DVD Releases for Tuesday July 19, 2011

This is the part of the blog where I tell you what I am buying for the week on DVD. Most of you who know me also know that I like to collect and watch movies at home. Most weeks I buy 1-4 releases. This week I will be buying:

Limitless
This movie surprised me at how good it was. Full of surprises and tension it does what ever good thriller does and thats keep you on your toes. Directed by Neil Berger, who brought us the under appreciated "The Illusionist" a few years ago, The movie is equal parts frantic, fast paced, slick and stylish.









Take Me Home Tonight
Critically dumped on, part of me wonders how bad this movie is. I can't imagine that it is as bad as they say. Yes it is essentially ripping off the concept of 80's nostalgia that Hot Tub Time Machine played upon, and Yes it probably is purely cliche, but honestly who doesn't love the idea of making fun of the decade of excess?








Short week this week. Not a whole lot to get but we have some big weeks ahead of us so maybe they are just letting us save up a bit.

DVD Releases for Tuesday July 12, 2011, and Friday July 15, 2011

This is the part of the blog where I tell you what I am buying for the week on DVD. Most of you who know me also know that I like to collect and watch movies at home. Most weeks I buy 1-4 releases. This week I will be buying:

July 12, 2011

Lincoln Lawyer
While on the surface it looks like a by the numbers legal thriller. While there are parts of this movie that are very typical of the genre, there is quite a lot that is unexpected. The cast is excellent, and even the smallest characters have great depth to them.









Insidious
One of the most uncomfortable movie experiences I have ever had in the theater. The movie keeps you on the edge of your seat and is not shy about making you jump out of it at every opportunity. I just hope that the experience is just as scary and uncomfortable at home as it was in the theater.

July 15, 2011

Rango

Possibly Johnny Depp's best performance ever despite being only his voice. This movie could easily be one of the best movies of the year, animated or otherwise. It is smart, clever, and beautiful. It works on every level, action, comedy, and good old fashioned classic western.

Arthur 2011

Not the best remake ever, but not the worst either. All this version does is simply update the classic Dudley Moore film, it doesn't take chances, it doesn't take risks. It was content just painting by the numbers over the original template. Brand again plays himself, and Helen Mirren slums it quite well, as always.

DVD Releases for Tuesday June 28, 2011

This is the part of the blog where I tell you what I am buying for the week on DVD. Most of you who know me also know that I like to collect and watch movies at home. Most weeks I buy 1-4 releases. This week I will be buying:

Lord Of The Rings Extended Edition
Yeah I know this is a double, triple, or for some of you a quadruple dip from Peter Jackson, but if you are a fan of this trilogy you know you will be picking it up on Blu Ray. I hear that the extras are nothing new, nor are they upgraded to HD. Also absent is the presence of any Hobbit material, so you can probably expect another set to coincide with the Hobbit. I am getting this set purely for the Extended Editions in HD, and thats enough for me to be happy.







Sucker Punch
A loud, jarring mess of a movie from Zach Snyder.  I wanted this movie to be more than it is.  I like Snyder's visual style, and I enjoyed those aspects of the movie.  But the movie really could have been more, it could have been cuckoo's nest brought to all its visual life, but you know with hot chicks instead of Chief and Nicholson. Unfortunately we got a steaming turd.








Beastly
Ever wanted to see a live action Beauty & The Beast? Well keep waiting, this movie tries to deliver that story in a fresh and contemporary way, but fails on several levels.  I liked the characters in the movie, and who can argue with the plot, the problem with Beastly is the fact that it fails to develop any of the characters, they are all paper cut outs, no dimensions, or depth of any kind.








Season of the Witch
Poor Nicholas Cage, that guy needs to fire his agent. He also needs to stop making movies just for the paycheck, or we may ask for his Oscar back.











Barney's Version
Dustin Hoffman and Paul Giamatti sharing the screen has got me interested.  Barney's version was a hit at awards season, so I am excited to see just why everyone was raving about it.

