moviexpress "TEN BEST" LISTS   |   SPECIAL EVENTS   |   NEW ZEALAND CINEMA   |   ARCHIVE   |   WHAT DVD?   |   MOVIES ON TV WHAT'S  THAT DVD?   You see them (sometimes) sitting on the video store shelves, forlornly, waiting, while the DVD   versions of the films released a few months ago do a brisk trade.  Hundreds of titles, movies unreleased in New Zealand - some unreleased anywhere - are ignored, unreviewed, unseen.  Damned with the epithet "straight to DVD", many are the work of major directors and actors (both sexes) but are deemed uncommercial.  (That's a recommendation in itself).  Think about it.  Who decides which films are given a cinema release?  It's not you, and it's certainly not me, it's quite likely some executive who may not even like movies.  Some producers may not have the budget for 35mm prints and promotion.  Just for openers, here's a selection of largely unknown titles which for one reason or another have fallen through the cracks.  Most of them are American, mainly because the available foreign-language DVDs are virtually all films which have been previously released here.   Work out that logic for yourself!  Check these out; I have not seen all of them myself, but others have recommended them via various websites, 10-best lists or film festival programs. In no particular order: Sundance Award-winners on DVD  A comprehensive list. Atash / Thirst (04) Dir: Tawfik Abu Wael. Hussein Yassin Mahajne, Ahamad Abed El Gani Starting Out in the Evening (07) Dir: Andrew Wagner. Frank Langella, Lauren Ambrose Keane (04) Dir: Lodge Kerrigan. Damian Lewis, Abigail Breslin, Amy Ryan Diggers (06) Dir: Katherine Dieckmann. Ken Marino, Sarah Paulson, Paul Rudd Look (07) Dir: Adam Rifkin. Rhys Coiro, Hayes MacArthur, Jennifer Fontaine The Good Night (07) Dir: Jake Paltrow. Penelope ruz, Martin Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow Brooklyn Rules (07) Dir: Michael Corente. Alec Baldwin, Freddie Prinze Jr, Scot Caan Phoenix (98) Dir: Danny Cannon. Ray Liotta, Anthony LaPaglia, Angelica Huston Rails and Ties (07) Dir: Alison Eastwood. Kevin Bacon, Marcia Gay Harden The Tracey Fragments (07) Dir : Bruce McDonald. Ellen Page, Ari Cohen Spring Forward (99) Dir: Tom Gilroy. Ned Beatty, Live Schrieber, Campbell Scott Rough Magic (95) Dir: Clare Peploe. Russell Crowe, Bridget Fonda, Jim Broadbent The Civilisation of Maxwell Bright (05) Dir: David Beaird) Patrick Warburton, Marie Matiko. Simon Callow Down in the Valley (05) Dir: David Jacobsen. Edward Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, David Morse The Lookout (07) Dir: Scott Frank. