Moviefone's Top DVD of the Week:
"The World's End"
What's It About? The third installment of Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy, following 2004's "Shaun of the Dead" and 2007's "Hot Fuzz," "The World's End" features a group of five reuniting friends. They embark on an epic drinking marathon in an effort to top their pub crawl from 20 years prior, only this time an unexpected alien invasion strikes.
Why We're In: A refreshing blend of comedy and sci-fi, "The World's End" is the perfectly charming film to spoof the apocalypse genre and keep you endlessly entertained. Plus, it features hilarious (as always) performances from Wright staples Nick Frost and Simon Pegg.
WATCH: Go behind-the-scenes on "The World's End" (VIDEO)
Moviefone's Top Blu-ray of the Week:
"Tokyo Story" (Criterion Collection)
What's It About? Yasujirô Ozu's ("Late Spring") 1953 classic, "Tokyo Story," tells the sad story of elderly couple Shukichi (Chishu Ryu) and Tomi Hirayama (Chieko Higashiyama) when they visit their children and grandchildren in the city, who are all too busy to spend time with them.
Why We're In: A plot description hardly does justice for this powerful, emotional film, which beautifully captures familial disintegration within a changing culture. Ozu's camera poignantly captures human nature in a way that allows you to find yourself in the film. "Tokyo Story" is definitely a film worthy of repeated viewings.
New on DVD & Blu-ray:
"2 Guns"
What's It About? DEA agent Bobby Trench (Denzel Washington) and his partner, U.S. Navy officer Marcus Stigman (Mark Wahlberg), are both undercover as members of a narcotics syndicate. After unknowingly leading investigations on one another, the two must pair up to take down the Mexican cartel. This formulaic buddy cop comedy isn't the worst film to hit the screen this year, but it's nowhere near memorable.
WATCH: Go behind-the-scenes on "2 Guns" (VIDEO)
"All is Bright"
What's It About? In this dramedy Paul Giamatti plays Dennis, an ex-con out on parole who takes up a job selling Christmas trees with his old friend (Paul Rudd) to raise enough money to buy his daughter a piano. Giamatti and Rudd give strong performances in "All is Bright," but the script is far too lackluster and dark to enjoy during the holidays.
WATCH: Go behind-the-scenes on "All Is Bright" (VIDEO)
"And While We Were Here"
What's It About? In "And While We Were Here," Kate Bosworth plays an American writer who accompanies her husband on a business trip to the island of Ischia, only to embark on an affair with a younger man. This pretentious and boring drama lacks any emotional weight and is filled with too many sappy montages.
IN or OUT: OUT.
"Breaking the Girls"
What's It About? This crime thriller follows Sara, a college student who is talked into a plot to kill by the manipulative Alex, however Sara soon finds that she's been framed for murder. This dull erotic thriller heavily plays off its stereotyped lesbian killer and, overall, is a film to miss.
IN or OUT: OUT.
"C.O.G."
What's It About? Based on the autobiographical short story by David Sedaris, "C.O.G." stars Jonathan Groff as David, a cocky young man who travels to Oregon to work on an apple farm. While the script, adapted by director Kyle Patrick Alvarez, slackens at moments, "C.O.G." is nonetheless a rewarding film with a believable performance from Groff.
IN or OUT: IN.
"Crystal Fairy"
What's It About? Michael Cera stars in this road comedy from Sebastian Silva as Jamie, a boorish young American traveling through Chile in search of a rare hallucinogenic drug. Jamie, three local brothers, and a free-spirited American girl (Gaby Hoffman) head to the beach in search of the much-desired San Pedro cactus to cook it into a drug. This enjoyable coming-of-age tale is part drug comedy, part drama and also features a refreshingly new performance from Cera as a selfish jerk -- not the likable sweetheart you're used to.
IN or OUT: IN.
"Drew: The Man Behind the Poster"
What's It About? This documentary chronicles the poster artist Drew Struzan and while his name may not sound familiar you've definitely seen his work, including movie posters for the "Indiana Jones," "Star Wars," and "Back to the Future" films. The doc, which features interviews with George Lucas, Michael J. Fox, Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg, and more, profiles an amazing story of a field hardly recognized.
