Top 10 DVDs of 2005 (In Alphabetical Order)
THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASONThank you, Warner Brothers, for releasing this seminal TV superhero series with such lavish care. The audio commentary tracks (by so-called SUPERMAN experts) could have been better, but that’s the only black mark against this box set of 26 episodes and extras. 104 episodes were made, but the first year, lensed in crisp black-and-white in 1951, was the best. Under the tutelage of producer Robert Maxwell, the scripts fell into the rein of crime drama with gangsters, robbers and molls threatening the good people of Metropolis and no-nonsense Kryptonian Superman (superbly portrayed by George Reeves) knocking the bejeezus out of ‘em with a couple of right crosses.
Before later seasons became cutesy and sillier under new producer Whitney Ellsworth, the Maxwell episodes benefited from noirish cinematography, a slightly more mature approach to the comic-book material (more so than the National Periodicals comics of the period) and actress Phyllis Coates, the sexiest Lois Lane of all (and I’m a Teri Hatcher admirer). But no one would care about or even remember THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN today if not for George Reeves, a consummate professional who not only made you believe that the guy beneath the obviously padded costume was an invulnerable superhero, but also made his alter-ego, reporter Clark Kent, a full-blooded three-dimensional man who was as important to the show as its title character.
The Warners box set also benefits from its exceptional, colorful packaging and the inclusion of SUPERMAN AND THE MOLE-MEN, the first live-action Superman theatrical film that starred Reeves and Coates and was later split into a two-part episode.
THE CANDY SNATCHERSSubversive Cinema presents a major coup in cult cinema, the first-ever home video release of director Guerdon Trueblood’s 1973 sleazefest. This downbeat crime thriller is no less than one of the best and most disturbing drive-in flicks of the 1970's. From its witty theme song, "Love Is The Root Of All Happiness", to its daringly pessimistic final crane shot, THE CANDY SNATCHERS is full of story twists, amoral but well-developed characters, sex, violence, social commentary and good acting. It isn't a fast-moving, action-packed thriller, but I can‘t imagine anyone with an adult sensibility not becoming fully absorbed in writer Bryan Gindoff‘s taut story and fascinating characters.
Unfortunately, Subversive’s menus are among the worst I’ve ever seen, but the extras are pretty astounding, especially for such an obscure picture. The audio commentary featuring actresses Tiffany Bolling and Susan Sennett is a rare case of candor and honest human emotion being captured on a DVD extra, and you’d have to be pretty cold to not feel something for these women after hearing it.
CHALLENGE OF THE TIGER/FOR Y’UR HEIGHT ONLYA dwarf flying over the jungle with a jet pack strapped to his back. Topless women playing tennis in slow motion. A kung-fu brawl against a charging bull. Whenever you think you’ve seen everything film can offer, something like Mondo Macabro’s DVD release of FOR YOUR HEIGHT ONLY and CHALLENGE OF THE TIGER comes along, leaving you with your mouth open and your faith in humanity restored.
FOR Y’UR HEIGHT ONLY, a cheapo Filipino movie with 2’9” “actor” Weng Weng as a karate-kicking, nut-crunching, chick-loving super spy, and CHALLENGE OF THE TIGER, wild Hong Kong chopsocky with Bruce Le and Richard Harrison as CIA agents, are two of the most memorable movies I’ll ever see. And here they are together on one DVD. With CHALLENGE OF THE TIGER in a beautiful 2.35 print even! I can never get tired of these two.
DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY/RACE WITH THE DEVILAnchor Bay went the extra mile with these seminal ‘70s car-chase thrillers, both starring Peter Fonda at the peak of his fame as a drive-in icon. Both offer terrific-looking prints and cleaned-up audio, as well as informative audio commentaries, documentaries, trailers, etc. While RACE WITH THE DEVIL has its share of entertaining moments, DIRTY MARY is terrific entertainment with jaw-dropping stuntwork at a danger level you’re unlikely to see in today’s Hollywood.
