Category: DVD Review

The Proposal
Rated PG-13 for sexual content, nudity, and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds costar in this smash hit rom com about an overpowering Canadian boss (Bullock) that forces her assistant (Reynolds) to marry her in order for her to be able to stay in America.  To prove to immigration that the relationship is one based on love and not citizenship, she must travel with him to Alaska to spend a weekend with his family.  While extremely contrived, the movie does provide some good laughs and occasional decent chemistry between the two leads.  There’s not much authenticity to be found as much of the film is extremely over the top, but the characters are likable enough that most of the time you don’t care.  Still, it’s not the kind of romantic comedy I prefer and while I think that Reynolds is one of the most talented actors working today, I also think that the Bullock is so over utilized in this genre that it hurts.  As for the extras, I’m thankful they chose the ending they did and not the dreadful alternate ending on the special features.  C+

Adoration
Rated R for language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
A high school student creates a story of his dead parents, linking them to a terrorist plot that they had nothing to do with, just to see what fellow student reactions would be.  This complex and twisted tale by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter) shows a mix of Muslim and Christian cultures in a very different and original way.  By becoming lost around the story, I found myself becoming attached to the boy, his French teacher, and his uncle which brought the film together in a very special way for me.  While I didn’t really care much for the multimedia dynamic Egoyan tries to introduce here, I found the main narrative very moving.  A-

American Violet
Rated PG-13 for thematic material, violence, drug references and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Set a few years ago in Melody, TX, American Violet follows the true-life events of a town shaken up by a District Attorney that attempted to keep the black citizens down by raiding their projects and making them plead guilty to felony charges to get out of prison.  This would help the DA get more federal dollars for drug prosecutions as well as keep the black people in the town from voting him out of office since much of the community would be felons, even if they were innocent.  With a stellar cast including Charles Dutton, Alfre Woodard, Will Patton, Tim Blake Nelson, and Nicole Beharie, the acting is top notch for an indie.  More importantly though is that the movie is a shock to the system and shows how ugly America can be and how much it still needs to be fixed.  B+

The Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary Edition
Rated G
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
It’s hard to believe it’s been 70 years.  OK.  I know I can’t say that since I’m only half that age, but looking at this newly remastered edition, it really is hard to believe that the film looks so fresh.  Maybe it’s because the movie is one of the most cherished of all time, so the print has been babied, but this new edition, even more so than the last edition released, looks and sounds exquisite.  The new set includes several new features, among them a new sing-along track, new documentaries, and if you get the Blu-ray box set, you’ll get more extras than any movie I’ve ever seen before.  A+

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Rated R for pervasive vulgar language and crude sexual humor and for some violent images
Available on Blu-ray
Making its Blu-ray debut is the Oscar-nominated South Park musical that proved to the world that animated films weren’t just for kids anymore.  When Cartman, Stan, Kenny and Kyle are caught going to see the latest Terrence and Phillip movie, their parents launch a war against Canada in order to prevent that kind of smut from hitting America.  While crude and vulgar, the movie is also a brilliant political and social satire and contains some darn good tunes as well.  To help us better remember the impact of the movie, as well as hear lots of cynical diatribe, there is a brand new commentary by filmmakers Trey Parker and Matt Stone.  A

Observe and Report
Rated R for pervasive language, graphic nudity, drug use, sexual content and violence
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Seth Rogen is the anti-Paul Blart in this dark comedy about a drug using, power abusing mall cop that has two goals: 1) catch and kill the flasher that exposed himself to his dream girl and 2) join the police force.  This is a sick and twisted tale that is probably just what you would expect from writer/director Jody Hill, the creator of the HBO show Eastbound and Down.  Seth is convincing as the psycho wannabe cop, although Anna Faris, Ray Liotta, as well as the rest of the cast serve as caricatures more than believable human beings.  Still, if you are in the right mood, I think you will find this to be an enjoyable film with some very big laughs.  B

