DVD Talk Forum - Last DVD you watched?

Yasujiro Ozu's WHAT DID THE LADY FORGET? (1937): Ozu does Lubitsch-type screwball comedy in which Michiko Kuwano's Setsuko steals the movie as a modern girl (a Rosalind Russell type) that bonds with her hen-pecked uncle (Tatsuo Saito) while trying to get him to pull patriarchal rank over his bossy wife (Sumiko Kurishima). Half the fun is watching the director's obvious infatuation with American movies guiding his decisions (costumes, camera angles, etc.) and the other is seeing this group of Ozu's regular players (before the Chishu Ryu/Setseku Hara days) interacting with each other. At a brisk 71 min. "WDTLF?" is fun and the clearest taste yet of the kind of movies Ozu was doing before he found his pared-down trademark style.
Alfred Hitchcock's NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959): I'd never seen this one before and it just blew me away. Screw critical thinking, this is Alfred Hitchcock's greatest hits (mistaken-identity innocent man, icy blonde with something to hide, hilarious on-screen Hitch cameo, purposeless McGuffin, exciting set-pieces with sky-high production values, etc.) all wrapped into one pretty package of color-soaked VistaVision goodness that simply shines on Blu-ray. The opening titles alone (thank you Saul Bass and Bernard Herrmann!) gave me goosebumps. Shame Grace Kelly wasn't available (Eve Marie Saint is OK but she's no G.K.) but Cary Grant's on-screen charisma and star-wattage in this movie alone could power a small town for weeks.
Rewatched Godard's VIVRE SA VIE (1962): nice Adrian Martin commentary track; a good time was had by all (of me).
Michelangelo Antonioni's RED DESERT (1964): I totally didn't see the neurosis of Monica Vitti's Giuliana being the centerpiece of the movie. I knew Vitti was in it but didn't expect her character's state of mind and the way she reacts to her surroundings to be front and center throughout. Richard Harris and Vitti stand out from a decent but obscured-by-the-visuals supporting cast. Not the sharpest BD I've seen but, as an artistic visual expression of man's ability (or inability in the case of Giuliana) to cope with his man-made ecological disaster, Antonioni's cinematography and production design really shine in high-def. Need to rewatch though because I'm still not sure whether I liked the movie or not.
MST3K: GAMERA VS. BARUGON (1988/1966): My first KTMA episode ever (the earliest available through fan recordings) and, in its own low-key way, I actually enjoyed it. It looks/feels primitive and light on actual riffs (entire minutes go by without a joke), yet "MST3K" KTMA is better produced than 99% of local TV shows back in the late 80's (the theme song alone is boss!). Bring you own riffs to compensate for Joel & the bots' mellowness, and you'll be golden with "GvB's" amusing-by-itself devastation.
MST3K: THE HELLCATS (1990/1967): this is one of those experiments that I forget as soon as it's over. Something about a cop's murdered brother (Ross Hagen) and his widow infiltrating a gang of bikers to get to a Mr. Big type drug boss and to get revenge (of course)... I think!?! The Brains didn't care enough about this one to bother coming up with original host segments ('flashback' letters are used instead to kill time) which tells you all you need to know.
MST3K: THE DEADLY BEES (1998/1967): Mike and the bots give this one the good old college try ('this movie has everything... all wrong!') but some bad flicks are just immune to the "MST3K" formula. The flick is deadly alright... deadly dull and almost impervious to the riffs and comedy assault from the Brains. Not even fans of obscure British cinema will find enough humor in the obscure references and weird asides (the song Pearl and Bob sing to keep Observer from bolting is the freaking highlight of the episode!) to stay awake long-enough to wonder who the stranger with the hat at the end really is.