Category: DVD Review

New in Home Entertainment

November 9, 2010

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
Rated PG-13 for stylized violence, sexual content, language and drug references
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Writer/director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) tells the story of a young Canadian nerd (Michael Cera) who falls in love with a mysterious new American girl (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).  Unfortunately, in order to win her, he must defeat her seven evil exes in battles to the death.  This is a prime example of a movie that was expected to succeed, and should have, but didn’t.  Perhaps the level of creativity that went into the film was too much or too different for most audiences, but despite stellar reviews and an impressive following, the movie bit the dust at the box office.  Hopefully home entertainment will be kinder to this brilliant little film that will no doubt make many critics’ top ten lists this year.  A

Love Ranch
Rated R for sexual content, pervasive language and some violence
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci star in this retelling of the story of Nevada’s first legal brothel, The Mustang Ranch.  In this tale, only the names are changed as the marital bliss is destroyed between Mirren’s and Pesci’s characters when Mirren falls for an Argentinian boxer that Pesci has bought the management rights for.  Mirren’s real-life husband Taylor Hackford (Ray) directs the gritty drama and the performances are solid throughout.  While it’s an interesting story for sure, the style, just like in Ray, is more like an R-rated movie of the week.  B-

Antichrist: Criterion Collection
NR (but would be NC-17 or worse if ratings board saw it)
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
When a couple (Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg) lose their son in a freak accident, the wife goes into a deep depression that her psychotherapist husband attempts to help her deal with.  When they retreat to their cabin in the woods, the depression starts to possess her, bringing the couple into a downward spiral of evil.  I will start out by saying that this is one of the most uncomfortable films you will ever watch, if you dare to do so.  According to numerous message boards, many fans love to dissect the movie due its complex nature, but I found the subtext to be more profound than the storytelling, and the film to be more of a puzzle that I didn’t want to solve.  I like a good horror film, but this one goes too far for my taste, combining violence and pornography into an art film that is meant to be upsetting and revolting to its audience.  This Criterion edition does provide a plethora of features that will help you better understand the film, if you want to, as well as give you an insight to how director Lars von Trier pulled off the spectacular visuals.  C

Grown Ups
Rated PG-13 for crude material including suggestive references, language and some male rear nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider play childhood friends who come back to their home town when their basketball coach passes away.  In an attempt to catch up, they rent a big cabin in the area and get to know each other again.  There are probably some good scripts out there that could bring these guys together, but this one ain’t it.  Less of a script and more a bad opportunity for improv, the movie plods along from one lame joke to another where the high point is five men peeing in a public kiddie pool.  While a couple of lines will bring a smile, this is low-brow humor at its worst.  D

Lie to Me: The Complete Second Season
Available on DVD
Tim Roth stars in this Fox TV drama about a psychologist with the ability to read what a person is saying, not from their words, but from their non-verbal communication such as eye and body movement.  While his ability is good for him professionally, it works against him in his personal relationships as he knows when family and friends are trying to deceive him and he acts on his knowledge accordingly.  With a personality similar to House, its hard not to enjoy watching Roth work his talents, even though I think most people hate the idea of someone judging them in this manner.  I’m very surprised that the series is still able to come up with original plot lines, as I thought for sure that this would get stale quickly, but the talented writing team churned out a strong second season with these 22 episodes.  B

Alien Anthology
Rated R
Available on Blu-ray
It’s been 31 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien played in theaters, introducing the world to one of the scariest monsters the human mind can imagine.  This long-awaited blu-ray set, features all four of the films in a beautiful box set with more special features than you could think possible.  While Alien 3 still suffers from lousy special effects and Alien Resurrection still suffers from a lousy script, the first two films, Alien and Aliens, remain two of the most horrifying films of all time and have never looked better.  Also of note is that rather than Fox only putting one version of the film in the set, each comes with the option to watch either the theatrical or director’s cut, and in these films, the directors cuts are very different from their theatrical counterparts in both content and even plot.  Alien A; Aliens A+; Alien 3 B; Alien Resurrection C+  

New in Home Entertainment

November 2, 2010

The Pacific
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
It’s easy to describe The Pacific as Band of Brothers vs. the Japanese, but that comparison has also been a cause for unrealistic expectations.  After all, Band of Brothers is about a group of soldiers that for the most part knew each other and were close friends before going into battle.  Soldiers in the Pacific arena of WWII didn’t have that luxury and thus the stories became more about surviving with one’s humanity intact rather than fighting for the guy next to you.  That being said, when viewed without the expectations of Band of Brothers in Asia, the film is a deeper, more thought-provoking experience than its HBO predecessor.  The production is first rate, giving the audience the very uncomfortable experience of what it was like to be in the war.  Whether or not you have already seen the series, I highly recommend first watching the special feature Profiles of the Pacific in order to get a more in-depth perspective of the soldiers whose stories are being told.  Also recommended is the blu-ray exclusive Enhanced Viewing Mode which gives a picture-in-picture experience that will help you gain a stronger historical understanding of the war and the soldiers that fought there.  A

