Author: crunchonthis

New in Home Entertainment

May 1, 2012

New Year’s Eve
Rated PG-13 for language including some sexual references
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Ever since Love Actually, Hollywood has been attempting to capitalize on the formula of taking a holiday, throwing as many A-listers as will fit in a blender, and making a themed movie smoothie of it.  In this case, director Garry Marshall (Valentine’s Day, The Princess Diaries) takes Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Robert De Niro, Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Sarah Jessica Parker and many others and gives them little stories revolving around New Year’s Eve.  The result is another ridiculously stupid movie that damages the integrity of everyone involved.  Contrived and cliched at every turn, the movie tries to take advantage of couples looking for a “date” movie and girls nights out.  I actually loved Love Actually, but these copy cat Hollywood crap fests are good for nothing but mockery and disdain.  F

Joyful Noise
Rated PG-13 for some language including a sexual reference
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Convinced that the competitive church choir competition genre was under-represented, the filmmakers here put together tale of a face-off between Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah as they both try to fight it out over the subject of how best to win a national competition.  While its completely predictable, much of its target audience won’t be as critical as the critics due to the fact that its a positive, uplifting family-safe film with decent music.  If you have a discerning palate, however, you will most likely find the movie to be a musical comedy that panders to its set audience.  Then again, I don’t think there was any ambition of winning awards or making a statement here.  This is simple entertainment for viewers that want a simple film.  C

The Organizer: Criterion Collection
Unrated
Italian with English Subtitles
Getting the Criterion treatment here is a relatively little-known 1963 Italian film about a group of textile workers in Turin, Italy at the turn of the century that join forces under the leadership of a traveling professor in order to fight for better working conditions.  Since the film can be said to have modern-day comparisons to our current economy, it is a truly relevant picture almost 50 years after its release.  More importantly though is that it is a very entertaining movie that infuses fantastic moments of comedy relief within its tension-filled dramatic walls.  The performances seem authentic and the great cinematography, along with its new digital restoration, give the film a look of historical significance.  Above all is the extremely well-written Oscar-nominated screenplay by the same writers that gave us The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Il Postino.  A-

New in Home Entertainment

April 24, 2012

Contraband
Rated R for violence, pervasive language and brief drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In order to protect his brother-in-law from a ruthless drug-dealer, a former smuggler (Mark Wahlberg), is forced to commit to a smuggling operation bringing in a large amount of counterfeit bills into America from Panama.  I’ll warn you right off – Contraband is a B-movie all the way.  The plot is silly, the characters are predictable, and the writing isn’t top-notch.  What sets the film apart though is the both the quality of the talented cast and terrific production values.  You actually get a sense that you understand both the shipping and the smuggling business after watching this film.  There is an organic quality about it that allows you be taken in and entertained.  So while its not a good movie, it is at times a very fun and interesting one.  B-

Pariah
Rated R for sexual content and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
An inner-city teenager struggles with her identity as her friends and family begin to discover that she is gay.  This highly praised film from relatively new writer/director Dee Rees is a challenging yet rewarding picture about a subject that is completely foreign to most of its audience.  It is hard to imagine what a character such as this has to go through in this scenario, and even harder to imagine a member of the audience not being touched.  Rees does an excellent job of bringing empathy on not just the heroine, but to the people around her as well.  Its as if the villain isn’t really a person, but rather the misunderstandings and misinterpretations of the situation pertaining to the main character.  B

Shogun Assassin
Rated R for violence, nudity and rivers of blood
Available on Blu-ray
I thought I was a big martial arts fan, and that I was familiar with most of the classics, but this cult title somehow slipped under my radar until now.  Following the saga of Lone Wolf and Cub (billed here as the greatest team in the history of mass slaughter), a father and young child travel Japan on a quest of vengeance for the brutal murder of their respective wife and mother.  This new set includes all five films in the series, all in beautiful HD, which makes the blood that much more red boy does it flow.  Just like many of the Asian films from this time period, it is extremely gory, but moreover, it is a blast to watch.  It’s truly corny at times, but in a good way.  B+

New in Home Entertainment

April 10, 2012

Into the Abyss
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material and some disturbing images
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Many of you will remember the horrific events that took place in Conroe in 2001 when Michael Perry killed three helpless victims all for the sake of stealing a car.  In 2010 he was executed in Huntsville, but before justice was served, he was interviewed by famed German filmmaker Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man) in an attempt to show the uselessness of the death penalty.  While I found the story intensely interesting and extremely sad for the families destroyed by the crime, I failed to see a reason against putting such a monster to death.  As one of the victim’s family members said “some people don’t deserve to live” and Perry truly falls into that category.  So as an argument against the death penalty, the movie does is not convincing.  As a reminder to lock your doors, don’t trust strangers and protect yourself and your family at all cost – the movie succeeds admirably.  B+

