Titlebar

Journalism & Travel




Title Director Publisher Price
The Believer Magazine - March/April 09 (#61): The 2009 Film Issue Jean Luc Godard The Believer $9.00
($10.00 list)
OUT OF STOCK!
200903
Read more and comment... 		It's been awhile since we went out of our way to mention The Believer in this space.  It seems as though we've begun to take it for granted:  another month (or two), another Believer.  But this time around we were compelled to sit up and take notice.  The DVD that accompanies this issue would, in all likelihood, under normal circumstances command a price higher than that being charged for this entire issue. Titled JLG in USA, this 3+ hour disc contains what may possibly be the entirety of extant work documenting French filmmamker, Jean-Luc Godard's stateside forays.  It contains 2 not-quite-full-length documentaries – Two American Audiences (Mark Woodcock, 1968, 40 minutes) and Godard in America (Ralph Tranhauser, 1970, 50 minutes); Two 30-minute episodes of The Dick Cavett Show devoted to Godard that were taped on the occasion (circa 1980) of Godard's "come-back" film, Sauve qui peut (la vie); an eight-minute romp with Godard and friends at Del Mar Beach near San Diego – A Weekend at the Beacch with Jean-Luc Godard (Ira Schneider, 1979, 8 minutes, video); and a slideshow by Jeffrey Blankfort of Godard's visit to San Francisco and Oakland during Huey Newton's trial.  And that's just the DVD!  The issue itself is overflowing with film related contents, most notably interviews with key independent filmmakers Michael Leigh (a Copacetic fave), John Sayles, Julie Delpy and Sam Mendes; an illustrated feature on the wonder of Polish film posters; The Believer Book Award (always worth reading) and plenty more.  All for one amazinzgly low price! WELL, THIS IS NOW OUT OF STOCK - BUT WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING IT BACK IN - SO CHECK BACK!
Gasland Josh Fox Docurama $18.88
($29.98 list)
Gaslanddvd
Read more and comment... 		Marcellus Shale is here and there's no turning back, but an informed populace is the best defense against rapacity and greed, and that's where Josh Fox's Gasland comes in.  It's more the first word than the last word on the subject, but this is a subject that is worthy of plenty of attention and this is a good place to start.   Here's the official description:  "The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history has swept across the United States. The Halliburton-developed drilling technology of "fracking" or hydraulic fracturing (Copacetic Note:  hydraulic fracturing was actually developed by George Mitchell of Mitchell Energy; not sure why the makers of this film think it was Halliburton...) has unlocked a "Saudia Arabia of natural gas" just beneath us. But is fracking safe? When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A recently drilled nearby Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called GASLAND. Part verite travelogue, part expose, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, part showdown."  Here's the trailer.  Bonus features?  Yes:  this DVD contains 45 minutes of "never-seen-before" bonus footage.