GOZU (Takashi Miike); DVD
Surreal DVD (2003)
Takashi Miike's stark, "Yakuza Horror Theatre" presentation Gozu (2003) is an infernal cinematic nightmare of fear and anxiety, played out within a sepia-toned subterranean underworld abstracted to the point of outright parody. Like many of the director's more personal and idiosyncratic pictures, the plot is largely secondary to the uncomfortable atmosphere and wild sense of spectacle presented on screen, as Miike constructs an absurd and enigmatic story of a loyal Yakuza henchman struggling with issues of homosexuality, guilt and desire when he is required by his boss to "dispose" of his mentally unstable brother in arms. This incredibly personal and moral dilemma - in which the central character must juggle the greater notions of loyalty to his boss and the loyalty to his best-friend and mentor-like figure that he's obviously quite attracted to - creates a rift within the world of the film that plunges the whole story into suffocating surrealism, horror and the absurd.
PADRE PADRONE (1977); DVD
DVD 'Arrow Flims', New
Padre Pardone is simply a masterpiece film, by the Taviani brothers. It tells the story of the coming of age of a young illiterate shepherd who is confronted by the tyranny of his father and the inevitable rebellion that happens when the child becomes a man. This movie which tells the true story of the writer Gavino Ledda has a somewhat universal vibe. The relation between father and son is based on love, authority and violence. More then just a family portrait, Padre Padrone is about society. A story about changes and conflict between generations and mentalities. The movie has some incredibly powerful scenes. The score is composed mainly of traditional Sardinian music, and the Sardinian score is heartbreaking, just like the movie....
HE-MAN AND SHE-RA, A CHRISTMAS SPECIAL (1985); DVD
DVD, New
In this special Christmas episode of the He-Man and She-Ra cartoons, their sidekick Orko accidentally gets beamed to Earth during a test of a new spy satellite. Orko manages to get back Planet Eternia, but brings along two Earth children, Alisha and Manuel, with him. Since it's Christmastime on Earth, the kids are naturally filled with the holiday spirit, but this overflowing goodwill attracts the unwelcome attention of the Horde Prime and Skeletor. Will the combined power of He-Man, She-Ra and the spirit of Christmas be enough to stop them?
SEYTAN; Turkish "Exorcist" remake (1974) DVD
'Turksploitation' DVD, NEW
'Seytan' is almost an exact remake of William Friedkin's "The Exorcist". The only small differences are the special effects, acting, staging, editing, lighting, filming, directing, budget etc. Oh, and instead of using the Christian Bible they use the Qur'an. There is a classic Turkish 'remake-sploitation' scene where the possessed girl sits on her bed and twists her head 360 degrees. Certainly one of the top 5 "Turksploitation" films for sure, (Along with ET, Star Wars, Superman...). The wonderful thing is that they kept the original soundtrack, including Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells....
FAUST Jan Svankmajer; DVD
Surrealist DVD (1994), New
"Faust" is a wonderful blend of real-time and stop-motion storytelling by a master of the surreal. An apparently ordinary everyman is led by curiosity into a dilapidated building which turns out to be a strange blend of alchemical laboratory, theater, and puppeteer's workshop. Suddenly, the man finds himself becoming the legendary Dr. Faust, selling his soul to the devil in exchange for magical powers. Jan Svankmajer is the true sorcerer here. He blends stage sets with real locations and seven-foot puppets with live actors, making magic of it all. Powerful, surreal, and more intelligent than any animation anywhere.
REPO MAN (1984); DVD
DVD, Rated R, New
Repo Man is one of those essential films in the catalogue of must see punk movies. It's essentially a punk science fiction movie and also a completely warped movie. If you like punk culture movies, this is definitely one to try out. Plus, you get a slamming soundtrack with songs performed by the Stooges, Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies and the Circle Jerks. The Circle Jerks also appear as the lounge act in the bar. "Repo Man" may be known as a cult movie, but it deserves more recognition than that. Aside from being a window into the early-'80s punk culture, it shows the disintegration of American society. Alex Cox created a real gem here. Estevez is perfect in his role, as are Harry Dean Stanton as a detective, and Tracey Walter as the strange car's driver.
