What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 06:30:26 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue.

Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay
My pal Molly had the honor of heading out to the screening of Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay to let the rest of us know how it was. She basically came away feeling that it was a bit on the offensive side of the fence, even for a movie like this. But she also acknowledges that it could be the kind of movie that gets funnier with each viewing, and that Neil Patrick Harris is once again pitch-perfect in his ability to make anything hilarious.

So I'll be honest: I'm adding this to my queue for when I'm in the mood for some dumb laughs. Also, after enduring that-of-which-we-do-not-speak and an Eddie Murphy bomb in the past month, I kinda feel like I can't get too picky about my at-home comedy at this point.

Special features include commentary with the directors and stars as well as a featurette titled "The World of Harold and Kumar."

Two totally fascinating documentaries if you read more.

Surfwise
When I first viewed the trailer for this documentary about nine surfer kids raised in a camper who travel from one beautiful surfing locale to another, I was totally intrigued. At first blush it sounds like an ideal childhood (to me at least): cool parents who thought outside the box, exposing their kids to the joys of surfing and travel. Of course, this isn't as straightforward as it sounds, and in the documentary the kids "speak out" about the unorthodox parenting practices of their father.

Special features include commentary with Doug Pray (director) and Matt Weaver (producer), and lots of outtakes.

Shine a Light
This movie surprised me in its ability to make me reconsider my contention that emptying my wallet to see a Rolling Stones concert in a giant stadium at this point is something I would pass on. Martin Scorsese's rock doc chronicles two Stones concerts from 2006 and totally succeeds at capturing what all the fuss is about. The movie is particularly absorbing when capturing the quiet moments you'd miss as an audience member.

If you're a Rolling Stones fan you'll want to own this immediately, and if you are currently ambivalent about what these aging rockers can bring to a live show, this movie might make you see the light.

Special features include four bonus performances by the Rolling Stones, not shown in theaters.

Movie Preview: Surfwise

BuzzSugar — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 13:30:10 -0700

Nine children. Two parents. One 24-foot camper. Sounds like some kind of reality show challenge, doesn't it? For the Paskowitz kids in the 1960s, it was just called "childhood," and the upcoming documentary Surfwise follows up with the kids - now adults - and their innovative parents. Their father is Dr. Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz who raised his nine children in a camper, traveling from one beautiful surfing locale to another. According to the description in the press email, the kids "surfed every day of their lives, and were forced to adhere to a strict diet and lifestyle of animals in the wild, by their passionate and demanding, health-conscious father."

The movie, opening May 9, looks like a fascinating peek into the unusual way these children were raised. To check out the trailer, read more.

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures