Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Demko's DVD shelf

This week's shelf, while admittedly short, just happens to contain my favorite movie of 2006 (by just a nose over Alfonso Cuaron's "Children of Men") and the movie I'm most ashamed for missing during its brief theatrical run.

The first, as some of you may already know, is Guillermo del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth," simply a genuine cinematic accomplishment. The story of Ofelia and how she deals with the harsh reality of her surroundings blends fantasy and reality in a flick that's a visual and storytelling wonder.

In the featurettes of the two-disc set, apparently (I won't be buying this until the weekend), you learn just how much this was a labor of love for del Toro. He apparently slept very little during the filming, and lost at least 40 pounds. Given the beauty of the final result, I'm not surprised. Just go and buy this one already.

The Fountain

Given how much I love Darren Aronofsky's first two movies, it's certainly my biggest shame that I missed this in the theaters. In my defense, there were like 8 billion movies released last fall, and this one only played in my little corner of the world for two weeks or so. A pretty week excuse I know, but there it is.

Anyways, I'm definitely renting this one to watch on the weekend. I'll post a review sometime soon, and hopefully a big mea culpa. If you haven't seen it, definitely give it a chance this week.

American Dad!, Vol. 2

They're not high art, I'll grant you, but Seth McFarlane's animated shows just make me laugh, and at the end of the day I often don't ask for much more than that from TV shows. This story of Stan Smith, CIA man, and his family life started off as a pale comparison to "Family Guy," but has managed to get better as it goes along. I'll definitely spring for Vol. 2.

Dog of the week

If it comes to that, I will gladly pay anyone thinking of buying or renting this one to keep them from doing so.

Fox's "The War at Home" is not simply the worst show on TV right now, it is quite possibly the worst show I have ever seen. It's a toilet full of the most unfunny "jokes" you'll ever hear. I can handle mean when it's combined with funny, but mean by itself just sucks hard, as this show somehow continues to prove.

Fox has yet to announce its upfronts for the fall, but I'm hoping they drop this turd and add Amy Sherman-Palladino's "The Return of Jezebel James" and maybe some more animation.

And there you have it. Like I said, a short list, but this workin man does indeed still have to work for a living, so I have to split. Peace out.

9 comments:

jeremy said...

So? What'd ya think of Rory and Lorelai's send off? I thought kinda tepid but my viewing companion was in tears every five minutes.

Reel Fanatic said...

I can't say I was in tears, Jeremy, but I liked it quite a bit more than you, I think .. The big party felt like a perfect Stars Hollow shindig, the writing was very good and Luke and Lorelai are back together, sort of .. I don't think I could have asked for more

Anonymous said...

I had to make three stops to find a copy of "The Fountain". Appears it wasn't just a limited release but a limited sale too.

I even ended up with two copies of "Pan's Labyrinth". I bought one copy and then while looking for "The Fountain", I discovered that the HMV 2 DVD Special Edition came bundled with a making of booklet. Needless to say, I need to take the other one back.

Reel Fanatic said...

Thanks for the warning, Marina ... I'm sure I'll buy the most loaded edition possible, and watch it many more times

M said...

I don't know what it was about Pan's Labyrinth that I wasn't crazy about but I want to give it another chance. For some reason I just wasn't floored by it in the theater as I had expected to be (perhaps the reason for my disappointment.)

As for the war at home...I think it basically exemplifies everything wrong with america. Just kidding, kind of. Every time I flip through the channels and it is on I amazed at how jaw-droppingly awful it is. CANCEL THAT SHIT! A world that contains that, while the comeback was cancelled is not a world I want to live in :-)

kookie said...

I bought my husband a copy of "Pan Labyrinth" for his upcoming birthday. We both loved it (I with some reservations about the ending).

'The War at Home' may be the worst show ever to pollute the public air waves, but that boy that plays Larry (Kyle Sullivan) is a gem and I hope he gets to be in a really good show soon.

Reel Fanatic said...

I think you're right about "The War at Home" exemplifying all the worst about American culture ... I'm staying positive that this will really be the end of it ... and I know what you mean about the end of "Pan's Labyrinth," Kookiejar, but that wasn't enough to make me lose any love for it

Terence Towles Canote said...

I can't urge people enough to get Pan's Labyrinth on DVD. The movie is easily the best film from last year and one of those movies I think everyone should see.

And I have to agree with you about Fox's The War at Home, although I think that CBS sitcom Yes, Dear (now thankfully gone) was worse....

Reel Fanatic said...

Luckily I've never seen that bomb, Mercurie .. The only sitcoms I regularly watch are "The Office," "How I Met Your Mother" and "Everybody Hates Chris"