Toy Story 3
Rated G
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
It’s now November and I am not alone in the opinion that the two best films of the year so far are both animated.  While I hold How to Train Your Dragon in higher regard, Toy Story 3 ranks a close second.  In this third Toy Story tale, Andy is now going off to college and Woody and gang are mistakenly donated to a daycare.  While at first things look up for the old toys, events eventually turn south for them and Woody must find a way to help everyone escape.  So much talent and love went into this film that there is no wonder that it’s such a pleasure to watch.  I would suggest that you have some tissue handy for the ending which is sure to make you shed a tear or ten.  Also check out some of the features on the blu-ray including Cine-Explore which lends a greater appreciation for the behind-the-scenes of the movie, as well as some very entertaining short animated stories told by the crew.  A+

The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition
Rated G
Available on Blu-ray and Special Edition Collectors Blu-ray Set
Widely thought of as one of the greatest films of all time, The Sound of Music makes it Hi Def debut in style with this new 45th Anniversary Edition.    This new 3-disc set contains a breathtaking new remastered print with 7.1 DTS-HD sound and an immense archive of information on the making of the film as well as a deeper look into the actual events that inspired the story.  Check out the My Favorite Things mode which allows you to experience the film with picture-in-picture facts, trivia, production photos, and a sing-a-long.  My only complaint is that the blue menu for the Favorite Things mode doesn’t go away, but it’s a small price for such a great feature.  A

The Commish: The Complete Series
Available on DVD
Long before Michael Chiklis starred in The Shield, he was The Commish in this ABC dramedy about a former Brooklyn cop that becomes a police commissioner in a small town.  While the quality of the writing is a little inconsistent and sometimes a way too nice, the show still holds up as both entertaining and nostalgic.  Plus, it’s interesting to see Chiklis looking older in 1991 then he does now in 2010.  B-

New on DVD October 19, 2010

How to Train Your Dragon
Rated PG for sequences of intense action and some scary images, and brief mild language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Based on the best-selling children’s books by Cressida Cowell, How to Train Your Dragon tells the story of a young boy named Hiccup in a mythological Viking village that falls under the constant attack of Dragons.  When Hiccup takes down the most vicious Dragon known to Vikings, he chooses to befriend it instead of killing it.  For me, this is still the best film of the year so far.  It is full of raw emotion, thrills, daring and adventure.  It is both spectacular to look at and listen to thanks to the brilliant directing by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders and a breathtaking score by John Powell.  The special features are also very much worth taking a look at just so you can see the pure artistry of the film.  A+

Oceans
Rated G
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Continuing Disney’s Earth Day Nature series is a stunning look at the Oceans of the world.  Just like last year’s release Earth, the visuals are amazing and truly beautiful to take in.  The problem with this one is the horrendous script and even worse narration by Pierce Brosnan.  I consider myself to be a conservationist, but the story told here hurts the cause and serves just to annoy the viewer rather than to enhance the picture.  Maybe if you can turn the volume down all the way and turn on some nice classical music the film has a chance to be enjoyed.  C

The Karate Kid
Rated PG for bullying, martial arts action violence and some mild language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan star in this reboot of the original 80s classic.  In this story, Jaden is forced to move to China due to his mother’s new job, and in order to not get picked on and beat up by school bullies, he must train under the tutelage of Jackie Chan and eventually face the bullies at an open tournament.  While the story is  very contrived, it is hard not to be impressed by Smith’s discipline and knowledge of martial arts.  The kid really learned to fight and  the choreography is remarkable.  The film is also pretty to look at, showing the more aesthetically pleasing parts of China and leaving out the ugliness.  I could have gone for a little better acting on the part of Smith, but his ego gets in the way of his performance.  Then again, when your mom and dad (Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith) give you your own 55 million dollar film, its hard not to get a bit of an ego going.  B-

Jonah Hex
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, disturbing images and sexual content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Based on the Civil War era DC Comics character, Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin) seeks revenge against the man that killed his wife and child.  While the movie contains a lot of action and violence, due to bad directing and an even worse script, the film fails to deliver an entertaining experience.  There is great potential here but the PG-13 rating keeps it from going where it needs to go to succeed and the way it’s pieced together shows the studio gave up on it before it was released.  Not even a scantily clad Megan Fox could save this comic tale.  C-

Psycho: 50th Anniversary Edition
Rated R
Available on Blu-ray
Finally getting the much-needed HD treatment is Hitchcock’s 1960 horror classic Psycho.  The transfer looks pristine and thanks to a very talented and caring sound production crew, the movie now has a stunning 5.1 surround track.  While the movie has lost a bit of its scare over the last 50 years, it is still extremely creepy and remains one of the most influential movies of our time.  Check out the new special feature on Psycho Sound as well as some of the old features including Hitchcock’s Legacy and a great commentary by Stephen Rebello.  A