Being Elmo
Rated PG for some mild language including a brief drug reference
Available on DVD
It’s funny where we find inspiration.  For Kevin Clash, it was the puppet shows of his youth including Sesame Street and The Muppet Show.  From the time he was a small child he strove to be a world-class puppeteer and decades later he eventually created Elmo and later went on to become the Executive Producer of Sesame Street.  This wonderful indie doc follows the journey of a most amazing man who truly embodies the advice “do what you love.”  The movie itself is very well-made and would be a pleasure to watch for any kid or adult.  In fact, this should be required viewing for grade-school kids nationwide.  A

The Darkest Hour
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence and some language
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
When I first saw the trailer for this alien invasion pic I was kind of excited.  After all, I love Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild), and invisible electric aliens in Moscow sounded exciting.  But the reviews were horrible upon its Christmas release and it made next to nothing at the U.S. box office.  Well, sad to say, the bad reviews are well warranted.  What could have been an interesting script turns out to be a real stinker filled with unimaginative dialog and bad acting to match.  To make matters worse, the special effects are practically non-existent and what little there is looks cheap.  Luckily the film is less than 90 minutes so the pain is only momentary.  C-

New in Home Entertainment

April 3, 2012

War Horse
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of war violence
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In November my wife and I took a trip to London where we were fortunate enough to score some great seats to the hit West End play War Horse.  It was an incredible experience that left us both with the same thought: there is no way Steven Spielberg could screw this up.  We were wrong.  Spielberg’s movie does a lot of things right.  The cast is good enough, the music by John Williams is terrific and some of the shots are very memorable.  What turned out to be disappointing was the story.  Rather than sticking to the perfect storytelling of the play, Spielberg and screenwriter Richard Curtis (Love Actually) chose to twist things around, rework the plot and completely change the tone of the stage production.  The play is essentially about a boy during WWI whose father sells his horse to the military and thus goes on a journey through war-ravaged Europe to find his equine best friend.  In the play, the journey of both the horse and the boy were of equal importance.  In the movie, the boy’s journey is almost inconsequential by comparison.  In addition, they changed the major characters in significant enough of a way to almost lose their importance.  If you haven’t seen the play, you obviously won’t notice this.   But even though the film landed an Oscar nod for best picture, the overall reaction to the film has been mostly of indifference.  And while I have no way of proving this, I firmly believe that had they just left the basic story alone, the movie would have been a smashing success and an actual contender at the Oscars.  I have to admit that the special features in the four-disc blu-ray set are numerous and impressive.  I am still a massive Spielberg fan and love watching him commit to his craft.  He is more present on this blu-ray set than any of his other releases, which takes the overall movie up a notch or two.  C+

We Bought a Zoo
Rated PG for language and some thematic elements
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Based on a true story, a widower (Matt Damon) needing to get away from it all takes his two children away from their city home and moves into a house located on an actual zoo.  Using all of his savings, he helps his family cope with the loss of their matriarch by bringing the zoo back to life in the hopes of opening it to the public.  Just as you’d expect from a Cameron Crowe film, the storytelling is solid and the dialog is wonderfully written.  After all, this is the man that brought us “Show me the money” and “You had me at hello.”  The guy knows how to write and direct and the aside from some extremely cheesy moments spent with an out of place over-the-top zoo inspector, the film works as both a smart comedy and touching family film.  It’s hard to imagine anyone not liking the movie and I can even picture it being quite inspirational to some.  B+

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
Rated G
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
There is something about those squeaky-voiced rodents that makes kids happy while simultaneously making their parents sick.  In this newest inevitable sequel, the Chipmunks and Chipettes accidentally go overboard from a cruise ship only to end up marooned on a seemingly deserted island.  Call me a snob, but I consider this to be the lowest form of entertainment.  There is not a funny gag in the entire film and it actually hurts seeing Jason Lee and David Cross reappearing for the third film (although if I were offered that kind of money, I’d probably do it also knowing full well that I’d hate myself later for it).  Unfortunately, since the pic brought in over a third of a million dollars worldwide, I’m sure the studio will try to get these rats to squeak again.  F

