Movies on DVD and VHS   SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE: A Gaudi Afternoon, Claire of the Moon, Singin' in the RaiN, Princesa, & Burnt MoneY

 
A Gaudi Afternoon
 
AGaudi Afternoon stars Judy Davis (Emmy winner for both Serving in Silence, in which she played Glenn Close's lover, and Me and My Shadow: Life with Judy Garland); Marcia Gay Harden (Oscar winner for Pollock); Lili Taylor (Golden Globe winner for Short Cuts); and Juliette Lewis (Oscar nominee for Cape Fear).

Frankie's husband Ben is gay. They've been separated for two years and they have one child, Delilah. Ben has skipped town with their little girl and a new girlfriend. On her arrival in Barcelona (Ben's choice of getaway), Frankie hires Cassandra to find Ben. If you prefer to enjoy the surprises in films as they are revealed, SKIP TO THE LAST PARAGRAPH.

Marcia Gay Harden plays Frankie (a pre-op transsexual), and her husband Ben (short for Bernadette) is played by Lili Taylor. Ben's new girlfriend is April (Juliette Lewis). Cassandra (Judy Davis) is the only straight one in the bunch . . . or is she?

If A Gaudi Afternoon is a sumptuous dinner, the dessert is the casting. Marcia Gay Harden is a treat as the glamorous pre-op transsexual. Lili Taylor as a butch lesbian gives yet another fine performance (did you see her in Dogfight and I Shot Andy Warhol?), and Judy Davis as Cassandra . . . well, she can do no wrong.

A Gaudi Afternoon, directed by Susan Seidelman (Desperately Seeking Susan), is now available on VHS and DVD. Wolfe Video is offering special pricing: only $39.95 for the VHS (suggested retail price $89.95) and $19.95 for the DVD (suggested retail price $29.95). To purchase A Gaudi Afternoon at this price, call 1-800-GET-WOLFE or visit www.wolfevideo.com. -Blase DiStefano

 
Claire of the Moon
 
In response to the film's enduring popularity, gay and lesbian home video retailer Wolfe Video has re-released the out-of-print lesbian classic Claire of the Moon on VHS and a deluxe double-DVD set to celebrate the film's 10th anniversary.

Since the film's home video debut in 1993, Wolfe Video has received an unprecedented outpouring of letters from ardent fans of the film. There has never been a lesbian film that has evoked so much emotion. Not only has the film become one of the best-selling lesbian home videos of all time, but a feature-length documentary about the making of the film, Moments: The Making of Claire of the Moon, has also sold a record number of copies.

The new two-disc set of Claire of the Moon features a commentary track by director Nicole Conn and producer Pamela S. Kuri, the documentary Moments: The Making of Claire of the Moon, trailers, pictorial soundtrack, and more. The VHS re-release features a picture gallery and a behind-the-scenes featurette.
Claire of the Moon stars Trisha Todd and Karen Trumbo as two writers sharing a cabin at a professional retreat. Todd plays the promiscuous Claire, and Trumbo is Dr. Noel Benedict, a reserved woman reluctantly drawn into Claire's world. Through encounter sessions with their flamboyant host, the out and outrageous Maggie (Faith McDevitt, Speedway Junky), Claire and Noel confront their differences and discover shared passions.

The VHS ($19.95) and the DVD ($24.95) are now available. To purchase from Wolfe Vdeo, call 1-800-GET-WOLFE or visit www.wolfevideo.com. Troy Carrington

Singin' in the Rain

Whenever movie fans put together "best ever" movie lists, you almost always find two musicals, The Wizard of Oz and Singin' in the Rain, in the top ten. Since Oz is best classified as a "fantasy" (or if you're gay, a "documentary"), that leaves Singin' in the Rain as possibly the best movie musical of all time. Now, thanks to the two-disc 50th Anniversary DVD (loaded with extras), you can judge for yourself.
 
Singin' in the Rain, a product of MGM's legendary "Freed Unit," is set in Hollywood during the movies' difficult transition from silent pictures to talkies. The main stars are Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds, all singin' and dancin' up a storm, but many of the film's nonmusical segments are easily stolen by Jean Hagen, hilarious as a screechy-voiced screen diva.
You'll be thrilled with Kelly's performance of the title tune in an authentic soundstage downpour, but as good as he is there, you really don't know how big a fan you are until you've checked out his butt in a tight sailor suit (unfortunately not in this movie).
 
Singin' in the Rain features a few other familiar faces, notably Cyd Charisse and Rita Moreno.

From Warner Home Video. DVD $26.99 (VHS still available at $14.95). -Jack Varsi

Princesa

Princesa (Ingrid de Souza) is an absorbing, poignant story of Fernanda, a 19-year-old Brazilian transsexual whose dream is to become a woman, find a husband, and lead the life of a "normal" housewife.

Fernanda goes to Milan and works as a prostitute to raise money for a sex-change operation. On the streets, she is transformed into Princesa, a stylish and alluring figure who makes a lot of money and many friends. One night, she meets the man of her dreams, who happily accepts Fernanda as she is. As she finally begins to feel loved for the first time, she begins to question her true motives for wanting the operation. Love, she learns, can transcend any and all boundaries and barriers.

Available October 15 on DVD ($29.99) and VHS ($79.99) from Strand Releasing. For more info: www.strandreleasing.com. -TC

Burnt Money

A sexy, intense crime thriller from Argentina, Burnt Money has been called a "gay Bonnie & Clyde." Burnt Money is based on a true story that is legend in Argentinian crime history. Dark and brooding, yet stylish and sensual, the film is the mesmerizing, unnerving story of a group of violent bank robbers, two of whom are gay lovers (Eduardo Noriega and Leonardo Sbaraglia) known in criminal circles as "the twins."

After a big robbery ends particularly bloodily, the trio hide out in Uruguay, where simmering tensions-and lots of time to kill, waiting for the heat to die down-escalate into a lurid psychodrama of desire and despair.

Available October 1 on DVD ($29.99) and VHS ($79.99) from Strand Releasing. For more info: www.strandreleasing.com. -TC