The catalyst for this decision was the release this week of Shutter Island, the Martin Scorsese helmed, Leonardo DiCaprio starring, masterpiece of modern cinema, on DVD and Blu-ray. Since I view this as an essential purchase I got to wondering what else this year is an absolute must-buy. This list is compiled from the 100+ DVD releases of the year that I have managed to catch either at home or in the cinema and represents not necessarily the best movies from a technical aspect but rather those that you are more likely to watch again and again over time.

So without further ado let me present this years top twenty must-buy DVDs…

A Serious Man – The Coen brothers are back with their most personal story to date. This magnificent example of modern cinema magic centres on a middle-class Jewish lecturer whose life is slowly coming apart at the seams. His wife cheats, his kids lie, his brother takes advantage, and even his students attempt to blackmail him. It’s not easy…How perfectly the Coen’s manage to capture the 1960s suburbia setting alone would be worthy of praise, but with the rest of the movie equally as strong this film is worthy of repeat viewings.

Avatar - Having made over $2 billion at the box-office there’s a good chance you are familiar with Avatar. If not it’s an extraordinary looking space based fantasy adventure from Titanic director James Cameron, and features a strong moralistic and environmental tone of the effects that invading forces can have on native inhabitants. It goes without saying that Avatar is better seen in 3D on as big a screen as possible, however no normal person has a 3D equipped TV or private cinema so it remains an absolute must purchase on DVD (or even better Blu-ray). Even at home and in only two-dimensions the sumptuous visuals of Cameron’s world come to life. Suffice to say that this is the best looking DVD you can buy.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs - Bright, vibrant and funny CWACOM is exactly the sort of animated movie that DVDs were made for. Flint Lockwood is a madcap inventor who has failed with almost every project to date. That is until he invents a machine that turns water into food, becomes a celebrity and gets the girl…or does he. With plenty of laughs for both young and old this is sure to go down well with kids of all ages.

The Crazies - Every good DVD collection needs a little darkness and this remake of the George A. Romero classic is easily one of the best horror movies released in the last 6 months. A refreshingly modern and eerie take on the zombie outbreak in a small town genre of horror, this film is grounded by some great performances from Timothy Olyphant and Joe Anderson. A taut script and a short running time means it never outstays its welcome. Turn of the lights, sit back and prepare to be scared.

Crazy Heart – Two words…Jeff Daniels. The Dude abides in the touching portrayal of an ageing singer still hoping to relive the glory days but facing the cold hard reality that that time has passed. Similarities to The Wrestler, Rocky and countless old guy facing morality tales abound but with Bridges in the lead role and Colin Farrell in support this is more than just another one of those movies. The music from T.Bone Burnett too makes this essential.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – This almost perfect adaptation of the best-selling novel is proof that foreign-language films can be just as good, if not better, than those that Hollywood churns out. Naomi Rapace is a revelation as the intrepid computer hacker turned mystery solver who teams up with disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist to solve a decades old disappearance. With stunning cinematography and a layered storyline that will draw you in again and again you must have this on your shelf.

Green Zone - Bourne goes to Baghdad. Okay that’s a little simplistic but this movie does reunite Matt Damon with Paul Greengrass and pretty much every advertisement touted it as such. What this movie actually is then is an enthralling mix of secrets, lie and half-truths, mixed with a lot of action, set against the backdrop of the US invasion of Iraq. There’s a lot going on in the movie and repeated viewing unveils new nuances each time. Cruelly overlooked at the box office you can now rectify that mistake from the comfort of your settee.

The Hurt Locker - The perfect accompaniment for Green Zone is this more factual representation of the war in Iraq. Focusing on a group of battle hardened soldiers responsible for clearing the roadsides of incendiary devices this is top drawer action. Both cast and crew have managed to make a tense thriller of a film that manages to invest you in the plight of the audience. Modern warfare is hell.

I Love You Phillip Morris – Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor go gay for one of the funniest and most poignant movies of the year so far. Carrey plays a con man who pulls a serious of outrageous stunts that eventually land him in jail, where he meets McGregor. thing go awry however when Carrey’s character Steven finds himself unable to give up his conning ways. With an emotionally fragile role from McGregor and a tour-de-force in outlandish, yet genuine, behaviour from Carrey this is great.

Mesrine: Killer Instinct/ Public Enemy Number 1 - This two part French movie plots the life of Jacques Mesrine, a notorious French gangster infamous for his bravado and outrageously daring prison escapes. If that’s not enough of a hook I don’t know what will be. The movie itself is an expectedly crafted work of art. Part one focuses on the early career with Vincent Cassel giving a masterful performance and the movie gripping you right from the start. Part 2, while more episodic is just as enthralling and just as brilliant. The French sure know how to make movies.

Ponyo – There’s only one animation studio in the world that can compete with Pixar and that’s the Japanese Studio Ghibli. Ponyo is their latest effort and it is breathtaking. Chronicling the story of Ponyo, it sees the half-human half-fish, escape from her father, and adopted by young Sosuke, but as a fish out of water something is terribly amiss. This movie is as weird as it is wonderful and as exuberant as it is elegant. Trust me Disney never made anything quite like Ponyo.

The Princess And The Frog - Speaking of Disney, The Princess And The Frog is that studio welcome return to traditional animation, and is worthy of inclusion with the likes of Aladdin, The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. TPATF tells the story of Tania, a waitress in New Orleans who kisses a cursed frog-Prince and is transformed into a frog herself. What follows is a music filled magic journey through the bayou which feature gorgeous animation, great characters and marvellous musical numbers. Old school Disney is back!

Sherlock Holmes – This is on here purely because it’s Robert Downey Jr. playing Sherlock Holmes, which is awesome. And it just so happens to be a damned hoot, which is nice. Guy Ritchie brings a modern sensibility to the age old tale and an infusion of wit and energy. The story is not up to much but the action and banter more than make up for it. Forget the deerstalker this is not your fathers Holmes.

Shutter Island – Martin Scorsese teams with Leonardo DiCaprio to give us a faithful and powerful adaptation of the Denis Lehane novel. Focusing on the sinister goings on at a psychiatric facility for the criminally insane this moody and atmospheric thriller set in the 1950′s will have you in goosebumps. With a thrilling story, top class acting and a haunting soundtrack this is movie making of the highest calibre.

Up - If there’s one thing that Pixar are good at its pulling on heartstrings and the opening 10 minutes of this film might just be their best work ever. The story of the elderly Carl and his new Wilderness Explorer companion Russell is classic buddy comedy but with a Pixar twist. It’s a work of extraordinary beauty that captivates the emotions right from the off and leads them on a whirlwind ride of epic scenery, daring escapes and wondrous imagination. Your inner child will love you forever if you get this one.

