Director Flavio Alves’ art house drama is one of the most important indie films released in 2019. It’s a movie about the LGBTQ community and how much battles are left within the community. Especially in a world where it’s become even more dangerous than ever for the transgender community to simply function. Although imperfect, “The Garden Left Behind” is an award winning drama that is about as relevant and engaging a statement about the trans community as Sean Baker’s 2015 film “Tangerine.”
Author Archives: Felix Vasquez
TV On DVD: The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Series – [Limited Edition Blu-Ray/Digital]
I’ve been one of the loudest and ardent defenders of “The Big Bang Theory” since it premiered and I’ve remained a fan for many years. I don’t own any of the merchandise, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the series, and have purchased a few of the seasons here and there. While it lost me after season ten, I still find “The Big Bang Theory” to be a fun, often funny, and engaging sitcom with that comfort food sensibility that’s helped make other sitcoms so celebrated. Judge me all you want, but I loved “The Big Bang Theory” well in to its run on CBS, and enjoy it every now and then on cable. After twelve seasons and a successful spin off, “The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Series” is now on DVD and Blu-Ray in a cozy boxed set, and a Limited Edition Flat Box set with assorted bells and whistles.
An American Werewolf in London (1981): Special Limited Edition [Blu-Ray]
John Landis’ werewolf thriller is a hard film to pigeon hole. It’s not exactly a horror movie, not exactly a comedy, and not entirely a drama. It is in fact a unique beast and amalgam of various genres that’s managed to remain absolutely timeless since its initial release. The fact that Landis breaks so many of the tropes of the werewolf film while also embracing the classic mythos of the monster is what makes “An American Werewolf in London” such a masterpiece.
Blinded by the Light (2019) [Blu-Ray/Digital]
Gurinder Chadha is a very unique voice in the film world who always manages to lend a much needed voice to cultures we don’t usually see too much of in mainstream film. “Bend it Like Beckham” was a crowd pleasing comedy drama about cultural conformity and societal pressures, and “Blinded By the Light” follows the same basic platform. I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, but at the end of Chadha’s comedy drama musical, I found it to be a pleasant diversion with one hell of a great soundtrack. I admit while the film didn’t stick with me, I spent the rest of the night humming Springsteen’s songs in my head.
Eegah! (1962): Special Edition [Blu-Ray]
“Eegah!” is one of those special kinds of god awful genre films that was engineered specifically to make a rock star in to a bonafide movie star. It didn’t work too well for Arch Hall Jr. whose entire presence in Arch Hall Sr.’s sci-fi thriller revolves around singing, and mugging for the camera. His dad tries to work around Junior’s inherent lack of acting ability and it just—doesn’t work. At all. You can see the cracks come through as the film progresses, and even at ninety minutes, it’s a test of endurance.
Let it Snow (2019)
I’m no misanthrope, but it’s tough to find great new Christmas movies, even though Hollywood does keep trying no matter what. I went in with low expectations with “Let It Snow” but took the chance thanks to the great cast, and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s hard to remember a Christmas movie that feels so down to Earth and unassuming than “Let It Snow.” It has every chance to be so saccharine and cloying, but it instead insists on a very sweet and engaging tone with some genuinely engaging characters.
JoJo Rabbit (2019)
Taika Waititi has always been a filmmaker that’s managed to challenge conventions and deliver tales that are always completely out of the ordinary. With “Jojo Rabbit,” it’s another in a long line of tales about the male ego and the weird world that they belong to. In Waititi’s case, it’s the briefly controversial “Jojo Rabbit,” a movie that received a lot of buzz for its depiction of Adolf Hitler. Once you got down to the meat and potatoes of the narrative though, you learn that it’s the destruction of Hitler and how he’s so uncomplicated that he’s reduced to an imaginary friend of a young child.