tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60895542011-12-13T19:54:59.710-08:00El Bicho's HiveA Collection of Reviews Covering the Worlds of Art and Entertainment alongside other Snobbish Ramblings.El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.comBlogger8171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-81561786232482784072010-11-06T13:21:00.000-07:002010-11-06T13:26:01.004-07:00PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROWWhoever came up with the made-to-order DVD service at WarnerArchive.com is a genius. All studios have quite a number of titles in the vaults that for one reason or another the decision-makers don't think warrant the financial investment required for a mass-market home-video release. In the past, these titles used to sit and collect dust, but now the technology is both available and affordable El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-65247510288849221602010-10-27T03:13:00.000-07:002010-10-27T03:30:59.060-07:00Hank Williams – The Complete Mother's Best Recordings... Plus!I am not the first and won't be the last to sing the praises of the legendary Hank Williams. He displayed such talent as a singer-songwriter his influence surpassed the country western genre. In 1937 at the age of 14 he was given his own radio show on WSFA in Montgomery, Alabama, and put together a band known as The Drifting Cowboys. Hank expanded into recording religious music under the name El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-9851655549879911732010-10-23T21:24:00.000-07:002010-10-23T21:29:23.745-07:00CHARADE - The Criterion Collection (Blu-ray)While the bloated excess of Cleopatra (1963) bankrupted 20th Century Fox and helped bring an end to the Classic Hollywood era, that same year saw the release of a delightful comic thriller that demonstrated the magic studios can deliver when they get it right. Charade creates great suspense from the start as the opening scene features a body thrown from a train. We cut to a French chalet where El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-4710277398817912782010-10-23T15:28:00.000-07:002010-10-23T21:24:29.453-07:00The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex by Kristen Schaal and Rich BlomquistWritten by real-life couple actress/comedienne Kristen Schaal and staff writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Rich Blomquist, The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex is a hysterical look at the different aspects of sex for straights, gays, and even animals. Lucky for those who like naughty bits "the most erotic and titillating parts of this guide are printed in red." The book also comes with a El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-3935681180618695272010-10-21T21:17:00.000-07:002010-10-21T21:22:17.030-07:00Bored to Death - The Complete First Season (Blu-ray)HBO's Bored to Death is a half-hour comedy series created by writer Jonathan Ames about writer Jonathan Ames (Jason Schwartzman). In the extras the real Ames states his life informs the series but it is not autobiographical. In the series premiere the fictional Ames decides to become a private investigator like Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe after being dumped by his girlfriend Suzanne (El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-68494488071082343672010-10-19T19:10:00.000-07:002010-10-19T19:12:41.777-07:00Breathless (1960) - The Criterion CollectionJean-Luc Godard's Breathless helped launch the French New Wave movement, which challenged norms of the medium. Godard's directorial choices appear intended to increase the realism by paradoxically never letting you forget you are watching a movie. Even half a century later, the results remain fascinating though history has inevitably dulled its full impact. How amazing it must have been able El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-15991242715759631432010-10-17T00:58:00.000-07:002010-10-17T01:12:13.922-07:00Bill Hicks – The Essential CollectionThis four-disc set is a marvelous archive that honors the late comedian Bill Hicks who died in 1994 of pancreatic cancer at the much too early age of 32. Much of his comedy was rooted in his anger in reaction to the state of American culture and can be traced back to comics like Lenny Bruce and George Carlin. He challenged audiences with his strong Left-libertarianism views and his vulgar El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-6376057696171209242010-10-15T02:06:00.000-07:002010-10-15T02:09:06.214-07:00BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991) (Blu-ray)The 1980s were of bit of a lost decade for the Walt Disney Company in regards to their animated films. The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective, and Oliver & Company didn’t have the same appeal or success as the studio's previous classics. Then 1989 saw a return to glory with the release of The Little Mermaid, which began a ten-year run of successful movies referred El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-87283267372120351652010-10-06T12:33:00.000-07:002010-10-06T12:42:56.890-07:00Prime Suspect - The Complete CollectionCreated by Lynda La Plante, Prime Suspect is the award-winning British television crime series starting Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison, a Metropolitan police officer who struggles with criminals, sexist co-workers, and her own self-defeating actions. She's a very compelling character that's allowed to be flawed and is one of the most intriguing female characters to appear on television. It airedEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-5791631204179477412010-10-05T18:48:00.000-07:002010-10-05T19:17:26.595-07:00RICHARD III (1995)Based on Richard Eyre’s stage production, this retelling of Shakespeare’s Richard III is transported about 500 years forward into an alternative Britain of the 1930s. This dramatic change in setting works well and the fascist tendencies of the main character allows the production design to borrow infamous style ideas from the period. The film opens with the final battle in a civil war as El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-48635196000870022392010-09-22T21:05:00.000-07:002010-09-22T21:07:00.333-07:00Modern Family - The Complete First Season (Blu-ray)Created by Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, both of whom previously worked on Frasier, the Emmy Award-winning Modern Family uses the documentary style brought into vogue by The Office (UK). With two other series currently using the format (NBC's The Office (US) and Parks and Recreations), it seems slightly overused, but Leviatan has said in an interview "it's a family show done El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-55811855736584025632010-09-19T12:59:00.000-07:002010-09-19T13:02:17.529-07:00THE BEST OF SOUL TRAIN (3 DVD)The Best of Soul Train is available as a single-disc, three-disc, and a nine-disc set. The three-disc set was made available for review.Growing up as a member of the Gen X generation, I saw many Saturday morning shows come and go, but there seemed to be two constants through the years: American Bandstand and Soul Train, two music-based programs featuring appearances by then-current artists and