Readings.com.au: April 2008 DVDs

Hiroshima Mon Amour

One of the most influential films of all time, Alain Resnais’ first feature sees a French actress (Emmanuelle Riva) and a Japanese architect (Eiji Okada) engage in a brief, intense affair in postwar Hiroshima, their consuming fascination impelling them to exercise their own scarred memories of love and suffering. Utilizing an innovative flashback structure and an Academy Award®-nominated screenplay by novelist Marguerite Duras, Resnais delicately weaves past and present, personal pain and public anguish, in this moody masterwork.

Kids

Powerful, compelling and deeply shocking, Kids spends 24 frenetic hours with a group of New York teenagers. Skateboarders Telly and Casper hang out, shoplift, do drugs and seduce girls. Jennie follows the pair across the city, desperate to confront them with a terrible truth. Written by Harmony Korine, Kids is an unflinching depiction of the beauty and tragedy of youth, a story of a single day in which everything and nothing will change.

Tell No One

Pediatric Alex Beck (Francois Cluzet), still devastated by the savage murder of his wife Margot (Marie-Josee Croze) in the early days of their marriage eight years ago, receives an anonymous email. When he clicks on the link he sees a woman's face standing in a crowd and being filmed in real time - Margot's face. Is she still alive? And why does she instruct him to 'tell no one'?

Red Road

A startling thriller of pain and retribution, Red Road centres on Jackie (KATE DICKIE), an operator of Glasgow’s surveillance cameras. She is emotionally disconnected to life and Jackie likes it that way. One day a face from the past appears on her screens (TONY CURRAN) which sends Jackie’s life into a spiral of obsession and illicit surveillance that ultimately leads her to… Red Road.

In The Realm Of The Senses

Nagisa Oshima’s extraordinary tale of sexual obsession remains equally shocking 30 years later. Inspiring censorship (it was banned in Australia on release in 1976), controversy and critical ire—all because it dared to blend hard-core sex with a solid narrative— this explicit study of sex and death was so controversial in Japan that cans of film were smuggled to France to be processed. This is a masterpiece that fuels the exquisite formalism of Japanese cinema with fatalistic erotic power.

The Passion Of Joan Of Arc: Distinction Series

With its stunning camerawork and striking compositions, Carl Theodor Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc convinced the world that movies could be art. Renée Falconetti gives one of the greatest performances ever recorded on film, as the young maiden who died for God and France. Shock DVD is proud to present this milestone of silent cinema.

Conversations With My Gardener

After the death of his mother, a Parisian landscape painter (Auteuil) returns to claim the ramshackle country house he grew up in. Noticing the houses’ once-impressive vegetable garden has fallen into neglect, he hires a local gardener (Darroussin) to knock it back into shape. To their surprise, the two men discover they were once childhood buddies whose lives took very different paths after they were expelled from junior school for a prank. While the vegetable garden grows, they rekindle their friendship, discussing all nature of topics, from the painter’s dissolving marriage to the relative merits of lettuce, and take to calling each other nicknames - “Dauber” for the painter and “Gardener” for the other. Wry humour permeates every conversation between the two men, and when the artist occasionally visits Paris to meet with his hot young mistress, the pretentiousness of the art world is cause for additional sly commentary. But as summer inevitably turns to autumn and the Dauber’s garden begins to bear fruit, so too does their friendship face the sad trials of growing old. Adapted from the memoirs of artist Henri Cueco, Conversations is a warm and engaging celebration of the bonds of friendship and the enduring pleasures of a good yarn.

Stone Special: 2 Disc Collectors Edition

The Oz Biker Classic in a Special 2 DVD Collectors Edition! An Australian Easy Rider, Stone is a wild combination of biker movie, gore flick, whodunit, action film and remains the best known cult exploitation film of the 70s. Writer, producer and director Sandy Harbutt also stars, giving a ferocious performance as the Grave Diggers’ leader, The Undertaker, alongside Hugh Keays- Byrne, who played the chief villain Toecutter in that other classic Aussie road movie, Mad Max. Ken Shorter as the eponymous Stone is brilliant, while a 19 year-old Rebecca Gilling (Return to Eden) cuts a striking figure as the biker’s mole. The soundtrack is a masterpiece of Australian progressive and pub rock.