The Darjeeling Limited: Criterion Edition
Rated R for language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Wes Anderson’s film about three brothers (Owen Wilson, Adrian Brody and Jason Schwartzman) traveling through India to visit their missionary mom is getting the ultimate collectors touch with this new Criterion set which contains tons of great special features and everything you would ever want to know about what went on in the making of the surreal comedy.  While it’s not my favorite Anderson pic, it remains probably his most artistic.  Now we just need Criterion to take on Rushmore and Fantastic Mr. Fox! B+

Predators
Rated R for strong creature violence and gore and pervasive language.  
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
While originally slotted to be the first sequel to Predator, this new Predator story tells the tale of some of Earth’s greatest killers who are all kidnapped and put onto a game reserve on another planet so the the Predators can have fun hunting them for sport.  The unlikely cast assembled are some Hollywood’s best actors including Adrian Brody, Topher Grace and Laurence Fishburne and the movie provides for a pretty entertaining butt-kicking action flick.  Sure its silly at times, but the movie doesn’t suffer from it.  B+

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: 35 Anniversary Edition
Rated R
Available on Blu-ray
The first time I saw Rocky Horror was on VHS with only three people in the room.  So its no wonder that I thought it to be a pretty crappy film.  But once I had the chance to see it with hundreds of people all screaming and going wild, I came to the realization that this is just not a good film to watch without a crazy crowd.  This blu-ray release attempts to remedy this with a picture-in-picture midnight experience that I can’t suggest highly enough.  Otherwise you’ll get the same lousy experience I had the first time and wonder what all of the hubbub is about.  B-

    

New on DVD October 12, 2010

Splice
Rated R for disturbing elements including strong sexuality, nudity, sci-fi violence and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
When two scientists attempt to splice human DNA into a creature that they have created from multiple animals, they are forced to steal their creation and go underground when the pharmaceutical company they are working for pulls the plug on the project.  At first the creature takes on the properties of a human, but as time elapses it becomes a hybrid of many different animals and extremely dangerous to all those around it.  Splice is a strange little film that starts out like a horror film, transforms itself into a weird little family story, and then propels itself back into a horror film again.  The acting by Adrian Brody and Sarah Polley is excellent and the production values are terrific especially considering the relatively low budget of the film.  The problem is that this film becomes exceedingly uncomfortable to watch towards the end due to some really deranged choices by the writer.  B-

Benny Hill: The Complete Megaset
Available on DVD
For twenty years Benny Hill ruled the sketch comedy genre with his racy yet hilarious characters and witty writing.  Especially nostalgic for me, my father and I got in so much trouble, time after time, when my mom would come home and find us watching him.  Compared to now, the comedy is tame, but from 1969-1989 it was considered one of the edgiest shows on TV.  This new set contains pretty much all of it including almost 600 sketches on 18 DVDs.  B+

The Exorcist: Extended Director’s Cut & Original Theatrical Version
Rated R for strong language and disturbing images
Available on Blu-ray
When The Exorcist was released in 1973 it took the world by storm and changed the horror genre forever.  Widely hailed as the scariest film of all time, it tells the story of a young girl possessed by a demon and the priests that attempt to rid her body of the unwanted entity.  This new remastered release contains both the original 1973 version and the Extended Director’s Cut released in 2000, both in stunning HD.  The beautiful collector’s set is packaged in a book-like format with the discs and notes about the film.  Also on the disc is a new 3-part documentary on the movie’s production and legacy.  A

Sex and Lucia
Unrated
Available on Blu-ray
In Spanish with English Subtitles
Paz Vega (Spanglish) stars in this erotic drama about a young woman who after the death of her boyfriend moves to a secluded Mediterranean island where she meets a new man as she reflects upon her troubled past.  This intensely erotic film is more graphic than you would expect but the movie is superbly written, directed, and acted by a daring cast.  I did find the movie to be somewhat confusing as it is not told in a linear fashion and instead only gives subtle clues as to timelines and reality.  B-

Arn: The Knight Templar
Rated R for violence
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In English, Swedish, Arabic, French, and Latin with English Subtitles
After being accused of a crime he didn’t commit, Arn Mangusson is sentenced to the life of Knight Templar and sent to the Crusades to fight for his church.  While there he uses his wit and skills as a fighter to change the course of the war, and hopefully the chance to return to his long-lost love in Sweden.  I have to admit that this Swedish epic took me by surprise.  It looks just as good as a Hollywood big-budget film and has a great story that is well-acted by its talented cast.  Unlike most American films, which are mostly told in English, this film uses pretty much every language that would have been used at the time giving it a sense of reality that you don’t normally see in these kinds of features.  If you are looking for a good film about the Crusades – you can’t do much better than this one. A-

