Win A Copy Of Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance

DVD Confidential is proud to offer a free copy of Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance for giveaway to one lucky reader. This film has garnered mad press and is one of our new favorites. To be eligible for the Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance giveaway, simply sign up for our Monthly Newsletter. We will choose a winner at random. Winners are notified via e-mail. Good luck!

Review: Dresden Dolls In Paradise (A-)

Dresden Dolls Paradise
Live at Paradise Rock Club (2005)
Starring the Dresden Dolls
Directed by Michael Pope
MPAA: UR
Grade: A-

Review by Scott Standish

The Dresden Dolls in Paradise is a live performance film from the duo of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione, better known as the Dresden Dolls. Their unique cabaret style of performance (from dress to stage theatrics) is engrossing. Their music rocks.

It is so hard to find something totally new in the world of rock and roll, so the discovery of the Dresden Dolls is important. Here is a duo that combines "brechtian punk cabaret" with Black Sabbath covers. Although this sounds like a novelty, the combination actually works and the effect is powerful. Amanda has a powerful voice and sexy cabaret style. Brian is a theatrical drummer with an obvious ear for the demranding drum rolls often heard in heavy metal and opera.

Their June 5th, 2005 live performance at the Paradise Rock Club is incredible. From the opening song (Good Day) to their mind blowing cover of War Pigs by Black Sabbath to the final song (Truce), the Dresden Dolls kick serious cabaret ass. Amanda wails of love, hate, revenge and regret - usually within the same song. Brian pounds the drums like Tommy Lee on speed. The crowd goes wild and it is obvious that their fans are rabid for them. This is a band with a cult following.

My only question about the Dresden Dolls is - why haven't I heard of them before? The duo from Boston should be getting international acclaim and they deserve some mainstream press. Now that they are on the fast rising record label Roadrunner, they stand a great chance to become huge. In the meantime, I intend to make up for lost time by playing this live DVD over and over. I suggest you do the same. Highly recommended.

Review: Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance (A-)

Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance (2002)
Directed by Chan-wook Park
Starring Song Kang-Ho, Shin Ha-Kyun, Bae Doo-Na
MPAA: R
Grade: A-

Review by Scott Standish

Remember the rush that comes from discovering a new favorite director, actor or actress? That's kind of how I feel after watching Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance by director Park Chanwook. His style is bold, his characters have depth, and his stories are unpredictable. That is rare in today's cinema.

Chan-wook Park is the director of Oldboy, another incredible film that explores what lengths of violence people will endure to get what they want. Oldboy and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance are reportedly part of the director's "vengeance trilogy" (the other film is Lady Vengeance) so as you can imagine, the film come with a heavy amount of gruesome violence and adult situations. I guess that comes with the territory when you deal with kidnapping, torture, murder and organ selling.

The story behind Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance is highly original. Ryu needs to buy a kidney for his dying sister, but he is unable to come up with the funds. Ryu decides to sell his own kidney to pay for her transplant, but he is cheated out of his life savings by the shady organ peddlers. In a desperate move, he kidnaps the daughter of a wealthy industrialist to raise the cash. Kidnapping is risky business and Ryu is certainly not helped by his radical, terrorist girlfriend.

Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance is well-paced, very original, and the acting is excellent. Chan-wook Park is a shooting star of a talent and you will certainly be hearing a lot more about this excellent director. One of the best films I have seen in a long time.

An Interview With Usher

Usher's foray into the film world is just around the corner. As we have reported previously, the superstar entertainer has a film coming out tomorrow called In The Mix. Just in time for the film's release, DVD Confidential has an interview with Usher.

Usher Interview (Windows Media Player)

In The Mix is directed by Ron Underwood and produced by John Dellaverson. The film’s executive producers include Usher, Bill Borden, and Holly Davis Carter and Michael Paseornek.