El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-73688507864626432982010-09-18T18:15:00.000-07:002010-09-18T18:20:02.484-07:00The Man Behind the Nose: Assassins, Astronauts, Cannibals, and Other Stupendous Tales by Larry "Bozo" Harmon with Thomas Scott McKenzieOne of the most iconic characters in the history of children's television is Bozo the Clown. The character was at its peak in the 1960s and is an obvious influence on The Simpsons' Krusty the Klown. One of the men responsible for his widespread notoriety is Larry Harmon. Compiled from interviews made to Thomas Scott McKenzie, Harmon regales the reader with his autobiography.Influenced by a El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-18417620426187224212010-09-03T20:13:00.000-07:002010-09-03T20:15:32.252-07:003 Silent Classics By Josef von Sternberg - The Criterion CollectionThe Criterion Collection's mission statement, which is printed on all their releases, is to present "important classic and contemporary films". The company does outstanding work in preserving the history of cinema, and nowhere is that more evident than their release of 3 Silent Classics By Josef von Sternberg, which contains the fourth, fifth, and sixth film, not counting the lost The Dragnet, El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-285335728847610362010-08-27T21:12:00.000-07:002010-08-27T21:23:25.319-07:00Flight of the Conchords: The Complete CollectionOn December 10, 2009, to the disappointment of their fans, the New Zealand musical-comedy duo of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, known as Flight of the Conchords, announced on their website their Emmy-nominated HBO series, also known as Flight of the Conchords, was not coming back for a third season. As Sean Connery and Francis Ford Coppola can attest, people should never say "never," but as El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-72602612953528471512010-08-26T19:23:00.000-07:002010-08-26T19:25:55.836-07:00From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor by Jerry Della FeminaLikely due in great part to the success of AMC's Mad Men, Jerry Della Femina's 1970 best-selling book about Madison Avenue has been reprinted by Simon & Schuster and the publishing company is playing up the connection. There's a quote from creator/executive producer Matthew Weiner on the back cover, GQ states it's "one of the key texts for Mad Men" with the series title in a slightly larger fontEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-61865943926581574032010-08-25T15:16:00.000-07:002010-08-25T15:19:44.555-07:00Super Friends!: Season One, Volume TwoWith "Volume Two" now available on DVD, fans can complete the first season of Super Friends in their collection. This two-disc set presents the season's last eight episodes, which first aired Saturday mornings on ABC in 1973. From the appearance of the video, they look to have come straight out of the vaults and been mastered to DVD because the prints are marred and dirty.Super Friends was El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-18098150930827090602010-08-11T22:54:00.000-07:002010-08-11T23:11:01.355-07:00Agents of Treachery, Edited by Otto PenzlerAs he states in the introduction, editor Otto Penzler has collected "a veritable who's who of today's most highly regarded thrillers, as well as the most widely read" for Agents of Treachery, a collection of short stories in the spy/thriller genre. The contributors are Lee Child, Dan Fesperman, Joseph Finder, James Grady, Stephen Hunter, Andrew Klavan, John Lawton, Gayle Lynds, Charles McCarry, El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-9137879178249081152010-08-10T03:04:00.000-07:002010-08-10T03:06:25.279-07:00BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD (Blu-ray)Writer Judd Winick brings his "Under the Hood" story arc from Batman comics to the animated DC Universe with Under the Red Hood now out on Blu-ray and DVD.The movie opens with a prologue taken from Jim Starlin's infamous "A Death in a Family" story arc as the Joker kills Jason Todd, the young man who had taken up the mantle of Robin after Dick Grayson moved on and became Nightwing. The story El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-22383739472077463932010-08-08T21:45:00.000-07:002010-08-08T21:47:25.684-07:00SPIKE YOUR JUICEDeveloped by a group of Europeans in California who missed their traditional Federweißer drink, Spike Your Juice is a product comprised of yeast, organic evaporated cane juice, and emulsifier that turns fruit juices into an alcoholic beverage. For $10, consumers get six Spike packets and labels, one airlock, and one stopper. It's a very simple procedure that even novice home brewers can El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-42542962279921246562010-08-01T00:49:00.000-07:002010-08-01T00:51:34.650-07:00Doctor Who - The Space Museum / The ChaseDoctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television series featuring The Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey whose adventures see him travel through time and space. Over the years, different actors have starred in the role, and to compensate for the realities of the television business Time Lords were given the ingenious ability to regenerate their bodies when they die.The El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-79607693842118936652010-07-27T23:28:00.000-07:002010-07-27T23:30:04.882-07:00Doctor Who - The Horns of NimonDoctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television series featuring The Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey whose adventures see him travel through time and space. Over the years, different actors have starred in the role, and to compensate for the realities of the television business Time Lords were given the ingenious ability to regenerate their bodies when they die.The El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-19656812783032290452010-07-11T22:27:00.000-07:002010-07-11T22:40:51.786-07:00The Godfather Family Album, Edited by Paul DuncanThe Godfather Family Album is an excellent look at Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather trilogy through the lens of photographer Steve Schapiro. The main focus of this massive tome, coming in at over six pounds and running 444 pages, is Schapiro's amazing photographs, created from the original negatives, taken on the set and behind the scenes during the shooting of all three films. Taking advantage El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-75054992349030587742010-07-09T12:47:00.000-07:002010-07-09T12:48:53.441-07:00THE ILLUSIONIST (2006) (Blu-ray)The Illusionist is a very engaging film as it unfolds, but as time is spent away reflecting upon the story, it doesn't hold up once the trick has been revealed, like most illusions.Set in 19th century Vienna, Austria, Eisenheim the Illusionist (Edward Norton) is arrested by Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) during a performance, where he appears to be conjuring ghosts, for threats against the Empire El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-30124931251205314692010-07-06T18:06:00.000-07:002010-07-10T09:56:43.487-07:00Doctor Who - UnderworldDoctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television series featuring The Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey