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New in Home Entertainment

12 Years a Slave
Rated R for violence/cruelty, some nudity and brief sexuality
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
12 years follows the life of Solomon Northrup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from the north who is kidnapped and sold to an oppressive slave owner (Michael Fassbender) in Louisiana.  This newly discovered true story is remarkable and possibly the most accurate portrayal of slavery in the United States.  While incredibly harsh and at times difficult to watch, the film ends being overwhelmingly rewarding.  You start to cheer on Solomon and his companions, hoping that things might turn out okay, even though the odds are horribly against them.  And talk about great performances.  The cast here is tremendously talented, stirring up the kinds of emotions that bring its audience past such notions as white guilt or black pride and into the world of empathy and love for fellow humans.  Worthy of every award it has won, including this year’s Oscar for best picture and Lupita Nyong’o for best supporting actress, 12 Years a Slave is an modern classic that will be impactful for decades to come.  A+

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Gravity
Rated PG-13 for intense perilous sequences, some disturbing images and brief strong language
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
Just in time for the Oscars is what I will now predict to be the biggest Oscar-winning film for 2013.  While it might not win the big prize (my ballot will be predicting 12 Years a Slave for that trophy), it is safe to say that it will win for director and many of the other technical awards.  For roughly an hour and a half you are alongside Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as they try to stay alive in space after their shuttle is destroyed by an exploded Russian satellite.  Thrilling doesn’t begin to describe it.  I was literally on the edge of my seat for the entire picture, chewing my nails to the nub.  The biggest critique you will probably hear about this film is that it plays better on a big screen, especially a big screen  with 3D.  While this might be true, its still great on a small screen, and there is a 3D version for those of you with the right sets.  Unlike most movies released today, I will say this is definitely one to splurge for the 3D copy if you have the right theater setup.  A+

Thor: The Dark World
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some suggestive content
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
Being that the first outing for the Norse god was quite bad, my hopes weren’t too high for this sequel, but thankfully the film turned out to be a vast improvement.  Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor took over the reigns from Kenneth Branagh and the result is a good enough super hero movie that will keep fans happy until the upcoming Captain America sequel.  Just don’t ask me to describe the plot.  It is absolutely nuts and secondary to the action, special effects and interesting character interactions.  It would have been nice to have a serviceable story, but at least most will be kept distracted enough to be entertained.  B-

Nebraska
Rated R for some language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
I hardly ever love Alexander Payne movies much the first time I see them, but knowing this I always sit through them a couple of more viewings to see if they will grow on me and they always have.  After watching this black and white comedy about a delusional older man (Bruce Dern) who is accompanied by his son (Will Forte) on a road trip to Nebraska when he thinks he has won a million dollars from a Publishers Clearinghouse-like operation I felt thoroughly entertained but not overly impressed.  Then I watched it again, and again.  Just like with Election, About Schmidt, Sideways and The Descendants, I found myself really taken by the film.  It is a wonderful comedy with amazing performances and a heart-warming story of familial love.  I don’t really understand why it needed to be in black and white, but its not distracting in the least.  A-

Game of Thrones: The Complete Third Season
Rated TV-MA
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
There are many television dramas that I am really enjoying right now, including The Walking Dead and House of Cards, but I can’t think of a show I’ve ever loved or anticipated as much as Game of Thrones.  If you thought the first season was edgy for killing off main characters, then snap in your seatbelt because season three is an even bumpier ride.  Most studios would never have attempted an episode like the ninth one here: The Rains of Castamere (better known as Red Wedding), and although it shocked me to my core, I love that they were able to get away with such a groundbreaking hour.  I also loved watching the development of Queen Daenerys Targaryen as she grows in power along with her young dragons.  Her character has seen the most dramatic arc and now her very presence gives me goosebumps.  Of important note, HBO proved their commitment this season by issuing a grander budget in order to play out some of best battle sequences in television history.  For the big fans of the show, there are so many extras that I couldn’t even begin to make a dent.  If I keep hacking away at them I might be done by the time of the season four premier on April 6.  A+

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Dallas Buyers Club
Rated R for pervasive language, some strong sexual content, nudity and drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Texan Matthew McConaughey has completely reinvented himself over the last two years, going from bad rom coms to amazing dramatic performances and Dallas Buyers Club seems to be his crowning achievement thus far.  Playing wannabe rodeo star and hustler Ron Woodroof, he is given an HIV diagnosis and told he only has a very short time to live.  But when he discovers there are drugs available that might help him extend that time frame, he steals, smuggles and connives his way to living longer and making a lot of money by offering up his findings to a select group of Texans who are in the same predicament.  This true story is absolutely captivating and a testament to the desperate man’s intelligence and resourcefulness.  While McConaughey is worthy of every bit of praise he is receiving, I’m not that sold on Jared Leto’s performance as his transvestite partner.  He’s good but not Oscar shoo-in good.  A-

About Time
Rated R for language and some sexual content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This terrific little British romantic comedy by Love Actually writer/director  Richard Curtis did very well overseas but performed miserably here in the states.  Telling the story of a young man (Domhnall Gleeson) who discovers from his father (Bill Nighy) that he has the genetically gifted ability to travel back in time to fix things he wants to fix, the movie is a marvel of creativity and romance.  Using his newly found powers he finds a way to get Rachel McAdams to fall in love with him and make his life nearly perfect until he meets challenges that his ability can’t rearrange.  While it sounds very sci-fi, it is not, but rather it is a sweet and lovely little film with a lot of laughs and even more heart.  I wish more romantic comedies were like this.  If they were, they wouldn’t have such a bad rep.  A-