DVD Releases for Tuesday June 21, 2011

This is the part of the blog where I tell you what I am buying for the week on DVD. Most of you who know me also know that I like to collect and watch movies at home. Most weeks I buy 1-4 releases. This week I will be buying:

The Adjustment Bureau
Quite possibly my favorite movie of the year so far. I know that parts of it fall apart upon scrutiny but how often do we get a quality blend of philosophy, science fiction, humor, and romance.  Not only did it successfully blend all of those elements together, but it did so while also making us think and I dare anyone to watch this movie and not enjoy it.






Unknown
Unknown wasn't a great movie, but it was very entertaining.  I knew the twist in this movie about half way through, but I still wanted to know how they were going to pull it together.  A pretty straight forward action film, that tries to be more intelligent than it is.  Essentially the movie begins as a tight well paced action thriller in the mold of The Marathon Man, but eventually it decays into just another loud action movie.





The Eagle
I have to admit I am completely skeptical of this movie. It looks like a Gladiator clone, and yet everyone I know who has seen the movie thought it was great, and it received both high praise and blistering criticism from the professional reviews I read. I will just have to find out for myself.






Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules
The first Diary of a Wimpy Kid was an amusing yet deeply flawed movie.  I don't expect much from it's sequel but if you are a fan of the books, then I am sure you will be rushing out to see this.  As I am not a fan of the books, and the first one left me apathetic, I don't have much in the way of a desire to see it.






Cedar Rapids
Similar to Bridesmaids, Cedar Rapids sports an interesting mix of comedy role players. Cedar Rapids has been listed as one of the funniest movies of the year. And has an impressive "85% Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes. I hope that the movie delivers and is as funny as the trailer was.

DVD Releases for Tuesday June 14, 2011

This is the part of the blog where I tell you what I am buying for the week on DVD. Most of you who know me also know that I like to collect and watch movies at home. Most weeks I buy 1-4 releases. This week I will be buying:

Hall Pass
It has been a long time since There's Something About Mary, and apparently this movie is another attempt by the Farrelly brothers to regain their former glory.  It will be interesting to see if they return to glory or continue their downhill slide.










Battle Los Angeles
This movie was essentially a rip off of Independence Day. Not only was it an unoriginal story but they compounded its stupidity by shooting it as if it were a Call of Duty game.  Every single scene is shot over the shoulder of a soldier.










Red Riding Hood
I like the idea of taking the story of little red riding hood and mixing in the werewolf mythos.  Whether or not this is a success or not I cannot say, but I am interested in seeing this incarnation of the story.










Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son
File this in the category of really? I mean I don't think we really needed a sequel to Big Momma's House. and I am positive we didn't need 2. Yet here it is Big Momma's House 3.

DVD Releases for Tuesday June 7, 2011

This is the part of the blog where I tell you what I am buying for the week on DVD. Most of you who know me also know that I like to collect and watch movies at home. Most weeks I buy 1-4 releases. This week I will be buying:

True Grit (2010)

One of the best movies of last year, this update of the John Wayne classic was directed by the Coen Brothers.  Jeff Bridges did a fantastic job playing the character of Rooster Cogburn and received a lot of praise. The real find of the movie is Hailee Steinfeld who plays Mattie Ross to perfection.









Just Go With It
If Grown Ups was Adam Sandler taking a 4th of July holiday with his buddies, Just Go With It is him going to Hawaii with his friends.  The movie has some very funny moments but they seemed to just give up with it in the end.  They don't even give the audience a proper conclusion. Its fun and you will laugh, but its not the best Adam Sandler comedy.








Another Year
Mike Leigh is a great director who loves character pieces. I haven't seen this yet but I am looking forward to seeing Jim Broadbent in this movie about four seasons in the life of a married couple.










The Company Men
Another movie I seemed to have missed.  The trailer for this movie looked promising, and with the release date I thought it would have gotten more awards noticed.  Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Coster, Ben Affleck and Chris Cooper star in this movie about the American working man.