Up In The Air – George Clooney is a debonair, suave bachelor, carefree and unattached in a world of opportunity. So is his character in this where he plays a corporate gun for hire firing people across America. Never in one place long enough to settle down he dreams of joining the elite 1 million miles club. But when he is grounded his life changes dramatically. A beautifully made and acted movie, if a tad clichéd and predictable, Up in the Air would be watching just for Clooney alone, but then the support from Vera Farminga and Anna Kendrick is so strong they need to be seen too.

Where The Wild Things Are – This is not you typical childhood fairytale, and then again it sort of is. Max’s escape into a forest of dreams populated by wild, ferocious yet fiercely protective creatures is a visually stunning and emotional journey that will connect with you in a way you didn’t think could happen anymore. Bask in its glow and let your inner child run free.

Youth In Revolt - Michael Cera plays the innocent, sweet geek better than anyone else and this is his starring role. Mixing it up a little the movie sees sweet geek Nick create an alter-ego for himself, Francois, who attempts to win the heart of the girl by commiting a series of crimes. Will she see the real Nick before he’s put away? It sounds like another typical boy falls for unsuitable girl but it is so much more than that.

Zombieland – Forget Rom-Zom-Coms what we really want is just plain old Zom-Coms. Like the Evil Dead before it this is an hilarious mix of gore and comedy that will have you recoiling while grinning like an idiot. Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenburg star as a mismatched duo trying to escape the zombie apocalypse. Teaming up with two fellow stragglers they use an abandoned theme park to mount their final stand. Seriously funny, often thrilling and full of small details that demand rewatching, Zombieland is great.

And last but not least:
Dumbo: 70th Anniversary Edition – If you don’t already own Dumbo then this is your chance to add one of Disney’s best animated movie ever to your collection. Beautifully remastered and restored, this story of a lonely young elephant who is mocked for his huge ears but learns the value of self is a heart-warming and emotional family film that all ages can enjoy. And if you don’t believe that an elephant can fly then there is no hope for you.

*You can click on the pictures for links to Amazon.

© Niall for Culch.ie, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 2010, Couch Potato, DVD, Movies & TV, Top 20 DVDs

New Movies

First out this week is The Men Who Stare at Goats. Based on the best-selling Jon Ronson book of the same name it’s a comedy adventure starring George Clooney as a bat-shit-crazy special forces operator who is part of a secret US Army troupe dedicated to exploration of New Age concepts and potential military applications of the paranormal. Ewan McGregor plays a reporter who stumbles upon this story of a lifetime whilst stationed in Kuwait as part of the press corps during Operation Desert Storm. Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey add to the star-power for long-time Clooney cohort Grant Heslov’s directorial debut. Manic energy abounds, and the movie has some strange and frankly quite funny moments, but ultimately it fails to come together in a cohesive package. Entertaining but not quite as good as Three Kings in the funny Iraqi war movie sub-genre. I might be wrong though as Lottie loved it when she saw it, so maybe there’s something I missed. Still, out of his mind Jeff Bridges is always fun to watch, and the Dude abides in true superstar style. The movie is out now on Blu-ray and DVD, and on the Buy/Rent/Ignore scale it’s firmly in the middle.

The second movie of the week is Nine, Rob Marshall’s musical extravaganza which features more stars than the night sky.The movie is based on, now follow this carefully, Arthur Kopit’s book for the 1982 musical of the same name, which was itself suggested by Federico Fellini’s semi-autobiographical film 8½. Got that? Good! SO basically it tells the story of film director Guido Contini who is suffering a mid-life crisis, trying to write a script for his new movie, and juggling a series of women that includes his wife, his mistress, his muse, his confidante, an American journalist, a prostitute from his youth and the ghost of his dead mother. No wonder he’s going mad. With a cast that’s made up of Academy Award winners Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz and Sophia Loren, Academy Award nominee Kate Hudson, and Grammy Award winner Fergie, and the creative force behind Chicago directing this should be a triumph. Instead it’s…well not quite an utter disappointment…but definitely not the movie that it looks on paper. The music is great, the theatrics are great, hell even the acting is top-notch…it’s just that it doesn’t quite mesh. Fans of musical theatre will still get a kick out of it, but the rest of us will just be left wondering what might have been. The movie is out now on Blu-ray and DVD, I’d say buy if you’ve the spare cash otherwise head to Xtravision.

Movie three is The Box, the latest effort from Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly. This is a movie built around a fantastic premise…What if someone gave you a box containing a button that, if pushed, would bring you a million dollars…but simultaneously take the life of someone you don’t know? Would you do it? And what would be the consequences? Unfortunately the movie is sadly all premise and not much actual promise. Cameron Diaz is fine as Norma Lewis, a teacher at a private high school, who along with her husband Arthur (James Marsden) are given this choice over the life or death of another. Marsden too equates himself well but the fault lies with Kelly. After taking a critical pasting with Southland Tales you’d have thought that he’d align himself closer stylistically to Donnie Darko, but his imagination again gets away from him leaving a muddled and confusing centre which lacks the necessary tension that the story merits. The potential is there, and Kelly fans will probably still love it but I’m just not onboard. The movie is out now on Blu-ray and DVD and again I recommend renting over buying.

Blu-ray Re-releases

The first high-definition re-release of the week is actually one of my brother’s favourites The Last Emperor, a biopic of Puyi, the last Emperor of China, and based on his autobiography. The film follows the life of the Emperor from his ascent to the throne as a small child to his later imprisonment and political “rehabilition” by the Chinese Communist regime. An epic and extraordinary movie that deservedly picked up the Best Picture Oscar in 1987 this is top drawer movie-making and in John Lone (as the adult Puyi) has an acting tour-de-force unseen in years. The HD transfer really helps the stunning scenery scenes and adds a new dimension to what was already a beautiful movie. Recommended for anyone who loves a good story and owns a Blu-ray player.

HD movie two is Poseidon, the 2006 remake of The Poseidon Adventure, starring Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Emmy Rossum, Jacinda Barrett, and Richard Dreyfuss. The film follows the escape attempts of a group of cruise ship passengers after a giant waves capsizes the ship and water begins to pour in. This movie is nowhere near as good as the original and suffers from a kind-of death-by-numbers plot-line whose only purpose seems to be keeping the audience guessing who’ll die next. The people on the ship are all broadly-drawn caricatures and it’s very difficult to invest any emotion in them and their plight. Visually it looks amazing, the CGI sinking of the ship is top-notch, and the transfer to HD only heightens this. Unfortunately that story and the lack of direction/vision from director Wolfgang Petersen (see Das Boot for reference) make this impossible to recommend to anyone.

Blu-ray re-release three is Inland Empire, another in along line of off-kilter psychological thrillers from Twin Peaks creator David Lynch. The movie focuses on movie-star Nikki Grace, who lands a lead role in a new movie that is based on an old Polish film that was abandoned after the murders of its two leading stars. Nikki soon begins to think that the film is cursed and her imagination starts to run out of control… It’s always practically impossible to describe a David Lynch movie but suffice to say that this is weird, but utterly wonderful. Similar to Mulholland Drive you cannot believe any of what your seeing as Lynch loves to messs with the audience as much as with his stars. It’s easily Laura Dern’s best role ever and a definite must-see for thriller fans and a must-buy of Lynch aficionados.

