One Eyed Girl
Travis is a burned-out psychiatrist traumatized by the suicide of a patient with whom he had an affair. Addicted to his own prescriptions, he nullifies his pain but brushes against death. Travis is rescued by a cult whose leader is building a new community on a rural farm. Travis, however, begins to discern a dark side. A moody and ultimately suspenseful film, beautifully shot and edited, One Eyed Girl peers unblinkingly into a postmodern abyss.
The Jam: About the Young Idea
In the late ’70s The Jam copied The Who’s early mod look and penchant for recording generational anthems, but lacked their irony and—early on—their scope. Their story is told on disc one of About the Young Idea, a documentary featuring interviews with band members Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler. Disc two, a previously unreleased 1980s concert form the German television program “Rockpalast,” captures their uncompromising energy and down-to-basics lack of theatricality.
Two Men in Town
An overlooked 1973 art-house classic, Two Men in Town is the story of a philosophical prison social worker (Jean Gabin), the prisoner he set free (Alain Delon) and the police inspector who pitilessly pursues the ex-con after his release. Director Jose Giovanni’s elegantly composed meditation on crime, punishment and fate puts the justice system on the stand and convicts it for lacking human sympathy. Gerard Depardieu, then young and unknown, plays a small-time criminal.
“War”
The U.S. came into existence through war and has fought many times since. This 17-disc set, culled from History Channel programming, covers the Revolutionary War through Vietnam. The Revolution gets a fair analysis with narratives by contemporary scholars driving the historical reenactments that form the bulk of the visuals. The British only wanted the colonies to pay their way but the Patriots, objecting to higher taxes, set the stage for political conflict that continues today.
