by tim parks dvd A-LISTS
TV On DVD
HBO’s hit vampire drama True Blood gets The Complete Sea- son Two treatment on DVD, and offers fans a chance to revisit the Louisiana town of Bon Temps, where creatures of the night have taken up residence. Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) continues her complicated relationship with 173-year-old
Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), while her brother Jason (Ryan Kwanten) becomes involved with an anti-vampire religious sect and spends the sophomore season with far more clothes on than he did in the first one. Sigh. Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) finds his shape-shifting match in the forms of Maryann Forrester (Michelle Forbes), who holds Tara Thornton (Rutina Wesley) and the entire populace under her mysterious spell. Available May 25.
Music To My Queers
The adaptation of the Broadway musical Nine boasts an all-star cast, which includes the stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Kate Hudson, Penelope Cruz, Fergie Ferg, Dame Judi Dench, Sophia Loren and Nicole Kidman. Chi-
The Hero and
Grrls and bois
And Then Came Lola, which has
been called a “wonderfully fun lesbian romp” by Curve Magazine, pays homage to the 1998 German indie import Run, Lola, Run. The story brings into focus the life of photographer Lola (Ashleigh Sumner), who is desperately try- ing to find a symbiosis between her love life and work; both of
which are on the verge of succeeding, if only she will step out of the way from allowing that to happen. All of her hard work may be for naught, if the perpetually late title character cannot make it to an important meeting on time. San Francisco serves as the backdrop of this action comedy, as Lola must run through its streets and backrooms, to make good on her talent and with her girlfriend Casey (Jill Bennett). Available May 18.
Greek Pete isn’t the name of a bookie, but rather an escort who arrives in London to “make as much money as possible,” in this hybrid documentary from film- maker Andrew Haigh. The world of gentleman callers is both hon- est and explicit in its depiction of Pete’s quest to live the high life, with its glimpses into the ordinary
world of the pay-for-play realm. Haigh spent over a year interviewing a bevy of between-the-sheets players and followed them on their work days and nights, and creates a documentary that incorporates elements of fiction into the mix, as well. Available May 4.
the Half Shell
Kirk Douglas and his famed cleft chin give a face to
Spartacus: 50th Anniversary Edition, but looks
aside, it’s his strong performance as slave-turned gladiator who leads a revolt in ancient Rome that seals the deal on the venerable classic of the cinema. Moreover, it is the behind-the-scenes dealings that make this an interesting look at Tinsel Town morality during the McCarthy Era in the 1950’s, and director Stanley Kubrick’s open defiance to Hollywood’s infamous blacklist. The late film auteur included a scene in the film, which was later cut from its initial release and is restored on this DVD, which finds General Crassus (Sir Laurence Olivier) attempting to entice his slave Antoninus (Tony Curtis) with an correlation of eating oysters and snails as a way of conveying his sexual preference for men. The epic is also a hallmark in ushering in the dawn of a new genre of filmmaking with its cinematic
flair. Available May 25.
cago director Rob Marshall is at the helm of his second stage-to-film revision, which centers on famed film- maker Guido Contini (Lewis) as he undergoes a two-fold crisis in his professional and personal life. He attempts to strike a balance on the latter between his wife (Cotil- lard) and mistress (Cruz), while his star muse (Kidman), an American fashion journalist (Hudson) and costume designer (Dench) also inform the creative process for his latest project Italia. This musical midlife crisis tale, which is based in part on Italian director Federico Fellini’s semi- autobiographical film 8 ½, was nominated four times over for an Academy Award; with Cruz’s performance being singled out of the ensemble for best supporting actress, and the tune “Take It All” for best original song.
Available May 4.
Barbara Streisand gave a one-night-only performance at the renowned Village Vanguard jazz club in New York City last September. Luckily, someone had the foresight to capture the event on film/recording and, voila, you have
the DVD/CD combo of One Night Only Barbra Stre- isand and Quartet at The Village Vanguard that took
place on September 26, 2009. This concert is a special one for Streisand, as she invited only a select group of family, close friends and a few special fans (along with cam- era men (hope- fully they filmed it on her “good side,”) to her first club appearance in 48 years and offers fans an up-close look to see the chan- teuse perform.
Available May
4.
MAY 2010 | RAGE monthly 29
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