War Is Sell On DVD

We here at DVD Confidential are always looking for interesting new documentaries and this one looks promising indeed. Here is the background info, direct from the studio:

"Prolefeed Studios is proud to announce the DVD release of War is
Sell, documentarian Brian Standing's timely exploration of the
history, tactics and culture of war propaganda. Acclaimed by
audiences at the Wisconsin Film Festival, the Big Muddy Film
Festival, the Martha's Vineyard Independent Film Festival and others,
War is Sell is now available for home video.

War is Sell dissects the strategies of war propagandists - soldiers
armed not with guns, but with words, pictures and commercial
advertising techniques in their "battle to win hearts and minds." How
do you sell a war? How do the techniques of government propagandists,
public relations consultants and commercial advertisers work, and why
are they so effective? How did the United States become a master of
domestic war propaganda over the course of the twentieth century? If,
as many claim, human beings are biologically "hard-wired" to wage war,
why should propaganda be necessary at all? Is it possible to train
people to critically evaluate, and ultimately resist, deceptive
propaganda messages? War is Sell uses archival films, television news
coverage, propaganda images from WWI and the Iraq War and interviews
with a diverse set of researchers to answer these and other questions
in a lively, absorbing manner.

The new 2-disk DVD edition includes:
- a previously unreleased & remix edit;
- deleted scenes, including Rahul Mahajan discussing racism in
propaganda, John Stauber discussing embedded reporters, and Mary
Carpenter's trench warfare; classroom exercise;
- previously unseen speeches on the Iraq War and media reform by
journalists Alexander Cockburn, Robert Fisk, and Amy Goodman;
- original propaganda films and graphics materials from WWI, WWII and the Iraq War."

Scoop Perlman's Guide To Art Comes To DVD

Here is an interesting new release: Scoop Perlman's Guide to Art. According to the press info, "Scoop Perlman's Guide to Art is an ongoing documentary series that explores the work of outsider and folk artists in Wisconsin and the Midwest. With a quirky interview style and offbeat sensibilities, Madison-area cartoonist, art critic and journalist Steve "Scoop" Perlman, converses with self-taught artists about their inspirations, fears, and passions. Scoop Perlman's Guide to Art is dedicated to art by, of and for the people. DVD edition includes slideshows of featured artists' work. Both DVD and VHS include four 20-minute episodes."

Here is a breakdown on the DVD:

1. Episode 1 features Baraboo's Dr. Evermore, who has transformed his industrial salvage yard into a dreamlike landscape populated by giant insects, highly evolved mechanical birds, and a mysterious machine called "The Forevertron," that just might be capable of space flight.

2. Episode 2 explores the strange and dark world of Nadine Mercil, a shy recluse who keeps her sexually-charged miniature dollhouses hidden away from public view, but still wants to be famous.

3. Episode 3 finds Scoop chatting wth Rob Em and Taggerboy, two graffiti artists trying hard to find a way to go legit.

4. In Episode 4, Scoop hangs out with painter Phil Porter, who doesn't mind which way you hang his fanciful landscapes of historic downtown Madison. Pepe LePew makes a cameo appearance.

Scoop Perlman's Guide to Art is currently available on DVD and VHS.

Review: Bums (C)

Bums (2004)
Directed by Brett Butler & Jason Butler
Starring Brett Butler, Jason Butler, Tessa Sproule, Tammy Gerus & Jeremiah McCann
MPAA: UR
Grade: C

Review by Scott Standish

The beauty of the independent film scene is that new talent is emerging everyday. The Butler brothers out of Canada are two young filmmakers that are cranking out feature films at a decent clip. Bums is a tempting feature that has lots of promise, but is brought down to earth by poor acting.

Bums tells the story of a group of six friends that live fairly slacker style lives. They smoke weed, drink a little beer, bitch about the opposite sex and basically just hang out. It's a character piece that centers around everyone's ideas on sex and relationships. The gals bitch about the guys and the guys act like jerks and wonder why the gals cheat on them. It reminds me a lot of my freshman year in college.

