DVD Pick of the Week: Cemetery Man

This week has some pretty good, and some not so good releases. Among those releases is a movie that has been possibly my most anticipated region 1 release of recent memory.

This week's pick is one of the best zombie films you've never seen, Cemetery Man. It is a wonderfully bizarre assemblage of sex, blood, death, zombies, and comedy. It is a French/Italian co-production that was shot in English, I always found that a little odd, considering the number of Italian performers, not to mention the director and crew, you would think this would have been made in Italian. Anyway, I am not complaining.

The plot revolves around a cemetery watchman and his assistant who, in addition to digging graves and general care-taking duties, makes sure the dead stay dead. Seven days after their burial, some of the dead return. Our hero shoots them in the head, or hits them with a shovel, whatever happens to be handy, and reburies them. If that doesn't intrigue you, I am not sure what will. So, if you are fans of the likes of The Evil Dead and Dead Alive, this is for you.

The film finally arrives on DVD in the US courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment. The disk does not feature the best transfer, but it does look good, and it looks better than the Italian region 2 release from Medusa. This disk is sharper with better contrast, but it still has a lot of artifacts in the darker scenes. It also has a new featurette and a nice collector's booklet.

Also coming out this week:

• 16 Blocks. The latest Bruce Willis actioner is a satisfying romp, featuring a fun performance from Mos Def.
• Beavis & Butt-head: The Mike Judge Collection Vol. 2. The next collection of buffoon cartoons. Huh-huh-huh.
• Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. This Roger Ebert scripted/Russ Meyer directed flick finally comes to DVD. Been wanting to see this for sometime.
• Cowboy Bebop Remix vol. 6. My favorite anime series brings it's remastering to a close.
• Dave Chappelle's Block Party. This is a documentary that is sure to put a smile on your face and restore a little bit faith in your fellow man. Oh yeah, it's fun too.
• Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. I have heard many good things about this Shane Black project, and I liked the trailer, but it never played near me.
• On a Clear Day. Another one that looked good yet never came to my area. This one concerns a man at a crossroads who swims the English Channel.
• The Pink Panther. This was not a good movie, far from it. Avoid.
• The Princess Bride. A new special edition with new extras, plus the added attraction of two covers. There is the Dread Pirate Edition and the Princess Buttercup Edition to choose from.
• The World's Fastest Indian. Biopic about the man who broke the land speed record on a modified Indian motorcycle. This stars Anthony Hopkins.

What are you getting this week?

Categories: Pick_of_the_Week, DVD, Weekly, Previews, News