Peep Show, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Seven Days in May

Leland Batson,
Cinephile

Seldom have gender stereotypes been explored in such an inventive and playful fashion as in director Charlie Call’s terrific short film, Peep Show. A young woman treats herself to a verbal peepshow in which her fantasies of an ideal man are catered to. A micro budget is employed to maximum effect in this winner of multiple film-festival awards.

In Oasis, a man imprisoned by his mind and a woman imprisoned by her body find peace with each other in one of the most unconventional and beautifully told love stories of all time. This groundbreaking Korean drama is not for the squeamish, but mature viewers will find it a unique and unforgettable experience.

Peep Show
(USA) 1999, Sony Pictures
List price: $5.99

Oasis
(South Korea) 2004, Lifesize Home Entertainment
List price: $14.98

Craig Wilson,
San Diego filmmaker

I first stumbled upon Hedwig and the Angry Inch going with a friend to see Memento at Landmark’s Hillcrest. It just so happened Memento was sold out so we went to see Hedwig instead. I was blown away. The music, the acting, the direction, everything was beautiful. The story is a bit strange to explain, but it’s an amazing flick.

There’s no better monologue in Tropic Thunder than Robert Downey’s “Full retard” speech to Ben Stiller. If someone ever auditions with that to me, they’re hired. I love this movie and its play on everything filmmaking. The bonus features are amazing. There’s a 45-minute mockumentary about the making of the film, plus loads of features that you can barely get anywhere else.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch
(USA) 2001, New Line
List price: $24.98

Tropic Thunder
(USA) 2008, Dreamworks
List price: $19.99

Don Senda,
Film buff

Aside from a few cheap props distracting me, Seven Days in May is indeed a classic political thriller worthy to add to my collection. Burt Lancaster’s character is frightening; Fredric March makes a believable president; Edmond O’Brien turns in another great character performance; and the title sequence (reportedly by Saul Bass) with Jerry Goldsmith’s score is quite dramatic. Only complaint with the DVD is that it didn’t have more in the way of supplemental features.

American Experience: Spy in the Sky is an effective blend of Cold War history and aviation technology. It does a marvelous job describing how tense the Cold War was in the 1950s. It’s also one of the best aviation documentaries from PBS. The

U-2 spy plane’s development is chronicled in just the right detail. The editing is very well done; film footage and still photos intertwine nicely with interviews and excellent narration by Roy Scheider.

Seven Days in May
(USA) 1964, Warner Home Video
List price: $19.98

American Experience: Spy in the Sky
(USA) 2005, WGBH Boston
List price: $19.95