whose adventures see him travel through time and space. Over the years, different actors have starred in the role, and to compensate for the realities of the television business Time Lords were given the ingenious ability to regenerate their bodies when they El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-81694286745238133352010-06-22T00:50:00.000-07:002010-06-22T00:54:30.471-07:00SPARTACUS - 50th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)Based on the historical novel by Howard Fast, Spartacus tells the tale of the former slave who led the Third Servile War (73-71 BC) in rebellion against the Roman Republic. Fittingly, the film's creation is rooted in rebellion as well. It was initiated by actor/producer Kirk Douglas when he didn't get the lead role in Ben Hur and rejected the offer to play the villain Messala. Douglas also hired El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-19968337482487713122010-06-21T02:04:00.000-07:002010-06-21T02:05:23.942-07:00HANG 'EM HIGH (Blu-ray)Clint Eastwood stars as Jed Cooper, a former St. Louis lawman accused a being a rustler in Oklahoma & Indian Territory 1889, not 1873 as the liner notes erroneously state. He is set upon by a posse filled with questionable characters and hanged before the opening credits. Lucky for Cooper, Federal Marshal Dave Bliss (Ben Johnson) comes along soon after and cuts him down. He is then placed intoEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-70537309282684424322010-06-18T19:11:00.000-07:002010-06-18T19:13:29.745-07:00STONES IN EXILEIn conjunction with the release of the 2010 expanded edition of their classic album Exile on Main St., this hour-long documentary presents the chapter of the Rolling Stones' history when the album was created.Bookended by reactions from modern musicians (Will.I.Am, Jack White, Sheryl Crow, and Caleb Followill) as well as associates they have worked with (Don Was and Martin Scorsese), this part ofEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-82806493125138494982010-06-07T23:20:00.000-07:002010-06-07T23:35:14.098-07:00Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Seventh SeasonIn the fall of 2009, Larry David returned as Larry David in the seventh season of his HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm. No matter how long the series runs, it's hard to imagine a more notable season due to it featuring the medium's strangest sitcom reunion.David is the co-creator of Seinfeld, and since the series concluded in 1998, he has probably been pestered by many fans and TV El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-2222916218872099452010-06-04T01:54:00.000-07:002010-06-04T02:11:36.509-07:00The Complete History of American Film Criticism by Jerry RobertsIn the introduction, author Jerry Roberts states the book's intention is to offer "a narrative history to explain who was who in [American] film criticism…for the committed movie-goer or passionate movie buff." He does an extremely thorough job, offering an encyclopedia's worth of information in a very engaging manner.The Complete History of American Film Criticism begins shortly after the El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-8897485510304596342010-06-03T03:43:00.000-07:002010-06-03T03:47:32.592-07:00INVICTUS (Blu-ray)Based on the book Playing the Enemy by John Carlin, Invictus tells an amazing story that needs to be told and passed on about the power of people uniting.The film is set in South Africa, and the story briefly begins on February 11th, 1990, the day of Nelson Mandela's release from 27 years in prison as a result of his fighting against the country's apartheid policies of racial segregation. The El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-49515231667838991492010-06-01T02:52:00.000-07:002010-06-04T02:17:35.599-07:00Peanuts 1970's Collection Vol. 2This two-disc set completes the run of television specials that aired during the decade. Disc 1 opens with two previously reviewed specials, Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (1975) and the Emmy Award-winning, motocross-based You're A Good Sport, Charlie Brown (1975). Rounding out the disc is It's Arbor Day, Charlie, Brown (1976), which is notable for being the last special for which Vince GuaraldiEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-38715316892560095442010-05-27T11:56:00.000-07:002010-05-27T11:57:39.543-07:00HIGH ANXIETY (Blu-ray)Surrounding himself with talented writers and actors, Mel Brooks was the king of film parodies during the 1970s, and probably the envy of many directors due to the different genres in which he worked. From 1974 to 1976, he released comedic versions of a western (Blazing Saddles), a black-and-white horror film reminiscent of the classics made by Universal Studios (Young Frankenstein), and a El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-26723145128121130642010-05-24T10:59:00.000-07:002010-05-24T11:02:50.275-07:00Doctor Who - The Monster of PeladonDoctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television series featuring The Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey whose adventures see him travel through time and space. Over the years, different actors have starred in the role, and to compensate for the realities of the television business Time Lords were given the ingenious ability to regenerate their bodies when they die. TheEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-49479110364514548642010-05-19T00:54:00.000-07:002010-05-19T00:59:05.582-07:00DOCTOR ZHIVAGO: 45th Anniversary EditionBased on Boris Pasternak's Nobel Prize-winning novel, Doctor Zhivago tells the story of the tragic love affair between Doctor Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif) and Lara Antipova (Julie Christie), set during early twentieth century Russia as it evolved into the Soviet Union. The film is a classic Hollywood epic brought to fruition by director David Lean and his team, and third in an extremely impressiveEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-37910446332824581212010-05-16T11:15:00.000-07:002010-05-16T11:17:14.738-07:00Doctor Who - The Masque of MandragoraDoctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television series featuring The Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey whose adventures see him travel through time and space. Over the years, different actors have starred in the role, and to compensate for the realities of the television business Time Lords were given the ingenious ability to regenerate their bodies when they die.The El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-88520330105324422052010-05-14T21:45:00.000-07:002010-05-14T21:47:10.316-07:00SAVING PRIVATE RYAN - Sapphire Series (Blu-ray)Steven Spielberg's award-winning 1998 WWII epic Saving Private Ryan was most notable for its technical wizardry and its debut on Blu-ray exhibits the same high standards of craftsmanship. So much so, it's certain to be listed on a number of "Best Blu-ray of 2010" lists at year's end.The film opens present day with an unnamed man and his family attending a military cemetery. The story then El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-1982996680158437002010-05-10T16:20:00.000-07:002010-05-10T16:25:53.132-07:00X-Men (1992) - Volume 