13 films, photos of Paul Newman
There are Hollywood legends. Then there's Paul Newman. With more than 80 film and TV roles to his credit, Newman, who died in September 2008 at 83, starred in some of Hollywood's most enduring productions.
There are Hollywood legends. Then there's Paul Newman.
With more than 80 film and TV roles to his credit, Newman, who died in September 2008 at 83, starred in some of Hollywood's most enduring productions.
The consummate leading man, family man, racing man, and man's man, Newman also was a celebrated philanthropist whose Newman's Own food line supported numerous charities.
The actor's career is celebrated in the new 17-disc DVD set, Paul Newman: The Tribute Collection, from Fox (www.foxstore.com; $89.98; not rated).
The box set, which includes a photo book tracing Newman's career, features 13 films spanning three decades, including The Long Hot Summer (1957), Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! (1958), Exodus (1960), The Hustler (1960), What a Way to Go! (1964), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Buffalo Bill and the Indians (1976), and The Verdict (1982).
These films, many of which costar Newman's wife, Joanne Woodward, aren't a bad way to get a taste of Newman's prodigious output.
Other DVDs of note
Mexican auteur Carlos Reygadas (
Japón
) delivers a profound and profoundly moving tale of love, grace, and guilt with
Silent Light
from Palisades Tartan (
» READ MORE: www.PalisadesTartan.com
; $22.99; not rated). Set in a Mennonite community in Mexico, and shot in Plautdietsch, the language of the Prussian Mennonites, the drama opens up hidden dimensions in the simple story of a married man who has an affair with another woman.
Watch the history of Eastern Europe unfold in home movies with Private Century from Facets Multi-Media (www.facets.org; $39.95; not rated).
A remarkable, eight-part series compiled and edited by Czech filmmaker Jan Šikl, Private Century chronicles the region's war-ravaged years between the 1920s and the 1960s entirely with home movies, diary entries, postcards, and photos. The series, which covers World War II and the rise of Soviet domination in Eastern Europe, reveals an entirely new, private, and intimate dimension of these historic events one could not glean from any history book.
The Unit: The Complete Giftset, a 19-disc DVD collection from Fox (www.foxstore.com; $199.99; not rated), is guaranteed to cheer up anyone still smarting from CBS's decision to cancel the military drama after four seasons.
Created by playwright and filmmaker David Mamet and The Shield producer Shawn Ryan, The Unit followed the military and personal lives of a squad of American special forces warriors.
English director Sally Potter (Orlando) targets the fashion industry in Rage, from Liberation (www.libent.com; $24.95; not rated). The star-studded satire features turns by Steve Buscemi, Eddie Izzard, Jude Law, John Leguizamo, and Dianne Wiest.
The 1980s Canadian metal band Anvil has been credited with influencing that era's big-hair metal craze. They've also been cited as the real-life inspiration for Rob Reiner's classic satire This Is Spinal Tap. Anvil: The Story of Anvil, due Tuesday from VH1 Films/Paramount (www.paramount.com; $24.98; not rated), is a hilarious chronicle of rock dudes who make up with enthusiasm what they lack in brain power.
Director Scott Sublett goes South Park on al-Qaeda in the animated comedy Bye-Bye Bin Laden! from Cinequest (www.cinequest.org; $24.99; not rated).
Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the fabulous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live, due Oct. 20 from Time Life (www.timelife.com; $119.96; not rated). The nine-disc set features 125 performances by some of rock's greatest performers, including Bruce Springsteen, U2, Cream, and Mick Jagger.
Comedy hounds will rejoice in It's Garry Shandling's Show: The Complete Series, due Oct. 20 from Shout! Factory (www.shoutfactory.com; $159.99; not rated). The 16-disc set features all four seasons of Shandling's groundbreaking 1980s Showtime comedy.