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 4
Not rated but contains adult content
Available on DVD
I’ll admit that I’ve let this little FX sitcom about the worst-run bar in Philadelphia escape me now for four years.  I thought I would watch a couple of episodes for review here just to see what it was about, and now I can’t believe I’ve let this one get away for so long.  This is one incredibly funny show.  Always Sunny follows Danny DeVito and a group of four twenty-somethings as they badly run a bar in Philly.  But in all of the episodes, each incredibly flawed character tries to scheme and plot against one another until the laughs build to a huge crescendo.  This is not nice-guy comedy, but the really good ones rarely are.  To see for yourself, check out one of the few episodes available on hulu.com and then you might be like me – completely hooked.  I devoured the show on this three DVD set, and then set my DVR for Season 5.  A

O’Horten
Rated PG-13 for brief nudity
Available on DVD
Norwegian with English subtitles
This Norwegian import follows the strange life of retired train engineer Odd Horten (appropriately named, even if it is in Norwegian) as he tries to figure out what to do in his post-retirement life.  Maybe I wasn’t in the right frame of mind while watching this movie, but it just never sank in for me.  Its humor is very subtle and while it is a comedy of sorts, the comedy is so deadpan and absurdist that while it occasionally brought a smile to my face, I never did find it to be terribly funny.  I did, however, find it interesting if that is any concession.  His little adventures are far from boring and I kept asking myself what I would do if put in similar circumstances.  B-

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Rated PG-13 for sexual content throughout, some language and a drug reference
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner star in this not very romantic romantic comedy about a womanizing photographer who goes through the Dickens ghosts with girlfriends past, present, and future in order to show him how horrible his life truly is.  From start to finish this is just nothing but a bad film.  Badly acted, poorly directed, and lazily written, Ghosts is one of those films that has a decent premise, but terrible execution.  This is really surprising too since the writers of this trash also turned in a little hit called The Hangover and the director has done some decent work himself including the hit Mean Girls.  Of course it doesn’t help when your two leads lack any sort of chemistry and the judge of romance is that the hero suddenly doesn’t want to sleep with the other brides maids any longer.  Give me a break.  This is not a romantic comedy, but rather an unfunny sex comedy that tries to convince women desperate for the latest rom com to bite like a worm on a hook.  I say don’t bite.  While they’ll eventually throw you back, why spend all that wasted time in the boat?  F

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence and some partial nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Wolverine in this Marvel spin-off that attempts to tell the tale of how Wolverine came to be Wolverine.  When his brother (Liev Schrieber), who becomes Sabretooth, kills his true love, Wolverine sets off on a quest for revenge.  This wasn’t quite the box office hit it was predicted to be, so I suspect a lot of folks are waiting for the dvd to see if it was wise to wait.  I would say yes it was.  This is definitely a renter, and should see quite a strong life on the video shelves.  It’s not that the acting is bad.  The characters are all quite likable and full of charisma.  And while many could blame the writing and directing, this is one of those situations where I would probably blame Hugh Jackman for getting too heavily involved in the production, and the studios for allowing it.  First off, the director, Gavin Hood, was all wrong for the project.  His brilliant Oscar winning film Tsotsi proved that he could do drama with the best of them, but big budget action?  No way.  The writers also were either too unfamiliar with the genre or too close to Jackman.  This has worked in past films, but failed miserably here.  Overall, this movie provides a mediocre superhero film that neither moves nor excites the audience.  C

Crash: Season 1
Unrated but contains adult content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
With the success of HBO and Showtime original programming, Starz has gotten into the ring with this original series spin-off of the Oscar winning movie by Paul Haggis.  Dennis Hopper and D.B. Sweeney headline this group of talented actors in this ensemble show about loosely intersecting dramas that take place around the city of Los Angeles.  I was pleasantly surprised how well written and directed the show is.  After all, I have a distaste for TV shows stolen from the big screen.  But this program is really only related by name only, and it works for the same reason that the film did: the world is full of tension and discord.  Crash has just found a nice way of bottling it up and helping you to appreciate that your life doesn’t have that much drama.  Hopefully.  B+

