My fun little blog detailing all things pop culture...well, the interesting bits. I'll be covering music, television, film, and other similar areas of interest. I'll try to post at least once a day. Look for about 50% information, 50% opinion...but this is NOT a gossip blog. I am not Perez Hilton!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

What's new on DVD and CD this week: 9/23/08

Here are this week's DVD and CD releases for this week... along with my personal picks.

My DVD picks:
  • "L.A. Confidential" - This modern-day classic hasn't been available on DVD for a while, so now is a great chance for all of you who've never seen it.  Kevin Spacey, Guy Pierce, Kim Basinger (who won an Oscar for this film) and a pre-"Gladiator" Russell Crowe star in a sordid tale of sex, scandal, betrayal and corruption in old-school Hollywood.
  • "The Mother of Tears" - The newest film by Italian horror legend Dario Argento ("Suspiria") stars his daughter Asia ("XXX" - the film with Vin Diesel, not a skin flick) as a young archeologist who finds an ancient urn that, as it turns out, houses the spirit of an evil witch.  When they accidentally let it out, lots of really bad stuff starts happening.  This is the last film in Argento's loose Three Mothers trilogy involving witches (the others are "Suspiria" and "Inferno"), and as the rest of his films go, it's chock full of shockingly extreme violence (and probably a fair amount of sex/nudity as well; just a warning).  Not for the faint of heart, but fans of extreme horror should enjoy it.
  • "Run, Fat Boy, Run" - A loser who left his pregnant wife at the altar years ago tries to win her love back by competing in a city-wide marathon.  I'm not honestly not sure how good this film is, but I'm still recommending it because it stars Simon Pegg ("Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz"), and he'll be funny no matter how good or bad the rest of the film is.  Also, this film was directed by former "Friends" star David Schwimmer.

also released on DVD this week:

The Foot Fist Way

Sex and the City: The Movie

Leatherheads

The Godfather - The Copolla Restoration Gift Set

Pathology

Beaufort

Deception

The Singing Detective

Far North

Oppenheimer: The Father of the Atom Bomb

Aki Kaurismaki’s Proletariat Trilogy (Shadows In Paradise/Ariel/The Match Factory Girl)

Samantha Who? - Season One

Friday the 13th, The Series - Season One

This American Life - Season One

Yu Yu Hakusho - Season Two

Hellsing Ultimate - Volume Four

CSI: NY - The Fourth Season

Bleach - Volume 12: The Rescue

Schoolhouse Rock - The Election Collection

Peanuts Holiday Collection

Beijing 2008 Olympics - The Complete Opening Ceremony

Beijing 2008 Olympics - Michael Phelps: Inside Story of the Beijing Games


My CD/music picks:
  • The Action Design: "Never Say"  - I love this band because one half of it (including frontwoman Emily Whitehearst/"Agent M") were originally part of Tsunami Bomb, one of my favorite punk bands.  TAD take TB's melody-heavy punk and mix it with new wave/techno elements to create a new, very enjoyable sound.  Great music for hanging out with friends and/or crazy dance parties.
  • Jenny Lewis: "Acid Tongue" - The second solo album from the Rilo Kiley frontwoman isn't much different from her first album, "Rabbit Fur Coat."  Lewis' music is a mix of rock, blues and alt-country that provides a relaxing experience, while her lyrics explore everything from love, bad relationships and spirituality.  A great album to kick back and relax with.
  • The Pussycat Dolls: "Doll Domination" - Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails once compared pop music to birthday cake, saying "everyone likes birthday cake.  But you can't only eat birthday cake; otherwise you'll get a stomach ache."  If that's true, then this is my helping of birthday cake this week.  I like the Pussycat Dolls because they're so goofy and over the top that it's impossible to take them seriously (and I'm fairly confident that's their intention).  On their sophomore album, the Dolls team up with the right producers to give them plenty of pumped up dance tracks (and a few decent slower songs).  And if you pick up the deluxe edition, you'll get five extra tracks, each one featuring lead vocals by a different member of the group (this is the first time all the girls are singing on the record; PCD lead Nicole Scherzinger sang everything on the first album).  The perfect record for people who like birthday cake and don't take themselves too seriously.

also released on CD this week:

David Gilmour - Live in Gdansk

Fannypack - Ghetto Bootleg

Everlast - Love, War, and the Ghost of Whitey Ford

Thievery Corporation - Radio Retaliation

TV on the Radio - Dear Science

Demi Lovato - Don’t Forget

Within Temptation (w/ the Metropolis Orchestra) - Black Symphony: Live

All In - Team U.S.A.

Mammifer - Hirror Enniffer

Brightblack Morning Light - Motion to Rejoin

Koufax - Strugglers

Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling

Sing It Loud - Come Around

Astronautalis - Pomegranite

Blitzen Trapper - Furr

Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty

The Gay Blades - Ghosts

High Places - High Places

Johnny Foreigner - Waited Up ‘Til It Was Light

Lenka - Lenka

Pink Spiders - Sweat It Out

Plain White T’s - Big Bad World

Ten Kens - Ten Kens