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This Week in DVD: Street Fighter, 12 Rounds, Entourage, Eastbound & Down, and More

Posted on Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 by Adam Quigley

This Week in DVD is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy and Fry’s.

Please don’t take the commentary on the movies and TV shows too seriously, as they’re meant not to be reviews but rather previews that include the general thoughts and ramblings of a twice-committed DVD addict. The categories represent solely the author’s intentions towards the DVDs at hand, and are in no way meant to be a reflection on what he thinks other people should rent or buy. So if he ends up putting a movie you like in the “Skip it” section without having seen it, please keep in mind that the time you could spend leaving a spiteful but ultimately futile comment could instead be used for more pleasant things in life. Like buying DVDs.

EASTBOUND & DOWN (SEASON 1)
Eastbound & Down creator/writer Jody Hill’s style of comedy definitely isn’t for everyone, but those capable of embracing his raw, cynical attitude may just find themselves rewarded with one of the funniest shows television has to offer. So far, everything Hill has done revolves around a specific formula: bad things happening to bad, dumb people. Between this and Observe & Report, I doubt there’s any mystery about Hill’s feelings toward a large majority of the American public; regardless of the crazy situations his characters get into, there’s always this sense of depressing truth to them, always making sure we know that people like this aren’t too far off from the type of people you might find in any small middle-to-lower class town. This aspect of the show helps elevate it beyond a simple dark comedy to somewhat of an unsettling character study, presenting one man’s desperate struggle to cling to this distorted reality that his fame helped create for him, only to find actual reality settling in and crashing down on him.
Blu-ray? No.
Notable Extras: An audio commentary with creator/writer Jody Hill, actor Danny McBride, director David Gordon Green, and writer/actor Ben Best, “Making Eastbound & Down”, “Kenny Powers: Greatest Hits”, “Schaeffer Motor Commercials”, “Stevie’s Dark Secret”, and deleted scenes.

EXCLUSIVE DEAL:
What? Free $5 GiftCard when you buy both Eastbound & Down (Season 1) and Entourage (Season 5) on DVD.
Where? Best Buy.

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This Week in DVD: Waltz with Bashir, Inkheart, and More

Posted on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 by Adam Quigley

This Week in DVD is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy and Fry’s.

Please don’t take the commentary on the movies and TV shows too seriously, as they’re meant not to be reviews but rather previews that include the general thoughts and ramblings of a twice-committed DVD addict. The categories represent solely the author’s intentions towards the DVDs at hand, and are in no way meant to be a reflection on what he thinks other people should rent or buy. So if he ends up putting a movie you like in the “Skip it” section without having seen it, please keep in mind that the time you could spend leaving a spiteful but ultimately futile comment could instead be used for more pleasant things in life. Like buying DVDs.

WALTZ WITH BASHIR
With its unique animated style and innovative approach to documentary filmmaking, Waltz with Bashir is a fascinating experiment, and one that proves to work very well in connection with the compelling, emotionally powerful subject matter (following one man’s attempts to remember what happened during an Israeli Army mission in the first Lebanon War). If you’re the type of person who feels the need to watch a documentary more than once, then by all means, this is well worth the purchase, but for everyone else, it makes for an essential one-time viewing.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: A director’s commentary, a Q & A with Director Ari Folman, and 2 featurettes (”Surreal Soldiers: Making Waltz with Bashir”, “Building the Scenes - Animatics”).

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This Week in DVD: Friday the 13th, Transformers (Season 1), and More

Posted on Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 by Adam Quigley

This Week in DVD is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy and Fry’s.

Please don’t take the commentary on the movies and TV shows too seriously, as they’re meant not to be reviews but rather previews that include the general thoughts and ramblings of a twice-committed DVD addict. The categories represent solely the author’s intentions towards the DVDs at hand, and are in no way meant to be a reflection on what he thinks other people should rent or buy. So if he ends up putting a movie you like in the “Skip it” section without having seen it, please keep in mind that the time you could spend leaving a spiteful but ultimately futile comment could instead be used for more pleasant things in life. Like buying DVDs.

