This is an expensive month for DVD purchases for a Sci-Fi comics movie geek and a month of heavy viewing in front of my HT system.  I have given lengthy reviews to the AVforums on two films, an Australian spoof horror called Undead and The Interpreter staring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn.  This is also the month that Electra’s director’s cut hit DVD (which I have yet to view but plan too soon) and a HUGE month for Batman releases to DVD.  Batman Begins, what I consider at least one of the top movies of the year is finally out on a beautifully transferred DVD with tons of features in a two disc set.  Unfortunately I haven’t had time to see it all.  The Tim Burton Batman films have come out in their own long overdue gussied up treatment to DVD.  I won’t even mention those Batman abominations that came after Burton’s two, also re-released but who cares.  The one I took particular interest in was the Batman 1943 serial which I reviewed for AV forums as well but won’t be posted ‘til next week (don’t worry I’ll link you here). 

I didn’t even mention that this month I finally got around to getting and viewing Punk: Attitude which I will also review for AVforums soon.  P-A is a good documentary and has some of the best and most complete extras I’ve ever seen on any DVD ever, it’s a credit to the whole medium.  It’s about the punk scene and goes into depth, not just the early scene from the late 70’s that we’ve seen explored in movies like Filth and Fury as well as Don Letts early feature Punk Rock Movie from 1978.  I am frankly tired of hearing about the utopia that was the 100 club scene in London at that time, before the Clash had an album out, before McLaren started promoting the Sex Pistols.  I was relieved to see Punk/Attitude continue beyond that period and go right through the 80s hardcore punk scene and interview guys like Keith Morris of the Circle Jerks, who you just don’t hear from anymore.  Of course it was loaded up with interviews of Jello Biafra from the Dead Kennedy’s and the big man Henry Rollins from Black Flag fame layin’ it down like it was.  Hank has become a real softie in old age, apologizing for near slights on Duke Ellington and Rod Stewart.  Could Rollins be starting to sound more like the Family Man.

Batman ’43 is an interesting feature, very historic significance in the annals of cinema back when they weren’t concerned with things like political correctness.  The serial was a one shot 15 episode story of a character that was a mystery to most in the early 40s, this was The Batman, an operative with the FBI fighting the war effort on the home front and dedicated to stopping the threat of the evil Daka, a Japanese villain who subverts good Americans into mindless zombies (I’ll avoid Bush jokes here).  Highlights include the casual way the film mentions the unfortunate policy of Japanese-American internment camps and the repeated (what today would be) racial slurs of Japanese people.  You have to take the historic context in stride to watch this one.  Bruce Wayne himself is portrayed as a real thorny character, snapping at his ward Dick Grayson and giving Alfred a little what for when he steps out of line, I was surprised how harsh Bruce Wayne deals with his co-stars.  Alfred is played as a meek and humble servant, not at all the developed character of later Batman fiction.  The action scenes are great!  In the vein of old westerns Batman isn’t concerned with this Far East martial arts stuff like he is now, fighting like some slick kung-fu master.  Back then rowdy old brawling was the order of the day and Batman was a real brute, knocking foes across tables and dragging them through objects, slamming them against walls before feeding them multiple knuckle sandwiches.  He really kicked arse the old fashioned way!  The serial is punctuated with trademark cliffhanger endings complete with narrative recounting the dastardly situations our hero finds himself in (a la Batman ‘66 TV show)  and urging us not to miss next week’s showing at this theater.  Hair raising stunts are a great feature too, Batman jumps from moving cars, falls off walls, every episode has a premium stunt or two done without special effects or CGI, pure stuntman work. 

And if that weren’t enough, next week will be the DVD release of Revenge of the Sith!  Just when you thought it was safe to go outside and kick holes in the neighbor’s pumpkin.