New on DVD
Get Him to the Greek
Rated R for strong sexual content and drug use throughout, and pervasive language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Jonah Hill is a record producer trying to make a name for himself when he gets the chance of a lifetime to participate in a concert event of his creation. The problem is that he must get the legendary rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), a drug-abusing sexaholic with a knack for getting into trouble, from London to Los Angeles in 72 hours for the show. With Judd Apatow producing, it is easy to figure that this is a raunchy but funny comedy filled with bad behavior. The downside is that instead of making it a straight-out buddy movie, the plot is over-complicated with Jonah’s girlfriend played by Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss. This subplot actually brings the film down a path it didn’t need to go and gets in the way far too many times. The special features are numerous and worth checking out and there’s even an unrated edition in case the R rated version isn’t naughty enough for you. B
Frozen
Rated R for some disturbing images and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This little horror indie takes place on the slopes as three friends sneak their way onto a chairlift before the park closes only to find the park shut down half-way up the mountain. Of course the park is closed for the week and no one is coming to get them. There are moments in the film with some decent tension and suspense, but when you start to realize that these collegiates have zero in the way of survival skills you start to not care if the wolves get them or not. Watching the special features, the director shot down some of my escape attempt ideas, but the easier ones seemed like they would have had the kids down on the ground and home for dinner far before the 93 minutes was up. C-
Rich Man, Poor Man
Available on DVD
Widely known as the first dramatic miniseries to appear on American television, Rich Man, Poor Man tells the story of the Jordache Family, an epic immigrant tale that spans from 1945 to 1960. Featuring an all-star cast including Peter Strauss, Nick Nolte, Ed Asner, Bill Bixby, and Susan Blakely, Rich Man set the pace for dramatic miniseries in America as well as put some big names on the map. Based on Irwin Shaw’s best-selling novel, the complex story-telling dives into familiar themes of strained human relationships and the naivete of the American dream. The set contains both Books 1 and 2, but the disappearance of Nolte on Book 2 is noticeable and frankly rather disappointing. B-
The Killer Inside Me
Rated R for disturbing brutal violence, aberrant sexual content and some graphic nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Casey Affleck is the polite, good-natured sheriff in a small 1950s Texas town who doesn’t even carry a gun because he doesn’t feel it’s necessary. When he gets a request to have a prostitute (Jessica Alba) run out of town, he kindly asks her and then resorts to an ugly streak of sexual violence which brings the two together in an affair, unbeknownst to his fiance (Kate Hudson). In order to get rid of the evidence he attempts to brutally murder her and frame it on someone else, but this web of lies begins to blow up in his face as he gets deeper and deeper into violence and deceit. It’s funny because for the first act you really like Affleck’s character. I found myself thinking that he’s a heck of a guy and I wonder what kind of trouble he’s going to get himself into. But then you get to know him, and the ugly truth is absolutely disturbing. I wouldn’t call this an enjoyable film, but making a film noir western with a villain sheriff makes for quite the interesting story. B
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky
Rated R for some strong sexuality and nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
French with English Subtitles
Although the two films are unrelated, if you recently saw Coco Before Chanel with Audrey Tautou, then this serves as sort of a sequel as it takes place shortly after those events. Much liberty is taken with the plot which revolves around Coco Chanel offering Igor Stravinsky and his family the chance to live in her country house in France while he composes, all the while the two have an affair right under the nose of his sick wife. About the only verifiable fact in the film is the wonderfully fascinating first act which takes place at the premier of The Rite of Spring in Paris where the audience actually did go into a riot over the music and choreography. Along with the terrific beginning, everything about this film is breathtaking except the meaningless script that essentially gets in the way of the overall enjoyment of the film. The full production including the costuming, set designs, score and cinematography make the film worth watching. If only there could have been some semblance of a romance to add to it – they might have ended up with another English Patient on their hands. B-
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Complete Season 5
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Welcome back to Paddy’s Pub, the worst bar in Philadelphia. Danny Devito and gang once again bring the anti-Cheers vibe where no one wants to know your name and they just might make fun of you if you dare to come in. They’ll definitely do it once you leave. The only issue I have with this FX sitcom is that there are only twelve episodes in the season. The good news is that the show is still fresh and funny and full of back-stabbing and beat-downs. Amongst the best of the laughs are kitten mittens (yes, mittens you put on cats), the gang stars in an M Night Shyamalan film, and then there’s the professional wrestling episode which left me hurting I was laughing so hard. A-