IN or OUT: IN.
"Hannah Arendt"
What's It About? Margarethe von Trotta's biopic tells the story of the German-Jewish philosopher and political theorist Hannah Arendt (Barbara Sukowa). The film blends narrative with actual footage from the 1961 trial of ex-Nazi Adolf Echimann that Arendt reported on, while exploring her famous concept of the "Banality of Evil." Sukowa gives a commendable performance of the complex figure in this thought-provoking film.
IN or OUT: IN.
"Paranoia"
What's It About? This thriller follows an entry-level employee (Liam Hemsworth) who gets a promotion at a powerful company, only to learn that he must spy on his boss' old mentor and now rival (Harrison Ford). Also starring Gary Oldman and Amber Heard, "Paranoia" is full of terrible dialogue, a shameful amount of cliches, and is completely generic.
IN or OUT: OUT.
"Planes"
What's It About? Disney's "Planes" follows Dusty Crophopper (Dane Cook), a crop duster who is afraid of heights, but has dreams of becoming an aerial racer. The animated adventure also features voices from Brad Garrett, Stacey Keach, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Teri Hatcher, Val Kilmer, and more. While the goofy nature and vibrant colors of "Planes" may be enough to satisfy young viewers, it's an overall Disney disappointment -- and one that does not warrant a sequel.
IN or OUT: OUT.
"The To Do List"
What's It About? This sex comedy, set in the early 90s, stars Aubrey Plaza as Brandy, who feels pressured into being more sexually experienced before she starts college in the fall. Co-starring Bill Hader, Rachel Bilson, Andy Samburg, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, "The To Do List" has enough jokes to keep you laughing, but they never feel like enough to leave you satisfied.
IN or OUT: OUT.
"Violet & Daisy"
What's It About? "Violet & Daisy" stars Saoirse Ronan and Alexis Bledel as two teenage assassins who kill off New York City criminals. When the pair take on a new job however, they discover they're in for a surprise. This crime comedy is full of spectacles and violence, but hardly any emotion to get us to care about the characters.
IN or OUT: OUT.
"We're the Millers"
What's It About? Jason Sudeikis' Dave is a weed dealer who must put together a fake family in order to transport a large drug shipment from Mexico to the U.S. He has Jennifer Aniston's stripper pose as his wife, a tatted street teen (Emma Roberts) as his daughter, and a wannabe customer as his son. An uninspired drug comedy, "We're the Millers" has its funny moments, but fails to keep us interested for long.
IN or OUT: OUT.
New to Blu-ray:
"Assault on Precinct 13"
What's It About? This 1976 exploitation film from John Carpenter follows the inhabitants of an abandoned police station who are under attack by an unstoppable, murderous street gang. This ultra-gritty cop tale features an excellent balance of violence and effective action and is one of the best genre-defying films of its time.
IN or OUT: IN.
"Maniac Cop 2"
What's It About? William Lustig's 1990 sequel to his 1988 "Maniac Cop" follows Robert Z'Dar's title character as he teams up with a serial killer (Leo Rossi) who has a liking for murdering strippers. This low-budget slasher film is good, sleazy fun for anyone who enjoys a violent B-movie.
IN or OUT: IN.
"Night of the Comet"
What's It About? This 1984 sci-fi comedy follows two typical Valley Girls (Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelli Maroney) who are the last humans left on earth after a comet wipes out civilization. "Night of the Comet" is a fun and campy end-of-the-world B-movie that any fan of the genre can appreciate.
IN or OUT: IN.
"Russian Ark"
What's It About? Aleksandr Sokurov broke boundaries with 2002's "Russian Ark," one of the technical marvels of cinema. The 96-minute film, shot in the Winter Palace of the Hermitage Museum in Russia, consisted of one uninterrupted take. The camera follows a 19th century French aristocrat as he travels through the palace and encounters historical figures from the past 200 years. Sokurov's film is a stunning voyage through time and an astounding masterpiece of filmmaking.
IN or OUT: IN.
from The Moviefone Blog http://news.moviefone.com/2013/11/20/new-dvd-blu-ray-the-worlds-end/
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment