by Carolina A. Miranda
by Carolina A. Miranda
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unranked
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(all time)
279.00
Created
12/21/07
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1
Dave Chappelle's Block Party
Part concert movie, part improvised comedy, this documentary takes two hackneyed genres and stirs them into something fresh. The film, ably directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), follows the comedian as he organizes a Brooklyn block party, to which he invites an unlikely bunch of locals from his hometown of Yellow Springs, Ohio. The musical performances—by Kanye West, Jill Scott and a reunited Fugees, among others—are stellar, but it's Chapelle's impromptu riffing with ordinary folk that give the movie its feel-good vibe. The disc's extras, which include two making-of documentaries, are as fun as the original film.
2
Tennessee Williams Film Collection
No American playwright covered lust, deceit and insanity with Williams' unblinking intensity. This six-film set includes classics such as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Night of the Iguana. The standout, however, is the Elia Kazan-directed A Streetcar Named Desire, which features a smoldering Marlon Brando in his pivotal role as the brutish Stanley Kowalski. The disc's extras—which include a documentary about Kazan by TIME critic Richard Schickel, in addition to an intriguing look at how the film survived the era's censors—are also worthwhile. As a whole, the collection, even by today's jaded standards, makes for plenty of gritty viewing.
3
Little Miss Sunshine
The Hoover family epitomizes indie-film dysfunction. Dad is a gasbag. Mom is perennially put-upon. Grandpa snorts drugs and advises his Nietzsche-reading teenage grandson to sleep with as many girls as possible. There's a hapless houseguest, too: a suicidal uncle. At the center of this maelstrom is Olive, a guileless seven-year-old beauty-queen wannabe who doesn't stand a chance at the film's namesake pageant. But the movie isn't just an assemblage of quirks. Amid the arguing, the Hoovers manage to pull together in surprising and funny ways. The film's high point is a closing dance sequence that can easily compete with Napoleon Dynamite in the annals of unlikely stage revues.
4
Who Gets to Call it Art?
This underrated documentary is a romp through the art scene of the '60s—when acclaimed artists such as James Rosenquist and Frank Stella were puttering around downtown Manhattan, scraping together loose change for canvas, paint and beer. Centered on the life of Henry Geldzahler, the adventurous Metropolitan Museum curator who championed the careers of Andy Warhol and his contemporaries, the film is a fascinating look at the birth of modern American art. The disc is a trove of rare footage, insightful interviews and loads of worthwhile extras, including video of a Claes Oldenburg film starring the keen Geldzahler himself.
5
Saturday Night Live: The Complete First Season
The line-up is by now legendary: John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, et al. The punch lines have been oft-repeated:
6
Weeds: Season 1
Of the various television series devoted to suburban dystopia, Weeds is perhaps the most incisive at revealing what bubbles behind the closed doors of America's identical suburban homes. (A lot of bongs, it turns out.) Starring Mary-Louise Parker as Nancy Botwin, a morally ambiguous soccer mom-cum-pot-dealer, the show goes beyond the obvious gags about marijuana in the 'burbs. Weeds is about a woman who is struggling to hold herself and her family together in a community where the illusion of doing well is much more important than the real thing. It is this quality, ultimately, that keeps the program so addictive.
7
My Neighbor Totoro
Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki has a knack for inducing wonder in children and adults. In this movie, two curious sisters (voiced by Dakota Fanning and her younger sister Elle) move to the country to be closer to their ailing mother who is hospitalized nearby. At the new house, the siblings meet a cast of unusual forest sprites—including a giant bunny-like creature named Totoro—who lead them on several incredible adventures. Miyazaki's genius lies in seamlessly mixing characters that feel wholly human with peculiar and fantastical apparitions. The end result is a tripped-out daydream that feels like a refreshing blast of innocence.
8
Elizabeth I
For those with a weakness for soap operas, nothing delivers like a TV miniseries on the British royals. Elizabeth I centers on the Virgin Queen's private life during the latter part of her reign, casting her as a shrewd head of state who struggles mightily with her romantic longings. Helen Mirren channels the monarch's every strength and insecurity, while Jeremy Irons makes for a super smooth Earl of Leicester. The story is familiar—girl wants boy she can't have—but the opulent sets and costumes along with Mirren's deft portrayal make this installation of palace intrigue totally engrossing.
9
BBC Atlas of the Natural World
This is a nature show as the documentary gods intended. No gimmicks. No snake wrestling. The BBC's six-disc set, covering the Americas and Antarctica, is just a marvel of sumptuous footage. The most notable of the bunch is Life in the Freezer, a three-hour special on Antarctica that is presented in stately fashion by David Attenborough. Three years in the making, it tells a compelling visual story about life in one of the most inhospitable regions on earth. As a whole, the series—which clocks in at a whopping 17 hours—beautifully captures nature's cruelty and splendor.
10
The Star Wars Trilogy: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Retu
DVD extras are usually a stale gathering of director commentaries and narcolepsy-inducing documentaries. Rarely is there reason to buy a disc just for the extras. Until now. George Lucas has finally gotten around to putting the first three Star Wars films on DVD in their entire campy, 1970s theatrical splendor. Granted, these original versions are extras. You'll still have to buy the New Coke version of the films to get the classics. But for diehard fans that have yearned to watch Star Wars without any dopey digital additions, the force is finally with us.
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