I took a sabbatical last week, mostly since there wasn’t much hitting shelves worth talking about. Now I’ve returned to get hyped over pretty awesome movies. Hit the jump to see what’s hit DVD and Blu-ray in the last two weeks:
Grab ‘Em Right Away:
Stardust (Blu-ray)
Directed by: Matthew Vaughn
Written by: Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn & Neil Gaiman
Starring: Claire Daines, Ian McKellen, Charlie Cox, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro & Mark Strong
Why Should you buy this? It’s the best fantasy action film in the last decade. Matthew Vaughn was able to take the style of films like The Princess Bride and bring it back for children of today to enjoy. It has one of my favourite De Niro characters of the last decade as well. It’s hard for me to put into words how much this movie makes me smile every time I watch it. It’s one of those films that hit a special spot in my heart. It’s a must watch for everyone in the family and a constant crowdpleaser.
The Evil Dead (Limited Edition) (Blu-ray)
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Written by: Sam Raimi
Starring: Bruce Campbell
Why should you buy this? Because it’s one of the few horror classics that I can get behind. Have you ever seen The Evil Dead before it tried to be funny? It’s been well documented on Raimi and Campbell’s ridiculous efforts for this film to be the new horror genre classic when they were working on it. Like so many horror films when they try too hard it goes way too far and it begins to just make everyone laugh. This is one of those films which did it, and made even the people involved look back and go ‘yeah I guess it’s funny’. They even went on in the ‘sequel’ to basically remake this movie with more money and a deliberate intention to make it funny. Here however, is that kind of movie that makes you want more. I love it and I hope you do too.
Check it Out:
Harry Brown
Directed by: Daniel Barber
Written by: Gary Young
Starring: Michael Caine & Emily Mortimer
Why should you watch this? Because it’s a decent revenge film. Even though I think movies like Gran Torino get the elderly characters better, this is a decent moderate action drama. Caine has the tough task of not just taking the lead but also having to make us believe that a man of his age could pull this off. Even though the movie still has moments where we can all stop and laugh at the idea of a pensioner taking out his revenge plot on a gang of 20-something year-olds, it still works pretty well. Check out my full review here.
MacGruber
Directed by: Jorma Taccone
Written by: Will Forte, John Solomon & Jorma Taccone
Starring: Will Forte, Val Kilmer, Kristen Wiig & Ryan Phillippe
Why should you watch this? Because it’s actually good. It’s been a while since SNL films have been good. Whenever these movies come along I’m always worried that the joke just won’t last the full 90-minute runtime. However, even though there are points where the jokes fall flat it doesn’t outweigh the really good jokes. What strikes me as the thing that stands out in this movie is Val Kilmer’s performance. Kilmer has always been brilliant as a comedic actor, but with his recent roles in films like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans it’s easy to see where he’s going with his career right now and I can’t wait for another film that allows him to be this kind of funny again. Check out my full review here.
Parenthood: Season 1
Created by: Jason Katims
Starring: Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Dax Shephard, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen, Sam Jaeger, Savannah Paige Rae, Sarah Ramos, Max Burkholder, Joy Bryant, Miles Heizer, Mae Whitman, Bonnie Bedelia, Craig T. Nelson & Tyree Brown
Why should you watch this? Because if Community or GLEE didn’t exist this would be the best new show on TV from last year. I was initially afraid that the show would speak too much to just parents but there are so many different perspectives here that everyone can enjoy it. What I loved most is that as it progressed and we watched all the parents making these decisions I found myself (as a non-parent) thinking about what it is I would do in those situations. It’s great exercise.
Avoid Like the Plague:
Killers
Directed by: Robert Luketic
Written by: Bob DeRosa & Ted Griffin
Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl & Tom Selleck
Why should you not believe that your neighbour is a spy? It’s the movie that would exist if Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Meet the Parents had a baby and that child never listened to its parents and therefore became a horrid movie. It’s filled with moments where they want the quips between Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl as they’re trying to survive these numerous waves of bad guys who’re trying to kill them. The action isn’t that rewarding and the jokes are just not that funny. The movie is a waste of your time and once again you’re going to have to hope that your girlfriend doesn’t think that Kutcher is cute so you can avoid it completely.
Jordan’s Blu-Ray Pick of the Week:
3:10 To Yuma (2007) [$7.99]
The Rest
Sons of Anarchy: Season Two
House, M.D.:Season Six
The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season
Brothers & Sisters: Complete Fourth Season
Marmaduke
NCIS: Lost Angeles – The First Season
Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Marries Too?
The Middle: The Complete First Season
Red Riding Trilogy
Supernatural: The Complete Fifth Season
The Office: Season Six
Smallville: The Complete Ninth Season
Chuck: The Complete Third Season
Solitary Man
Blu-ray
Mars Attacks
Lost in Space
THX 1138 (The George Lucas Director’s Cut)
The Player
What are you picking up this week?