New DVD Releases - April 1, 2008
The new DVD releases include Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Good Night and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. In addition, we'll take a sneak peek at next week's movies on video/DVD.
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Alvin and the Chipmunks DVD
In 1958 "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" was introduced, and it became a perennial favorite. The number was supposedly sung by three chipmunks -- Alvin, Simon and Theodore -- under the direction of a man named Dave Seville. Five decades later comes this feature film where the chipmunks are done by CGI animation and Seville is played by Jason Lee. Although set in the present, the movie nevertheless tells the story of how the chipmunks start out living in a forest, relocate to L.A., meet Seville, become showbiz stars and encounter a new set of problems.
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The Good Night DVD
Martin Freeman plays the main character in this dramedy, and he is supported by Simon Pegg, Gwyneth Paltrow, Penélope Cruz and Danny DeVito. This is the first feature film by writer-director Jake Paltrow, Gwyneth's brother. Gary (Freeman) is an ex-rock star who now writes advertising music and is in a bad relationship with a nagging girlfriend (Paltrow). When he sleeps, a mystery woman called Anna (Cruz) appears recurrently in his dreams, and he becomes so enamored of her he consults a New Age therapist (DeVito). But one day Gary sees Anna's face on the side of a bus.
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Top Picks - Classic Film-Noir Movies on Video/DVD
from your DVD Guide | ![]() | | I've seen a lot of classic film-noir movies over the years, and since so many are available on DVD these days, I'm enjoying them more often. My choice of films doesn't necessarily reflect the popular wisdom on film-noir classics; instead, this is my personal, idiosyncratic list of favorites from the 1940s and 1950s. |
1) Double Indemnity (1944)
Stylish direction, an excellent script, and memorable performances combine in this film to create a masterpiece of film noir. Insurance salesman Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) falls in lust with Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck), an unhappily married femme fatale. Soon Neff is enmeshed in a scam involving murder and an insurance policy paying double for accidental death.
2) Maltese Falcon (1941)
In this superb example of early film noir, Humphrey Bogart is perfectly cast as Sam Spade, the quintessential hard-boiled detective. After his partner is killed, a beautiful femme fatale lures Spade into a web of deceit spun by ruthless characters searching for a valuable falcon statuette. I love this film’s dialogue, which crackles with the cynical wit of Hammett’s novel.
3) The Third Man (1949)
Ive seen The Third Man many times over the years, but I doubt that I'll ever tire of this unusual film noir. In this movie, story (Graham Greene), direction (Carol Reed), performances, cinematography, and music all come together to create an unforgettable film. Orson Welles is stunning as Harry Lime, one of the most deliciously memorable villains in all of film history.
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