FRIDAY THE 13TH
(Available as theatrical and unrated “Killer Cut” edition)
The Friday the 13th series is popular for three very specific reasons: violent deaths, gratuitous nudity, and Jason Voorhees. Sure, there may be additional reasons, but those are the ones that count. So if you’re one of the many people who saw this remake in theaters and walked out disappointed, I have to ask you: did you even WATCH any of the previous films? This film delivers exactly what’s promised! No, it’s definitely not good, but none of these films are. Instead of wasting time criticizing its by-the-numbers story and stock characters (in a Friday the 13th movie? Unheard of!), who not just enjoy it for what it is? An hour and a half of Jason Voorhees laying waste to attractive teenagers. If you’re expecting anything more than that, you’re watching the wrong movie.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras:The “Killer Cut” edition includes additional scenes and a Rebirth of Jason Voorhees featurette. The theatrical cut includes no special features.

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This Week in DVD: Gran Torino, The International, Fired Up, and More

Posted on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 by Adam Quigley

This Week in DVD is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy and Fry’s.

Please don’t take the commentary on the movies and TV shows too seriously, as they’re meant not to be reviews but rather previews that include the general thoughts and ramblings of a twice-committed DVD addict. The categories represent solely the author’s intentions towards the DVDs at hand, and are in no way meant to be a reflection on what he thinks other people should rent or buy. So if he ends up putting a movie you like in the “Skip it” section without having seen it, please keep in mind that the time you could spend leaving a spiteful but ultimately futile comment could instead be used for more pleasant things in life. Like buying DVDs.

GRAN TORINO
Gran Torino marks a rare instance where I find myself truly baffled by the response a film has received. Hailed as one of the best films of last year, Clint Eastwood’s latest work currently sits at #77 on IMDB’s Top 250 and earned itself an 80% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I suppose the appeal of this film is just lost on me. While I wouldn’t recommend against a rental (as even I can admit that the movie is fairly entertaining), I couldn’t help but be put off by how mind-numbingly formulaic, heavy-handed, and simplistic the movie is. Not to mention, just about every supporting performance is cringe-worthy, and oftentimes turned what should’ve been powerful scenes into moments of unintentional hilarity. What am I missing here, guys?
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: 2 featurettes (”Manning the Wheel: The Meaning of Manhood As Reflected in American Car Culture”, “Gran Torino: More Than A Car”).

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This Week in DVD: Revolutionary Road, Defiance, Weeds, and More

Posted on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 by Adam Quigley

This Week in DVD is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy and Fry’s.

Please don’t take the commentary on the movies and TV shows too seriously, as they’re meant not to be reviews but rather previews that include the general thoughts and ramblings of a twice-committed DVD addict. The categories represent solely the author’s intentions towards the DVDs at hand, and are in no way meant to be a reflection on what he thinks other people should rent or buy. So if he ends up putting a movie you like in the “Skip it” section without having seen it, please keep in mind that the time you could spend leaving a spiteful but ultimately futile comment could instead be used for more pleasant things in life. Like buying DVDs.

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
While nothing Sam Mendes has made since his directorial debut has lived up to the greatness of American Beauty, his recent return to examining the perils of suburban life still provides an interesting examination of what it’s like to feel stuck in a lifestyle you cannot stand, even if it is more concerned with hammering home its bleak message than presenting it in what you’d call an “entertaining” way. The movie certainly has its flaws: it’s overwritten at times, the ending is unnecessarily melodramatic, and the “crazy son” character (despite being brilliantly played by Michael Shannon) acts as nothing more than a lazy device to spell out the film’s message. What saves the film, however, is Mendes’ top notch direction and the emotionally effective lead performances by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. They all do such an admirable job, you’re liable to forget that the film has any faults at all.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: Commentary by director Sam Mendes and screenwriter Justin Haythe, a “Lives of Quite Desperation: The Making of Revolutionary Road” featurette, and deleted scenes.

EXCLUSIVE DEAL:
What? Save $10 when you buy both Revolutionary Road and Defiance.
Where? Best Buy.

