Well, the Christmas season is upon us and a whole sleigh full of DVDs have been released just in time to make it into a stocking or two!
'Resident Evil: Retribution' - The Umbrella's Corporation evil 'TiVirus' continues to wreak havoc on humanity as it continues it's path to turning everyone into flesh eating zombies. Which, when you think about it, where is the profit in that as ultimately everyone will become a zombie? Alice (Milla Jovovich, who I always like)
Read MoreA short list of DVD releases thois week, but mostly good ones!
'The Bourne Legacy' - Jeremy Renner is not quite the 'Bourne' that Matt Damon was and 'The Bourne Legacy' is not quite the Bourne film as the previous films were, but it does prove that the Bourne franchise has more tales to tell. Renner is certainly well suited to take over the reins and does just about as good as he can with an overly burdened script. In trying to reboot the franchise, the writers try a little too hard to explain just how there are more sleeper agents other than Jason Bourne.
Read MoreA handful of DVDs this week, most of which will be overshadowed by the blockbuster release of 'The Dark Knight Rises'!
'The Dark Knight Rises' - Christopher Nolan's excellent conclusion to his Dark Knight Trilogy; possibly the best movie of the year, most certainly making the list of Top 10, 'The Dark Knight Rises' is an epic conclusion to an epic series filmed by an epic director! Eight years have passed since Batman disappeared into the night when he suddenly turned from hero to fugitive after assuming the blame for the death of Harvey Dent.
Read MoreA whole lot of releases this week - so Redbox is going to get quite the workout!
'Men In Black III' - While it doesn't capture the imagination and joy of the first MIB it does outshine the disappointing MIB II; that being said, it is not a great argument to continue the franchise! While the performance of Josh Brolin, doing his best Tommy Lee Jones impression, is well worth the price of admission, the franchise has become boring and reworked just a bit too much. At best it is a great straight to DVD movie and an OK evening for a $1.20 rental.
Read MoreHappy Thanksgiving to everyone! With the holiday and the release of some pretty big movies at theaters, the DVD releases for this week are really light! Only 1!
'The Expendables 2' - Exposive good fun, 'The Expendables 2' will give every classic action movie fan enough bullets, explosions and blood to last them until the inevitable 'The Expendables 3'! Stallone and company are back and cheesier than ever is this sequel that is actually better and more fun than the first one! Amping up the action by allowing Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger more meaty roles as well as some great tag lines.
Read MoreThere are a couple of fun films in this week's batch of releases!
'Brave' - While not one of Pixar's best, 'Brave' is certainly a worthwhile addition to the Disney/Pixar hit factory! A bit uneven at times, it is a rousing Princess tale for the kids with some good adult humor mixed in - and true to the Disney tradition, the story is morally uplifting while true to the Pixar tradition it is full of heart and warmth! The animation is stunning and lush, full of vibrant colors as well as depth;
Read MoreIt's a big blockbuster release week this Election Tuesday! Well, it was almost a blockbuster I guess!
'The Amazing Spiderman' - Why remake a movie that was, arguably, better than the remake? To be honest, I am not sure; but with sure handed direction and a stellar cast; 'The Amazing Spiderman' was watchable if not a solid effort to reboot the Spiderman franchise. I would have preferred they have given us something new rather than nearly the same movie as 2002;
Read MoreA great horror film will live with you for a long time – it will survive the ever increasing desensitized viewers that are currently awash in blood and gore. A great horror film will strike you at a core level that cannot be touched like any other; they will make you squirm in your seat, they will make you turn the lights on because you see movement in the dark shadows and they will (sometimes) have you question your beliefs. More importantly, a good horror film will stand the test of time and scare you despite repeated viewings! I have many favorites, but the following list of 10 score high marks on all of the criteria listed above!
Read MoreWell - it's Halloween week; so I guess they decided to limit the releases because we are all renting horror movies! Not much going on this week - but they are gems!
'The Campaign' - Will Ferrell and Zack Galifanakis are political rivals in this crude political satire that is sometimes funny but never very smart. Will Ferrell's track record is roughly every other movie being good.
Read MoreNot a bad week for releases - that is if you like movies about male strippers!
'Magic Mike' - Director Steven Soderbergh proves that you can have your beefcake and eat it too! With solid performances, a strong script and steady direction, 'Magic Mike' is one of the least likely movies that I would have ever thought good! Channing Tatum actually does a good job and proves that he can act;
Read MoreWell, its a week that includes an Adam Sandler release. What a waste of perfectly good laser imprinted sand.
'Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted' - Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer) are still trying to get home and are still just as funny for the adults as they are the kids! This time, their path home takes them through Europe where they join and change a circus in their own Madagascar fashion. Family fun for everyone!
Read MoreIt's a light week for DVD releases - but it a good one - I actually liked all of the releases (some more than others!). So read on - and, as always - comments and feedback are always welcome!
'Prometheus' - Ridley Scott's very ambitious prequel to 'Alien' may not answer all of the questions left open by the franchise, but it does provide a visually stunning, sometimes frightening look into the beginning of the end of mankind. Without a doubt, Scott is a brilliant filmmaker and the master of the SciFi/Horror genre. None can do better and this epic film will stand the test of time.
Read MoreA handful of titles this week - one bomb that I was so looking forward to and one exceptional horror film just in time for Halloween from one of the masters!
'Dark Shadows' - Normally, the pairing of director Tim Burton and Johnny Depp is enough for me to be in giddy movie heaven; however, with 'Dark Shadows', the Burton/Depp magic is simply not there.
Read MoreARRRGGGHH! Late again - this has been a hectic week for my and it is only halfway over! Thankfully - I have a handful of DVDs available this week, including the blockbuster 'The Avengers'! Hang on - here we go:
'Marvel's The Avengers' - With a fantastic script that kept the super humans, well, human and non-stop action sequences that delivered one "WOW" after the other; 'Marvel's The Avengers' not only lived up to the hype, but exceeded it.
Read MoreWell - once again I am late in getting the new releases up! I apologize - many things happening in my other 'work' life and I have once again neglected my writing! Luckily it is a slow DVD week, but there are some fine releases in it!
'The Cabin In The Woods' - I have often said that a PG-13 horror movie will, ultimately, be boring and terrible. For the most part I have been right and there is always a fantastic R rated horror movie that proves me right! Writer Josh Whedon (a fan boy favorite!) and director Drew Goddard (another fan boy favorite)
Read MoreSuch a solemn day for new DVD releases, but we honor those who have left us by carrying on and continuing to build a better world! So, let us never forget. Also, let us never stop striving for peace and justice!
This will actually be two weeks worth of releases as I was inundated with work last week! Sorry about that - but enjoy!
'Piranha 3DD' - Ok - with a title like 'Piranha 3DD' you can't have any expectations what so ever. So don't.
Read MoreIt's a slow week for DVDs this week (which is lucky for me) and it'ws also a slow week for GOOD DVDs.
'Think Like A Man' - Based on the best seller from comedian Steve Harvey this romantic comedy follows the interconnected love lives of four men. It would have been more aptly titled 'Think A Man Is A Idiot'; the movie is only slightly elevated by the above average performances of the cast. Not a bad Redbox rental for a date night I guess. At worst it is a standard romantic comedy that is slightly better than 'New Year's Eve' as an example.
Read MoreHappy DVD Release Tuesday! There are a few DVDs today and amazingly most of them are worth the trip to Redbox!
'The Dictator' - Sacha Baron Cohen hasn't done anything really funny since 'Borat', although he really tries to mimic that character here. Vile, unfunny and just a complete mess of scatological humor and in your face insults, 'The Dictator' will leave you feeling like you need to shower. While I am sure there is a huge market for this type of humor, I simply did not find it funny.
Read MoreIt's a great week for DVDs! Several good films were released yesterday!
'The Hunger Games' - Based on the popular best selling series by Suzanne Collins, this excellent adaptation is loaded with terrific acting and superb storytelling. Jennifer Lawrence is outstanding as the heroine Katniss Everdeen who steps up to take the place of her baby sister in 'The Hunger Games', a kill or be killed tournament.
Read MoreSorry gang! I was out sick Monday and have been digging out since then! Luckily, not too many DVDs released that are worth your viewing time!
'Dr Suess' The Lorax' - The tales from Dr Suess have always been about simple morality - always speaking about goodness. That simple message gets lost in the CGI production values of Big Budget Hollywood hoping for a quick payday. All fluff and no substance, Hollywood once again fails to capture the positive message of Dr Suess. While a fine distraction for the kids, this sub par effort will only annoy the adults.
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