Bums has a strange look to it. It was obviously shot on video then put through some kind of filter to be black and white (although at times the color bleeds through - very strange indeed). Its a little distracting.

Bums is a film that shows the promise of two young directors. The Butler brothers obviously have the technical chops to make a decent film. However, the acting is so bad in Bums that it really never has a chance to pick up steam.

Review: The Perfect Man (C)

The Perfect Man (2005)
Directed by Mark Rosman
Starring Hilary Duff, Heather Locklear and Chris Noth
MPAA: PG
Grade: C

Review by Bobby Nashville

This is so not my kind of movie. The Perfect Man is cute, charming and a little bit weird (Hilary Duff's character has serious problems). But, I prefer horror films, or really strange flicks with Dennis Hopper buying a six pack of Bud, holding a blow up love doll. Wholesale family films are just not my forte.

I could slam The Perfect Man for being shallow, silly and childish, but of course, the filmmaker probably knows that anyway. It's a "feel good" family picture and for the most part, it works. Holly Hamilton (Hilary Duff) is trying to set up her single mom (Heather Locklear) with the "perfect" man, but as any gal over 30 will tell you, they are hard to find indeed. She takes to inventing the character (Chris Noth) and tricking her mother into thinking he's real. Um, that seems normal, right?

The Perfect Man is less than perfect, but as an afternoon diversion (especially for the kids), you could do worse. I can't recommend it for adults, especially our reader base, but for kids, this gets a passing grade.

What We Are Reading: Killing Yourself To Live

What We Are Reading:
Killing Yourself To Live
By Chuck Klosterman

Review by Sebastian Francis Kennedy

Chuck Klosterman is perhaps best known as a rock critic for Spin Magazine, but his best work really comes from his books. His droll wit and down home writing style is a breath of fresh air in the stuffy, over intellectualized world of rock criticism. Basically, Klosterman is funny, insightful and his work is very accessible, whether you know the bands he is referring to or not.

Klosterman's previous works (Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs and the excellent Fargo Rock City) have been rants about pop culture with a specific focus on rock bands from the 80's. Killing Yourself To Live tells the story behind Chuck's journey to visit the places where rock stars have died. Along the way, he muses about his love life, his life in general, and of course, the rock bands that died in the places that he visits. It's light reading, it's funny, and once again, it's very insightful.

Chuck Klosterman is certainly one of the best writers on the music scene and with Killing Yourself to Live he takes his work to another level. This is a great book for music fans young and old, and if you love pop history (or rock criticism) then Killing Yourself to Live is definitely for you. Highly recommended.

Review: Unborn But Forgotten (C)

Unborn But Forgotten (2002)
Directed by Chang-jae Lim
Starring Jun-ho Jeong, Eun-ju Lee, Seong-Yong Kye
MPAA: R
Grade: C

Review by Sebastian Francis Kennedy

This horror film from Korea is as average as you will find. Unborn But Forgotten strives for chills and thrills, and it certainly has it's moments, but for the most part, it comes up short.

Unborn But Forgotten tells the story of Han-Soo Jin, a television producer covering a serial killer case. The "twist" here is that people are dying 15 days after viewing a web site called The White Room. Sound familiar? It's basically Ringu (or for US audiences, The Ring) but with a web site substituted for the video tape. Originality is not Unborn But Forgotten's strong suit.

The production quality for Unborn But Forgotten is high and the acting is actually quite decent. The director and cast do what they can to help, but Unborn But Forgotten is ultimately brought down by an unoriginal script.

Audiences searching for good foreign films out of Asia should opt instead for the excellent Spider Forest or the highly acclaimed Oldboy.

New York Doll Poster Winner

Congratulations to Anne, the winner of an official New York Doll movie poster, signed by the director. Anne, your poster is on it's way!

