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Still burning with nationalistic fervour post Olympics? Then check out our all Australian DVD line-up this week.

Puppetry Of The Penis (ACMEC)
Let’s start with the nude guys first. Puppetry of the Penis is a home-grown cabaret show featuring two starkers puppeteers, Simon Morley and David Friend, who twist their penises into different shapes, objects and landmarks.

Billed as ‘the Ancient Australian Art of Genital Origami’, the penis poses range from The Pelican to The Windsurfer, the Wristwatch, The Loch Ness Monster, The Eiffel Tower and their signature configuration, The Hamburger.

Since its debut at the 1998 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Puppetry of the Penis has, strangely enough, grown into a world-wide phenomenon, spreading a unique take on Aussie culture (as well as complaints from conservative community groups) across the globe.

This DVD features live footage of Morley and Friend performing their repertoire of ‘dick tricks’ at one of their sell out shows. Good clean (albeit naked) fun, but perhaps not for the whole family.

Australian Idol – Uncut 2004 (BMG)
If your favourite part of Australian Idol is laughing at the try-hard wannabes before they say goodbye to their inevitably short brush with fame, then this Uncut DVD is for you. With ‘never before seen footage’ this unedited package covers the early auditions of Idol 2004, honing in on the trials and tribulations of those that don’t make it. Features include Little Aussie Pleaders (auditions of people who begged to go through), Re-Offenders (numerous people who auditioned last year), Got the Look and Cattle Call.

Cold Chisel – Ringside (Warner Vision)
After a 20-year break up, Cold Chisel reunited for a series of sold-out concerts in 2003. This double live ‘RINGSIDE’ album was recorded at the Sydney Hordern Pavilion shows. The Ringside set-up gave audiences an intimate 360 degree view of the band from a small rotating stage in the middle of the venue, with the farthest seat being less than 30 metres from the stage.

The playlist features 32 tracks – all the classic hits plus 5 unreleased songs and 12 tracks never to have appeared on any Cold Chisel live album before.

If you are one of the 100,000 people that saw the Ringside tour and want to relive the magic, or if you’re a die-hard Chisel fan that missed it, Ringside should be in your collection.

Slim Dusty – Concert For Slim (EMI, 130 minutes)
OK, shoot us – we’re heavy on the singing and (if you count penis puppeteers) dancing this week. Another recorded live concert. This one’s a tribute to Australia’s Country Music icon Slim Dusty who passed away in 2003. Recorded on January 20th at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, it features over 30 of Australia’s biggest Country artists perfoming 43 songs from Slim’s prolific repertoire. And its for a good cause – all proceeds from the sale of the DVD will go directly to the Slim Dusty Foundation to aid in the development of the Slim Dusty Centre in his home town of Kempsey, NSW.

The roster of performers includes James Blundell, Adam Brand, Lindsay Butler, Troy Cassar-Daley, Bill Chambers, Kasey Chambers, Nathan Charlton, Beccy Cole, Graeme Connors, Tracy Coster, Peter Denahy, Adam Harvey, Gina Jeffrey’s, Paul Kelly, Lee Kernaghan, Tania Kernaghan, Anne Kirkpatrick, David Kirkpatrick, James & Kate Arneman and Hanna Kirkpatrick (Slim’s Grandchildren), Jimmy Little, The McKean Sisters, Lawrie Minson, Joy McKean, Norma O’Hara Murphy, Dobe Newton, Melinda Schneider, Sara Storer, Keith Urban, Felicity Urquhart, John Williamson, Brian Young, and the Travelling Country Band.

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Don’t worry boys, there’s plenty of action to keep you happy too

Laws Of Attraction (Roadshow, 86 minutes)
Billed as a cross between a Doris Day/Rock Hudson romantic comedy and a Katharine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy romantic spat, Laws of Attraction features Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore in the classic love/hate relationship.

Brosnan and Moore play New York divorce attorneys, jaded by their constant exposure to failed marriage, who naturally are fierce adversaries in court. Never-the-less, there’s an attraction, …etc etc, …. they wind up in a romantic Irish castle,… etc, etc… but they have to go back and continue their case as opposing counsel….etc.,etc.  A great date flick.

