Since its founding over fifteen years ago, Something Weird Video has dedicated itself to locating and preserving as many lost exploitation film treasures as they can. Begun as a hobby by a true aficionado of offbeat cinema, this backroom tape trading enterprise blossomed into a kind of AFI for the raincoat crowd. This week DVD Talk Reviewer Bill Gibron takes a look at the latest release from Something Weird Video the triple feature: Vibrations, Fluctuations and Submission. Featuring a lost link in a famous filmmakers oeuvre, as well as two additional oddball looks at late 60s sex and skin, this trio of tacky titles will delight as much as they disturb. But anyone not willing to accept these movies for what they are. This is not a trip for the neophyte or non-adventurous. But those with a nose for novelty, as well as an appreciation for cinema's history will love what Something Weird has in store.

This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews including: The Man Who Never Was - Ronald Neame's account of a true WW2 spy incident, L'Argent - Robert Bresson's last film allows no room for emotions, let alone positive human values, Ronin Gai - a modern Samurai saga that reinterprets one of the older genre standards, The Driver - the stunts are great but the dramatics might as well be between mannequins in this overly-stylized transplant of samurai cool to an LA noir setting, The Complete James Dean Collection - Warners caps a season of incredible library output with a six-disc set of James Dean's three feature films, Marlon Brando: The Franchise Collection - Universal's Brando grab-bag throws together a disparate group of titles: The Appaloosa, A Countess from Hong Kong, The Ugly American and The Night of the Following Day and Abouna - Director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun presents an African film that need make no apologies for technique or artistry to anyone. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

When you start talking about quintessential comedies it's not long before you get to Stripes. Featuring a landmark performance by Bill Murray and supporting performances from Harold Ramis, John Candy, P.J. Soles and Sean Young Stripes is as funny and wonderful to watch as when it debuted almost twenty five years ago. Now on an extended edition DVD with 18 additional minutes and tons of behind the scenes special footage Stripes can now be experienced in a whole new way by a whole new generation of movie goers. We had the opportunity to sit down with Ivan Reitman, the director of Stripes to talk about the DVD release for Stripes: Extended Edition. Listen to our interview with Ivan Reitman using our Online DVD Talk Radio Player or Download the complete interview with (12min 7.5MB).

A solid week for notable DVDs including: Stripes: Extended [Review] - 18 more minutes added to one of the best comedies of the eighties; The Machinist [Review] - Christian Bale is hauntingly thin and brilliant in a film that is a mix of Fight Club and Memento; Double Dare [Review] - excellent documentary featuring one of the best interviews with Quentin Tarantino we've seen; Rescue Me: S1 [Review] - an energetic and highly entertaining creation that works on both comedic and dramatic levels; Sopranos: S5 [Review] - miss picking up this masterpiece and Vinnie here will crack some skulls; Dead Ringers [Review] - one of the crown jewels in David Cronenberg's film legacy. Other notable DVDs out this week: Bad Girls: S1, Father of the Bride: SE, Footballers Wives: S1 and Rock & Rule: CE [Review]. Read our List of Top Upcoming DVDs for more great DVDs out this week, visit our DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

This week we have a very special giveaway for Double Dare - an insightful and entertaining documentary which looks at the lives and careers of two Hollywood stuntwomen. The Double Dare DVD features: Commentary with Amanda Micheli (Director and Director of photography), Jeannie Epper (stuntwoman for Wonder Woman) and Zoe Bell (stuntwoman for Xena/Kill Bill), interviews with Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Lucy Lawless, Lynda Carter and Renee O'Connor, deleted scenes, Home Movies with Jeannie Epper and Zoe Bell and more. Enter now for your chance to win on of 5 Double Dare DVDs we're giving away this week.

You might not recognize Zoë Bell but odds are you've seen her work. Zoë has done stunt doubling for Lucy Lawless in Xena, Uma Thurman in Kill Bill and Sharon Stone in Catwoman. Now the documentary Double Dare takes a look at her life and career and the intersection with veteran stunt woman Jeannie Epper. We had the opportunity to talk to Zoë Bell about the Double Dare DVD, her career as a stunt woman and her experience working with Quentin Tarantino on Kill Bill vol 1 and 2. Listen to our interview with Zoë Bell using our Online DVD Talk Radio Player or Download the complete interview (21min 12.8MB). Also be sure to listen to our recent interviews on DVD Talk Radio with Troma director Lloyd Kaufman, Bradley Beesley director of Fearless Freaks, Wildboyz Chris Pontius, John Flansburgh from They Might Be Giants and The Incredibles Director Brad Bird.

With literally thousands of DVD Reviews (over 12,000 reviews!) in the DVD Talk Review Database it's easy to miss some of the notable reviews written by our staff. Recent DVD Reviews include: Dead Ringers - a bona-fide masterpiece from a filmmaker who's already created a solid handful of masterpieces, The Man Show: Season 3 - hilarious and shameless fun from the now defunct series, Made in Sheffield - as an important and extremely well done electronic pop primer, The House of Eliott - Series 1 - a high-quality story, characters, and acting, put together skillfully into a well-paced package, it becomes quite an addictive experience, NBA Dynasty Series - Philadelphia 76ers - The Complete History - a veritable gold mine of basketball bliss, The Hidden Blade - Yoji Yamada, director of the universally acclaimed The Twilight Samurai, directs an interesting cast in another period samurai film that once again finds the perfect balance of drama, romance, and swordplay, Dumplings - Three...Extremes - the full cut from the standout short film with a fuller story that makes the finale all the more chilling and just plain wrong. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

This week Silent DVD has a look at the re-issue of Treasures from American Film Archives. Originally released in 2000, this set went out of print in 2004 (and was fetching high prices on e-bay.) This new release of the set has the same content as the original, and has a retail price that's $30 less than the original release, making this a great deal for a wonderful collection of interesting and rare films. We also look at the fifth volume of the Slap Happy series. Half way through and the series is still going strong. Finally we have a review of another one of Milestone's Mary Pickford releases, Heart O' the Hills. In addition to the title film, this disc includes another Pickford feature, M'Liss. Both are entertaining films where Pickford plays a backwoods girl with a lot of spunk and a heart of gold. The column also has the line up for this years San Francisco Silent Film Festival, and news of a new silent feature that's been announced. Be sure to check out our previous columns too for a review of last year's Silent Film Festival and a look at the sequel to Treasures from the American Film Archives, More Treasures from the American Film Archives.

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