DVDpedia : Library : Title : Z

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Weinstein Company

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 101

Summary: Fans of writer/director Kevin Smith ("auteur" of "Dogma" and "Chasing Amy") should run to see "Zack and Miri Make a Porno"--the adored filmmaker has clearly made this with his hardcore following in mind. Zack (Seth Rogen, "Knocked Up") and Miri (Elizabeth Banks, "Slither") are longtime friends and housemates who, after their power and water get shut off, turn to pornography to pay their bills. After assembling a cheerful and perhaps dimwitted cast and crew, the hapless pair launch into their cynical yet heartwarming scheme with enthusiasm, only to discover--"spoiler alert!"--that they have feelings for each other. Smith clearly wanted to make a sex comedy with heart, something in the vein of "The 40 Year Old Virgin". Unfortunately, "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" combines the mawkish, formulaic sentimentality of "Jersey Girl" with the belabored, formulaic sex gags of "Clerks II". For a movie that clearly hearkens back to Smith's own experiences making the beloved and archetypally cheap-and-dirty "Clerks", "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" is sadly generic and predictable. But Smith's fanbase will appreciate that the movie has snarky jokes about science fiction, a good dose of bare breasts (and two actual porn stars, Traci Lords and Katie Morgan), and the schlubby guy/hot chick dynamic that drives a thousand sitcoms. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 1974

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Duration: 105

Summary: A bewigged Sean Connery is Zed, a savage "exterminator" commanded by the mysterious god Zardoz to eliminate Brutals, survivors of an unspecified worldwide catastrophe. Zed stows away inside Zardoz's enormous idol (a flying stone head) and is taken to the pastoral land of the Eternals, a matriarchal, quasi-medieval society that has achieved psychic abilities as well as immortality. Zed finds as much hope as disgust with the Eternals; their advancements have also robbed them of physical passion, turning their existence into a living death. Zed becomes the Eternals' unlikely messiah, but in order to save them--and himself--he must confront the truth behind Zardoz and his own identity inside the Tabernacle, the Eternals' omnipresent master computer.
A box office failure, John Boorman's "Zardoz" has developed a cult following among science fiction fans whose tastes run toward more cerebral fare, such as "The Andromeda Strain" and "Phase IV". An entrancing if overly ambitious (by Boorman's own admission) film, "Zardoz" offers pointed commentary on class structure and religion inside its complex plot and head-movie visuals; its healthy doses of sex and violence will involve viewers even if the story machinations escape them. Beautifully photographed near Boorman's home in Ireland's Wicklow Mountains by Geoffrey Unsworth ("2001"), its production design is courtesy of longtime Boorman associate Anthony Pratt, who creates a believable society within the film's million-dollar budget. The letterboxed DVD presentation includes engaging commentary by Boorman, who discusses the special effects (all created in-camera) as well as working with a post-Bond Connery. "--Paul Gaita"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Miramax

Genre: Foreign

Summary: Kitano's remake of the popular 1960's "Zatoichi-the Blind Swordsman" series (there were probably over two dozen of the original series) takes big risks but largely succeeds. Kitano is a darker, more sinister Zatoichi, and the action is a lot more Tarantino-esque. The sword action is first class but extremely violent, unlike the original series which, like the vintage Westerns, were mostly bloodless affairs. Blood squirts everywhere on the scale of "Kill Bill."
This is not the 1960s Zatoichi, who was a more light-hearted character who often avoided conflict and was even prepared to play a buffoon to avoid violence. Not so here - Kitano stalks his prey relentlessly, like the former Yakuza he was. There is a very adult story spliced in here about the two geisha runaways (one is not who s(he) appears to be) so forget about pre-teens watching this one. Unlike many Samurai period pieces, there is a plot here which is serious and sad.

SONATINE also stars Beat Takeshi in a fast and furious gangland thriller with an edgy "Pulp Fiction" attitude. Both of these films include bonus DVD features, including an introduction to SONATINE by Quentin Tarantino, acclaimed director of such film favorites as "Pulp Fiction" and "Kill Bill" Volumes One and Two.