They say the contents of a bookshelf can tell you a lot about the reader; so the same must surely apply to a CD/DVD shelf, yes? With that in mind, I just thought it might be interesting to guide you through my DVD collection -- unearthing the good, the bad, the classics, the turkeys and the guilty pleasures...
They're all here (with my reasons for buying them), although my purchasing has declined recently and I've started renting -- so there won't be as many films from 2006 onwards:
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, dir Stanley Kubrick) A cherished favourite of mine for years now, this is pure cinema that was decades ahead of the curve. I don't think it will ever be bettered actually, and the opening and closing 20 minutes are just awesome. This rather odd cardboard case edition included the phenomenal CD soundtrack and a limited edition film cell, too.
The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005, dir Judd Apatow) A few years before Steve Carell and Knocked Up producer Judd Apatow became properly famous, there was this refreshing sex comedy. It's kind of low-brow in some respects, but it's packed full of amusing moments and, most importantly, it never belittles its lead character. Curiously touching.
Adaptation (2002, dir Spike Jonz) On a buzz of Charlie Kaufman after seeing Being John Malkovich, this was an essential purchase at the time. I still really like the movie, mainly for its playful attitude and brilliance performance(s) from Nicolas Cage. It's kind of gimmicky and shouldn't really work, but the acting is top-notch across the board and the storyline just can't be predicted. Brillant.
A.I – Artificial Intelligence (2001, dir Steven Spielberg) I know some people had problems with this, but the idea of Steven Spielberg channeling Stanley Kubrick in a film starring the brilliant Haley Joel Osment had me sold. I think it improves the more you watch it, and I personally thought the like-it-or-loathe finale was a brave, emotional and beautiful ending.
Airplane! & Airplane II: The Sequel (1980, dirs Jim Abrahams, David Zucker & Jerry Zucker; 1982, dir Ken Finkleman). Well, Airplane! is possibly my favourite comedy film ever – if only for pure gag-quotient. I actually don't mind the sequel too much either, if only for a few jokes and sequences – like the William Shatner "door/viewscreen" sight gag. But the original is clearly the best, but I couldn't pass up a box-set for £10.
Ali (2001, dir Michael Mann) I bought this on a whim, as I'm not really a big Muhammad Ali fan. I like Will Smith and respect Michael Mann as a director, so I thought this would open up Ali's life for me. I don't think it did, really – although Smith does a superb impression of the great boxer. With hindsight, I should have waited for a TV airing...
Alien Legacy (1979, dir Ridley Scott; 1986, dir James Cameron; 1992, dir David Fincher; 1997, dir Jean-Pierre Jeunet). Yes, the first DVD box-set for the Alien franchise. This version is sadly devoid of the Alien3 Director's Cut and other improvements that arrived with the Quadrilogy edition, but it's still pretty great. Alien is classic, Aliens is brilliant, Alien 3 is interesting and Alien Resurrection is bearable – particularly if you compare it to the current Alien/Predator cash-in films…
Alien Vs Predator (2004, dir Paul W.S Anderson) Yes, this cash-in. I know, it's a pretty bad movie. But, H.R Geiger's Alien was the movie monster in my youth and Predator wasn't too shabby either – and I actually think there are a few moments here that aren't too bad. Plus, it's a masterpiece compared to its own sequel...
American Splendor (2003, dirs Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini) Another unusual choice, this was purely a punt on a film that intrigued me. It stars Paul Giammati as Harvey Pekar, an oddball who became famous by creating graphic novels based on his own humdrum existence and battle with cancer. I quite enjoyed it, and it's a good left-field movie to recommend. But, yeah, not really worth buying in retrospect. A one-watch oddity.
An American Werewolf In London (1982, dir John Landis) The 21st Anniversary Edition. This was an essential purchase, as I'm a huge fan of this seminal werewolf flick. It's pure 80s brilliance, primarily because of the brilliant comedy/horror balance and the absolutely stunning transformation sequence. Awesome.
Anchorman (2004, dir Adam McKay) A purchase born out of the excellent trailers and general word-of-mouth that it was really funny. When I first watched it, I didn't really laugh that much. I've seen it three times now, and it definitely improves once the dialogue embeds itself in your head. But I laugh more at Carell's Brick than Ferrell's Burgundy.
The Animatrix (2003, dirs various) As a huge Matrix fan, the two sequels were like awaiting the second coming. Sadly, they ultimately didn't live up to the hype, but I still love the cyberpunk universe the Wachowski Brothers created. The 10 Animatrix shorts assembled on this disc are quite entertaining animations, although only a few are truly memorable (the 2 that act as official prequels to The Matrix and the CGI-animated one by the Final Fantasy FX house.) A good, solid buy for fans.