5Fans of the animated X-Men series that first aired on FOX Saturday mornings in the mid-'90s can complete their collection with the release of Volume 5, the final installment covering this version of Marvel Comics mutant heroes. The team's line-up can be found detailed in the review of Volumes 1 & 2.This two-disc set presents 14 episodes. Ten are from the fifth season, which was picked up El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-23542952861225513412010-05-07T18:37:00.000-07:002010-05-10T16:26:46.708-07:00TOMBSTONE (Blu-ray)There are many legends involving Tombstone. What's unfortunate is the behind-the-scene tales of its creation are more interesting than the rehashing of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral it presents. What started as a project between writer Kevin Jarre and actor Kevin Costner ended up with Kurt Russell starring as Wyatt Earp and, according to him, directing through George P. Cosmatos after Jarre El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-34816124979280998022010-05-06T19:17:00.000-07:002010-05-06T19:27:30.436-07:00Iron Man - The Complete 1994 Animated Television SeriesTying in with the release of Iron Man 2, Buena Vista Home Entertainment is releasing the complete animated Iron Man series, which aired 26 episodes from 1994 to 1996. It was paired and syndicated with Fantastic Four under the title The Marvel Action Hour with introductions by the legendary Stan "The Man" Lee, which regrettably haven't been included.The '90s were a renaissance for animated El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-50786401092981694662010-04-29T23:48:00.000-07:002010-04-29T23:50:44.005-07:00Radar Brothers - The Illustrated GardenThe new configuration of Radar Brothers finds founding member Jim Putnam (vocals, guitar, keyboard) in his usual position at the forefront now joined by Be Hussey (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Stevie Treichel (drums) for The Illustrated Garden, the band's sixth studio album over 14 years. "Dear Headlights" opens with a majestic piano over drums and cymbals, keeping an easy, laid-back beat. El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-69623374401325885682010-04-09T21:27:00.000-07:002010-04-09T21:33:47.572-07:00UNDER THE SEA (Blu-ray)Originally an IMAX 3D film and now appearing on DVD and Blu-ray, Under The Sea spends 41 minutes transporting the viewer to the Coral Triangle and Great Barrier Reef of the South Pacific to witness what life is like there. Narrated by a restrained Jim Carrey, this film is a sequel of sorts to director Howard Hall's previous IMAX hit, Deep Sea, as we see creatures going about their routines of El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-384655596139082582010-04-08T16:51:00.000-07:002010-04-08T16:52:11.340-07:00Kick-Ass: Creating the Comic, Making the Movie by Mark MillarOnce again, Titan Books does an outstanding job of presenting a behind-the-scenes peek at the making of a film by providing fans access to the participants and their creative process. This time out rather than using a freelance writer to cover the project, Mark Millar, co-creator of the comic book and co-producer of the film, serves as the reader's guide and removes a degree of separation from El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-15278098663030670092010-04-03T00:17:00.000-07:002010-04-03T00:18:46.045-07:00FANTASTIC MR. FOX (Blu-ray)Using Roald Dahl's 1970 children's novel as the second act, Wes Anderson, along with co-writer Noah Baumbach, expands the story of the thieving Mr. Fox and his victims, the farmers Boggis, Bunce, and Bean, to once again create a whimsical tale about a quirky family (or is that quirky tale about a whimsical family?) coming together in this marvelous stop-motion feature.Fox (George Clooney) gave upEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-13354250314702184732010-03-31T21:37:00.000-07:002010-03-31T21:39:42.428-07:00The Lord of the Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy (Theatrical Editions) (Blu-ray)Behind the first Star Wars trilogy, Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings, an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic fantasy novels, has been the most eagerly anticipated series to debut on Blu-ray. That will be remedied on April 6th; however, fans of the films will likely be torn in reaction to this set. It presents the theatrical versions, as opposed to the Extended Editions, which are likely to beEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-31959864617451262592010-03-29T22:26:00.000-07:002010-03-29T22:28:36.013-07:00SANJURO (The Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray)Based on Shugoro Yamamoto's Peaceful Days, Sanjuro was originally intended to be a straightforward adaptation from a screenplay Akira Kurosawa wrote before he made Yojimbo. However, the success of the latter film, which used Days' idea of two gangs tricked into disposing of each other, caused the studio to want another film in the same vein. Kurosawa rewrote his script, inserted Sanjuro (El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-52376015071860130012010-03-29T02:10:00.000-07:002010-03-29T02:12:15.783-07:00The Low Anthem - The Bootleg Theatre, Los Angeles, CA - 3/25/10The Bootleg Theatre is a storefront with plywood-lined walls and a slightly raised stage in an out-of-the-way Los Angeles neighborhood. Its no-frills, pretension-less appearance was a perfect compliment to the evening's music. Opening was Timber Timbre from Canada, which found singer-songwriter Taylor Kirk, playing a reverb-heavy guitar and keeping rhythm with his foot on bass drum, accompanied El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-74872173936557491902010-03-25T13:42:00.000-07:002010-03-25T13:43:39.896-07:00Dylan: 100 Songs and Pictures compiled by Chris CharlesworthBob Dylan was quoted in 1962 as saying, "The songs are there. They exist by themselves, just waiting for someone to write them down. If I didn't do it, someone else would." I don't think there's anyone else who believes that. George Harrison certainly disagrees. "If Dylan hadn't said some of the things he did, nobody else was going to say them." If you need more proof then that, the brillianceEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-79514271084128295142010-03-23T19:34:00.000-07:002010-03-23T19:37:44.255-07:00Secret Lives of Great Filmmakers: What Your Teachers Never Told You About the World's Greatest Directors by Robert SchnakenbergAfter previously dealing with great authors and Supreme Court Justices, Robert Schnakenberg casts his gossipy gaze upon Great Filmmakers to reveal the sordid details of their lives, covering fears and desires, vices and habits. Presented in birth order, the book opens with D.W. Griffith, the earliest man to shine in the position of director. He is cited as a racist, not that his landmark film El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-40226164928968515412010-03-23T18:22:00.000-07:002010-03-23T18:28:01.295-07:00The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Who Killed Sgt. Pepper?During its two-decade run, founding member Anton Newcombe has been the one constant in the ever-shuffling lineup of The Brian Jonestown Massacre. The band's twelfth album Who Killed