DVD Review: INXS Live Baby Live (B+)

INXS: Live Baby Live (1991)
Directed by David Mallet
Starring Michael Hutchence, Gary Beers, Andrew Farriss, Jon Farriss,Tim Farriss and Kirk Pengilly
MPAA: UR
Grade: B+

Review by Scott Standish

The tragic death of INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence has certainly enhanced the group's popular mystique over the years. It also seems that it's been near impossible for the band to really carry on without him. Viewing INXS: Live Baby Live (their highly praised 1991 concert film), its clear why. Michael Hutchence was the type of performer that was born to be a rock star and when you see him clicking with his band mates, it is obvious - he was born to be the lead singer of INXS.

INXS Live Baby Live is a nicely shot record of the band's legendary performance at the 72,000 seat Wembley Arena in 1991. On cuts like New Sensation, I Need You Tonight, What You Need, Suicide Blonde (I could go on and on) INXS shows the energy that made them one of the best live bands out there. If you are a fan of INXS, you need to snatch this DVD up immediately.

Watching a concert like this makes me wistful for the days when pop music actually KICKED. The crowd is pumped, the band is very tight and the sound is surprisingly good. The camerawork is solid and the performance is top notch- what can I say, this is a fantastic concert film.

In the wake of Michael's passing, Terence Trent D'Arby played one gig with the group, but since then I have heard conflicting stories on who will try to fill Michael Hutchence's shoes. Viewing this fine performance makes it clear just how tough a task that will be.

DVD Review: Home Movie (B)

Home Movie (2001)
Director: Chris Smith
Starring: Linda Beech, Ben Skora
MPAA: UR
Grade: B

Review by Bobby Nashville

I loved American Movie, Chris Smith's previous documentary so I went into Home Movie with high expectations. I wasn't terribly disappointed but I also didn't enjoy Home Movie as much as I hoped.

Home Movie chronicles the bizarre homes that several people have chosen. A former Japanese sitcom star now lives in a tree house (literally) in Hawaii. An ex-hippie couple now live in an abandoned missile silo. Not much more you can say about that. A guy in Illinois has a completely tricked out "home of the future" that has chairs that move and everything in the house seems animatronic.

Home Movie certainly has it's moment's: A man who works with alligators also lives on a pretty cool houseboat in Louisiana. Bob Walker and Francis Mooney have turned their house into a Disneyland for cats, and it's a dog lover's nightmare, lets just leave it at that. Getting to hear the reasoning behind these houses makes the film entertaining.

A short (thankfully) film at 65 minutes, Home Movie accomplishes what it sets out to do: feature some interesting folks that live in interesting spaces. This is a good change of pace film and is recommended.

Buy Home Movie On DVD

DVD Review: Brotherhood, The (C+)

The Brotherhood (1968)
Directed by Martin Ritt
Starring Kirk Douglas and Alex Cord
MPAA: PG-13
Grade: C+

Review by Bobby Nashville

Before there was the Godfather, there was the Brotherhood. Starring Kirk Douglas and Alex Cord as brothers in the mob, this Martin Ritt vehicle has lots of the same themes as the Coppola classic. But of course, watching any film that is similar in theme to the Godfather only makes you notice what is missing, not what is up there on the screen.

Kirk Douglas plays Frank Ginetta, a don that remains loyal to the traditional Mafia values: loyalty, honor, and most of all, keeping the business simple. His brother (Cord) backs the new voices of the mob, those that push for expansion into untapped, semi-legit markets. The brothers love each other, but they find themselves pitting their futures against each other.

The script is quite good, and the story moves along at a nice clip. However the art direction is quite flat and the camerawork is average. Kirk Douglas and Alex Cord seem a strange pairing as brothers, and despite their best intentions, I never really could believe this odd casting choice.

For fans of the classic Godfather trilogy, the Brotherhood serves as a decent curiosity piece and is worth checking out.

Buy The Brotherhood On DVDFrom Amazon.com

DVD Review: Naked Kiss, The (B-)

The Naked Kiss
Directed by Samuel Fuller
Starring Constance Towers, Anthony Eisley and Michael Dante
MPAA: UR
Grade: B-

Review by Scott Standish

Familiar film noir themes run through Samuel Fuller's Naked Kiss: prostitutes, hard nosed cops, sexual psychos and girls in trouble. There are some classic lines here, some nice photography and a fairly interesting script. The Naked Kiss has also been praised for it's feminist leanings, something that's certainly unusual for the film noir genre.

Constance Towers stars here as Kelly, the hooker with a heart of gold. She's new in town and as luck would have it, her first john is the police Captain, a surly sort by the name of Griff. Griff tries to run her out of town, but she not only sticks around, she turns respectable by quitting the business and working with handicapped children. When Kelly hooks up with the town's wealthiest bachelor, we see Captain Griff's jealousy get the better of him.

The Naked Kiss straddles the line between film noir and campy drama pretty well, refusing to settle into either genre. For those expecting either, The Naked Kiss may prove a disappointment. It does work fairly well as a feminist drama (Kelly battles to get herself and others out of a life of exploitation) and for that, Fuller is to be commended.

The black and white photography is stellar and although the audio isn't the best, it's not a distraction by any means. The Criterion DVD version offers a nicely transferred, letterbox print.

Buy Naked Kiss On DVD From Amazon.com