New in Home Entertainment
March 31, 2015
Song of the Sea
Rated PG
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
If you are still scratching your head at the Oscar snub for The Lego Movie and wondering what else could have been so much better than the brick hit, feast your eyes on Song of the Sea. This Irish import from Secret of the Kells director Tomm Moore tells the story of a young boy who must guide his sister on her journey to rescue a world of fairies from their stone imprisonment. Not only is the story richly told, it is stunningly beautiful to look at. Every frame is truly a work of art. Even my four-year-old was mesmerized throughout every moment of the film as both of us couldn’t take our eyes off of the screen. One word of advice before you watch – wiki the word selkie. The film is based on Irish folklore that I had not heard of before and the story makes so much more sense once you have a little background. A
Interstellar
Rated PG-13 for some intense perilous action and brief strong language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Science Fiction has always tried to push the limits of our existence and show us a place where we could be going, but rarely do films take us on more than a roller coaster thrill ride. Not since Minority Report have I seen a more ambitious sci-fi epic that both excites and melts the mind. In Interstellar, Matthew McConaughey is a former astronaut who is forced to become a farmer when the planet starts to die and farming becomes a necessity for most humans. But when a strange force leads him to a secret NASA base, he is convinced to fly another mission in the hopes of discovering a habitable planet that could save human existence. At almost 3 hours, this is one of the rare films that could be longer without many complaints from its audience. What makes this a truly special sci-fi film is that the amazing special effects only exist in order to serve the story, not distract from it. Director Christopher Nolan went out of his way to make sure the science behind the story was well-researched and yet presented in a way that most audiences could grasp, even if loosely. And while the ending still doesn’t make complete sense to me, I love that I want it to, and will keep revisiting until it does. A-
Song One
Rated PG-13 for a scene of sexuality, and brief language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Anne Hathaway stars in this low-budget indie about a young woman who comes home to help out with her brother, who is in a coma after an accident, only to fall in love with the musician he was obsessed with before the coma. Just like the recent releases Rudderless and Begin Again, Song One attempts to recapture the magic from the film Once by presenting its story as a modern-day musical where song comes organically rather than the actors simply breaking into tune. It’s a sweet enough love story but the music isn’t captivating enough, leaving a rather flat feeling throughout. C+
Veep: The Complete Third Season
Rated TV-MA
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This comedic companion to House of Cards (no they’re not related but they’re so much fun to watch in tandem) stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the disrespected Vice President of the United States as she attempts to run for President. The laughs are virtually non-stop and delivered from a superb cast of talented actors. And since the show is on HBO, it has the ability to possess a scary realism that could not be reproduced by the major networks. I cannot wait for April 12 when HBO brings us the new seasons of Game of Thrones and Veep back to back. A-