Death At A Funeral

Last Rites... And Wrongs A dignified send-off for a loved one erupts into uproarious chaos when romance, jealousy, in-laws, hallucinogens, dark secrets, life-long yearnings and a spot of bold blackmail all collide graveside in the irreverent British comedy, Death at a Funeral. Directed by Frank Oz and featuring a cast made up of the cream of Britain’s crop, the film mischievously explores what happens on the day when a typically divided family is finally forced to come to terms with each other’s bad behaviour, outrageous faults, skeletons in the closet and all. On the morning of their father’s funeral, the family and friends of the deceased each arrives with his or her own roiling anxieties. Son, Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen) knows he will have to face his flirty, blowhard famous novelist brother, Robert (Rupert Graves), who’s just flown in from New York, not to mention the promises of a new life he’s made to his new wife, Jane (Keeley Hawes). Meanwhile, Daniel’s cousin, Martha (Daisy Donovan) and her dependable new fiancé, Simon (Alan Tudyk) are desperate to make a good impression on Martha’s uptight father – a plan that literally goes out the window when Simon accidentally ingests a designer drug en route to the service, leaving him prone to uncontrollable bouts of delirium and nudity in front of his potential in-laws. Then comes the real shocker: a mysterious guest (Peter Dinklage) who threatens to unveil an earth-shattering family secret. As riotous mayhem and unfortunate mishaps ensue on every front, it is now up to the two brothers to hide the truth from their family and friends and figure out how to not only bury their dearly beloved, but the secret he’s been keeping.

Special Features: Audio Commentary with director Frank Oz Audio Commentary with writer Dean Craig and actors Alan Tudyk and Andy Nyman Outtakes Reel Theatrical Trailers

Forbidden Lie$

Norma Khouri is a thief, a saint, a seductress and a sociopath depending on who is talking. Men want to marry her, Islamic extremists want to kill her, and the global publishing industry wishes she would just disappear. Khouri won fame and fortune with her "true story" Forbidden Love, about a shocking honour killing in Jordan. The book was a runaway bestseller, translated into multiple languages, and Khouri became the toast of the literary world. That was until July 2004, when esteemed Sydney Morning Herald journalist Malcolm Knox exposed her book as a work of fiction. She's been in hiding ever since. Now she wants to talk. Weaving between the literary salons of London, the mosque-lined vistas of Jordan, the beachside suburbs of Queensland and the seamy Chicago backstreets of Norma's dubious past, Forbidden Lie$ pits Norma's tale against the stories of those who believe she duped them: the publishers, the FBI, her next door neighbour...even her husband. But the most compelling character of all is Norma encouraged by director Anna Broinowski to journey through every shade of grey that separates fact from fiction. A real-life thriller that will leave you with your jaw on the floor, Forbidden Lie$ is Catch Me If You Can with a smirk and a swagger that would make Helen Demidenko gasp in admiration. You won't believe it until you've seen it.

Away From Her

Away From Her is a beautifully moving love story that deals with memory and tribulations of a long marriage. Together for fifty years, the union between Grant (Gordon Pinsent) and Fiona (Julie Christie) appears unwavering, and their everyday life is full of tenderness and humour. This facade of serenity is broken only by the occasional reference to more troubled times in their past – lapses that are a result of Fiona's increasing struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Confined to a retirement home, Grant watches helplessly as Fiona becomes a stranger, her memory rapidly deteriorating. Fearful for his wife's worsening condition, Grant embarks on his greatest act of self-sacrifice as a means to attain Fiona's final happiness.

September

In his feature film debut, Australian director Peter Carstairs has created a deeply humane and moving portrait of friendship, family and identity. September is the first film to emerge from the Tropfest Feature Film Program, a production incentive established to expose and profile new Australian filmmaking talent. Set in the West Australian wheat belt in 1968, September tells the story of two 16-year-old boys, one black and one white, whose pure and unaffected friendship begins to fall apart under the pressures of a changing social and political climate. On a vast farm carved out of the rugged terrain, landowner Rick Anderson (Kieran Darcy-Smith: Two Hands) lives with his wife Eve (Alice McConnell: Mary Bryant) and his son, Ed (Xavier Samuel: 2:37). Ed has grown up with his best friend Paddy (Clarence John Ryan: Lockie Leonard), an Aboriginal boy. Paddy’s family - his dad Michael Parker (Kelton Pell: One Night The Moon; Australian Rules) and mother Leena (Lisa Flanagan: Look Both Ways; Australian Rules) - live in a small dwelling near the Anderson homestead and work for Ed’s father in exchange for lodging and basic supplies. Ed and Paddy spend their afternoons together laughing, reading, smoking and building their own make-shift boxing ring where they spar each day and dream of future glories. Their families attempt to maintain a friendship while grappling with social and racial boundaries. The winds of change, however, soon blow their way - both from within and front without. A new girl moves into the neighbourhood, Amelia (Mia Wasikowska: Suburban Mayhem) and Ed’s starry-eyed crush proves divisive to his closeness with Paddy. At the same time, the national Aboriginal rights movement is gathering momentum, and the delicate relationship between Michael and Rick cannot be sustained. For the first time, Paddy starts to see things as they really are.