New in Home Entertainment

March 27, 2012

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Rated PG-13 for emotional thematic material, some disturbing images and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Many critics dismissed this very moving tribute to 9/11 but even so it still managed to squeak out an Oscar nod for both best picture and best supporting actor for 82-year-old Max von Sydow.  Extremely Loud follows the story of a high-functioning autistic boy whose father (played by Tom Hanks) dies when the towers collapse.  When the boy finds a key hidden in a vase in his father’s closet, he sets off to discover what the key unlocks in order to experience one last adventure with his father.  If you are anything like me, you could care less what the other critics think.  This is an exceptional movie full of an amazing variety of emotions and intense complexity.  It is well-written, terrifically acted, and the overall production is top-notch.  It also possesses the best and most under-appreciated score of the year composed by Alexandre Desplat with piano by Jean-Yves Thibaudet.  And while you will need some major tissue, the sadness does not bring you down or make you wish you hadn’t watched it.  A

In the Land of Blood and Honey
Rated R for war violence and atrocities including rape, sexuality, nudity and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Written and directed by Angelina Jolie, Land of Blood and Honey tells the story of a man and woman during the Bosnian War whose allegiances to their countries and religions keep them from furthering their relationship.  One can’t help but be impressed with the ambition of such a project.  There is no doubt that the atrocities that occurred during this time were truly horrible and worth showing to the world.  While the production is good and the setting is well-handled, the overall story is not the greatest.  The characters fall flat and you get the sense that Jolie could have used a bit more experience before tackling such heavy material.  C+

The Sitter
Rated R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, drug material and some violence
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Jonah Hill plays a suspended college student who is talked into babysitting the kids next door in this latest comedy from Pineapple Express director David Gordon Green.  There are some pretty funny laughs to be had in this comedy, but just like Green’s last film, Your Highness, the drug and sex jokes get a little stale.  Hill is an interesting actor to watch at times, but he is much better suited for films like 21 Jump Street and Moneyball than he is for this kind of movie.  The whole thing feels like two guys were watching the 1987 film Adventures in Babysitting while high and started asking dumb “what if?” questions and wallah – a movie was formed.  It’s not horrible, but not good either.  C

Casablanca: 70th Anniversary Edition
Available on Blu-ray
For the 70th anniversary of what many consider to be the greatest romantic film of all time, Warner Brothers is releasing this beautiful limited edition box set which contains an all-new 4K scan of the film (not sure what that means but it sure is pretty) with tons of featurettes and documentaries as well as a 60 page photo book, French mini-poster and coaster set.  It’s not a bad deal for a relatively low cost and the film has never looked or sounded better.  I know if I hadn’t gotten one from Warner Brothers recently, I would have had it on my Birthday wish list with constant reminders for my wife.  A+

New in Home Entertainment

March 20, 2012

The Descendants
Rated R for language including some sexual references
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
George Clooney is a father of two girls and husband to a woman lying in a coma in the hospital.  When he finds out that his wife was cheating on him before her accident, he struggles with his strained relationship and seeks to discover more about his wife’s secret.  Alexander Payne (Sideways, About Schmidt, Election) has always focused on cheating spouses in a way that shows the pain the other party goes through without putting the audience through the same torture.  While the situation itself might not be funny, he manages to put a comedic spin on the actions in order to lighten up the mood and not drag the viewer into depression.  This is a very real, very serious movie that will have you laughing constantly.  The Oscar-winning script here, like all of his other scripts, is genius.  The man has a wonderful talent for showing the tragedies of real life while always pointing out the positives as well.  This is an engrossing film that will more than likely leave you both entertained and touched.  A

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Rated R for violence, some sexuality/nudity and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Based on the infamous John le Carre spy novel, Tinker Tailor focuses on a British Intelligence agent (Gary Oldman) who is asked to uncover the identity of a mole in the top ranks of the agency.  Swedish director Tomas Alfredson certainly has the ability for visual storytelling as is evidenced by his masterful vampire film Let the Right One In and even moments throughout this newest thriller.  The problem is that here the thriller doesn’t thrill.  I actually watched the film twice to see what I could be missing since the buzz was so hot.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure it out.  The story is very complex and yet so incredibly boring that by the end you might understand the whodunit aspects of the picture but you could hardly care.  I know there are some folks who really loved this movie, but I can’t possible understand why and I’m not willing to sit through a third time to try to better understand their rationale.  C-

My Week with Marilyn
Rated R for some language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh both deservedly scored Oscar nods for their roles as Marilyn Monroe and Sir Laurence Olivier in this picture which follows the on and off-set struggles of the making of The Prince and the Showgirl.  While Meryl Streep went home with the trophy, Williams was my first choice for this year’s award.  Her turn as Monroe seemed to possess every subtlety of her iconic look and personality.  With acting this strong and a good story to boot, you get a sense of realism like you are almost watching a documentary.  A-

