Award Contenders

   I have to apologize if I am sounding like a broken record, but we are starting to reap the results of a horrible first half of the movie year when it comes to movies that are new to video.  If it feels like it has been a long time since I was able to recommend anything new, then it’s probably because it has been.  And unfortunately, my dear readers, it is no different this week.

   Out today is the Michael Caine vengeance vehicle, Harry Brown.  As much as I like Michael Caine (old and young), I just can’t see this recycled storyline of a man who seeks revenge for the murder of one of his friends as something worth renting.  But if you absolutely have to see one of the releases this week, you could probably do much worse than Harry Brown.

   Like Marmaduke, for instance.  And that is all I have to say about that.

   Also out today is Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too?  Sorry that I don’t have much to say about these films, but if you have seen them, feel free to post a comment letting us know what you thought.

   I usually don’t pimp TV shows on this site… but today is a special exception.

   LOST, my favorite show of all time, gets the deluxe complete series collector’s edition treatment.  The package includes all 6 seasons of the ground-breaking television series, a 2-hour bonus disc of never before seen footage, a collectible Senet game (featured in Season 6), a replica of the LOST island, an episode guide, and a collectible ankh.  This is a must buy for any fan of the series, and a chance for those of you who missed the greates television event EVER, to find out what the mystery is all about. 

   The film out today that I have the most interest in seeing is The Square.  A film in which a man becomes involved in an affair with a woman whose husband is a criminal, and then is tested with the decision of taking the money from the husband’s latest heist and running away with the wife or to just say no to the woman he cannot resist.  Looks like an intriguing thriller-drama, and could be worth a rent.

   Not much else worth talking about, so here is a list of the films out today:  The Backup Plan (Jennifer Lopez);  City Island (Andy Garcia);  and Over the Hedge (Seriously?  The animated film from 2006 is just coming out?  So say my sources…).

   Unfortunately, they had to release movies today.  I will warn you in advance, there is nothing out today that I can recommend.  Seriously.  Stop reading this and go check out movies 81-100 in my 100 Best Movies of all time list…

   No?  Ok then, you asked for it…

   The big release today is the Miley Cyrus vehicle, The Last Song, in which she moves in with her father (Greg Kinnear) and attempts to reconnect their broken relationship.  Their one mutual bond is through music, and the two try to mend their lives together through their art.  Along the way, Miley’s character, Ronnie, has a summer romance with a local boy.  Based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook and Dear John), you can assume it becomes a weepy after that.  Unless, of course, you just laugh through these types of movies like I do.

   I did warn you, right?

   Also out today is my early pick for the Razzie Award:  Brendan Frasier’s Furry Vengeance.  Furry Vengeance centers around a housing developer who is attempting to build a community near the woods… but get this:  The animals fight back!  I know it’s for kids, but for Christ’s sake, does it get any more ridiculous than that? 

   Other films out today include The City of Your Final Destination, and The Good, the Bad, and the Weird.

   If you are a fan of the Showtime series, Dexter, season 4 is out today as well.

   All right my fellow movie geeks… it’s the announcement we have all been waiting for!

   Ever since the creation of Blu-Ray, one movie saga has been on everyone’s mind… STAR WARS!  And now we have news of a release date when all of our dreams will come true!!   …sorta.

   All 6 films will hit Blu-Ray sometime in the Fall of 2011.  No actual specific date has been set, but are we complaining?  No way!  I will update you once an official date is set, but for now we know it is about a year away!

   George Lucas was quoted as saying the film would include:

“all six live-action Star Wars feature films, with the highest picture and audio quality…

documentaries, vintage behind-the-scenes moments, interviews, retrospectives and never-before-seen footage from the Lucasfilm archives.”

   Not much to get excited about on video this week. 

   One movie I semi-considered renting while it was in theatres was the Steve Carell/Tina Fey comedy, Date Night.  It probably is worth seeing just for those two alone, but my Netflix queue has me buried right now.  So if anyone has seen this, or plans to see it, let us know what you thought!

   Another possible renter out today is The Joneses, starring David Duchovny and Demi Moore.  I personally have no interest in seeing this film, though it received mildly positive reviews.

