Category Archives: Runstedler’s DVD Pick of the Month

Runstedler’s DVD Pick of the Month: Class of 1984

Posted on February 18, 2013 by curtisrunstedler

“Come and get it, teacher teacher!” I discovered Mark L. Lester’s 1982 Canadian film Class of 1984 after seeing Troma’s ultra low budget film Class of Nuke ’em High. I was slightly disappointed with the latter because I felt that … Continue reading →

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Runstedler’s DVD Pick of the Month: Elephant (1989)

Posted on February 10, 2013 by curtisrunstedler

I was so impressed by the style and technique of Gus Van Sant’s 2003 film Elephant that I dove into the depths to see what inspired him to make a film like this in this particular way. In doing so, … Continue reading →

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Runstedler’s DVD Pick of the Month: Mala Noche

Posted on January 5, 2013 by curtisrunstedler

Largely overshadowed by Drugstore Cowboy, Gus Van Sant’s 1986 first feature film Mala Noche is easily the more superior of the two films. Shot on a shoestring budget on 16 mm film in black and white, it’s about a young gay … Continue reading →

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Runstedler’s DVD Pick of the Month: The Devils

Posted on December 5, 2012 by curtisrunstedler

Ken Russell’s 1971 infamous masterpiece The Devils is a vicious, surreal look at the downfall and decadence of a Roman Catholic priest and a Catholic nunnery in the 17th century. Inspired by Aldous Huxley’s historical book The Devils of Loudon, … Continue reading →

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Runstedler’s DVD Pick of the Month: The Indian Runner

Posted on October 31, 2012 by curtisrunstedler

The Indian Runner is Sean Penn’s 1991 directorial feature film. Inspired by Bruce Springsteen’s heartbreaking song “Highway Patrolman” from his masterpiece Nebraska, The Indian Runner tells the story of two brothers (played by Viggo Mortensen and David Morse) on either … Continue reading →

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Runstedler’s DVD Pick of the Month: Ratcatcher

Posted on September 21, 2012 by curtisrunstedler

In the vein of potent U.K. coming-of-age films such as Made in Britain, Kes and This is England, Lynne Ramsay’s 1999 directorial feature film debut Ratcatcher strikes a powerful chord within the realm of innocence and provides an unforgettable story of … Continue reading →

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Runstedler’s DVD Pick of the Month: The Great Silence

Posted on July 24, 2012 by curtisrunstedler

After reading all of Cormac McCarthy s novels, I’ve been on a spaghetti/revisionist Western kick. Among the scores of spaghetti Westerns out, Sergio Corbucci’s 1968 film The Great Silence stands out as a highlight. In many ways superior to Corbucci’s … Continue reading →

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Runstedler’s DVD Pick of the Month: Django

Posted on June 10, 2012 by curtisrunstedler

This excellent 1966 spaghetti Western is ultraviolent, gritty, raw, and one of the finest additions to the Western film canon. It also spawned a bazillion sequels, none of which capture the excitement and fiery bravado of the original. Franco Nero … Continue reading →

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Runstedler’s DVD Pick of the Month: Into the Abyss

Posted on April 13, 2012 by curtisrunstedler

Werner Herzog continues to stir souls with his most recent feature length documentary Into the Abyss. I haven’t seen his recent television series On Death Row, which focuses on the incarceration and philosophies and thoughts of certain death row inmates, … Continue reading →

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Runstedler’s DVD Pick of the Month: Midnight Meat Train

Posted on April 13, 2012 by curtisrunstedler

No, it’s not gay pornography. Midnight Meat Train is a 2008 horror film adapted from one of Clive Barker’s short stories in the Books of Blood. Arguably the most stunning and visceral of the stories from the first volume of Books … Continue reading →

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