TV Series

TV DVD release of the week goes to The Thick of It, a British comedy series that satirises the inner workings of modern British government. Featuring some of the sharpest and most insightful writing on TV this is a must watch. Last year’s brilliant movie In The Loop (my number 21 movie of the year) is a spin-off and a great entry point to see if the humour suits your style.

Also out on DVD is Gilmore Girls: Season 6. I can’t say that I know much about this series but I imagine fans of the show will be clamouring to get their hands on this.

© Niall for Culch.ie, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Blu-Ray, Couch Potato, DVD, Gilmore Girls, Inland Empire, Nine, Poseidon, The Box, The Last Emperor, The Men Who Stare at Goats, The Thick of It

The big movie release this week is The Taking of Pelham 123. Directed by Tony Scott this remake of the 1974 classic, itself based on the novel of the same name by Morton Freedgood, stars Denzel Washington and John Travolta. The plot sees four heavily armed men, led by the mysterious Ryder, board the New York City subway 6 train departed from Pelham Bay Park Station at 1:23 p.m., and proceed hijack it. Meanwhile at dispatch Walter Garber is struggling to make sense of why his life has suddenly gone to hell and why one of his trains is acting erratic. The two men are set for a titanic battles of wits and cunning with the passengers lives hanging in the balance. Travolta plays madmen quite well and relishes the freedom of his character Ryder. Washington gives the more centred controlled performance and though the pair share little screen-time the cat-and-mouse stuff is good. Tony Scott, directing like a hyperactive rabbit tries to many visual stunts and oftentimes distracts more than aids the story. It’s an enjoyable romp of a movie, not the most celebral ever, but still definitely worth seeing. It’s available now on DVD and Blu-Ray.

The second release of the week is the somewhat controversial Antichrist starring Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg and directed by Lars von Trier. The movie focuses on a grieving couple retreat to “Eden”, their isolated cabin in the woods, where they hope to repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage. But nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse. The movie has split critics and audiences alike for it’s explicit sex, genital self-mutilation and other horrific scenes, some praising the rawness, others hating it. Personally it’s not my kind of thing but Gainsbourg did win Best Actress at Cannes and the movie has picked up other awards signifying that if you can stomach it then you’re in for a treat. Out now on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Movie is another remake, Sorority Row, this time of the 1983 slasher film The House on Sorority Row. The movie sees a group of Sorority sisters swear to trust one another, keep secrets and practice solidarity no matter what. Their loyalty is tested when a prank goes terribly wrong and ends a brutal murder. Rather than confess to the crime, the girls agree to hide the bloody corpse and keep their secret forever. A year later, as they prepare to say goodbye to the house and each, the girls are confident their dark secret will remain buried, but will it? It’s safe to say that this isn’t a good movie, not even the gratuitous nudity can save it from the hole-ridden plot and terrible acting. The nudity will appeal to some teenage boys who are the base audience of this kind of thing and therefore it will sell some copies somewhere. Avoid the DVD and Blu-ray like the plague.

Television releases:

Doctor Who – The Complete Specials: This releases includes all the Doctor Who Specials from 2009 (The Next Doctor/Planet of the Dead/Waters of Mars and The End of Time). Including a raft of additional bonus material, including Commentary with Cast & Crew, Deleted Scenes and David Tennant Video Diary, this is a must have for any fans of the time-travelling doctor. If you’ve never seen the show then please start with Christopher Eccleston’s first outing as the Doctor and watch from there. Out in individual parts or the complete set and available on both DVD and Blu-Ray.

Hustle – Season 5: This BBC series follows the exploits of five money-hungry grifters as they travel from the grey skies of London to the neon lights of Hollywood and Vegas. This release contains every episode from the show’s fifth series, so one for the fans but new comers may be lost.

Law & Order UK – Season 1: The British spin-off of the hit US television series LAW AND ORDER. Haven’t watched it but it looks interesting.

© Niall for Culch.ie, 2010. | Permalink | No comments yet | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Antichrist, Bluray, Couch Potato, Doctor Who, DVD, Hustle, Law & Order UK, new releases, Sorority Row, The Taking of Pelham 123

*** Congrats to Peter, Sam and Emer ***

*** who pick up a copy of G.I. Joe on dvd ***

We have a huge sack of goodness for all you couch potatoes this week. So much in fact that you’ll be hard pushed to leave you settee until next weeks installment. We even have a competition to win one of this weeks movie releases, so be sure to enter to be in with a chance to win G.I. Joe – The Rise of Cobra!

First up Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino’s imaginative take on US activities during World War II. The movie, which caused my spell-checker commit hari-kari, tells the story of two plots to assassinate Hitler and his cohorts, one planned by a young French Jewish cinema proprietress, the other by a team of American soldiers known affectionately as the “Basterds”. In true QT style the movie is a mish-mash of styles and influences from Sam Peckinpah to Sergio Leone, in a type of spaghetti-western war movie. The visual flair and brash confidence of QT is evident but this time is married to a fine story and brilliant performances from all involved. Particularly of note is Christoph Waltz, as Colonel Hans Landa, “The Jew Hunter”, who commands the screen with a powerful and enigmatic presence. Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Diane Krüger, Daniel Brühl, Til Schweiger and Mélanie Laurent round out a great cast, and even tough Pitt is under-used and Roth is awful it never distracts from the story. Yet to feature in my Top 25 it’s one of the favourites for 1. The movie is available on DVD, Bluray and Special Edition Bluray, and I suggest the last one if you have the technology.

Our second movie release of the week is The Hangover. This fast-paced and hilarious comedy has already taken its place at 19 in my Top 25 movies of 2009. The plot follows four friends who, two days before a wedding, travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party, only to wake up the next morning not remembering a thing and missing the groom. Suffice to say that from its appearance in my Top 25 I rather enjoyed the movie. There is a star-making turn from Bradley Cooper, as the handsome, cocky, funny alpha-male of the group, but the real star is Zach Galifianakis. His performance as the loveable man-child Alan is the stuff careers are made on and right now I’d pay to see a movie just starring him. Old School director Todd Phillips really has little to do but point the camera and follow the action such is the writing from Jon Lucas and performances from Galifianakis, Cooper and Ed Helms. Laugh yourself silly with this one out now on DVD and Bluray.

The sixth installment of the JK Rowling mega-franchise, Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, is our third feature. A prerequisite for these movies seems to be making them darker than the ones that went before and this one is certainly no different. Focusing on Harry and company’s sixth year at Hogwart’s, the story centres on Harry and Dumbledore’s attempts to learn more about the shadowy history of Tom Riddle, the boy who would become Lord Voldemort. The action sequences and special effects are the best in the series to date and understandably the movie made close to $400 million in its first 5 days. The central stars of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are all comfortable in their roles and this allows second director expand on the emotional turmoil felt by these 3. The movie itself is dark, frantic stuff, emotionally powerful with a light comic touch as necessary. More focused than those that went before it this is one of the best ones to date. Available now on one and two disc DVD and Bluray.

Last but not least is G.I. Joe – The Rise Of Cobra, based on the Hasbro action figures and inspired by the comic book G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. The story follows two American soldiers, Duke and Ripcord, who join the G.I. Joe Team (a band of covert special forces operatives, under the control of the US Army) after being attacked by Cobra troops. Personally I found this movie rather enjoyable. Don’t try watching it expecting high art, instead prepare yourself for a full on assault of corny lines, big stunts, outlandish weaponry and good old-fashioned things blowing up. It’s popcorn entertainment of the finest calibre and pretty much everything Transformers 2 wanted to be. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is great in his role as the treacherous Cobra Commander, while the rest of the cast have fun with roles that let them act like overgrown kids. Former Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston chews through scenery like Pac-man though ghosts, and Sienna Miller and Rachel Nichols bring glamour to the otherwise boys-only action. Give it a chance you may up liking it despite yourself. Available now on Bluray and DVD.

TV on DVD:

It’s a week of 3s with 3 television shows seeing their third season released to the world. Also in there is one of the 3 Top Gear presenters with a new TV show of his own.

Gavin & Stacey: Season 3 – Following the initial romance and subsequent marriage of the title pairing, Gavin & Stacey is hugely popular TV. In a very odd move the third season is released before the whole series has even aired on television. So to be quite perfectly honest I don’t know whether it is any good or not.

The Tudors: Season 3 - Revolving around King Henry’s third and fourth marriages and the parlimentary goings-on with Thomas Cromwell, the third season continues the historical epics fine form from seasons one and two. Jonathan Rhys Meyers really has made the role of the King his own and it’s great to see an Irishman do so well even if he is portraying an Englishman!

Ugly Betty: Season 3 - The third season of the ugly duckling turned fashionista added ten new recurring regulars in an effort to expand the storylines and take pressure of America Ferrera. I honestly don’t watch it but if you’re a fan I’m sure you’ll enjoy another season.

James May’s Toy Stories – The series marks May’s attempts to bring his favourite toys of the past into the modern era, by using the toys in real life ways. May’s enthusiasm and the scale of some of his endeavours, take the life-size Airfix Spitfire for example, make this show unique and very watchable. It really is a must have for big children everywhere.

Competition Time:

To be in with a chance of winning one of 3 copies of this weeks blockbuster big release G.I. Joe – The Rise of Cobra simply leave a comment below naming your favourite children’s toy and why.

*COMPETITION CLOSED*

© Niall for Culch.ie, 2009. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bluray, Couch Potato, DVD, G.I. Joe - The Rise of Cobra, Gavin & Stacey, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Inglourious Basterds, Kames May's Toy Stories, The Hangover, The Tudors, Ugly Betty

First up is Michael Bay’s big budget, action packed, sequel to his 2007 mega-hit Transformers. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ups the budget, ups the action and seriously up the terrain destroying robot count. Following the events of the first movie the good-guy Autobots are helping the US military hunt down and capture the bad-guy Decepticons. On a mission to Shanghai they learn that something bad is about to happen. A long forgotten enemy, The Fallen, is heading for Earth and he wants Sam Witwicky. Shia LeBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and John Turturro all return, but the real key to the movies success are the robots who are all present and correct. In fact there’s a whole litany of new robots, more than meets the eye one might say. These new robots include new bad-guy The Fallen, Decepticon turned good Jetfire, the annoying pair known as the Twins, and the Constructicons, who form together to create the massive Devastator. The effects are magnificent, you can really see where the money was spent in rendering these mechanical marvels. Aside from lingering shots of Fox, simply inserted to lure fanboys, the camera is put to good use. It’s a pity that the same cannot be said about the script. None of it makes sense, the movie drags where it should zip and the key, final battle is a truncated mess of a thing. That’s not to say that the movie is entirely without merit. Long stretches of it are utterly enjoyable, the chase in Shangai and Optimus Prime’s fight in the woods stand as two key examples, but the rest of the plotting is so haphazard as to beg the question how could 3 writers, specifically 2 of the Star Trek writers, make up a story this bad? However this won’t stop millions from buying the DVD and making this monster hit and even bigger success. I probably will end up getting it, if only for the effects and my own fanboyism, but I won’t be rushing to the store. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is out now on 1 disc and 2 disc DVD, and 3 disc Blu-ray.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Second out is one of the many computer-animated children’s movies that hit cinemas during the summer. G-Force tells the story of a group of highly-trained elite force guinea pigs. The group comprises of Darwin, the squad leader determined to succeed at all costs; Blaster, an outrageous weapons expert with tons of attitude and a love for all things extreme; and Juarez, a sexy martial arts pro; plus the literal fly-on-the-wall reconnaissance expert, Mooch, and a star-nosed mole, Speckles, the computer and information specialist. Armed with the latest high-tech spy equipment they are about to discover that the fate of the world is in their paws. There are some big name stars on voice duty including Bill Nighy, Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Penelope Cruz, Steve Buscemi, Tracy Morgan, and Nicolas Cage. It’s typical kids fare stuff though, and how much you enjoy the movie will depend on how entertaining you find the idea of talking, tough-guy gerbils. The moral of the story is decent, the action sequences are adequate if somewhat slowed for the target audience and the look is really rather good. Kids will like it, adults won’t, but it’s a great little stocking stuffer for Christmas. The movie is out now on DVD and Blu-ray.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Third out of the sack is a the romantic comedy starring rom-com queen Sandra Bullock and Scar-Jo’s other half Ryan Reynolds. The Proposal centres on book editor Margaret, who when faced with possible deportation from the US to her native Canada, hatches a plan to guarantee her status. She declares that she is engaged to her long suffering assistant Andrew, who goes along with the plan after securing some terms of his own. The unlikely pair head off to Alaska to met Andrews family and the city girl does not take to life in the great white north with ease. Mishaps and misadventures befall the pairing in standard rom-com style. While there’s absolutely nothing new about the plot of this movie what makes it watchable is the central pairing. Bullock and Reynolds spark off each other with abundant ease. The ending is painfully obvious but the manner in which the leads control themselves and the actions mean that you don’t really care. The movie has some genuinely funny moments too and there’s a tenderness to the characters that’s easy to relate to. So while it may be fluff, it’s warm, cosy fluff. Enjoy this movie in the company of a loved one and just try not to think about it too hard. Out now on DVD and Blu-ray.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The fourth and final movie this week is the horror movie Orphan. After the tragic loss of their unborn child Kate and John’s life starts to take a decided turn for the worst. Plagued by nightmares and haunted by their pasts the pair decide to adopt a child to fill the hole, and regain some semblance of normalcy. They find themselves drawn to a small girl called Esther, however when they bring her home strange things begin to happen. Something about this little girl is not what it seems… Actors Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga are okay without ever really extending themselves. In fairness though they are not given much by the way of character to work with. The mood of this film is suitably eerie and there is a palpable sense of dread looming around every corner, but the movie rambles for long periods before it hits its killer twist. It is here that it really starts to come into its own, however it’s too little too late to save a formulaic film from being lost amongst a sea of average horror movies. If you’re a horror fan then I’d recommend checking it out. The movie is available now on DVD and Blu-ray.