THE FLESH EATERSThis is the Retromedia disc that was scrapped after it was learned that a rival DVD company actually owned the rights to the film. I believe only about fifty of them were ever pressed, making it a real collector’s item, I presume. It’s a decent letterboxed release of a grim, gritty independent horror picture that takes an unexpected turn into science fiction in its final reels. The DVD’s real treat is its audio commentary by FLESH EATERS writer Arnold Drake, historian Tom Weaver and Retromedia’s Fred Olen Ray, an informative, entertaining examination of one of the 1960’s oddest genre outings.
THE GREATEST AMERICAN HEROI can’t believe I now own every episode of one of my all-time favorite TV series. Anchor Bay put out all three seasons of this eccentric ‘80s Stephen J. Cannell production, which benefited from warm, likable performances by its stars: William Katt, Connie Sellecca and Robert Culp. With Katt playing a reluctant superhero learning to use his powers while forced into an unlikely partnership with gung-ho FBI agent Culp, the show’s simplistic plots were merely clotheslines on which to hang Cannell’s trademark flip dialogue and appealing group interactions. The special effects don’t hold up today, but they didn’t look good in 1981 either. That’s not what this show is about. Katt has never been better, Sellecca certainly never again got a part this good, and it’s a testament to Culp’s great talent and longevity that this is just one of his well-remembered character parts.
KING KONGNot only is this 1933 adventure one of the best movies (forget monster movies) ever made, Warners’ 2-disc set also contains an enormously entertaining making-of docu that runs more than two and a half hours…and never drags. That’s just one of the many extras that makes this disc, the first time KING KONG has ever been released on DVD, an essential one for fantasy film fans.
KING KONG VS. GODZILLA/KING KONG ESCAPESOn the other hand, I found these Toho productions to be nearly as entertaining…in their own way. Universal put this 2-pack out in appealing, colorful 2.35:1 prints that will have you cheering, giggling and having a great time, especially if you’re watching them with a group of good friends. The only thing better than a giant monkey fighting a giant dinosaur is a giant monkey fighting a giant robot double. The lovely Mie Hama appears in both movies, as if they weren’t already irresistible.
MATANGO/THE MYSTERIANSMedia Blasters released several Japanese science fiction/horror movies in 2005. I only saw these two, which were definite eye-openers for me. MATANGO is a low-key horror thriller that relies on mood and atmosphere, rather than monsters, to achieve suspense. Don't let the silly monster suits keep you away from this Gothic chiller, which relies on complex characterizations and story turns, as well as remarkable, colorful production design, to create a feeling of paranoia and terror. THE MYSTERIANS offers a giant robot and invading aliens in a fast-moving, colorful collection of setpieces and space battles that blows away the memories I have of seeing pan-and-scan TV prints as a kid.
THE TWILIGHT ZONE: DEFINITIVE EDITION (SEASONS 2-5)This might be the finest complete TV-series collection ever on DVD. Not only has every episode of one of TV’s greatest genre shows been presented in pristine-looking prints, but nearly every episode has at least one related extra, be it an audio commentary by one of the original stars or filmmakers, a radio adaptation or an isolated score. These four boxes (Season One came out in 2004) represent an important artifact in American pop-culture history. Image really jacked up the retail price on these sets, but it’s difficult to argue that they aren’t worth it.
Honorable Mention:
T.J. HOOKER: THE 1ST AND 2ND SEASONSOK, it’s schlock, but as a rabid William Shatner fan, how can I ignore the release of Bill’s iconic ‘80s TV crime drama? How could I have ever predicted that I’d be able to see Bill in blue riding on the hoods of speeding cars, taking down bad guys using sweet karate skills, flirting with bikini-clad women half his age, or talking smack to his tight-panted partner Adrian Zmed on crystal-clear digital prints?
Posted by Marty
at 1:38 AM CST