Easy Virtue
Rated PG-13 for sexual content, brief partial nudity, and smoking throughout
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Director Stephan Elliott (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) brings to life this screen version of the Noel Coward play about what happens when a young British man (Ben Barnes) brings home his new modern American bride (Jessica Biel) to meet his family (Kristin Scott Thomas and Colin Firth) in the early 20th century.  The movie itself is very funny and the performances are great as you can well imagine with this cast.  Here’s the rub – I felt like the stuffy British family with this whimsical American under Elliott’s more-than-modern directing.  Films like this should have a classic look, unless they are going full out Baz Luhrmann.  This film sometimes keeps a classic look, just like Biel has at times, but then lots of modern nuances pop off the screen.  I found this unsettling, and rather annoying.  The difference here is that the audience, unlike the family, is not stuck with the movie.  They can choose whether or not they want camera tricks and rock music.  I’d rather not.  I’d like to see this film played straight without the showing off just for the sake of it.  C 

The Office: Season Five
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This season of The Office saw a lot happen including Michael (Steve Carell) fall in and out of love and then leave the company to start his own.  Then of course you also have the blossoming of the romance between Jim and Pam (John Krasinksi and Jenna Fischer).  And of course Dwight (Rainn Wilson) spices things up as he competes with Andy (Ed Helms) for the woman in the office he loves.  What didn’t change however was the extreme level of inappropriate behavior from almost everyone, and the laughs are still as fresh as ever.  I would have never conceived that the American version of The Office could go this long and still be innovative, but yet it still remains a blast to watch and is still incredibly relevant to the white collar work experience.  The deleted scenes and gag reel are a must watch as are the strung together webisodes.  At the time I’m writing this article the feature is not yet live, but as soon as the release date hits, BD-Live will allow you to take your blu-ray and share your audio mix of favorite one-liners from the season with your buddies.  I think I might have to take that feature for a spin.  A-

Parks and Recreation
Available on DVD
Nipping on the hills of The Office is this similar comedy from NBC that premiered during the past season.  Amy Poehler stars as the aloof Pawnee, Indiana Parks and Recreation employee jonesing for a legacy when she happens upon a giant pit that a local citizen would like something done about.  Armed with all ambition and no brains, she storms forward to turn the giant pit into a park.  There is no doubt that the show has some good laughs and a talented cast, but the one thing it lacks is a relevant subject.  Don’t get me wrong here – the subject of people getting involved with their government should be relevant, but in this case it is just not.  Still, the laughs do save the day, and also saved the season seeing as the show was picked up again for the fall.  B-

State of Play
Rated PG-13 for some violence, language including sexual references, and brief drug content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Russell Crowe and Rachel McAdams are two journalists trying to get to the bottom of a case involving the dead mistress of a congressman (played by Ben Affleck).  Diving into the world of corrupt politicians, journalistic integrity, and defense contracts makes for a compelling enough story, and with this cast of talented actors and filmmakers, it is no doubt that you’ll get a real nail biter here.  What stinks is the lousy twist-ending that doesn’t really come as a surprise, but rather just serves as a confounding annoyance.  I wish they could have played this tale more on the level.  B

Earth
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This feature-length version of the Discovery Channel’s Planet Earth, produced by Disney, shows all of the best moments of the landmark television documentary, all narrated by none other than James Earl Jones.  Masterfully edited into a finely-crafted story line of life on earth and sea, this doc is one of the most spectacular films on nature you’ll ever see.  While I highly recommend getting Planet Earth also, I have to admit that this new release is superior in one regard: it actually has a documentary on how some of the amazing footage was obtained.  Watching them film the polar bears, the lions attacking the elephants, the sharks eating seals, and the cheetah chasing the gazelle, will give you new appreciation for the work that went into creating this huge endeavor.  The blu-ray also has a changing menu that will update new content monthly, constantly letting you know what is going on in the world of nature.  A

Heroes: Season 3
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Realizing that Season 2 was derailing fast, the writers decided to introduce new villains and too many plot lines to Season 3 in order to completely get the train off the tracks.  At first I just couldn’t understand why the characters were changing, and then after a while I just didn’t care.  Then after the second part of the season, titled Fugitives, it just got worse.  The show still has a following, but it’s really hard to keep watching a show that seems to be daring you to do so.  I will give the credit on a massive amount of extra content for the blu-ray.  I just wish there was someone involved with a super-ability for creating a better show.  C-