Vitus

Vitus is a boy who almost seems to be from another planet. He has hearing like a bat, he plays piano like a virtuoso and studies encyclopedias at the age of five. No wonder his parents begin to plan a brilliant future for him. They want Vitus to become a pianist. However, the little genius prefers to play in his eccentric grandfather’s workshop. He dreams of flying and of a normal childhood. Ultimately, with one dramatic leap, Vitus takes control of his own life....

Bubble: Director's Suite

In this unique cinematic experiment, acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh brings this tragic story to life with startling realism. A bizarre love triangle as born at a doll factory in a small town in America's Midwest. Lonely and isolated, long tie employees Martha and Kyle have become friends by default in spite of their drastic age difference. Their dynamic is upset by the arrival of a new worker, the young, attractive single mother Rose. As MArtha grow increasingly wary of Rose's dubious character, she discovers Kyle and Rose developing a relationship of their own. When a murder investigation begins, it calls into question our established assumptions about these characters and life in the small town.

4: Limited Edition DVD/CD Pack

In four corners of the globe, in each of the four seasons, four outstanding violinists guide us on an extraordinary journey through homelands. Available for a limited time only!

Nosferatu: Director's Suite

German director F.W. Murnau's 1922 version remains a definitive adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Created when German silent films were at the forefront of visual technique and experimentation, Murnau's classic is remarkable for its creation of mood and setting, and for the unforgettably creepy performance of Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a.k.a. the blood-sucking predator Nosferatu. With his rodent-like features and long, bony-fingered hands, Schreck's vampire is an icon of screen horror, bringing pestilence and death to the town of Bremen in 1838. (These changes of story detail were made necessary when Murnau could not secure a copyright agreement with Stoker's estate.) Using negative film, double-exposures, and a variety of other in-camera special effects, Murnau created a vampire classic that still holds a powerful influence on the horror genre. (Werner Herzog's 1978 film Nosferatu the Vampyre is both a remake and a tribute, and Francis Coppola adopted many of Murnau's visual techniques for Bram Stoker's Dracula.) Seen today, Murnau's film is more of a fascinating curiosity, but its frightening images remain effectively eerie. DVD Special Features -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All new restored print with newly translated intertiltes in English and German Accompanied by a new recording of Hans Ermann's original 1922 score in 5.1 surround sound The Language of Shadows: The Early Years and Nosferatu: a 52 minute documentary on the film Nosferatu: An Historic Film meets Digital Restoration: a 3 minute documentary on the restoration Lengthy excerpts form Murnau's other films: Journey into the Nght (1920); The Haunted Castle (1921); Phantom (1922); The Finances of the Grand Duke (1924); The Last Laugh (1924); Tartuffe (1925); Faust (1926); Tabu (1931). Insert Essay by Peter Otto, Lecturer in English Literary Studies at the University of Melbourne. Image Gallery Audio Commentary by Saige Walton, Lecturer in Cinema Studies at the University of Melbourne, and Martyn Pedler, Melbourne writer and cultural critic.

Into The Wild

Into the Wild is based on a true story and the best-selling book by Jon Krakauer. After graduating from Emory University in 1992, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless (Hirsch) abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.