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeff Daniels, Isla Fisher The Beautiful Country (04) Dir: Hans Peter Moland. Damien Nguyen, Tim Roth, Nick Nolte Something New (06) Dir: Sanaa Hamri. Sanaa Lathan, Simon Kelly Road (05) Dir: Leslie McCleave. Catherine Kellner, Ebon Moss-Bachrach The Hoax (06) Dir: Lasse Hallstrom. Richard Gere, Hope Davis, Alfred Molina Bunhongsin / The Red Shoes (05) Dir: Kim Yong-gyun. Kim Hye-su, Kim Seong-su All the Real Girls (03) Dir: David Gordon Green. Paul Schneider, Zooey Deschanel The TV Set (06) Dir: Jake Kasdan. David Duchovny, Sigourney Weaver, Ioan Gruffud Free Zone (05) Dir: Amos Gittai. Natalie Portman, Hana Laszlo, Carmen Maura Bella Martha / Mostly Martha (01) Dir: Sandra Nettelbeck. Martina Gedeck, Sergio Castelitto, Maxime Foertste Winter Solstice (04) Josh Sternfeld. Anthony LaPaglia, Aaron Stanford, Allison Janney Open Range (03) Dir: Kevin Costner. Robert Duvall, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening A Dirty Shame (04) Dir: John Waters. Tracey Ullman, Johnny Knoxville, Selma Blair District B13 / Banlieue B13 (04) Dir: Pierre Morel. Cyril Raffaelli, David Belle, Tony D'Amario I'll Take You There (99) Dir: Adrienne Shelly. Ally Sheedy, Reg Rogers, Lara Harris Revolution #9 (01) Dir: Tim McCann. Michael Risley, Adrienne Shelly, Spalding Gray Unknown (06) Dir: Simon Brand. Jim Caviezel, Greg Kinnear, Bridget Moynahan The Girl From Monday (05) Dir: Hal Hartley. Bill Sage, Sabrina Lloyd, Tatiana Abracos Chromophobia (05) Dir: Martha Fiennes. Ben Chaplin, Penelope Cruz, Ralph Fiennes The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael (05) Dir: Thomas Clay. Danny Dyer, Lesley Manville Dummy (02) Dir: Greg Pritkin. Adrien Brody, Milla Jovovitch, Vera Farmiga Strange Crime (04) Dir: Roberto Ando. Daniel Auteil, Anna Mouglalis, Greta Scacchi Tideland (05) Dir: Terry Gilliam. Jodelle Ferland, Janet McTeer, Jeff Bridges Free Zone (06) Dir: Amos Gitai. Hana Laszlo, Hiam Abbass, Nathalie Portman La Bestia Nel Cuore (06) Dir: Cristina Comencini. Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Alessio Boni Robot Stories (03) Dir: Greg Pak. Tamlyn Tomita, James Saito, Vin Knight How Harry Became a Tree (01) Dir: Goran Paskaljevic. Colm Meaney, Adrian Dunbar Disco Pigs (01) Dir: Kirsten Sheridan. Cillian Murphy, Elaine Cassidy The Oh in Ohio (06) Dir: Billy Kent. Parker Posey, Paul Rudd, Mischa Barton Strangers With Candy (06) Dir: Paul Dinello. Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert, Paul Dinello Only Human (04) Dirs: Dominic Harari & Teresa Pelegri. Three Days of Rain (02) Dir: Michael Meredith. Peter Falk, Blythe Danner, Lyle Lovett Curdled (96) Dir: Reb Braddock. William Baldwin, Bruce Ramsey, Lois Chiles Joe the King (99) Dir: Frank Whaley. Noah Fleiss, Val Kilmer, Karen Young Our Song (00) Dir: Jim McKay.  