   Death at a Funeral is out today as well, but unless you are a huge fan of Chris Rock or Martin Lawrence, I would suggest seeing the original film, which was made eons ago back in 2007… riiiight…

   It’s a great week for video as a couple of the best films from 2009 and 2010 (so far) hit the shelves.

   My pick of the week is Roman Polanski’s The Ghost Writer, starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall and Olivia Williams.  The Ghost Writer is a taught political thriller centered around a writer (McGregor) hired to complete the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister (Brosnan).  As he is writing he discovers new secrets and scandals that could put him in serious danger.  This is one of the sleeper films of the first half of the year, and if you haven’t seen it yet, I can tell you it is well worth the rent.

   Also out today is one of the Best Foreign Language nominees from last year:  France’s A Prophet.  There were many that felt A Prophet should have won in its category (Argentina’s The Secret in Their Eyes took home Oscar gold).  In A Prophet, a 19 year old Arab boy is sent to a French prison, where he quickly learns the best way to defend himself is to join parties with the prison’s version of The Godfather.  Tahar Rahim is excellent as the young man climbing the crime boss ladder.  This is a film I plan on seeing again soon, as one viewing was not enough.

   Also out today is Kick-Ass, a violent and hilarious adaptation of the comic book in which a dorky teenage boy decides he will become a superhero, though he has no powers.  Chloe Moretz (as Hit-Girl) is the real reason to see this film.  In the mood for a non-thinker that will entertain the hell out of you?  This is your pick of the week.

   Also out today are After.Life and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

   It just may be the worst week for video you will see all year.  Or at least let’s HOPE that it won’t get much worse than this…

   Rather than spend this time talking about films like Clash of the Titans (Sam Worthington), Repo Men (Jude Law, Forrest Whitaker), or Rambo (the fourth in the series, Stallone), all of which do hit video today, I’d rather take a look at a film coming to Blu-Ray for the first time.

   That film is Ang Lee’s masterpiece, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.  And I say masterpiece regardless of how much love I have for Lee’s other film, Brokeback Mountain. 

   I am not an expert with foreign films, having only seen roughly around 100 or so in my lifetime, but I would place Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon among the best that I have ever seen. 

   The epic film stars Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeow as two warriors trying to track down a stolen sword.  The special effects and cinematography in Crouching Tiger are hard to match, both unforgettably beautiful and tragically poetic.  Tan Dun’s Academy Award winning score, featuring Yo-Yo Ma and his wonderful cello, provides the perfect element of extra tension during the fight scenes, as well as a somber melancholy tone to the forbidden love stories.

   Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is an amazing movie for anyone who loves foreign language films, but is also recommended for those who enjoy fast paced action movies or dramatic love stories.  If you are not silly enough to let having to read subtitles interfere with your cinematic viewing, this is a film that everyone should see.

   Lee’s film was nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture of 2000 (losing, sadly, to Gladiator).  It did, however, win Best Score (Dun), Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Foreign Language Film.

   A few classics out today for the serious film buff, and a couple of new releases that I missed while in theatres.  We’ll start with the new stuff.

   The one that is towards the top of my Netflix queue as I write this is The Runaways, starring the ever-brooding Kristen Stewart (of Twilight fame) and Dakota Fanning as rockers Joan Jett and Cherie Currie, respectively.  The Runaways tells the story of how these angst-ridden California kids rose to become rock stars, paving the way for later girl bands.  Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road) also stars as the girls manager of sorts, aiding their climb to success.  It received good enough reviews to make me want to see it once out on video, and now it is available.

   Also out today is director Kevin Smith’s (Clerks) bomb, Cop Out, starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan.  This is one of the worst reviewed films of the year, so the only place you should look for it is at the Razzie’s at the end of the year.

   The Loser’s is another one I cannot make time for.  But if you like brainless action films then you may be entertained by what this film has to offer.  I say skip.

   For those of you who loved great, classic films, we have a few releases today worth owning:  The Black Narcissus (1947) and The Red Shoes (1948), both released in the spectacular Criterion Collection form.