Click here to view the embedded video.

TV:

Two releases this week from the wonderful television organisation that is the BBC.
The first is Life, a 10-part nature documentary series, narrated by Sir David Attenborough. The series takes a global view of the specialised strategies and extreme behaviour that living things have evolved in order to survive; what Charles Darwin termed “the struggle for existence”. Four years in the making, the series has been shot entirely in high definition, making it a must see on Bluray and a decent watch on DVD.
The second is Emma, a four-part adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel of the same name. BBC has a strong reputation with historical drama and particularly the work of Jane Austen. This adaptation starring Romola Garai, Johnny Lee Miller and Sir Michael Gambon is no exception and would make an ideal gift this Christmas.

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Post tags: Blu-Ray, Couch Potato, DVD, Emma, G-Force, life, Movies & TV, new releases, Orphan, The Proposal, Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen, TV Series

See let’s looky what we have here…

Our first movie out this week is one of the summer’s big block-buster special effects leaden Hollywood franchise films. Terminator Salvation is the fourth installment of the Terminator franchise and is the first without muscle-bound Austrian superstar, and current Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. In a change from previous Terminator’s this movie takes place in the future, 2018 to be precise, and focuses on the war between humanity and the artificial intelligence Skynet. Christian Bale plays John Connor, the future supposed saviour of mankind, here seen as a leader in the resistance. Sam Worthington plays Marcus Wright, a former death-row inmate who has been given a second chance at life after handing his body over to some decidedly dodgy scientists, led by Helena Bonham Carter. The strong cast is given further impetus by the inclusion of Anton Yelchin, Moon Bloodgood and Bryce Dallas Howard in supporting roles. Despite Christian Bale not overly-exerting himself the acting is of a high calibre. What isn’t is the direction from Charlie’s Angels helmer McG and the overall story from John Brancato and Michael Ferris is a bit of a mess. Visually the movie looks astonishing with ILM having done exceptional work. The score from composer Danny Elfman is also really rather good, ominous and brooding when it needs to be. Ultimately it’s a decent enough attempt as no-one really expected it to live up to James Cameron’s first two. It would have served as a good jump-off point for further exploration of the man-machine war had circumstances gone differently. As it is, in the wake of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles cancellation, the mediocre box-office numbers and the fact that the rights for the Terminator franchise are up for sale again, it is unlikely that we will see the T-800 back any time soon. Terminator Salvation is out now on DVD and Blu-ray.

Second out is the third part of Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox’s family fun-filled computer animated adventure series Ice Age. Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs sees our favourite prehistoric mammoths Manny and Ellie settling down to start their family. This sees friends and fellow pack members Diego and Sid on the periphery. When Sid happens open some eggs he takes them home so that he can start his own family. The female Tyrannosaurus whose ages they are is none to happy about this and takes the eggs and Sid to a tropical lost world inhabited by dinosaurs beneath the ice. And so the chase is on as the rest of the gang set out to rescue Sid. Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, Denis Leary and John Leguizamo all return to lend their voices to the principal cast. They are joined by Shaun of the Dead star Simon Pegg as a crazy, one-eyed weasel named Buckminster, or Buck for short. Pegg is the stand-out of the movie and the wild energy of his character sustains the film through some lulls in the action. Overall it’s a fun film with some very funny moments and some wild action. The cinema version benefited from the use of 3D effects and a lot of the later action in the movie was designed with this in mind. It will be interesting to see how they hold up on DVD. If you have kids or know someone that is one (whether big or small) stick this in their stocking and make them very happy. The movie is out on DVD and Blu-ray.

The third and last big movie release this week is Coco Before Chanel. The movie centres on the life of the famed French fashion designer Coco Chanel before she became famous. Having been abandoned by her father in an orphanage Gabrielle Chanel starts to work in a local bar, as a seamstress and part-time performer. It is there that she is given the nickname Coco for song which she sings with her sister. An encounter with Baron Balsan gives her a avenue into French society and she is soon making elegant hats for powerful powerful people. As her career sky-rockets her life becomes ever more complicated. Amelie star Audrey Tatou plays Chanel and she really embodies the role, playing the charming yet focused fashion designer to a tee. The cinematography is top notch too, showing certain clothes and patterns through unclear lens to envisage how Chanel herself was influenced and saw these in her designs. The whole atmosphere of the movie is very warm and easily absorbed. This movie is not a History Channel documentary, instead is a loving and beautifully made look at one of fashions most iconic figures, during her formative years. The movie is out now on Blu-ray and is a perfect gift for mothers or the woman in your life.

Comedy & Music

So on to comedy and music DVDs and the big release is Take That Present: The Circus Live. This DVD comes hot on the heels of the bands fifth studio album, The Circus, and follows the band on their tour of the same name around the UK and Ireland. The DVD was recorded on Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th July 2009 at Wembley Stadium. The DVD is set to be followed next week by a 2-CD live album containing the entire Circus tour on the first CD and an exclusive performance recorded at Abbey Road on the second disc. It’s sure to be a must have for all Take That fans and is available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Next up is a new release from British comedian Bill Bailey. Bill Bailey’s Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra was the name of the comic stars last tour and the DVD was recorded during his stint in the London Royal Albert Hall. The show went down a treat on Saturday night in Dublin so fans who missed out can catch all the excitement on this DVD.

The second comedy release this week is Eddie Izzard: Stripped, and is a live recording of his performances on the tour of the same name in the the Lyric Theatre in London’s West End last December. The tour was apparently called stripped because Izzard could no longer wear his trade-mark transvestite outfit as much as high-heels were killing him.

Television

Grey’s Anatomy – Season 4 follows the lives of five surgical interns, now residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital in Seattle, Washington. The fourth season, which was affected by the writers strike, saw Dr. Addison Montgomery leave the cast to set up her own Private Practice, while Dr. Erica Hahn joined as as head of Cardiothoracics replacing Preston Burke. 16 episodes aired in the truncated season, which avid fans have ensured me is one of the best. A must have for fans of the show and fans of medical dramas.

