Month: January 2014

New in Home Entertainment

Fruitvale Station
Rated R for some violence, language throughout and some drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Winner of the 2013 Sundance Grand Jury and Audience Award is this superb indie that is noticeably absent from the recent Academy nods.  Stories of injustice in America are sometimes unbelievable, but when they show up on people’s cell phone videos, the proof is more than evident.  In this case, a young man trying to sort his life out, masterfully played by Michael B. Jordan, is shot in the back by a police officer while he is lying on his stomach with his hands tied behind his back at an Oakland train station.  The movie tells the story leading up to the fateful night and serves as a punch to the gut and a spotlight on a flawed legal system.  Sobering to say the least, it is evidence that films can have a huge social impact on their audience.  A

Rush
Rated R for sexual content, nudity, language, some disturbing images and brief drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
It is more than apparent that Americans aren’t overly into Formula One, but most of us are into great movies.  So it is that much more staggering that Ron Howard’s latest film, telling the true story of Formula One legends James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Nicki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) as they use their hatred for the other to push each other to success, was a complete dud at the box office, only bringing in about half of what it cost to make.  It’s a terrific story and an absolutely amazing movie, currently ranked at about #130 on the IMDB top 250 films of all time.  Hemsworth proves here that he’s more than just a Norse god and Daniel Bruhl turns in possibly the most underrated performance of 2013.  My advice, pick it up, pour yourself a glass of wine or beer, turn the volume way up and then sit back and enjoy what you should have checked out a few months ago in theaters.  A

Blue Caprice
Rated R for disturbing violent content, language and brief drug use
Available on DVD
In 2002 the Beltway snipers tormented America as they randomly killed people from the back of their Caprice for weeks until they were arrested by authorities.  This film, starring Isaiah Washington as the father figure who “adopts” a young Jamaican teenager only to lead him on a murder spree across the country, isn’t a story about the murders themselves but rather about a monster creating another monster.  It is a terrifying look at true evil, as well as a social commentary focusing on mental health and the need for better role models for our youth.  Was the 16 year-old kid evil, or did this man who he looked up to make him that way?  Either way, the movie is extremely dark, but very well-made with an impressive script and surprising performances.  B+

New in Home Entertainment

January 21, 2014

Captain Phillips
Rated PG-13 for sustained sequences of menace, some violence with bloody images, and for substance abuse
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Captain Phillips follows the real-life story of Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) and the crew of the MV Maersk Alabama as they are hijacked by Somali pirates.  Simply put, the film is phenomenal.  From start to finish it is a riveting and exciting drama that will keep your pulse racing and your mind stirring.  I will go as far as to say it is the best film of the year that will most likely not win any major awards.  Tom Hanks’s performance is on par with his best work and newcomer Barkhad Abdi, in an Oscar nominated performance, deserves high praise for creating an air of empathy around a really bad villain.   A

New in Home Entertainment

Carrie
Rated R for bloody violence, disturbing images, language and some sexual content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
I saw a t-shirt the other day that said “An Engineer’s Motto: If it’s not broken, take it apart and fix it.”  That definitely applies here with Boys Don’t Cry director Kimberly Peirce’s modernization of Stephen King’s classic book about a haunted young telekinetic girl who is bullied over the edge and driven to unleash her powers upon the world.  Chloe Grave Moretz plays the titular character in a completely over-the-top but still effective manner while Julianne Moore plays her religious nut job mother perfectly.  While not especially scary and not nearly as good as the 1976 Brian De Palma original, this Carrie gives a nice cyber-bully spin to the story with a pretty elaborate set piece.  And even though the trailers gave way too much away about the big prom scene, whether you’ve seen it or not, it should still give its audience a fun time at the big dance.  B

Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Rated PG-13 for some violence and disturbing images, language, sexual material, thematic elements and smoking
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
While its not lighting up the awards circuit this year, this audience favorite about a man who works as a butler in the White House throughout many of the countries pivotal moments of the twentieth century is certainly a strong contender for best feel good movie of the year.  Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey lead a terrific cast whose performances aren’t exactly memorable but solid enough to make the film enjoyable and relevant.  The writing could have been stronger as the film comes off a bit cheesy at times, but the film will leave you entertained and touched for sure.  B+

Riddick
Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexual content/nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Riddick is left stranded on a sun-scorched planet finding himself caught between deadly alien monsters trying to eat him and a group of bounty hunters determined to bring him in.  While I’ve seen 2000’s Pitch Black and 2004’s The Chronicles of Riddick, I don’t remember any major plot details.  The movies have never struck me as memorable in the least.  That being said, I feel I needed some back story beyond what was given in order to understand what was going on, but oh well.  The story alone is fine as Vin Diesel buries himself well in the character and owns his screen time.  I even liked the monsters but I’m pretty sure the planet would have had more than three species of animal life on it.  I especially liked the dog that Riddick befriends, although they break an important movie rule when it comes to his four-legged buddy and the film slips from there into its mindless ending.  C+