New in Home Entertainment – August 27, 2013

Pain & Gain
Rated R for bloody violence, crude sexual content, nudity, language throughout and drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
So what was my biggest surprise this summer in theaters?  This little comedy by tentpole extraordinaire Michael Bay about the dumbest bodybuilders you’ve ever witnessed (Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson) who attempt to kidnap a local businessman and steal his life.  Oh yeah – and it’s based on a true story.  It’s the most unbelievable true story you can possibly imagine.  I went in sure I was going to hate it and ended up having a blast.  And it was still fun the second time watching it at home.  A-

Kon-Tiki
Rated PG-13 for a disturbing violent sequence
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Based on the classic novel by Thor Heyerdahl, this Academy Award nominated film (Best Foreign Language Film – Norway), follows Thor and a group of adventurers who attempt to prove that Peruvians could have been the first inhabitants of Tahiti by taking a balsa wood raft and floating there using only the winds and currents to guide them.  Masterfully directed and produced, the film is a fascinating and beautiful two hour adventure.  And if you hate subtitles, the filmmakers actually made an English language version at the same time they made the Norwegian, so you won’t have the distraction of dubbing.  A

Amour
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including a disturbing act, and for brief language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
French with English Subtitles
From acclaimed director Michael Heneke comes this story about an elderly couple that undergoes an extreme hardship when the wife becomes terminally ill.  This heartbreaking drama won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.  Personally I found it to be lovely but rather dismal.  Like most of Heneke’s films, this one is challenging to watch but still beautiful in its own regard.  A-