Veronica Guerin (Buena Vista, 94 minutes)Our favourite home-grown leading lady Cate Blanchett stars in this true story about an Irish journalist who risked her life to expose Dublin’s  powerful drug lords back in the mid-1990s.  Blanchett heartbreakingly portrays a working mother caught between her home and family and her responsibility to her readers and country.

Even though you know the outcome before the movie starts, it still manages to evoke plenty of suspense and you’ll see why Guerin became a national heroine in Ireland.

Love Story (Golden Classics) (Paramount, 96 minutes)BYO tissues. OK, Ryan O’Neal was the biggest heart throb of the day, but Ali McGraw had the acting range of a broom handle. None-the-less, the tear-jerker Love Story was a massive blockbuster in 1970.  It received seven Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress) and won one for musical score.

Unfortunately, the phrase “Love means never having to say you’re sorry” (oh pul-eease) wormed its way into English vernacular.

By the way, it’s about a young couple who cross social barriers, marry and ultimately face the greatest crisis of all!

But wait there’s more…

Oliver’s Story (Paramount, 87 minutes)
If you still haven’t had enough Ryan O’Neal, out this week too is the 1978 sequel to Love Story. He re-creates his role as Oliver Barrett and Candice Bergen co-stars in a story that draws two lonely lovers together as a seemingly perfect match – but both are so vulnerable from loss that they may lose each other.

Roman Holiday (Golden Classics) (Paramount, 113 minutes)More head-strong women! Audrey Hepburn won an Oscar in 1953 for her portrayal of a modern-day princess rebelling against her royal obligations who explores Rome on her own. She meets Gregory Peck, an American newspaperman who, seeking an exclusive story, pretends ignorance of her true identity. But, gee, his plan falters as they fall in love. Eddie Albert adds to the fun as Peck’s carefree cameraman pal. Stylishly directed by the great William Wyler, this ranks as one of the all-time great romantic comedies.

For any of you males still reading this far down on the page, yes, we did promise something for you too. (If you can wrench the remote from your partner’s finger.)
You can find action, adventure, fights, blood and gore aplenty with the new releases listed below – and box sets no less.  Do the plots matter? Just tweak the setting, century, gender, weapon of choice and blood quantity, and they’re all pretty much the same. 🙂

Mummy Collection, (The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, The Scorpion King – DTS) (Universal, 336 minutes)

Tomb Raider Collection (2 Disc Box Set) (Paramount, 214 minutes)

Texas Chainsaw Massacre – Limited Collector’s Edition (2 Disc Set – DTS) (Roadshow, 94 minutes)

Dawn Of The Dead – Director’s Cut (2004) (Exclusive Slipcase) (Universal, 105 minutes)

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We’re on a first name basis with this week’s DVDs.

Buffy – Seasons 1-7 (Fox)If you’re into the Slayer from Sunnydale, this is your lucky week. Fox has released disc sets of seven seasons of Buffy and four seasons of Angel. Buffy – Season 1 came to TV screens in 1997. The year’s episodes, starting with the introductory “Welcome To The Hellmouth” are available on 3 discs totaling 528 minutes of young Buffy as she first experiences Sunnydale.

Buffy Seasons 2-7 (as well as Angel 1-4) expand to six disc sets over 990 minutes each. Yes, hardcore fans can collect all 39 discs for a whopping 108 hours of Buffy – every episode, not to mention all the special features such as commentary, music videos, still photos, cast bios, out-takes, karaoke sing-alongs and featurettes on topics like ‘Buffy Speak’.

Roger & Me (Michael Moore) (Warner Bros –  86 minutes)
This is the one that really started it all for documentary guru Michael Moore. In 1989’s Roger & Me, Moore doggedly follows then General Motors Chairman Roger Smith in an effort to persuade him to visit Flint, Michigan (Moore’s home town). The film uses Moore’s unique sense of humour to reveal how Flint folks dealt with setbacks in the automotive industry, the town’s economic lifeblood. And of course, he gets his zingers in lampooning corporate America.   

Backyard Blitz – Makeovers, Memories And Madness (Sony – 95 minutes)What can we say? This pioneer of Aussie renovation shows is almost five years old. Who knew the scores of imitators it would spawn to choke our airwaves? This DVD is a compilation of the show’s best moments, out-takes and goofs, behind the scenes footage and interviews. We think it could have been enhanced by visiting some of the early makeovers to see if the gardens are dead or alive, but failing those kinds of revelations, it’s is a good excuse to perve at host and resident spunk, Jamie Durie.

