Cinematical

MAIN PICKS AND MISSES

Sex and the City (Pick)
Leatherheads (Miss)
Run Fat Boy Run (Miss)
Deception (Miss)
Pathology (Miss)

INDIES ON DVD
Foot Fist Way, Mother of Tears

BLU-RAY
Sex and the City, Leatherheads, Deception, The Godfather, LA Confidential, Blow, Madagascar, Shrek the Third

COLLECTOR'S CORNER
The Godfather collection, High School Musical 2: Collector's Edition, LA Confidential Special Edition



Sex and the City
While this chick flick proved that women are a box office force to be reckoned with, most critics felt this cinematic extension of HBO's hit TV series would have been better off left undone. Viewers, however, were divided. Some were captivated with Carrie and Mr. Big's convoluted trip to the altar; others wanted to throw their Manolos at the screen. For fans, extras like extended commentary from Sarah Jessica Parker and show creator Michael Patrick King make the release a must-buy, while the haters would rather spend their money on a full-body facial. Figure out which camp you're in and buy or skip.



Leatherheads
George Clooney's third directorial effort is a screwball comedy about two of American men's favorite pastimes: football and females. A love letter to the sport and the Golden Age of cinema, the film features the megastar as the captain of a struggling team who recruits a star (John Krasinski from The Office) in order to fill the seats. The men get caught in a love triangle with muckraker Renee Zellweger, and hilarity sometimes ensues. For Clooney completists, the DVD makes a good rental, with commentary from the actor and a making of doc. For everyone else, wait for cable.

Run Fat Boy Run
An unlikely comedic collaboration co-written by Shaun of the Dead's Simon Pegg and cult comic Michael Ian Black, and directed by David Schwimmer from Friends, this film stars Pegg as a chubby schlub who leaves his pregnant girlfriend (Thandie Newton) at the altar, then vows to win her back by running a marathon against her new beau (Hank Azaria). Character actor Azaria's always good for a laugh or two, but overall, the flick's formulaic and flabby. Skip it.

Deception
A film starring Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor and Michelle Williams that you've never heard of? That's because this tepid thriller, helmed by first-time director Marcel Langenegger, was a commercial and critical dud. The plot is incomprehensible, but has something to do with a woman's disappearance and lots of random sex. But don't be deceived: This is the kind of flick you'd turn off halfway through on TV. Run screaming.

Pathology
A mediocre medical thriller featuring a bunch of small-screen stars (Milo Ventimiglia, Alyssa Milano, Michael Weston), Pathology plays like a nasty variation on Flatliners. A med school student joins a prestigious pathology program, and soon becomes embroiled in a murder plot. Oh, there's lots of sex, too. Although not stunningly awful, expect to see the flick pop up on Lifetime at some point – heavily edited, of course. Skip it.


The Foot Fist Way
Danny R. McBride is the hardest working man in showbiz. Not only did he appear in two of the summer's biggest comedies, Tropic Thunder and Pineapple Express, he wrote and starred in the no-budget First Foot Way, a martial arts satire financed via credit card and shot in 19 days. Funnyman Will Ferrell endorsed this silly laugh fest, and while it's not subtle or slick, it is very, very funny ... as long as you're OK with some very uncomfortable humor, like watching an old lady get punched in the face. Extras include audio commentary by the pals who made the movie happen. Rent it.

Mother of Tears
Some folks thought this film was Italian director Dario Argento's best film since his seminal Suspiria. Others thought it was just more of his Grand Guignol incoherence. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, then Mother of Tears – the final installment in the horror master's "Three Mothers" trilogy about an American art student who unleashes a demonic plague on Rome – is definitely not for you. For aficionados, it's a must-see, masterful camp at its best, with Udo Keir and Argento's stunning daughter Asia to boot. Buy it.



Sex and the City, Leatherheads, Deception, The Godfather Collection, LA Confidential, Blow, Madagascar, Shrek the Third


The Godfather Collection, High School Musical 2: Collector's Edition, LA Confidential Special Edition