EXCLUSIVE DEAL:
What? Free $10 Target GiftCard when you buy both Revolutionary Road and Defiance.
Where? Target.

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This Week in DVD: Killshot, New in Town, Powder Blue

Posted on Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 by Adam Quigley

This Week in DVD is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy and Fry’s.

Please don’t take the commentary on the movies and TV shows too seriously, as they’re meant not to be reviews but rather previews that include the general thoughts and ramblings of a twice-committed DVD addict. The categories represent solely the author’s intentions towards the DVDs at hand, and are in no way meant to be a reflection on what he thinks other people should rent or buy. So if he ends up putting a movie you like in the “Skip it” section without having seen it, please keep in mind that the time you could spend leaving a spiteful but ultimately futile comment could instead be used for more pleasant things in life. Like buying DVDs.

KILLSHOT
How does this even happen? How does a movie from an Academy Award-nominated director (John Madden, of Shakespeare in Love), starring a slew of incredibly talented actors (Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane, Thomas Jane, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosario Dawson), based on a book by Elmore Leonard (Get Shorty, 3:10 to Yuma, Rum Punch aka Jackie Brown), spend over three years in post-production development hell, only to be dumped to DVD after a measly 5-theater run? Surely, the only way this kind of treatment would be warranted is if the finished product somehow ended up being a colossal failure. Or so you’d think. But according to the minimal response the film has received thus far, Killshot’s biggest flaw is the obvious way it’s been torn apart by the meddling studios over the past few years, resulting in an uneven/messy narrative that remains engaging most of the way through but doesn’t quite satisfy on the whole. If you’re like me though, the curiosity factor alone is enough of a draw to justify a rental.
Blu-ray? No.
Notable Extras: None.

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This Week in DVD: Valkyrie, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, My Bloody Valentine 3D, True Blood (Season 1), and More

Posted on Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 by Adam Quigley

This Week in DVD is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy and Fry’s.

Please don’t take the commentary on the movies and TV shows too seriously, as they’re meant not to be reviews but rather previews that include the general thoughts and ramblings of a twice-committed DVD addict. The categories represent solely the author’s intentions towards the DVDs at hand, and are in no way meant to be a reflection on what he thinks other people should rent or buy. So if he ends up putting a movie you like in the “Skip it” section without having seen it, please keep in mind that the time you could spend leaving a spiteful but ultimately futile comment could instead be used for more pleasant things in life. Like buying DVDs.

VALKYRIE
(Available as single-disc and 2-Disc Special Edition)
As hard as I try, I can’t bring myself to garner much interest in this film. I blame history for spoiling the ending. It’s like watching The Passion of the Christ: “So… I wonder what happens to Jesus at the end.” There’s also something inherently off-putting in seeing Tom Cruise in Nazi Germany with an eye patch and no accent. That said, I’m a big supporter of Bryan Singer’s work, and the film has been said to be serviceably entertaining, so I’ll be sure to give it a fair shake just as soon as I learn to stop whining about those aforementioned minor issues. If you’ve seen the film though, it would really help if you could offer some incentive to check it out in the comments.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: The single disc contains no extras, while the 2-disc holds a commentary by director Bryan Singer, actor Tom Cruise, and writer Christopher McQuarrie, a second commentary with writer Christopher McQuarrie and writer Nathan Alexander, 2 featurettes (”The Journey to Valkyrie”, “The Valkyrie Legacy”), and a digital copy of the film.

*Does not include 2-Disc Edition, which costs $22.99 at each of the listed stores (including Amazon).

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This Week in DVD: Taken, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, S. Darko: A Donnie Darko Tale, and More

Posted on Tuesday, May 12th, 2009 by Adam Quigley

This Week in DVD is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy and Fry’s.

Please don’t take the commentary on the movies and TV shows too seriously, as they’re meant not to be reviews but rather previews that include the general thoughts and ramblings of a twice-committed DVD addict. The categories represent solely the author’s intentions towards the DVDs at hand, and are in no way meant to be a reflection on what he thinks other people should rent or buy. So if he ends up putting a movie you like in the “Skip it” section without having seen it, please keep in mind that the time you could spend leaving a spiteful but ultimately futile comment could instead be used for more pleasant things in life. Like buying DVDs.