The Last of the Mohicans: Director’s Definitive Cut
Unrated
Available on Blu-ray
When Mohicans was last released on DVD with a special director’s cut much of what people loved about the movie was taken out and replaced with material that fans were ambivalent to.  For the Blu-ray release, Michael Mann created a brand new definitive cut, putting back in much of the cut material and making it a more worthy fan-friendly picture.  This retelling of the story of a white man, along with his adopted Mohican father and brother, who protect a British general’s daughters from a group of vengeance-seeking Indians is both tremendously exciting and romantic at the same time.  While the new cut is certainly great, the transfer to HD is not.  Much of the film takes place at night or indoors and these scenes are almost too dark to watch, even after huge television adjustments.  I was hoping that this was just a problem with my copy, but it turns out to be an issue everywhere from what I have learned in my research.  I am hoping that this is something Fox will rectify with a recall and hopefully new copies for those who have already purchased, as I would hate to see this new version dismissed due to a quality check error.  While the film is still one of my all-time favorites, I would wait to buy this new version until the problems have been fixed.  A-

New on DVD

Baseball: The Tenth Inning
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Ken Burns professes on the special features of this documentary that he refuses to make additions to his award-winning specials, but with Baseball something happened that caused him to change his mind: The Red Sox finally won the world series.  So starting where he left off, Burns explores the history of baseball over the last two decades, from the labor strike that almost crippled the sport, to the home run contest between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, to the steroid controversy, and onto his home team finally giving their fans a world series win.  While I’m not really a big fan of baseball, it’s impossible to watch this and not be enthralled by the history of the sport.  As usual, the film is extremely well-edited, well-produced, and superbly narrated by actor Keith David.  A

Beauty and the Beast: Diamond Edition
Rated G
Available on DVD/Blu-ray combo
Back when the Oscars only had five movies in their best picture category, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film to ever be nominated for Best Picture.  While it didn’t end up beating out Silence of the Lambs (what could), it did end up winning the Golden Globe for best comedy/musical – another unaccomplished feat before 1991.  Now for the first time on Blu-ray, I think most folks will perceive it to be a no-brainer that HD is only way to take in this ground-breaking film, but also of note are the extensive special features Disney has added to the mix.  All of the previous features are still present, but check out the supplemental disc for the documentary Beyond Beauty which tells the decades long story of how Beauty finally got made and what, exactly, went into making it.  Even if you already own the DVD, this new edition is well worth replacing the old.  A+

A Nightmare on Elm Street
Rated R for strong bloody horror violence, disturbing images, terror and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This new Michael Bay reboot of the teen slasher film replaces Robert Englund with Jackie Earle Haley as the infamous Freddy Krueger – a maniacal monster that haunts teenagers’ dreams and kills them in their sleep.  There seems to be a lot more fright in this new version, but the one thing this redo lacks that the other one had in spades was a sick sense of humor that made the film fun.  This isn’t fun at all, but rather just a bunch of pretty kids getting killed and a silly story.  The acting and production are all fine, but without entertainment value this version proves to be just a waste of a good remake.  C

The Human Centipede: First Sequence
Not Rated but not meant for anyone under 18
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
When two American teenagers seek shelter from a storm while on vacation in Germany, they find themselves victim to a mad scientist who wants to use them in his latest experiment: creating a human centipede by attaching them mouth to buttocks with another victim recently captured.  This is the epitome of sick, twisted, vile films that will probably do well as a cult classic (just the trailer has been widely publicized) and will unfortunately be the older teenager late-night sleepover film for years to come.  While it never takes itself too seriously, it is still a film that is not even remotely pleasant to watch.  And if you make some popcorn while watching – it’s liable to find its way back into the bag.  C

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and The Maltese Falcon
Both Available on Blu-ray
Finally on HD are two of Humphrey Bogart’s best films from his career: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and the film noir classic The Maltese Falcon.  You might be asking yourself “why is HD important for these old film?”  It’s simple – increasing lines of resolution on a restored black and white print makes the film look crisp and pristine – maybe even as good as when it first came out.  Both discs are loaded with special features including a night at the movies feature introduced by Leonard Maltin and informative commentaries by Bogart biographer Eric Lax.  Treasure: A-; Maltese Falcon A+    

New on DVD

Get Him to the Greek
Rated R for strong sexual content and drug use throughout, and pervasive language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Jonah Hill is a record producer trying to make a name for himself when he gets the chance of a lifetime to participate in a concert event of his creation.  The problem is that he must get the legendary rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), a drug-abusing sexaholic with a knack for getting into trouble, from London to Los Angeles in 72 hours for the show.  With Judd Apatow producing, it is easy to figure that this is a raunchy but funny comedy filled with bad behavior.  The downside is that instead of making it a straight-out buddy movie, the plot is over-complicated with Jonah’s girlfriend played by Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss.  This subplot actually brings the film down a path it didn’t need to go and gets in the way far too many times.  The special features are numerous and worth checking out and there’s even an unrated edition in case the R rated version isn’t naughty enough for you.  B

Frozen
Rated R for some disturbing images and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This little horror indie takes place on the slopes as three friends sneak their way onto a chairlift before the park closes only to find the park shut down half-way up the mountain.  Of course the park is closed for the week and no one is coming to get them.  There are moments in the film with some decent tension and suspense, but when you start to realize that these collegiates have zero in the way of survival skills you start to not care if the wolves get them or not.  Watching the special features, the director shot down some of my escape attempt ideas, but the easier ones seemed like they would have had the kids down on the ground and home for dinner far before the 93 minutes was up.  C-

