New in Home Entertainment – April 9, 2013

New in Home Entertainment

April 16, 2013

Django Unchained
Rated R for strong graphic violence throughout, a vicious fight, language and some nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray

In Django Unchained, a freed slave named Django (Jamie Foxx) helps the man who freed him (Christoph Waltz) with some bounty hunting in exchange for a hand in getting back his wife from a notorious slave owner (Leonardo DeCaprio).  If you’ve been in a box and aren’t familiar with writer/director Quentin Tarantino’s unique style, then fair warning – his films can be offensive to some.  If you are a fan of his work or just enjoy edgy movies – then you should love his newest western.  It is incredibly violent but still extremely fun to watch.  The jokes will hit you from all sides as will a few blood splatters.  I found this to be about as entertaining as you can get and was excited to see the film take home a couple of Oscars for both Screenplay and a supporting actor trophy for Waltz.  A

Jacob
Unrated but contains graphic violence and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray

Local Houston area film maker Larry Wade Carrell writes, directs and stars in this terrific little indie horror B-movie about a mentally disturbed man (Dylan Horne) who goes on a killing spree when a tragedy occurs with his loving young niece (Grace Powell).  Sure its a genre movie with a low budget, but its great to see how good a local project can get with limited dollars and only one star (Michael Biehn) in the credits.  The overall production is more than decent and the pacing of the story makes it one you should check out when reaching for your next horror film.  B

Future Weather
Unrated
Available on DVD

Yet another good little indie is this film by Jenny Deller about a brilliant young 13-year-old girl (Perla Haney-Jardine) whose mother abandons her leaving her only $50 to fend for herself.  With a reluctant grandmother (Amy Madigan) to care for her and a caring school teacher (Lili Taylor) to inspire her, she become a responsible adult much sooner than she should.  Sure its a little Lifetime-y, but if you are in the mood, this is a well-acted, well-written story that most will find engaging.  B

Repo Man: The Criterion Collection
Rated R
Available on DVD and Blu-ray

Alex Cox’s cult classic about punks, capitalism and an alien invasion is getting the Criterion Collection in this loaded set.  In a career-making performance, Emilio Estevez is a young hoodlum who starts repossessing cars to make a few bucks when he attempts to take back a car with a hefty reward and something deadly in the trunk.  The film is a crazy and sometimes incoherent mess, but it sure is interesting and keeps you on your toes.  If you are a fan you will love this set which includes a new 2K digital transfer, a collectors book and more special features than I’ve ever seen on a single disc.  B-