Blood Brother
Unrated
Available on DVD
Blood Brother is a documentary that follows the life of Rocky Braat, a young American who has dedicated his life to working in a small community of children with HIV in India.  While very challenging at times, the film is not as depressing as you might think and by the end gives you a wonderful and heart-felt smile on your face with a happy tear in your eye.  I found myself thanking God there are people like Rocky in the world who sacrifice themselves on a daily basis for those who have nothing and no one to call their own.  A

Cutie and the Boxer
Rated R for nude art images
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This Oscar-nominated documentary follows the lives of a Japanese artist couple who have struggled with their very niche art in New York City through four chaotic decades.  The characters are interesting, as are their creations, but I doubt the film will hold the interest of a broad audience as the narrative isn’t as compelling as some of the other documentaries this year.   B-

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Fruitvale Station
Rated R for some violence, language throughout and some drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Winner of the 2013 Sundance Grand Jury and Audience Award is this superb indie that is noticeably absent from the recent Academy nods.  Stories of injustice in America are sometimes unbelievable, but when they show up on people’s cell phone videos, the proof is more than evident.  In this case, a young man trying to sort his life out, masterfully played by Michael B. Jordan, is shot in the back by a police officer while he is lying on his stomach with his hands tied behind his back at an Oakland train station.  The movie tells the story leading up to the fateful night and serves as a punch to the gut and a spotlight on a flawed legal system.  Sobering to say the least, it is evidence that films can have a huge social impact on their audience.  A

Rush
Rated R for sexual content, nudity, language, some disturbing images and brief drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
It is more than apparent that Americans aren’t overly into Formula One, but most of us are into great movies.  So it is that much more staggering that Ron Howard’s latest film, telling the true story of Formula One legends James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Nicki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) as they use their hatred for the other to push each other to success, was a complete dud at the box office, only bringing in about half of what it cost to make.  It’s a terrific story and an absolutely amazing movie, currently ranked at about #130 on the IMDB top 250 films of all time.  Hemsworth proves here that he’s more than just a Norse god and Daniel Bruhl turns in possibly the most underrated performance of 2013.  My advice, pick it up, pour yourself a glass of wine or beer, turn the volume way up and then sit back and enjoy what you should have checked out a few months ago in theaters.  A

Blue Caprice
Rated R for disturbing violent content, language and brief drug use
Available on DVD
In 2002 the Beltway snipers tormented America as they randomly killed people from the back of their Caprice for weeks until they were arrested by authorities.  This film, starring Isaiah Washington as the father figure who “adopts” a young Jamaican teenager only to lead him on a murder spree across the country, isn’t a story about the murders themselves but rather about a monster creating another monster.  It is a terrifying look at true evil, as well as a social commentary focusing on mental health and the need for better role models for our youth.  Was the 16 year-old kid evil, or did this man who he looked up to make him that way?  Either way, the movie is extremely dark, but very well-made with an impressive script and surprising performances.  B+

New in Home Entertainment

January 21, 2014

Captain Phillips
Rated PG-13 for sustained sequences of menace, some violence with bloody images, and for substance abuse
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Captain Phillips follows the real-life story of Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) and the crew of the MV Maersk Alabama as they are hijacked by Somali pirates.  Simply put, the film is phenomenal.  From start to finish it is a riveting and exciting drama that will keep your pulse racing and your mind stirring.  I will go as far as to say it is the best film of the year that will most likely not win any major awards.  Tom Hanks’s performance is on par with his best work and newcomer Barkhad Abdi, in an Oscar nominated performance, deserves high praise for creating an air of empathy around a really bad villain.   A

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Carrie
Rated R for bloody violence, disturbing images, language and some sexual content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
I saw a t-shirt the other day that said “An Engineer’s Motto: If it’s not broken, take it apart and fix it.”  That definitely applies here with Boys Don’t Cry director Kimberly Peirce’s modernization of Stephen King’s classic book about a haunted young telekinetic girl who is bullied over the edge and driven to unleash her powers upon the world.  Chloe Grave Moretz plays the titular character in a completely over-the-top but still effective manner while Julianne Moore plays her religious nut job mother perfectly.  While not especially scary and not nearly as good as the 1976 Brian De Palma original, this Carrie gives a nice cyber-bully spin to the story with a pretty elaborate set piece.  And even though the trailers gave way too much away about the big prom scene, whether you’ve seen it or not, it should still give its audience a fun time at the big dance.  B

Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Rated PG-13 for some violence and disturbing images, language, sexual material, thematic elements and smoking
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
While its not lighting up the awards circuit this year, this audience favorite about a man who works as a butler in the White House throughout many of the countries pivotal moments of the twentieth century is certainly a strong contender for best feel good movie of the year.  Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey lead a terrific cast whose performances aren’t exactly memorable but solid enough to make the film enjoyable and relevant.  The writing could have been stronger as the film comes off a bit cheesy at times, but the film will leave you entertained and touched for sure.  B+

Riddick
Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexual content/nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Riddick is left stranded on a sun-scorched planet finding himself caught between deadly alien monsters trying to eat him and a group of bounty hunters determined to bring him in.  While I’ve seen 2000’s Pitch Black and 2004’s The Chronicles of Riddick, I don’t remember any major plot details.  The movies have never struck me as memorable in the least.  That being said, I feel I needed some back story beyond what was given in order to understand what was going on, but oh well.  The story alone is fine as Vin Diesel buries himself well in the character and owns his screen time.  I even liked the monsters but I’m pretty sure the planet would have had more than three species of animal life on it.  I especially liked the dog that Riddick befriends, although they break an important movie rule when it comes to his four-legged buddy and the film slips from there into its mindless ending.  C+