Sgt. Pepper? sees the return of founding bassist Matt Hollywood who left the band in 1999 after an onstage altercation, which was captured in the 2004 documentary DiG!"Tempo 116.7 (Reaching For Dangerous Levels Of El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-23723380010605576982010-03-23T15:44:00.000-07:002010-03-23T15:48:17.851-07:00YOJIMBO (The Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray)Coinciding with what would have been director Akira Kurosawa's 100th birthday, the Criterion Collection presents Yojimbo on Blu-ray.By the flip of a branch, a samurai (Toshiro Mifune), who gives his name as Sanjuro, comes to a town ravaged by two warring gangs, evidenced by the slightly comical image of a dog scurrying away with a severed hand in its mouth. Brothel owner Seibei Manome (SeizaburoEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-36000725883140034352010-03-20T03:54:00.000-07:002010-07-01T17:23:04.463-07:00TALES FROM THE SCRIPTFor many people, it's enough to see a magician perform a trick and they can walk away satisfied. For a small number, they want to know how the rabbit got into the hat and how the lady was cut in half. These people are infatuated with the process as much as they are the illusion. There are like-minded folks when it comes to films and this documentary will be a special treat for them while El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-1951793764788463582010-03-15T00:44:00.000-07:002010-03-15T00:45:03.909-07:00Bikini Jones and the Temple of ErosAfter reading the brief synopsis offered by the PR company, I presumed I was requesting some type of sexploitation Z-movie, but once Dr. Bikini Jones (Christine Nguyen) and the female security guard (Brynn Tyler) agree to have sex and take off their clothes in under six minutes, I realized I was watching softcore pornography.Written and directed by Nicholas Medina, a pseudonym for the prolific El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-42640764930972579152010-03-15T00:42:00.000-07:002010-03-15T00:43:17.175-07:00The Book of Firsts: 150 World-Changing People and Events from Caesar Augustus to the Internet by Peter D'EpiroAs Peter D'Epiro writes in the preface, "The first of anything in our lives acquires an aura all its own." Do you remember your first kiss, your first car, your first love who may also be the cause of your first heartbreak? All firsts help define an individual from the first album you bought on your own, the first place you lived without your parents, to the first time you encountered the deathEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-69006940444764296872010-03-05T03:21:00.000-08:002010-03-05T03:25:28.576-08:00BLACK DYNAMITEBlack Dynamite is sheer brilliance and the entire cast and crew should be proud of their accomplishments and contributions. The film is a hilarious comedy, best watched with an empty bladder and a lot of friends. It succeeds because everyone proves to be well versed in the style of Blaxploitation films and filmmaking, which they spoof with reverence. The more familiar the viewer is with the El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-2300731447312016082010-02-26T02:39:00.001-08:002010-02-26T02:39:53.981-08:00ATONEMENT (2007) (Blu-ray)Director Joe Wright re-teams with Keira Knightley for an adaptation of Ian McEwan's 2001 novel, a story that traverses a good portion of the 20th Century as it explores the devastating impact caused by rash decisions and the costs associated.The film opens in Summer 1935 at the Tallis estate as the family prepares for the return of eldest child Leon accompanied by his friend Paul (Benedict El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-35811443797076678642010-02-22T22:42:00.000-08:002010-02-24T00:52:21.417-08:00Johnny Cash - American VI: Ain't No GraveJohnny Cash died on September 12, 2003, and although producer Rick Rubin stated this album was coming when American V: A Hundred Highways was released in 2006, it's understandable for there to be trepidation among fans. No matter the genre, many music legends after their deaths, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Elvis Presley, and Frank Sinatra to name a few, have had their discographies El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-60388805775940444372010-02-22T01:29:00.000-08:002010-02-22T01:30:55.308-08:00Bad Girls of Film Noir, Volumes 1 and 2Columbia cleans out the vaults to compile a couple of two-disc sets with lesser-known B-movies created mostly by little known talent. However, the studio slightly misleads the consumer because while bad girls abound, most of these films are not film noir.Volume 1 features: The Killer That Stalked New York (1950) is Sheila (Evelyn Keyes), who arrives in the Big Apple by train after smuggling El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-21005687373797184292010-02-21T19:53:00.000-08:002010-02-22T11:47:23.713-08:002010 Academy Award-Nominated Short FilmsFor fanatical film fans who attempt to see every Academy Award-nominated picture before the Oscar telecast, the fine folks at Shorts International and Magnolia Pictures have made the task easier by presenting the animated and live action shorts together in select parts of the country going on the fifth consecutive year.The nominees for Best Short Film (Animated) are:"French Roast" - Fabrice O. El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-59815547358916973802010-02-19T23:24:00.000-08:002010-02-19T23:31:35.127-08:00The Life & Times of Tim - The Complete First SeasonThe Life & Times of Tim is the creation of Steve Dildarian, who made a name for himself in advertising with the "Budweiser Lizards" campaign. With his HBO animated series, Dildarian serves as the writer, director, and voice of the twenty-something New Yorker who constantly finds himself in ridiculous and profane situations that might even be too outrageous for channel-mate Larry David. Yet no El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-38623795898477305722010-02-19T02:28:00.000-08:002010-02-19T02:36:07.125-08:00Doctor Who: The Complete SpecialsIn what is essentially an abbreviated series (which in the States we call a "season"), the four stories that comprise Doctor Who: The Complete Specials finishes the very popular, recent run of executive producer/writer Russell T. Davies and actor David Tennant.For those unaware, Doctor Who is a long-running, British television, science-fiction program featuring the adventures of the Doctor, a El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-58403660264857348892010-02-14T17:48:00.000-08:002010-02-14T18:07:59.337-08:00RED RIDING TrilogyBased on four novels by David Pearce, the Red Riding film trilogy is a series of well-crafted noir thrillers set amongst the crime and corruption of Yorkshire, England in the 1970s and '80s. The city at that time is revealed to have a dark, gritty underbelly where some give in to their illicit wishes and desires regardless of the consequences. Scarier than the details of the crimes committed isEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-86622804567058216682010-02-04T01:27:00.000-08:002010-02-04T02:11:01.402-08:008 1/2 - The Criterion Collection (Blu-ray)The Criterion Collection has released Federico Fellini's 8 ½ on Blu-ray. The Academy Award-winning 