Want to win cool movie posters, DVDs and more? To enter, simply sign up for our monthly DVD Confidential Newsletter. You'll be automatically entered to win all upcoming giveaways, and you'll get a text only e-mail once a month, containing snippets of our most popular movie reviews. Rock on.

Review: Spider Forest (B)

Spider Forest (2004)
Directed by Il-gon Song
Starring Woo-seong Kam, Jung Suh, Kyeong-heon Kang, Hyeong-seong Jang
MPAA: R
Grade: B

Review by Scott Standish

An excellent little thriller, Spider Forest is a fine who-dunnit that for some reason is marketed as a horror film. It is really a noirish, psychological murder mystery, and if you go into Spider Forest with that in mind, you will be pleasantly surprised. It reminded me a little bit of Chris Nolan's remake of Insomnia. But weirder. And better.

The story behind Spider Forest is a little unconventional. A man discovers a couple brutally attacked in a cabin and left to die. He attempts to investigate, but is hit by a car, and he is then the subject of the police investigation. He has flashbacks and visions that hold the key to Spider Forest, a bizarre place where things are not always what they seem. The story jumps around a bit, and the viewer is always kept in suspense.

Spider Forest has a fantastic look and the script is tight. Excellent direction and acting makes this a pleasant surprise. Recommended.

Formula 17 On DVD November 29th

“Silly, Sweet…Swoons with Youthful Innocence!” - New York Times

Strand Releasing is one of our favorite independent film companies and they have an excellent track record. Thier latest film is Formula 17. Here is the background information:

"Young queer love runs amok in Taipei in “Formula 17,” a sweet, rambunctious story of a group of cute gay boys finding their way through the obstacle course of dating and mating. The top-grossing locally-made film from Taiwan this year, “Formula 17” will debut on DVD November 29th.

In this lighthearted boy-meets-boy romantic comedy with a very exuberant soundtrack, Tien is the new kid in town, looking for work but also hoping to find true love. Taking a job as a gym attendant, his heart is soon aflutter at the spectacle of flexing biceps and handsome guys on the make. Encouraged to take advantage of this smorgasbord by his new friends, Tien sets his sights on the irresistible and irredeemable Bai, the biggest playboy around and a notorious “one-night-stander.”

Fate brings the two boys together in a night of fun and passion but in the morning – Bai disappears. Unbeknownst to Tien, Bai has a secret that changes everything and he’s fearful of the consequences. Can love conquer everything?

A crowd-pleasing, feel-good movie, “Formula 17” was a huge theatrical hit, particularly when the film played at gay and lesbian film festivals across the U.S. “A candy colored comedy…an intoxicating love story,” raved Gay City News. “The right recipe for fun!” cheered the Philadelphia Gay News. The New York Times praised the film for its “breeziness and buoyant good humor” that is “difficult to resist.”

The film is directed by Yin-Jung Chen and stars Tony Yang, Duncan, Chin King, Dada Ji, Jimmy Yang and Jason Chang.

Cry_Wolf Coming To DVD December 20th

Universal Studios has announced the DVD release date for Cry_Wolf. DVD Confidential has the inside scoop:

"Eight high-school students spin a terrifying tale of murder and mayhem that comes back to haunt them in the year’s most shocking horror mystery, Cry_Wolf. Directed by Jeff Wadlow (winner of the Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival) and written by Wadlow and Beau Bauman, the cunningly crafted tale of an imaginary – or not? – serial killer arrives in stores in an Unrated version with never-before-scene footage and Rated version on December 20, 2005 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Starring Julian Morris (Spin, Don't Go Breaking My Heart), Lindy Booth (Dawn of the Dead, Wrong Turn) and Jared Padalecki (“Supernatural,” Flight of the Phoenix), Cry_Wolf is created from a chillingly original script, full of surprises that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats until the final horrifying twist.

