and stills, Not a Feather, But a Dot looks at the origins of the terms “Indian” and “Hindu,” while a humorous skit examines words with spiritual origins—such as “guru” and “karma”—that have been co- opted in everyday life. Actor Anjul Nigam discusses playing Indian characters and relates how he calmly negotiates cultural details when asked to portray stereotypes. Topics explored include Indian-American politics and activism, biased or mistaken views of Hindus, how meaning has been leached from Hindu practices (such as yoga) as they are absorbed into popular culture, and the short- age of higher-level educators who understand Hinduism from a faith-based, rather than an anthropological, perspective. In an awkward segue, Prasad feigns shock at one scholar’s as- sertion that not all Indians are good at math before he speaks with Hindu adult entertain- ers, an ESPN anchor, and a swimsuit model. Some of the humor falls flat—as in a sketch about a child whose parents are horrified that she wants to be a doctor, or when Prasad quizzes Indian-Americans in a “person on the street” sequence in Edison, NJ, to show that they aren’t innately expert spellers. Yet, despite the intermittent silliness, this is a solid documentary about a thriving ethnic American subculture. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Puffer-Rothenberg)

Priceless HHH1/2 (2011) 58 min. DVD: $295. Habitat Media (dist. by Bullfrog Films). PPR. Closed captioned. ISBN: 1-59458 -9 0 9 -7. Steve Cowan’s Priceless (aka Pricele$$) takes a hard look at corporate lobbyists and influence-peddling in Washington D.C., where powerful monied interests (often through bogus political-action groups used as fronts) routinely pour millions of dollars into politicians’ coffers (money that is necessary these days to finance any successful election campaign). Drawing on two examples—why healthier organic farming hasn’t been widely adopted; and why fossil fuels and Big Oil maintain a stranglehold on America, when even the military branches are begging for energy independence—this damning exposé reveals the hows and whys of bought-off legislators who invariably support the business aims of their mega-industrial donors (cue Rep. Don Young of Alaska, looking quite buf- foonish in a montage of global-warming deniers). Although the DVD cover copy calls this “nonpartisan,” viewers will surely

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 55 VIDEO LIBRARIAN The true story of notice that Democrats (who are tradition- to college, and even fewer earn a college Cameron Todd Willingham’s ally the recipients of generous labor-union degree. Filmmaker Erica Scharf’s Up Heart- conviction and execution for contributions) are shown as the mavericks break Hill follows three Native American murder based on discredited or penitents deploring this system, while students in their senior year of high school scientific evidence and the resulting national death penalty debate that Republicans come across as smug, bloated in the village of Navajo, NM. Thomas sports pits science against politics. Equal hogs at the Big Money troughs. And Barack a pink mohawk, comes from a broken parts murder mystery, forensic Obama is still presented in this 2011 pro- home, and is a promising state champion- investigation and political drama, duction as “hope” personified. Despite that ship level runner. Tamara also runs, does the critically acclaimed, bias, however, nobody—maybe aside from well in school, feels “caged up” on the “rez,” award-winning film Young and some others in Congress—would and wants to go away to college. Gabby likes INCENDIARY deny that a problem exists, one that makes photography, isn’t sure of her goals, and is documents the haunted legacy of a a travesty out of the concept of democratic a bit scared to leave home. Scharf explores prosecution built on folklore. government. Instead of just venting, the conflicting aims—a desire to explore the film also points to potential solutions in wider world vs. clinging to the security of Arizona and Maine, where local campaign- the reservation—while also examining the “Nonfiction filmmaking at its finance reforms were effectively tested—at role of running in Navajo culture. In addi- most classic. Crime, punishment, least until the lobbyists and PACs stepped tion to the students, viewers meet parents morality and hardball politics in. Also featuring a 25-minute condensed (often struggling with their own issues), make for an explosive mix version on the disc, this disturbing docu- school teachers and administrators, and all their own.” mentary is highly recommended. Aud: H, town officials, who all hope that the young -Ann Hornaday The Washington Post C, P. (C. Cassady) people will excel in higher education and then return to help in renewing Navajo Up Heartbreak Hill HHH1/2 culture and the local economy. Interwo- “Justice, this strong documentary ven throughout are scenes of Thomas and asserts, is at risk...” (2011) 82 min. DVD: $19.99 ($39.95 w/PPR). PBS Video. Closed captioned. ISBN: 978-1-60883- Tamara’s training for the all-important -David Dewitt 735-9. The New York Times Heartbreak Classic running competition at Life can be difficult on the massive Na- the end of the school year. Scharf manages vajo reservation located in a remote area to cover a lot of ground in this powerful “INCENDIARY inflames one’s along the Arizona-New Mexico border. documentary that culminates in a realistic righteous indignation at Per capita income is low (just over $6,000 but hopeful conclusion at graduation. DVD government-sanctioned anti- annually), unemployment is high, and extras include updates, deleted scenes, and intellectualism...” numerous social problems exist, including an interview with the director. A fine film -Nick Schager alcohol and drug abuse, domestic violence, on Native American adolescent culture, The Village Voice and health issues such as diabetes. Many this is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, students drop out of high school, few go P. (S. Rees) Winner 2011 Innocence Network Journalism Award We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists HHH 2011 SXSW (2012) 95 min. DVD: $19.99, Blu-ray: $24.99. Luminant Media (avail. Louis Black Award from www.wearelegionthedocumentary.com). 2013 Media Award Brian Knappenberger’s documentary focuses on 21st-century Texas Coalition to computer hackers who channel their savvy and talents for Abolish the Death Penalty creative chaos into political protest, defying the stereotype of modem-linked nerdy shut-ins. The narrative has some of the gee-whiz aspect of the early-1990s “cyberpunk” era, as viewers are told how uncensored website-forums such as 4chan and /b/ nurtured a large following of anything-goes anonymous post- ers. Under the collective default-name “Anonymous,” members first banded together to systematically harass a racist podcaster, followed—in Febru- ary 2008—by a mission to humiliate and defy the Church of Scientology worldwide (this was when the Guy Fawkes face worn by Occupy Wall Street types appeared in force). Some of the Anonymous community preferred being apolitical pranksters instead of purposeful do-gooders, but the collective still reacted en masse to help homegrown revolutionaries in Tunisia and Egypt, also launching a campaign to cripple PayPal after the latter shut down contributions to assist Julian Assange during his WikiLeaks persecution. Featuring interviewees including popular tech-culture author Steven Levy, We Are Legion discusses a wide range of high-tech attacks—from the site-smashing “Low Orbit Ion Cannon” to erasing an iPad by remote, to having tons of pizzas delivered to a victim’s door. Government responses to Anonymous members may or may not seem heavy-handed, depending on one’s opinion of the hacktivists (clearly the filmmakers are sympathetic). Ironically, the idea that To purchase or to learn more about Anonymous wants a society in which government fears the citizenry comes close to the film visit echoing the Tea Party credo. An interesting look at radical techno-activism, this is www.incendiarymovie.com recommended. [Note: this is also available on DVD for $95 w/PPR for public libraries, and $295 w/PPR for colleges and universities from Ro*co Films Educational (www. ©2011 Yokel, LLC rocoeducational.com).] Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 56 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 AC BL K kratom and salvia weed (both plant-based), A TEEN ISSUES a commonality among these emerging F R narcotics is their synthetic nature—almost O E P always brewed using commercially-avail- R U

HHH able, legal chemicals. The formulas feature A Emerging Drugs of Abuse B

(2013) 20 min. DVD: $149.95 (teacher’s guide hazardous additives such as battery acid, L

included). Human Relations Media. PPR. Closed gasoline, and paint thinner, while dire I

captioned. ISBN: 978-1-55548-794-2. C

side effects noted include cardiac arrest, A A drug-awareness program, Emerging hallucinations, paranoia, and necrotic flesh N Drugs of Abuse addresses a wide array of (although even with a slightly classroom- recent illicit narcotics arrivals, including scare MTV-shock-cut approach here, the K2 and spice (powerful forms of synthetic tabloid-media version of bath salts literally marijuana); amphetamine-style concoctions turning users into flesh-eating zombies is known collectively as “bath salts”; a heroin couched in euphemism). In addition to substitute in pill form; a pernicious and toxic doctors and counselors, young former ad- "This intelligent, thoughtful film cocaine substitute called oxidado; and a drug dicts are interviewed, who tell emotional adopts an exploratory tone similar to that of Michael Moore’s Roger and called “krocodile” that is rampant in Eastern stories. Extras include a study guide. Recom- Me (1989). Its content and perspective Europe and Russia. Except for the opioid mended. Aud: J, H, C, P. (C. Cassady) recommend it to all viewers interested in contemporary politics" - Stephen L. Hupp, Library Journal LAW & CRIME "...Eye-opening documentary, which examines a timely topic. This title has been recommended for young adult readers... Good way to spark discussion on the Two-Party system Give Up Tomorrow HHH1/2 and the political process." (2012) 95 min. In English, Spanish & Tagalog w/English subtitles. DVD: - Candace Smith, Booklist $24.95. First Run Features (avail. from most distributors). A riveting nonfiction exposé, filmmaker Michael Collins’ Give Now Available on DVD Up Tomorrow focuses on a notorious murder trial in the Philip- for Libraries, Schools & Universities pines that has kept seven men—most likely innocent—imprisoned for 15 years. In 1997, a group of students from well-to-do www.fearofablackrepublican.com families were arrested for the rape/murder of the young Chiong sisters. A trash-media frenzy whipped up sentiment against the young males, especially 19-year-old Paco Larrañaga, scion of a politically-connected farm family, who had an airtight alibi of JUST RELEASED being hundreds of miles away (on Manila, a whole separate island) during the crime. A corruption-ridden fiasco of a trial—during which it was revealed that the dead bodies found weren’t even the victimized girls, who remain missing—convicted all of the accused, and only a series of international legal/human rights maneuvers have kept Paco from execution. A great drama often calls for a great villain, and serving that role here is bereaved mother Thelma Chiong, finessing her tragic celebrity into a “victims’ rights” career as a Filipino political power broker (in a DVD extra, the director claims that Mrs. Chiong’s grief is real and that she deserves sympathy too, however self-serving and misplaced her lust for revenge). Other extras include deleted scenes and film festival highlights. Although the documentary ultimately reveals that the filmmakers are related to the Larrañaga family—making the advocacy slant here perfectly clear—this remains a powerful and moving tale of a likely travesty of justice. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)

Prosecutor HHH at Moreno-Ocampo’s disposal are those of (2011) 94 min. DVD: $398. Icarus Films. PPR. persuasion rather than compulsion, limits Closed captioned. the ability of the prosecutor’s office even The International Criminal Court, created to bring formal charges, let alone achieve in 2002 to address cases involving crimes convictions. Yet the Argentine lawyer—who against humanity, and its first chief prosecu- was elected to a nine-year term in 2003 after tor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, are the subjects of he prosecuted military officers accused of Barry Stevens’ documentary, which outlines abuses in his own country—has built a Video Librarian Nov/Dec 2012  ½ – Highly Recommended the rationale behind the ICC’s establishment, committed staff and dexterously worked to “...presents a remarkable rsthand account of a signi cant tying the project directly to the principles gain favorable international opinion in order epoch in modern history....” that underlay the Nuremberg Trials of Nazis to launch investigations and secure indict- “Anyone wanting to understand the trials and tribulations of accused of war crimes following World War ments. Viewers witness the process largely modern China should see this documentary.” II. But the film also emphasizes the refusal through behind-the-scenes filming follow- -Terry Lautz, Syracuse University of powerful nations—including the United ing Moreno-Ocampo across eight countries, Public Library: $79 States—to join the Court for fear of losing mostly focusing on two cases: the trial of WWW.REVOLUTIONARYMOVIE.COM 206.780.6928 Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga, sovereignty if their own citizens are indicted. Award-winning Historical Documentaries That fact, along with the reality that the tools and Moreno-Ocampo’s controversial deci-

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 57 VIDEO LIBRARIAN sion to indict a sitting head of state—Suda- nese president Omar al-Bashir—on a charge Alien Deep with Bob Ballard HHH1/2 of genocide. Featuring both the full-length (2012) 2 discs. 240 min. DVD: $27.99, Blu-ray: $39.99. Vivendi version and a 52-minute abridged cut, Pros- Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 978-1-4263-4427-5 ecutor succeeds both as an introduction to (blu-ray) the ICC and as a profile of the energetic, As National Geographic’s explorer-in-residence, Dr. Robert principled man who oversaw its early efforts. “Bob” Ballard has earned his bragging rights. In the opening Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek) credits of this five-part series, Ballard (now 70 and showing no signs of slowing down) reminds viewers of his 1985 discovery of Wiebo’s War HHH the rusting wreck of the Titanic. Ballard’s expertise lends depth (2011) 52 min. DVD: $225. National Film Board and gravity to each episode of Alien Deep, which kicks off with of Canada. PPR. “It’s Alive,” as Ballard and his team explore the deep Pacific and Suspected of bombings and homicide, North Atlantic oceans to find hydrothermal vents—those extremely hot, high-pressure Wiebo Ludwig, the leader of an insular Chris- “release valves” caused when water and gases are super-heated by volcanic magma far tian commune in rural Canada, is not your below the ocean floor. Ballard and other experts are convinced that this is how and standard documentary hero. But against his where life on Earth began, and they explore the mid-ocean ridge, which is a crack in enemy—the oil and gas industries—Ludwig the Earth’s crust (“like the seam of a baseball”) and a prime location for hydrothermic comes across as a Moses-type, right down to vents in a landscape “as alien as the surface of the moon.” In the fascinating episode the Old Testament beard. Sequestering his “Wrecks of the Abyss,” Ballard explores ancient trade routes on the Mediterranean family and followers away from society at Sea, searching for wreckage of deep-water fishing boats used by ancient mariners as Trickle Creek, Alberta, to live under religious far back as the 7th century BCE. “Oceans Fury” focuses on the elusive phenomenon strictures, Ludwig was—he claims—about of rogue waves that continue to destroy ships at a startling rate of one sinking per day. to interact more with the external world “Inner vs. Outer Space” examines the comparative value of deep-sea “inner space” in the early 1990s when the energy giants journeys and outer space exploration, while “Fires of Creation” takes a closer look at invaded, pocking the region with hellish the hydrothermal activity of deep-sea volcanoes. Extras include the bonus episode gas wells and pipelines. Ludwig’s commune “Deep Secrets: Ballard’s Gallipoli Expedition,” in which Ballard and his team search suffered both livestock and human miscar- the seas near Turkey for submarine wreckage from the tragic deadly World War I battle riages due to clouds of toxins, leading the of Gallipoli. A visual and factual feast for armchair adventurers—plunging viewers Ludwigs to participate in monkey-wrench into otherworldly environments (both real and digitally simulated)—this is highly sabotage and threats (after fruitless letters to recommended. Aud: P. (J. Shannon) officials in government). But did they actually bomb facilities and shoot a teenager? With the power companies now the region’s who rescue or confiscate young orphans, Planet Dinosaur HHH1/2 monolithic employer—and the USA a cus- with the goal of rehabilitating and return- (2012) 174 min. DVD: $19.98. BBC Worldwide tomer—charges levied here that the Royal ing them to safe areas of the wild. Hosts Ltd. (avail. from most distributors). Closed Canadian Mounted Police and corporate Steve Leonard and Michaela Strachan follow captioned. ISBN: 0-7806-8447-8. thugs conspired to smear Ludwig as a cult fa- this story, beginning with the collection Dinosaurs roamed and ruled the Earth natic killer are indeed disturbing. Filmmaker of injured or traumatized orphans, who before suddenly and mysteriously disap- David York restricts the point of view here to require treatment and love from doctors pearing some 65 million years ago, leaving input from the charismatic Ludwig patriarch and “babysitters.” Orangutans can live up an intriguing fossil record in the rocks. Nar- and his disciples, but sympathetic as they to 50 years, remain in trees for two years rated by John Hurt, this BBC documentary are, viewers are likely to question whether without touching ground, and usually stay series notes that we are living in a “golden the embattled fundamentalists are actually with their mothers for the first eight years. age” of dinosaur discoveries. In remote re- complicit in more than they admit. A grip- Widely dispersed sources of food and fruit gions of China, Africa, and South America, ping eco-drama, despite the fact that it offers require the apes to be solitary creatures, the remains of exotic dinosaurs have been no final answers (Ludwig died of esophageal coming together only during mating sea- uncovered, ranging from animals not much cancer in 2012), this is recommended. Aud: son. At the foundation each one of the 600 bigger than a chicken, to huge, ferocious C, P. (C. Cassady) or so animals will be assessed, nursed, and predators like the Spinosaurs (immortalized treated for injuries and common diseases in the movie Jurassic Park III). Combining like malaria. In time, they are sent to “for- up-to-date scientific insights with CGI NATURE, MATH & SCIENCE est school” in order to learn (or refine) graphics, the six-episode Planet Dinosaur climbing and other skills they will need to illustrates how these creatures moved, hunt- survive. The final step before release takes ed, fought, and protected their territories. Orangutan Diaries HHH1/2 the animals to an island where they enjoy A dinosaur’s life could be nasty, brutish, (2009) 2 discs. 205 min. DVD: $29.99 ($59.95 open space and independence. The program and short, and each species had different w/PPR). PBS Video. Closed captioned. ISBN: 978-1- follows workers on a “confiscation” mission, ways of defending themselves, including a 60883-725-0. where they contend with muddy roads and more powerful bite, poisonous venom, pack At one time, the island of Borneo was wary, possibly hostile villagers. Education is hunting, or an acute sense of smell. Some thickly forested, making it an ideal habitat part of the survival foundation’s mission—a dinosaurs were “feathered dragons” that for the reclusive orangutan. Unfortunately, very necessary component in a rapidly de- hunted or hid in trees, while other were the world’s need for timber and palm oil veloping country—with hopes of achieving nest raiders, carrion eaters, or even—in has led to massive destruction of Borneo’s understanding and cooperation from people the case of the fearsome T.rex—cannibals. forests, resulting in the death of many who are struggling to live and eat. Offering Recent research has shed light on skillful orangutans (or capture to be sold as pets). a beautifully filmed and insightful look at night hunters, such as the Troodon, as This BBC series follows the dramatic, urgent these rare and endangered apes, Orangutan well as a massive killer that ruled the seas, mission of the Borneo Orangutan Founda- Diaries is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, originally classified simply as “Predator tion, comprised of workers and volunteers P. (S. Rees) X” (named Pliosaurus in October 2012).

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 58 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 Contemporary investigations have also agnosis—detailing what doctors look for It?! effectively presents a lot of information revealed how botulism, loss of prey, and specifically to distinguish ADD from physi- related to common traits (such as worrying climate change doomed many dinosaurs. cal problems. Physicians also emphasize about the future), myths (a child with ADD Offering new theories on previously ob- that medication can be helpful for both won’t outgrow it), typical questions (what’s scure topics, such as determining the color adults and children and urge parents to the difference between ADD and ADHD?), of a dinosaur’s skin or feathers, this is an be open to drug treatment for ADD. The and keys to success (try to stay organized informative and entertaining series. DVD and keep your life uncluttered). DVD ex- McKennas work through a quiz about ADD extras include a featurette on “building” tras include behind-the-scenes featurettes dinosaurs for a Los Angeles natural history symptoms, which illustrates how well Janis and deleted scenes. Highly recommended. museum exhibit. Highly recommended. understands Patrick’s behavior (she laughs [Note: the companion volume, ADD & Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees) about outlandish things he’s done due to Mastering It!, is also newly available.] Aud: restlessness or impatience). ADD & Loving P. (M. Puffer-Rothenberg) HEALTH & FITNESS 54321 + 8: Countdown to Your Health HHH1/2 (2012) 24 min. DVD: $79.95 (downloadable teacher’s guide available). Learning Zone Express. PPR. Closed captioned. ADD & Loving It?! HHH1/2 (2009) 57 min. DVD: $39.95. Big Brain A concise primer (or reminder) geared towards grade 6 and Productions (dist. by Totally ADD). ISBN: 978-0- up, 54321 + 8 combines solid tips for maintaining good health 9866240-0-1. with commentary from experts and real teens. Host Jennifer One in 25 adults has attention deficit Ceci guides viewers through a regimen of six daily steps: a disorder, or ADD, but it’s “not necessarily rainbow of 5 fruits and veggies (described as powerhouses for a total disaster,” according to the tongue- nutrients that “you can’t eat too much of”), 4 glasses of water in-cheek host of this humorous but factual for cleansing and hydration (frozen fruit ice cubes help liven documentary. Actor and comedian Patrick this up), 3 laughs with friends (a must for mental well-being McKenna is joined by wife Janis, director that can lower anxiety and depression and even improve the immune system), a Rick Green, and several experts (some of limit of 2 hours of “screen” time (although some participants admit that it’s harder whom have ADD themselves) for this look to ration their phone and texting than TV or computer use), at least 1 hour of physi- at how adult ADD can affect one’s life, as cal activity, and 8 hours of sleep. Providing excellent pointers to help achieve these well as ways to cope with it. The program daily goals, this is highly recommended. Aud: I, J, H, P. (J. Williams-Wood) stresses the importance of getting a di-

“They set out to save lives, and that is what they have done.” — Cecilia Chung transgender advocate and San Francisco Health Commissioner.

a documentary ﬁ lm by They came for the hormones Mark Freeman & Nathaniel Walters and stayed for the healthcare. The story of the country’s ﬁ rst Public Health transgender clinic – started in San Francisco’s notorious Tenderloin District at the height of the AIDS Epidemic – and 12 of its pioneering patients. Their remarkably warm narratives turn the harrowing places they have been into a testament of victory and hope. This breakthrough documentary is a must-see for students, healthcare providers, and allies to transgender people from every community.

