2007 Holiday Gift Guide: TV Shows & Movies
New and classic TV and movies for the holidays? "Whatchu talkin' bout Kimberly?"
Nothing helps you endure the holiday season and family visits more than being able to retreat into your own space, slip in a DVD and tune out the seasonal lunacy for at least an hour or two. And then comes the holiday travel, and if you have to fly you might as well stock up on DVDs, right?
Oh, like I have to convince any of you of the virtues of DVDs...
Here’s a few worth highlighting during the current gifty season, with some full-on gay shows, first!
After 2+ years on the air, Logo has finally found its funny bone. And while the cable channel is in about 25 million homes, it’s still not everywhere. Luckily, the network's two funniest shows can be had on DVD.
Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World is rude, kinda raunchy, pretty non-PC and adorable. Twinks, dykes, party boys, fag hags, AIDS activists, gym bunnies, rice queens and even gay Klansmen (who knew?) get skewered in this six-episode series which follows the antics of West Lahunga’s gay poster boys, Rick and Steve, their lesbo pals Kirsten and Dana (one of whom gets pregnant—of course), and the surly and slutty (respectively) Chuck and Evan. Plus, musical numbers!
And The Big Gay Sketch Show is a loopy ride, fueled by scorching young talent and general gay irreverence. The crew is hard at work on Season 2 (due in early 2008), so snatch the DVD of Season 1 and get prepped. PFLAG Mom will thank you!
More full-on TV/movie madness (including Liza, Agent Cooper and Zac Efron) after the jump!
Hairspray: The 2-Disc Shake & Shimmy Edition
Who knew back in 1988 that John Waters’ little movie with Ricki Lake, Divine and Sonny Bono would erupt into such a cultural force. This year’s remake of the Broadway musical still holds true to Waters’ original plot: All Tracy Turnblad wants to do is dance—and liberate all of Baltimore in the process! Young Nikki Blonsky shines in the lead as rotund, rockin’ Tracy, and Michelle Pfeiffer makes for a winning villainess. Plus, Zac Efron, Queen Latifah, Christopher Walken and yes, John Travolta in a dress... “Good Morning, Baltimore!”
And you thought your showbiz career was going nowhere? If you didn’t see this dryly hilarious show during its run on HBO earlier this year, then you really need to check this one out. The show follows a pair of scruffy, downtrodden slacker indie musicians from New Zealand as they move to NYC and try (sort of) to make it big. Think Tenacious D. crossed with They Might Be Giants meets Extras.
Twin Peaks: The Definitive Gold Box Edition
The Log Lady lives! And do the rest of Twin Peaks' resident kooks in this super-swank assemblage. All 29 episodes, plus the original pilot, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes features—10 discs worth of coffee and pie! The TV geek in you will be in heaven!
I only managed to see bits and pieces of the big BBC/Discovery channel TV event, Planet Earth, when it ran this past spring. This set brings it all back, plus over an hour and a half behind-the-scenes footage, to clue you in to the plight of the world (and how things work and miraculously fit together). The cinematography is stunning, so you gotta watch it in HD, right?
Johnny Cash Christmas Specials, 1976 & 1977
The man in black goes red and green in these vintage TV variety specials. Join Johnny, June, lots of other Carters and guests stars like Tony Orlando and Barbara Mandrell (in 1976) and Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and the Statler Brothers (in 1977). This is vintage Johnny as he sings his classics, and joins in on some holiday gems too. Somewhere between sugary-sweet holiday specials and the bluest Christmas ever, is where you’ll find the late, great Johnny.
New York, New York – The 30th Anniversary Edition
Robert DeNiro with Liza Minnelli in a musical? Directed by Martin Scorsese? Yep, it happened in 1977. This new repackaged DVD has choice extras, and showcases Scorsese’s gift at recreating WWII-era New York with lavish indulgence. It’s a long one, clocking in at nearly three hours, but for Liza fans, when she gets to belt out Kander and Ebb’s title song in the finale, it’s worth it.
Show Business: The Road to Broadway
If you’re a theater fan, or you’d like some insight into what’s the big fuss over Broadway musicals anyway, this well-made documentary will treat you right. Filmed over the course of a theatrical season (back in 2003-2004) it tracks four new musicals (Avenue Q, Caroline or Change, Taboo & Wicked) from birth to Broadway, and all the way to the Tonys. It’s a great peek at how shows are made, what role reviews play, and packed full of enough backstage drama to make Eve Harrington jealous. Bravo!
Great list except with the Hairspray. I don't think that everyone can enjoy watching this because I get bored with this movie and makes me sleep while watching.
Posted by: Movie Reviews Collection | November 24, 2007 at 02:10 PM