In Cry_Wolf, a teen Internet prank turns deadly when troubled Owen Matthews (Morris) transfers to a posh private school where he befriends seven equally rebellious high-school seniors. Following the brutal murder of a young woman, they begin an online game of lies and rumors that will ultimately bring them face-to-face with the blood-curdling terror they thought that they had merely invented. When the students of a prestigious prep school spread a hoax email about a serial killer, they start a game of terror and deception that has three rules: avoid suspicion, lie to your friends, and eliminate your enemies. But what starts as a joke soon turns deadly, and now they find themselves victims of their own game!"

Review: Devil's Rejects (B+)

The Devil's Rejects (2005)
Directed by Rob Zombie
Starring Sid Haig, Sheri Moon Zombie, Bill Moseley, Geoffrey Lewis, William Forsythe, Priscilla Barnes, PJ Soles, Leslie Easterbrook
MPAA: UR
Grade: B+

Review by Bobby Nashville

The highly anticipated Devil's Rejects has finally come to DVD and we think that this unrated widescreen version was well worth the wait. Directed by Rob Zombie, this horror film pays homage to horror classics while deftly creating a unique style all it's own. Devils Rejects is certainly not a film suitable for most folks but if you are a fan of horror, this is a very scary film that is highly recommended.

The Devils Rejects are in fact a group of homicidal maniacs that apparently love to torture, rape and kill their victims for kicks. They are about as evil as it gets. Mother Firefly directs the insane posse and she is religiously followed by her kids (played by Sheri Moon Zombie and Bill Mosely), a pair of evil freaks that are sick, sick, sick. They are chased by Sheriff Wydell (William Forsythe), a tough as nails sheriff that has sworn to bring these evil kids down. Unfortunately for sheriff Wydell, the Devils Rejects have an aura around them similar to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, one that screams "You'll never take me alive". They are not heros by any measure but they are certainly the main outlaws and stars of the film (again like Butch and Sundance or Thelma & Louise). They are also evil incarnate. Having the antagonists be the central characters of the movie is a brilliant twist and if you can endure the evil nature of the leads, you will see Devils Rejects for what it is - a chilling, horrific, cinematic work of art that is as disturbing as it is professional.

Coming off of House of 1,00 Corpses, I was not sure what to expect from Rob Zombie. Would it be another tantalzing yet ultimately unfulfilling B movie homage? Thankfully, Devil's Rejects owes more to Texas Chainsaw Massacre than it does House of 1,000 Corpses. Scary, disturbing (did we mention that this film is not for most?) and very well made, the Devil's Rejects is a fantastically creepy horror movie. For horror film buffs, Devils Rejects is a must see.

Signed New York Doll Poster Giveaway

Okay folks, listen up. We've given away some incredible movie swag in the last few months- but this is by far the sweetest giveaway yet, especially if you are a fan of the New York Dolls.

We have an official movie poster from the critically acclaimed documentary New York Doll to give away. Now, here's the best part - the movie poster is autographed by the director of New York Doll, Greg Whitely.

Given the highly collectable nature of this movie poster, we want to ensure that this poster actually gets to a fan of the New York Dolls, the movie, or both. So we actually have some strict rules for this particular giveaway. To be eligible to win you must: A) sign up (or already be signed up) for our Monthly Newsletter, and B) you have to e-mail ScottATDVDconfidentialDOTcom (reformat it before sending) with the subject line DOLLSRULE. We'll narrow down the field and choose one lucky winner later this week. Good luck!

Review: Suicide Girls First Tour (B-)

Suicide Girls: First Tour (2004)
Starring Reagan, Nixon, Snow
MPAA: UR
Grade:B-

Review by Bobby Nashville

The Suicide Girls are a sexy, boundary pushing group of women that run a successful erotic photography web site. The Suicide Girls have tattoos, wear gothic clothing and love punk rock music. These are my kind of gals. They love to rock, they aren't afraid to get loud, and they are damn sexy. The top models from Suicide Girls recently went on tour and this documentary tells the story behind the tour. It's not Bob Dylan: Don't Look Back, but it is entertaining.