Rich Man, Poor Man
Available on DVD
Widely known as the first dramatic miniseries to appear on American television, Rich Man, Poor Man tells the story of the Jordache Family, an epic immigrant tale that spans from 1945 to 1960.  Featuring an all-star cast including Peter Strauss, Nick Nolte, Ed Asner, Bill Bixby, and Susan Blakely, Rich Man set the pace for dramatic miniseries in America as well as put some big names on the map.  Based on Irwin Shaw’s best-selling novel, the complex story-telling dives into familiar themes of strained human relationships and the naivete of the American dream.  The set contains both Books 1 and 2, but the disappearance of Nolte on Book 2 is noticeable and frankly rather disappointing.  B-

The Killer Inside Me
Rated R for disturbing brutal violence, aberrant sexual content and some graphic nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Casey Affleck is the polite, good-natured sheriff in a small 1950s Texas town who doesn’t even carry a gun because he doesn’t feel it’s necessary.  When he gets a request to have a prostitute (Jessica Alba) run out of town, he kindly asks her and then resorts to an ugly streak of sexual violence which brings the two together in an affair, unbeknownst to his fiance (Kate Hudson).  In order to get rid of the evidence he attempts to brutally murder her and frame it on someone else, but this web of lies begins to blow up in his face as he gets deeper and deeper into violence and deceit.  It’s funny because for the first act you really like Affleck’s character.  I found myself thinking that he’s a heck of a guy and  I wonder what kind of trouble he’s going to get himself into.  But then you get to know him, and the ugly truth is absolutely disturbing.  I wouldn’t call this an enjoyable film, but making a film noir western with a villain sheriff makes for quite the interesting story.  B

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky
Rated R for some strong sexuality and nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
French with English Subtitles
Although the two films are unrelated, if you recently saw Coco Before Chanel with Audrey Tautou, then this serves as sort of a sequel as it takes place shortly after those events.  Much liberty is taken with the plot which revolves around Coco Chanel offering Igor Stravinsky and his family the chance to live in her country house in France while he composes, all the while the two have an affair right under the nose of his sick wife.  About the only verifiable fact in the film is the wonderfully fascinating first act which takes place at the premier of The Rite of Spring in Paris where the audience actually did go into a riot over the music and choreography.  Along with the terrific beginning, everything about this film is breathtaking except the meaningless script that essentially gets in the way of the overall enjoyment of the film.  The full production including the costuming, set designs, score and cinematography make the film worth watching.  If only there could have been some semblance of a romance to add to it – they might have ended up with another English Patient on their hands.  B-

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Complete Season 5
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Welcome back to Paddy’s Pub, the worst bar in Philadelphia.  Danny Devito and gang once again bring the anti-Cheers vibe where no one wants to know your name and they just might make fun of you if you dare to come in.  They’ll definitely do it once you leave.  The only issue I have with this FX sitcom is that there are only twelve episodes in the season.  The good news is that the show is still fresh and funny and full of back-stabbing and beat-downs.  Amongst the best of the laughs are kitten mittens (yes, mittens you put on cats), the gang stars in an M Night Shyamalan film, and then there’s the professional wrestling episode which left me hurting I was laughing so hard.  A-      

New on DVD

Modern Family: The Complete First Season
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
I’m always weary of new shows because there are so many of them and most of them go away after the first season.  When a friend of mine called mid-season through Modern Family and told me I just had to watch it because not only is it funny but there is a guy on the show that reminds him exactly of me, well, my interest was peaked.  Then I found out I reminded of him of a big flaming queen and I didn’t know what to say.  But I started to watch the show anyway and now my wife and I are hooked.  And the flaming queen, played by the brilliant Eric Stonestreet, just went on to win the Emmy, as did the show for best Comedy – a feat very difficult for a freshman comedy.  Modern Family revolves around three unique families: the dad/granddad, played by Ed O’Neal who lives with his hot young Colombian wife and her son, the somewhat normal daughter/mother with her husband and three kid outfit, and the other son who is one half of a gay couple who have just adopted a daughter from Vietnam.  The comedy is fresh and irreverent and extremely off-color which makes it that much more likable.  The only disappointment of the season was the much anticipated Hawaii episodes which were not nearly as funny as the buzz made us think they were going to be.  A

Bored to Death: The Complete First Season
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Jason Schwartzman, Zach Galifianakis, and Ted Danson star in this freshman HBO comedy about a mystery writer who is so bored that he posts an ad on the internet lending his services as a private detective in order to pass the time and maybe get a few ideas for his novel.  Each of the cases turn into madcap adventures and although Schwartzman and Galifianakis aren’t as funny as you’d like them to be, Danson turns in the best performance of his career.  The fact that he didn’t get an Emmy nomination off of this for best supporting actor shows that voters didn’t watch the show.  B