ORDER NOW: DVD for Public Libraries $90 www.wepay.com/stores/transgendertuesdays; DVD for Universities with PPR $290 invoice [email protected]

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 59 VIDEO LIBRARIAN Aligned and Well: When You Hurt All Over HHH1/2 Emergency Preparedness: Awareness & Survival HHH1/2 (2009) 40 min. DVD: $14.95. Well Balanced (2012) 89 min. DVD: $39.95. Apogee Communications Group. PPR. Media (dist. by Janson Media). PPR. ISBN: 978-1- The information in this densely packed program—aimed at 56839-415-2. helping people to prepare before disaster strikes—updates an Biomechanics expert Katy Bowman, earlier release (see review in VL-3/07), adding the use of new host of the Aligned and Well series—cham- technologies such as LED lights, smartphones, and tablets in pioning good health through realigning times of emergency. The first item on the survival list is the most human muscles and posture for optimal important: water. The EPA estimates that as much as 90 percent functioning—here demonstrates simple of the world’s fresh water supply is partially contaminated, so exercises and advises reasonable changes even with a crystal-clear stream nearby, chances are high that the to daily routines in hopes of alleviating a water may not be totally safe to drink unless treated. A number of number of conditions, ranging from joint purification techniques are shown here, including simple chemical methods (such as us- pain to poor circulation. As Bowman says, ing tiny amounts of bleach), filtration systems, and other approaches. After water comes in our culture many of us sit all day; if we food, with strategies presented for eating during a power outage (start with stuff in the get any exercise, it is generally through fridge, as even an unpowered freezer preserves food for a relatively long time), and for jogging or intense bursts at the gym. But maintaining a pantry of long-lasting and nutritionally balanced items. Safety follows, our bodies function better at every level including tips related to fire detection and suppression, medical supplies, coping with when we realign our biomechanics, incor- electrical and other utility outages, flashlights and batteries, alternative power options porating movement into our lives more (including generators, power inverters, and solar), and more. Communication is also frequently. Stipulating that there might be covered, including an important note for those with old-fashioned telephone service: some initial discomfort as the body adapts, keep a corded phone handy, since it may remain operational when other alternatives Bowman touts the simple calf stretch as fail. Other topics include emergency plans and kits, maintaining personal hygiene, the simplest and most important exercise handling pets, and responding to specific situations, including weather emergencies, for decreasing pain and boosting energy; terrorist attacks, and pandemics. Helpful, informative, and potentially life-saving, this it’s also a good starting point to correct is highly recommended. Aud: P. (C. Block) stooping. The double calf stretch promotes better circulation and restores function to the knees and lower back. A simple, effective, do-anywhere movement benefits the researchers were independent—upwards of Functional Fitness: Pain Free Back & hands, while neck muscles can be relaxed 80 percent of clinical trials today are paid Neck HHH by properly hanging one’s head. Bowman for by the corporations themselves. Draw- (2011) 65 min. DVD: $19.99. BayView also touts the benefits of several short walks ing on the opinions of physicians, histori- Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). ans, and medical anthropologists, not all of a day and argues that some of the diseases Occupational therapy practitioner Su- the arguments here are entirely persuasive we associate with old age are actually the zanne Andrews is the exuberant lead in- (and, not surprisingly, pharmaceutical result of many of the 650 muscles in our structor for this program from the public firms contacted by the filmmaker declined bodies going unused. DVD extras include television-aired exercise series Functional to comment), but Georget certainly offers a “Human Physics” lecture by Bowman . Flanked by two participants who much food for thought. Recommended. Fitness and a printable exercise program. Highly Aud: C, P. (F. Gardner) spend the majority of the routine seated, recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh) Andrews goes comparatively high-energy HHH for the segment on a healthy back—warn- HHH Food Allergies ing of the potentially painful negative Branding Illness (2012) 26 min. DVD: $49.95 (downloadable (2010) 52 min. DVD: $390. Icarus Films. PPR. teacher’s guide available). Learning Zone Express. effects of weak back muscles, while guid- Filmmaker Anne Georget’s Branding PPR. Closed captioned. ing viewers through moves including arm Illness takes on large pharmaceutical com- Covering a variety of allergens, this reaches and stretches, lunges, knee bends, panies, accusing them of creating new program offers advice on coping with a shoulder rolls, flamingo, and overhead press illnesses to fit the substances they manu- food allergy (as well as being courteous to (Andrews suggests using anything from facture and market. A condition is invented those who are especially sensitive), featur- detergent jugs to tuna cans if you don’t have and labeled—for example, “premenstrual ing comments both from doctors and real weights). Continuing to provide tips along dysphoric disorder” (PMDD), featuring people with food concerns. Explaining how the way, Andrews’ stationary (primarily) symptoms that include severe depression, sufferers produce IgE antibodies against routine for maintaining a healthy neck irritability, and tension prior to menstrua- certain foods, Food Allergies details symp- emphasizes pressure points while perform- tion. The treatment for PMDD involves a toms and reactions (such as itching, hives, ing chin tucks and retraction, neck rolls, drug similar in all ways but the color of difficulty breathing, and stomach issues and deep breathing exercises. Also featur- the pill to Prozac, and it was introduced that can affect victims for days), while also ing techniques for pain-free approaches to just about the time the patent on Prozac detailing common triggers, such as nuts, sitting in a car, at a computer, or sleeping, was set to expire (the new product costs milk, wheat, and shellfish. Other topics this helpful low-impact program is recom- about four times more than Prozac). The covered include celiac disease and lactose mended. Aud: P. (J. Williams-Wood) documentary also argues that many adults intolerance; methods doctors use for test- are being treated for hypertension, high ing for actual allergies vs. sensitivities; and Hungry for Change HHH cholesterol, or high blood sugar not because ways to avoid reactions (including carefully (2012) 2 discs. 89 min. DVD: $29.95. Docurama they are sick but because the thresholds reading labels, asking the right questions (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 1-4229- for diagnosing those conditions have been about food prep out of your control, and 2232-4. adjusted downward, thus allowing wider keeping a detailed food diary for your Adapted from the book of the same title, markets for big pharma. Unlike the 1960s physician). Recommended. Aud: I, J, H, P. Hungry for Change is a follow-up to filmmak- and before—when most pharmaceutical (J. Williams-Wood) ers (and authors) James Colquhoun and

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 60 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 Apogee Communications Group Presents Laurentine ten Bosch’s Food Matters (VL-1/10), up in New Rochelle, NY, where he devel- Emergency Preparedness which has also spawned its own companion oped a lifelong love of softball, hockey, and — Awareness & Survival — recipe book on the side. Presenting a broad rock and roll. Benjamin eventually went to menu of diet/nutrition authors and health college, worked at a record store, became gurus (including David Vitalis, Jon Gabriel, a promoter, and started an independent Dr. Christiane Northrup, David Wolfe, Kris label, but at the age of 38 found out he had Carr, etc.), the documentary serves up a Parkinson’s disease, a chronic neurologi- smorgasbord of sound bytes that inform cal disorder. Medical experts, along with viewers why most diets don’t work; why “fat individuals with Parkinson’s, including free” product labeling is misleading; how Michael J. Fox, talk about the early-onset corporations use addictive additives of little variant of this condition that primarily nutritional value to get hungry people to eat targets the elderly. Two years after being (and buy) in excess; what foods are healthy diagnosed, Benjamin began to raise funds, and detoxifying; and how mental attitude taking the name of his foundation, “Light and self-esteem affect eating habits. The of Day,” from Fox’s 1987 movie of the same corporate-conspiracy material sometimes name, for which Bruce Springsteen penned sits awkwardly with the worthy dietary the title track. Springsteen soon joined Award info, but more indigestible are dramatized Benjamin’s other friends and associates, Winner inserts (credited to another director, Carlos including Jesse Malin, Live’s Ed Kowalc- Ledesma) that depict an ongoing story about zyk, and The Sopranos’ Vincent Pastore in a weight-obsessed cubicle girl pining for a hosting and playing an annual benefi t on Includes 16 chapters of life saving information. hunky coworker. Although meant to illustrate the Jersey Shore (Pastore lost his mother Learn important steps to take to prepare for various points being made, the intermittent to Parkinson’s). The fundraiser has since various emergency situations. Topics include: mini-drama feels like, well, empty calories. spread to Niagara Falls, Rome, and Toronto. weather-related disasters, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, fl oods, earth- Still, is full of solid food Hungry for Change An informative documentary that inspires quakes, power outages, terrorism, advice and is sure to be popular. Bonus fea- (and all proceeds from DVD sales will go pandemics, avian infl uenza & more. tures include over 100 minutes of unedited to the Light of Day foundation) but never 89 min. | Retail: $39.95 | UPC: 783557077496 | ©2012 interview segments, while an accompanying sugarcoats the situation faced by Benjamin, booklet describes the mom-and-pop genesis APOGEE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP Fox, and thousands of others, this is recom- # Award Winning Health & Safety DVDs # and mission of the Food Matters franchise. mended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy) 159 Alpine Way, Boulder, CO. 80304 • Phone: 800-210-5700 Recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady) Fax: 303-443-0500 • Web: www.apogeevideo.com Yoga Journal: Desk Yoga Essentials Just Around the Corner ★★★ ★★★1/2 (2012) 96 min. DVD: $19.99. Virgil Films (avail. (2012) 40 min. DVD: $14.99. BayView from most distributors). Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). Co-directors Steve Caniff and Jim Jus- In this instructional program, yoga tice’s Just Around the Corner serves as a therapist Sienna Smith presents a series of concert fi lm, biographical profi le, and work poses intended to reduce pain and discom- of healthcare activism, with the music fort caused by working for long periods at performed to raise funds for Parkinson’s a desk. She targets the common problem research. The project was inspired by music zones of hands and wrists, neck and shoul- industry veteran Bob Benjamin, who grew ders, the lower back, and hips, while also

Hot Flash Havoc ★★★ (2010) 88 min. DVD: $24.99. Hot Flash Havoc. With the average age of the onset of menopause being 51 and NEW RELEASE! female life expectancy clocking in at about 79 years, millions can expect to live a third or even half of their lives after going Recovering: Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa DVD through “the change.” Hot Flash Havoc, subtitled “A Film of 300040 $79.95 Menopausal Proportions,” explains how menopause works and | DVD UPC#846742003035 27 Minutes, Closed Captioned, Grade 7 – Adult tackles the controversial issue of hormone replacement through a combination of expert commentary, animation, and “on Video Librarian Sept/Oct 2012 the street” observations—some of them fairly amusing—from “Featuring frank discussion from both sexes, ordinary men and women, all backed by a lively musical score. the program provides solid hope for those suffering from an eating disorder.” A note at the beginning states that no pharmaceutical companies were involved in Recommended  this ﬁ lm, which makes a pretty strong case for beginning or continuing hormone replacement therapy, citing emerging studies. Directed by Marc Bennett and writ- Booklist Online Review July 2012 ten and narrated by investigative journalist Marnie Inskip, the documentary takes exception with previous reports from the National Institutes of Health that warned about treatment dangers—including heart attacks, breast cancer, or dementia. On the contrary, say the professionals interviewed here, who argue that appropriate hormone therapy actually helps prevent heart attacks and dementia, as well as osteoporosis and diabetes, among other conditions—the very opposite of what initial studies indicated. CALL 888.455.7003 A compelling overview of complicated issues surrounding a universal condition, this OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE: is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Gardner) www.learningzonexpress.com

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 61 VIDEO LIBRARIAN sharing tips for releasing physical tension due to slouching and sitting in one position for hours. The moves, each lasting two to Guilty Pleasures HHH1/2 three minutes, are presented with detailed (2010) 86 min. DVD: $19.99 ($39.95 w/PPR). PBS Video. Closed captioned. ISBN: 978-1-60883-734-2. instructions on breathing (which dramati- cally increases their effectiveness) and indi- Filmmaker Julie Moggan’s Guilty Pleasures—a PBS-aired POV cation as to which areas of the body should entry—offers a sweet and thoughtful look at romance in the be feeling the stretch the most. A majority lives of three women who read Harlequin (in Britain, Mills & of the 15 exercises can be performed at a Boon) romance novels, as well as an elderly bachelor who has desk (demonstrated here in a studio with written nearly 50 bodice rippers, and a male model who appears a table and chair), and many—such as the on more than 200 Mills & Boon covers. Hiroko, a Japanese chest-opening wave breath and the jaw housewife and mother, was inspired by the party scenes in and neck release—may be inconspicuously her beloved Mills & Boons to take up ballroom dancing, and executed in a professional setting. Others, she is infatuated with her (oblivious) dancing teacher (her husband notes sadly such as the chair warrior and the dynamic that they had planned to have more children, but another pregnancy would take arm lift, could raise a few eyebrows around Hiroko away from the dance floor). British fan Shirley’s real life is not as romantic the office. But all are effective, in addition or adventuresome as the stories—the first thing spouse Phil wanted to know when to being appropriate for beginning yoga they met was whether she could properly fry an egg. In India, avid reader Shumita students. Highly recommended. Aud: P. longs to reconcile with her husband, Sanjay, after a five-year separation. Author (K. Cruver) Roger “Gill” Sanderson discusses his creative process, the rules of romance writing (the hero can’t have red hair), and how different his fictitious couples are from those he observes in real life. Buff model Stephen poses in a bathing suit, works out, and eats dinner alone; he’s been single for years and is looking for his “twin flame.” By RELATIONSHIPS & SEXUALITY film’s end, Stephen is in love, Shirley and Phil have revealed the depth of their commitment, Shumita is over the estranged Sanjay…and Hiroko’s husband has learned to dance. A lovely, hugely entertaining documentary, this is highly recommended. Chely Wright: Wish Me Away HHH Aud: C, P. (M. Puffer-Rothenberg) (2011) 96 min. DVD: $27.95. First Run Features (avail. from most distributors). Closed captioned. Chely Wright, who was born in 1970, seems a little young to have inspired her they finish watching The Raw and the Cooked, own profile, but then again she’s the only FOOD & SPIRITS which looks at the cuisine of this island prominent Nashville entertainer to come nation of 23 million people, including the out as gay. Wright believes in God, country, culinary habits of descendants of indigenous and family; she’s just not heterosexual, Business Advice for Organic Farmers tribes, who keep their own food (and other and doesn’t see why these things should HHH cultural) traditions alive. Filmmaker Monika be mutually exclusive. In their touching, (2012) 122 min. DVD: $24.95. Chelsea Green Treut begins in the north, in Taipei, where yet clear-eyed documentary, co-directors Publishing. PPR. ISBN: 978-1-60358-245-2. she visits world-renowned restaurant Shin Bobbie Birleffi and Beverly Kopf track the Richard Wiswall has farmed organically at Yeh for a multi-course meal including sow carefully orchestrated three-year process by Cate Farm in Vermont since 1981—and could livers (“delicate like the ladies,” the head chef which Wright came out to fans and to the not have survived that long if he wasn’t mak- says). From there, Treut discovers the secret wider public, alternating between video-di- ing a profit. Inspired by Wiswall’s 2009 book to the perfect dumpling (18 folds, it seems), ary footage and professionally-shot mate- The Organic Farmer’s Business Handbook, this and visits a night market in the city where rial. Wright’s divorced parents speak about program is mainly a record of his workshop at crowds of hungry people wander through a her lifelong love of country music, while her the Northeast Organic Farming Association’s carnival-like atmosphere, enjoying an amaz- sister believes Chely fulfilled a dream that winter conference in 2010, interspersed with ing array of organic food dishes. She also wasn’t possible for their more introverted comments from an interview with Wiswall travels inland to look at a thriving network mother (whom ex-husband Stan describes at his farm. The workshop offers a thorough of organic farmers and buyers who believe as “cold and unloving”). Wright’s impover- examination of the economics of organic ag- deeply in supporting the natural cycle of ished childhood could have been happier, riculture, delving into planning, budgeting, food production. Treut witnesses a demon- but her music career thrived, and she signed producing, and marketing in ways that will stration against a proposed petrochemical to a major label in the 1990s. Although she ensure an enterprise turns a net profit. For factory threatening local waters, and inter- tried to pray her orientation away, this only example, in creating a crop budget, Wiswall views a restaurant cook who catches his own caused further unhappiness. In her 20s, notes the difference between kale and broc- fish by hand. This emphasis on linking the Wright fell in love with a woman, but kept coli; kale, which can be harvested several enjoyment of food with personal involve- the relationship secret. Later, she dated Brad times in a season, nets about 20 times as ment in its harvesting carries over to Treut’s Paisley, but couldn’t return his affection. much revenue as the same acreage planted in visits with various aboriginal tribes, as we An emotional collapse finally inspired her broccoli. DVD extras includes printable forms see tribal people preparing food that looks to come out to producer Rodney Crowell related to Wiswall’s hands-on budgeting and unbearably delicious (including the Hakka and select family members, after which she marketing exercises. Recommended. Aud: C, Chinese specialty seafood and pumpkin moved to New York to work on a biogra- P. (F. Gardner) soup). The tour ends in Pulin with a visit to phy that detailed her secrecy, thoughts of a popular fusion restaurant, where viewers suicide, and eventual breakthrough. DVD The Raw and the Cooked HHH1/2 behold such beautiful dishes as rose-petal extras include a featurette and photo gal- (2012) 83 min. In English & Chinese w/English sushi and ailanthus prickly ash. DVD extras lery. A solid personal profile of a singer who subtitles. DVD: $29.95. First Run Features (avail. include recipes. A wonderful culinary excur- is also expanding the horizons of country from most distributors). sion that is likely to appeal to both foodies music, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. It’s all but guaranteed that viewers will and armchair travelers, this is highly recom- (K. Fennessy) be salivating for Taiwanese food by the time mended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 62 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 Sponsored by BayView Entertainment to the pitfalls of e-commerce, viewers are BUSINESS & ECONOMICS told that SEO (search engine optimization) copywriting is a costly and perhaps futile investment. While acknowledging that net- based startups suffer a high failure rate, this Disabilities at Work: Successful Job program offers a serviceable introduction Hunting for People with Disabilities to the basics. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. HHH1/2 (C. Cassady) (2012) 28 min. DVD: $99.95. Cambridge Educational (dist. by Films Media Group). PPR. Closed captioned. ISBN: 978-1-62102-251-0. SPORTS, GAMES & RECREATION An excellent primer for people with disabilities who are preparing for a job search and going on interviews, much of the advice Swish 3: The Swish Free Throw HHH1/2 here—delivered by experts, as well as men (2012) 88 min. DVD: $34.95. Youth Sports Club. and women with a variety of handicaps—is PPR. widely applicable. The conventional wisdom When shooting hoops, is there anything still holds: namely, that an interview is an sweeter than the swish? In Swish 3, Tom opportunity to best present one’s self in a KATHY SMITH: YOGA SCULPT Nordland teaches his unorthodox approach BAY330, $12.99 short amount of time—trying to make a to creating “experts in the skill of free-throw good impression by accentuating the posi- Fitness legend Kathy Smith presents a shooting.” The technique starts with an special DVD (over 160 minutes!) containing tive, drawing attention to your assets for a open stance and straight legs before dipping three of her favorite full length workouts potential employer, and underscoring your and using leg force to drive the ball toward from her extensive catalog: New Yoga relevant skills and education. Appropriate the net. Aligning the hand with the basket Basics (a foundation-level yoga program dress, smart answers, and punctuality all (instead of aligning the elbows) is also key, for beginners), New Yoga Challenge (an count. Of course, a disability will more than along with the grip and specific hand mo- athletic yoga routine for stamina and likely be a factor in the conversation, but the tions. Training starts with players examining exibility improvement), and Lower Body Firming (simple calorie-blasting moves to key is to be brief and to the point. Will the their current style and habits, while opening condition slow down performance of cer- strengthen and tone the abs, back, hips, their minds to learning something new—an and legs). tain tasks? The main thing is to educate the approach that Nordland calls the “awareness interviewer on how you can do the job, and method of coaching,” which establishes a possibly even make clear how overcoming a solid foundation to work from before inte- disability has made you a better worker. No- grating specific moves and techniques into a ting that applicants should check workplace sequence for practice. Nordland also stresses accessibility and request any accommoda- that shooting is physical and not mental, tions necessary beforehand (the only reason and that turning it into a brain exercise one would be obliged to disclose a disability only makes it harder to have confidence in prior to an interview), this program also the simplicity of executing consistent free covers several stipulations in the Americans throws. Highly recommended. Aud: J, H, C, with Disabilities Act. Other titles in the Dis- P. (C. Block) abilities at Work series include Effective Job Search and Smart Resumes and Applications. The World Series: History of the Fall Informative and encouraging, this is highly Classic HHH1/2 recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (T. Keogh) (2011) 4 discs. 240 min. DVD: $39.95. A&E Home Video (avail. from most distributors). PPR. ISBN: Starting an Online Business HHH 1-4229-2231-6. IMAGINARY FRIEND (2012) 21 min. DVD: $129.95. VEA (dist. by Films This fast-paced documentary offers a Media Group). PPR. Closed captioned. RME2117, $19.99 sweeping historical overview of Major Emma, a young married woman with a Although this Australian production League Baseball’s World Series, from the history of psychological problems, features foreign ventures as examples (along championship’s rocky start in 1903 through worries for her mental health when her with business-school input from the Uni- the 2011 match-up between the St. Louis imaginary childhood friend suddenly versity of Melbourne), the terminology and Cardinals and the Texas Rangers. Narrated reappears in her life. Is Emma insane or a general principles remain salient for North by Bob Costas, the chronicle features archival victim of the supernatural? Or is it American viewers, as it covers the basics of footage and digital images, as well as more something more sinister? Lacey Chabert launching a commercial enterprise centered than a hundred interviews with veteran (MMean Girls), Paul Sorvino (GoodFellas), Ethan Embry (Eagle Eye), and Marc on the World Wide Web—whether a wholly- players, managers, writers, and broadcast- McClure (Superman) star in this intense online service or a gateway for selling physi- ers. The story begins at the start of the 20th thriller that premiered on Lifetime cal products. 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Interestingly, in a segment devoted and Costas provides a year-by-year sketch of WWW. BAYVIEWENTERTAINMENT. COM

