Monday, August 25, 2008

DVD Reviews

Duck, You Sucker: 1971 spaghetti western released as “Fistful of Dynamite.” A small time Mexican bandit (Rod Steiger) and a banished IRA explosives expert (James Coburn) find themselves heavily involved in the Mexican Revolution. Steiger is hilarious and you’ll witness what must be some of the largest real explosions ever put into a movie.
Recommended

Lorenzo’s Oil: A couple works feverishly to find a cure to their son’s rare and rapidly progressing nerve disease. A true story with superb acting by Nick Nolte and Susan Sarandon.
Recommended

Eric Clapton- Live in Hyde Park: 1996 performance in London. Each tour Clapton seems to have a different makeup to his band which helps keeps his music fresh and interesting. Here he has an accompanying harmonica player and superb horn section. A nice variety of tunes from the more pop oriented to sweet ballads and the usual scorching blues numbers.
Recommended

The Furies: 1950 western showcasing some fine acting by Walter Huston and Barbara Stanwyck.
Recommended

Night of Blistering Blues: B.B. King hosts an hour long program with numerous blues and soul legends as guests. It sometimes gets a little crowded on stage but the music stays tight and inspired. No date for the performance is found in the credits but it must be no later than 1987, since the late Paul Butterfield appears.
Recommended

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band- It’s Not Big, It’s Large: A close-up look at recording sessions with Lyle Lovett and his talented band. I don’t think I’ve ever seen musicians so brilliantly complement a great artist as does The Large Band to the masterful songs of Lyle Lovett.
Recommended

Shine a Light: Martin Scorsese directs this filmed performance by the Rolling Stones at the Beacon Theater in New York. There is no lack of energy by these 60+ rockers and it’s pleasurable to watch and listen to musicians totally involved in the joy of making music. Some of the best scenes are at the sound check with Jagger on harmonica and Richards and Wood on acoustic guitar. One scene stuck in my mind is Keith Richards sitting alone, acoustic guitar in hand, and playing a beautiful ditty- all the time oblivious to the surrounding mayhem of show prep with a contented grin on his face. Be sure to also listen to the bonus tracks.
Recommended

Memento: A man suffering from short term memory loss works to find his wife’s murderer. The plot unfolds backwards, time wise, with many surprises and twists that reveal an unthinkable truth.
Recommended

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