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New Arrivals at Video Vérité (April 25, 2006)
 
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(in alphabetical order; VV likes! indicates we especially like it)

Aeon Flux (2005, PG-13, 93m):  Charlize Theron plays the slinky futuristic sex kitten-slash-assassin in the big-budget adaptation of the classic MTV animated shorts.  Just for the record, she was NOT nominated for an Oscar for this role.

Casanova (2005, R, 108m):  Heath Ledger plays the legendary lover in this tongue-in-cheek (and probably other places) biography from director Lasse Hallstrom.  Just for the record, he was NOT nominated for an Oscar for this role.

Coachella (2006, R, 120m):  Nicely filmed documentary presents musical highlights from the last few years of the Coachella festival, including The Pixies, Iggy & The Stooges, Belle and Sebastian, and others.  Played recently at the Clinton Street Theater.

Cote D'Azur (2005, NR, 93m, subtitled):  In this charming French romantic comedy from the directors of "The Adventures of Felix," a family finds their summer vacation in a seaside house complicated by flames old and new.

Dave Attell's Insomniac Tour (2006, NR, 98m):  The bleary-eyed host of Comedy Central's "Insomniac" brings four fellow travelers on the road and into your living room with an evening of standup comedy.

Duane Hopwood (2005, R, 84m):  Your old Friend David Schwimmer does a decent job in the title role of a divorced dad who works in an Atlantic City casino while trying to get his life back on track; Jeanine Garofalo is unnaturally blond and thin as his ex-wife, while Judah Friedlander ("American Splendor") steals the show as Duane's goofy pal.

The Fantastic World of M.C. Escher (1980, NR, 50m):  Dude, those fish are turning into lizards and those monks are getting anywhere on that staircase!  If you've ever had that thought, you'll want to check out this guide to the life and work of the man who labored mightily to cover our dormitory walls with trippy patterns.

The Great War (1949, NR, 384m):  This three-volume, six-hour vintage documentary explores the history of World War I from its origins in nationalism to its culmination in 1918.

Hybrid (2000, PG-13, 92m):  This oddball documentary profiles the filmmaker's grandfather, an Iowa corn farmer who was among the first to advocate for creating hybrids of his crops.  It's also about his troubled relationship with his family, who never quite get his fascination with corn.  Interesting techniques make this feel like a David Lynch film, and certainly more interesting than the topic would suggest.VV likes!

Lovers of the Arctic Circle (1998, R, 112m, subtitled):  Julio Medem ("Sex & Lucia") first drew wide notice with this cultish, magical tale of Otto and Ana, two kids with palindromic names whose lives are intertwined by destiny.  A film for those who love puzzles and those who love love, and if you love both, then you'll love "Lovers of the Arctic Circle."

Magic (1978, R, 107m):  You remember this one, don't you?  With Anthony Hopkins as the struggling stage magician who hits the big time as a ventriloquist thanks to a very helpful dummy named Fats.  But wait—is there a chance Fats could be…eeeevil?  Burgess Meredith co-stars, if you need another reason to check it out.

Match Point (2005, R, 124m):  Woody Allen's best movie in years (and his first that even good since probably "Sweet and Lowdown") stars the ubiquitous Scarlett Johannson as a saucy American temptress who tempts an Irish tennis enthusiast (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) into betraying his rich British in-laws.  Getting out of New York has done wonders for the old Woodster, as has the decision not to appear in his own films (at least this one).VV likes!

The Passenger (1975, PG-13, 119m):  Jack Nicholson goes arty in director Michelangelo Antonioni's existential thriller about a cynical reporter who swaps identities with a dead man and finds himself embroiled in gun-running and a search for his own identity.  Slow-paced but rewarding, and as always with Antonioni, a killer final shot.VV likes!

Penn and Teller: Off the Deep End (2005, NR, 88m):  After some detours (including "The Aristocrats" and their Showtime series "Bullshit!"), those rascally tricksters are back doing what they do best—magic tricks!  Only this time, they're doing them…underwater!

POPaganda: The Art & Crimes of Ron English (2005, NR, 78m):  You've seen his work in "Super Size Me," now get to now the man who subverts corporate advertising by creating his own satirical billboards, including one that says "Let's get drunk and kill God."  Mostly, though, he just annoys McDonald's and the like.  And good for him!VV likes!

Shopgirl (2005, R, 104m):  Steve Martin adapted his own novella and stars as Roy Porter, a wealthy older fellow who has a relationship with a girl who works at the glove counter in Sak's named Mirabelle Butterfield.  She's played by Clare Danes (in full Angela mode), and Jason Schwartzman gets in some amusing bits as the slacker and stencil artist who also woos her.

Spend an Evening with Saddle Creek (2005, NR, 90m):  Nebraska's Saddle Creek Records, home to Conor Oberst's Bright Eyes, traces its history back to a bunch of alterna-pals who traded cassettes in the early 90s, and this documentary follows the history of the label and the many worthy bands it spawned.

Tristan + Isolde (2006, PG-13, 125m):  Hey, those swoony kids really seemed to dig that DiCaprio/Danes Romeo + Juliet a few years back, right?  What say we give 'em another doomed historical teen romance with a plus sign in the title?  And we'll put James Franco in it!  Yeah, the Green Goblin makes whoopee in medieval times!  It's sure to be a hit!

 

 

 

 

Previous weeks: 2-21-06 2-28-06 3-7-06 3-14-06 3-21-06

 

 

 
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