1963 Italian film is a world-cinema landmark. Voted number three in the 2002 Sight & Sound Directors' Top Ten Poll and number nine in the Critics' Top Ten Poll, its influence is evident in many films, including Bob Fosse's All That Jazz, Woody Allen's Stardust Memories, and Spike Jonze's El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-27989301629543764082010-02-02T18:03:00.000-08:002010-02-02T18:04:28.507-08:00IL DIVOIl Divo is a biographical film on Giulio Andreotti, an Italian politician of the Democrazia Cristian (Christian Democrat Party) who first joined Parliament in 1946, has served in different positions over the years, and still remains a tenured Senator for Life since 1991. After a montage of assassinations involving "politicians, journalists, judges and bankes - all connected to the Vatican, the El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-23642048168852047722010-01-31T01:16:00.000-08:002010-01-31T01:23:42.703-08:00A TOWN CALLED PANIC (2009)I watched A Town Called Panic with no idea what I was in for. I had forgotten the description I read a couple of months ago that made me curious, other than a vague recollection that it was animated. I was bowled over as Belgian creators Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar's unfettered imagination and creativity unfolded before me for 75 minutes.The residents in Panic, which were first seen in El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-69979028844563429172010-01-24T18:06:00.000-08:002010-01-24T22:27:20.638-08:00You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (1985) - Remastered Deluxe EditionYou're A Good Man, Charlie Brown is not your typical Peanuts special. Rather than being written by the strip’s creator Charles Schulz, this is an adaptation of Clark Gesner's musical of the same name. After getting permission from Schulz, Gesner created a concept album of songs based on the characters that he later developed into an off-Broadway musical in 1967. The show was a success and wentEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-90272734108919316112010-01-21T17:06:00.000-08:002010-01-21T17:31:08.003-08:00The Pee-wee Herman Show - 1/16/10 (Late Show)Paul Reubens brings his famous character Pee-wee Herman back to his origins as The Pee-wee Herman Show returns to the stage after 30 years. Reubens first began working on Pee-wee back in the 1970s when he was a member of the Los Angeles improv group The Groundlings. In 1980, the show was developed, and it became an HBO special the following year. The 2010 version presents the same basic story El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-51655204771624277042010-01-20T15:35:00.000-08:002010-01-20T15:42:05.600-08:00PBS Announces Upcoming Programming at TCA Winter 2010 Press TourAfter a video presentation that emphasized “Where the Arts Live,” PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger opened the day to discuss the direction of the network. The three priorities are news and public affairs, children’s programming, and the arts. Without citing examples, she stated a concern about other networks being lax in regards to their education programming. She also revealed changes at theEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-14661912015114368012010-01-20T14:56:00.000-08:002010-01-20T15:35:33.492-08:00Various Artists - Live From Bonnaroo 2009For those who couldn't attend the festival and for those who did but were having so much fun they either couldn't see everything or can't remember what they saw, Live From Bonnaroo 2009 is now available on DVD. It opens with a great but all-too-brief 30-second montage of festival sights. The artists are then presented randomly. First up is multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird and his band playingEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-39968061454652852852010-01-11T02:31:00.000-08:002010-01-11T02:35:40.672-08:00Under The Neon Sky: A Las Vegas Doorman's Story by Jay RankinAuthor Jay Rankin has self-published his memoir of the six years he worked as a doorman at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. His employment began when the hotel casino opened in 1993. At that time it was considered the largest hotel in the world and corporations had long replaced the mob. Naturally, he has stories to tell as the exploits of many of the visitors and a few of the residents reinforce the El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-52342580045188581872010-01-04T00:08:00.000-08:002010-01-04T00:09:30.131-08:00(500) DAYS OF SUMMER (Blu-ray)According to (500) Days of Summer, Henry Miller is attributed with the advice that "the best way to get over a woman is to turn her into literature.” Scott Neustadter updated that sentiment, and with friend/co-screenwriter Michael H. Weber along with obvious influences from Woody Allen's Annie Hall, worked through a previous relationship by creating the year’s best film about love.Right at the El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-36414517911479022672009-12-30T17:37:00.000-08:002009-12-30T19:15:52.396-08:00Super Friends! - Season One, Volume OneCollectors and completists will be happy to learn season one of Super Friends is going to be released on DVD. "Volume One" includes the first eight episodes that premiered Saturday mornings on ABC in 1973. A take-off of the comic book Justice League of America, Hanna-Barbera's Super Friends features an all-star team of DC Comics heroes: Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman. Each El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-34889007727054180312009-12-28T19:50:00.000-08:002009-12-28T19:51:10.447-08:00THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUSTerry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” is filled with stunning visuals, an element his work has consistently delivered whether as an animator or director. Unfortunately, the story, co-written by Charles McKeown, stumbles around because it is weighted down trying to do so much.Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) leads a traveling troupe through the streets of London, offering trips El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-40150864393360787722009-12-28T01:07:00.000-08:002009-12-28T01:10:23.672-08:00Taxi - The Final SeasonTaxi is a very funny situation comedy that tells the exploits of the employees of the Sunshine Cab Company. The main characters are cab drivers Alex Rieger (Judd Hirsch), Elaine Nardo (Marilu Henner), Tony Banta (Tony Danza), and Jim Ignatowski (Christopher Lloyd), mechanic Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman) and his wife Simka (Carol Kane), and dispatcher Louie De Palma (Danny DeVito). After ABC El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-30639715575070974642009-12-27T19:29:00.000-08:002009-12-27T19:41:49.417-08:00The Fugitive - Season Three, Volume TwoFugitive fans can now complete season three, which won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Dramatic Series, as Volume Two presents the last 15 episodes on a four-disc set. For those who don't know what the series is about, narrator William Conrad said it best: The Fugitive, a QM Production, starring David Janssen as Dr. Richard Kimble, an innocent victim of blind justice, falsely convicted for