Dolly Parton – Live And Well (Shock)
And because we like to give you a music option each week, we couldn’t go past that legend of country music, stilettos and big…..hair, Dolly Parton. Recorded live at her very own theme park, Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, this concert was part of her 2002 Halos & Horns tour. Featuring songs from her critically-lauded back-to-her-roots albums The Grass Is Blue, Little Sparrow, and Halos & Horns, this performance also contains a healthy helping of some of her all-time classic hits.

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How do you get from high-class thrillers to low-budget schlock flicks? This week’s new releases show the way. Also, there’s something called Star Wars on the way, apparently.

Gothika (Columbia, 94 mins)

Psychiatrist Dr Miranda Grey wakes up one day as a patient in the same asylum where she had worked, accused of the heinous murder of her husband. Having no memory of the incident that got her committed, Dr Grey (Halle Berry) has to endure being locked up with the criminally insane inmates she previously treated, such as Penélope Cruz’s crazed character, Chloe. The plight to regain her memory finds Miranda spiralling into a world of madness and delusion as she is stalked by a spirit trying to get message across.

Gothika is a chilling thriller and features good performances from the supporting cast, including Robert Downey Jr and Bernard Hill. Special features on the DVD include the director’s audio commentary, video clip by Limp Bizkit, as well as a behind-the-scenes feature on the making of the movie.

Kill Bill Vol. 2 (Buena Vista, 131 mins)
Director Quentin Tarantino delivers the style he’s famous for in this action flick that’s even bloodier than the first installment (if that’s possible).

We follow The Bride (Uma Thurman) as she continues her vendetta with a vengeance. Vol. 1 saw two of her five enemies — O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Lui) and Vernita Green — taken out and her quest continues as she goes after Elle Driver (Darryl Hannah), Budd, and the most important target of all, Bill (David Carradine).

Part two gives us a bit more background into the reasons for revenge. We’re taken back to the wedding where it all started, we find out the unborn daughter she thought killed when she was shot is still alive, and discover how her enemies fit into it all.

Kung Fu fantasy meets the Wild West in a malicious marathon of martial arts and murder. What more could anyone want?

Bad Taste: Collector’s Edition (Universal, 88 mins)
It was inevitable with the massive success of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy that everything that Peter Jackson’s ever filmed would see DVD release. This is is his directorial debut, and what it lacks in big budget, it makes up in pure splattery gore.

At its most basic level, Bad Taste is an alien invasion flick with a distinct New Zealand tone — and we’re not just talking accents here. It’s also a rare chance to see Peter Jackson in front of the camera for once, as well as one of the only movies we can think of with a genuine laugh-out-loud exploding sheep.

The humour tone is deliberately dark, and while it’s not a film you should watch while eating dinner, it is a rollicking good time if you’re a fan of, say, the Evil Dead trilogy. Extras include commentary by just about everyone who isn’t Peter Jackson, although the shoeless one does present a bonus slideshow.

Land Before Time 1-10 (Universal, length varies)
We can’t think of a stranger contrast to Bad Taste than The Land Before Time. Then again, we can’t think of anything more painful than sitting through 10 of these syrupy-sweet kid’s dinosaur-centric epics, either. They’re all out, as seperate movies — this isn’t some kind of brain-bending mega-boxed set. Clearly for a specific audience — if you want your kid’s brains to turn into cheese, just dump them in front of all of these in order. That’ll make them behave if nothing else will.

Star Wars Trilogy (Fox, 372 minutes)
Blah blah blah, George Lucas. Blah Blah Blah the man’s already got pots of money. Blah blah blah, he’d like some more, please. Blah Blah Blah Four Disc Set of reworked classic films with new digital bits added. Blah Blah Blah Fans already foaming at the mouth (and several other places) in anticipation of release. Blah Blah Blah Scene of ravenous ewoks descending on Jar Jar Binks not to be missed.

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This week we continue on with the Aussie themed DVDs, but don’t worry if last week’s Slim Dusty and Cold Chisel concerts scared you off, there are some decent Australian dramas hitting the stores.

Sirens (Buena Vista)
It was first released on the big screen in 1994, but this one is fun to revisit, as it’s based on the life of prolific Australian artist Norman Lindsay (played here by Sam Neill). Indeed it was filmed on location at his Blue Mountains, NSW home which is now a National Trust Property.