Sin Nombre
Rated R for violence, language, and some sexual content
Spanish with English subtitles
Available on DVD
This directing and cinematography award winner from the 2009 Sundance Film Festival follows the lives of two Latino young people as they make their way to America.  Willy (Edgar Flores) is a Mexican gang member on the run after a turn of events puts his life in danger.  Sayra (Paulina Gaitan) is a Honduran teenager whose only dream is that she can make it to be with her family in New Jersey.  As Willy and Sayra come closer to their goal, they also come closer to the danger it presents itself with.  From start to finish, this is just a mesmerizing film.  For most of us in America, we can never imagine what the rest of the world would do to be where we are, and this film brings that all in and puts it into place.  It represents the immigrant struggle in a way that I’ve never seen put on film before, and it does the one thing that you most want a film to do: it touches your heart.  A

Adventureland
Rated R for language, drug use and sexual references
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This semi-autobiographical tale from writer/director Greg Mottola (Superbad) tells the story of a young man (Jesse Eisenberg) who is forced to work in a 1980’s amusement park for the summer when his parents can’t afford to send him to Europe with his best friend.  While there, he falls for one of the other employees (Twilight’s Kristen Stewart), who in turn is love with a married man (Ryan Reynolds).  The film works as both a touching coming-of-age comedy and as a nostalgic look back at a time that many people might like to forget about.  If you are looking for Superbad-funny, you won’t get it, but it has its moments, and turns out to be a quite likable ride.  B+

Rudo y Cursi
Rated R pervasive language, sexual content, and brief drug use
In Spanish with English subtitles
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna reteam in this comedy about two brothers that leave their family in rural Mexico and join opposing professional soccer clubs.  To say the film is silly and over-the-top is an understatement.  I think had the movie been taken a little more serious it could have worked as a family drama, sports film, and still kept a comedic flair, but as is, the movie just kind of falls flat.  While the two actors gave it their all and obviously had terrific chemistry, the story didn’t serve them well.  C

Sunshine Cleaning
Rated R for language, disturbing images, some sexuality and drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Amy Adams and Emily Blunt are two desperate sisters that create a crime scene cleanup business to make some cash.  Going where very few are willing to go, they take on some disgusting yet fulfilling work that also manages to pull up some buried memories.  The studio tried to sell this is a dramedy, or black comedy, but there is very little funny to be found here, aside from a creepy cleanup or two.  So even though Alan Arkin is in it, don’t expect get big laughs.  The drama does work though and the performances are solid.  I’m not too sure on the decisions of the characters, or the director for that matter, but the movie is enjoyable, and moreover – it is interesting.  Check out the special feature “A Fresh Look at a Dirty Business” which takes a look at what it’s really like to be in the crime scene cleanup biz.  B-

Duplicity
Rated PG-13 for language and some sexual content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Clive Owen and Julia Roberts are two ex-spies that team up to try to clean house on two opposing American companies run by Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti.  Something about this film just never feels right.  Writer/director Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton) fails to excite the audience at any point, but rather just confuses to submission.  OK.  So everyone’s dirty.   We get the point.  I don’t see any justification for dragging it on for over two excruciating hours.  The banter between Owens and Roberts just sits there and bores.  If you really want to see the two of them go at it, check out the Mike Nichols flick Closer, which will make you actually believe that the two of them are scorned lovers.  This chemistry pales in comparison.  The only thing I really enjoyed in this film is the amazing opening credit sequence featuring a highly stylized fight between Giamatti and Wilkinson.  D+

The Last House on the Left
Rated R for sadistic brutal violence including a rape and disturbing images, language, nudity and some drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Warning: This review contains limited spoilers.
This remake of the not-so-great 70’s John Carpenter film follows an escaped convict and his gang as they kidnap two girls when they don’t know what else to do with them.  Upon believing that both girls are dead, the gang ends up at one of the girl’s houses where the parents must systematically find a way to take them all out.  This is a violent, disturbing, and sickening film that didn’t have to be what it was.  The acting here is first rate with terrific performances by Tony Goldwyn, Monica Potter and Garret Dillahunt, but the acting and believability are not the problem here.  First off, the rape scene could have merely been implied rather than graphically shown.  This would have still added the emotional punch in the gut intended without the need to vomit during the film.  Secondly, the tail end of the movie was out of place and a little silly.  Sorry, but I’d prefer a good climactic death scene to torture any day of the week.  If the filmmakers weren’t so determined to make the audience uncomfortable, they might have had a bigger one to watch the movie to begin with.  C+