Click It. BEAT picks of the week.

I can't stop making these St-Germain cocktails!

Drive just came out on DVD.

I'm looking forward to reading the new Hollywood issue of Vanity Fair this weekend on the plane to LA! Maybe my boyfriend will lend me his copy of 740 Park for the ride back to NYC.

The much-anticipated Jason Wu for Target collection hits stores Sunday.

Lana Del Rey is going to be at Amoeba Hollywood for a free in-store performance on Tuesday (February 7).

If you're thinking up Valentine's day date ideas, The Philadelphia Story is screening at Amoeba Hollywood next weekend.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Etc. Happy Valentine's Day.

Happy Valentine's Day, readers!

if you're eating in tonight, we recommend classic, always-romantic Italian - smoky fusilli perhaps

with some pinot noir

or napa brut rosé if you're feeling festive

and a good DVD

enjoy!

-- the BEAT

Photo credit: Sweet Bee Cottage

Check It. Radiohead's Haiti concert.

It's almost been a year since the tragic earthquake in Haiti, and here in Los Angeles, many will remember the outpouring of many celebrities and musicians who came forward to try and help. One of those was none other than Radiohead, who offered their services in the form of a fundraising exclusive concert at the Henry Fonda Music Box in January.

Some local filmmakers were able to capture some footage at the small show, and is now releasing it as a charitable effort. Those who download or buy the DVD will be donating to the Haiti cause, and to Oxfam, the non-profit organization which helps out all over the world. From what I can tell, the footage isn't exactly your normal expensive, stadium concert film stuff, but still offers the ambiance of the night, and it's not like we haven't lowered our standards for YouTube anyway. So give and get! Just because the earthquake happened a while ago doesn't mean Haiti still doesn't need help, and this is a great way to offer it (and don't forget about the tax write-off!). Check out more info here.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. Red Riding Trilogy.

The new on DVD this week Red Riding Trilogy was released in U.S. theaters earlier this year after wild success in England. The feature-length television episodes aired on Channel 4 in the U.K. and are based on author David Peace's quartet of books. I think the creepiest aspect is that the crimes are real--but fictionalized for the stories. The "Yorkshire Ripper" serial killer terror travels through the series.

Another film based on a David Peace novel, The Damned United, was nominated for several awards last year.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: dreadcentral.com

Check It. A Prophet on DVD.

I wrote about Un Prophete back in the spring when I caught it in the theater, just after it swept the Cèsar Awards. Today it's on DVD, and is definitely worth watching if you missed it on the big screen. It's long--which was why I was happy to be part of a captive audience for the duration, but honestly it was so enthralling, I wasn't even hoping it would end (like I am in most films that go past the two hour mark).

Also on DVD today: Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer (Ewan McGregor), and indie drama Children of Invention.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: wherediditallgoright.com

Check It. Plein Soleil.

If you love The Talented Mr. Ripley (and who doesn't, really?), you should check out Plein Soleil. The handsome Alain Delon stars as Tom Ripley in this 1960 predecessor to the 1999 Anthony Minghella film. Both are based on the 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley.

As creepy as it is, it's also a fun summer movie, because the locations are beautiful. Sailing off the Amalfi coast with a perfect tan and an even more perfect wardrobe never looked so good.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.alligatorpapiere.de

Check It. The Runaways on DVD.

The Runaways is out on DVD today. I think most people skipped this one in the theater, but I think it's a perfect rental. The band's story is definitely interesting, and Kristen Stewart admittedly looks like a great Joan Jett.

Director Floria Sigismondi is best known for her music videos, which probably means the film is good at least visually, even if other areas are lacking.

Back in April, Los Angeles Magazine wrote about the film, and why rock and roll biopics either succeed or fail--with Runaways falling somewhere in between.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: thevampireclub

Check It. Greenberg on DVD.

If you didn't make it to the ArcLight to see Greenberg this spring, today is your lucky day--it's out on DVD.

Ben Stiller is his usually wonderful self in this Los Angeles-based drama/comedy, and his co-stars Greta Gerwig, Rhys Ifans, and Jennifer Jason Leigh all add something special as well.

