IndiesOnDvd Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Crank: High Voltage (Two-Disc Special Edition)
With Gamer out in theaters, the mini-debate about Neveldine and Taylor -- mad geniuses of action cinema or destroyers of all that is visually coherent? -- can continue. Never-say-die Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) comes roaring back to life for another adrenaline-fueled adventure, accompanied once again by the very game Amy Smart. It's the only new mainstream film out on DVD today, so be prepared to fight like a dead man if you want to rent a copy at your local shop. Also on Blu-ray. Rent it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Valentino: The Last Emperor
Why not try something a little more refined, a little more elegant, a little more ... Valentino? The legendary fashion designer himself is showcased in Matt Tymauer's doc, and by all accounts he's a charismatic, charming personality. In other words, no need to fear if you feign little interest in fashion; the film is more interested in listening to Valentino talk than in delineating the vagaries of changing styles, which may help explain why it became a box office success. Also on Blu-ray. Rent it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

The Quick and the Dead
Sharon Stone got the lion's share of the attention during the film's original 1995 release, but her star billing could not eclipse the burning talents of young Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, not to mention the villainous Gene Hackman and the incredible supporting cast, including Gary Sinise, Pat Hingle, Lance Henriksen, Keith David, and Tobin Bell (the future Jigsaw). It all hangs on the ferocious, audacious direction by Sam Raimi. New on Blu-ray. Buy it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Indies on DVD, more Blu-ray picks, and Collector's Corner -- all after the jump!

I Love You, Man
Bro-mance, schmo-mance, this is a funny movie, centered by a very good performance by Paul Rudd as a befuddled "ladies' man" in search of a best man for his upcoming wedding to Rashida Jones. He starts awkwardly 'man dating' until he stumbles across the happy-go-lucky bachelor Jason Segal, and an unlikely triangle is formed. "A sweet, amusing, and perfectly acceptable comedy all around," wrote Eugene Novikov. Also on Blu-ray. Buy it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

17 Again
Personally, I have zero interest in seeing this movie, but if you're a devoted fan or even curious about the star, help yourself. 17 Again is "a run-of-the-mill family comedy that would be tiresome," Jette Kernion opined, "if not for [Zac] Efron and a few of the other cast members." Also on Blu-ray. Skip it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

The Class (Entre les Murs)
Laurent Cantet directed this adaptation of a semi-autobiographical novel by François Bégaudeau, an inner-city Paris school teacher. James Rocchi observed: "Begaudeau's interactions with his students are so nuanced and smart that it doesn't feel like the heavy hand of drama when various incidents and events escalate as the film progresses; they feel natural, lived in, human." Also on Blu-ray. Buy it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Also out: Chaos (from 2006, with Jason Statham, Ryan Phillippe, and Wesley Snipes); Road Trip: Beer Pong (the sequel, directed by Steve Rash); I Do, I Did ("One man, two women, too much!").

More Indies on DVD, more Blu-ray picks, and Collector's Corner, all after the jump!

Fast & Furious
"Not only is the story silly, but there's not even much car-racing in it -- and why would anyone want to watch this movie if it doesn't have a lot of car-racing in it?" Eric D. Snider asked. "It turns out minimizing the one entertaining element of a franchise was a BAD idea!" Alas, I must agree. Also on Blu-ray. Skip it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Bart Got a Room.
"It's not much different from other nerdy-teen-needs-date-for-prom flicks," noted Erik Davis in his review, "but it sure as hell packs a ton of heart and has a lot of fun. It's alive, it's colorful, it's got well-written characters and more than a handful of memorable scenes." Steven Kaplan stars, with William H. Macy and Cheryl Hines as his newly-divorced parents. Rent it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Dragonball: Evolution
"It's not aggressively bad," opined the long-suffering Eric D. Snider, "It's more like a dumb, energetic puppy." Personally, I think he was being far too kind to a sloppy, embarrassing, and dull movie. Also on Blu-ray. Skip it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Miss March
"Up until yesterday I was having trouble keeping track of all the movies that were contenders for the worst of 2009," confessed Jeffrey M. Anderson, "and I couldn't decide which one topped the list. Now my head is clear of such decisions. I've seen Miss March." Also on Blu-ray. Skip it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Also check out: This week's TV on DVD releases at TV Squad.

New indie film releases, more Blu-ray picks, and a look at the Collector's Corner -- featuring the complete BSG set -- all after the jump!