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 63 VIDEO LIBRARIAN Running with Bulls HHH1/2 (2012) 51 min. DVD: $19.98. FilmWorks Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). According to U.K. television journalist Jason Farrell, the annual San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, Spain, is “nine days of sustained drinking and running with bulls.” So what could possibly go wrong? Well, lots—as viewers will learn from filmmaker Farrell’s exciting documentary about the strange event with a centuries-old history. Although made world-famous and romanticized by Ernest Hemingway in The Sun Also Rises, the running typically results in a number of serious injuries every July, as the horns of massive bulls rip human flesh and occasionally kill people. Despite inevitable tragedies, Pamplona entertains thousands of partying locals and tourists in its streets each year, folks who take their lives in their hands while chasing after (or being chased by) the huge animals. On each of the festival’s nine days, six bulls are released to charge along a downtown route leading to a stadium, where they will face bloody fates at the hands of matadors. Why do men, women, and children run with the bulls? Because, we’re told, it makes them feel alive. Farrell himself vicariously takes viewers along on his own run, employing a small camera and capturing some truly scary moments. The film also features protestors who decry the festival as animal abuse, a charge not easily dismissed. DVD extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette and a photo gallery. Offering an intriguing look at a notable annual phenomenon, this is highly recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)

postseason highlights. The many anecdotes and Michael Jackson’s physician Conrad cover subjects ranging from the 1919 “Black Murray (offering a hazy conspiracy take on Sox” scandal to Babe Ruth’s alleged “called Jackson’s death). Williams also mentions shot” in 1932. Other topics include the New his own recent arrests aimed at silencing York Yankees’ dynastic rise during the 1940s his outspokenness (for the record, Williams (and later decline and return to top form in is no Lenny Bruce). During the closing contemporary times), the ascendance of the credits, viewers learn that Williams’ set was Oakland Athletics in the early 1970s, and a the finale, following five other performers; sustained era in the 1980s in which no team a longer runtime with more comics—a la dominated the sport. DVD extras include The Original Kings of Comedy—would have media bloopers, ceremonial first pitches, addi- offered more variety and comic bang for tional interviews, team lineups, World Series the buck. Extras include a clever animated MVP Award winners, and famous clinchers. short set to Williams’ rant about Obama’s A comprehensive and entertaining history of presidency. Both strident and scattershot, the “Fall classic” (also available in a barebones this disappointing comedy special is not two-disc edition for $24.95), this is highly recommended. Aud: P. (C. Cassady) recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (T. Keogh) Mariachi High HHH (2012) 54 min. DVD: $24.99 ($54.95 w/PPR). THE ARTS PBS Video. ISBN: 978-1-60883-728-1. The student musicians in the PBS-aired documentary Mariachi High are passionate Katt Williams: Kattpacalypse H1/2 about mariachi—a high-spirited, emotive (2011) 60 min. DVD: $19.98. eOne Entertainment strain of Mexican folk music. Senior Jennifer (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 1-4172- Santos believes that “mariachi builds char- 3736-8. acter,” while music director Adrian Padilla Standup comic and actor Katt Williams notes that 100% of the mariachi participants reportedly retired from the mic in 2009 but go on to four-year colleges. Located in Za- returns for this 2011 New Year’s Eve set at the pata, TX, many of the champion ensemble Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. The transition mariachi players at Zapata High School are to 2012—a key year for a few New Age/Mayan of Latino descent, although everyone is prophecy doomsday scenarios—inspires Wil- welcome. Collin Moffett, the only appar- liams to riff in blurry, profanity-laced fashion ent Caucasian member, feels that mariachi on apocalyptic themes. Williams says that “can just change a person.” Directors Kim the world economic crisis and recession are Connell and Ilana Trachtman open their nothing new; black people have been living profile at the beginning of the school year this life for generations. Williams also blasts as Padilla chooses his musicians, with a fo- atheism (“Jesus has been kickin’ ass for a long cus on violin, trumpet, and percussion (his time”), evolutionary theory, child-molesting daughter, Belen, contributes as a singer and Catholic clergy, critics of Barack Obama, the harpist). Zapata may be a small school, but presidential aspirations of Herman Cain, the band has won three out of the last four

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 64 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 Mariachi Vargas competitions against larger he also carries a chip on his shoulder—call- institutions with multiple directors, and here ing renowned actress and drama coach Uta they travel to Austin, and to San Antonio to Hagen a “bully,” and offering similar put- perform at the state capitol. Since it’s a tradi- downs of director-choreographer Jerome tional musical form, band members need to Robbins and Roman Polanski (who gave look the part, so Marina Flores, whose hair Grodin a small part in Rosemary’s Baby). In color fluctuates throughout filming, sprays between segments, the program flashes effu- her hair black before competing. While sive quotes regarding Grodin’s performances most documentaries would end after the and charitable activities. Unfortunately, big competition, Mariachi High continues to The Perils of Show Business is a meandering the end of the year as the seniors prepare for effort that doesn’t offer starving actors the next stage in their lives, grateful for the really helpful advice or encouragement, and head start that Padilla’s music program has much of it lacks the generous spirit usually provided them. Recommended. Aud: H, C, associated with Grodin. Not recommended. P. (K. Fennessy) Aud: C, P. (S. Rees) The Perils of Show Business: Proceed at Play in the Gray HH Your Own Risk HH (2012) 85 min. DVD: $14.95. Music Video (2012) 60 min. DVD: $19.99. Limelight Editions Distributors (avail. from most distributors). (avail. from www.limelighteditions.com). PPR. The idea of men in drag can easily conjure ISBN: 978-0-87910-398-9. up memories of wild classic comedy gems, For almost five decades actor Charles running the gamut from the frothy vaude- Grodin has entertained audiences on stage, ville shtick of Milton Berle to the boundary- TV, radio, and particularly in films such as pushing underground nihilism of Divine. Midnight Run, the original The Heartbreak Kid, But on the distaff side, there are relatively and the popular Beethoven dog series. Accord- few culturally significant entertainment ing to Grodin, acting is simple. But how many milestones featuring women dressed in male actors can make a living at it? In this curious drag. Kaitlin Meelia’s documentary focuses program, Grodin faces the camera, while of- on the Boston-based all-female theatrical fering opinions, advice, and memories about troupe All the Kings Men, which special- the thespian profession. Ranging across top- izes in offering a “drag king” alternative ics related to acting, writing, and directing, to the more prevalent drag queen style of Grodin delivers pithy remarks and one lin- comedy. Meelia gives equal attention to ers, such as recalling that early in his career each performer, with in-depth interviews he lived in a fleabag apartment, which has focusing on personal histories and perfor- “since been upgraded to a homeless shelter.” mance styles, eliciting interesting opinions Grodin says that all actors must learn to deal on gender identity in both standup comedy with rejection, but while he provides tips on and in the wider society. Unfortunately, the handling critical or unsupportive directors, insights and energy evident during the in-

Nina Conti: Her Master’s Voice HHH1/2 (2012) 60 min. DVD: $19.99. Virgil Films (avail. from most distributors). Although the lines between mockumentary, performance art, and confessional essay are hard to decipher in this enormously entertaining film, it’s sure fun watching the boundaries blur as British actress-director Nina Conti, a YouTube sensation often credited for reinventing the art of ventriloquism, goes on a long pilgrimage—both to sort out ambivalent feelings about her career and to bequeath several puppets to a retirement home somewhere in Kentucky. Conti (daughter of actor Tom Conti) attends an annual ventriloquist convention with her trademark hand puppet—the somber and plainspoken Monkey—and several large latex-and- wood creations left to her by her late mentor and lover, Ken Campbell, an influential maverick actor and director on the experimental-theater scene in London. Throughout her trip, Conti uses private interactions with Monkey and the other puppets (one of whom resembles Campbell) to confront ghosts from her past as well as uncertainty about whether she should have remained in ventriloquism after Campbell nudged her in that direction. These conversations are often very funny and tender (one of the puppets, an old woman whom Campbell had used as a Gertrude Stein figure, requires a lot of care), but they can also be unnerving (especially when the Campbell-like figure asks Conti about a long-ago abortion). Conti’s stage act crosses over into mind-bending unreality—a dynamic that extends to this film, as the viewer is not sure what’s genuine and what’s not (but it’s all intriguing). DVD extras include audio commentary by Conti and Monkey, extended scenes, and Conti’s convention stage performance. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 65 VIDEO LIBRARIAN dividual profiles evaporate when the women come together for their shows; indeed, the The Story of Film: An Odyssey HHHH onstage comedy selections presented here (2011) 5 discs. 915 min. DVD: $69.95. Music Box Films (avail. from most come across as a second-rate riff on Saturday distributors). Night Live sketches. Ultimately, the broadly Irish critic and filmmaker Mark Cousins offers a master class vulgar and fairly predictable nature of the in cinema history in this superb eight-part series originally troupe’s comedy reminds us that it doesn’t presented on Britain’s More4 television. Running over 15 hours, matter who is wearing what clothing—if The Story of Film—narrated by Cousins—serves up an incredibly the jokes aren’t funny, the whole thing comprehensive, wonderfully evocative survey of the medium’s won’t work. An optional purchase. Aud: C, first century-plus. The approach here is basically chronological, P. (P. Hall) beginning with Edison in America and the Lumière brothers in France and continuing up through the digital age in the 2000s. School Play HHH Featuring literally hundreds of illustrative clips (from William K.L. Dickson’s 1894 An- (2010) 72 min. DVD: $99. Stenhouse Publishers. nabelle Butterfly Dance to Christopher Nolan’s 2010 Inception), the series also interviews PPR. ISBN: 978-1-57110-960-6. a wide array of filmmakers, including Wim Wenders, Lars von Trier, Gus Van Sant, Jane School Play follows five suburban New Campion, and John Sayles. Cousins delivers an imaginative, highly personal treatment York fifth-graders during auditions, re- of a great art form in which several major themes emerge, ranging from the centrality of hearsals, and an eventual performance the director (essentially the auteur theory) to the global character of film. While Cousins of a staged version of The Wizard of Oz. doesn’t neglect Hollywood or Europe, impressive coverage is given to the rest of the The kids run the gamut of behavioral filmmaking world—China, Japan, Korea, Russia, India, the Middle East, Africa, South types: an admitted class clown; an outcast and Latin America—with segments also focusing on various genres, like Japanese horror who struggles to make friends; a popular, and Hong Kong martial arts movies. Cousins also encourages an appreciation of cin- competitive girl; a boy who stutters but ematic technique, often juxtaposing scenes from disparate eras and locales to illustrate loves to be the center of attention; and the influence of one filmmaker on another, and to emphasize innovation—narrative the savvy youngest child in a family of as well as technical—in the medium’s development. One of the chief joys of this series stage performers. The director and school is that while it is educational and entertaining, it will also inevitably invite discussion principal talk about the importance of the and debate. Bundled with a 44-page booklet, The Story of Film is a brilliant achievement. annual play, and parents are seen in roles Highly recommended. Editor’s Choice. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek) extending beyond helping the children to learn lines—talking about their own work with their offspring, while one father draws from California to an out-of-town open- fear, followed by the determination and a parallel for his son between working on ing during a Chicago blizzard, and finally resolve to identify and punish the attack- Oz and doing anything well in life. Film- to Broadway. Of course, even a one-man ers. Filmmaker Leslie Woodhead’s 9/11: Day makers Rick Velleu and Eddie Rosenstein show requires collaborators, such as direc- That Changed the World begins with rare fall short in a few areas: the film jumps from tor and fellow actor Fisher Stevens, as well footage of President Bush jogging early in one participant’s discouragement to elation as a choreographer, and sound, set, and the morning of that clear-skied, beautiful without showing any connection; the over- costume designers. Leguizamo describes but terrible day, before dropping in on an use of atmospheric shots and folk music comedy as an antidote to his often tough elementary school class in Florida. As word slow the momentum; and, disappointingly, childhood, although a big challenge lies in of the attacks spread, the decision had to be the students’ journey ends with excerpts getting the tone right, scaling back on the made about a possible shoot-down order that of the performance shown in only a brief anger, and emphasizing instead hope and could kill innocent civilians on the planes montage, as the soundtrack gives way al- survival. After a fairly successful Broadway (an official recalls that it was “like living most entirely to Cat Stevens. But School Play opening, the actor is challenged to take the in a Tom Clancy novel”). After grounding is still an effective reminder of the power show to his hometown of Bogatá, Colombia, all civilian aircraft, a frantic attempt was of childhood experiences. DVD extras performing it in Spanish (even though he is made to secure key government officials, include a viewing guide with related video not fluent). Rosie Perez and others describe particularly the President, who had to be clips. Recommended, overall. Aud: I, C, P. Leguizamo as part of a new breed of Latin protected, but also seen to be in charge. The (M. Puffer-Rothenberg) actors helping to bring ethnic and working- documentary features interviews with Mayor class audiences to Broadway. DVD extras Rudy Giuliani, Vice President Dick Cheney, Tales from a Ghetto Klown HHH include bonus scenes. Recommended. Aud: Laura Bush, Defense Secretary Donald Rums- (2012) 60 min. DVD: $24.99 ($54.95 w/PPR). C, P. (S. Rees) feld, and a number of first responders, who PBS Video. Closed captioned. ISBN: 978-1-60883- recall nightmare images of victims leaping 731-1. from upper floors at the World Trade towers, According to actor John Leguizamo, HISTORY & CURRENT EVENTS frustration at not being able to find or help “theater is the extreme sport” of acting. Al- survivors after the buildings collapsed, and though Leguizamo is familiar to moviego- post-disaster efforts to regain control and ers from his work in films (such as Carlito’s 9/11: Day That Changed the World prevent another possible wave of attacks. Way and Executive Decision), he has also HHH1/2 9/11 also covers the formation of the “Bush written and starred in five one-man shows, (2012) 136 min. DVD: $19.98. Inception Media doctrine” on retaliating against countries including Mambo Mouth and Spic-O-Rama. Group (avail. from most distributors). Closed aiding terrorists, as well as the need for His latest, Ghetto Klown, chronicles the captioned. military and political leaders to adjust their “journey of an artist,” depicting the joy and The 9/11 terrorist attacks have been called thinking, which had changed little since the pain of discovering what it means to be a the 102 minutes that changed both America end of the Cold War. DVD extras include the Latin actor in America. Ben DeJesus directs and the world. Narrated by Martin Sheen, bonus program 9/11: Stories in Fragments. One this PBS special on how Ghetto Klown was this Smithsonian Channel documentary of the best 9/11 anniversary documentaries, conceived, rehearsed, and refined during presents a 10th anniversary “inside” look this powerful film is highly recommended. the long tryout process, taking the actor at the nation’s confusion, uncertainty, and Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 66 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 AwArd winning! 10 Years On: Afghanistan & Pakistan ★★★ (2011) 35 min. In English, Dari & Pashto w/ English subtitles. DVD: $65: public libraries & high schools; $195: colleges & universities. KJF Documentaries. PPR. Filmmaker Kathleen Foster’s standalone Streaming sequel to her 2007 Afghan Women: A History of Struggle argues that even though the U.S. purportedly invaded Afghanistan in order for every to disarm terrorists and free Afghans from oppressive Taliban rule, Americans actually library ushered in more poverty and corruption instead of peace. Foster has compiled scenes of Video warfare, impoverishment, and destruction, along with interviews of Afghan men, women, and children, who talk about the ongoing Sign up for a free Trial! turmoil. Many perceive Americans as “suspi- www.InfobaseLearning.com/TrialAD2013 cious of anyone who even talks about Islam,” driving Afghans from their homes and killing civilians without a thought. Eyewitness interviews underscore Foster’s argument that U.S. aid and taxes funneled into Afghanistan 13,500 full-length videos. actually support comfortable lifestyles and consumerism among the American military, 230,000 video clips. and that the confl ict continues because it’s *Video content and features vary by product. profi table and because the West wants control of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan- Subscription collections for: India (TAPI) gas pipeline. Foster points out that fi ghting has spilled over into Pakistan, Academic Institutions deepening rifts among religious sects, while

fi nancial aid intended for the Pakistani people FILMS is diverted to profi t the local government, On DEMAnD army, and large landowners. The fi lm closes High Schools award wInnER! on a hopeful note, focusing on Afghan and CLASSROOM VIDEO Pakistani efforts to network, organize, and demand new governments. Offering a strik- SIIA CODiE Award Finalist, "Best Education Reference Solution" ingly different (as well as arguable and con- Public Libraries troversial) perspective from what is reported Library Journal Best Databases, Runner-Up, "Best in Media" in the general media, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Puffer-Rothenberg)

Atomic Mom ★★★1/2 (2011) 80 min. In English & Japanese w/English In class. at the lIbrary. at home. on the go. subtitles. DVD: $89: public libraries & high schools; $295: colleges & universities. Women Make Movies. PPR. anytIme. anywhere. As a child in the early 1950s, fi lmmaker • Thousands of exclusive educa- • New content added monthly, M.T. Silvia was impressed that her mother tional videos from top producers, with more than 1,000 videos Pauline did classifi ed work as a researcher at segmented into easy-to-use clips added each year the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory in San Francisco. Silvia’s mom participated in • Unlimited, simultaneous, 24/7 • Google Translate on every page access, in class/library or off site fi ve atomic bomb detonations at the notori- • Authenticated HTML embed ous Nevada Test Site and also subjected mice • iPad, PC, Mac, and interactive code that allows direct access to and dogs to painful radiation testing. When, whiteboard friendly videos from within Blackboard, as an adult, M.T. learned more about the as- Moodle, or other CMS sociated horrors, she became an anti-nuclear • Closed-captioning and interactive activist, after which mother and daughter did transcripts for thousands of titles • Free MARC records for every video. not discuss the issue for years. Atomic Mom juxtaposes archival footage, photographs, and expert interviews, with a series of conversations between parent and child in which the retired scientist fi nally shares the details of her work. But while Pauline can be candid, she refuses to discuss her health problems 1-800-322-8755 • [email protected] • www.Facts.com or acknowledge that they could have been caused by exposure to radiation. She’s also