Herzog On Music: Distinction Series

Two disc set of Herzog’s documentaries. Features the documentaries Gesualdo: Death For Five Voices and The Transformation Of The World Into Music GESUALDO: DEATH FOR FIVE VOICES Exploring the tumultuous and tragic life of the notorious Carlo Gesualdo, Werner Herzog’s Death for Five Voices is a sombre examination of the troubled, 16th century composer – compellingly regaled through the eyes of admirers and critics alike. The majority of the film is shot at the Gesualdo Castle, where the Prince of Venosa spent his final years under curious circumstances, and which is now tended to by equally eccentric residents of the nearby village. Herzog’s exploration posits Gesualdo as an artist (specifically expressionist), an alleged masochist and eventually a madman perpetually haunted by the demons of past deeds. Yet, this depiction is incidental to the primary focus of the film – that Gesualdo was a musical visionary whose name resides amongst the likes of Wagner and Stravinsky. THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE WORLD INTO MUSIC Werner Herzog’s The Transformation of the World into Music is an elegant and adroitly executed documentary, which captures the cultural excitement inherent in the annual Bayreuth Festival. Centring around the operatic works of 19th century composer Richard Wagner, the event has earned a pilgrimatic ambiance amongst Wagner-enthusiasts – and attracts a waiting list of several years to obtain tickets. An opera enthusiast himself, Herzog (who holds little reservation about placing himself within the mise-en-scene) has managed to expertly capture the intricacies of the festival is his inimitable fashion.

Brothers Of The Head

For some people... Rock & Roll was always a freak show. An explosive story of shadowy cultural icons Tom and Barry Howes, conjoined twins from an isolated headland on the east coast of England. Plucked from the safety of their isolation in the mid-1970s they were groomed by one of rock's leading impressarios to be part of the burgeoning English punk rock scene, soon to take the world by storm. Showing remarkable talent, the twins easily rose to the challenge, quickly producing material that left them poised to make a commercial breakthrough. Their already complex situation became intensified with the introduction of journalist Laura Ashworth who quickly moved from the band's rehearsal room to the twins' bed. Their legendary first gig at the King's Head, a study in raw performance and power cemented their place in the punk rock pantheon and gained them an instant cult following. All too soon after this the unbearable tensions within the twins' relationship , further complicated by the added pressure of imminent fame, overwhelmed the band and left the Howes twins in a potentially deadly situation.

Glastonbury

Glastonbury is now the best-known, longest-running and most pre-eminent music festival in the world. Fuelled by a staggering range of music, this groundbreaking documentary embraces the spirit, characters and overwhelming experiences of the festival as it refl ects the extraordinary world changes of the last three decades. Featuring music and attitude from Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Chemical Brothers, Primal Scream, Van Morrison, Oasis, Blur, The Cure and Scissor Sisters - to name a few - this fi lm has unique access to a treasury of images from the BBC archive, portraying the historic changes in the last 30 years, generating an alternative history of our time and raising questions about what the future has in store.

Poison

POISON is the celebrated first feature by TODD HAYNES. The film was inspired by the writings of Jean Genet and deftly interweaves three tales - Hero, Horror and Homo - and builds towards a devastating climax. Hero, shot in mock TV-documentary style, tells a bizarre story of suburban patricide and a miraculous flight from justice; Horror, filmed like a delirious '50s B-movie melodrama, is the gothic tale of a mad sex experiment which unleashes a disfiguring plague; while the lushly photographed Homo explores the obsessive sexual relationship between two prison inmates. Special Features Todd Haynes' rare short film "DOTTIE GETS SPANKED"

Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence

In the crucible of war, men kill without remorse. “Bowie’s screen presence is mercurial and arresting.” The New York Times The first English-language project of Japanese director Nagisa Oshima (In the Realm of the Senses), it follows themes of racism and brutality as a war of wills unfolds between rebellious POW Strafer (David Bowie) and camp commandant Ryuichi Sakomoto. Sakomoto is most impressed by Strafer’s enigmatic defiance; while bilingual prisoner Tom Conti (the “Mr. Lawrence” of the title) engages in a more adversarial relationship with sadistic sergeant Takeshi Kitano, who finally offers Lawrence a sinister ‘Christmas present’. Fine performances by Tom Conti, Takeshi Kitano (brilliant in his first dramatic role), Sakamoto (his acting debut, he also contributed the memorable score), and David Bowie enhance this provocative film. SPECIAL FEATURES Interviews with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Jeremy Thomas The Oshima Gang: 30 Minute Making Of Documentary Theatrical Trailer

