This is a really good week for the serious movie geek. I purposely avoided the big names in this article's title for a reason: there are two classics and one hidden treasure releasing today. These are: Charlie Chaplin's MODERN TIMES, Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS, and BEST WORST MOVIE, the documentary about the worst movie ever made, TROLL 2,. Hit the break to get my thoughts on each release, and see what else is out to take your money.

WHAT'S AWESOME:

BEST WORST MOVIE (DVD)

This last year, there has been one man who has fought harder than anyone else to get his film shown to audiences from all over. That man is Michael Paul Stephenson, and his movie is BEST WORST MOVIE. I saw BEST WORST MOVIE back in 2008 at SXSW, when GATW first hit the festival circuit, and haven't been more supportive of a film than I have this one. BEST WORST MOVIE captures the wonderful, heartbreaking tale of a group of actors whose big dreams were crushed when they starred in the worst movie ever made, TROLL 2.

As of right now, BEST WORST MOVIE is only available on DVD, but the independent movie supporter in you will buy whatever format that's currently available, right? Good. BWM comes with a handful of featurettes, my favorite being the one with Tim League and Zach Carlson's adventure with setting up a screening where TROLL 2 was shot. Also included are deleted scenes and interviews, an (appropriately) raunchy message from the Goblin Queen (Deborah Reed), a special message from George Hardy, and a music video about TROLL 2.

Buy BEST WORST MOVIE, TROLL 2 (Blu-ray and VHS) by clicking below:

Charlie Chaplin's MODERN TIMES (Criterion Blu-ray and DVD)

(Blu-ray review)
Before there was Lucille Ball, Mr. Bean, and Mr. Magoo, there was Charlie Chaplin, the king of lighthearted self-inflicted catastrophes. No matter the circumestance, he always managed to get himself in and out of a bind in the most humourous of ways.

Call him stubborn and maybe old-fashioned, but Charlie Chaplin knew what he wanted, despite the politics surrounding him. Being his last silent film and exit as The Tramp, MODERN TIMES was made four years after THE JAZZ SINGER, the world's first movie with spoken word, or as you know it, the "talkie." It's safe to say MODERN TIMES's story is Chaplin's personal take on the new style of Hollywood filmmaking. The Tramp can't quite adapt to the last workforce technology, all while Chaplin is obviously trying to avoid the booming talkie movement in Hollywood.

MODERN TIMES was Charlie Chaplin's last film as the character that made him an icon, The Tramp, so it seems fitting that Criterion would not go light on the features for the release. They didn't. On the outside, MODERN TIMES is splashed with original artwork, depicting Chaplin's face with bolts covering his eyes. It's so simple, but speaks very loud for the films plot about the mishaps The Tramp goes through trying to adapt to the latest technology. The Blu-ray comes with a 34 page booklet, with set photos and essays by film critic Saul Austerlitz and film scholar Lisa Setin, respectively, about Chaplin's last stand as The Tramp and his adaption to Hollywood's new style of filmmaking. Josh spent a heavy amount of time talking about the features for this Criterion (and even wrote a nice article about Modern Times), so I'm going to head you over THERE to catch up to speed.

Buy MODERN TIMES on Blu-ray, DVD, and VHS by clicking below

I didn't get a chance to watch the extra features, but the full 148 minute restoration of the film is worth the buy alone. Extra features include an exclusive 50-minute documentary on the making and restoration of the film, and an interview with Paula Felix-Didier, curator of the Museo del Cine, in Buenos Aires.

Buy METROPOLIS (The Complete Metropolis) on Blu-ray and DVD by clicking below:

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