VL_0113_SV_pp_1212.indd 1 12/5/12 12:53 PM JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 67 VIDEO LIBRARIAN coupled with the international acclaim HHH bestowed on iconic performers such as Bob 5 Broken Cameras 1/2 Marley and Jimmy Cliff, brought a more (2011) 90 min. In Hebrew & Arabic w/English subtitles. DVD: $29.95 (avail. from most distributors), $349 w/PPR (avail. from www. positive image to the Rastafari movement. kinolorberedu.com). Kino Lorber. Holding on to Jah is a lively and provocative The struggles and successes of non-violent protest are at the history, featuring rarely seen film footage and center of this eye-opening documentary from co-directors Emad insightful interviews with Rastafarians who Burnat (Palestinian) and Guy Davidi (Israeli), who build 5 Broken saw their community move from the fringes Cameras around footage that Burnat shot using consumer-grade of Jamaican society into the global spotlight. equipment. A native of the occupied West Bank village of Bil’in, Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall) Burnat narrates, offering a personal perspective on Israeli-Pales- tinian relations. A father of four, Burnat describes himself as a Incident in New Baghdad HH1/2 “fellah” or peasant. After the birth of his son, Gibreel, in 2005, Burnat bought a camera, (2011) 23 min. DVD: $79: public libraries; noting that throughout his life, he has watched his community lose land to Israeli settle- $249 w/PPR: colleges & universities. Seventh Art Releasing. ments. Deciding to document every subsequent development, Burnat becomes Bil’in’s official cameraman. But while gaining a sense of purpose, Burnat also loses one camera James Spione’s short documentary falls after another during the turbulence that surrounds him. “When I film,” he says, “I feel into the growing category of nonfiction films safe, but it’s an illusion.” Burnat’s material captures demonstrations, tree-burning, tear- about maladjusted U.S. military veterans who gassing, and other sights unlikely to be witnessed by Westerners, including the arrests of have returned from recent wars harboring his three brothers and the shooting of a friend. As a contrast, Burnat also films Gibreel bitterness and resentment. In this case, the over five years as he grows up in a close-knit community that also becomes increasingly subject is Ethan McCord, an Army specialist dangerous. Although the underlying politics are more complicated, Burnat depicts such who was among those shown on the classified peaceful protests that it’s hard to feel much sympathy for the Israeli security forces, who video of the July 12, 2007, Baghdad air strike are quick on the trigger, even when confronted by child protestors. Eventually, Burnat that was released by Julian Assange’s Wiki- is arrested and taken in for questioning, but continues to film upon his release. Putting Leaks under the title Collateral Murder. McCord a human face on a half-century-plus conflict, this Sundance Film Festival award-winner was not responsible for the attack—indeed, is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy) McCord was one of the soldiers seen taking an injured child to medical care—but the incident, together with other events during haunted by her past—memories of the suf- set by his brother Ken, combining excellent his tour of duty, left him angry and sour. Back fering canines’ toenails scraping against the photographs (most notably, Mathew Brady’s home, McCord suffered from post-traumatic lab table still bring her to tears. Silvia also still shocking pictures of the corpses that lit- stress disorder that led to alcohol abuse and a interviews Emiko Okada, a Japanese woman tered abandoned battlefields—which helped hostile relationship with his family (and the who is one of the few remaining survivors spur the Lincoln administration to create news following the release of Collateral Murder of Hiroshima. Okada is also filled with guilt, national military cemeteries) with interviews only made matters worse). McCord is brutally certain that her daughter’s incurable blood of articulate experts who offer insights on the honest about his feelings, speaking in depth disease is the result of her own exposure to subject. Writer George Will stands out here about the controversial air strike (which was radiation in childhood. Okada and Silvia’s with his observation of how the 19th-century initially covered up by the Pentagon) and mother ultimately share a connection, killing machine was “lubricated every step of adding that there was “nothing patriotic in lending intimacy to an issue that resonates the way with blood.” Highly recommended. what I was doing over there.” McCord later globally. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. Aud: H, C, P. (P. Hall) found a calling as an activist against the war (K. Cruver) in Iraq. Although the film received an Oscar HHH nomination for Best Documentary Short Holding on to Jah 1/2 Subject, this is essentially a cinematic vehicle HHH (2012) 96 min. DVD: $79: public libraries; Death and the Civil War 1/2 for McCord to vent his frustrations over his (2012) 120 min. DVD: $24.99 ($54.95 w/PPR). $295 w/PPR: colleges & universities. Seventh Art PBS Video. Closed captioned. ISBN: 978-1-60883- Releasing. unexpected role in a horrifying incident. A 759-5. Reggae music is among the most beloved minor addition to the canon of Iraq-related Aired on PBS’s American Experience series, of Jamaican exports, yet reggae’s heritage works, this is still a strong optional purchase. Ric Burns’ documentary offers an elegiac is marked with pain and tribulation. Roger Aud: C, P. (P. Hall) look at how the Civil War forever changed Landon Hall’s documentary traces the de- the way Americans viewed death, noting that velopment of reggae in conjunction with the Narrow Escapes of World War II both the North and South were unprepared fight by Jamaica’s Rastafarian population for HHH1/2 for the massive carnage. The conflict’s first equal treatment from both the British colo- (2012) 4 discs. 653 min. DVD: $79.99. Athena major military campaign, the Battle of Bull nial occupiers and, for the last half-century, (avail. from most distributors). Run, claimed more casualties than the entire the Jamaican government. A great deal of the This 13-episode British documentary Mexican War, and with each new engage- confusion and hostility towards the Rastafari series—broadcast in the U.S. on the Military ment the number of battlefield fatalities movement can be traced to the movement’s Channel—offers invigorating insights into staggeringly rose. Complicating matters were rejection of traditional Christian tenets. some of the most audacious raids and escapes the era’s primitive medical conditions—two Rastafarians celebrate the Ethiopian Emperor that occurred during World War II. A few of out of three deaths were attributed to diseases Haile Seilasse (1892-1975) as the reincarna- the historic events depicted here will be very that spread through the Army encampments. tion of Jesus—indeed, the emperor’s visit to familiar to those versed in wartime history, Neither side went into war with the infra- Jamaica in 1966 set off a riot of jubilation by most notably Col. Jimmy Doolittle’s astonish- structure needed to identify and bury the the island’s Rastafarians. Jamaican authorities ing raid on Tokyo and the heroic defense of dead and notify next of kin, so many families routinely targeted the community with social Tobruk by Australian Gen. Leslie Morshead. learned of the loss of loved ones in letters and economic discrimination accompanied However, most of the episodes here exam- written by soldiers who were dying from their by heavy-handed police tactics. However, ine incidents that rarely receive attention wounds. Burns follows the famed protocol the emergence of reggae during the 1960s, in American documentaries. Among these

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 68 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 relatively little-known events are the March unusual in that it offers examples of German newsreel footage, dramatic re-creations, and 1944 battle in the Himalayan Indian village victories, including the extraordinary evacu- interviews with veterans who survived these of Kohima against a Japanese invasion, and ation of hundreds of thousands of German dangerous missions, the series is bundled the September 1944 Allied push to expel Nazi civilians from the Baltic ports ahead of the with a viewer’s guide that offers a helpful forces from the Netherlands. This series is also oncoming Soviet juggernaut. Combining overview of the war in Europe and Asia. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)

High Ground HHH1/2 Neither Allah, Nor Master! HHH (2012) 97 min. DVD: $19.99. Virgil Films (avail. from most distributors). (2011) 71 min. DVD: $348. Icarus Films. PPR. An engrossing award-winning documentary, High Ground Current concerns with events in Egypt, reminds viewers that in addition to the thousands of deaths of Libya, and Syria have eclipsed the fact that American military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last the Arab Spring began in Tunisia with the decade, hundreds of thousands of soldiers have sustained brain deposition of long-time dictator Zine el-Abi- injuries, lost limbs, suffered burns, and continue to struggle with dine Ben Ali. This documentary from Franco- post-traumatic stress disorder. Here, 11 veterans who survived Tunisian filmmaker Nadia El Fani not only terrible injuries in battle decide to face their pain and demons serves as a reminder but also explores what by climbing the 20,000-foot Himalayan giant Mount Lobuche. has since been happening in the North Af- Led by blind guide Erik Weihenmayer and other summiteers, rican country, particularly the resurgence of the climbers turn to one another for support and collective courage while traveling the militant Islamic fundamentalism that the to Nepal and slowly scaling Lobuche’s sheer peak with far more than the usual hin- former dictator and his predecessor, Habib drances. Along the way, filmmaker Michael Brown interweaves the climbers’ personal ibn Ali Bourguiba, had tried to contain. El stories, revealing the source of each survivor’s disability (including blindness and Fani, an avowed atheist, is deeply concerned amputation), while also touching on the residual pain, trauma, and sometimes guilt that the secularist attitude she embraces is that everyone feels. Among the climbing party is a former combat diver who took the being smothered in her native land by public brunt of an underwater explosion; a soldier who watched as a rocket-propelled grenade confusion regarding Islamic and civil law. She came towards him but was powerless to protect himself; and the mother of a soldier makes her points both through conversations who died heroically. Wonderful moments occur when these men and women share with friends and family (who see the shift in with one another, and there is much to enjoy in scenes set in a monastery and later their own lives) and with ordinary Tunisians at a base camp where joyous rituals take place. A powerful, inspirational film, this is who assume that the observance of Ramadan highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh) is a matter not merely of religious conviction NeverGiveUp_VidLib_ThirdPgAd 11/20/12 10:09 AM Page 1 but of legal necessity. As a result, those who

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 69 VIDEO LIBRARIAN break the Ramadan fast feel compelled to do so in a clandestine manner—essentially be- HHH coming de facto criminals in the process—as They Call it Myanmar: Lifting the Curtain (2012) 83 min. DVD: $29.95. Docurama (avail. from most distributors). shops and restaurants obligingly close down ISBN: 1-4229-2228-6. for the month or simply refuse to serve non- Filmmaker Robert H. Lieberman’s documentary offers an foreigners. While offering no practical solu- enlightening portrait of Myanmar—formerly known as Burma— tions, El Fani’s deceptively casual film—which moving beyond the basic headlines/soundbites about an Asian juxtaposes interviews with scenes of bustling dictatorship that kept reformist and Nobel Peace prize-winner markets and beaches—thought-provokingly Aung San Suu Kyi under high-profile house arrest for decades. argues that Tunisia may be in the throes of Elegantly shuttling back forth between Myanmar’s epic past simply replacing one master, the deposed and post-colonial present, Lieberman depicts a police state with dictator, with another, an emboldened re- some impressive contradictions. Devout Buddhism (brought by a ligious establishment. Recommended. Aud: hero-king of old from nearby Sri Lanka) helps inhabitants accept misfortune (peasants C, P. (F. Swietek) subsist in dire poverty, daily pawning the pots in which they cook their food), yet Bud- dhist monks are often in the forefront of protest against a brutal regime. Myanmar’s The Pilgrim Fathers HHH1/2 military autocracy is rather unique, since it features no Big Brother-figure strongman, (2012) 30 min. DVD: $64.95. TMW Media Group. just a blundering series of blindly obedient generals who come and go in distressingly PPR. smooth succession, although the 1990 success at the polls for Suu Kyi’s party—the This brief but highly informative docu- National League for Democracy—coupled with her much-publicized arrest (she was mentary traces the history behind the released in late 2010) have brought hope for change to a younger generation. Despite Mayflower’s voyage to the New World in 1620, some official meddling in his inquiries, Lieberman captures the country’s splendor (the which brought Puritan exiles from England regime certainly doesn’t discourage tourism dollars) and refreshing human elements, to America. The Pilgrim Fathers interweaves such as the interviewee who will not discuss politics but does bemoan that martial- animated illustrations and dramatic re-en- law lockdown restricts access to his favorite import, Perry Mason. DVD extras include actments with comments by historians to deleted scenes and footage of Suu Kyi accepting the Nobel prize. Recommended. Aud: tell the story, which begins in the late 16th C, P. (C. Cassady) century amidst the plague in England and an unbearable rise in persecution against sepa- ratists by an intolerant Church of England. people facing a fiery death. All four, along follows the young men, who wonder if they Years of secret meetings run by defrocked with dozens of their peers, were among are going to kill another human being or not. preachers led to a decision by some Puritans those saving lives in Haiti following the Along the way, a convoy headset conversation to leave England and settle near Amsterdam. devastating 2009 earthquake. While each of straight outta Quentin Tarentino—mock- Despite experiencing considerable culture these real-life heroes is truly admirable, the ing “hippie” film festivals—is interrupted shock, the community stayed for 12 years fact that Rescue was originally intended for by a bomb attack; the election of Barack before determining that their destiny was in exhibition in 3D on the supersized IMAX Obama is viewed by the Smith family back the New World. The film details the many screen—with many scenes framed to take home with “hope”; and both Dom and Cole hardships during the Mayflower’s crossing full advantage of that format—means that return home scarred physically and psycho- from Devon, England, and also looks at the much of the power of the cinematography is logically—angry at the world (Cole especially) concerns the Pilgrims must have felt upon lost here (especially for those watching the and undergoing PTSD therapy. Although this seeing the barren landscape of Plymouth, 2D DVD version instead of the 3D Blu-ray is no recruiting film (battle heroism is “all a near what is now Cape Cod. The Pilgrim release), chiefly during lengthy shots of roar- bunch of bullshit”), it avoids obvious blam- settlement was not the first in the future ing ocean waves and sweeping landscapes. ing and finger-pointing politics, making it a America, but the sacrifices made by the The heartbreaking scenes in Haiti, however, powerfully realistic portrait of contemporary survivors, coupled with the drafting of the retain their raw emotional power, and it is soldiers in war. Highly recommended. Aud: Mayflower Compact—a governing document this record of courage amid unfathomable C, P. (C. Cassady) embracing the concept of majority rule—are horror that ultimately makes this well worth among the reasons we continue to revere the watching. Extras include a behind-the-scenes Words of Witness HHH Pilgrims today. DVD extras include an online featurette. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (2012) 68 min. DVD: $99.95: public libraries; teacher’s guide. Highly recommended. Aud: (P. Hall) $295: colleges & universities. The Cinema Guild. I, J, P. (T. Keogh) PPR. ISBN: 0-7815-1419-3. Where Soldiers Come From HHH1/2 Czech-Egyptian director Mai Iskander Rescue HHH (2012) 91 min. DVD: $75: public libraries & high examines Egypt’s revolution through the eyes (2012) 46 min. DVD: $19.98, Blu-ray: $24.98. schools; $299: colleges & universities. New Day of Heba Afify, a 22-year-old Cairo journalist Image Entertainment (avail. from most Films. PPR. for an independent newspaper. For 30 years, distributors). Filmmaker Heather Courtney’s Where President Hosni Mubarak kept his people Stephen Low directed this IMAX documen- Soldiers Come From follows young men from in line through state security forces, who tary about four individuals—three military Michigan’s Upper Peninsula who sign up for are believed to have tortured and killed as officers and a volunteer firefighter—who state National Guard service while also antici- many as 30,000 citizens for speaking out calmly engage in everyday acts of heroism. pating military rotation for nine months in against his regime. After the populace rose up Nevada Army National Guard Maj. Matthew U.S.-occupied Afghanistan. A $20,000 payout against Mubarak in 2011—using cell phones, Jonkey, U.S. Air Force Capt. Lauren Ross, and promise of college-tuition aid are the YouTube, Twitter, and other social network- and Canadian Forces Maritime Command lure, rather than post-9/11 fervor. Courtney ing technologies to share information and Cmdr. Peter Crain detail how today’s North focuses on a modern day band of brothers organize the seminal gatherings in Tahrir American military forces provide aid and who are working-class friends, particularly Square—and forced his resignation, the Army support for humanitarian missions outside aspiring artist Dom Fredianelli and his easy- took over. Afify uses the same new technolo- a war zone, while fireman Stephen Heicklen going buddy Cole Smith. After arrival in gies here to receive updates and pass on her describes selfless and life-risking rescues of Afghanistan the cinema vérité-style narrative findings to readers. One of her first articles

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 70 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 focuses on people who have gone missing who are proud of their communities and his workshop, and comments from family, since the revolution (Afify suspects the in- couldn’t imagine living anywhere else, but friends, and colleagues (including Ed Beg- volvement of state security). She also reports also know that they need tourist money ley Jr., Terry Gilliam, Ralph Bakshi, and Ron on a protest at state security headquarters, a to sustain them over the long off-season. Jeremy), some of whom are wittily irrever- referendum regarding the presidential elec- Quentin visits a camping site, restaurants ent in their remarks. Plympton himself also tion, and the aftermath of a church burning offering local produce and seafood, vine- gets into the act by donning a bad disguise that exacerbates tensions between Christians yards, and a “letting” agency looking for to appear as W.P. Murton, a pontificating and Muslims. While Afify’s older sister and properties to rent to well-heeled families. academic who dismisses Plympton’s entire their mother, Hanan, don’t share her interest Other activities covered here include row- output as repetitive and uninteresting. in politics, her father supports her efforts. ing, surfing, “belly boarding,” and annual The result is a warm but not airbrushed As the rioting continues, Hanan pressures or end-of-season events. Of course, after the portrait of a prolific, well-regarded artist Afify to stay out of harm’s way, but the latter fun comes the inevitable visit to a quaint who looks at himself with a healthy dose doesn’t want to miss a story, so she squeezes local pub. Points of interest include a large of self-deprecation and amazement at his into crowds with her notepad and camera country estate that once housed American success, while also rejoicing in being a in hand. Along the way, the rest of Afify’s soldiers who were set to embark on the D- wisecracking outsider. DVD extras include family starts to become more politicized; Day invasion, and the iconic St. Michael’s additional interviews with Plympton, and even Hanan is now eager to share her voting Mount castle, now only accessible by ferry a bonus short. Recommended. Aud: C, P. experience with her Facebook friends. Now at high tide. Quentin emphasizes residents’ (F. Swietek) a contributor to the New York Times, Afify efforts to preserve their history and customs offers a potent look at the newly powerful in this leisurely, scenic series sure to appeal Anne Braden: Southern Patriot intersection between social media and a to Anglophile armchair travelers. Recom- HHH1/2 motivated citizenry. Recommended. Aud: mended. Aud: P. (S. Rees) (2012) 77 min. DVD: $24.95: individuals; $49.95: C, P. (K. Fennessy) public libraries & high schools; $195: colleges & universities. California Newsreel. PPR. Closed BIOGRAPHY captioned. TRAVEL & GEOGRAPHY Filmmakers Anne Lewis and Mimi Picker- ing rescue the legacy of a forgotten heroine Adventures in Plymptoons! HHH of the Civil Rights movement: Anne Braden (1924–2006), a Southern white journalist/ Cornwall with Caroline Quentin HHH (2012) 85 min. DVD: $19.95. Cinema Libre Studio (2012) 2 discs. 176 min. DVD: $39.99. Athena (avail. from most distributors). social advocate whose challenge to the Jim Crow laws made her an enemy of the (avail. from most distributors). Closed captioned. Over the decades, Oscar-winning ani- segregationist politicians of the 1950s and Celebrated in literature, Britain’s Corn- mator Bill Plympton has developed a cult ’60s. Archival footage and stills illustrate wall region—a former mining area that following, going his own, hand-drawn way this story, much of which is recounted by now attracts five million tourists each in an era of computer-generated cartoon- Braden herself in a series of interviews over year—boasts spectacular scenery, rug- ing while also creating works that are not the years. Braden’s landmark 1972 essay “A ged coastlines, close-knit villages, quaint just cheeky but often positively subversive Letter to White Southern Women” boldly customs, and a mild, invigorating climate. in terms of subject matter. Anchored by challenged its readers to fight against the Hosted by actress Caroline Quentin, this excerpts from an interview with Plym- prevailing status quo and rethink their eight-episode series takes viewers on a pton in which he recalls his childhood, racial and gender attitudes (the essay is summer vacation to beautiful, historic education, and career, Alexia Anastasio’s included as an extra). Braden and her hus- Cornwall—a journey that features many documentary profile Adventures in Plymp- band, Carl, were indicted for sedition for sites, but the emphasis here is on the toons! is punctuated by clips from his films, purchasing a home in a “white” suburb of residents, both newcomers and old timers, behind-the-scenes glimpses of the artist in Louisville, KY, for a black family (the house was repeatedly attacked and eventually bombed). As the editor of The Southern Pa- Discoveries…America National Parks: Alaska’s Wrangell- triot newspaper, the far-left Braden was the St. Elias HHH subject of criticism that crudely questioned (2012) 85 min. DVD or Blu-ray: $24.95. Bennett-Watt HD Productions. her patriotism. Needless to say, time proved PPR. ISBN: 978-1-60490-164-1 (dvd). to be her ally. While Braden is modest in This new entry in Jim and Kelly Watt’s visually stunning se- discussing her work here, the film also offers ries highlights America’s largest national park: the Wrangell–St. input from Cornel West and Angela Davis, Elias Park and Preserve in Alaska, which sprawls across 13 among others, on the value of Braden’s million acres—an area about as big as Vermont. The camera pursuit of social equality in a hostile and travels along rough and primitive roads (actually former rail violent environment. Also included is the beds), while offering glimpses of remote homesteads and views rare 1961 short documentary “Wasn’t That of spectacular scenery, including nine of the nation’s highest a Time.” Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. peaks, the biggest glaciers in North America, and the continent’s greatest concen- (P. Hall) tration of volcanoes. Along the way, we learn about fishing methods dating back to the beginning of recorded history, as native Alaskans use dip nets and fish wheels Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender (contraptions that look like Ferris wheels of buckets) to scoop up salmon on the HHH Copper River. Among the few modern imprints on the landscape are the Kennecott (2012) 107 min. DVD: $14.98, Blu-ray: $19.98. copper mill and mine, once a thriving enterprise and now part of a National Historic Eagle Rock Entertainment (avail. from most Landmark; and the tiny community of McCarthy, whose population of around 30 distributors). permanent residents balloons up to about 200 during the summer tourist season. Although Freddie Mercury’s (1946-1991) DVD extras include “Bush Alaska Insights” and a featurette on the McCarthy Mu- career with Queen has been well document- seum. Recommended. Aud: P. (C. Block) ed, this BBC profile also covers his activities outside of the group. Band members and as-

