title: Big Bad Mama function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close(); Theatrical studio: New World DVD studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment MPAA rating: R Starring: Angie Dickinson, William Shatner, Tom Skerritt, Susan Sennett, Robbie Lee, Noble Willingham, Dick Miller, Royal Dano. Theatrical release: 1974 DVD release : 2005 film rating: Three-and-a-half Stars sound/picture rating: Two-and-a-half Stars reviewed by: Bill Warren The financial and critical success of “Bonnie and Clyde” prompted a mini-boom in period gangster movies, many of which were backed by Roger Corman. “Big Bad Mama,” directed by Steve Carver, was one of the later examples, but turned out entertaining and profitable enough that Corman made a belated sequel in 1987, also starring Angie Dickinson. One of the more unexpected developments in DVD during 2005 was when Roger Corman signed a deal with Buena Vista Home Entertainment—the DVD arm of Disney—to release a lot of his older films. Corman himself seems to enjoy doing commentary tracks and talking-head documentaries for these projects, as he’s on both this and the simultaneously-released “Rock ‘n’ Roll ...

v title: My Left Foot function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close();  studio: Miramax Home Entertainment MPAA rating: R starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Ray McAnally, Brenda Fricker, Fiona Shaw, Adrian Dunbar, Ruth McCabe director: Jim Sheridan film release year: 1989 DVD release year: 2005 film rating: Four Stars sound/picture rating: One Star reviewed by: Paul Lingas “My Left Foot” is a fantastic film with an inspiring story, a pleasing group of characters, portrayed with Oscar-winning performances. This “Collector’s Edition” DVD also has one of the dirtiest and most dated-looking transfers of any movie I’ve ever seen that was made less than 40 years ago. The long and short? Good movie, poor technical DVD.

title: Lightning Bug function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close();  studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment MPAA rating: NR starring: Bret Harrison, Laura Prepon, Kevin Gage, Ashley Laurence, Hal Sparks, Shannon Eubanks DVD release year: 2005 film rating: Four Stars sound/picture rating: Three Stars reviewed by: Abbie Bernstein “Lightning Bug” is an appealing independent film, full of humor and lifelike scares as it tells an unorthodox but quite plausible coming-of-age tale in the Deep South. Based largely on the upbringing of writer/director Rob Hall, the movie chronicles some pivotal events in the upbringing of teenager Green Groves (Bret Harrison), stuck in a small Alabama town with almost more churches than people. Green’s desire to become a special effects makeup artist, creating monsters for the movies, couldn’t be more incomprehensible to most of the townsfolk than if he announced that he wanted to grow up to be the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Consequently, a good portion of the neighbors think the kid is a Satanist. This, however, is far from Green’s only ...

title: Prozac Nation   studio: Miramax Home Entertainment MPAA rating: R starring: Christina Ricci, Jessica Lange, Michelle Williams, Jason Biggs, Anne Heche, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Jesse Moss, Zoe Miller director: Erik Skjoldbjærg film release year: 2001 (Toronto Film Festival) 2005 (US cable TV) DVD release year: 2005 film rating: Two stars sound/picture rating: Three stars reviewed by: Bill Warren There has to be an interesting behind-the-scenes story regarding “Prozac Nation.” The autobiographical novel by Elizabeth Wurtzel was a best seller in the early 90s, and actress Christina Ricci was an early and devoted fan. She worked hard to get the film made—she’s listed as an executive producer—and gives an intense, committed performance. She, or Miramax, made an unusual choice for director: the Norwegian Erik Skjoldbjærg, who hadn’t made a movie in English before.

title: Sling Blade (Director's Cut)   studio: Miramax MPAA rating: R starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black, Dwight Yoakum, Natalie Canerday, James Hampton, J.T. Walsh, Robert Duvall, Rick Dial theatrical release year: 1996 DVD release year: 2005 film rating: Five Stars sound/picture rating: Four Stars reviewed by: Bill Warren This remarkable movie, simply conceived and carefully wrought, is what brought Billy Bob Thornton from a character actor known to movie buffs and folks in Arkansas to the unusual, interesting position he holds today. Now he’s free to take character or leading roles in comedies or dramas, to work in big-studio films and small independent movies. There’s no one else in movies today with a career quite like his, and it all began because he stood in front of a mirror and made funny faces.