TAKEN
(Available as single-disc Extended Cut and 2-Disc Extended Cut)
They just don’t make movies like Taken anymore. It’s as straight-forward a thriller as they come: bad guys kidnap girl, dad isn’t happy about it, dad f**ks up the bad guys. But as this film proves, simplicity isn’t always a bad thing. There aren’t many things more rewarding in life than watching the always awesome Liam Neeson laying the smackdown on an endless array of evildoers. Combine that winning formula with director Pierre Morel’s raw, visceral style and co-writer Luc Besson’s to-the-point and totally badass screenplay, and you have yourself one of the most satisfying 90 minutes of ass-kicking goodness to come out in quite some time.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: The single disc includes an extended cut of the film and no extra material. The 2-disc includes the extended cut, commentary with director Pierre Morel, writer Robert Mark Kamen, and cinematographers Michel Abramowicz and Michel Julienne, a making of featurette, an Avant Premiere feature, and a Inside Action: Side by Side Comparisons feature which looks at 6 different sequences.

*Does not include 2-Disc Edition, which costs $22.99 at each of the listed stores (including Amazon).

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This Week in DVD: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Last Chance Harvey

Posted on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 by Adam Quigley

This Week in DVD is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy and Fry’s.

Please don’t take the commentary on the movies and TV shows too seriously, as they’re meant not to be reviews but rather previews that include the general thoughts and ramblings of a twice-committed DVD addict. The categories represent solely the author’s intentions towards the DVDs at hand, and are in no way meant to be a reflection on what he thinks other people should rent or buy. So if he ends up putting a movie you like in the “Skip it” section without having seen it, please keep in mind that the time you could spend leaving a spiteful but ultimately futile comment could instead be used for more pleasant things in life. Like buying DVDs.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
(Available as single-disc and 2-Disc Criterion Edition)
David Fincher is a director who’s responsible for a number of my all-time favorite films… The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, however, is not one of them. This is a movie that I’d recommend more for its technical merits than its story, which uses its excellent “backwards aging” premise primarily as a gimmick; remove it, and you have yourself a fairly standard ’sprawling’ tale of a disabled man’s life, as he experiences love, loss, sorrow and all that other wonderful tear-jerky, Oscar-baity goodness. This should come as no surprise, really, given that screenwriter Eric Roth basically just recycled most of the major story beats from Forrest Gump.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: There are no extras on the single-disc, while the 2-disc Criterion Edition includes a commentary by director David Fincher and a 4-part The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button documentary.

*Does not include 2-Disc Criterion Edition, which costs $22.99 at each of the listed stores (including Amazon).

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This Week in DVD: The Uninvited, JCVD, Bride Wars, and More

Posted on Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 by Adam Quigley

This Week in DVD is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy and Fry’s.

Please don’t take the commentary on the movies and TV shows too seriously, as they’re meant not to be reviews but rather previews that include the general thoughts and ramblings of a twice-committed DVD addict. The categories represent solely the author’s intentions towards the DVDs at hand, and are in no way meant to be a reflection on what he thinks other people should rent or buy. So if he ends up putting a movie you like in the “Skip it” section without having seen it, please keep in mind that the time you could spend leaving a spiteful but ultimately futile comment could instead be used for more pleasant things in life. Like buying DVDs.

JCVD
Jean-Claude Van Damme has made some pretty questionable career choices, but whether you love or hate the guy, you really have to admire the ingenuity on display in JCVD, which is very much a response to that rather misguided career. In the film he plays himself: a broke, out-of-luck actor who’s battling for the custody of his daughter. But when he’s thrown into a real-life hostage situation, the world sees a side of Van Damme they’ve never seen before. Marking the first ever Van Damme flick to be ranked ‘fresh’ on Rotten Tomatoes, the meta, self-referential and utterly unique JCVD has been praised heavily for Jean-Claude’s touching and deeply personal performance, which—much like the depicted storyline—also shows a side of him that the world’s never seen before.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: Deleted scenes.