On my post back in March, I named the L.A. institutions they visit in Greenberg, which are fun to see on screen.

If you like Stiller's comedy, this rental (or DVD purchase) will definitely bring some laughs (and some poignant serious moments too).

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: eonline

Check It. Play Misty for Me.

If you like Clint Eastwood, this 1971 crime/drama/romance/thriller he directed and stars in is a great weekend rental. Shot in Big Sur, Carmel and Monterey, Calif., it's beautiful to watch, and has lots of classic Eastwood acting. Think Gran Torino forty years ago (and an obsessed female fan instead of a Hmong family next door).

The bar he goes to, in real life called the Sardine Factory, is still there, and looks like a great place. The bartender is played by Don Siegel, director of Dirty Harry, among other Eastwood films. Monterey is about a six hour drive from Los Angeles, and this film may get you itching for a road trip.

The title, Play Misty for Me, comes from creepy song request calls Eastwood's Dave gets regularly, while he's a radio DJ. You'll have to watch to find out the rest!

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: impawards.com

Check It. New on DVD this week.

Two very different--and worthwhile in their own rights--films are available on DVD today.

Michael Haneke's (The Piano Teacher, Funny Games) Oscar-nominated film from 2009, The White Ribbon, is set in pre-WWI Germany and has a similar sense of darkness done well as other Haneke films.

Hot Tub Time Machine is on the other end of the movie spectrum, but is also a great pick for a DVD purchase or rental. Four buddies are transported back to their heydays (1980's) by a ... you guessed it, hot tub time machine. With John Cusack leading the pack, you know it's going to be fun as well as funny, also thanks to the whole group of actor-comedians who star, including Rob Corddry.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: filmofilia.com

Check It. Youth in Revolt on DVD.

Yes, we told you about Youth in Revolt back in January, and even about the band the Fruit Bats who are featured on the soundtrack. If you didn't listen then (or just didn't want to invest theater money), please at least rent this now.

It's available on DVD tomorrow, and I highly recommend it for some laughs. If you did see it in the theater, it's just as good the second time 'round. (I got my hands on an early copy over the weekend.) Michael Cera is at his best in two roles, Nick Twisp and Francois Dillinger. His newcomer co-star Portia Doubleday holds her own on the big screen among a cast of stars including Justin Long, Steve Buscemi, Ray Liotta, and Zach Galifianakis (who is hilarious as Nick Twisp's mother's deadbeat boyfriend).

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: filmofilia

Check It. DVD releases.

The Criterion Collection DVD (and Blu-ray) of the 1971 British film Walkabout is available today. Set in Australia, Walkabout follows a high school girl and her younger brother through the wilderness of Sydney with an Aboroginie boy as a friend/guide, after their father abandons them. Director Nicolas Roeg was nominated for a Palme d'Or award for it.

A couple other DVDs out today that could be good for rentals--Valentine's Day, and Invictus. These are films I purposely skipped in the theater, but are worth checking out on DVD.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: neithercorp.us

Check It. Daria on DVD.

If you watched MTV between 1997 and 2002, you've probably met Daria Morgendorffer. She the smart, sarcastic, not exactly popular predecessor to 2007's Juno (but Daria wasn't pregnant).

Daria has almost been forgotten by most in these days of Lost, Treme, Real Housewives, and my new favorite, 9 by Design. Until today. May 11 marks the DVD release of the complete animated series of Daria. The retail suggested price is $72.99, but you can get it on Amazon for $44.99, which is quite a bargain to catch up with Daria, Jane, Brittany, and Kevin.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: makefive.com

Check It. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

How a Terry Gilliam (Brazil, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) film starring Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, and Tom Waits slips under the collective radar beats me, but this one apparently did. To date it has made less than $8 million, and it had a $30 million production budget, according to Box Office Mojo.

Luckily for you wise 'BEAT' readers, I'm here to tell you it's really cool, and out on DVD today.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.twotalkingmonkeys.com

Check It. DVD releases.

Tomorrow marks a few exciting DVD releases, including Gone with the Wind on Blu-ray. All 238 minutes of it. I'm pretty interested to see how the Blu-ray quality shows through all the rich colors.