Suicide Girls: First TOur is basically home movies of the Suicide Girls on their tour across America. There are vignettes of the girls doing burlesque acts, and these (along with the interviews) are interesting as you can finally get a little perspective on what it takes to be a Suicide Girl. However, the music video style showcases of the live performancess tend to get boring and the entire production has an HBO "Real Sex" type look to it. The Suicide Girls are all about the punk sensibility. The directing style and visual approach just didn't seem to gel with that.

I enjoyed Suicide Girls First Tour but it took some time before it really got its groove on and the production values held this one in check. For fans of the Suicide Girls this is definitely a must own. If you are unfamiliar with the Suicide Girls I would recommend checking out their web site first, then maybe give this a rental.

Review: Undead (D+)

Undead (2003)
Directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig
Starring Felicity Mason, Mungo McKay, Rob Jenkins
MPAA: R
Grade: D+

Review by Bobby Nashville

In Undead, a meteor shower in Australia has brought flesh eating zombies to life and strange phenomena is occuring everywhere. The townspeople try to run but eventually end up battling it out with the zombies. Sometimes ya gotta just take a stand. There are references to American zombie classics (Night of the Living Dead) everywhere and the attempts at humor are painful. To me, a zombie film better be damn scary or funny as hell. Undead is neither.

I love a good horror film as much as the next guy, in fact maybe more so. So I really wanted to like Undead. It's chock full of zombies, freaks and more. Heck, that's usually right up my alley. Unfortunately, Undead is a horror film that just doesn't impress. It looks and sounds like just about every other zombie move out there. Sure, it has the formula down. But that's not enough for me. I'm looking for a little more from the horror genre nowadays and I think audiences are too. Ultimately, I found Undead a little boring.

If you love zombie flicks and don't mind the poor acting, Undead might be for you. As for me, I'll pass. There are just too many better options (Evil Dead, etc.) out there. Undead is not as scary as it should be. And when it comes to horror films, that's the curse of death.

Murderball Coming To DVD Nov. 29th

Lions Gate has announced a date for the DVD release of Murderball. This critically acclaimed documentary will debut on DVD November 29th.

This is a terrific documentary about the sport of Quad Rugby - Murderball, as it’s unofficially known - that is, quadriplegic athletes in tank-like wheelchairs, kicking ass and taking names. The film doesn't show them as saints, just as real people with real stories and almost all fed up with society patronizing them. The film packs a real emotional punch and will likely get you wanting to know more about many of the people you meet here and what happens to them after the credits roll…

Featuring fierce rivalry, stopwatch suspense, and larger-than-life personalities, Murderball was the winner of the Documentary Audience Award and a Special Jury Prize for Editing at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.

The film also has a nice web site, well worth checking out!

Murderball Web Site

Review: The L Word Season Two (B)

The L Word - Second Season (2004)
Director: Ernest R. Dickerson, Tony Goldwyn
Starring Mia Kirshner, Jennifer Beals, Laurel Hollomon, Pam Grier, Katherine Moenning, Erin Daniels, Leisha Hailey

Review by Bobby Nashville

The L Word is one of those shows that grows on you. Since it's start on Showtime it has been compared to Sex and the City and even Queer as Folk. However, the L Word is truly unique show and the L Word's season two is worth checking out.

The critically acclaimed series focuses on a group of friends in LA (both gay and straight)and their attempts to start, maintain and grow relationships. Highlights of season two include Bette and Kit dealing with the loss of their father, and Jenny moves on as her ex-husband splits. The characters on the L Word are strong and the acting is excellent. Guest stars and guest directors make the second season worth checking out. The L Word is a character study piece and if the writing wasn't so good, you might find it a bit pretentious.

Not just a show for the lesbian community, The L Word stands out as a solid television show about friends, lovers, and family. Smart and sizzling, the L Word (especially season two) is a television series that everyone can find accessible. Highly recommended.