The Big Hello? Nick is a little under the weather this week, so I'll be taking the reins for this week's newsletter. (Don't worry, I'll keep it short.) A lot is going on in Hollywoodland this week, and the CHUD.com crew has been working hard on delivering you the latest in news, reviews and interviews. You'll find a lot of that stuff just below this opening text. A lot is also happening on the CHUD.com Message Boards, including the 2006 Babe Draft, whose progress you can follow in the Drafts & Lists forum. There are a number of male and female Chewers (including myself) participating, and it's been a blast so far. There's also a 2006 Stud Draft coming up next weel which should be a lot of fun, too. -Jason P. Thompson CHUD.COM Nick's sick, but we're still delivering the goods! THE FETAL FILM REPORT Eileen's back this week with updates! THE SPECIAL EDITION Newell's back in action! Last week I was quite M.I.A. (in Vietnam, no less) because of some engine trouble in my tiny vehicular slaughter. This week it's a whole different sense of homicide, as there are some very interesting titles that have hit, maimed, and need to be recognized in our DVD lineup. Brick. We surely have already over-discussed Rian Johnson's film, but the fact remains that you need to put it in your queue. Even more so if you keep glossing right over it. Unlike anything you've ever seen in a while, unless you're into Mark Savage (and that would be heavy speculation), Johnson miraculously blends styles, emotions, and a hearty visual uppercut into a wholly innovate cinematic experience that absolutely, positively has to be seen. And believed. Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories: Season One. Most of the episodes have aged as gracefully as Dan O'Herlihy, but there are those fleeting moments scattered throughout the set that almost makes a rental close to worthwhile. The sheer quadrant of talent bombarding their way across the stories is gargantuan, which again range from a teen who's given special powers from a meteorite to supernatural forces that roam both attics and mirrors (prepping the minds of directors like Dante and Scorsese). Honestly, I popped in a disc the other day, and for better or worse they're like recreative therapy. Roman Polanski's Fearless Vampire Killers, or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are In My Neck. Polanski made the film during his younger trouble free years (yes, that's Sharon Tate as free-flowingly stunning Sarah Shagal) and it's his attempt to infuse comedy into the stodgy gothic wives tales of a faraway land. Shot by the great Douglas Slocombe, Fearless Vampire Killers exhibits a mystical quality that serves it well, even when Polanski (as Professor Abronsius' Assistant) is reacting to the various tribulations thrown his way. For a film that's 39 years old, it certainly doesn't feel like it and that's part of the many reasons why I continually find myself watching the film. Besides from the above, I now am slowly coming to the conclusion that this newsletter is also a good place to jam-pack some weekly just-announced titles that sometimes, for lack of a better word, miss out on a prominent place in the Special Edition. Sadly, there hasn't been anything major this week, other than the United 93 Limited Edition and The Lake House, but you already knew about those anyway, you savvy searchers, you. Finally, just in case you might happen to stop before reading the bottom of my words, here's what's arriving on Tuesday, 8/15: Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier, Hong Kong Phooey: The Complete Series, Rome: The Complete First Season, Hoot, I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, James Stewart: The Signature Collection, Ronald Regan: The Signature Collection, Masters of Horror's Argento episode: Jenifer, RV, Scary Movie 4, Six Moral Tales: The Criterion Collection, The Simpsons: Complete Eighth Season, The Weird Al Show: Complete Series, and Billy Zane's Survival Island. Feel free to berate me on any Message Board thread, but make sure to have a good weekend first. Hopefully, it's one that involves kidnapping some kids to see Rocky III. -Newell Todd CREATURE CORNER Bad movie nights are back! 11 COLONELS ATTACK! Nick and crew are keeping busy! |