Robin Hood
Rated PG-13 for violence including intense sequences of warfare and some sexual content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
The theatrical version of Robin Hood had some major problems that the filmmakers have attempted to clear up in this new Director’s Cut edition.  The first problem couldn’t be fixed and that is that the film is not about Robin Hood, but rather about what made him Robin Hood.  There is an interesting story somewhere there, but it also gets bogged down in the ultimate goal of setting Robin with his his destiny.  I like origin movies, but the movie needs to get into the meat of the story and not stop short.  Of course for this film to have done that it would have to be five hours long, and it already feels too long to begin with.  Where they went right this time was to axe the PG-13 for an unrated label and make it more of the R it should have been.  While the original script of the movie called for Robin Hood to be the villain and the Sheriff to be the hero, which could have been truly excellent, at least this new version gives a better look at what should have hit the big screen a few months ago.  C+

Spartacus: Blood and Sand – The Complete First Season
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Loosely based on the original character, Spartacus is betrayed by the Romans, forced into slavery, and remade into a legendary gladiator in this Starz original series.  While the story isn’t bad, the special effects, which seem to want to copy 300 but can’t quite get there, are as lousy as you can imagine.  This makes the violence completely laughable.  And then there is the surprising amount of graphic sex which is not only out of place in most cases, but has dialog written in that would make you think Larry Flynt was involved.  The only thing I can admire is the amount of time in the gym this cast spent – so as a mere inspirational television show, this one hits hard.  C

Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue
Rated G
Available on Blu-ray/DVD Combo
In this straight to video adventure, Tinker Bell makes friends with a human girl and is thought to be missing by all of her fairy friends.  As Tink tries to teach the girl about fairies, her friends set off on a rescue mission.  After seeing Alpha and Omega last week, I really needed something to cleanse my palate and this one worked just great.  The story is cute and will be immensely popular for little girls.  What I probably loved most about it were the rich, beautiful colors splashed all over the screen.  The animation here is top notch and proof that Disney knows exactly what it’s doing.  B

American Beauty: Sapphire Series
Rated R for strong sexuality, language, violence, and drug content
Available on Blu-ray
Getting the Sapphire treatment this time around is the Oscar-winning classic American Beauty about a not-so-average dysfunctional family on a road to self-destruction.  The HD transfer looks and sounds amazing, but I couldn’t find any new features to speak of.  It would have been nice to have the making-of documentary in HD possibly, or maybe something on that incredible score by Thomas Newman, but at least the special features from the DVD the first time around were pretty decent.  The commentary by director Sam Mendes and writer Alan Ball is still excellent.  While Conrad Hall won the Oscar for this one too, the definitive reflection of his life can be found on the recently released Road to Perdition which is the last film he made before he died, and directed by the same director as Beauty.  A-  

New on DVD

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In an attempt to recapture the franchise magic Disney had with Pirates of the Caribbean, they went to the hit video game Prince of Persia and spent an estimated whopping $200 million on this mystical tale of a young boy from the streets who is adopted by the king and eventually goes on a journey to save the kingdom from a very evil Ben Kingsley.  While considered a flop, especially since the advertising budget probably cost more than the gross, it was a pretty entertaining film overall.  Sure the heroine should have been changed out and the climactic sequence was way too nutty to be believed, but Jake Gyllenhaal is a wonderful hero and Kingsley as the villain serves as the perfect snake in the grass.  B

America: The Story of Us
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This nine plus hour documentary from The History Channel chronicles the history of The  United States from its earliest settlers until today using epic reenactments and state-of-the-art special effects.  Beginning with a unique introduction from President Barack Obama, the film also utilizes some of the most respected names in politics, military, Hollywood, and education to tell stories and to move the narrative forward.  As for me, I’ve always wondered how they built the Statue of Liberty, Hoover Damn, the railroads across America, and other great American milestones.  I didn’t actually think I had time to watch all nine hours of the set when I started, but upon putting the first disc in I couldn’t wait to finish and check out each special feature to boot.  This is one you’ll want in your collection so you can watch now, with you kids, with your grandkids and for generations to come.  One side note.  I watched the first three episodes on DVD and the last sections on blu-ray, and this is definitely a disc that you can tell a huge difference in the quality between the two.  A

The Twilight Zone: Season 1
Available on Blu-ray
Rather than cycling through the HD masters from when the DVD set came out back in 2004, they decided to produce brand new 1080p film transfers using the original camera negatives and magnetic soundtracks for this official HD release of the first season of the ground-breaking television television show.  After all, what would our sci-fi and horror entertainment look like right now were it not for The Twilight Zone in 1959 and 1960.  This definitive collection contains some of contents of that 2004 DVD release, but also a lot of new material including the rare, unofficial pilot episode “The Time Element.”  With 19 commentaries, tons of interviews, Rod Serling lectures, 18 radio dramas, and 34 isolated music scores, this is probably one of most complete television seasons on blu-ray I’ve ever received as a critic.  A

