DVDpedia : Library : Title : D

Theatrical: 1974

Studio: VCI Entertainment

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 83

Summary: The "Dark Star"'s crew is on a 20-year mission to destroy unstable planets and make way for future colonization. The smart bombs they use to effect this zoom off cheerfully to do their duty. But unlike "Star Trek", in which order prevails, the nerves of this crew are becoming increasingly frayed to the point of psychosis. Their captain has been killed by a radiation leak that also destroyed their toilet paper. "Don't give me any of that 'Intelligent Life' stuff," says Commander Doolittle when presented with the possibility of alien life. "Find me something I can blow up." When an asteroid storm causes a malfunction, Bomb Number 20 (the most cheerful character in the film) has to be repeatedly talked out of exploding prematurely, each time becoming more and more peevish, until they have to teach him phenomenology to make him doubt his existence. And the film's apocalyptic ending, lifted almost wholly from Ray Bradbury's story "Kaleidoscope," has the remaining crew drifting away from each other in space, each to a suitably absurd end. Absurd, surreal, and very funny. John Carpenter once described "Dark Star" as ""Waiting for Godot" in space." Made at a cost of practically nothing, the film's effects are nevertheless impressive and, along with the number of ideas crammed into its 83 minutes, ought to shame makers of science fiction films costing hundreds of times more. The DVD contains both the original 68-minute release and the director's full version. "--Jim Gay"

Theatrical: 1982

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 116

Summary: Man (Christopher Reeve) writes play. Older washed-up hack (the blissfully hammy Michael Caine) covets play. A meeting is arranged in a remote cabin festooned with various sharp objects. To reveal anything more would serve to ruin one of the most wondrously convoluted plots of the '80s and '90s. It's a cerebrum-bending romp from start to finish, with marvelously airtight plotting that simultaneously parodies and honors its genre, and two vibrant, continuously morphing lead performances (pity poor Dyan Cannon's weak-link wife, though, who gets stuck with the shrillest character and worst dialogue of the lot). Based on Ira Levin's long-running play, this adaptation's rhythm is thrown off a bit by director Sidney Lumet's somewhat misguided attempts to open it up for the screen, but the script and performers are so playfully adept that, as one of the characters says, "even a gifted director (which Lumet most certainly is, based on evidence such as "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Network") couldn't hurt it." Delirious, nasty fun that's twistier than a corkscrew and loaded with enough red herrings to keep Flipper fed for a year. "--Andrew Wright"

Theatrical:

Studio: Digiview Productions

Genre: Television

Duration: 75

Summary: Episode List: Nerver Name a Duck, Bank Book 6565696, Hustling the Hustler

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Winstar

Genre: Documentary

Duration: 60

Summary: At the close of this hour-long 1997 documentary from Robert J. Emery's American Film Institute-sponsored series of filmmaker profiles, Terry Gilliam is asked how he would like to be remembered. Gilliam replies that he hopes his films will continue to "surprise people, and allow them to view the world through different eyes." That's a worthy goal for any artist, and Gilliam has succeeded in reaching that goal many times over.
If you can forgive the pedestrian narration (which is salvaged only by quotes from Gilliam's irreverent, self-penned "official biography"), the documentary's highlights are the interview clips with Gilliam, whose observations about his life and work are far more interesting than Emery's cursory tour through Gilliam's career. Clips from Gilliam's films are well chosen, but the survey never probes beyond a superficial assessment; Gilliam provides the substance, and the stellar interviewees (including Shelley Duvall, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Amanda Plummer, David Warner, and Mercedes Ruehl) offer additional depth with their insightful gratitude. This is must-see viewing for any Gilliam fan, but it's also a bit of a tease, leaving one wanting more. It's perhaps fortunate that the film was made before Gilliam's flawed, impersonal production of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", but members of Monty Python are conspicuous in their absence, if only because the focus remains on Gilliam's solo career. On the other hand, it's nice to see time given to "The Crimson Permanent Assurance," the fantastic short film in Python's "The Meaning of Life" that liberated Gilliam from "the nightmare of animation" (his words), and set him on course for a glorious and visionary career. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 128

Summary: Kevin Smith is a conundrum of a filmmaker: he's a writer with brilliant, clever ideas who can't set up a simple shot to save his life. It was fine back when Smith was making low-budget films like "Clerks" and "Chasing Amy", both of which had an amiable, grungy feel to them, but now that he's a rising director who's attracting top talent and tackling bigger themes, it might behoove him to polish his filmmaking. That's the main problem with "Dogma"--it's an ambitious, funny, aggressively intelligent film about modern-day religion, but while Smith's writing has matured significantly (anyone who thinks he's not topnotch should take a look at "Chasing Amy"), his direction hasn't. It's too bad, because "Dogma" is ripe for near-classic status in its theological satire, which is hardly as blasphemous as the protests that greeted the movie would lead you to believe.
Two banished angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) have discovered a loophole that would allow them back into heaven; problem is, they'd destroy civilization in the process by proving God fallible. It's up to Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), a lapsed Catholic who works in an abortion clinic, to save the day, with some help from two so-called prophets (Smith and Jason Mewes, as their perennial characters Jay and Silent Bob), the heretofore unknown 13th apostle (Chris Rock), and a sexy, heavenly muse (the sublime Salma Hayek, who almost single-handedly steals the film). In some ways "Dogma" is a shaggy dog of a road movie--which hits a comic peak when Affleck and Fiorentino banter drunkenly on a train to New Jersey, not realizing they're mortal enemies--and segues into a comedy-action flick as the vengeful angels (who have a taste for blood) try to make their way into heaven. Smith's cast is exceptional--with Fiorentino lending a sardonic gravity to the proceedings, and Jason Lee smirking evilly as the horned devil Azrael--and the film shuffles good-naturedly to its climax (featuring Alanis Morissette as a beatifically silent God), but it just looks so unrelentingly... "subpar". Credit Smith with being a daring writer but a less-than-stellar director. "--Mark Englehart"

Theatrical: 1971

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Kids & Family

Duration: 26

Summary: Geared toward younger viewers, this Beginner Book Video is a static, nonmusical version of the classic Dr. Seuss tale "The Cat in the Hat" (1957). It should not be confused with the 1972 TV special. While actors voice original narration and dialogue, original illustrations are brought to life via cutouts, with the result that there is "some" activity, but characters' lips don't move when they speak. School-aged children and adults may find the effect off-putting. (On the plus side, the Cat in the Hat is voiced by the "Late Show"'s Alan Kalter.) The second story, "Maybe You Should Fly a Jet! Maybe You Should Be a Vet!" (1980), was written by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) under the pseudonym Theo. LeSieg, and is animated in the same fashion. Dr. Seuss did not illustrate the original story. As in the Beginner Book original, Michael J. Smollin is credited with the artwork. "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Theatrical:

Studio: Digital 1 Stop

Genre: Television

Summary: