Hands on a Hard Body

In 1995, 24 people gathered at a Nissan dealership in Longview, Texas to stand around a brand-new, fully equipped "hard body" pickup truck. Each placed a gloved hand on the truck; the last one standing would take it home. The amazing documentary "Hands on a Hard Body" chronicles the next few days as the bodies and/or minds of contestant after contestant give way. You'll be surprised at how a dumb contest brings out people's personalities. If you can't find it at your local rental store, it's available for purchase on DVD or video.

International Singer Sampler

It's easy to forget, watching MTV and listening to Top 40, that there's a world of great music out there. That's why I found this compilation of foreign videos so fascinating. You know Japanese and South American teenagers don't just listen exclusively to American rock, but you never think about what you might be missing. Compiled by Video Search of Miami, which sells hundreds of not-quite-bootlegs, the performances on this sampler range from pop-til-you-drop Japanese girl groups to saucy Mexican Madonnabes to dour British heavy metalists. Some of the two dozen or so videos were too light for my taste (watching Bananarama sing "I'm hungry for your sweet love" about made me puke), but there were enough incredible performances to make the $15 price a bargain. What makes it work is that Video Search owner Tom Weisser provides subtitles as well as introductory notes to provide context. I adored Gloria Trevi, a star of Mexico and South America, who performs "Pelo Suelto" ("Letting My Hair Down") — her sex appeal pours off the stage. Your life won't be the same after watching X, Japan's best hard rock band. They set the Tokyo Dome hopping, literally, as 60,000 fans jumped in unison with their arms crossed over their chests. Yoshiri, the group's drummer, is possibly the world's best and fastest. The sweat flies and his sticks blur. The bands' stringy pink hairdos are great, too — they reminded me of those Troll dolls. The tape also offers Japanese ballbusters like Chara, who prances around the stage as the audience punches two giant blow-up penises into the air like beach balls. "In my universe, I'm the moon and he's the explorer," Chara sings. "I like his mind, that's what attracted him to me. But now I love his rocket." She's a combination of Cyndi Lauper and Mick Jagger, if you can imagine. Chara also takes time out to kick one of the balloon phalluses, yelling "Heartless dick!" Finally, Mylene Farmer's performance of "Libertine" was great, from its opening segment panning the crowd at a sold-out show in Brussels to its melancholy ending. Mylene is the only French singer to ever earn a platinum disc, and she's got four. I was singing "I'm a libertine, I'm a whore" for the rest of the day (under my breath), and the video even has a steamy sex scene. You can order the tape from Video Search of Miami or request a free catalog.