A brief recommendation. This weekend, I saw Jacques Tati's Play Time for the first time. (Alas, not on the big screen in 70mm, but the Criterion DVD.) Despite being a two-hour movie without a traditional plot and with Altmanesque dialog mixed into the background noise, I was continually entertained by its endless inventiveness, stark cinematography, carefully choreographed structure, and its humor, both slapstick and subtle. Not having seen any Tati before, my reference points for the film would be Michel Gondry and Terry Gilliam mixed with The Sims. The whole film is like a socially critical Rube Goldberg device designed to beautifully break down.

It also reminded me of the existence of 70mm film in general, which I haven't thought of in awhile due to my living in 70mm-free Nevada and to its replacement in mainstream theaters by IMAX. Let alone that no major film has been shot fully in 70mm since 1996 (Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, and it was actually 65mm). But I remember fondly seeing 2001: A Space Odyssey and Lawrence of Arabia -- in Hartford and Boston, respectively -- in all of their 70mm glory. I hope I get the chance to catch Play Time projected in 70mm, as its wide shots filled with multitudes of people demand detailed viewing.

Yesterday, Everybody Loves Hypnotoad was released on DVD. The TV show -- produced, written, and directed by the Hypnotoad, and starring the same -- is a hilarious romp that follows the ins-and-outs of the Hypnotoad's daily life. As a viewer, I was fully captivated by the show, except during the brief establishing shots (a suburban house; a Seinfeldian diner) and the commercial breaks -- for some reason those scenes failed to hold my attention.

The DVD includes one full 22-minute episode of Everybody Loves Hypnotoad, and features a flashback sequences and even some bloopers. It also includes some DVD "extras," such as a 90-minute time-travelling episode of Futurama, which was of some interest.

All Hail the Hypnotoad!

In late summer 2001, my brother and I went to a movie we had never heard of while vacationing in Dublin. The movie, called Tears of the Black Tiger, turned out to be a Thai western notable for its hypersaturated colors and its Tarantino-esque editing. I've wondered why the movie, which I enjoyed greatly, never made it stateside, and I hadn't thought of it for a few years until I saw this Slate review published on Friday.

Turns out that Miramax bought the rights and sat on it for over five years, evidently hesitant about its ending (at least according to Wikipedia). Magnolia Pictures has bought the rights from Miramax, and is releasing the movie in limited release for several months in early 2007 -- which probably means we can expect a U.S. DVD release by the end of the year. In truth, I can't really remember many details about the film, but my memory of the experience is sufficient for me to search out a screening or wait for the DVD and watch it once again.

 

As I've written, Cemetary Man, which I once raved about as one of my favorite Halloween movies, is finally coming to DVD on June 13th. Some more details of the DVD have come out: it's a new widescreen transfer with 5.1 audio, and comes with an interview-laden featurette and an 8-page booklet. I've also put a banner on the right column, since I love this movie so. Check it out, and learn how one can fall in love with a severed head.