Pirate Radio, which didn't get great reviews and I ended up avoiding seeing, will be on DVD (and Blu-ray) tomorrow. With recently finding out it was written and directed by Richard Curtis (writer of Notting Hill and writer/director of Love Actually) it's suddenly more desirable in my book. Not to mention that Philip Seymour Hoffman and Bill Nigh star in the 1960s-set Brit flick.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.tvworthwatching.com

Check It. Bad Lieutenant.

Werner Herzog's (Grizzly Man, Rescue Dawn) Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans is over-acted and sort of unbelievable, but also pretty cool.

Nic Cage is a bad cop, and Eva Mendes plays his junkie prostitute girlfriend. It's crazy. Cage's Terence McDonagh is a proponent of a type of vigilante justice that isn't quite right, but it's fun to watch. His wild laughter makes it all the more insane, but keeps you intrigued.

Val Kilmer, Fairuza Balk, and Jennifer Coolidge also appear in the film, out on DVD today.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.filmofilia.com

Check It. DVD releases.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is out on DVD today. This is one of those films that you can either sit down with, and carefully listen to each line, or just have it on in the background (if you've seen it before, hopefully) and simply appreciate the style visually. Adorable foxes aside, there is definitely the Wes Anderson stylistic touch in Fox. It's that appealing style (along with interesting story lines) that make Anderson's films nice to watch over and over again.

Also now available on DVD (it came out Saturday), Twilight: New Moon. Whether you're Team Edward or Team Jacob, or neither one--if you have any interest in the Twilight saga, this is worth watching just so you're clued in to what all the fuss is about.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.bbc.co.uk

Check It. Where the Wild Things Are on DVD.

Where the Wild Things Are is out on DVD today. Spike Jonze's 2009 long-awaited film based on Maurice's Sendak's beloved children's book can now also be part of your DVD library. Last summer, when Wild Things was in post-production, Variety reported that Jonze acquired the rights to Shane Jones' debut novel, Light Boxes, with Ray Tintori attached to direct.

Other March 2 releases: Almost Alice, the soundtrack from Alice in Wonderland (which is out Friday). It includes songs by Owl City, Franz Ferdinand, and Wolfmother, among others. Los Angeles band Lifehouse's fifth album, Smoke & Mirrors is out today. If it has anything as catchy as "Hanging by a Moment" on it, they're in luck.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.slashfilm.com

Check It. The September Issue on DVD.

The September Issue, or, as some call it, "the real 'Devil Wears Prada'", is available on a 2-Disc DVD today. The Vogue documentary is insightful not only into the guarded world of American Vogue's Editor in Chief Anna Wintour, but also into how an issue (specifically, the September 2007 issue featuring Sienna Miller) of a top magazine is put together.

In the film, I didn't find Wintour to be as awful as she's often portrayed, although she's not exactly what one would call a warm person. She's reserved yet speaks her mind unapologetically. The film shows her as a hard worker who knows what she's looking for each month. She's clearly doing something right, so good for her! Getting to "know" Vogue's longtime creative director Grace Coddington was a great part of The September Issue. Coddington is behind many of the magical fashion spreads in the magazine, and has a great-to-watch working relationship with sunglass-wearing, Starbucks-loving Wintour.

The DVD has over 25 deleted scenes with over 90 minutes of extra footage.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: reelstyle.files.wordpress.com

Check It. The Invention of Lying and Just Kids.

If you didn't catch this cute comedy in the theater, it's out on DVD today. Continuing with the Ricky Gervais theme, The Invention of Lying is a simple yet thought-provoking film (starring Gervais) about the man who invented the lie. The lovely Jennifer Garner co-stars, and Rob Lowe plays the very handsome guy who's his competition.

If you liked Ghost Town, you'll probably like The Invention of Lying. I did see it in the theater, but will probably rent it too. Louis C.K., Jonah Hill, and Tina Fey also make appearances--and of course, add more humor to the already cleverly funny film.

Also out today: Patti Smith's latest book, Just Kids. More to come on this later!

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.hollywoodoutbreak.com