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 71 VIDEO LIBRARIAN The Island President HHH1/2 Series Update (2011) 101 min. DVD: $27.95. First Run Features (avail. from most distributors). The following titles are new additions Capturing the impassioned efforts of a reformist politician, this to series that were previously recom- fly-on-the-wall documentary focuses on the work of Mohamed mended. Titles are available from most Nasheed—a former political prisoner turned elected president of distributors unless otherwise noted. the nation of Maldives—as he sets about trying to save his country of 1,200 small islands (just off the southwest tip of India) from Newly available the ravages of global climate change. While rising ocean levels from PBS Home Video in the 21st century remain a distant problem for most industrial- is Craft in America: ized and developing countries, the crisis for Maldives is literally Crossroads (60 min., washing up on their shores, where the rapidly eroding low-lying islands are threatened DVD: $19.99), the with submergence in the Indian Ocean. This is the stark truth that Nasheed vigorously ninth episode of the confronts after his 2008 election—replacing a brutal, 30-year dictatorship. Filmmaker Jon Peabody Award-win- Shenk begins with a look back at Nasheed’s rise as an advocate for democracy—arrested ning series, which ex- 12 times, tortured twice, and held in solitary confinement for 18 months—ultimately plores the evolution ascending to power and deciding to make climate change an essential priority for saving and global influences of handmade and Maldives. Most of the film tracks Nasheed’s long struggle to convince other developing modern crafts. See review of Craft in nations to sign onto an agreement to lower carbon emissions, a difficult task that be- America: Messages in VL-11/11. comes more improbable as the world’s superpowers get into the act at the 2009 climate change conference in Copenhagen. During the strategic meetings and arguments with Also recently released by PBS is Cook’s other heads of state, Nasheed emerges as both a visionary and practical leader. DVD Country: Season Five (345 min., DVD: extras include an interview with Shenk. A powerful portrait of one man’s extraordinary 2 discs, $29.99), featuring host Christo- efforts to change the world, completed before Nasheed was sadly ousted in a coup d’état pher Kimball and chefs from America’s in early 2012, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh) Test Kitchen, who provide tips and recipes in segments including “Thrill of the sociates, including guitarist Brian May, drum- difficult music made him the epitome of the Grill” and “Super-Easy Comfort Food.” mer Roger Taylor, and manager Jim Beach, romantic keyboard virtuoso. As the title in- See review of Cook’s Country: Season One offer present-day reflections, while archival dicates, this French production (dubbed into in VL Online-3/09. footage allows the ever-witty Mercury (born English) covers Liszt’s life in chronological Farrokh Bulsara in Tanzania) to speak for sequence, featuring newly shot footage and The latest title from HIT Entertain- himself. Rhys Thomas’s documentary begins artwork to illustrate his childhood and musi- ment and Lionsgate’s popular stop-mo- with a look at Mercury’s mutual admiration cal education, his travels throughout Europe tion animated preschool series is Bob society with Michael Jackson (Mercury (where his playing evoked wild reactions), and the Builder: Teamwork Time! (55 min., signed a whopping deal with Jackson’s CBS the decade he spent in Weimar as conductor DVD: $9.98), following Dizzy’s attempt label, which caused some friction with his and composer of orchestral works as well as to save the day before a special perfor- colleagues). Mercury recorded his 1985 solo piano pieces. Along the way, director Laure mance. See review of Bob the Builder: debut, Mr. Bad Guy, in Munich, where he lived Delalex interweaves clips from interviews Celebrate with Bob in VL-11/02. more openly gay than he ever did in London. with historians and curators of museums Mercury also felt more comfortable being dedicated to preserving Liszt’s memory, as From Shout! Factory, R.L. Stine’s himself in Manhattan, where he plunged well as comments by pianists Leslie Howard, The Haunting Hour, Volume Three into the club scene, eventually bringing his Maurizio Baglini, and Claire-Marie Le Guay, and R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour, passion for disco to Queen with mixed results. who also play brief excerpts from his works. Volume Four (110 min. each, DVD: If the Chic-inspired “Another One Bites the In the Footsteps of Liszt effectively conveys the $14.98 each) are the latest compilations Dust” became a hit, Mercury’s solo album superstar status that Liszt enjoyed in his day, from the Hub-aired anthology series was a flop, although it didn’t deter him from and does not ignore his rather scandalous based on works by YA horror author R.L. releasing the 1988 follow-up Barcelona, a personal life, which involved a succession Stine (of Goosebumps fame). See review collaboration with opera singer Montserrat of mistresses and innumerable romantic of R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour, Volume Caballé and lyricist Tim Rice. Other speakers liaisons. Other new titles in the series include One in VL-11/12. here include producer Reinhold Mack and In the Footsteps of Mahler and In the Footsteps comedian Matt Lucas, who attended the 1991 of Offenbach. Offering a solid introduction to The most recent vigil for Mercury. The Great Pretender covers the composer’s life and work, this is recom- Athena release fea- some of the same ground as the BBC special mended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek) turing acclaimed Queen: Days of Our Lives (VL-5/12), but still broadcast journal- offers a fascinating portrait of a complex and ist Bill Moyers is the often misunderstood figure. Recommended. Emmy-nominated Bill Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy) Online Moyers—Becoming Visit Video Librarian Online (www. American: The Chi- In the Footsteps of Liszt HHH videolibrarian.com) for more reviews nese Experience (263 min., DVD: 2 (2011) 52 min. DVD: $19.99. Kultur International during January and February, including: discs, $49.99), a 2003 documentary Films (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 978-0- America’s Book of Secrets, Brave New World, series featuring stories of Chinese im- 7697-9222-4. Golf: The Inner Game, Last Call at the migrants to America that interweaves One of a series of biographical documen- Oasis, Produced by George Martin, Queen personal narratives with historian taries on great composers, this program pro- & Country, When China Met Africa, and interviews. See review of Bill Moyers on files Franz Liszt (1811–1886), the Hungarian much more! Faith & Reason in VL Online-2/08. pianist whose recitals of his own fiendishly

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 72 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 Japanese Anime

Aria: The Scarlet Ammo as collateral for their deals. The 2008 world logical catastrophe that occurred thousands finance crisis and Japan’s chronic business of years earlier. But all is not well in Romdo: HH1/2 (2011) 4 discs. 325 min. Blu- woes lend a piquant tone, even if the fights the careful social balance between humans, ray/DVD Combo: $64.98. and monetary Armageddons (quite brilliantly androids, and robots is disrupted when its Funimation (avail. from most animated) become so complex it would take mechanical residents become infected with distributors). ISBN: 1-4210- an MBA to figure it all out (at least nobody the Cogito virus, which causes them to turn 2594-9. mentions derivatives). In a cute touch, the homicidal. The Civilian Intelligence Office Bullets and blades and violence here unleashes showers of money sends detective Re-l Mayer and her android schoolgirl-fetishizing, oh my! In a violent rather than gore. Compiling all 11 episodes partner, Iggy, to investigate, but Re-l is at- world, Tokyo’s Butei High School trains from 2011 on a dual-language set, rated TV- tacked by humanoid monsters called Proxy. teens to be “Butei,” i.e., freelance body- 14, extras include episode commentaries and After Re-l reports the attack, she’s removed guard/avenger/mercenaries (it’s the one a helpful economics lexicon. Recommended. from the case while her superiors erase Iggy’s campus that requires every student to carry (C. Cassady) memory of the crime. Re-l then becomes a loaded gun and a knife). Kinji is reluctantly involved with a Russian illegal immigrant enrolled, mainly to redeem the memory of Deadman Wonderland: and his female android, and the investigator’s his fallen Butei brother, but he becomes the The Complete Series further inquiries uncover secrets about life center of an action-harem of heroines and HH within and outside of Romdo. Much of Ergo villainesses, chiefly half-English Aria (who 1/2 Proxy feels borrowed from a half-dozen sci- (2010) 3 discs. 325 min. DVD: fi classics, ranging from Metropolis to A.I., is adorned with demon horns and fangs, for $64.98. Funimation (avail. some reason) and magic-wielding Shirayuki. from most distributors). ISBN: with pieces of Battleship Earth thrown in The trio face assorted ancestral enemies 1-4210-2590-6. (all that’s missing is a Soylent Green din- and each other, in situations sometimes de- “Bloodsport” takes on ner). But despite the lack of originality, this rived from films likeSpeed and Pulp Fiction, new meaning in this ultraviolent action nicely paced series is stylish and entertaining. while jealous warrior-girls with varied (and anime set in mid-2030s Tokyo. Fourteen- Compiling all 23 episodes from this 2006 series in a dual-language set, rated TV-MA, much-discussed) bosom sizes compete for year-old Ganta is the sole survivor of a dis- extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes. the main male. There is a mild twist in that memberment-massacre of all his classmates Recommended. (P. Hall) the principle characters are descendants of by a floating wraith he calls the “Red Man.” famous historical figures and other anime Nobody believes Ganta, who is convicted of characters, including the master thief Arsène mass-homicide and sentenced to Deadman Freezing H1/2 Lupin (but any continuity with Japan’s classic Wonderland, a for-profit penitentiary that (2011) 4 discs. 300 min. Blu- Lupin cartoon adventures is tenuous at best). ray/DVD Combo: $69.98. combines a theme park with lethal Japanese Funimation (avail. from most And Kinji involuntarily lapses into a sec- game-show contests—killing inmates in distributors). ISBN: 1-4210- ondary personality of a super-cool 007-type front of cheering crowds. But wait, there’s 2527-2. during moments of extreme stress or sexual more! Inside lies a secret, even nastier prison, Featuring balloon-breast- arousal (the nudity here is mostly saved for holding warped convicts infected with (or ed pinup types in various the bathhouse epilogue episode). Compiling genetically modified for) a virus that turns forms of dishabille and all 13 episodes from 2011 on a dual-language them into various super-powered weapons. dismemberment, this 2011 anime series is set, rated TV-14, extras include episode com- These prisoners are forced to duel each other set in the late 21st century, a time when mentaries. Optional. (C. Cassady) for online voyeurs...or military R&D...or periodic invasion by inscrutable aliens called something. Hard to tell, as the 12 episodes Nova—who radiate immobilizing “freezing” C: Control—The Money here—based on a manga—devolve into a fields—has forced humanity (well, Japan, and Soul of Possibility: gory, betrayal-soaked prison break, during anyway) to mount a defense in the shapely The Complete Series which super-powered characters declaim at form of genetically-modified girl warriors HHH length even while being sliced to pieces. The called Pandoras. West Genetics Academy abrupt end leaves many narrative strands (2011) 4 discs. 275 min. Blu- trains teenage Pandoras—with males enroll- ray/DVD Combo: $69.98. unresolved, with brutalized Ganta still frus- ing, as well, because a Pandora achieves full Funimation (avail. from most tratingly clueless about the shocking identity combat potential via some sort of orgasmic distributors). ISBN: 1-4210-2597-3. of the Red Man (which is revealed long before bonding with the right “Limiter” dude. Icy C: Control isn’t the first anime to merge to the viewer). A twisted, bloody, profane blonde Satellizer, who lacks a Limiter, is such fantasy-action-adventure with high-finance series, Deadman Wonderland is presented in a a feared Pandora that her mean-supergirl and currency-exchange macroeconomics, but dual-language set, rated TV-MA, with extras classmates jeeringly dub her the “Untouch- it does so on an impressively large scale. Eco- including a video commentary with the able Queen.” Yet sensitive schoolboy Kazuya, nomics student Kimimaro is snatched from U.S. vocal cast, and a prequel OVA episode. still grieving his Pandora sister’s death in his going-nowhere recession-era existence Optional. (C. Cassady) action against the Nova, somehow breaks and taken to the secret “Financial District” through Satellizer’s reserve and forms an of Tokyo, a gilt-edged wonderland where a Ergo Proxy: The attachment with the indomitable Amazon, paranormal entity called the Bank of Midas Complete Series HHH to the amazement of the academy’s class issues its own money. Here “entrepreneurs,” (2006) 4 discs. 575 min. DVD: hierarchy. While similar Japanimation crossing over from the regular world, fight $39.98. Funimation (avail. cheesecake has been done as self-parody, duels (aka “deals”) using magical creatures from most distributors). ISBN: Freezing presents this sci-fi/action saga mostly called “Assets” to increase their largesse. But 1-4210-2513-2. straight-faced—although that doesn’t make it the system exerts a metaphysical toll on real- This futuristic anime any better. Compiling all 12 episodes (plus six ity, as more and more Midas money seeps into series takes place in the OVAs) in a dual-language set, rated TV-MA, earthly circulation, and desperate entrepre- city of Romdo, which is protected beneath extras include episode commentaries. Not neurs literally gamble the future of this world a massive dome from the effects of an eco- recommended. (C. Cassady)

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 73 VIDEO LIBRARIAN Heaven’s Memo Pad: exploded a century ago, creating both an rumors of a “Midnight Channel” supernatu- Complete Collection orbital meteor-belt and a little-understood ral TV broadcast on rainy nights that features HHH extraterrestrial AI technology that enabled Ja- grainy images which seem to foretell the dire pan to develop the iDOLs. All in all, however, future. Before long, Yu discovers that he and (2011) 325 min. DVD: 3 discs, $59.98; Blu-ray: 2 discs, this is largely familiar stuff about big-eyed his new friends can step right through televi- $69.98. Sentai Filmworks schoolgirls serving as unlikely pilot/symbi- sion monitors into a weird alternate universe (avail. from most distributors). otes for cherished colossal robots. Presented that is also having Midnight Channel-related ISBN: 978-1-6161-5283-3 (dvd), in a Japanese-only set (with English subtitles), problems with invading “shadows.” Yu and 978-1-6161-5284-0 (blu-ray). rated TV-14, extras include OVA “shorts” with his schoolmates are able to combat the ma- In Japan, the acronym NEET, which dialogue layered over pinup/cheesecake art rauding entities with “personas”—powerful stands for Not Employed, being Educated from the obligatory swimsuit episode. Not a beings of their own invocation. Since the or in Training (and, significantly, is “teen” necessary purchase. (C. Cassady) personas and the shadows dredge up un- spelled backwards), defines a youth subcul- reconciled issues and anxieties within Yu ture who have given up on (or just never Maria Watches Over Us: and his pals, the super-powered fights kind cared about seeking a foothold in) the weak of double as therapy sessions, as the series HHH1/2 job market and focus their energies instead Season One alternates unevenly between Pokemon/Yu-Gi- (2004) 4 discs. 325 min. style battles and seriocomic high school on hobbies or media. Tokyo teen Narumi is DVD: $39.99. The Right Stuf Oh!- not a classic NEET, but he falls in with such International (avail. from most teen fare. Inspired by the popular video game a group—including a military enthusiast distributors). ISBN: 1-57032- franchise, the first 12 episodes from 2011-12 and a martial-arts brotherhood—banded 719-X. are presented in a dual-language set, rated TV- around Alice, a reclusive, waifish computer Yumi is a first-year Catho- 14. Extras include a director’s cut version of hacker sequestered above a ramen shop lic high school student at the opening episode. Recommended. [Note: with her stuffed-animal menagerie. Alice is the prestigious Lillian Girls’ Academy. Like Persona 4: The Animation, Collection Two is a self-proclaimed “NEET detective,” solving most of her peers, she reveres the upperclass- also newly available.] (C. Cassady) mysteries or avenging the voiceless “dead” men—especially members of the student on her own initiative—think Nero Wolfe council, whose leaders are referred to as Steins;Gate HHH1/2 meets Lisbeth Salander, kind of, Japanese- Roses. When the older and much-admired (2011) 4 discs. 300 min. Blu- style. Alice imperiously dubs Narumi her Sachiko impulsively asks Yumi to be her soeur, ray/DVD Combo: $69.98. trainee assistant for a caseload that includes Funimation (avail. from most or little sister, modest Yumi is astonished, distributors). ISBN: 1-4210- yakuza gangsters (one of them, amusingly, a since this means Sachiko will be her guide 2581-7. disgraced baseball pitcher), drug-related sui- throughout her years at the academy. The cide, exploited prostitutes, and immigrants. Although described in elaborate school hierarchy serves as a sur- a recent Otaku Magazine A healthy knowledge of Japanese culture is prisingly effective venue for the exploration helpful, although not essential, to enjoy this cover story as a semi-sequel to Chaos;Head, of relationships in Maria Watches Over Us, there is actually little resemblance between generally serious, non-fantasy-oriented series. derived from novels by Oyuki Konno. The Compiling all 12 episodes of the 2011 series that series and Steins;Gate (besides the weird first season focuses largely on developing shared semicolon), which resists several an- on a dual-language set, rated TV-14, this is friendships within the three tiers of Roses: recommended. (C. Cassady) ime clichés: no robots or magic schoolgirls Yumi discovers that she and Sachiko aren’t are on hand here, and the narrative features so different, while new friend Yoshino makes an adult hero rather than the usual teen. iDOLm@ster a difficult choice to distance herself from an Self-proclaimed “mad scientist” (complete Xenoglossia: Collection overprotective sister of her own. By turns with sinister laugh) and conspiracy buff 1 HH cute, romantic, and overwhelmingly ear- Rintar ô operates a “Future Gadget Labora- (2007) 3 discs. 325 min. DVD: nest, the animation here boasts a restrained tory” aimed at developing technology to $49.98. Sentai Filmworks artistic beauty backed by a sweeping classical overthrow the social order. Rintarô’s efforts (avail. from most distributors). musical score. Compiling all 13 episodes of unexpectedly lead somewhere when (purely ISBN: 978-1-6161-5286-4. the 2004 debut season in a Japanese-language by accident) a tricked-up microwave oven in In this 2007 TV anime set (subtitled in English), rated 13-plus, DVD the Lab becomes a time machine—under the series inspired by a video game, young Haruka extras include comical bonus shorts, liner right conditions. Unfortunately, teleported thinks she’s trying out for a singing competi- notes, and character bios. Highly recom- matter—essentially squeezing stuff through tion when she attends a Tokyo audition, but mended. [Note: Maria Watches Over Us: Season tiny black holes—turns it into reconstituted in fact she has accidentally applied to oper- Two is also newly available, with Season Three goo, but sending binary data works effec- ate iDOLs: giant flying robots. Displaying slated for release on Jan. 22, and Season Four tively. The upshot is that Rintarô and his phenomenal potential, Haruka is recruited bowing Mar. 12.] (L. Martincik) growing team of “lab assistants” (including into the elite “secret” school—although it mysterious and possibly traitorous girls) can seems to be no big secret, as the humanoid Persona 4: The use text-messaging to alter the present. But machines are routinely used by Japan in an Animation, Collection with each experiment they wind up disturb- international sky patrol against constant HHH ing reality more drastically than before, meteorite bombardment (other nations fire One ultimately drawing powerful and malevolent missiles at the meteorites, but forbidden- (2012) 305 min. DVD: 3 discs, $59.98; Blu-ray: 2 discs, attention. Weaving in genuine urban-legend from-militarism Japan had to invent big robos $59.98. Sentai Filmworks lore and legitimate scientific theories about that literally punch the space rocks into dust). (avail. from most distributors). time travel, this is a brainy, transfixing sci-fi After enrolling and bringing along her pals ISBN: 978-1-6161-5277-2 (dvd), saga. Compiling the first 12 episodes from the (one of whom cosplay-dresses as animals), 978-1-6161-5278-9 (blu-ray). 2011 series in a dual-language Blu-ray/DVD Haruka makes BFFs, lethal foes, and frenemies While his parents are abroad for a year, Combo set, rated TV-14, extras include epi- among the fiercely competitive machine Tokyo teen Yu reluctantly relocates to an sode commentaries. Highly recommended. jockeys. Belatedly, we learn the alternate- unfashionable provincial town, which is [Note: Steins;Gate, Part Two is also newly history origin of all this: namely, the moon struck by a series of strange deaths as well as available.] (C. Cassady)

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 74 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 Music Dance