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Post tags: bill bailey, Blu-Ray, Coco Before Chanel, Comedy, Couch Potato, DVD, Eddie Izzard, Grey's Anatomy, Ice Age 3, Movies & TV, Take That, Terminator Salvation, TV

First out of the bag is JJ Abrams truly monumental reboot of the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek. The name direct and to the point, I like it. The movie focuses on the early days of James Tiberius Kirk, his entry into Starfleet, and his first meetings with Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy and the half-Vulcan known as Spock. The newly formed crew are sent into battle against the man responsible for Kirk’s fathers death and a desperate race against time to save themselves and the United Federation of Planets. What Abrams does here is very brave indeed, replacing the iconic characters of William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy et al with new younger, relatively unknown actors. He also risked alienating the hardcore fanbase further by changing the time-line and creating an alternate reality were those characters will never be. It works though as the series is injected with new blood, the action ramped up and a bombastic piece of entertainment created. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto play a key role as Kirk and Spock, and it is their clashing and eventual acceptance and reliance on each other that provides the meat of the story. It’s a classic bro-mance, boy meets boy, they clash, they fight, and finally they learn to love and respect one another, as equals. Brokeback Mountain it isn’t though. The action is top-notch too, giant spaceships clash and whole worlds explode, all set against an epic soundtrack.I’ve already said too much, if you haven’t seen it do yourself a favour and get the DVD. If you can get the Blu-ray as a film of this magnitude deserves the highest quality available. The film is available in 1 and 2 disc DVD and 3 disc Blu-Ray.

The second DVD release of the week is Moon, another contender for movie of the year and a modern classic of science-fiction cinema. The story focuses on Sam Bell, a worker stationed on the moon to extract helium-3 from lunar soil for much-needed clean energy back on Earth. Sam is isolated from his wife and daughter, having only a a robotic assistant named GERTY for company. A few days before the end of his 3 year assignment he starts to see things that really shouldn’t be there. The movie is quite brilliant, a wonderful look at the effects on the psyche of isolation and the emotional impact of dealing exclusively with machines. Sam Rockwell is a stand-out in the central role and it would be criminal were he not to receive an Oscar nomination. First time director Duncan Jones shows a very adept hand and it is his storytelling that allows Rockwell to shine. Instead of answering questions head-on the script teases and leads you to discovering the truth for yourself. It’s a very cerebral movie and a welcome change from the bombastic action movies that usually flood theatres. Any one who is a sci-fi fan, or just wants to witness story-telling and acting at the highest level, has to see this movie. The film is available on DVD and Blu-ray from today.

The third and final DVD release this week is the Christmas themed romantic-comedy Four Christmases. The movie centres around San Francisco couple Brad and Kate. Every December 25, this happily unmarried duo embarks on a holiday tradition they have shared every year since they met – ditching their crazy families for a relaxing, fun-filled holiday on a sunny beach somewhere. After being trapped at the airport due to bad weather the pair are forced into visiting all four of their divorced parents’ homes on Christmas Day. The movie is the first studio film from King of Kong direct Seth Gordon. It stars Vince Vaughan and Reese Witherspoon as the main two, with Sissy Spacek, Mary Steenburgen, Jon Voight, and Robert Duvall as their parents. Vaughan and Witherspoon can do this kind of stuff in their sleep. And if the critics are anything to go by that’s exactly how the acted it. The reviews have been generally negative with many finding the humour sadly lacking. I haven’t seen it so I can’t judge but it really doesn’t seem like my cup of tea. If you do like Christmas comedies, or either of the main pairing, then check it out. The film is available on DVD only.

Re-released on Blu-Ray:

Two of cinemas finest moments get the high-definition treatment this week. The first is Gone with the Wind, regarded by many as the greatest love story, if not movie ever made. The movie, based on Margaret Mitchell’s novel of the same name, tells the story of Scarlett O’Hara, a young woman living during one of the most tumultuous periods in America’s history, the American Civil War. It catalogues her life and love affair with Rhett Butler, set against the backdrop of tremendous social change. The film is rightly regarded as one of the finest ever made, with wonderful story-telling and sumptuous costume and setting.Vivien Leigh and Clark gable excel as the star-crossed lovers and their performances stand as strongly today as the did 70 years ago. As a testament to its lasting appeal, the movie sold more tickets in the U.S. than any other film in history, and is considered a prototype of the modern Hollywood blockbuster. In 2007 it was ranked 6th in the Top American Films of All Time. The fully restored original print is available now on Blu-Ray.

The second re-release on Blu-Ray this week is one of my favourite movies, Alfred Hitchcock’s timeless mystery thriller North by Northwest. The movie itself is a classic tale of mistaken identity, with an innocent man pursued across the United States by agents of a mysterious organisation who want to stop his interference in their plans to smuggle out microfilm containing government secrets. Cary Grant stars in the main role as the pursued main and delivers on of his best performances. The action rarely lets up and the taut script, which propels the film at break-neck speed, was rightly nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. The movie has gifted cinema some of it’s most iconic imagery, with riffs on the Mt. Rushmore sequence and the crop-dusters commonly appearing in parody or homage.That the movie still passes muster today is all down to the excellent direction of Hitchcock, here at the height of his awesome power. It’s just brilliant. Get it today in newly remastered high-definition, I know I will.

TV on DVD:

Not much happening this week, with the only release of note being Star Wars – The Clone Wars – Season 1. This computer-animated series takes place in the Star Wars universe and is set between the events of the second and third movie of the modern trilogy. The series is one of the most-watched cartoons in America and features a host of characters recognisable in modern culture. Critical reception has been favourable, with many applauding the production values and standard of visual imagery. I’ve never actually got round to watching the series, as the movie of the same name was an abomination onto my childhood. The DVD release makes a good chance for me to make amends for that, and as a fan I’m sure to find something I enjoy. This series contains 22 episodes and is only available on DVD.

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Post tags: Blu-Ray, Couch Potato, DVD, Four Christmases, GoneWith the Wind, Moon, North by Northwest, Star Trek, Star Wars - The Clone Wars

First up is Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, or just Night at the Museum 2 if that’s a bit long winded for you. This sequel to the 2006 adventure comedy Night at the Museum sees Ben Stiller reprise his role as security guard Larry Daley. Two years later Daley is now a successful entrepreneur, having made his money from inventions based on his encounters in the American Museum of Natural History, such as a glow-in-the-dark flashlight and an unloseable keyring. He finds out that the AMNH is being renovated and that a number of exhibits are being moved to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. Cue new hysterics in a new setting. The sequel adds some new cast members to the already impressive line-up which featured Robin Williams, Hark Azaria and Owen Wilson. Amy Adams is one of the new additions, playing Amelia Earhart and Larry’s prospective love interest. Both Adams and Azaria are good in their respective roles, but sadly the rest of the movie is lacking and missing the originality that made the first one amusing. There is no real polt to speak, but rather a patchwork of CGI action sequences strung together by messy dialogue. In an interesting note (at least to me) the Smithsonian had never allowed a movie to film inside, until this one, and perhaps it would be wise to allow no more. Kids though are sure to find this mildly entertaining. The movie is out on DVD and as part of a double disc set including the original.

