Largely (and unfairly) reviled at the time of its release, Neil Diamond's majestic The Jazz Singer celebrates its 25th anniversary with a DVD that gives it the cred it deserves. Diamond has always infused a certain power and strength into his music, filling each word with emotion and soul, so it's only certain that his first (and only) starring role, a loose remake of the Al Jolson black-face talkie, should be filled with just as much emotion and power. Diamond is Jewish cantor Yussel Rabinowitz, who, after defying the wishes of his strict religious father (the legendary Laurence Olivier), moves to L.A. and finds fame and fortune as pop singer Jess Robin. Of course, fame isn't all it's cracked up to be and he has to heart-breakingly decide between his family and his success. Yes, I cried. Louis Fowler
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Dazed and Confused: The Criterion Collection
Directed by Richard Linklater
Universal / Criterion Collection
To avid cinephiles, Criterion is the Cristal of DVD reissues. When your film is given the Criterion treatment, you know it's a true classic. Which is great, because last year, Universal released an ber-trashy, budget version of Dazed that (keeping with the Criterion-Cristal metaphor) was a flat, warm ginger ale with a cigarette butt floating in it. You know the story: It's the last day of high school in a small town in Texas, 1976. Various teens interact with one another, questioning their existence and looking for a good time. It's a true "slice of life" film, an American Graffiti for the '70s. In addition to launching the career of Linklater, it also launched the careers of dozens of actors, including Ben Affleck and Matthew McConaughey. Of course, this edition is beautiful, filled with a million extras, as if you needed another reason to pick it up. Louis Fowler
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Masters of Horror: John Landis's Deer Woman
Directed by John Landis
Anchor Bay Entertainment
Horny truckers are found mauled and splattered to death, hoof prints caving in their flesh, with no suspects anywhere to be found. That's the premise of this episode of Masters of Horror, this time directed by legendary comedy director John Landis (An American Werewolf in London). Co-writing with his son Max, Landis has crafted a darkly comic tale based on Native American mythology that puts a whole new spin on the archetypical werewolf story. Brian Benben is the perpetually annoyed detective on the case. In teaming with a punky coroner-chick and a sardonic patrol officer, he tries to figure out why a deer would sexually arouse and then mutilate men, often to hilarious results. Yes, it's more wacky than horrific, but with a director like Landis, it works in glorious spades. Louis Fowler