Arabella HHH1/2 background (which includes occasional in dropouts or completely useless tracks, such (2012) 152 min. In German w/ verbal interruptions that sound like tidbits as “Hello, I Love You”). Fun fact: The Doors English subtitles. DVD: $29.99, of existential philosophy), Platel situates 10 appear before a virtual wall of sound—52 Blu-ray: $39.99. Unitel Classica dancers who initially appear as stiff-limbed amplifiers total—but only a few are actu- (dist. by Naxos of America). mannequins—their mouths stuffed with ally plugged in. Presented in DTS 5.1, Dolby Richard Strauss’s 1933 cloth—but gradually liberate themselves Digital 5.1 and stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD opera—his last to feature from invisible shackles as they adopt more 5.1 and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras a libretto by his frequent limber poses, spit out their gags, and shed include three featurettes (on the history of collaborator, the poet and their garments. Meanwhile the choristers mill the Hollywood Bowl, reminiscences from dramatist Hugo von Hofmannsthal—is about and act as pallbearers for two young surviving Doors members, and the restora- essentially an elegant comedy of manners boys who apparently represent the next gen- tion process), a trio of TV-appearance bonus with dark undercurrents, presented here eration of slaves to an unjust and oppressive tracks, and liner notes. Highly recommended. in a brilliant 2012 staging at the Wiener system. The combination of highly mannered (R. Pitman) Staatsoper. Count Waldner’s gambling has (often deliberately grotesque) choreography, left him deeply in debt, but if his beautiful a politically charged message, and abundant Etta James: Live at daughter Arabella marries well, his money nudity makes C(h)oeurs—despite the beauti- HHH problems could be solved. Unfortunately, Montreux 1993 ful music—a challenging work. But students (1993) 160 min. DVD: $14.98, she has rejected all suitors, including the of modern dance may find it intriguing. Blu-ray: $19.98. Eagle Rock soldier Matteo, while awaiting Mr. Right. Her Presented in DTS 5.1 (DTS-HD 5.1 on the Entertainment (avail. from younger sister, Zdenka, whom her parents Blu-ray version) and LPCM stereo, extras in- most distributors). have kept disguised as a boy, loves Matteo and clude a behind-the scenes featurette. A strong By 1993, R&B road war- writes to him in Arabella’s name. The solu- optional purchase. (F. Swietek) rior Etta James (1938-2012) tion to the family’s difficulties arrives in the had been performing for five decades, and person of Mandryka, who’s enraptured with The Doors: Live at the if the 11-song set here from Montreux that Arabella just from looking at her photo, feel- year is rough around the edges, her earthy Bowl ’68 HHH1/2 ings that are returned when she immediately alto is as distinctive as ever. Following two perceives him as her soul mate. But things (1968) 135 min. DVD: $14.98, Blu-ray: $19.98. Eagle Rock instrumentals from the band (“Funky Good are thrown into confusion when Mandryka Entertainment (avail. from Time” and “Hold On, I’m Comin’”), James mistakes Zdenka’s advances towards Matteo most distributors). enters in a gold jacket over a black pantsuit to as coming from Arabella. Everything works “We want the world and growl her way through “I Just Want to Make out, of course, after a great many apologies we want it now,” Jim Morri- Love to You,” working up such a sweat during are exchanged. Franz Welser-Möst draws son screams during “When the Music’s Over,” the performance that she remains seated for richly romantic playing from the Vienna the opening cut of this legendary July 5, 1968 most of the remainder. Other selections that State Opera Orchestra, bringing out the full performance by The Doors at the Hollywood work well include “Beware” and “Hard to opulence of Strauss’s score; and the singing Bowl. The lyric is in perfect keeping with the Handle,” although ballads like “I’d Rather Go by Emily Magee (Arabella), Genia Kühmeier height of the protest-era ‘60s, although the Blind” are not as successful, largely because (Zdenka), Tomasz Konieczny (Mandryka), Mi- seriousness is somewhat undercut by the James forgoes the subtlety that made them chael Schade (Matteo), and Wolfgang Bankl fact that Morrison precedes the line with an such powerful recordings (the growling is (Waldner) is uniformly excellent. Although energetic belch and a boyish smile. Charis- better suited to the rocking tunes). James the staging updates the opera from the mid- matic bad boy Morrison—who dropped LSD also updates “Come to Mama” to sound more 19th century to the 1930s, the elegant sets right before taking the stage—delivers an like a contemporary soul-jazz number, which and stylish costumes fit the work perfectly. doesn’t quite satisfy like the original arrange- even weirder than usual performance here Presented in DTS 5.1 (DTS-HD 5.1 on the ment. The real jewel of this release, however, (at one point offering a spontaneous “ode Blu-ray version) and LPCM stereo, extras is the bonus feature: 90 minutes of material to a grasshopper” he sees onstage that—on include a cast gallery. Highly recommended. from 1975-1990, including a spectacular, 10- closer inspection—turns out to be a moth) (F. Swietek) minute version of “Respect Yourself” from her on a dozen Doors numbers that include first Montreux appearance, and a fine 1978 both classics (the timeless anthem “Light rendition of the Eagles’ “Take It to the Limit.” C(h)oeurs HH1/2 My Fire”) and then-brand-new tunes such as (2012) 129 min. In Italian w/ Presented in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and English subtitles. DVD: $29.99; “Spanish Caravan,” “Hello, I Love You,” “Five stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM Blu-ray: $39.99. Teatro Real to One,” and “The Unknown Soldier” (an stereo on Blu-ray, this is recommended. (dist. by Naxos of America). electrifying mood piece in which Morrison (K. Fennessy) Alain Platel’s artistically pantomimes being shot—collapsing on the and politically provocative stage floor). Backed by Ray Manzarek’s hyp- notic keyboards, Robby Krieger’s jazzy guitar, Fela Kuti Double new work—the title refers Feature: Teacher Don’t to both choruses (choeurs) and John Densmore’s solid drumming, the and human hearts (coeurs)—showcases the show (which itself is only 71 minutes long) Teach Me Nonsense / chorus of Madrid’s Teatro Real as well as climaxes with a superb rendition of “The Berliner Jazztage ‘78 members of his own dance troupe, “les bal- End” (known to later generations from its HHH lets C de la B,” while also making a statement dramatic inclusion in Francis Ford Coppola’s (2012) 146 min. DVD: $24.95. about the inequities in the contemporary Apocalypse Now) that includes the famous Kino Lorber (avail. from most economic system that have spurred popular (and still shocking) oedipal lyrics. Although distributors). street protests worldwide. For the music, Platel the music truly would be over three years This double feature kicks off with Dennis has strung together choruses and orchestral later when Morrison died of an apparent Marks’ 1984 BBC Arena-aired documentary interludes from operas by Verdi and Wagner drug overdose, it shines in this concert that Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense, which offers that, he believes, express the yearning for looks and sounds fantastic, thanks to an in- a rough but effective sketch of Nigerian su- freedom during the mid-19th century and credible restoration effort (including lifting perstar Fela Anikulapo Kuti, who explains the continue to do so today. Against that aural audio from other Doors performances to fill meaning behind his full moniker: “he who

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 75 VIDEO LIBRARIAN emanates greatness,” “one who has death in “One Way Out,” the latter credited to both would die of AIDS in 1991), with Brian May his pouch,” and “one who never dies” (Kuti Elmore James and Sonny Boy Williamson II. on guitar (one of the few instantly recog- changed his middle name from the Anglo- The performances are solid, even if Allman’s nizable guitarists in rock), John Deacon on Saxon Ransome). By the mid-‘80s, Kuti had solo material—mostly from 1988’s Just Before bass, and Roger Taylor on drums, the band released dozens of records, faced numerous the Bullets Fly—isn’t especially memorable, was at a new popular height, thanks to an arrests for speaking out against governmental with the exception of 1986’s “I’m No Angel,” electrifying performance beamed round the corruption, and married his female backing the title track of his third studio recording, world at 1985’s Live Aid concert. Touring in singers. Concerning his childhood, Kuti notes and an apt summation of Allman’s turbulent support of their 12th album, A Kind of Magic that his father was a pastor and that English life. The mullet hairstyles, shiny dusters, and (also considered the unofficial soundtrack was the family language. Later, Kuti studied rolled-sleeve blazers scream ‘80s, but some to the filmHighlander ), the quartet open in England and lived in America, where black of the music is timeless. Recommended. with their then-current hit “One Vision,” leaders such as Malcolm X raised his con- (K. Fennessy) followed by abbreviated versions of “Tie sciousness, after which he returned to Lagos Your Mother Down” and “Tear It Up (among to pursue his music career—choosing to sing The Groundhogs: Live at others) before finally settling in to deliver in English, so that everyone could understand HH solid renditions of “A Kind of Magic,” “Un- the Astoria 1/2 der Pressure,” and “Who Wants to Live him. Along with interviews, Marks incorpo- (1998) 81 min. DVD: $11.98. rates clips from Fela’s 1984 appearance at Eagle Rock Entertainment Forever” (the last especially poignant with Glastonbury. The companion piece, Berliner (avail. from most distributors). lyrics that could stand as a commentary on Jazztage ‘78, serves up a vintage set broadcast In a taped segment, the terrible sentence of AIDS: “there’s no on German and Nigerian television, which founder Tony McPhee in- chance for us/it’s all decided for us”). Not begins with Quincy Joppes’ introduction of troduces this 1998 concert, surprisingly—given the locale—the rousing the gold-suited Africa 70 ensemble (including noting that the lineup of the blues-rock “I Want to Break Free” resonated with the audience, as did a Hungarian folk song the drummer/band leader Tony Allen), followed outfit has changed several times since the band played as Mercury read the foreign lyr- by Kuti’s emergence in a boldly-printed pant- 1960s, and apologizing for the condition ics penned on his hand. Fans of ‘70s Queen suit to say a few words before launching into of his voice as he was recovering from the may be a bit disappointed by the ‘80s-heavy the jazz-funk number “V.I.P.,” his term for flu at the time. In the 11-track set filmed setlist (notable omissions include “Some- “vagabonds in power.” As Kuti alternates on in London, the three-piece band powers body to Love,” “Killer Queen,” “Another organ and saxophone, six purple-clad ladies through a combination of originals and One Bites the Dust,” and “Play the Game”), arrive to dance and respond to his calls. In the covers, heavy on the Howlin’ Wolf, since but there are enough big hits here—such as third track, “Pansa Pansa,” Kuti encourages they were on tour in support of their album “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Crazy Little Thing the audience to join in. He rounds out the Hogs in Wolf’s Clothing. Although McPhee night with “Power Show” and “Cross Exami- Called Love,” “We Will Rock You,” and “Ra- was no longer a young gun, he has no dio Ga Ga”—to satisfy most. Triumphantly nation of the African Colonial Soldier.” Even problem keeping up with younger comrades though Kuti is in a talkative mood through- closing with “We Are the Champions,” this Pete Correa on drums and Eric Chipulina is a winning concert—handsomely filmed out, the performances make it all worthwhile. on bass. And even though his voice isn’t at Recommended. (K. Fennessy) by János Zsombolyai (one of Hungary’s peak strength, it doesn’t really matter, since leading cinematographers)—that is only he keeps the emphasis on the instrumental briefly interrupted by four short segments Gregg Allman: I’m No interplay, especially his guitar-playing (al- of each of the band members having fun Angel—Live on Stage though the Wolf selections almost feel more in Budapest. Presented in DTS-5.1 (DTS-HD HHH like Hubert Sumlin covers). After prolonged 5.1 on the Blu-ray version) and LPCM stereo, (2012) 52 min. DVD: $16.95. applause from the audience, the gentle- extras include the archival featurette “A Music Video Distributors (avail. men return to encore with Muddy Waters’ Magic Year,” and liner notes. Also available from most distributors). “Down in the Bottom.” Visually, this is a in deluxe editions with two bonus audio Opening for Stevie Ray fairly straightforward gig, other than a few CDs of the concert (DVD: $34.98, Blu- Vaughan at Nashville’s Can- op-art slides that materialize behind the ray: $39.98), this is highly recommended. nery in 1988, Gregg Allman’s style here band on occasion (with slow motion and (R. Pitman) doesn’t differ much from that of his famed multiple-exposure effects added during band, the Allman Brothers, although jazz and post-production). Although McPhee chats HHH between tracks, it isn’t always possible to I Puritani fusion play a more prominent role through (2009) 173 min. In Italian w/ the combination of organ (Allman), piano make out what he’s saying—a problem that English subtitles. DVD or Blu- (Tim Heding), and two percussionists (David more audio sweetening of the Dolby Digi- ray: $29.99. Opus Arte (dist. by Toler and Chaz Trippy, who manages a quartet tal stereo mix might have fixed. A strong Naxos of America). of congas). Once Allman starts to sing, howev- optional purchase. (K. Fennessy) The last work by Vin- er—with his nicotine-stained growl—South- cenzo Bellini (1801–1835), ern soul and Chicago blues enter the picture Hungarian Rhapsody: I Puritani—set after the (and never leave). While possessing one of Queen—Live in English civil war of the 1640s—suffers from the most distinctive voices in rock and roll, Budapest HHH1/2 a weak libretto that draws on the political Allman had lost some clarity by the 1980s (1986) 118 min. DVD: $14.98, turmoil merely as the basis for a standard- and his mumbling renders many of the lyrics Blu-ray: $19.98. Eagle Rock issue bel canto romance (complete with indistinguishable, while still always manag- Entertainment (avail. from most obligatory mad scene). But the music is both ing to put the requisite emotion across. No distributors). beautiful and historically important, serv- one can replace Allman’s late brother, Duane, Arena rock superstars ing as a bridge between Rossini and Verdi who died in 1971, but Allman Brothers’ gui- Queen take their act behind the Iron Cur- in Italian opera. In this 2009 production tarist Dan Toler still serves up plenty of fluid tain for this 22-song 1986 concert before from De Nederlandse Opera, conductor solos. The hour-shy 10-song set combines solo an audience of 80,000 in Budapest. Fronted Giuliano Carella brings out the passion tracks and classic Allman covers, including by flamboyant lead singer Freddie Mercury and color of the orchestral writing, and he Blind Willie McTell’s “Statesboro Blues” and (on his last tour with the group; Mercury has restored from the original 1835 Paris

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 76 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 score several numbers traditionally excised, Il Prigionier Superbo/La is uncharacteristically lyrical and serene, thereby strengthening the threadbare Serva Padrona HHH ending with a long hymn of praise to God characterizations. The stylized set—featur- (2011) 177 min. In Italian for restoring her sight. In Stravinsky’s 1934 ing a metallic backdrop on which biblical w/English subtitles. DVD: 2 Perséphone, the titular Greek goddess (Sam verses are inscribed, along with tiered rows discs, $39.99; Blu-ray: $39.99. Sathya) spends fall and winter in Hades’ of singers—is imaginative, and the period Arthaus Musik (dist. by Naxos underworld before celebrating the annual costumes are suitably austere. But the sing- of America). rebirth that comes with spring. Although ers, unfortunately, do not always meet Following the release of thematically related to the composer’s Le Bellini’s extravagant demands. Mariola a rarely resurrected opera seria by Giovanni Sacre du Printemps, this piece is musically the Cantarero is somewhat strained as Elvira, Battista Pergolesi (1710–36)—namely, Adriano famed ballet’s polar opposite, written in a the Puritan woman who goes mad when in Siria, which includes the comic intermezzo neoclassical style devoid of percussive bom- her royalist lover, Arturo (powerfully sung Livietta e Tracollo (VL-7/12)—we now have bast, and concluding with a choral hymn to by John Osborn), apparently jilts her in another: 1733’s Il Prigionier Superbo (The nature’s bounty. Peter Sellars is usually the order to free the captured Queen Enrichetta Proud Prisoner), accompanied by the far more most flamboyant of directors, but his staging (Fredrika Brillembourg, the strongest of famous intermezzo La Serva Padrona. Both for both works is positively chaste; the major the supporting cast). But even though the productions presented here were filmed in departure of note being his employment of vocalism here is not top-drawer, this Dutch Jesi—the composer’s birthplace—in 2009 and four traditional Cambodian dancers to repre- production is a strong offering, thanks 2011. Although the opera features a convolut- sent the major figures inPerséphone . Excellent to the expanded text, superior orchestral ed plot, involving a rivalry between Metalce, solo and choral work, sensitive conducting work, and fine staging. Presented in DTS 5.1 a tyrannical Gothic king, and Viridate, a Dan- by Teodor Currentzis, and lush visuals add to and Dolby Digital stereo on DVD, and DTS- ish prince, for the hand of Princess Rosmene, the appeal. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras whose father is Metalce’s captive, this is a typi- stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM include a background featurette, and a cast cally static piece in which characters merely stereo on Blu-ray, extras include a “making- gallery. Recommended. (F. Swietek) stand and deliver a succession of formulaic of” featurette. Recommended. (F. Swietek) arias. La Serva Padrona, by contrast, is a high- Il Barbiere di Siviglia spirited farce in which feisty servant Serpina La Didone HHH1/2 HH1/2 bullies her employer into marrying her. The (2011) 176 min. In Italian w/ (2011) 170 min. In Italian w/ mostly female casts—Marina de Liso as Met- English subtitles. DVD or Blu- English subtitles. DVD: 2 discs, alce, Marina Comparato as Viridate, Marina ray: $29.99. Opus Arte (dist. by Naxos of America). $29.99; Blu-ray: $39.99. Kultur Rodriguez Cusí as Rosmene, and Alessandra International Films (avail. from Marianelli as Serpina—deliver stylish vocal- The recent spate of re- most distributors). ISBN: 978-0- leases devoted to the works 7697-9191-3 (dvd), 978-0-7697- ism, and receive vigorous orchestral support from the period-instrument band Accademia of Francesco Cavalli (1602– 9190-6 (blu-ray). 1676)—Ercole Amante (VL- Rossini’s 1816 comic masterpiece is one Barocca de i Virtuosi Italiani, under Corrado Rovaris. Unfortunately, Henning Brockhaus 7/10), La Virtù de’ Strali d’Amore (VL-5/12), of those indestructible operas that will and Il Giasone (VL-9/12)—continues with survive even a mediocre performance, as stages Il Prigionier Superbo with the singers in garish modern dress, manipulating puppets this superb reading of his take on Virgil’s demonstrated by this 2011 production from familiar story of Dido and Aeneas, which has to represent the characters, and for some the Teatro Regio di Parma, which barely inspired nearly a hundred operas over the reason situates La Serva Padrona in a traveling suggests the work’s infectious sense of fun years. Cavalli’s interpretation is unusual in circus troupe. In both cases, thankfully, the but remains moderately enjoyable. Dmitry that the first act concentrates on Cassandra’s quality of the performances overrides these Korchak cuts a reasonably handsome figure trauma over the fall of Troy (which she was as Count Almaviva, who fails in courting drawbacks. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and unable to prevent), while in the Carthage-set the lovely Rosina (Ketevan Kemoklidze) be- PCM stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and second, Dido doesn’t die as a result of Ae- cause her elderly guardian, Bartolo (Bruno PCM stereo on Blu-ray, this is recommended. neas’s desertion, but instead weds the suitor Praticò), wants her for himself—at least, (F. Swietek) she’d long rejected. Although coming early until the wily Figaro (Luca Salsi) teaches in the composer’s career, this 1641 opera is the nobleman a few hilariously under- Iolanta/Perséphone musically mature, and performed vivaciously handed tricks. Unfortunately, Korchak’s HHH here, with William Christie conducting his tenor, while strong, suffers from a nasal (2012) 187 min. In Russian period-instrument group Les Arts Florissants tone, and although Kemoklidze is an agile & French w/English subtitles. for this 2011 staging at the Théâtre de Caen. vocalist, she looks a trifle old for the part. DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray: $39.99. Christie catches every nuance in the score, Salsi, moreover, is more actor than singer, Teatro Real (dist. by Naxos of and the orchestral work is complemented making the barber a genial rogue who America). by excellent vocalism from the young cast, growls many of Rossini’s low notes. And On the surface, this 2012 many of whom take multiple roles as both in Praticò’s hands, Bartolo isn’t quite the Madrid double-bill of a one- the mortals caught up in events and the gods amusing figure he should be. This overall act fairy-tale opera by Tchaikovsky and a and goddesses who intervene in human af- blandness extends to the supporting singers three-act melodrama by Stravinsky based on fairs. Particular standouts include Katherine and company orchestra, which Andrea Bat- an ancient Greek fertility myth seems a curi- Watson (Cassandra), Kresimir Spicer (Aeneas), tistoni conducts vigorously but without the ous coupling. But both are relatively neglected and Anna Bonitatibus (Dido). The sets are joviality suggested by the score. The result works by important Russian composers, and spare—bare walls and scaffolding on which is a rather unsmiling Il Barbiere di Siviglia, both are pieces with spiritual overtones about the deities stand—and the costumes are an effect accentuated by traditional yet princesses who suffer for a higher end. In plain; but this is a musically vivid mounting lackluster sets and costumes, coupled with Tchaikovsky’s 1892 final operaIolanta , the that does Cavalli’s third opera full justice. staging by Stefano Vizioli that is frankly fact that Iolanta (Ekaterina Scherbachenko) Presented in DTS. 5.1 and Dolby Digital lackadaisical. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 is blind has been kept from her by her royal stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM and LPCM stereo on DVD and Blu-ray, this father, but she’s miraculously cured after he stereo on Blu-ray, extras include a cast gallery. is an optional purchase. (F. Swietek) threatens her lover with execution. The music Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 77 VIDEO LIBRARIAN La Traviata HH1/2 and a pair of lovers emerging from seclu- Led Zeppelin: (2011) 141 min. In Italian sion to preach a hedonist philosophy. Celebration Day w/English subtitles. DVD: Ligeti’s dissident score has playful elements, HHH $29.99, Blu-ray: $39.99. Opera exemplified by the inclusion of doorbells, 1/2 (2007) 124 min. DVD: $25.99, Australia (dist. by Naxos of car horns, rubber squeeze toys, and pots America). Blu-ray: $29.99. Warner and pans in the orchestra. The staging by Music Group (avail. from most Spectacle is the main the innovative Catalan group La Fura dels distributors). selling point of Francesca Baus is extravagant, beginning with a short Also known as the “Ah- Zambello’s 2011 Opera film of an obese woman dying of a heart met Ertegun Tribute Concert” (for the head Australia version of Verdi’s ever-popular tale attack, after which a huge statue of her is of Atlantic Records, who died in 2006), of the consumptive courtesan who selflessly placed center stage, allowing the splashily this legendary December 10, 2007 reunion rejects her lover at the urging of his father. costumed characters to scamper all over performance in London’s O2 arena features Presented on a huge outdoor stage in Sydney it. Although Le Grand Macabre certainly the three surviving members of heavy metal Harbor (with the iconic Opera House and won’t appeal to everyone (the dialogue progenitors Led Zeppelin: golden-maned (as- city skyline as backdrop), the production features some gross obscenities), this is an features brightly colored ’50s-style cos- suredly dyed) singer Robert Plant, proudly important work by a serious modern artist. gray virtuoso guitarist Jimmy Page, and tumes, a couch that appears to be a block Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM long, a fireworks display during the opening still young-looking bassist John Paul Jones, stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM party scene, and—the pièce de résistance—a along with Jason Bonham (son of original stereo on Blu-ray, extras include a “mak- huge color-changing chandelier that hovers late drummer John Bonham). Serving up ing-of” featurette, and an interview with over the set. Unfortunately, however, the a 16-song set in the usual arena rock style conductor Michael Boder. Recommended. actual performance doesn’t quite measure (with smoke, lights, and a massive video wall up. The one outstanding musical element (F. Swietek) projecting a barrage of colorful imagery), the is Emma Matthews, who sings the role of band only performs five songs from their Violetta with accuracy and power (although Le Nozze di Figaro early first three albums, including “Ramble her acting is rudimentary). Matthews is HHH1/2 On,” the mega-hit “Whole Lotta Love,” and leagues ahead of co-leads Alfredo (a bray- (2010) 178 min. In Italian w/ the blues rock anthem “Dazed and Con- ing Gianluca Terranova) and Germont (a English subtitles. DVD: 2 discs, fused,” which Plant prefaces by saying of the wobbly Jonathan Summers). Given the $39.99; Blu-ray: $39.99. Bel Air setlist, “certain songs…had to be there, and Classiques (dist. by Naxos of this is one of them.” The same can be said logistics—with the orchestra situated be- America). neath the stage—Aubrey Murphy conducts for the very next song played: “Stairway to respectably, and the musicians produce rea- This 2010 Paris Opera Heaven,” often called the greatest rock song sonably well-balanced sound. Presented in mounting offers a tradi- ever. Although the quartet initially seem to DTS 5.1 (DTS-HD 5.1 on the Blu-ray version) tional rendering of Mozart’s 1786 opera be going through the motions—Plant, espe- and LPCM stereo, extras include interviews about the shenanigans surrounding Figaro’s cially, whose vocals are sometimes submerged with Zambello and costume designer Tess upcoming wedding to the maid Susanna, beneath the hammer-of-the-gods musical Schofield, pre-production behind-the- who is lusted after by their noble employer. onslaught—the band gels about a third of scenes clips, and a cast gallery. Considering Susanna conspires with the Countess to the way through, performing stellar versions the numerous musically superior versions foil the Count’s amorous advances, while of “Nobody’s Fault But Mine,” “No Quarter,” of La Traviata available—such as the 2009 elderly housekeeper Marcellina schemes “The Song Remains the Same,” “Misty Moun- Covent Garden mounting (VL-9/11)—this is to have Figaro marry her instead, abetted tain Hop,” and the epic “Kashmir” (although an optional purchase. (F. Swietek) by her employer, Bartolo. This sequel to Il the title cut, “Celebration Day,” is oddly not Barbiere di Siviglia is filled with delicious played here). While the whiplash editing Le Grand Macabre twists, while Mozart’s endlessly inventive sometimes detracts, and the concert cannot HHH score—a succession of masterful arias and match the virtuosity or energy of 1976’s The ensembles—is an unalloyed delight. The Song Remains the Same (VL-3/08), this possibly (2011) 122 min. DVD: 2 production is based on the classic design by discs, $29.99; Blu-ray: $29.99. final Led Zep concert is still a powerful jour- Arthaus Musik (dist. by Naxos Giorgio Strehler from the mid-1990s, as re- ney down memory lane. Presented in DTS 5.1, of America). created by stage director Humbert Camerlo. Dolby Digital 5.1, and PCM stereo on DVD, The sole opera by Hun- Soft lighting and elegant sets and costumes and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo on Blu-ray, garian composer György create a painterly appearance, while musi- extras include two bonus audio CDs of the Ligeti (1923–2006) premiered in 1978, but cally this production is very strong, with entire concert (a “deluxe” edition, priced at this 2011 performance from Barcelona’s Ludovic Tézier and Luca Pisaroni excellent about a dollar more for both formats, includes Gran Teatre del Liceu employs the compos- as the Count and Figaro, and Barbara Frit- a bonus DVD featuring an unremarkable er’s 1996 revision in English translation. toli and Ekaterina Siurina their matches one-camera take of a rehearsal performance). Based on a 1934 absurdist play, the libretto as the Countess and Susanna. Some of Highly recommended. (R. Pitman) tells a satirically apocalyptic tale about a the supporting roles are weaker—veterans tyrant named Nekrotzar (here ably sung Robert Lloyd’s Bartolo and Ann Murray’s Nabucco HHH by Werner Van Mechelen), who literally Marcellina are rather wobbly—but overall (2009) 137 min. In Italian w/ rises from the dead intent on destroying the ensemble is solid, and Philippe Jordan English subtitles. DVD: $29.99, the world—rejoicing when his astrologer, conducts in restrained fashion, allowing for Blu-ray: $39.99. Unitel Classica Astradamors (Frode Olsen), informs him the opera’s darker moments to register. Pre- (dist. by Naxos of America). that a catastrophic comet will arrive at mid- sented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM stereo In the third installment night. Numerous subplots involve bickering on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo of their chronological sur- government ministers, drunken revelry, an on Blu-ray, extras include an interview with vey of the complete Verdi inept prince, and Astradamors’ harridan Camerlo. One of the best performances of operas, the forces of Parma’s Teatro Regio wife, all leading to a finale that finds the this masterpiece available on home video, take on the composer’s first acknowledged characters still alive, Nekrotzar chagrined, this is highly recommended. (F. Swietek) masterpiece, a treatment of the Babylonian