Second movie this week is Brüno, Sasha Baron Cohen’s follow-up to his smash-hit 2006 mockumentary comedy film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. This time the action centres on the titular Brüno, a flamboyant gay Austrian fashion journalist. The movie is the third to be based on characters from Da Ali G Show, following Ali G Indahouse and Borat. When Brüno is fired from TV reporting, after disrupting a Milan Fashion week catwalk, his lover Diesel leaves him for another man. Accompanied by his assistant’s assistant Lutz, he travels to the United States to become “the biggest Austrian superstar since Hitler”. Yes you read that right Hitler, suffice to say jokes like that abound in this movie. The main aim here seems not to be entertainment of the audience but rather to offend as many people, religions or beliefs as possible. That’s not to say that the movie hasn’t got funny moments though, because it does. They are however too badly placed amongst all the dick jokes and homophobia to make a lasting impression. Baron Cohen seems to be having a ball here, and Gustaf Hammarsten, as Lutz, is a real scene stealer. It’s worth giving the movie a look to see if it’s your cup of tea, but I will not be buying it any time soon. Brüno is out on DVD and Bluray.

Third up is a high-definition re-release of Michael Mann’s extraordinarily powerful 1995 crime drama, Heat. The film follows a gang of armed thieves targeting major banks, vaults, and armoured cars. These thieves are led by career criminal Neal MacAuley. When one of their operations goes bad, LAPD homicide detective Vince Hanna is brought in to catch them. Of course the “bad-guys” aren’t going down without a fight. Robert De Niro plays McCauley, while Al Pacino is on hand as Hanna. The movie was the first film to ever feature both screen icons on the same screen, the pair having appeared separately in The Godfather Part II. Much was made of this prior to the movies release and it really is something to see the two of them face-off at the heat of their powers. De Niro and Pacino own the screen, but Val Kilmer is also a powerful presence as Chris Shiherlis, one of the criminals. The dialogue and Mann’s sure direction are key to making this movie the modern classic that it is. The table exchange between MacAuley and Hanna is cinema at it’s finest, with the eloquence of the language just exploding from the screen. You owe it to yourself to have this in your collection, and you owe it to yourself even more to have it in the highest quality available. Heat is available on Blu-Ray from today.

Russell Howard is one of the funniest guys on BBCs answer to The Panel, Mock the Week. Dingledodies is his second live DVD after 2007s Adventures and follows his ultra-successive live show of the same name. The stand-up sold over 100,000 tickets in the UK, including three sell-out shows in London’s Hammersmith Apollo, on this tour this year and last. That would seem to indicate that this is a performance well worth seeing. It’d certainly make a good Christmas present for anyone who enjoys a good laugh. Dingledodies is available on DVD only.

TV this week sees the release of the fifth season of an RTÉ Two Tuesday night favourite, the second DVD release of comedy material deemed unsuitable for BBC Two, and the second season of a Doctor Who spin-off aimed at children.

Desperate Housewives – Season 5 sees us return to Wisteria Lane once again. The action takes place 5 years after the events of season 4, and revolves around Edie Britt’s new husband, Dave Williams, who is hell bent on revenge on someone on Wisteria Lane. The fifth season won’t pick up any new fans, but old fans should definitely pick this up as the mystery is a doozy.
Mock the Week – Too Hot for TV 2 is the second DVD of excerpts, outtakes, etc. of the Dara O’Briain hosted BBC comedy panel show, that were deemed unsuitable for TV. This DVD contains three episodes from the series archives including “the legendary Rude Lube Show” and more than 40 mins of unseen material. A must have for fans.
The Sarah Jane Adventures – Season 2 is a spin-off of the long-running BBC science fiction programme Doctor Who and focuses on the adventures of investigative journalist and former companion of The Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith. This season has six episodes, including Doctor Who enemies  the Sontaran.

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Post tags: Bruno, Couch Potato, Desperate Housewives, DVD, dvd releases, Heat, Mock the Week, Night at the Museum 2, Russell Howard, The Sarah Jane Adventures

First up is Michael Mann’s excellent gangster movie Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp and Christain Bale. The movie is set during the Great Depression, a time rife with glamour and violence, and follows the true story of FBI agent Melvin Purvis’s attempt to stop criminals John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd. The film is an adaptation of Bryan Burrough’s non-fiction book Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933–34. Batman himself, Christian Bale plays FBI agent Purvis, while Hollywood heartthrob and all-round legend Johnny Depp plays Dillinger. Support comes in the shapely form of Oscar winner Marion Cotillard as Dillinger’s girlfriend Billie Frechette, and Stephen Graham as Nelson, and Channing Tatum as Floyd. Mann is no stranger to crime movies, having directed the truely magnificent Heat, and while this doesn’t reach those heights it is a great movie none-the-less. Technically the movie is a stand-out, with crisp HD visuals and epic sound, the only gripe being that it suffers from some pacing issues and lacks oomph at times. It remains, however, a must have for any crime, action or drama aficionado, including myself. Available on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Second up is Last Chance Harvey, a romantic drama film written and directed by Joel Hopkins. Dustin Hoffman plays Harvey Shine, a music writer for advertisements, who is in London for the weekend of his daughter’s wedding. Long separated from his wife, his daughter closer to her step-father than him and with a boss eager to cast him aside, Harvey is a mess. Kate Walker, played by Emma Thompson is unmarried,and has been set up by friends on a blind date when she happens across Harvey in the Heathrow bar. What will become of this unlikely pairing? Now this movie sounds schmaltzy but is actually quite good. People of an older generation than mine will get a lot from it, but even for me it was a touching and affectionate look at two people falling in love. Nice Sunday evening TV viewing but I won’t rush to buy. Available on DVD.

That’s it as far as new movies are concerned by some classics have been upgraded to Blu-ray so I’ll look at them here too.

First up is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the classic Disney animated movie. Snow White is historical for many reasons, not least for being the first full-length cel-animated feature in motion picture history, as well as the first animated feature film produced in America, the first produced in full color and the first to be produced by Walt Disney. The story sees the beautiful Princess Snow White flee from the Wicked Witch who wants to kill her. Taking refuge with seven noble and hard-working dwarves, Snow White attempts to live an ordinary life, until the Wicked Witch finds her and puts a curse on her. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is one of the greatest animated movies ever made and one of the rare few to stand the test of time. It should look magnificent on Blu-ray and I’m anxiously waiting for the postman as we speak. The Blu-ray contains numerous features,  and a DVD copy of the movie.

Second up is Braveheart, the Academy-award winning fantasy-action-drama  produced, directed and starring Mel Gibson. Gibson plays the legendary Scot, William Wallace, who gained recognition when he came to the forefront of the First War of Scottish Independence by opposing Edward I of England. After Wallace’s love is publicly executed by the village sheriff he leads a band of his fellow villagers against the English garrison. As his fame spreads more Scots go to his side and an all-out confrontation with the English becomes unavoidable. This is a superb movie with one of the greatest movie battles in cinema history. Granted it’s not the most historically accurate portrayal of events it is still a worthwhile look at a begone era. The theme of the movie, English occupation, resonates strongly with an Irish audience and it helps explain why the movie did so well at our box-office. The battles should stand up well in hi-def and I will be adding this to my collection is due course.

