Bring the 'Battle of the Sexes' Home

My favorite movie of the year -- and the first truly great tennis film -- will be available for digital viewing on Dec. 19 and on Blu-Ray and DVD on Jan. 2. Read my rave review HERE and pre-order it now HERE.

'Multiple Maniacs,' John Waters' Lost Trashterpiece, Gets Resuscitated

The 1970 “celluloid atrocity,” featuring Divine and her “Cavalcade of Perversion,” has just been restored by the Criterion Collection. ("Multiple Maniacs" will begin its national exhibition on Aug. 5 at the IFC Center in New York City.) Trailer HERE.

And Now There's 'Maude'

The reason I could never really get into "The Golden Girls" -- Bea Arthur was Maude and Rue McClanahan was Vivian. (And don't even get me started about the Happy Homemaker!)

God'll get you for not buying me this, readers. Details HERE.

'Gays' of Our Lives

And I thought my mom was a drag queen!

From a release:

Wouldn't it be great if your parents taught you how to hold your own in a fag-eat-fag world? Rod Gay and Bob Gay-Paris are the streetwise gay mentors you never had. Come revel in the raunchy wisdom they pass along to their two gay sons -- Alex and Tommy -- advice that will empower the boys to bend the world over, lube it up, and snap one off!

Learn more HERE.

 

Uncaped Crusader

  You know you WANT IT!

'What's the T?" Available on DVD

A loving and intimate documentary about the lives of five transgender women, available now HERE.

What "Paris is Burning" was to drag balls - "What's the T?" is to transgender life - a documentary that explores the challenges, successes and lives of five transgender women; a multi-character study and an introduction to the uninitiated. "To understand the ladies of "What's the T?" is to love them," says San Francisco-based filmmaker, Cecilio Asuncion, recipient of the 2012 Outstanding Filipino-American award for LGBT advocacy. It is thanks to Asuncion's unique, tender and intimate friendships with the film's subjects that allows "What's the T?" - structured around a series of Asuncion's conversations with The Ladies - to be such a frank, engaging and memorable film. The film is not only a loving crafted and empathetically handled documentary, but also a vivid snapshot of transgender life as it exists today- the terminology, the social realities, the successes and the heartbreak. Over the last couple years, transgender characters and themes have jumped into mainstream consciousness, particularly through television and video-on-demand dramas like Netflix' "Orange is the New Black" and Amazon's "Transparent". Most recently and - perhaps most dramatically - "Orange is the new Black" star Laverne Cox, became the first trans person ever to be on the cover of TIME Magazine. The exposure, discussion and timing of this welcome trans awareness has been both prescient and fortuitous for the release of "What's The T?" by Eye Film Releasing and Kinonation. "What's the T?" was an official selection at over ten major LGBT film festivals worldwide including: Frameline, 37 San Francisco, Rio Gay Film Festival, Transgender Kiel Germany, as well as the Portland, Pensacola, and the Soho International Film Festivals. Additionally, "What's the T?" won the festival favorite award at Cinema Diverse Palm Springs and is widely considered the best film of its kind to hit the festival circuit in years.

Dirty 'Sock'

Writer/director Mark Allen writes:

Playing around with SOCK JOB poster/DVD images with images from last week. What do you all think??? Feedback please! (photography: Giovanni Di Mola, design: Mark Allen, model: Matthew Camp)

Get more "Sock Job" action via Instagram HERE.

'Let's Just Go to the Movies'

Susan Seidelman wrote on her Facebook wall:

FINALLY OUT ON BLU-RAY! Yeah, it's about time. Thank you KL.

Coming October 14th From KL Studio Classics on BLU-RAY and DVD - Susan Seidelman's DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN - Starring Rosanna Arquette, Madonna, Aidan Quinn, Steven Wright, Will Patton, Giancarlo Esposito and John Turturro.

Special Features:
• Audio Commentary by the Producers
• Original and Alternate Endings
• Original Theatrical Trailer
 • Optional English Subtitles

I don't believe the producers commentary is on my version, so I may get roped into buying this yet again!

No Way, Not Even With Cleavage

Got SQUARE PEGS on DVD for Christmas from my friend Mark! Curious to see if it's as great as I remember. Just watched the pilot and two others -- which do, although one of them ALSO perpetrated the notion that Sarah Jessica Parker isn't the grossest person ever. (The hottest senior in school -- Larry Simpson! -- sorta "likes" her ... as if!) Netflix refuses to stream this one, so you can also get yours HERE.

All Right, Mr. DeMille: 'Sunset Boulevard' Is Ready for Its Blu-Ray

In general, I don't collect movies anymore. But if I were going to replace one of my VHS classics, it would be Billy Wilder's "Sunset Boulevard," which is about to receive the royal Blu-ray treatment. From a release:

SUNSET BOULEVARD Blu-ray
The SUNSET BOULEVARD Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English Mono Dolby TrueHD, French Mono Dolby Digital, Spanish Mono Dolby Digital, Portuguese Mono Dolby Digital and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.  Disc contents are as follows:

• Commentary by Ed Sikov, author of On Sunset Blvd: The Life and Times of Billy Wilder

• Sunset Boulevard: The Beginning

• Sunset Boulevard: A Look Back

• The Noir Side of Sunset Boulevard

• Sunset Boulevard Becomes a Classic

• Two Sides of Ms. Swanson

• Stories of Sunset Boulevard

• Mad About the Boy: A Portrait of William Holden

• Recording Sunset Boulevard

• The City of Sunset Boulevard

• Franz Waxman and the Music of Sunset Boulevard

• Morgue Prologue Script Pages

• Deleted Scene—“The Paramount-Don’t-Want-Me Blues” (HD)

• Hollywood Location Map

• Behind the Gates: The Lot

• Edith Head: The Paramount Years

• Paramount in the ‘50s

• Galleries:

• Production

• The Movie

• Publicity

• Theatrical Trailer (HD)

Order yours HERE.

Paper Trail

Got a kick out of Netflix's Top 10 Newspaper Films on DVD list over on Romenesko. I've seen them all -- save for "The Pelican Brief" -- but as enjoyable as "State of Play" and "Zodiac" were, I could watch Robert Redford in "All the President's Men" on a loop for the rest of my life!

See the Top 10 streaming films -- where two of my faves that are missing from this list -- HERE.

 Netflix Top 10 Newspaper Films on DVD

  1. State of Play (2009)
  2. Zodiac (2007)
  3. Citizen Kane (1941)
  4. All the President’s Men (1976)
  5. The Killing Fields (1984)
  6. Shattered Glass (2003)
  7. The Pelican Brief (1993)
  8. His Girl Friday (1940)
  9. Absence of Malice (1981)
 10. The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)

Did You Deduct 16 Pounds for Your Shoes?

To mark its 15-year anniversary, Touchstone Pictures has just released "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" on Blu-Ray. The film is one of my all-time favorites that I was initially disappointed with when it first came out. ("Boogie Nights" is No. 1!) But whether you're a Mary or a Rhoda -- or even just a Phyllistine -- you'll want to add this one to your library. Order HERE.

Post-It Note to Self

"Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" is one of my all-time favorites movies that I was initially disappointed with when it first came out. ("Boogie Nights" is No. 1!) To celebrate its 15-year anniversary, Walt Disney Studios will release the Lisa Kudrow/Mira Sorvino BFF-fest on Blu-Ray on August 7. Who could ask for anything more?