And that's my top shelf done: quite contemporary, but a few "classics" in the mix -- with my taste leaning towards comedy and science-fiction. So far.
But there's more to come, and the contents of my second shelf will be revealed very soon…
They're all here (with my reasons for buying them), although my purchasing has declined recently and I've started renting -- so there won't be as many films from 2006 onwards:
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, dir Stanley Kubrick) A cherished favourite of mine for years now, this is pure cinema that was decades ahead of the curve. I don't think it will ever be bettered actually, and the opening and closing 20 minutes are just awesome. This rather odd cardboard case edition included the phenomenal CD soundtrack and a limited edition film cell, too.
The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005, dir Judd Apatow) A few years before Steve Carell and Knocked Up producer Judd Apatow became properly famous, there was this refreshing sex comedy. It's kind of low-brow in some respects, but it's packed full of amusing moments and, most importantly, it never belittles its lead character. Curiously touching.
Adaptation (2002, dir Spike Jonz) On a buzz of Charlie Kaufman after seeing Being John Malkovich, this was an essential purchase at the time. I still really like the movie, mainly for its playful attitude and brilliance performance(s) from Nicolas Cage. It's kind of gimmicky and shouldn't really work, but the acting is top-notch across the board and the storyline just can't be predicted. Brillant.
A.I – Artificial Intelligence (2001, dir Steven Spielberg) I know some people had problems with this, but the idea of Steven Spielberg channeling Stanley Kubrick in a film starring the brilliant Haley Joel Osment had me sold. I think it improves the more you watch it, and I personally thought the like-it-or-loathe finale was a brave, emotional and beautiful ending.
Airplane! & Airplane II: The Sequel (1980, dirs Jim Abrahams, David Zucker & Jerry Zucker; 1982, dir Ken Finkleman). Well, Airplane! is possibly my favourite comedy film ever – if only for pure gag-quotient. I actually don't mind the sequel too much either, if only for a few jokes and sequences – like the William Shatner "door/viewscreen" sight gag. But the original is clearly the best, but I couldn't pass up a box-set for £10.
Ali (2001, dir Michael Mann) I bought this on a whim, as I'm not really a big Muhammad Ali fan. I like Will Smith and respect Michael Mann as a director, so I thought this would open up Ali's life for me. I don't think it did, really – although Smith does a superb impression of the great boxer. With hindsight, I should have waited for a TV airing...
Alien Legacy (1979, dir Ridley Scott; 1986, dir James Cameron; 1992, dir David Fincher; 1997, dir Jean-Pierre Jeunet). Yes, the first DVD box-set for the Alien franchise. This version is sadly devoid of the Alien3 Director's Cut and other improvements that arrived with the Quadrilogy edition, but it's still pretty great. Alien is classic, Aliens is brilliant, Alien 3 is interesting and Alien Resurrection is bearable – particularly if you compare it to the current Alien/Predator cash-in films…
Alien Vs Predator (2004, dir Paul W.S Anderson) Yes, this cash-in. I know, it's a pretty bad movie. But, H.R Geiger's Alien was the movie monster in my youth and Predator wasn't too shabby either – and I actually think there are a few moments here that aren't too bad. Plus, it's a masterpiece compared to its own sequel...
American Splendor (2003, dirs Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini) Another unusual choice, this was purely a punt on a film that intrigued me. It stars Paul Giammati as Harvey Pekar, an oddball who became famous by creating graphic novels based on his own humdrum existence and battle with cancer. I quite enjoyed it, and it's a good left-field movie to recommend. But, yeah, not really worth buying in retrospect. A one-watch oddity.
An American Werewolf In London (1982, dir John Landis) The 21st Anniversary Edition. This was an essential purchase, as I'm a huge fan of this seminal werewolf flick. It's pure 80s brilliance, primarily because of the brilliant comedy/horror balance and the absolutely stunning transformation sequence. Awesome.
Anchorman (2004, dir Adam McKay) A purchase born out of the excellent trailers and general word-of-mouth that it was really funny. When I first watched it, I didn't really laugh that much. I've seen it three times now, and it definitely improves once the dialogue embeds itself in your head. But I laugh more at Carell's Brick than Ferrell's Burgundy.
The Animatrix (2003, dirs various) As a huge Matrix fan, the two sequels were like awaiting the second coming. Sadly, they ultimately didn't live up to the hype, but I still love the cyberpunk universe the Wachowski Brothers created. The 10 Animatrix shorts assembled on this disc are quite entertaining animations, although only a few are truly memorable (the 2 that act as official prequels to The Matrix and the CGI-animated one by the Final Fantasy FX house.) A good, solid buy for fans.
And that's my top shelf done: quite contemporary, but a few "classics" in the mix -- with my taste leaning towards comedy and science-fiction. So far.
But there's more to come, and the contents of my second shelf will be revealed very soon…