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 78 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 Captivity of the Jews in the sixth century mance of Oberto in Bilbao (VL-1/08), this is too-long version of “Free Me.” Consummate B.C. Of course, there are embellishments: the recommended, especially for those who don’t professional Tom Jones sings “It’s Not Un- Assyrian king is struck mad when he claims own the earlier release. (F. Swietek) usual” with customary charm, which helps divinity, he struggles with his daughter to compensate for a lackluster showing in Abigaille over the crown, and a romance blos- Rinaldo HHH1/2 the vocal department, particularly on “Sex soms between a Jewish warrior and another (2011) 190 min. In Italian w/ Bomb.” Jones and Stone also duet on the Isley Babylonian princess. Embraced by national- English subtitles. DVD or Blu- Brothers’ “It’s Your Thing,” while David Gray ist Italians as a thinly veiled call to arms ray: $29.99. Opus Arte (dist. by joins up with the string players of Escala. The against their foreign rulers, this 1842 opera Naxos of America). evening ends with a group sing-along on cemented the composer’s wider European Handel’s 1711 opera, the the Beatles’ “Let It Be” (Jones refers to a lyric reputation. Displaying the real beginnings first he composed after set- sheet, while Plant and Gray opt out). Like of Verdi’s mature style, Nabucco has retained tling in England, boasts many multi-act highlights concerts, Rockwell a firm place in the repertory. Imaginatively magnificent music but is extremely difficult is a mixed bag. Presented in PCM stereo, this conducted by Michele Mariotti—who fash- to stage, since it is a huge crusading epic— is a strong optional purchase. (K. Fennessy) ions an especially refined reading of the filled with battle scenes and magic—pitting famous choral lament “Va, pensiero”—this Christian heroes besieging Jerusalem against The Rolling Stones: 2009 performance benefits from veteran Leo a wicked sorceress, the queen of Damascus. In Charlie is My Darling, Nucci in the title role, slightly frayed of voice this 2011 production from the Glyndebourne but still a powerful stage presence, as well Festival, director Robert Carsen solves the Ireland 1965 HHH1/2 (1965) 65 min. DVD: $19.99, as Dimitra Theodossiou as the hardhearted staging problem by setting it at an English Blu-ray: $24.99. ABKCO Films Abigaille. The remaining principals are solid boys’ school, where Rinaldo is a bullied, de- (avail. from most distributors). if unexceptional, the chorus is splendid, and pressed student who imagines himself raising Rolling Stones devotees the minimalist sets are serviceable. The only a force to defeat his tormentors—including have every reason to cel- serious drawback here is the costuming, a the sadistic teachers. The concept works ebrate the release of this chronicle of the bewildering mixture of period and modern surprisingly well, especially when adopting band’s 1965 tour of Ireland. Directed by Peter garb. Presented in DTS 5.1 and PCM stereo a cheeky tone—such as Rinaldo soaring aloft Whitehead and overseen by then-Stones on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo on his bicycle, E.T.-style, or a gymnasium de- manager Andrew Loog Oldham, the hour- on Blu-ray, extras include an introduction picted as a torture chamber controlled by the plus titular documentary adopts a format to the opera. Better than the 2004 staging dominatrix-clad “queen,” or sparklers set off similar to The First U.S. Visit, the Maysles in Piacenza (VL-7/06), this is recommended. in a lab to represent magical weapons. Under brothers’ film about the Beatles’ 1964 trip to (F. Swietek) conductor Ottavio Dantone’s vigorous beat, America. The camera follows the Stones in the period-instrument Orchestra of the Age the limo and on the train; mucking about of Enlightenment plays crisply and sprightly, Oberto HHH in hotel rooms (where Keith Richards, who and the singing is outstanding across the (2007) 124 min. In Italian w/ always has an acoustic guitar at hand, and English subtitles. DVD: $29.99, board, with contralto Sonia Prina (Rinaldo), Mick Jagger work on new Stones songs, as Blu-ray: $39.99. Unitel Classica soprano Brenda Rae (Queen Armida), and well as amusing, ad hoc renditions of “Eight (dist. by Naxos of America). countertenor Tim Mead (Rinaldo’s friend Days a Week,” ”I’ve Just Seen a Face,” and The first in a planned Eustazio)—in particular—handling the de- other Fabs faves); in interviews (dominated series of all of Giuseppe manding coloratura with incredible aplomb. by the always self-conscious, camera-aware Verdi’s 26 operas, performed Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo on Jagger); and tuning up backstage. Best by far around Parma, near his birthplace, this is a DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo on are the roughly half dozen songs performed 2007 performance of his 1839 debut, a for- Blu-ray, extras include separate interviews live on stage, which—thanks to an impres- mulaic romantic triangle about Riccardo, a with Carsen and Dantone, as well as a cast sive restoration effort—sound fantastic: “The nobleman who seduces lovely Leonora before gallery. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek) casting her aside for Cuniza, who in turn Last Time,” “Time Is on My Side,” “Around and Around,” “I’m Alright,” and their then- rejects him after learning of his infidelity. Rockwell: A Night Leonora’s furious father, Oberto, thereupon smash hit “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” The challenges Riccardo to a duel and is killed, of Legendary performances are viscerally exciting, as fans prompting the conscience-stricken younger Collaborations HH1/2 storm the stage. With the Stones marking man to leave Italy. Rarely performed today, (2011) 66 min. DVD: $19.95. their 50th anniversary, it’s a pleasure to see this Oberto features the creative talent of the Music Video Distributors (avail. the band in the days before drugs, arrests, from most distributors). Teatro Regio di Parma, but was mounted at and general depravity set in. Presented in the tiny Teatro Verdi di Busseto. Since the This 14-track set presents Dolby Digital stereo on DVD and DTS-HD stage is so small, director Pier’Alli had little highlights from a 2011 char- 5.1 and stereo on Blu-ray, extras include both choice but to opt for a very static presentation ity concert at London’s O2 Arena in support the director’s and the producer’s cuts of the that often feels more like an oratorio with of the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music film, bonus interview clips, and a featurette costumes. Nonetheless the orchestra—sound- Therapy. Razorlight begins the show with on the restoration process. Considering how ing like a reduced version of the Parma house an earnest brand of piano rock led by a front little footage exists from this era of the Stones’ band—is conducted with vigor and sensitiv- man who appears to have spent some qual- career (appearances on The T.A.M.I. Show ity by Antonello Allemandi, and the singing ity time with the recordings of Patti Smith and Ed Sullivan are about it, officially), this is is uniformly fine, with the men—Giovanni and Lou Reed. Robert Plant takes a more highly recommended. (S. Graham) Battista Parodi as Oberto, and Fabio Sar- international approach by blending Eastern tori as Riccardo—especially strong, although and African influences (tabla and kora) with Roméo et Juliette HH Mariana Pentcheva’s Cuniza isn’t far behind. conventional rock instrumentation for one (2011) 177 min. In French w/English subtitles. Presented in DTS 5.1 and PCM stereo on DVD, cover and two Led Zeppelin classics, “Black DVD: 2 discs, $39.99; Blu-ray: $39.99. Bel Air and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo on Blu-ray, Dog” and “Whole Lotta Love.” Joss Stone hits Classiques (dist. by Naxos of America). extras include an introduction to the opera. the stage in bare feet and form-fitting mini- Charles Gounod’s 1867 adaptation of Fairly evenly matched with the 2007 perfor- dress to perform two numbers, including a Shakespeare’s tragedy about doomed young

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 79 VIDEO LIBRARIAN lovers isn’t entirely faithful between the modern attire of the men and perennial fairy-tale classic to its source—subtracting the period tunics worn by Dalila and her by Moscow’s Bolshoi Bal- scenes, while also introduc- fellow priestesses. But the musical side is let was a gala event for a ing Romeo’s troublemaking solid, with José Cura (who also directed number of reasons, since it page, and having Juliette and designed the production) as Samson inaugurates the company’s wake from her slumber and Julia Gertseva as Dalila, backed by newly refurbished main before Romeo dies to allow strong playing from the company orchestra stage, boasts opulent sets for a soaring final duet. But under Jochem Hochstenbach. The last-act (glistening with gold leaf) on its own terms, this is a lovely and elegant Bacchanale suffers, however, from poor and sumptuous new costumes, and features opera, while Verona, naturally, would seem staging, turning what is supposed to be an David Hallberg, the first American to become to be the perfect venue. Unfortunately, alluring dance into little more than a simple a permanent member of the famed Russian however, the city’s cavernous outdoor arena seduction, with music as background noise. troupe, as Prince Désiré. The high-flying Hall- induces director Francesco Micheli to run Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM berg is well paired with Svetlana Zakharova riot with the staging, ultimately smothering stereo, this won’t replace traditional ver- as Aurora, the awakened princess who was this sweet, lyrical piece in empty spectacle, sions, but can still be considered a strong sent into slumber by the wicked Carabosse including a corrugated shack from which optional purchase. (F. Swietek) (Alexey Loparevich). As one would expect, the story “emerges,” tall defensive towers the other dancers are also superb, and for the Montague and Capulet families, Sigismondo HHH while there’s a hint of the routine in Vassily and—most absurd—a flying machine for (2010) 164 min. In Italian Sinaisky’s conducting, the orchestra comes Queen Mab. The bewildering costumes w/English subtitles. DVD: 2 through nicely. A slight drawback in chore- feature shiny vinyl and feathers, part of discs, $39.99; Blu-ray: $39.99. ographer Yuri Grigorovich’s new version of a motif in which Juliette is portrayed as Arthaus Musik (dist. by Naxos of America). the piece is that it does not change locales as a caged bird (to reinforce the characters’ often (which tends to downplay some of the emotions, weirdly costumed dancers also The last of the Venetian libretto’s dramatic transitions), although this periodically appear to “enact” their mood operas that would make the is likely due to the elaborate nature of the set. swings). The orchestra plays decently, even young Gioachino Rossini’s All in all, this is a sumptuous production of if the tempos favored by Fabio Mastrangelo reputation, this notorious 1814 failure has Tchaikovsky’s lovable score, done up in typi- push the limits. But among the singers, only long been dismissed as irredeemable, but the cally grandiose Bolshoi fashion and offering Nino Machaidze, as Juliette, stands out; Pesaro Rossini Opera Festival’s 2010 revival the opportunity to see Hallberg, erstwhile star she is strikingly beautiful and her strong reveals this to be a substantial (if also uneven) of the American Ballet Theatre, in his new soprano handles most of the role’s demands. offering. In a libretto reminiscent of Othello, professional home. Presented in Dolby Digital By contrast, Stefano Secco sings Romeo Sigismondo the king is duped by an Iago-like 5.1 and PCM stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 adequately, but doesn’t look the part and minister named Ladislao into believing that and PCM stereo on Blu-ray, the sole extra is a he adopts an unsuitably stiff demeanor. Pre- his wife, Aldimira, is unfaithful, and orders booklet. Supplanting an earlier Bolshoi ver- sented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM stereo her execution. Still haunted by this decision sion (VL-11/89) and easily equal to the fine on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo after 15 years, Sigismondo is startled to dis- 2006 Covent Garden staging (VL-5/09), this on Blu-ray, this disappointing production cover a peasant woman who looks exactly is highly recommended. (F. Swietek) is optional, at best. (F. Swietek) like Aldimira. It turns out that she actually is Aldimira—having conveniently escaped HHH her death sentence—and she reconciles Sigis- So: Peter Gabriel Samson et Dalila HH1/2 (2012) 94 min. DVD: $14.98, (2010) 125 min. In French w/ mondo with her father, the understandably Blu-ray: $19.98. Eagle Rock English subtitles. DVD: $29.99. hostile king of Bohemia, while also compel- Entertainment (avail. from Arthaus Musik (dist. by Naxos ling Ladislao to admit his crime and accept most distributors). of America). well-deserved punishment. Director Da- Peter Gabriel reflects on Modern productions of miano Michieletto sets the action in a men- the making of 1986’s So in Camille Saint-Saëns’ opera tal institution where Sigismondo has been this illuminating edition of seem determined to remake committed—a somewhat hackneyed device the Classic Albums series. A former drummer, the familiar biblical tale in which other inmates silently convey the Gabriel says that he tends to think from in odd modern terms (in the 2009 staging characters’ emotional states, adding an illu- a percussive point of view, although he from the Vlaamse Opera [VL-11/11], for sion of psychological depth. The musical side didn’t initially want to use cymbals on the instance, the Hebrews in effect became the is stronger, however, with conductor Michele album (preferring a cleaner, less cluttered Palestinians, with Samson a guerilla leader). Mariotti leading a passionate performance, sound). Producer Daniel Lanois convinced In this 2010 mounting from the Badisches and mezzo Daniela Barcellona (Sigismondo) the stubborn musician otherwise as the Staatstheater in Karlsruhe, Germany—de- and soprano Olga Peretyatko (Aldimira) de- pair spent 10 months recording the seminal scribed as a live recording despite no sign livering excellent turns, although it’s tenor album in a country house, a brief period of an audience and apparent dubbing at Antonino Siragusa, as Ladislao, who soars of time by Gabriel’s standards, even if the some points—the set for the first and third with amazing coloratura dexterity. Presented hit “In Your Eyes”—a duet with Senegalese acts depicts a landscape covered with work- in Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM stereo on DVD, vocalist Youssou N’Dour—took 96 takes to ing oil rigs (one of which Samson will be and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo on Blu-ray, finish. Although observers assumed that chained to at the climactic “bringing down extras include a “making-of” featurette. An Gabriel designed “Sledgehammer” to storm the temple” moment). The obvious point intriguing piece, this Rossini rarity is recom- the charts, he says he was just trying to put made here is that the new god is money, mended. (F. Swietek) his own unique stamp on R&B. Bass player so the related conflict is less religious than Tony Levin, drummer Manu Katché, and economic, essentially between the greedy The Sleeping Beauty HHH1/2 trumpeter Wayne Jackson (the Memphis and the poor. Unfortunately, this rather (2011) 138 min. DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray: $39.99. Horns) also weigh in here about their contri- shallow concept leads to some strange visual Bel Air Classiques (dist. by Naxos of America). butions to the track, while the unforgettable juxtapositions—including a jarring contrast This 2011 production of Tchaikovsky’s stop-motion video for “Sledgehammer” mer-

