Author: crunchonthis

Juno

Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, and Jennifer Garner
Directed by Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking)
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, sexual content, and language
Appropriate for ages 15+
Available April 15, 2008 on single-disc DVD, two-disc DVD and Blu-ray disc

Juno follows the life of a sixteen-year-old girl, named Juno (Page), that gets pregnant and decides to give up her baby to a couple that can’t have their own children (Bateman and Garner).  While that doesn’t sound like the makings of a comedy, it turns out to a refreshing laugher full of incredibly witty dialogue by first time and Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody.  I will admit, though, that multiple viewings can get annoying, and the special features included are a little too self-absorbed.  There seems to be more patting themselves on the back and less film-crafting.  It’s as if they are obsessed with how well the film has done financially rather than how the film was made.  One very cool feature here though is the inclusion of a copy of the movie that you can legally put on your Ipod or other video device (only available on the two-disc and blu-ray editions).

There Will Be Blood

Starring Daniel Day Lewis, Paul Dano, and Dillon Freasier
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Punch Drunk Love)
Rated R for some violence
Appropriate for ages 15+
Available April 8, 2008 on Single DVD and 2-Disc Collector’s Edition DVD

Upon first seeing this film about a turn-of-the-century oilman fighting with the church in the theater, I didn’t know how to take it.  I have to admit that for several days, I didn’t like it.  Many aspects bugged me.  Sure, Daniel Day Lewis turns in one of the greatest performance ever seen on a big screen, but between the downer of an ending and the disonant music by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, it was a hard film to stomach.  Then, after a few days and even weeks, the film started growing on me.  There are so many facets that hit you long after the credits roll.  I had to see it again, and the second time – I found a new appreciation for it.  I found myself wanting to study it and now, after several viewings, I can truly say that I absolutely love this remarkable film.  It’s not an easy pic to watch, but it is very rewarding.  The extras on the second disc aren’t great.  There is a 1920’s silent film about oil production with Greenwood’s score playing in the background, and a couple of deleted scenes (which you can catch on the internet), but probably not enough to warrant purchasing the 2-disc set.

Many years ago director Frank Darabont was weighing his options for his next film.  He had it down to The Shawshank RedemptionThe Mist.  Luckily for us he chose Shawshank, but now, more than 13 years later (yes – it’s been that long), we finally have his vision of the terrifying Stephen King novella.  The story takes place in a small New England town (actually filmed in Louisiana though) where a strange mist has enveloped the area.  A grocery store full of people are too afraid to step outside and with good reason: the mist is filled with horrible monsters hell-bent on eating them.  Due to an end of the world attitude, many of the patrons of the store develop a Lord of the Flies mentality making it almost as hard to survive on the inside.  You would never know from just watching it that this was a small, independent film with a relatively low budget, but according to the documentaries on the disc, this was true guerrilla style film-making, just done right.  The second of the two discs contains the original vision of the director: the film presented in creepy black and white. 

This World War 2 romance was the most Oscarly of the selections nominated this year, but maybe that was a strike against it.  At least it very deservingly won the Golden Globe.  The tragic story of two lovers that were torn apart by a lie told by a confused girl followed by the grown girl trying to atone for what she did is beautifully portrayed here by a visionary director and flawless acting from it’s cast.  I’ve seen the film five times now and still cry every time.  The special features include some unnecessary deleted scenes and a terrific doc showing how the film came to be.  What is most fascinating is how the evacuation to Dunkerque was assembled into a five-minute-long continuous shot with over a thousand extras  perfectly choreographed.  It’s one of the most tremendous scenes to ever be put on film.  Although HD-DVD is going away, there is an HD-DVD version that is well worth the investment.

I Am Legend

Starring Will Smith
Directed by Francis Lawrence (Constantine)
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence
Appropriate for ages 13+
Available March 18, 2008 on DVD, HD-DVD, and Blu-ray Disc

If you recall from my first review, I was a little disappointed with this new Will Smith film.  I thought that the movie was overall effectively frightening, but had a bummer ending that made the audience depressed.  Apparently the producers agreed, and so they gave us the Alternate Theatrical Version with a brand new ending.  Remember that scene on the trailer that I was complaining about being absent in the theater?  You know – the one where the infected are breathing down Smith’s neck?  Good news – it’s in the new version and the ending is a vast improvement over the original.  And if you have an extra day with nothing to do – this disc comes loaded with hours of extras.  The best are the animated comics and a special doc discussing the science behind the movie, where real CDC officials discuss the history of pandemics and why we are overdue for one.  This is a great disc, and an example for all others to follow.