ZARDOZ (1974); DVD
DVD (1974) cult sci-fi, New
ZARDOZ is a 70's cult, cheesy, sci-fi, psychedelic, dystopian fantasy with plenty of philosophical gobbledygook. Mix some semi-naked babes, an embarrassed looking pony-tailed Sean Connery, and by the look of it, mixes in a bucket full of psychotropics, and hey presto! you end up with a movie like no other before or since! It's weird and brilliant.....
THE SAVAGE PLANET (1973); DVD
DVD Surreal Animation, New
This is a surrealist French animation from the 70s, and that's pretty much the sum-up of its description: Surreal, 70s, and French. Animations like this are quite rare, not only is it completely psychedelic, the intent was political in nature, though by these days the movie has toned down a bit. It is in fact a really pretty animation because of its use of colors and design, which for me is a lot more interesting than its historical value. For fans of animation of different types, it's a must see, but also for those who crave the underground psychedelic aspects of the 70s era.
THE COLOUR OF POMEGRANATES (Special Edition) DVD
DVD; Surreal (Sergei Paradjanov) 1969
Sergei Paradjanov's celebrated, dreamlike masterpiece paints an astonishing portrait of the 18th century Armenian poet Sayat Nova, the 'King of Song'. Paradjanov's aim was not a conventional biography but a cinematic expression of his work, resulting in an extraordinary visual poem. Key moments in his subject's life are illustrated through a series of exquisitely orchestrated tableaux filled with rich colour and stunning iconography, each scene a celluloid painting alive with sylised movement. One of cinema's most revered and beautiful films, The Colour of Pomegranates is a unique and rewarding experience that haunts the memory long after viewing... Extensive Bonus Features: Introduction by writer and filmmaker Daniel Bird; 'The World Is A Window: Making The Colour of Pomegranates' - a new documentary by Daniel Bird; Memories of Sayat Nova; Commentary by Levon Abrahamyan moderated by Daniel Bird; New improved subtitles.
WINDOWLICKER (2014); DVD
DVD, Independent release (2014)
WiNdOw LiCkEr focuses on the journey of Ben Wild, into a new form of insanity, that no man has ever experienced before. Through addiction to prescription drugs, reality television, video games, & cam girls, can Ben Wild get to the root of himself? Ever watched a film so bizarre that you thought you might have been on drugs while watching it? That’s how you feel when watching Brian McGuire’s latest WINDOW LICKER, but don’t worry, if you do not feel like that by the end then you really did not get the film at all.
MEET THE FEEBLES (1989) Peter Jackson; DVD
DVD; New
Cool puppetry and a whacked out plot make this New Zealand effort on par with some of the best cult films today. There are animals of all shapes, sizes, colors, and ethnicities; some are into money, others are into dancing, and then there are others who are into porn, coke, and feces. This film is rude, gross, demented, and hilarious. Peter Jackson's pre Hollywood glory days....ordinary people just don't make films this warped. Unfortunately, we will never see films of this quality from Peter Jackson again.
NEKROMANTIK 2 (Jorg Buttgereit) 1991; DVD
Limited Edition 2 disc box set (Barrel entertainment), New
This is quite a beautiful course of death, and I should like to think that those who became enamored of Nekromantik,also here should find a maggoty morsel or two, to satiate their rotten pallets. I certainly did. Necrophilia has no favorites, and this time around, the haunts are reserved for the ladies. And who ever said that a corpse is worse off in the tender and dismembering hands of a woman, than in a mans'? This destructive little thing tells the tale of Monika, a nurse, whose greatest wish when coming home,after caring for her patients, is to have an absolutely still and passive face to greet her lovingly. And what better cadaverous candidate, than good old Rob whose been nursing coffin-boards for the last five years? A beautiful relationship soon evolves, and in the loving hands of Monika, Rob soon learns how to part with those tiresome appendages one calls legs, arms and head. While I find the end sequence in Nekromantik rewarding and special, nothing had prepared me for the end sequence in Nekromantik 2. The first time I saw it, it blew me away. Even if you are a seasoned gore-hound, I can almost guarantee you that you have never seen an ending as bloody and bizarre as this! Fucking excellent! And of course the musical score is brilliant....