the El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-2283956313338983672009-12-24T16:55:00.000-08:002009-12-24T16:56:37.334-08:00SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009)When I first saw the trailer, I was not enthused. I have not been a fan of Guy Ritchie's directorial style and it looked like the film would be dismissing Holmes' mental prowess in an effort to turn him into an action hero. Thankfully, my deductions proved incorrect, as Ritchie has created his best film to date and Robert Downey Jr. turns in yet again an impressive, and no doubt El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-22891416334281343082009-12-24T02:14:00.000-08:002009-12-24T02:15:11.011-08:00Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai by Stan SakaiTo celebrate the 25th anniversary of his Usagi Yojimbo character, author/illustrator Stan Sakai, winner of multiple comic book industry awards, has created Yokai, a hardcover graphic novel that tells an original, stand-alone adventure paired with painted watercolor panels. For the uninitiated, like myself, the Usagi Yojimbo website explains the series "is set in the beginning of Edo period FeudalEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-14364240438366317452009-12-23T14:36:00.000-08:002009-12-23T14:37:42.842-08:00Life on Mars: Series 2 (UK)The second and final series continues with Sam Tyler (John Simm) trapped in 1973 after being hit by a car in 2006 and answers the question he asks in the opening credits, "Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time?" Although there is some minor misdirection along the way, the creators tip their hand throughout, but the resolution of the series is ultimately unsatisfying.During the second series, LifeEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-14897508566209365122009-12-22T00:48:00.000-08:002009-12-22T00:49:13.919-08:00Christmas Classics By The FireThe holiday tradition of listening to Christmas music by the fireplace has never been easier, safer, or eco-friendlier thanks to Capitol Records and their new release, Christmas Classics By The Fireplace. For sixty-one minutes, the DVD presents a wonderful mix of 23 classic holiday songs, both secular and religious, sung by the likes of traditional pop and jazz singers such as Nat King Cole, El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-56222514039282950512009-12-15T23:29:00.000-08:002009-12-15T23:33:13.422-08:00Carlos Santana Presents: Blues at Montreux 2004 (Blu-ray)Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Carlos Santana never seems to bask in his own talents. Instead, he frequently honors his influences like Jimi Hendrix and John Coltrane. In July 2004, at the Montreux Jazz Festival he presented a trio of his favorite bluesman and together they create a fabulous series of concerts. Backed by a five-piece band, 67-year-old guitarist Bobby Parker is first up El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-56093699466667752822009-12-14T18:14:00.000-08:002009-12-14T18:30:13.280-08:00The Golden Age of Television (The Criterion Collection)What most people remember from Federal Communications Commission chairman Newton N. Minow's "Television and the Public Interest" speech given on May 9, 1961 is that he called television "a vast wasteland." However, what is seldom recalled is he started his speech by saying, "When television is good, nothing — not the theater, not the magazines or newspapers — nothing is better." Proof of his El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-32297359338069461802009-12-14T01:22:00.000-08:002009-12-14T01:26:39.676-08:00Rome - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)Created by William J. MacDonald, John Milius, and Bruno Heller, who served as executive producer and head writer, Rome was an American-British-Italian joint venture television drama that aired in the United States on HBO. It ran for two seasons from 2005 to 2007, but high production costs made the series unsustainable. The first season begins in 52 B.C. with Julius Caesar (Ciarán Hinds) and his El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-19323611248531440382009-12-06T23:16:00.000-08:002009-12-06T23:21:13.464-08:00Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Live (DVD/CD)Compiled from three European shows (Berlin, Dublin and Glasgow) over the course of six weeks in Autumn 2007, Live presents Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in support of Baby 81. The alternative rock trio of guitarist Peter Hayes, bassist Robert Been, and now former drummer Nick Jago deliver a smokin', two-hour-plus, 22-song set filled with fuzzed-out garage rockers covering their entire discography El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-26377370266495214802009-12-06T00:49:00.000-08:002009-12-06T00:56:54.806-08:00The Raveonettes - In and Out of ControlThe Raveonettes, Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo, are back with their fourth album. Produced by Thomas Troelsen, who co-wrote seven of the eleven songs, the band briefly transports the listener over the course of 38 minutes with tunes made timeless by their influences.As they normally do, The Raveonettes' songs are wildly incongruous. The music, although arranged with a great deal of noise, is El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-62955399934528669242009-12-05T23:20:00.000-08:002009-12-05T23:28:11.438-08:00BRUNO (2009) (Blu-ray)Following up Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen returned to shock and awe audiences with his outrageous character Brüno, an übergay Austrian fashionista. The film satirizes celebrity and homophobia as it documents Brüno's attempts to become famous and was previously reviewed.Upon a second viewing, Brüno still offers plenty laughs, although certainly less are derived from being utterly stunned by what is El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-5398036684773837462009-12-05T12:24:00.000-08:002009-12-05T12:25:06.047-08:00Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell: The Original TourRaiding the Rockpalast archives once again, Eagle Vision presents Meat Loaf live from Frankfurt Germany, June 1978, in support of the classic Bat Out Of Hell, an epic album of love songs, both ballads and rockers filled with theatrical emotion reflecting the teenage characters of the stories being told.Jim Steinman, the album's songwriter and referred to by Meat Loaf as his partner, plays El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-11644777315545273502009-12-02T19:26:00.000-08:002009-12-02T19:33:31.797-08:00Rock and Roll Hall of Fame LiveWhile it’s easy to hold contempt and disdain towards the corporate exclusivity that is so antithetical to what rock 'n' roll is all about, it's difficult not to be envious seeing the roster of guests who perform at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies. Over the years, some of the events have been broadcast, and now Time Life allows you to bring the party home with this fantastic El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-18983171699175152312009-11-28T13:15:00.000-08:002009-11-28T13:21:37.460-08:00Don't Panic: Douglas Adams & The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Neil GaimanTying in with the release of Eoin Colfer's And Another