Another Tuesday is upon us. It’s time to sift through the DVD releases of the week and share what to check out and what to avoid. Jordan also tells us the Blu-ray deals of the week.
Grab ‘Em Right Away:
Zombieland
Directed by: Ruben Fleischer
Written by: Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone & Abigail Breslin
Why should you buy this? If you find yourself tired of all of these serious zombie flicks and need something to laugh at, then this is your ticket. It’s completely out there with how it handles this world where there is no laws about anything anymore. Last week I spoke of my love for another zombie film (Pontypool) but every once in a while you just need some fun and this will give it to you for the full runtime. I think what makes me like this movie even more is that, unlike many films of this kind, viewers are given a completely different set of characters to follow. We are not relying on generic character types but instead improvising off of the cliches. Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is quite possibly the first neurotic gamer to survive the zombie apocalypse in film. Eventually we’re introduced to Tennessee (Woody Harrelson), who will do anything for a Twinkie.
Give It A Chance:
Adam
Directed by: Max Mayer
Written by: Max Mayer
Starring: Hugh Dancy & Rose Byrne
Why should you rent this? Every year there are a slew of romantic films that give us that indie feel and ever since I saw Garden State (2004) I’ve been looking for one that I find myself falling in love with the characters as the characters themselves are falling in love. With Adam (Hugh Dancy) being a space geek who happens to suffer from Asperger’s syndrome, meaning he cannot comprehend any sort of nuance in life. Sarcasm is as lost on him as it is a monkey. You can’t help but be heartbroken as you watch Beth (Rose Byrne) fall in love with Adam and eventually figure out how limiting this neurological disorder makes Adam’s ability to love. I’m still touched by the opening line of this film about Beth’s favourite children’s book. This movie is a rental as opposed to a purchase because as good a movie as it is, repeat viewings aren’t that rewarding.
Avoid it Like the Plague:
Amelia
Directed by: Mira Nair
Written by: Ronald Bass & Anna Hamilton Phelan
Starring: Hilary Swank & Richard Gere
Why should this film be put in a plane only to be shot out of the sky? It is one of those films that is not so much horrible as it is horribly plain. Sometimes when I sit down in a theater to watch a movie I realize I would rather watch one of the worst films ever made than finding out two hours later that I actually didn’t feel anything about the movie I just saw. Amelia is a film about Amelia Earhart (Hilary Swank) and a proper document of her accomplishments. And while they undoubtedly were monumental for women in the American 1930s, the film never conveys the impact this woman had on the world. Director Mira Nair suffers from a lack of true vision and feels more like a studio trying to make their Oscar-bait quota for the year.
Jordan’s Blu-ray Deals of the Week:
Slumdog Millionaire (dir. Danny Boyle) [$12.99]
The Wrestler (dir. Darren Aronosfky) [$12.99]
The Rest
Love Happens
Ong Bak 2: The Beginning
More than a Game
Universal Soldier: Regeneration
New York, I Love You
The House of the Devil
Blu-ray
Gangs of New York (Remastered)
Walk the Line
Man from Earth
An American in Paris
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Mystic River
Casablanca
Amadeus (Director’s Cut)
The Girl Next Door (2007)
Gigi
The Last King of Scotland
He Was a Quiet Man
Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior
Maid in Manhattan
Bonnie and Clyde
What are you picking up this week?