Letters to Juliet
Rated PG for brief rude behavior and sensual images, some language and incidental smoking
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
When a writer (Amanda Seyfried) and her chef fiance go to Verona for their pre-Honeymoon, they separate for a few days to follow their interests.  While there she finds a note a young girl wrote to Shakespeare’s Juliet 50 years ago asking for help and decides to write her back.  When this now older woman (Vanessa Redgrave) comes back to Verona to follow up with the letter she wrote, the writer, the older woman, and the woman’s grandson take off on a search to find her lost love from 50 years ago.  While the trailer for this film serves as essentially the Cliffs Notes version, its simplicity is acceptable given that it is somewhat likable.  While it has its funny moments, its not really a romantic comedy and that’s a good thing since it doesn’t have much potential to be funny and any physical humor would have just turned it into another Leap Year, and that’s the last thing we need.  Then again, there wasn’t a whole lot of chemistry between Amanda Seyfried and either of her leading men.  The only chemistry felt was that between her and Redgrave and between her and Italy.  That made the whole climactic sequence a mess and pretty stupid seeing her up on the balcony.  Sure you know where they are going and the filmmakers thought they were being clever, but it only felt forced and like they were trying to fit a theme that was only there in title and maybe in a Taylor Swift song.  C+

Glee: The Complete First Season
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Theater geeks like me and millions of Americans came out of hiding this year to watch this sometimes brilliant high school comedy musical which incorporates pop and Broadway music into school life.  Not to be confused with High School Musical (I think you can still get beat up for thinking Glee is cool but not HSM), Glee is a very original, and when you think about it very difficult piece of television production considering each week is a brand new musical event.  Sure there are a lot of eye-rolling moments and many times I think to myself that I’m watching a cheesy show about teenagers, but then Jane Lynch pops up on screen and makes me laugh myself silly right before I’m completely moved by a rousing rendition of one of my favorite Journey tunes.  Does that make me a gleek?  A-

New on DVD

That Evening Sun
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, some violence, sexual content and thematic elements
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
While this little indie took home some huge prizes at major festivals including the Audience Award at South by Southwest in 2009, it largely escaped most audiences and will hopefully find a better home on peoples’ televisions.  Sun tells the story of a retiree (Hal Holbrook) sentenced to nursing home life by his son.  When he decides he’s had enough and wants to go back home to his farmstead, he finds his son has rented out his old place to an abusive father (played by The Blind Side’s Ray McKinnon) and his wife and daughter.  Setting out to reclaim his home, he slowly escalates the feud between himself and the father until a war is inevitable.  I think that one of the reasons this movie has won so many awards is due to the fact that it starts out like an old-fashioned picture and turns into an ugly drama that takes full advantage of the fantastic cast at hand.  While everyone knows that Holbrook is fully capable of a role such as this, the real winner here is McKinnon who elevates himself from Hollywood character actor to a real talent.  His performance should have been enough to get an Oscar nomination last year had enough voters seen the film.  A-

Solitary Man
Rated R for language and some sexual content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Michael Douglas is a man on top of the world until he decides to cheat in business and on his wife and gets caught doing both.  Then he finds out he has a bad heart to boot.  So drawing on the superficial relationships he has mustered up with his family and friends he attempts to get his life back together and figure out what is really important and what’s not.  It’s hard not to notice the incredible cast on this one with Douglas, Danny Devito, Susan Sarandon, Mary-Louise Parker, Jenna Fischer, Jesse Eisenberg and others, and they all have their own little great moments.  It’s a troubling film to watch in that anytime you see a man bringing himself down it’s not easy, and he never really lifts himself up again, but the writer does a decent job of representing an introspective feel without boring the audience which is a very challenging thing to do.  Douglas also pulls off an impressive performance worth taking a look at.  B-

MacGruber
Rater R for strong crude and sexual content, violence, language and some nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This SNL spoof of MacGyver tells the story of a secret agent hired by the government to stop a criminal mastermind who has stolen a nuclear warhead.  While I thought that the incredibly dirty jokes might make the film more interesting, they only ended up getting in the way.  Then again, they were there because the plot was so stale that they needed something to bring laughs.  I guess with a lame James Bond plot, they felt the only way to bring laughs was to stick celery up their butts.  Well, they did, and now I can’t eat celery ever again.  Thanks MacGruber.  D+

Tommy: The Movie
Rated PG
Available on Blu-ray
The Who’s Tommy is now 35 years old and if you are a fan you’ll probably love the new blu-ray transfer.  The good news is that the look and sound are beautiful and crisp.  If this is one of your favorite movies, then by all means pick up a copy.  As for me, the only scene I find watchable is Elton John’s Pinball Wizard and while it really does rock hard, the rest of the movie is just too much.  Too weird, too sick, too drug-induced.  C

