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DVD & Blu-ray

UK DVD Releases: Monday 30th March 2009

UK DVD Picks 30-03-09

DVD PICKS

Waltz With Bashir (Artificial Eye): One of the most remarkable films to be released in the last yearĀ deals withĀ the memory of Israeli soldiers involved in the invasion of Lebanon in the early 1980s andĀ theĀ 1982Ā Sabra and Shatila massacre.Ā 

Directed byĀ Ari Folman, it examines his own experiences on that mission and the struggle to remember what happened when he interviews various army colleagues from the time.

The strange title is taken from a scene with one of Folmanā€™s interviewees, who remembers taking a machine gun and dancing an ā€˜insane waltzā€™ amid enemy fire, with posters ofĀ Bashir GemayelĀ lining the walls behind him.

GemayelĀ was the Lebanese president who whoseĀ assassinationĀ helped trigger the massacre.Ā The most unusual and startling aspect of the film is that it is animated, an unconventional approach for what is essentially a documentary.

Although very different in theme and tone toĀ Creature ComfortsĀ it appears to adopt the same device in which real conversations are animated and stylised.Ā 

A hugely ambitious film, it took four years to complete and is and international co-production betweenĀ Israel,Ā GermanyĀ andĀ France.

Back in May it premiered toĀ huge acclaimĀ atĀ CannesĀ and was one of the front runners to win theĀ Palme dā€™Or.Ā Much of that praise was richly deserved because this is an arresting and highly original film.

It deserves particular credit for taking a highly politicised and contentious event and yet somehow makes a wider point about the futility of war whose relevance is not just confined to the cauldron of the Middle East.

Another aspect which makes this story so intriguing is that the Israeli troops were not guilty of the massacre itself, but of standing by and letting Lebanese miltiaĀ murderĀ PalestinianĀ refugees.Ā 

It is the memory of, or rather the inability to remember,Ā this event that lies at the core of the story. Has Folman unconsciously blocked out the memory? Does guilt cloud any rational perspective?Ā 

The raw power of the source material is enhanced by some extraordinary imagery, with a remarkable and inventive use of colour for certain sections, especially those involving the sea.

Added to this is Folmanā€™s narration which has an almost hypnotic effect when set alongside the visuals, almost as if the audience is experiencing a dream whilst watching the film itself.Ā 

The film won 6Ā Israeli Film AcademyĀ awards (including Best Picture) and was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars.

It might seem like a strange film to make about such a serious subject but itā€™s surreal approach only makes the horrors of war seem all too real.Ā Ā 

The DVD and Blu-ray discs include the following extras:

DVD

  • 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
  • Dolby Digital 5.1
  • Interview with director Ari Folman
  • Theatrical Trailers

Blu-ray Disc

  • 1080P 1.78:1 Widescreen
  • Dolby Digital 5.1 & DTS-HD Master Audio
  • Interview with director Ari Folman
  • ā€˜Making ofā€™ documentary (70minutes)
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Theatrical Trailers

* Listen to our interview with director Ari Folman here *

Not Quite Hollywood (Optimum): A highly entertainingĀ documentary exploring the world of Australian exploitation cinema that began in the early 1970s.Ā 

Directed byĀ Mark HartleyĀ it shows how a new generation of maverick filmmakers capitalised on the relaxing of censorship laws to create wilder films on smaller budgets.

Whilst more refined directors likeĀ Peter WeirĀ achieved worldwide acclaim with films likeĀ Picnic At Hanging Rock, more maverick directors and actors created a crazier breed of exploitation movie.Ā 

The film explores howĀ films likeĀ Alvin Purple,Ā Barry McKenzie Holds His Own,Ā Dead-End Drive In,Ā Long Weekend,Ā Mad Max,Ā The Man from Hong Kong,Ā Patrick,Ā Razorback,Ā Roadgames,Ā StorkĀ andĀ Turkey ShootĀ all contributed to a new era of Aussie cinema.Ā Ā 

Extras on the disc inlcude:

  • 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
  • English DD5.1 Surround
  • Commentary with writer/director Mark Hartley and Oxploitation auteurs
  • Ozploitation panel at MIFF
  • Quentin Tarantino speaks with Brian Trenchard-Smith
  • UK Exclusive Interview with Mark Hartley
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Original ozploitation trailers

* Listen to our interview with Mark Hartley here *Ā 

Blindness (Pathe): TheĀ film adaptationĀ of the 1995Ā novelĀ byĀ JosĆ© SaramagoĀ explores a society suffering an epidemic of blindness.

Directed byĀ Fernando MeirellesĀ it starsĀ Julianne Moore,Ā Mark RuffaloĀ ,Ā Danny GloverĀ andĀ Gael Garcia BernalĀ as a group of people struggling to survive amidst the chaos that ensues.

Whilst at times the film may be too bleak for some viewers, it is a much better film that its mixed reception at Cannes last year might have believe, with fine performances from the leads and some excellent visuals.

The extras include:

  • ‘A Vision of Blindness’ – 50 minute making of documentary
  • Deleted scenes with director’s introduction
  • Theatrical trailer

* Listen to our interview with Fernando Meirelles about the film here *

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ALSO OUT

10 Days to War (2 Entertain)
A Time To Love and A Time To Die (Masters of Cinema)
Blood on the Sun (Network)
Body of Lies (Warner)
Changeling (Universal)
Derek (BFI)
Dexter – Season 2 (Paramount)
Driftwood (Anchor Bay)
Flawless (Metrodome)
Flesh and Fury (Eureka)
Free Agents (C4 DVD)
Henry Poole is Here (Sony)
Lakeview Terrace (Sony)
Manhunt (Metrodome)
Mistresses – Series 2 (2 Entertain)
Muriel ou le Temps dā€™un retour (Eureka)
My Best Friend’s Girl (Lionsgate)
Nighthawks / Strip Jack Naked (BFI)
Of Time and the City (BFI)
Patti Smith Dream of Life (BFI)
Rivals (Optimum)
Salaam Bombay (Arrow)
Splinter (Icon)
The Express (Universal)
The Secret Life of Bees (Fox)
The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (Eureka)
The Wild Geese – Special Edition (Arrow)
Unnatural Causes (Sony)

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> BuyĀ Waltz With Bashir,Ā Not Quite HollywoodĀ andĀ BlindnessĀ at Amazon UK
> Browse more DVD Releases atĀ Amazon UKĀ andĀ Play
>Ā Check the latest DVD prices at DVD Price Check
>Ā Take a look at the current UK cinema releasesĀ (W/C Friday 27th March)