In their various films, the Polish brothers not only have demonstrated that two heads occasionally are, indeed, better than one, but also that the eccentricities of one sibling can perfectly complement the creative quirks of the other. Twin Falls, Idaho, Jackpot and Northfork are three of the most off-putting dramas anyone is likely to see. In Twin Falls, the brothers play conjoined twins, one dying, who hook up with a compassionate prostitute; Jackpot is a combination road- and buddy-film, featuring a rhinestone-cowboy karaoke singer and his incorrigible black manager; and Northfork records the death pangs of a town about to be submerged in the waters held back by a new hydroelectric dam.
First a trickle, then a flood
Next week, Warner Home Video introduces five previously unreleased titles from its classics library: Days of Wine and Roses, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Postman Always Ring Twice, The Wind and the Lion and Where the Boys Are. These films are significant because they managed to survive a 20-movie bake-off conducted by AOL and other subsidiary companies. The launch anticipates a broad catalogue release for dozens of classics. The digitally remastered films include bonus material and are presented in widescreen aspects.
Anyone want a spanking?
Fans of the Marquis de Sade—and you know who you are—will appreciate Benoît Jacquot's Sade, which, upon its release in 2000, was overshadowed by Philip Kaufman's far more extroverted Quills. Sade takes place during the Reign of Terror of 1794, some time before Quills was set, and profiles the legendary libertine as he cruelly orchestrates the sexual awakening of a doomed young woman. Sade is more of a treat for the head than Quills was for the groin. Others might enjoy comparing Daniel Auteuil's take on Sade with Geoffrey Rush's more flamboyant, but similarly satisfying performance.