The Office: Season Six
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Season six took a strange new direction with Dunder Mifflin leaving the picture and Kathy Bates picking up as the new overlord with her company Sabre stepping in.  If they didn’t want us get tired of the same ol’ thing, well they got their wish.  Then again, I didn’t find the humor as fresh or funny this last season as everyone was worried about romance with Jim and Pam’s wedding (which was a disappointment in my opinion), and all of the other inter-office couplings.  That being said, I’m not giving up on it and am really looking forward to Michael Scott’s last year at the helm in the upcoming season seven.  B

New on DVD

Red Riding Trilogy
Not Rated but contains strong violence, sexual content and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This set of three crime dramas based on the novels written by David Peace focuses on three sets of heinous crimes committed by serial killers and the corrupt police department running the investigations.  Each one takes place in a different year.  In 1974, a young reporter, played by the future Spiderman Andrew Garfield, attempts to put the pieces together when a string of young girls show up dead with swan wings sown to their backs.  In 1980, In America’s Paddy Considine is a detective in the same town trying to solve the notorious Yorkshire Ripper murders.  And in 1983, David Morrissey is a senior detective that attempts to solve the 1974 murders when a young girl is kidnapped with the original killer’s M.O. in spite of the killer supposedly being locked away.  While you can possibly watch the first film without having to see the others – I’m not sure why you would.  This trilogy was made to be watched in its 308 minute entirety.  And it is so rewarding when you do.  By the the end of 1983 I could hardly catch my breath I was so overwhelmed.  Yes its dark and gritty and pretty darn hopeless, but taken all in together I would have to say this is one of my favorite films of the year so far.  A

Harry Brown
Rated R for strong violence and language throughout, drug use and sexual content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Michael Caine is Harry Brown, a retired Royal Marine living on a pension in a part of town being run down by dangerous kids.  When his best friend is killed by a gang of thugs and let go by the police, he goes after them, Death Wish style, to not only get revenge, but to make the streets safer for people like him to live.  This is a very upsetting, uncomfortable film with one heck of an actor at the lead.  Regardless of decisions of the writer and director, it’s hard not to find yourself cheering for this underdog vigilante and you want everything to happen to these kids that’s coming to them.  At Michael Caine’s age, it’s hard to get leading roles – especially for action films.  To see him knock one out of the park like this in his late 70’s is pretty fantastic.  B+

Anchorman: The “Rich Mahogany” Edition
Rated PG-13 for sexual humor, language and comic violence
Available on Blu-ray
If you are a big fan of the mustache-toting San Diegan from the 70s, then you might like this very, very complete Will Ferrell blu-ray set.  While I couldn’t find anything new on it, the collection of old from several sources is huge.  Most notably is a special movie that must have been filmed on the side called “Wake Up, Ron Burgundy” which follows the further adventures of Ron and gang with an entirely new plot.  Just like in the movie, many of the jokes don’t hit, but many of them do and it’s hard not to find yourself laughing throughout.  Also included in the set is Ron’s 32 page diary and a set of 12 trading cards.  B

The Evil Dead: Limited Edition
Not Rated
Available on Blu-ray
Many of the the most famous directors in Hollywood started out with low budget horror films but one of the most famous cases is Spiderman director Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead.  Following the chronicles of Sam Ash, played by the iconic Bruce Campbell, Evil Dead sounds a whole lot scarier than it really is.  In fact, many consider it to be quite the comedy.  This new blu-ray received the royal treatment with an all-new commentary by Raimi and Campbell as well as tons of other great special features.  A-

9th Company
Rated R for sequences of strong bloody warfare, pervasive language, some sexuality/nudity and drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Russian with English subtitles
When this film about the Russian/Afghan war was released a few years back it was the top grossing film in Russian history.  That doesn’t mean it’s good though.  It starts off with promise as you think you might get a Russian Full Metal Jacket, and the director sure does know his Kubrick, but once the half-way point hits, it almost becomes laughable.  And if you like to research your films to check out the trueness of their “true stories” this one will shock you.  Almost all of the final battle was not only silly, but completely fabricated.  Granted, the set pieces were impressive but if you are only satisfied with quality war films, you will find this one not able to offer much.  If you do check it out though, make sure you turn on the English language dub which makes all of the characters go from thick Russian to Gomer Pyle.  D

Flight of the Conchords: The Complete Collection
Available on DVD
I was bummed when HBO’s show about “New Zealand’s 4th most popular folk parody duo” ended at two seasons, but hey – at least I had two seasons.  Each episode of the hysterical comedy followed Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie as they tried to make it with their two-man band in New York with one rabid fan and the world’s worst manager.  But these are no ordinary musicians.  They sing and dance in every genre possible with some of the most creative music, lyrics and directing you’ve ever seen or heard.  In their own words they “rap about reality – like me and grandma drinking a cup of tea – there ain’t no party like my nana’s tea party – hey – ho.”  While I’m sure this won’t be the last set you’ll see released, since a blu-ray is yet to see the light of day, this “Born To Folk” edition contains both seasons and their One Night Stand live concert and is enough to put a big cheesy grin on your face that will last quite a while.  A