The Muppets
Rated PG for some mild rude humor
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
It’s been years since The Muppets have had a decent showing in pop culture but they have come on again strong in this latest outing.  In their newest tale, The Muppets biggest fan, Walter, heads to Los Angeles with his brother, played by Jason Segel, in order to see Muppet Studios.  When he discovers an evil oil baron’s plan to destroy the studio in order to drill for oil, he works with Kermit and the rest of The Muppets to put on a show to save their property.  The whole thing is just pure fun from start to finish.  It’s wonderfully written and cleverly acted with some terrific songs sprinkled throughout.  They even won an Oscar this year for their song Man or Muppet.  Whether adult or child, it’s hard to imagine someone not liking this very entertaining movie.  B+ 

The War Room: The Criterion Collection
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
When I first saw that this 1993 drama about Bill Clinton’s run for office was getting the Criterion treatment, I was a bit surprised.  I never thought of it as great film making but rather just a well-made documentary.  That being said, there is something special about the style used by directors Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker.  And looking back at this very recent history, it’s also incredibly powerful to see the now famous political personalities James Carville and George Stephanopoulos as they pull off a major upset to get Clinton elected.  If you do pick up this film, you must check out the special features that go even more in depth to the famous campaign and how it changed the way campaigns are run today.  B+

New in Home Entertainment

March 13, 2012

The Adventures of Tintin
Rated PG for adventure action violence, some drunkenness and brief smoking
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
Spielberg’s first feature-length animated film follows the adventures of a young detective who is incredibly well-known in Europe but relatively unknown in the States.  Needless to say, a little character development would have gone a long way here as we try to get to know the hero attempting to discover the secret of a ship called “The Unicorn.”  But if you can get past this lack of a normal story-telling device, the film is full of adrenaline and is absolutely beautiful to boot.  Should it have been nominated for an Oscar this year in the animated category?  Absolutely.  Especially since it is a far superior film to Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots.  But at least it was recognized for the outstanding score by John Williams.  B+

The Three Musketeers
Rated PG-13 for sequences of adventure action violence
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
All it takes is one look at the leading actor’s ridiculous hair worn by the young actor Logan Leman (Percy Jackson) to come to the realization that this film is not a well-thought-out creation.  Taking the original book by Alexandre Dumas and turning it into a big special effects extravaganza is an interesting concept but ultimately fails under the heavy hands of director Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil).  While the production is itself (aside from Leman’s hair) is lush and lovely, the dialog is horrific and the actors look tired rather than lively and charismatic.  This project is ultimately a huge waste of a talented cast and a timeless tale.  D+

Melancholia
Rated R for some graphic nudity, sexual content and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
After hearing the seemingly unbelievable news that Kirsten Dunst (Spiderman) had just won best actress at the Cannes Film Festival, I couldn’t wait to see her in Danish director Lars von Trier’s (Dancer in the Dark) latest opus.  Set at the end of the world as a mysterious planet comes hurdling towards the Earth, two sisters, played by Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg, find themselves struggling in their relationship and their impending doom.  I have to admit that I haven’t completely wrapped my head around this one yet.  This an extremely complex and ambitious film that will require multiple visits, much thought, and probably some outside reading to fully appreciate.  That being said, I thought the production was stunning (and cheated out of an art design Oscar nom this year) and the acting powerful, although a bit melodramatic.  If you are into challenging films, this should be right up your alley.  A-

Jack and Jill
Rated PG for crude material including suggestive references, language and comic violence
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
While this is traditionally the exact kind of film that ends up being on every critic’s worst film of the year list and an obvious Razzie candidate, I found this Adam Sandler pic to be rather interesting.  After all, this film about fighting male and female twins (both played by Sandler) is exactly the kind of film Sandler made fun of himself for in his last serious role in Funny People.  Between Funny People and the truly excellent Punch Drunk Love, Sandler has proven he has chops but these crappy little films he makes are geared by the studios to steal money from who they consider to be their large and unsophisticated audience.  It’s pandering at its very worst, which while I can’t claim it possesses any sort of merit, I find myself fascinated by the sheer audacity of the lack of respect for the movie-going public.  C+

Tennessee Tuxedo: The Complete Collection
Available on DVD
The classic 1960’s television toon featuring Don Adams as the voice of penguin Tennessee Tuxedo who wanders the zoo with his walrus pal Chumley, getting into all kinds of trouble, all the while educating the audience and making them laugh.  This new set, released by Shout Factory, features all 70 original episodes plus loads of extras.  A-