Lindsay has angered an Anglican bishop and Sydney’s religious establishment by painting an erotic portrait that finds its way into an major exhibition. Hugh Grant (pre Four Weddings and a Funeral and Devine Brown) plays an idealistic young minister, fresh out from England with his uptight wife (Tara Fitzgerald), sent on a mission to tame the wicked ways of the notorious artist. Confronted by his beautiful free-spirited nude models (a hot Aussie chick line up of Elle Macpherson, Portia de Rossi and Kate Fischer), the repressed reverend and his wife instead are led into temptation by their playfully seductive hosts and sensuous new surroundings.

Van Helsing (2 Disc Set) (Universal)
OK this technically is not an Australian DVD, but with three Australian actors in the cast, we can just about call it one of our own.

Hugh Jackman (Aussies No.1) takes the lead as Dr. Gabriel Van Helsing, a famous monster hunter of the late 19th century. His main prey is the scourge of Eastern Europe, Count Dracula played by Richard Roxburgh (Aussie No.2). Not content just persuing Dracula, Van Helsing is also after the Wolf Man and Frankenstein’s Monster.

Kate Beckinsale chips in as the token beautiful and virtuous female who helps Van Helsing in his quest to vanquish evil. Also on the ‘good team’, is David Wenham (Aussie No. 3) who plays Carl, a friar entrusted with ensuring Van Helsing’s safety.

This DVD is packed with extras. Some of the special features include a 360 degree tour of Frankenstein’s Lab and Dracula’s Castle; a look at the movie’s special effects; a mini documentary on the Van Helsing legend; an interactive piece on both the sets and characters; the movie’s music; and of course, the obligatory bloopers.

Japanese Story (Fox)
Geologist Sandy Edwards (Toni Collette) is assigned by her business partner to play tour guide to their client, Japanese businessman Tachibana Hiromitsu (Gotaro Tsunashima) to inspect Australian mines. Reluctantly accepting the task, no-nonsense Sandy initially finds it hard to make conversation or bond with Tachibana due to cultural and personal barriers.

After getting stranded in the dessert when their car gets bogged down, the two warm to each other and the film takes on an aspect of a road trip movie. As the romance between the unlikely couple ensues, and tragedy unexpectedly strikes, Collete’s performance takes you on an emotional journey.

Directed by Sue Brooks, who previously shot episodes of popular drama series Seachange, Japanese Story features stunning shots of rugged Australian landscapes combined with a gently traditional Japanese soundtrack. Bonus features on the DVD include a deleted scene titled ‘We Were Swimming’ and audio commentary with director Sue Brooks, writer Alison Jilson and producer Sue Maslin.

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If you’re a fan of the Australian Idol series, be sure to take a look at the new releases coming out this week.

Australian Idol – Uncut 2004 (BMG, 187 mins, PG)

Fifty thousand wannabes and only one spot for an Australian Idol. It’s a show destined for tears, begging, pleading, which of course provides the rest of us with all-round quality entertainment.

The search for talent this year extended to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, Canberra, Tamworth, Darwin and Hobart. From each city we saw hopefuls shine, and also some disastrous and cringe worthy auditions. Australian Idol – Uncut 2004 brings together the hilarious early auditions that we’ve come to love. Featuring footage not shown before on television, Uncut is a DVD for the hardcore fans out there, which brings us to another release this week…

Australian Idol – Karaoke: The Hits – Vol. 2 (Sony, 48 mins, E)

Grab the microphone and start practicing for next year’s auditions. Unfortunately, there is only one solo performance by an authentic Australian Idol on this DVD with Guy Sebastian’s Angels Brought Me Here. You’ll also find the final 12 idols from last year singing Rise Up and American Idol Kelly Clarkson’s Miss Independent. A full track list can be found below.

  1. Angels Brought Me Here – Guy Sebastian
  2. Rise Up – Australian Idol Final 12
  3. When Doves Cry – Prince
  4. Angels – Robbie Williams
  5. Beautiful Day – U2
  6. What About Me – Moving Pictures
  7. Bring Me To Life – Evanescence
  8. Crazy In Love – Beyonce
  9. Working Class Man – Jimmy Barnes
  10. Miss Independent – Kelly Clarkson
  11. Freeway Of Love – Aretha Franklin
  12. Superstar – Jamelia

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