When Portrait of a Marriage was released on DVD earlier this year, it ended a 16-year quest of mine. (I’d actually gone to the extreme of buying the uncut version on VHS — for way too much on eBay.) But my DVD collection is still incomplete, because I can’t get these things (at least not easily, or not on region 1 discs):
10. Desperate Lives (1982) An ABC After School Special in which Helen Hunt does PCP and jumps out a window. As far as I can tell, this isn’t included in any of the box sets — not even the one that looks like a little school bus.
9. Holocaust (1978) This miniseries is traumatic and long, but everything Meryl Streep has ever done should be on DVD.
8. Only When I Laugh (1981) Remember when Neil Simon ruled the screen and the stage? This particular Neil Simon movie has the distinction of not starring Matthew Broderick or Jonathan Silverman or another baby-faced boy of that ilk. It’s very New York, and very gay-friendly, and full of quotable lines. And it can come in handy when you’re playing Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.
7. The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981) I don’t remember whether this movie was really so terrific. Maybe I just like the way Vicki Lawrence sings the song.
6. Shields & Yarnell (1970s) Once upon a time, a mime/clown met an off-Broadway dancer. They decided to create their own variety show, dance the robot with Muppets, and win an Emmy. The End.
5. Little Darlings (1980) Kristy McNichol! Tatum O’Neal! And even Cynthia Nixon! Every baby dyke’s wet summer camp dream. Matt Dillon is pretty cute too, with his long hair and sensitive stare. (And yes, this makes three Kristy McNichol movies on my list, along with no. 7 and no. 8. You should have seen my bedroom wall.)
4. My Two Loves (1986)
I’ve blogged about this one before, and I’m sure I’m romanticizing it a little. But I’d like to actually see this TV movie again to find out for sure whether it’s any good. And I’m pretty sure Mariette Hartley could use the cash.
3. Poison Ivy (1985) No, not that Drew Barrymore dreck, but another summer camp movie. This one was made for TV and stars Nancy McKeon and Michael J. Fox (who were dating in real life at the time) as counselors. Pure glee.
2. Yentl (1983) Yeah, I know it’s available as a region 2 disc, but really, where is it written that this can’t be released in the U.S.? There’s a built-in market! They could issue it as a DVD/CD set and every Barbra fan in America would buy it. Two copies, probably.
1. Housekeeping (1988) A quiet gem starring Christine Lahti as the unforgettably charming and quirky Aunt Sylvie. This one really deserves to be on DVD — the shots of British Columbia (standing in for Washington) are breathtaking. This also happens to be one of few movies that I consider just as good as the book.
I had High School USA on this list, but now I have it at the top of my Netflix queue instead.
Do you have your own wish list? More important, do you have any corrections or news regarding mine? I’m bereft!