Thing…, the sixth book in the ever-expanding and prematurely designated The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy and the first not written by Douglas Adams, as well as the 30th anniversary of the first The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy novel, which was written by Adams, comes the newly updated Don't Panic: Douglas Adams & The El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-87533604234829000702009-11-26T14:01:00.000-08:002009-11-26T14:04:28.406-08:00Relix, the Book: The Grateful Dead Experience Compiled by Toni BrownWhile it will only be of interest to Deadheads and like-minded folk, Relix, the Book is an impressive testament to the devotion and community created by fans of the Grateful Dead. Their relationship with the band, the music, and each other helped create a different business model many new bands now use.Because of the Grateful Dead's acceptance and encouragement of not-for-profit bootleggers, LesEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-43780313733368649292009-11-26T01:41:00.000-08:002009-11-26T01:45:50.585-08:00RED CLIFF (2009)John Woo's Red Cliff was originally released in two feature-length parts in Asia, but comes to the west as one film. Although this new version loses about half the combined material, in its current form it is a triumph of epic filmmaking, rivaling the scale and scope of work by directors David Lean and Akira Kurosawa as it tells the story of the Battle of Red Cliffs which contributed to the end El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-7702960916669472922009-11-24T17:21:00.000-08:002009-11-24T18:46:04.553-08:00Justice League – The Complete SeriesFollowing previous DVDs of Cartoon Network's Justice League and Justice League Unlimited that offered a few shows and entire seasons, fans can now revel in all 91 episodes with the release of Justice League – The Complete Series. These aren't your daddy's Super Friends where congenial heroes dealt with easily resolved conflicts and infrequently fought supervillians in programs geared towards El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-83244493134642251062009-11-22T21:27:00.000-08:002009-11-23T19:38:29.566-08:00John Coltrane - Side StepsFollowing Fearless Leader and Interplay, Side Steps completes Prestige Records planned three boxed-set series focusing on tenor saxophonist John Coltrane. The work and artistry on display by many talented musicians over the five discs in the set are taken from recording sessions Trane worked as a sideman, occurring between 5/7/56 through 1/3/58.The music, much of it hard bop, has all been El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-50569450690784631082009-11-20T20:02:00.000-08:002009-11-20T20:26:30.471-08:00Up (2009) (Blu-ray)Led by director/co-writer Pete Docter, the Pixar team have once again revealed why they are a brand you can trust for quality entertainment. Up is a wondrous film of adventure filled with compelling characters and an engaging, multifaceted story. The Blu-ray does a fantastic job bringing the experience home.Up opens and we meet two children, Carl and Ellie. They quickly bond over a shared El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-89439973863162315212009-11-19T21:02:00.000-08:002009-11-22T15:45:44.596-08:00Walt Disney Treasures - Zorro: The Complete First & Second SeasonCreated by Johnston McCulley, the character of Zorro, the swashbuckling swordsman of Spanish colonial California, first appeared in All-Story Weekly in 1919. Douglas Fairbanks starred in the first film adaptation The Mark of Zorro (1920), which was such a huge hit it compelled McCulley to write over 60 Zorro stories. Zorro appeared in other films and comics, and according to Leonard Maltin who El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-75534055728634494082009-11-16T23:21:00.000-08:002009-11-16T23:44:45.707-08:00The Venture Bros.: 3rd Season (Blu-ray)As the impending idiocracy approaches, it becomes harder to differentiate between those who have already succumbed, and those who hasten its arrival because it’s an easy way to make a buck and gain a little notoriety.Both groups create “decade in review” pieces a year early, but the sell-outs who know better reveal themselves through admittedly wise selections. A surefire way to spot one is if El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-5390036585439927422009-11-16T14:47:00.000-08:002009-11-16T14:52:55.519-08:00Monty Python: Almost The Truth - The Lawyer's Cut (Blu-ray)In celebration of their fortieth anniversary, the members of Monty Python, five living and one who has “expired and gone to meet 'is maker,” have once again been gathered together, separately, to tell the group’s history through a series of interviews and archival footage in Almost The Truth, a six-part documentary that aired on IFC. Also, on hand on are contemporaries, comedians influenced by El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-1698370077071925722009-11-11T17:19:00.000-08:002009-11-11T17:30:01.785-08:00Blackadder Remastered - The Ultimate EditionBlackadder is a historical and at times hysterical 1980s British sitcom, focusing on the exploits of different members (all played by Rowan Atkinson) of the Blackadder lineage throughout history. “The Ultimate Edition” is the third DVD release of the entire series. The episodes look very good after having been remastered, and the set contains almost every related item a Blackadder fan could El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-87430723224742447302009-11-09T21:28:00.000-08:002009-11-09T21:33:59.132-08:00The Fugitive - Season Three, Volume OneThe third season of The Fugitive continues the adventures of Dr. Richard Kimble (David Janssen), a man falsely charged with killing his wife. He roams the country, taking on different aliases and odd jobs in an effort to stay away from the law, particularly the dogged Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse), and in the hopes of finding the real murderer, the one-armed man. "Volume One” is a four-disc set El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-58968087121247837192009-11-08T13:02:00.000-08:002009-11-08T13:03:28.447-08:00Fawlty Towers - The Complete Collection RemasteredWritten by and starring Monty Python’s John Cleese and his wife Connie Booth, who became his ex-wife before the second series aired, Fawlty Towers is quite possibly the funniest sitcom episode for episode. The main reason being the quality of the scripts, which the two spent weeks plotting, writing, and revising in order to perfect them.Set in the English seaside town of Torquay, Cleese plays El Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6089554.post-64342405125145207572009-11-06T20:43:00.001-08:002009-11-06T20:43:35.907-08:00ZZ Top - Double Down LiveWhile not listed as an official commemoration of their 40th anniversary, Double Down Live celebrates ZZ Top and makes clear why their blues-based rock has been such an enduring success over the decades. Considering the unpredictable nature of the music business and many of its practitioners, it’s very impressive that founding members guitarist Billy Gibbons, bassist Dusty Hill, and drummer FrankEl Bichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040141122079296388noreply@blogger.com0