Superman: The Motion Picture Anthology (1978 - 2006)
This movie collection has been on Blu-Ray before individually without Superman 3 or 4.  Honestly If I wasn't a Superman super nerd I probably wouldn't pick this set up.  But I am, and I can't wait to pick mine up.










Green Lantern: Emerald Knights
Just in time for the Green Lantern movie comes this direct to DVD animated feature. This movie will more than likely give anyone who sees it a nice knowledge base for all of the minor characters in the new movie. Nathan Fillion, Jason Isaacs, and Elisabeth Moss all provide voices for this movie. The animated DC universe movies have almost always been entertaining so hopefully this one is no exception.







Sanctum
This movie seemed like a fun ride.  Sure its not an original idea but the 3D certainly probably made up for it.  It will be interesting to see if the movie is any good without the novelty that 3D provides.

DVD Releases for Tuesday May 24, 2011

This is the part of the blog where I tell you what I am buying for the week on DVD. Most of you who know me also know that I like to collect and watch movies at home. Most weeks I buy 1-4 releases. This week I will be buying:

 I Am Number Four

I Am Number Four is an exciting movie, but I couldn't get behind it.  I really loved the book that it was based on, but the movie changed so many important things that eventually it just pissed me off.  The tone, and character changes were so dramatically bad in the movie that I struggled to enjoy it.  I think that if I can let go of the book and just see the movie I will enjoy it this time.








Gnomeo & Juliet

Classic Shakespeare with the twist of animation.  The Lion King was the first Shakespearian play I remember being turned into an animated kids film.  I'm not saying Gnomeo & Juliet is going to be on the same level as The Lion King, but I do think that it looks like a cute movie. Like the Lion King it is scored with songs by Elton John.







Tigerland

Before stardom ruined Colin Farrell we got this spectacular gem of a movie.  This is a Blu-Ray re-release of a 2000 movie. This film made me like Colin Farrell, after a while I think like many of you, I got sick of him, however the second coming of Colin Farrell has begun and is looking pretty good so far.








Gods and Generals/Gettysburg Director's Cut

Gods & Generals and Gettysburg are being re-released to commemorate both Memorial Day, as well as the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War.  These are two quality Civil War epics that deserve to be seen.  They are not on the level of Gone with the Wind, nor is it as entertaining as Glory, but they are historically accurate and definitely a must for any Civil War buffs.





The Great Dictator

Charlie Chaplin's classic silent film is now on DVD and Blu-Ray in a Criterion Collection disc.  For a long time as a child I actually thought Charlie Chaplin was Hitler, and without question this film is the reason why.  Chaplin is superb as both the dictator, and the barber.  If you have never seen the movie I desperately encourage you to see  it.

DVD Releases for Tuesday May 17, 2011

This is the part of the blog where I tell you what I am buying for the week on DVD. Most of you who know me also know that I like to collect and watch movies at home. Most weeks I buy 1-4 releases.  This week I will be buying:

The Mechanic
I almost saw this release in the theater.  A remake of a Charles Bronson film, The Mechanic stars Jason Stratham as a hit man out to revenge the murder of his mentor. With the assistance of his mentors son, he attempts to kill all those involved in the murder.









The Rite
Directed by Mikael Hafsrom, The Rite is the story of a doubting priest who faith is restored through the study and practice of Exorcism.  Not as scary as I would have liked, but not half bad as a movie.  Anthony Hopkins stars and basically chews up scenery for 2 hours.









The Roommate
I liked it the first time when it was called Single White Female.  Despite being a rehash, lets be honest, single white female is nearly 20 years old, and the story of a crazy white girl, trying to become another white girl is still kinda fun.










The Other Woman
A small movie from 2009 that got a very limited release this year.  Typically that means it is not a good movie, but it stars Natalie Portman,  Lauren Ambrose and Lisa Kudrow.