This Week In DVD: Vantage Point, Drillbit Taylor, Mad Men, And More
This Week in DVD is a new column on /Film compiling all the latest info regarding new DVD releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy, Circuit City, and Fry's.NOTE: If you watch a lot of TV, be sure to check out some of the amazing sales Best Buy is having on a number of Fox and HBO sets (located under "The Specials" section of the column).
MAD MEN (SEASON 1)
Depicting the societal changes during the 1960s, this critically acclaimed new drama series explores the life of a high-level advertising executive with wit, style, and cynicism. In addition to it winning the Golden Globe for Best Television Series (Drama), it's also been heavily praised for its character-driven storyline, top notch writing, and slick and detailed recreation of its '60s setting. The DVD includes all episodes from the show's first season, and comes with limited edition lighter packaging.
Blu-ray? Yes.Notable Extras: Several commentary tracks and documentaries on the advertising industry.
EXCLUSIVE DEAL:What? $5 GiftCard.Where? Target.
CITY OF MEN
A film version of the popular TV series of the same name (which in itself was a spin-off of a movie I consider to be one of the best of all-time, City of God), this brutal and unflinching tale of two friends who become unwittingly caught up in a vicious gang war further explores the horrors of Brazil's favela life. It may not be up to the level of City of God, but critics and audiences are in agreement, it does as good a job as you could possibly hope for.
Blu-ray? No.Notable Extras: A featurette.
EXCLUSIVE DEAL:What? Buy with City of God for $25.Where? Best Buy.
VANTAGE POINT(Available as single-disc and 2-Disc Deluxe Editions)
Good premises can only take a movie so far, and unfortunately, this film gets lost before it even begins. The whole concept underlying the film is ultimately undermined by its inconsistent execution, constantly cheating by preventing the audiences from seeing what other characters see (which is the whole point of the film) and then eventually abandoning that concept entirely. What could've amounted to a high-octane, twist-filled thriller instead devolves into a mess of poor screenwriting and laughable attempts at integrating the "Rashomon effect." What a shame.
Blu-ray? Yes.Notable Extras: Found only on the 2-Disc set, there's an audio commentary, an interview with screenwriter Barry Levy, deleted scenes, and interviews with the cast/crew.
*Fry's pricing DOES include 2-Disc Edition, but the other listed stores do not ($22.99).
DRILLBIT TAYLOR(Available as single-disc and Extended Survival Editions)
This movie has a number of things going for it, such as the charms of its lead, Owen Wilson, and the strong performances of its two teenage actors, but the script makes it feel like a hodgepodge of a less raunchy, less funny Superbad and recycled material from half a dozen '80s teen comedies (like My Bodyguard). This makes sense, seeing as how it's based on an idea by John Hughes, and the script was co-written by Seth Rogen and produced by Judd Apatow, but disappointingly, the quality normally associated with those names does not shine through here.
Blu-ray? Yes.Notable Extras: A commentary track (no Apatow or Rogen), deleted scenes, Apatow's patented "Line-O-Rama" feature, a gag reel, and an interview with Rogen and other co-writer Kristofor Brown. The "Extended Survival Edition" comes with an additional five featurettes on the making of the film.
*Pricing DOES include Extended Survival Edition.
MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS
Grammy-winning singer Norah Jones joins an all-star supporting cast including Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, and David Strathairn for the English-language debut of Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai's visually captivating but contrived and half-baked compilation of artsy nothingness. The bland, overly-chatty storyline involves a woman who takes a cross-country trip across America to get over a break-up.
Blu-ray? No.Notable Extras: A Q&A session with the director, deleted scenes, and a short making-of featurette.
TYLER PERRY'S MEET THE BROWNS(Available as single-disc and 2-Disc Special Editions)
What is there really left to say about Tyler Perry's films? He's a sloppy director and a painfully melodramatic storyteller, but his loyal fanbase continues to support his work regardless. At this point, it's probably best just to shrug these movies off until audiences finally lose interest.
Blu-ray? Yes.Notable Extras: Four featurettes.
*Fry's pricing DOES include 2-Disc Edition, but the other listed stores do not ($22.99).
EXCLUSIVE DEAL:What? Free address book.Where? Circuit City.Other noteworthy DVDs available this week...
Heathers (Special Edition) – Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control – The Closer (Season 3) – Batman: The Movie (Special Edition) – Sex and Death 101 – 30 Days (Season 2) – Shotgun Stories
Discuss: What are you planning to rent or buy this week?
Exclusive: Free movie cash (up to $7) to see Get Smart with purchase of Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control.$7.50 – Batman Begins, The Goonies, Gremlins, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Grandma's Boy$17.99 – Sex and the City (Seasons 1-6), Friday Night Lights (Season 2)
Exclusive: 2-Disc Special Edition for Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control ($22.99). Includes first 2 episodes of the Get Smart TV series.$16.99 – Futurama (Season 1-4), The Simpsons (Season 1-10), Arrested Development (Season 1-3), King of the Hill (Season 1-6), 24 (Season 1-6), Prison Break (Season 1-2), The Riches (Season 1), Family Guy (Season 1-5), American Dad (Season 1-3), That '70s Show (Season 1-8), The OC (Season 1-4), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Season 1-7), Angel (Season 1-5), Dark Angel (Season 1-2)$19.99 – Six Feet Under (Season 1-5)$39.99 – The Wire (Season 1-4), John Adams, The Sopranos (Season 1-6), Rome (Season 1-2), Deadwood (Season 1-3)$44.99 – Band of Brothers$14.99 – South Park (Season 1-5)$24.99 – South Park (Season 6-10)
Exclusive: Free movie cash (up to $7) to see Get Smart with purchase of Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control.$16.99 – It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Seasons 1 & 2)$19.99 – My Name is Earl (Season 1-2)$4.99 – The Princess Bride (20th Anniversary Edition), Goodfellas, Platoon, Raging Bull, Airplane, Lucky Number Slevin, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Million Dollar Baby, The Right Stuff, Deliverance, and more...$6.99 – Made, Jacob's Ladder, Total Recall, Way of the Gun, First Blood, and more...
$3.99 – The Ice Storm, Kung Pow$6.99 – The Boondock Saints, The Day After Tomorrow, Independence Day, I, Robot, Cast Away, Man on Fire, There's Something About Mary, Die Hard, and more...