Third up is the legendary 1939 musical-fantasy film, The Wizard of Oz,  directed by Victor Fleming. For anyone who hasn’t seen it (and there can’t be many) the film follows 12-year-old farm-girl Dorothy Gale, played by Judy Garland, who lives on a Kansas farm with her Aunt and Uncle, but dreams of a better place “somewhere over the rainbow.” After being struck unconscious during a tornado, Dorothy dreams that she, her dog Toto and the farmhouse are transported to the magical Land of Oz. There, the Good Witch of the North, Glinda, advises Dorothy to follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City and meet the Wizard of Oz, who can return her to Kansas. During her journey, she meets a Scarecrow, a Tin Man and a Cowardly Lion, who join her on her journey. Now I absolutely adore The Wizard of Oz, it easily sits in my Top 50 of all-time. The movie contains some of the best music, quotes and visuals ever captured on-screen. Although it’s constantly aired on TV, audiences never tire of it and the transfer to Blu-Ray should make the visuals pop even more. The package includes a sing-along version for all this devoted fans.

The fourth movie re-released on Blu-Ray is the heart-warming Christmas film It’s a Wonderful Life. The movie takes place in the fictional town of Bedford Falls and stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man whose imminent suicide on Christmas Eve gains the attention of his guardian angel, who is sent to help him in his hour of need. A staple of Christmas television around the world, the movie is easily one of the most inspirational ever made. Stewart made this shortly after serving in World War II and the depth of emotion he conveys is nothing short of magical. Blu-Ray should help the look but the true quality is in the story and acting. Only a grinch wouldn’t like this.

On the TV front we have:

Family Guy – Season 8: The epic adventures of Quahog’s first family continue with some truely shocking yet hilarious stuff. This season sees Peter turn gay, adopt a retarded horse and return to school, while Brian and Stewie go back in time to Nazi Germany. If you like Family Guy then you’re in for a treat, if not avoid.

Supernatural – Season 4: The show centres on two Brothers Sam and Dean Winchester, who fight demons and the paranormal. Season 4 follows the brothers as they work with angels to stop Lilith’s plan of breaking the 66 seals, which would let Lucifer walk free once again. It’s a good show but yet again it’s only for fans.

Peep Show – Season 6: The show is a British comedy starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb. I honestly have never seen an episode, but 6 seasons, heading for 7 would seem to indicate that it’s popular.

© Niall for Culch.ie, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Braveheart, Couch Potato, Family Guy, Last Chance Harvey, Peep Show, Public Enemies, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Supernatural, t's a Wonderful Life, The Wizard of Oz

This particular Tuesday sees the release of a really quite excellent horror film from genre master Sam Raimi, a fun summer computer animated B-movie homage, a Hallowe’en themed direct-to-DVD horror, and another batch of TV shows from the States.Drag Me to Hell is Sam Raimi’s long awaited return to his horror roots, having taken some time out to work on a franchise about a web-slinging superhero. The story, which was written by Raimi alongside brother Ivan before taking the Spiderman job, centres on loan officer Christine Brown, who tries to impress her boss by refusing to extend a loan to a gypsy woman by the name of Mrs. Ganush. In retaliation, Ganush places a curse on Christine which, if not passed on to someone else within three days, will plunge her into the depths of Hell to burn for eternity. Elements of the film’s story come from the British horror film Night of the Demon which featured similar shaped demons and the three day curse theme. Overall the movie is excellent, with Alison Loman, who inherited the job after first-choice Ellen Page dropped out, outstanding in the lead role. The movie, like Raimi’s Evil Dead series, has scary moments which are offset brilliantly by the humorous and campy overall tone. I’ll be adding this to my collection very shortly. The film is available on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Second up is Monsters vs Aliens, a computer-animated 3-D feature film from DreamWorks Animation. The movie is a creative homage/piss-take on the B-Movie monsters of the 1950s and was the first computer animated movie to be directly produced in a stereoscopic 3-D format. Okay, that’s the nerdy facts out of the way. The basic plot is that aliens have landed and the Earth’s only hope for defence is the top-secret government project which has been keeping monsters locked up out of harms way. The movie itself plain good old fashioned fun, sure it’s nonsense but it’s fast-paced exciting nonsense. The voice cast is excellent with Hugh Laurie’s Dr. Cockroach Ph.D. and Seth Rogen’s B.O.B. highly entertaining. The show is stolen however by Kiefer Sutherland’s maniac General W.R. Monger who is just this side of Colonel Kilgore in Apocalypse Now. If you’re after a fun filled family film, then look no further. The movie is available on 1 Disc DVD, 2 Disc: Special Edition DVD (featuring B.O.B.’s Big Break) and Blu-Ray.

Last movie of the week is a Hallowe’en shocker, directed by X-Men 2 and Superman Returns writer Mike Dougherty, and produced by the director of those two, Brian Singer. Trick ‘r Treat is the direct-to-DVD feature based on Dougherty’s short film Season’s Greetings. The movie is basically four Halloween-related scary stories with one element tying the stories together. That element is the presence of Sam, a mysterious pint-sized trick-or-treater with a burlap pumpkin mask, who makes an appearance in all the stories, as a ‘friendly-reminder’ to those who break the Halloween traditions. Positive reviews abound for this movie so I will definitely have to check it out as soon as I can. The film is currently only available on DVD but there is a Region Blu-Ray so we should get one soon.

The TV releases this week are Bones: Season 4; Lost: Season 5; and True Blood: Season 1.
Bones: Season 4 focuses on the forensic anthropology team of Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan and Special Agent Seeley Booth, played by Emily Deschanel (sister of Culch fave Zooey) and Angel star David Boreanaz. The show is loosely based on the books of producer Kathy Reichs. I don’t actually watch it so I’ve no idea if it’s any good but 4 seasons would seem to indicate that it’s popular. Available on DVD.
Lost: Season 5 follows the lives of plane crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island, after a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles crashes somewhere in the South Pacific. I lost interest in the show after Season 2 but if it’s your bag the show is available on DVD and Blu-Ray.
True Blood: Season 1 details the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional small Louisiana town. The series centres on Sookie Stackhouse played by X-Men alum Anna Paquin, a telepathic waitress, who falls in love with a vampire. The series is actually a pretty solid part mystery, part fantasy, part comedy show. While it’ll never be Buffy, it’s certainly better than Twilight. Available on DVD and Blu-Ray.

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Post tags: Alison Loman, Blu-Ray, Bones, Brian Singer, Couch Potato, Drag Me To Hell, DVD, dvd releases, Hugh Laurie, Kiefer Sutherland, Lost, Mike Dougherty, Monsters vs Aliens, Sam Raimi, Season's Greetings, Seth Rogen, Trick 'r Treat, True Blood, TV Series