The Element Of Crime

Fisher has returned to Cairo after leading a murder investigation in Europe. Obviously traumatised by the experience he remembers little, is obsessive and is plague by crippling headaches. He seeks the help of a therapist, and under hypnosis travels back into his memory, his pain....back to Europe Europa is much changed. Decay and dereliction prevail. Fisher visits Osborne, his former teacher at the police academy. Osborne is now retired living in his own seperate world. His book The Element of Crime has remained essential to Fisher's philosophy, but Osborne now vehemently rejects his original theories as dangerous fiction. The latest in a series of bizarre murders - The Lotto Murders - has occured in Innenstadt harbour. Fisher is to lead the investigation under the command of Police Chief Kramer. Kramer's methods differ greatly from Fisher's Kramer's priority being control not solution. At Police headquearters Fisher realizes that osborne previously led to The Lotto Murders investigation and that he established a link between the murders and a surveillance report on a man called Harry Grey. The file on Grey, however, only contains blank pages. On a return visit to Osborne's house Fisher stumbles across the missing Harry Grey file. This and Osborn's insistence that Grey no longer exisists only increase his desire to resolve the mystery.

Love In A Cold Climate

An adaptation of Nancy Mitford's two best-known novels, hits an entirely appropriate balance between the comic and the sentimentally tragic. Set in 1930s England this is the story of three upper class girls, Fanny, Linda and Polly who journey from an England which no linger exists through to the war years when everything changes forever. Along the way they experience the emotions of love, passion, betrayal but discover that even love is never without cost...

How Art Made The World

Embark on a thrilling journey through time and five continents to the heart of creativity. Fusing social history, politics, science, nature, archaeology and religion, this international landmark series unravels a universal mystery - why the world around us looks like it does. Modern-day mysteries are answered by journeying back to the beginning of civilisation via some of the most amazing man-made creations in the world. A strong narrative thread drives through each film as exciting scientific demonstrations reveal how our minds, and those of our ancient ancestors, relate to art. Beautiful, surprising, compelling and above all, relevant, with a visual ambition worthy of its epic subject-matter, this awe-inspiring adventure will appeal not only to art lovers, but to anyone who has ever wondered about humanity's place in the world.

Judge John Deed: Series One

Despite the red robe and wig, Judge John Deed is no average high court judge. Good-looking, fit and fifty-something, he has a rakish charm that belies his sharp intellect. His passion for justice and his maverick approach set him at odds with the Lord Chancellor's department. This judge's individual approach too often flies in the face of convention for his own good as he determinedly avoids the traditionalism the system tries to force upon him. Judge John Deed has become one of Martin Shaw’s defining roles. The sharp intellect, rakish charm, keen wit and passionate belief in justice were all qualities G F Newman had in mind for Martin when writing the series. Contains the complete series 1 as well as the pilot episode. Episodes: Exacting Justice Rough Justice Duty of Care Appropriate Response Hidden Agenda

Judi Dench Collection: DVD Box Set

This collection contains classic, early performances from Oscar-winning actress Dame Judi Dench, including Talking to a Stranger (1966), Make and Break (1987), Absolute Hell (1991), The Cherry Orchard (1981), Ghosts (1987) and Going Gently (1987).

Miffy The Original Series: Miffys Dream

"MIFFY THE ORIGINAL SERIES" is a special collection of the original animations, based on the stories of the internationally recognised children's author Dick Bruna. The stories are gentle everyday tales about the life of Miffy and the Bunny family. We join Miffy at school, celebrating her birthday, her first time in an aeroplane and more. We also meet the other Dick Bruna characters Snuffy the Dog, Poppy Pig and Boris Bear and his girlfriend Barbara. Dick Bruna is one of the most famous creators of picture books in the world. He has written and illustrated more than 100 books. Since the publication of his first book "The Apple" in 1953 his work has been translated into more than 40 languages, 80 million books have been sold worldwide and his work has been awarded with numerous prizes. Collection 1 Miffy was created in 1955, after Dick Bruna had been telling his one-year-old son Sierk stories about a little rabbit they had seen earlier in the dunes, while on holiday at Egmond aan Zee in Holland. When she was first created Miffy had no specific gender however, while drawing his first Miffy book, Bruna thought a dress would look nice on the character, Thus Miffy became a little girl. Includes Episodes - 1. The Orchestra 2. Miffy's Bicycle 3. I Know About Numbers 4. Miffy 5. Miffy at School 6. Miffy Goes Flying 7. Miffy's Dream 8. Poppy Pig 9. Miffy at the Seaside 10. Miffy's Birthday 11. Miffy in the Hospital 12. Miffy in the Snow 13. Poppy Pig's Birthday 14. Miffy at the Playground 15. The Christmas Book 16. Snuffy 17. Snuffy's Puppies