New in Home Entertainment
March 6, 2012
Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season
Rated TV-MA
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
All year long critics have been proclaiming how gutsy HBO was for putting so much money behind a fantasy drama based on the famous book series by George R.R. Martin. I’m under the opinion that HBO simply knew what it was doing. The material is fantastic, the characters are unique and incredibly interesting, and killing off main characters at the drop of a hat just makes the show down-right addictive. From the opening sequence of episode one where you realize that these aren’t just olden times but a different time and place altogether where something supernatural is afoot; to the closing scene of the season which leaves you completely impatient for season two – I was completely hooked and couldn’t take my eyes off of the TV. Some might find the tremendous amount of violence and sex to be off-putting, but if you are looking for a cross between Rome and Lord of the Rings, you can’t do better. Thankfully HBO is releasing this set almost a full month before the April 1st premier of Season Two which should allow fans to start salivating and newcomers to become fans. A+
Footloose
Rated PG-13 for some teen drug and alcohol use, sexual content, violence and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
When the original Footloose hit theaters back in 1984 it was a huge sensation. The story about a small town that didn’t allow kids to dance and the rebel that couldn’t abide was a feel good classic with a soundtrack that is still famous today. So you have to think that if they want to remake such an iconic tale that they’d have to bring something special to the table. In that regard this is a huge disappointment. This new version is a remake in the sense that they use the same character names and overall plot line, but setting the movie in the present doesn’t bring a single thing except to show how dance and fashion has changed a bit. It’s not that it’s a bad film, but it just doesn’t improve upon the original and seems completely unnecessary. And really, in order for this film to truly succeed, it would have needed a soundtrack to rival the first and this music, filled with weak originals and lame covers of the original soundtrack, is completely forgettable. C+
Immortals
Rated R for sequences of strong bloody violence, and a scene of sexuality
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
Ever since my first exposure to greek mythology with the 1981 Clash of the Titans, I have been a big fan of the genre. After the huge disappointment that was the 2010 Clash remake, I was hoping for a decent myth movie with modern special effects. Director Tarsem Singh has certainly put together some of the most visually impressive films in recent years such as The Cell and The Fall, but the one thing missing in his movies was a compelling narrative. While this new film about Theseus (Henry Cavill) and his battle against the evil King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) doesn’t possess the most amazing of scripts ever written, the spectacular look of the film does a decent enough job to impress the audience and while I feel a little tricked into liking it, I can honestly say I don’t mind. In my opinion this is a classic guilty pleasure film where you know you shouldn’t like it but yet you just can’t help yourself. B-