[REC]
If you saw Quarantine and thought, 'Hey, that wasn't so bad,' have I got a movie for you! The best moments of the Hollywood remake were all done first (and better) in the Spanish original, which is more intense, more grueling, and more graphic. (Scott Weinberg and William Goss agree with me.) A light-hearted news reporter accompanies firefighters on a routine call that quickly turns deadly when they're trapped in an apartment building with something far more terrifying than burning furniture. Buy it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

The Haunting in Connecticut
If you like your horror much less intense, this haunted house tale is more spooky than scary. Supposedly "based on true events," Virginia Madsen stars as the mother of a very sick teenage boy who comes to regret her decision to rent a place with an unsavory past. It offers no big surprises (as William Goss scoffed), but I thought it trod familiar territory with a fresh eye. Available as a Single-Disc Edition, Unrated Special Edition, and on Blu-ray. Rent it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Horsemen
Dennis Quaid stars as a cop on the trail of a serial killer somehow inspired by the Biblical 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.' With Zhang Ziyi and Lou Taylor Pucci. Horsemen received only a token theatrical release from Lionsgate, which isn't a good sign, but possibly in its favor: the cast, the very Seven-ish premise, and the lack of much else new. Rent it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Also out: Mad Men: Season 2, The State: The Complete Series, Grey Gardens, Van Wilder: Freshman Year - Unrated, The Bracelet of Bordeaux.

After the jump: Keira Knightley, Blu skycraper on fire.

"Slim pickings" is the best way to describe this week's releases. Isn't anyone planning to stay home and watch DVDs?

Two Lovers
Joaquin Phoenix can't decide between Gwyneth Paltrow and Vinessa Shaw. Directed by James Gray, this suffocating drama is dark, thoughtful, and "more true to real human existence than most of the dreck that comes out of Hollywood studios," wrote Kim Voynar. I wasn't quite as impressed by it as she was, but it's still my top pick in a slow week. Also on Blu-ray. Rent it.

12 Rounds
Wrestler John Cena stars in Renny Harlin's latest train wreck (as I described it in my review), a sober drama that resolutely refuses to embrace its loonier plot elements (fire engine smashing through New Orleans, an out-of-control street car). Aidan Gillen (The Wire) provides one of the few pleasures as an exceptionally-nasty master criminal. Also on Blu-ray. The "Extreme Cut" adds less than three minutes of footage. Skip it.

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li
I was hoping against hope that this might provide some cheesy fun, but Nick Schager slammed that door shut: "Fighting sequences are dreadfully lethargic ... their choreography is of a dull, unimaginative sort." Not even Kristin Kreuk can save this one. Also on Blu-ray. Skip it.

Also out: Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience.

After the jump: "Indies on DVD" provides several good rental choices, a landmark film by Spike Lee hits Blu-ray, and a long-dismissed effort by director Hal Ashby gets dusted off.

Friday the 13th
Marcus Nispel directs a rebooted version of the venerable series, which borrows elements from the first four films and adds precious few of its own. I'm tempted to say "skip it," based on my own review, but those first 20-25 minutes are pretty ferocious, and the "Extended Killer Cut" promises more of everything. Also on Blu-ray. Rent it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail
Tyler Perry has grown his beloved character Madea "into a larger-than-life force of nature that is genuinely funny," wrote Eric D. Snider. He noted the writer/director's "tendency toward oversimplification," however, and commented: "Maybe if someone would do a better job of making films targeted at a black, female Christian audience, Perry's half-baked didacticism would suffer in comparison. In the meantime, this is the best there is, so it's nice that Perry is improving, albeit in small increments." Rent it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Ghostbusters
The comedy classic with Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, and Sigourney Weaver stands ready to imprint itself upon your memory once again, in a new Blu-ray edition. One word to keep in mind before buying, however: grain. "Surprisingly heavy," says DVD Beaver; "heavy wash of grain that never quite dissipates," per IGN; "features plenty of the swirly stuff in most every scene," according to Blu-ray.com. Other than that important factor, which is claimed to reflect the original source print, reviews have been positive. Rent it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Also out: What Goes Up, Morning Light, Sword of the Stranger, and a boatload of TV series (a list of the latter at TV Squad).

After the jump: Indies on DVD, more Blu-ray, and Collector's Corner.

Valkyrie
Tom Cruise wants to kill Hitler. "Worth seeing for its irresistible ensemble of character actors, a handful of really well-crafted sequences, and a truth-based story that simply deserves to be repeated," wrote Scott Weinberg. Directed by Bryan Singer. Available in single-disc and double-disc editions, and also on Blu-ray. Rent it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Kevin James as a plus-sized man in uniform. "Harmlessly humorless, Paul Blart tepidly goes through its motions, but that doesn't mean you have to," opined Nick Schager. Directed by Steve Carr. Also on Blu-ray. Skip it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

My Bloody Valentine 3D

Remake of 1981 slasher flick. "Cheesy, corny, gimmicky, gory fun ... low-brow entertainment with high-tech execution," declared William Goss, and I concur. Consider this movie a love letter to horror fans. With Jensen Ackles and Kerr Smith. Directed by Patrick Lussier. Also on Blu-ray. Rent it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

True Blood: The Complete First Season

Southern Gothic vampire weirdness translated remarkably well to television, despite some wonky faux-Louisiana accents. Not every episode works, yet even the imperfections and blemishes are fascinating to watch. With Anna Paquin. Also on Blu-ray. Buy it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

After the jump: Indies on DVD, more Blu-ray picks, and Collector's Corner!

