Sylvia
Christine Jeffs’s movie about poets Sylvia Plath (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Ted Hughes (Daniel Craig) “emphasizes their troubles at the expense of their artistry,” said New York’s Peter Rainer. R; $26.98.
The Cry of Jazz
This little-seen, gritty 1959 jazz documentary captures early footage of Sun Ra and his Arkestra in the Windy City. NR, $19.95.
Herzog/Kinski Collection
All five of the Klaus Kinski and Werner Herzog collaborations (Aguirre: The Wrath of God, Nosferatu, Woyzeck, Fitzcarraldo, and Cobra Verde), plus the doc My Best Fiend. Six discs; PG; $89.98.
Intolerable Cruelty
This intermittently amusing Coen brothers divorce comedy, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and George Clooney, “tries to be a glossy romantic Hollywood comedy of the old school,” said Peter Rainer, “but mostly it’s a misfire.” PG-13; $26.98.
H.R. Pufnstuf: The Complete Series
Witchiepoo et al. return in Sid and Marty Krofft’s trippy kids’ series. Three discs; NR; $39.95.
Wonderland
Val Kilmer overacts as porn star John Holmes. R; $26.99.
Our Pick
Mark Moskowitz’s bookworm odyssey, Stone Reader, one of Peter Rainer’s top ten films of 2003, deserves a healthy life on DVD. Like Dow Mossman’s nearly lost novel, The Stones of Summer—subject of this film and of Moskowitz’s loving literary obsession—this moving documentary deserves to be passed from fanatic to fanatic. Whether you’ve ever read Mossman’s book, which this film returned to print, you’ll find that the film delivers a heartfelt examination of reading and the vicissitudes of literary success. So if you prowl the Strand and dream of moving into a larger apartment just so you can build more bookshelves, this film’s for you. Two discs; PG-13; $39.95; commentary by Moskowitz and Mossman; archival footage of literary talks with Toni Morrison and other authors; deleted scenes; a short on the book’s return to print.