Kerry Washington, Anna Simpson, Melissa Martinez Last Call (02) Dir: Henry Bromell. Jeremy Irons, Neve Campbell, Sissy Spacek Blind Horizon (03) Dir: Michael Haussman. Val Kilmer, Neve Campbell, Sam Shepard Bread and Roses (00) Dir: Ken Loach. Pilar Padilla, Adrien Brody, Elpida Carrillo Naked in New York (93) Dir: Daniel Algrant. Eric Stoltz, Mary-Louise Parker, Jill Clayburgh The Harvest (93) Dir: David Marconi. Miguel Ferrer, Harvey Fierstein, Leilani Sarelle Ferrer Look Me in the Eye (93) Dir: Nick Ward. Caroline Katz, Seamus Gubbins, Barnaby Stone The Company (03) Dir: Robert Altman. Neve Campbell, Malcolm McDowell, James Franco Max (02) Dir: Menno Meyjes. John Cusack, Noah Taylor, Leelee Sobieski Off the Map (03) Dir: Campbell Scott. Amy Brennerman, Sam Elliot, Joan Allen The Brown Bunny (03) Dir: Vincent Gallo. Chloe Sevigny, Vincent Gallo, Cheryl Tiegs Eros (04) Dirs: Wong Kar-Wai, Steven Soderbergh, M. Antonioni. Gong Li, Robert Downey Jr Blue Moon (00) Dir: John Gallagher. Ben Gazzara, Rita Moreno, Alanna Urbach The Ambulance (90) Dir: Larry Cohen. Eric Roberts, Janine Turner, James Earl Jones The Big Picture (89) Dir: Christopher Guest. Kevin Bacon, Teri Hatcher No Such Thing (01) Dir: Hal Hartley. Sarah Polley, Robert John Burke, Helen Mirren XX/XY (02) Dir: Austin Chick. Mark Ruffalo, Maya Strange Animal Factory (00) Dir: Steve Buscemi. Willem Dafoe, Edward Furlong, Mickey Rourke The Atrocity Exhibition (00) Dir: Jonathan Weiss. Victor Slezak, Anna Juvander, Michel Kirby The Descent (05) Dir: Neil Marshall. Shanna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Oliver Milburn Permanent Vacation (80) Dir: Jim Jarmusch. Chris Parker, John Lurie When Will I Be Loved (05) Dir: James Toback. Neve Campbell, Dominic Chianese The Good Old Boys (95) Dir: Tommy Lee Jones. + Frances McDormand, Sam Shepard Gun Shy (00) Dir: Eric Blakeney. Liam Neeson, Oliver Platt, Sandra Bullock Full Frontal (02) Dir: Steven Soderbergh. David Duchovny, Catherine Keener, Nicky Katt The Operator (00) Dir: Jon Dichter. Michael Lawrence, Jaqueline Kim, Brion James World Traveler (01) Dir: Bart Freundlich. Billy Crudup, Julianne Moore, Mary McCormack Carolina (03) Dir: Marleen Gorris. Julia Stiles, Shirley Maclaine, Alessandro Nivola Edmond (05) Dir: Stuart Gordon. William H Macy, Julia Stiles, Joe Mantegna Way Off Broadway (01) Dir: Dan Kay. Morena Baccarin, Forbes March, Brad Beyer Silver City (04) Dir: John Sayles. Chris Cooper, Richard Dreyfuss, Daryl Hannah Guinevere (99) Dir: Audrey Wells. Sarah Polley, Stephen Rea, Jean Smart Imaginary Heroes (04) Dir: Dan Harris. Sigourney Weaver, Emile Hirsch, Jeff Daniels Nine Lives (05) Dir: Rodrigo Garcia. Lisa Gay Hamilton, Amy Brennerman, William Fichtner The Deal (05) Dir: Harvey Kahn. Christian Slater, Selma Blair, Robert Loggia Heights (05) Dir: Chris Terrio. Glenn Close, Jesse Bradford, James Marsden Pure (02) Dir: Gilles MacKinnon. Keira Knightley, Molly Parker, Harry Eden Next Stop, Wonderland (98) Dir: Brad Anderson. Hope Davis, Alan Gelfant Session 9 (03) Dir: Brad Anderson. David Caruso, Stephen Gevedon Harvard Man (01) Dir: James Toback.  Adrian Grenier, Sarah Michelle Gellar Black and White (99) Dir: James Toback. Scott Caan, Robert Downey Jr Jasmine Women (04) Dir: Yong Hou.  Joan Chen, Zhang Ziyi The Rhythm Thief (94) Dir: Matthew Harrison.  