Let’s take a look at what hit DVD this week:
Grab ‘Em Right Away:
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Directed by: Terry Gilliam
Written by: Terry Gilliam & Charles McKeown
Starring: Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole, Andrew Garfield, Verne Troyer, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell & Tom Waits
Why should you buy this? It’s a fantastic film in which we are treated to what might be one of the great tales of good vs. evil, where a betting man is put the test to see how far he will go to save his daughter from a life of captivity. In three days, Dr. Parnassus must make good on his promise to turn over his child to the devil in return for immortality. However, the devil makes the bet a little interesting: if he can win over five souls before the devil does, then his daughter will remain free. Along with the introduction of Tony (Heath Ledger) his new found motivation brings about the new show which is so fantastical that you can’t help but love it. Ledger died during the filming of this movie, so Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell came in to fill in the gaps and I couldn’t be happier as to how well they were used so as not to make the movie feel like it was an incomplete work that was sloppily thrown together. I actually wonder how intensive the rewrites after Ledger’s death were, because the story feels so well-constructed that I’m just amazed at how well it turned out in the end.
Avoid Like the Plague:
The Descent: Part II
Directed by: Jon Harris
Written by: J. Blakeson & James McCarthy
Starring: Shauna Macdonald, Jessica Williams & Michael J. Reynolds
Why should you not go in to look for survivors? I can’t express how much I loved the original film that was released five years ago by Neil Marshall. Why did people need to revisit this story? I was happy with the end that the film gave me. Here however, it completely reworks that end; it decides to take us back into the cave for the sole purpose of throwing more bodies at the creepy crawlies in the dark. As much as I loved how they handled the horror (i.e. freaky creatures jumping at me out of the dark) in the first film this time around it felt just like the people being attacked were too stupid for me to enjoy this movie. A poor attempt at a sequel that I think was STV, and if it wasn’t it should’ve been.
It’s Complicated
Directed by: Nancy Meyers
Written by: Nancy Meyers
Starring: Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin & John Krasinski
Why should you avoid this new episode of Three’s Company? It’s a chick flick you won’t be able to handle. I know you see Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin on the cover and you think to yourself that it can’t be that bad; well it is. It’s a film that allows for Streep to be a slut and applauds it at every corner. The one and only glimmer of fun in this film comes from John Krasinski (The Office). Somehow anytime he’s in a scene I can’t help but find it hilarious. Unfortunately he only accounts for about 20% of the film at most, so it’s definitely not worth cashing in that man card to sit down and watch it.
Jordan’s Blu-Ray Deal of the Week
L.A. Confidential [$13.49]
The Rest
Buddha
Five Minutes in Heaven
The Hills: Season Five, Part Two
The Gallant Hours
I Love Lucy: The Movie and Other Great Rarities
Disgrace
Ride with the Devil (The Criterion Collection)
District 13: Ultimatum
Fugitive Kind (The Criterion Collection)
Why We Laugh
Blu-ray
Tombstone
Armageddon
Out of Africa
Dune
Elizabeth
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
The Jackal
Traffic
What are you watching this week?