DVD Rundown

Here are today's new releases:


Dawn of the Dead-2004 (R)
Starring: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, and Mekhi Phifer
Director: Zack Snyder

I'm a bit cautious of this flick because the original Dawn of the Dead (1978) was far and away my favorite of the Zombie genre. The fact is that this film makes a cutting statement about our consumer-driven society while offering a some laughs and a little bit of horror in the process. It possesses a depth that few horror movies ever achieve. I've watched the original on late night CATV so many times I've lost count. Give it a MATINEE rating. On the other hand, I've yet to see this remake but I do look forward to watching it tonight!


Dr. Strangelove (PG)
Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, and Slim Pickens
Director: Stanley Kubrick

Contrary to popular pretentious belief, in my humble opinion, this is Stanley Kubrick's finest film. And the guy made some really incredible movies so that alone should say it all but this also happens to be Peter Seller's best film, too. What do you get when you two geniuses combine forces? You get a masterpiece that currently resides at number 36 on Bull Durham's All-Time List. The subtitle says it all: Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb. While Sellers commands the show in multiple roles, look for outstanding performances by George C. Scott and Slim Pickens. If you look really close you will also find James Earl Jones. Perhaps the oddest thing about this film is that it made its way to the screen the same year as did Fail Safe. Fail Safe is a straight-forward dramatic presentation of the same type of dilemma starring Henry Fonda, Larry Hagman, and Walter Matthau based on Harvey Wheeler's novel of the same name. Fail Safe is outstanding in its own right, though not as brilliant as Dr. Strangelove. Dr. Strangelove--HOT DATE; Fail Safe--MATINEE


The Thing-1982 (R)
Starring: Kurt Russell, A Wilford Brimley, and Richard Dysart
Director: John Carpenter

I don't have much to say about this remake of the horror classic. I only watched it once many years ago and obviously it didn't make much of an impression on me. CATV


21 Jump Street: The Complete First Season
Starring: Johnny Depp, Holly Robinson, and Peter Deluise

I didn't jump onto Jump Street until the show virtually finished its run because when it debuted I was too busy enjoying my waning high school daze. After that I lived in a dormitory for two years that only had two televisions neither of which were ever tuned to Jump Street. But I caught enough of it to see the episode where Depp is so obsessed with the death of his girlfriend he just sits at home watching the video tape of the incident over and over again. I watched whenever I could, but those occasions were few and far between. I think I might just run over to the video store and rent a few discs.

Other notable series releases:


That 70's Show: Season One
Starring: Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, and Ashton Kutcher


The OC: The Complete First Season
Starring: Adam Brody, Mischa Barton, and Peter Gallagher