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This Week in DVD: The Wrestler, Frost/Nixon, Notorious, Caprica

Posted on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 by Adam Quigley

This Week in DVD is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy and Fry’s.

Please don’t take the commentary on the movies and TV shows too seriously, as they’re meant not to be reviews but rather previews that include the general thoughts and ramblings of a twice-committed DVD addict. The categories represent solely the author’s intentions towards the DVDs at hand, and are in no way meant to be a reflection on what he thinks other people should rent or buy. So if he ends up putting a movie you like in the “Skip it” section without having seen it, please keep in mind that the time you could spend leaving a spiteful but ultimately futile comment could instead be used for more pleasant things in life. Like buying DVDs.

THE WRESTLER
In what I’d argue was one of the biggest snubs in Oscar history, the Academy Awards’ failure to nominate The Wrestler for Best Picture showed not only a lack of appreciation for director Darren Aronofsky’s emotionally devastating, richly affecting tale of a lonely man trying to fill the empty void in his life, but also a lack of foresight. While movies like The Reader and Frost/Nixon are likely to be forgotten in less than five years, I predict this is a movie that will only grow in appeal; Mickey Rourke’s heart-wrenchingly honest performance ensures it.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: A ‘Within the Ring’ featurette, and a ‘The Wrestler’ music video by Bruce Springsteen.

EXCLUSIVE DEAL:
What? $5 Gift Card with purchase of DVD.
Where? Fry’s.

EXCLUSIVE DEAL:
What? Save $5 when you buy both The Wrestler and Notorious.
Where? Best Buy.

Read More »

Set Visit: The Crazies

Posted on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 by Adam Quigley

Remakes get a bad rap amongst filmgoers, and understandably so. Instead of attempting to fulfill the potential hinted at in failed or dated movie projects, Hollywood has proven time and time again that the sole purpose of most remakes is to cash in on the success of the near faultless original films. Occasionally though, there’s a glimmer of hope. A quick glance at two of the best horror films the genre has to offer—The Thing and The Fly—clearly demonstrates that technological advances in filmmaking can be used to more effectively convey an older film’s story. While those films were remakes of ’50s cinema, we’ve also seen a vast of array of ’70s remakes—Dawn of the Dead, The Hills Have Eyes, The Last House on the Left—that have proven to be worthy modern takes on dated (albeit classic) material.

The Crazies, due out September 25, is the latest remake to attempt to join the ranks of those films. Based on the cult classic directed and co-written by George Romero, the film tells the story of a small town struck by insanity when an unknown toxin starts turning its happy, law-abiding citizens into mindless killing machines. Trying desperately to survive both the infected populace and the subsequent military response, the town’s Sherrif (Timothy Olyphant), his pregnant wife (Radha Mitchell), his deputy (Joe Anderson), and an assistant at the medical center (Danielle Panabaker) find themselves forced to band together if they ever intend on getting out of the town alive.

Last week I was granted the opportunity to visit the film’s set at Peach County High School in Georgia, where the crew was getting prepped for a lengthy night shoot. Once there, we first spent some time speaking to director Breck Eisner (Sahara), who explained his stance on remaking the film.

Honestly, any time you do a remake or a reimagining, and this is definitely more of a reimagining than a remake, you want to have target aspects of the movie that they didn’t have access to when they first made it. My theory on remaking movies or reimagining movies is that there should be something that they weren’t able to do the first time around. That you can do differently. So it’s not like just redoing Psycho or redoing a perfect movie, it’s redoing something that had limitations. One of big limitations for [George] Romero was obviously budget. I think he had 200 grand or 275 grand to make the entire movie. We’re obviously spending more money than that—it’s not a big budget movie, but we have better assets so we can represent the government as the scale of the force that it needs to be in a movie like this that is oppressive and realistic for us.

We spent the rest of the evening having the end of that comment proven to us, as we ventured next to a massive field on the outskirts of the high school. Read More »