Jason Andrews, Kevin Corrigan The Grey Zone (01) Dir: Tim Blake Nelson.  David Arquette, Daniel Benzali When the Sky  Falls (00) Dir: John Mackenzie.  Joan Allen, Patrick Bergin We Don't Live Here Anymore (04) Dir: John Curran. Mark Ruffalo, Naomi Watts, Laura Dern Three Businessmen (98) Dir: Alex Cox. Miguel Sandoval, Robert Wilson, Alex Cox Swimming (00) Dir: Robert J Seigel. Lauren Ambrose, Jennifer Dundas The Shape of Things (03) Dir: Neil La Bute. Paul Rudd, Rachel Weiz, Gretchen Mol Suspect Zero (04) Dir: Elias Merhige.Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley The Proprietor (96) Dir: Ismail Merchant. Jeanne Moreau, Sean Young, Sam Waterston Nightwaves (03) Dir: Jim Kaufman. Sherilyn Fenn, David Nernan, Bruce Dinsmore One Point 0 (04) Dirs: Jeff Renfroe & Marteinn Thorsson. Jeremy Sisto, Deborah Kara Unger Cursed (05) Dir: Wes Craven. Christina Ricci, Portia de Rossi Darkness (02) Dir: Jaume Balaguero. Anna Paquin, Lena Olin, Iain Glen 11:14 (03) Dir: Greg Marcks. Hilary Swank, Henry Thomas May (02) Dir: Lucky McKee. Angela Bettis, Jeremy Sisto Frailty (03) Dir: Bill Paxton. Bill Paxton, Matthew Mc Conaughey He Loves Me He Loves Me Not (02) Dir: Laetilia Columbani. Audrey Tautou, Samuel Le Bihan Pure (04) Dir: Jim Donovan. Laura Jordan, Robert Crooks Jump Tomorrow (01) Dir: Joel Hopkins. Tunde Adebimpe, Hippolyte Giradot, Natalia Verbeke The Low Down (00) Dir: Jamie Thraves. Aidan Gillan, Kate Ashfield Dallas 362 (03) Dir: Scott Caan. Scott Caan, Jeff Goldblum, Selma Blair Charlotte Sometimes (02) Dir: Eric Byler. Jaqueline Kim, Michael Idemoto Better Luck Tomorrow (02) Dir: Justin Lin. Parry Shen, Virgil Hu Money For Nothing (93) Dir: Ramon Mendenez. John Cusack, Debi Mazar, Michael Madsen Ride With the Devil (99) Dir: Ang Lee. Skeet Ulrich, Tobey Maguire, Jewel Kilcher The Believer (01) Dir: Henry Bean. Ryan Gosling, Summer Phoenix, Theresa Russell Shooting the Past (99) Dir: Stephen Poliakoff. Lindsay Duncan, Timothy Spall, Liam Cunningham Century (93) Dir: Stephen Poliakoff. Charles Dance, Clive Owen, Miranda Richardson Conspiracy (01) Dir: Frank R Pierson. Kenneth Brannagh, Stanley Tucci, Colin Firth Things You Can Tell Just By Looking at Her (00) Dir: Rodrigo Garcia. Glenn Close, Cameron Diaz 25 Watts (01) Dir: Juan Pablo Rubella & Pablo Stoll. Jorge Temponi, Alfonso Tort, Daniel Hendler Kicking and Screaming (95) Dir: Noah Baumbach. Josh Hamilton, Sam Gould, Catherine Kellner River of Grass (94) Dir: Kelly Reichardt. Lisa Bowman, Larry Fessenden Dadetown (96) Dir: Russ Hexter. Jim Pryor, Stephen Beals Code Unknown (00) Dir: Michael Haneke. Juliette Binoche, Thierry Neuvic, Alexandre Hamidi Signs and Wonders (00) Dir: Jonathon Nossiter. Stellan Skarsgard, Charlotte Rampling Aberdeen (00) Dir: Hans Petter Moland. Stellan Skarsgard, Jean Anderson, Lena Headey O (01) Dir: Tim Blake Nelson. Mekhi Pfifer, Josh Harnett, Julia Stiles Two Family House (00) Dir: Raymond De Felitta. Michael Rispoli, Kelly Macdonald The Dream Catcher (99) Dir: Ed Radtke. Maurice Compte, Paddy Connor Ed's Next Move (96) Dir: John Walsh. Matt Ross, Cathy Curtin Office Space (99) Dir: Mike Judge. Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston Man of the Century (99) Dir: Adam Abraham. Gibson Frazier, Cara Buono 13 Conversations About One Thing (01) Dir: Jill Sprecher. Matthew McConaughey, Amy Irving Claire Dolan (98) Dir: Lodge Kerrigan. Katrin Cartlidge, Vincent D'Onofrio Judy Berlin (99) Dir: Eric Mendelsohn. Barbara Barrie, Bob Dishy, Edie Falco Cotton Mary (99) Dir: Ismail Merchant. Greta Scacchi, Madhur Jaffrey Luminous Motion (98) Dir: Bette Gordon. Deborah Unger, Jamey Sheridan CQ (01) Dir: Roman Coppola. Jeremy Davies, Angela Lindvall, Elodie Bouchez Guy (97) Dir: Michael Lindsay-Hogg. Hope Davis, Vincent D'Onofrio, Lucy Liu Dog Soldiers (02) Dir: Neil Marshall. Sean Pertwee, Kevin McKidd, Emma Cleasby Company Man (00) Dir: Peter Askin & Doug McGrath. Doug McGrath, Sigourney Weaver The Prime Gig (00) Dir: Gregory Mosher. Vince Vaughn, Julia Ormond My First Mister (01) Dir: Christine Lahti. Albert Brooks, Leelee Sobieski Happy Accidents (00) Dir: Brad Anderson. Marisa Tomei, Vincent D'Onofrio The Wrong Guy (97) Dir: David Steinberg. Dave Foley, Jennifer Tilly A Midnight Clear (92) Dir: Keith Gordon. Peter Berg, Kevin Dillon, Ethan Hawke The Cruise (98) Dir: Bennett Miller. Timothy "Speed" Levitch I Want You (98) Dir: Michael Winterbottom. Rachel Weisz, Alessandro Nivola God's Lonely Man (96) Dir: Frank von Zerneck. Michael Wyle, Heather McComb Mumford (99) Dir: Larry Kasdan. Loren Dean, Hope Davis, Jason Lee Poor White Trash (00) Dir: Michael Addis. Toby Denman, William Devane, Jaime Pressly Circus (00) Dir: Robert Walker. John Hannah, Famke Janssen Vatel (00) Dir: Roland Joffe. Gerard Depardieu, Uma Thurman, Tim Roth Box of Moonlight (97) Dir: Tom Di Cillo. John Turturro, Catherine Keener Sudden Manhattan (96) Dir: Adrienne Shelly. Adrienne Shelly, Tim Guinee The Big Squeeze (96) Dir: Marcus De Leon. Lara Flynn Boyle, Peter Dobson Girls Town (96) Dir: Jim McKay. Lili Taylor, Idina Harris, Anna Grace Bye-Bye (95) Dir: Karin Dridi. Sami Bouajila, Nozha Khoudra A Boy Called Hate (96) Dir: Mitch Marcus. Scott Caan, Elliot Gould The Moderns (88) Dir: Alan Rudolph. Keith Carradine, Linda Fiorentino Strapless (89) Dir: David Hare. Blair brown, Bruno Ganz, Bridget Fonda Deceiver (97) Dir: Jonas & Josh Pate. Chris Penn, Renee Zellweger Another Day in Paradise (98) Dir: Larry Clark. James Woods, Melanie Griffith Storytelling (01) Dir: Todd Solondz. Selma Blair, Leo Fitzpatrick, Paul Giamatti Flirt (95) Dir: Hal Hartley. Martin Donovan, Parker Posey, Michael Imperioli Sugar Town (99) Dir: Allison Anders, Kurt Voss. Jade Gordon, Rosanna Arquette The Pledge (01) Dir: Sean Penn. Jack Nicholson, Patricia Clarkson Laurel Canyon (02) Dir: Lisa Cholode