Best DVD releases of 2008 by Mike White
Mike White is proprietor of Impossible Funky and author of the upcoming book due out this Fall from Atomic Books called Impossible Funky: A Cashiers du Cinemart Collection. Check out Mike's zine, Cashiers du Cinemart too.
1. ECLIPSE SERIES 9: THE DELIRIOUS FICTIONS OF WILLIAM KLEIN
Not fair, I know. This is a collection, not a single disc. But, if you need me to narrow it down, this set is most remarkable for Klein's jingoistic superhero parody Mr. Freedom. Right Wing reactionary politics gets a black eye in this red, white, and blue tale of rootin' tootin' Mr. Freedom and his goal to liberate the French.
2. THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR
There's something seedy going on under the surface of Billy Wilder's mistaken identity comedy. Ginger Rogers wipes off her war paint and fools a myopic military man, played by Ray Milland. Pedophilia has never looked as good.
3. THE CAR
Satan hits the road in a tear-ass Lincoln that kills hitchhikers, bicyclists, and hippies. It's tough not to cheer on the dark overlord in his sweet ride.
4. PRIVILEGE
Peter Waktin's buried treasure; this flick was moldering in the Universal film vault for far too long. Still packing a punch, Privilege tells the tale of a rock star who is held aloft as the world's savior. Could fame ever be so wrong?
5. LE DOULOS
One of a pair of Jean-Pierre Melville films to get its time in the sun in 2009, Le Doulos captures the master at his best. Double and triple crosses along with the cool underworld flavor make Le Doulos a treat for crime film lovers.
6. BRAND UPON THE BRAIN
A gothic tale of orphans, misdirected love, and Guy Maddin; this manic black & white masterpiece shows Maddin's skewed cinema at its best.
7. IRON MAN
The only film of 2009 that I'd willingly sit through more than once, Iron Man was the perfect comeback vehicle for Robert Downey Jr. Now, don't fuck it up, Robert!
8. KILER
A goofy Polish crime comedy from 1997, this takes the usual mistaken identity plot to some funny extremes.
9. THE ANDERSON TAPES
I've spent many an afternoon watching this off-beat heist film. A terrific cast complements the taut tale that would later inspire The Inside Man.
10. WHITE DOG
One of many Samuel Fuller films that never got a proper video/DVD release, White Dog is a strange blend of Fuller's social commentary with the thriller genre. And Burl Ives's presence doesn't hurt, either!
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Over the next several weeks, we will be regularly posting Year End Wrap Up lists from our friends, readers, and regular Shank contributors. So please stay tuned...
Mike White is proprietor of Impossible Funky and author of the upcoming book due out this Fall from Atomic Books called Impossible Funky: A Cashiers du Cinemart Collection. Check out Mike's zine, Cashiers du Cinemart too.
1. ECLIPSE SERIES 9: THE DELIRIOUS FICTIONS OF WILLIAM KLEIN
Not fair, I know. This is a collection, not a single disc. But, if you need me to narrow it down, this set is most remarkable for Klein's jingoistic superhero parody Mr. Freedom. Right Wing reactionary politics gets a black eye in this red, white, and blue tale of rootin' tootin' Mr. Freedom and his goal to liberate the French.
2. THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR
There's something seedy going on under the surface of Billy Wilder's mistaken identity comedy. Ginger Rogers wipes off her war paint and fools a myopic military man, played by Ray Milland. Pedophilia has never looked as good.
3. THE CAR
Satan hits the road in a tear-ass Lincoln that kills hitchhikers, bicyclists, and hippies. It's tough not to cheer on the dark overlord in his sweet ride.
4. PRIVILEGE
Peter Waktin's buried treasure; this flick was moldering in the Universal film vault for far too long. Still packing a punch, Privilege tells the tale of a rock star who is held aloft as the world's savior. Could fame ever be so wrong?
5. LE DOULOS
One of a pair of Jean-Pierre Melville films to get its time in the sun in 2009, Le Doulos captures the master at his best. Double and triple crosses along with the cool underworld flavor make Le Doulos a treat for crime film lovers.
6. BRAND UPON THE BRAIN
A gothic tale of orphans, misdirected love, and Guy Maddin; this manic black & white masterpiece shows Maddin's skewed cinema at its best.
7. IRON MAN
The only film of 2009 that I'd willingly sit through more than once, Iron Man was the perfect comeback vehicle for Robert Downey Jr. Now, don't fuck it up, Robert!
8. KILER
A goofy Polish crime comedy from 1997, this takes the usual mistaken identity plot to some funny extremes.
9. THE ANDERSON TAPES
I've spent many an afternoon watching this off-beat heist film. A terrific cast complements the taut tale that would later inspire The Inside Man.
10. WHITE DOG
One of many Samuel Fuller films that never got a proper video/DVD release, White Dog is a strange blend of Fuller's social commentary with the thriller genre. And Burl Ives's presence doesn't hurt, either!
_______________________________________
Over the next several weeks, we will be regularly posting Year End Wrap Up lists from our friends, readers, and regular Shank contributors. So please stay tuned...
I should have thought to include Privilege! But I like that our lists only overlapped once.
Posted by: Scott Wallace Brown | January 16, 2009 at 02:32 PM