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 80 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 its commentary from Peter Lord and David about the diva who kills nicely blend during ensembles. The sets Sproxton of Aardman Animations (Wallace the lascivious police chief and costumes are traditional, and Pier Luigi & Gromit), who worked on it with director Scarpia—in hopes of saving Pizzi’s staging is conservative but pleasing. Stephen Johnson and the Quay Brothers. the life of her condemned Presented in DTS 5.1 and PCM stereo on Viewers will learn that “Don’t Give Up” (with lover, the painter Cavara- DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo on Kate Bush) was originally intended for Dolly dossi—will want to check Blu-ray, extras include an introduction to Parton and drew from the photographs of out this 2010 production the opera. Verdi completists will definitely Dorothea Lange, while “This Is the Picture from Genoa’s Teatro Carlo want this, but the fine quality here also (Excellent Birds)” (with Laurie Anderson) was Felice for the nigh-irre- makes this highly recommended for general inspired by the works of poet Anne Sexton. sistible reason that the sets are based on music collections. (F. Swietek) A half-hour-plus of bonus footage goes into Adolf Hohenstein’s design for the Roman more detail on the “Sledgehammer” video, premiere of 1900. Veteran Daniela Dessì The Who: Live in Texas the song “Big Time,” and Gabriel’s involve- certainly benefits from her experience in ’75 HHH ment with Amnesty International. Presented singing Tosca, but her voice is no longer as (1975) 117 min. DVD: $14.98. in Dolby Digital stereo on DVD, and LPCM supple, and she exhibits more power than Eagle Rock Entertainment stereo on Blu-ray, this is recommended. control. But while the same might be said (avail. from most distributors). (K. Fennessy) of Fabio Armiliato as Caravadossi, the en- Transporting viewers thusiastic audience nevertheless demands back to the days of bell- Stephen Sondheim’s encores of their most famous arias—Tosca’s bottoms and fringe, this Company HHH “Vissi d’arte” and Cavaradossi’s “E lucevan 25-song 1975 concert by The Who filmed in (2011) 145 min. DVD: $24.98, le stelle.” Claudio Sgura’s Scarpia is both Houston, TX, is something of a visual and Blu-ray: $29.98. Image well sung and interestingly interpreted in aural mess—a two-camera bootleg show Entertainment (avail. from that it is not as sinister (indeed, Sgura brings (presented in standard-aspect video that most distributors). an unaccustomed degree of sympathy to the is often fuzzy and occasionally spruced This star-studded 2011 character), while the lesser roles are solid. up with cheesy effects that are merely an- concert version of Stephen Under Marco Boemi’s baton, the choral and noying) backed by plain old Dolby Digital Sondheim’s 1970 Broadway musical features orchestral work is also fine. In short, while stereo that fails to deliver room-encompass- Neil Patrick Harris as Bobby—a 35-year-old this Tosca may not be superb, the distinc- ing sound. And yet, many of the faithful New Yorker pondering whether he should tive aesthetic element makes it well worth will still appreciate this characteristically finally commit to one of his three girl- the watch. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 rousing performance, marked by golden- friends—who looks at the troubled marriages and PCM stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 locked, mic-twirling Roger Daltrey’s soar- of four friend couples, as well as a fifth on the and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, this is recom- ing vocals, windmilling guitarist Pete verge of getting hitched. Since Company is mended. (F. Swietek) Townshend’s (now) classic rock riffs, Keith more psychological study than conventional Moon’s exuberant drumming, and John narrative, it suffers less than most shows Un Giorno di Regno Entwistle’s supple (if also legendarily stoic) from the stripped-down staging here, which HHH1/2 bass playing. Touring in support of their nonetheless boasts enough detail to suggest (2010) 119 min. In Italian w/ seventh album, The Who by Numbers (a changes in location. The New York Philhar- English subtitles. DVD: $29.99, scaled-down release after the rock operas monic, under Paul Gemignani’s knowing Blu-ray: $39.99. Unitel Classica Tommy and Quadrophenia, and the synth- baton, renders Sondheim’s witty, inventive (dist. by Naxos of America). heavy Who’s Next), the band performs the score with polish and vibrancy (as usual in The second issue in Uni- then-new tunes “However Much I Booze” revivals, the “Marry Me a Little” number tel’s planned release of all and “Dreaming From the Waist” (Town- cut from the original is included here). Sur- 26 of Giuseppe Verdi’s operas marks the first shend’s confessionals on alcoholism and rounding Harris—who gets a big laugh with video appearance of his 1840 sophomore womanizing, respectively), as well as the hit a double-take when another character asks effort, which was such a disaster that it “Squeeze Box” (“Slip Kid” is unfortunately him if he’s gay—is a cast featuring Broadway almost convinced him to give up compos- absent). Other treats include “Naked Eye” veterans (Patti LuPone), TV stars (Jon Cryer, ing. Fortunately, this 2010 performance (off the 1974 rarities compilation Odds & Stephen Colbert), and movie actors (Martha from the Teatro Regio in Parma is excellent, Sods), the non-album single “Join Together,” Plimpton). With the exception of LuPone’s demonstrating that while Un Giorno di Regno a cover of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime “Ladies Who Lunch”—a true showstopper— may be no masterpiece, it’s certainly better Blues,” and Entwistle’s delightful “Boris the the singing here isn’t always the concert’s than suggested by its initial reception. The Spider.” Of course, the show also features a strong suit, but there are no clunkers, and plot centers on the kind of romantic non- veritable hit parade of Who classics: “I Can’t the extended dialogue scenes are especially sense common to comic operas of the pe- Explain,” “My Generation,” “Behind Blue well done. The result is a solid performance riod, revolving around two women slated to Eyes,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “Magic of a Sondheim show whose icy brilliance marry wealthy men they do not love, rather Bus,” “Baba O’Riley,” “Drowned,” and a makes it difficult to love but impossible not than those they do. As an added complica- half-hour medley of tunes from Tommy to admire. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 on tion, one of the preferred beaus is posing (including “Amazing Journey,” “Sparks,” DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 as the king of Poland, while the other is “Pinball Wizard,” “Acid Queen,” “Fiddle on Blu-ray, extras include liner notes. Recom- About,” “I’m Free,” and “We’re Not Gonna mended. (F. Swietek) penniless. Although it’s difficult to work up much enthusiasm for the convolutions that Take It / See Me, Feel Me / Listening to lead to the inevitable happy ending, Verdi’s You”). While The Who at Kilburn 1977 (VL- Tosca HHH bubbly score is delightful, especially in this 3/09) is a superior choice with much better (2010) 142 min. In Italian w/English subtitles. DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray: $39.99. Kultur exhilarating presentation. Donato Renzetti audio and video, this concert still boasts International Films (avail. from most distributors). secures fine work from the orchestra and some enjoyable music for those who can ISBN: 978-0-7697-9193-7 (dvd), 978-0-7697-9192- chorus, and while none of the principals look beyond the technical drawbacks. DVD 0 (blu-ray). are well known internationally, all handle extras include liner notes. Recommended, Lovers of Puccini’s ever-popular opera their arias with aplomb, and their voices overall. (R. Pitman)

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 81 VIDEO LIBRARIAN Distributor Addresses

Contact information for distribu- Icarus Films Stenhouse Publishers tors of titles reviewed in this issue 32 Court St., 21st Fl. P.O. Box 11020 Brooklyn, NY 11201 Portland, ME 04104 are listed below. Some titles must Tel: (800) 876-1710 Tel: (800) 988-9812 be ordered direct, while others are Web: icarusfilms.com Web: stenhouse.com available from a wide variety of Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies Steps4Kids distributors. 38713 Tierra Subida, Ste. 200-240 P.O. Box 231031 Palmdale, CA 93551 Encinitas, CA 92023 Tel: (661) 917-1675 Tel: (800) 757-1702 Web: legacyofpeace.net Web: steps4kids.com

Apogee Communications Group Janson Media TMW Media Group 159 Alpine Way 88 Semmens Rd. 2321 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Boulder, CO 80304 Harrington Park, NJ 07640 Venice, CA 90291 Tel: (800) 210-5700 Tel: (201) 784-8488 Tel: (800) 262-8862 Web: apogeevideo.com Web: janson.com Web: tmwmedia.com

Bennett-Watt HD Productions Kino Lorber Edu Totally ADD 13021 244th Ave. SE 333 W. 39th St., Ste. 503 470 Norfolk St. N. P.O. Box 22004 Issaquah, WA 98027 New York, NY 10018 Simcoe, Ontario CANADA N3Y 3P0 Tel: (800) 327-2893 Tel: (212) 629-6880 Tel: (519) 429-2871 Web: bennett-watt.com Web: kinolorberedu.com Web: totallyadd.com

Bullfrog Films KJF Documentaries Vision Video P.O. Box 149 446 East 4th St. P.O. Box 540 Oley, PA 19547 Brooklyn, NY 11218 Worcester, PA 19490 Tel: (800) 543-3764 Tel: (718) 438-0146 Tel: (800) 523-0226 Web: bullfrogfilms.com Web: kathleenfoster.com Web: visionvideo.com

California Newsreel Kultur International Films Weston Woods Studios 500 Third St., Ste. 505 195 Hwy. 36 90 Old Sherman Turnpike San Francisco, CA 94107 West Long Branch, NJ 07764 Danbury, CT 06816 Tel: (877) 811-7495 Tel: (800) 573-3782 Tel: (800) 243-5020 Web: newsreel.org Web: kultur.com Web: scholastic.com/westonwoods

Chelsea Green Publishing Learning Zone Express Women Make Movies 85 N. Main St., Ste. 120 P.O. Box 1022 462 Broadway, Ste. 500 White River Junction, VT 05001 Owatonna, MN 55060 New York, NY 10013 Tel: (800) 639-4099 Tel: (888) 455-7003 Tel: (212) 925-0606 Web: chelseagreen.com Web: learningzonexpress.com Web: wmm.com

Choices, Inc. Listen 2 Kids Productions Youth Sports Club 3740 Overland Ave., Ste. F P.O. Box 3954 9 Florence Ct. Los Angeles, CA 90034 Grand Junction, CO 81502 Valley Cottage, NY 10989 Tel: (888) 570-5400 Tel: (970) 270-4005 Tel: (800) 511-2101 Web: choicesvideo.net Web: listen2kids.net Web: youthsportsclub.com

The Cinema Guild National Film Board of Canada 115 W. 30th St., Ste. 800 927 Stanford St. New York, NY 10001 Santa Monica, CA 90403 Tel: (800) 723-5522 Tel (800) 542-2164 Web: cinemaguild.com Web: nfb.ca

Films Media Group Naxos of America 132 West 31st St., 17th Fl. 1810 Columbia Ave., Ste. 28 New York, NY 10001 Franklin, TN 37064 Tel: (800) 322-8755 Tel: (615) 771-9393 Web: films.com Web: naxos.com

First Run Features New Day Films 630 Ninth Ave., Ste. 1213 190 Route 17M New York, NY 10036 Harriman, NY 10926 Tel: (800) 229-8575 Tel: (888) 367-9154 Web: firstrunfeatures.com Web: newday.com

Hot Flash Havoc PBS Video P.O. Box 1188 2100 Crystal Dr. Aspen, CO 81612 Arlington, VA 22202 Tel: (970) 920-4848 Tel: (800) 344-3337 Web: hotflashhavoc.com Web: pbs.org

Human Relations Media Seventh Art Releasing 41 Kensico Dr. 6579 Pickwick St. Mt. Kisco, NY 10549 Los Angeles, CA 90042 Tel: (800) 431-2050 Tel: (323) 259-8259 Web: hrmvideo.com Web: 7thart.com

VIDEO LIBRARIAN 82 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 ACCLAIMED WORLD CINEMA FROM ZEITGEIST AND KIMSTIM

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To order call 212-274-1989 zeitgeistfilms.com or contact your distributor kimstim.com Title Index

5 Broken Cameras ...... 68 Deadman Wonderland: Complete Series ...... 73 Maria Watches Over Us: Season One ...... 74 6 Degrees of Hell ...... 18 Death and the Civil War ...... 68 Mariachi High ...... 64 9/11: Day That Changed the World ...... 66 Delete: The Art of Forgetting ...... 50 Minarets in Temecula ...... 52 10 Years On: Afghanistan & Pakistan ...... 67 Dial M for Murder ...... 40 Monster High: Ghouls Rule ...... 49 17 Girls ...... 18 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days ...... 20 Must the Sun Set on the West? ...... 52 2016: Obama’s America ...... 53 Die Nibelungen ...... 40 My Worst Nightmare ...... 28 54321 + 8: Countdown to Your Health ...... 59 Disabilities at Work ...... 63 Nabucco ...... 78 Your Complete Video Collection Management Resource Abraham Lincoln ...... 37 Discoveries…America National Parks: Alaska’s Narrow Escapes of World War II ...... 68 ADD & Loving It?! ...... 59 Wrangell-St. Elias ...... 71 Natural Selection ...... 28 Adventures in Plymptoons! ...... 71 Doctor Who: Series Seven, Part One ...... 40 Neither Allah, Nor Master! ...... 69 Includes Video Librarian Magazine Plus Online Access to 30,000 DVD/Blu-ray/VHS Reviews African Election. An ...... 53 Doors: Live at the Bowl ’68 ...... 75 Nina Conti: Her Master’s Voice ...... 65 Alaska Gold ...... 54 Dredd ...... 20 Nobody Else But You ...... 28 Alfred Hitchcock: Masterpiece Collection ...... 37 Dust Up ...... 22 North Sea Texas ...... 28 Alien Deep with Bob Ballard ...... 58 Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Not a Feather, But a Dot ...... 55 Aligned and Well: When You Hurt All Over ...... 60 Extinct ...... 49 Oberto ...... 79 American Horror Story: Complete First Season ...... 37 Elvis & Madonna ...... 22 Orangutan Diaries ...... 58 Americano ...... 18 Emergency Preparedness: Awareness & Survival ...... 60 Other Dream Team, The ...... 30 Anne Braden: Southern Patriot ...... 71 Emerging Drugs of Abuse ...... 57 Pact, The ...... 30 Apparition, The ...... 18 End of Watch ...... 22 Painted Skin: The Resurrection ...... 30 Arabella ...... 75 Endgame: AIDS in Black America ...... 54 Paperboy, The ...... 30 Aria: The Scarlet Ammo ...... 73 Ergo Proxy: Complete Series ...... 73 Perils of Show Business: Proceed at Your Own Risk ...... 65 Atomic Mom ...... 67 Etta James: Live at Montreux 1993 ...... 75 Perks of Being a Wallflower, The ...... 30 Awakening, The ...... 18 Excision ...... 22 Persona 4: The Animation, Collection One ...... 74 Black Like Me ...... 37 Eye of the Storm, The ...... 22 Pilgrim Fathers, The ...... 70 Boogiepop and Others ...... 18 Falls, The ...... 22 Pina ...... 3 Booker’s Place: A Mississippi Story ...... 54 Fear and Desire ...... 40 Pitch Perfect ...... 31 Booster ...... 19 Fela Kuti Double Feature ...... 75 Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 2 ...... 50 Branded ...... 19 Food Allergies ...... 60 Planet Dinosaur ...... 58 Branding Illness ...... 60 For a Good Time, Call… ...... 23 Play in the Gray ...... 65 Bully ...... 19 Forgiveness of Blood, The ...... 23 Portlandia: Season Two ...... 44 Business Advice for Organic Farmers ...... 62 Frankenweenie ...... 23 Possession, The ...... 31 Butter ...... 19 Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender ...... 72 Pound Puppies: Super Secret Pup Club ...... 49 C(h)oeurs ...... 75 Freezing ...... 73 Prairie Love ...... 31 C: Control—The Money and Soul of Possibility ...... 73 Functional Fitness: Pain Free Back & Neck ...... 60 Premium Rush ...... 31 Call the Midwife: Season One ...... 67 Giant Mechanical Man, The ...... 23 Priceless ...... 55 Cat in Paris, A ...... 19 Give Up Tomorrow ...... 57 Prosecutor ...... 57 Chely Wright: Wish Me Away ...... 62 Go Go Crazy ...... 23 Ramrod ...... 44 Cinderella ...... 38 Gregg Allman: I’m No Angel—Live on Stage ...... 76 Raw and the Cooked, The ...... 62 Code of the West ...... 54 Grey’s Anatomy: Complete Eighth Season ...... 40 Red Hen, The ...... 49 Cold Light of Day, The ...... 20 Grief & Loss: A Child’s Perspective ...... 52 Rescue ...... 70 Coma ...... 38 Groundhogs: Live at the Astoria ...... 76 Rescued ...... 53 Copper: Season One ...... 38 Guilty Pleasures ...... 62 Resident Evil: Retribution ...... 31 Cornwall with Caroline Quentin ...... 71 Happy Endings: Complete Second Season ...... 41 Rinaldo ...... 79 Corpo Celeste ...... 20 Hart of Dixie: Complete First Season ...... 41 Robot & Frank ...... 31 Cosmopolis ...... 20 Hawaii Five-0: Second Season ...... 41 Rockwell: A Night of Legendary Collaborations ...... 79 Crimson Petal and the White, The ...... 38 Rolling Stones: Charlie is My Darling, Ireland 1965 ...... 79 Hazel: Complete Fourth Season ...... 41 Roméo et Juliette ...... 79 Cut to the Chase: Charley Chase Collection ...... 38 Heaven’s Gate ...... 41 Day I Saw Your Heart, The ...... 20 Running with Bulls ...... 64 Heaven’s Memo Pad: Complete Collection ...... 74 Salt of Life, The ...... 32 Hello I Must Be Going ...... 24 Samson et Dalila ...... 80 Hermano ...... 24 School Play ...... 66 High Ground ...... 69 Searching for Sugar Man ...... 32 Advertiser Directory Holding on to Jah ...... 68 Secret of the Wings ...... 32 Holliston: Complete First Season ...... 42 Sesame Street: Old School 1979-1984, Volume 3 ...... 49 Hollywood to Dollywood ...... 24 Action! 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the calendar year—to compile our annual ful How to Die in Oregon, Cody Curtis, a annotated list of 25 best documentaries. woman with liver cancer and a six-months- Real Life Past “Best Documentaries” lists have to-live diagnosis, nevertheless carries on If you’re reading this, then the Mayans featured a wide array of higher-profile films day-to-day life with a sunny outlook. In have clearly failed to win the Jeane Dixon (including The Cove, Grizzly Man, An Incon- Peter Wiedensmith’s Raw Faith, Marilyn Crystal Ball award for 2012. venient Truth, Inside Job, Jesus Camp, Man on Sewell, the chief minister at a Portland, And that’s great news, since you will be Wire, March of the Penguins, Murderball, No OR, Unitarian church, spreads love among able to watch some of the wonderful docu- End in Sight, Sicko, Taxi to the Dark Side, Wait- her congregation but has almost given up mentaries profiled in our eighth annual ing for Superman, Waltz with Bashir, Wordplay, on finding a personal soul mate herself. Best Documentaries list (see pg. 47). and Young @ Heart) and lesser-known titles And in David Gelb’s Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Is it me, or has Hollywood generally (such as 51 Birch Street, Beethoven’s Hair, Big impish 85-year-old sushi chef Jiro Ono is a gone to the proverbial dogs over the past Enough, Dear Zachary, Family Affair, Four Sea- dedicated artisan who admits that he was decade? With each passing year, I find my- sons Lodge, Hacking Democracy, The Hobart a bit of a bad kid growing up. self wowed by fewer movies (although, to be Shakespeareans, A Life Without Pain, Lucky, From films that made us laugh, such fair, I’ve also aged well beyond Tinseltown’s Monster Camp, No Impact Man, Nursery Uni- as Christoph Baaden’s often funny docu- demographic target audience—which ap- versity, Sister Helen, So Much So Fast, Sunset mentary about marathon racers, Hood to pears to be thirtysomethings with a sixth- Story, and Yellow Brick Road). Coast, to others that made us cry, like David grade sense of humor). Once again, what stands out on this Weismann and Bill Weber’s sad and mov- While raunchy brain-dead comedies and year’s list is the wide range of fascinating ing remembrance of the emergence of the implausible whiplash-edited thrillers have people whose stories are told. In filmmak- AIDS crisis, We Were Here, this year’s best become the depressing norm in multi- ers Philip Lyall and Nimisha Mukerji’s documentary crop is a strong one. plexes, excellent real world documentaries 65_RedRoses, young cystic fibrosis patient And many people will only be able to have been flourishing in limited theatrical Eva Markvoort’s unflagging optimism is find some of the excellent lesser-known runs before reaching wider audiences on both inspiring and heartbreaking. In Yoav documentaries like Chad Freidrichs’ The DVD and Blu-ray. Potash’s hard-hitting Crime After Crime, Pruitt-Igoe Myth, Susan Saladoff’s Hot Cof- From July through October of last year, Deborah Peagler—a battered woman serv- fee, and Justine Jacob and Alex D. da Silva’s Video Librarian staff literally spent hundreds ing in a California penitentiary for over 25 Ready, Set, Bag! at their local libraries. of hours checking out 150-plus documen- years—maintains hope while her case is Mayan prophecies notwithstanding, taries—reviewed either in the magazine fought by two committed attorneys working here’s to happy viewing in 2013. itself or on Video Librarian Online during pro bono. In Peter D. Richardson’s power- Randy Pitman

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