No skipping this week! Bump a couple of these up to "buy" if your budget allows.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story of a man who ages backwards becomes a staggering, three-hour demonstration of superb make-up and seamless computer effects under the direction of David Fincher. Despite the length, only one note is played -- everyone else's pity for "poor Benjamin" -- while the man himself (Brad Pitt) remains a frustrating cipher. With Cate Blanchett and Taraji P. Henson. Also on Blu-ray. Rent it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Last Chance Harvey
While in London for his daughter's wedding, New York jingle-writer Dustin Hoffman romances Emma Thompson. "A movie for grown-ups, but not in that clammy, Oscar-craving way that would make it untenable; it's a movie about people that takes place in the real world," said James Rocchi in his review for Cinematical. Directed by Joel Hopkins. Also on Blu-ray. Rent it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Wendy and Lucy
Michelle Williams stars as "a down-on-her-luck girl who's hoping to turn things around for herself with a summer job at a fishing cannery in Alaska," wrote Kim Voynar in her Cinematical review. When her car breaks down and her beloved dog goes missing in a small town in Oregon, she is "forced to make a series of increasingly difficult choices, and to rely upon the kindness (or not) of strangers to resolve her plight." Directed by Kelly Reichardt (the superb Old Joy), who "excels at capturing these small, very human moments in the overall stories of her characters' lives." Rent it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

After the jump: Indies on DVD, Blu-ray, and Collector's Corner!

The Wrestler
For all its indie cred, adult language, and exposed body parts, Darren Aronofsky's film follows a well-trod path through sports movie cliches. Still, it's anchored by Mickey Rourke's empathetic, "I've been there and I know that" performance as a world-weary wrestler, and Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood provide needed counterbalance as a wary stripper and unforgiving daughter, respectively. Also on Blu-ray. Rent it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Frost/Nixon
Peter Morgan's adaptation of his own stage play supplies all the "based on truth" dramatic hay that's needed, while Michael Sheen and Frank Langella sparkle in the title roles. Ron Howard's movie feels very much like a television production; as an actors' showcase, it's fine for what it is, without illuminating deeper truths. Also on Blu-ray. Rent it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Caprica
I've watched and watched without being converted into the worshipful fold, but for Battlestar Galactica fans already suffering from withdrawal, you can get your fix with this prequel starring Eric Stolz and Esai Morales. I'm sure it's the best thing ever made, and that you will play it over and over again. Buy it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Wolverine and the X-Men: Heroes Return Trilogy
First three episodes of the animated TV series. "With great tragedy in their past and their future, Wolverine must lead Xavier's disillusioned heroes against the forces of fate and destiny. Only together can the X-Men steer the course of history away from catastrophe and save us all." Doesn't that sound cool, kids? Rent it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Also out: Into the Blue 2: The Reef (featuring bikinis and beefcake).

After the jump: Indies on DVD, more Blu-ray picks, and Collector's Corner.

Doubt
Philip Seymour Hoffman is thrilling to watch as a priest accused of abuse by god-like nun Meryl Streep. Streep's highly-studied Bronx accent cracks me up, but this is a crackerjack stage play by John Patrick Shanley that he adopted for the screen and directed. Viola Davis makes a deep impression, and Amy Adams is a cute nun. Buy it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon | Read Jeffrey M. Anderson's review.

The Tale of Despereaux
Quoting myself: "A slapdash character study of two rodents ... a gentle and nurturing children's story, imparting lessons without being too condescending to its audience." This could become a family perennial. With the voices of Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, and Emma Watson. Buy it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon | Read my review.

The Day the Earth Stood Still
You've already seen the best bits in the trailer. Seriously. Even allowing for Keanu Reeves' intentionally blank slate and the prototypical "annoying kid," and crushing on Jennifer Connelly, this was a deadly bore that didn't come close to the far superior original. Skip it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon | Read William Goss' review.

Yes Man
Jim Carrey stars in what our man Will Goss described as "a minor lark in the Canadian comedian's career ... familiar and funny in about equal measure." Still, Carrey familiarity + Zooey Deschanel makes me want to check it out. Rent it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon | Read William Goss' review.

Bedtime Stories

Adam Sandler has always seemed child-like, but Jette Kernion said: "Watching Bedtime Stories is about as delightful as peeking into your Christmas stocking and finding it empty except for a few lint-covered peppermints." (Note: Released this past Sunday.) Skip it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon | Read Jette Kernion's review.