Moviefone's Top DVD of the Week
"12 Years a Slave"
What's It About? Based on the memoir by Solomon Northup, "12 Years a Slave" stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as a free man who was kidnapped from his home in New York and sold into slavery. Northup ends up on a plantation run by the cruel Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender) and his equally awful wife (Sarah Paulson), who take special delight in tormenting another young slave named Patsey (Lupita Nyong'o).
Why We're IN: The movie took him Best Picture Sunday night -- see director Steve McQueen quite literally jump for joy here -- for good reason. Nyong'o took home the Best Supporting Actress award for her wrenching performance, and John Ridley won for his adapted screenplay.
Moviefone's Top Blu-ray of the Week
"Hairspray" (1988)
What's It About? This is the original "Hairspray," which stars Ricki Lake as the adorable Tracy Turnblad. Tracy won't let anything stop her from achieving her dream of appearing on a local dance show -- not her size, the jealous prissy star of the show, or the ugly racism of the '60s that she and her friends come up against.
Why We're IN: "Hairspray" is family-friendly fun from John Waters, with Divine as Tracy's mom, Debbie Harry, Sonny Bono, and Mink Stole. Let us never speak of the remake.
New on DVD & Blu-ray
"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" (Available Friday, March 7)
What's It About? Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) are forced back into the Arena against other Hunger Games winners as an attempt to quell a brewing rebellion.
IN or OUT: This sequel is actually better than the first movie in the series, thanks to director Francis Lawrence. In.
EXCLUSIVE: Get a Capitol Couture fashion lesson from the "Catching Fire" Blu-ray (VIDEO)
"Cold Comes the Night"
What's It About? This is some sort of convoluted crime thriller with Bryan Cranston as a blind criminal, Alice Eve as the hotel owner he's keeping hostage, and Logan Marshall-Green as a cop on the take.
IN or OUT: Out.
"The Grandmaster"
What's It About? Tony Leung stars as Wing Chun master Ip Man, the martial artist who taught Bruce Lee all his moves. Arthouse darling Wong Kar-Wai co-wrote and directed this stylish biopic.
IN or OUT: If you dig Hong Kong action and/or Wong Kar-Wai's cinematic vision, ch-ch-check it out.
"Hours"
What's It About? The late Paul Walker stars in this film about a father whose newborn daughter needs a ventilator to stay alive for the first 48 hours of her life. Meanwhile, Hurricane Katrina rages outside, and the hospital is evacuated and loses electricity, leaving them desperate and in the dark.
IN or OUT: This indie, which is Walker's final full-length film (he died before finishing "Fast & Furious 7"), has gotten strong reviews, with plenty of praise for Walker's performance.
"The Last Days on Mars"
What's It About? It's almost time for a space crew to head home when one of the astronauts discovers what might be evidence of life on Mars. Things go downhill from there.
IN or OUT: Just because it screened at Cannes and stars Liev Schreiber, Elias Koteas, and Romola Garai doesn't mean it's any good.
"Oldboy"
What's It About? Spike Lee's remake of the ultra-violent Park Chan-wook favorite stars Josh Brolin as a man who's held hostage in a hotel room for 20 years with no explanation. Elizabeth Olsen and Sharlto Copley co-star.
IN or OUT: You should do the right thing and maybe not see this fairly unnecessary remake.
"Wicked Blood"
What's It About? Abigail Breslin's ongoing attempt to shed her "Little Miss Sunshine" persona continues with this Southern-fried drama full of meth, violence, and forbidden love. And chess! Alexa Vega, Sean Bean, and James Purefoy also appear in this indie.
IN or OUT: Not so much with this one.
New on Blu-ray
"An American Tail"
What's It About? Fievel Mousekewitz is a little mouse emigrating from Russia with his family, but they get separated on their way to America. Fievel's got to navigate the ins and outs of New York City, which includes a French pigeon, feline gangsters, and mice from around the world, before he can reunite with the other Mousekewitzes.
IN or OUT: Aw, come on. You know you love this adorable tear-jerker!
"Harry and the Hendersons"
What's It About? John Lithgow is the patriarch of a family that sort of ends up adopting Bigfoot after they hit him with their car. They name him Harry! Hijinks ensue.
IN or OUT: This is a relic of the '80s, so you probably already know whether or not you want to spring for this on Blu-ray.
"Far and Away"
What's It About? Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman star as Irish immigrants who head to Oklahoma to find their fortune. Except they're robbed blind and end up in Boston and are kinda screwed. But in love! Ron Howard directed this romantic drama.
IN or OUT: There aren't a ton of extras on this Blu-ray, so unless you want to revel in the high-def vision of Cruise and Kidman's early love, you might wanna pass.
"Somewhere in Time"
What's It About? The late Christopher Reeve plays a modern-day dude who falls for a woman in a portrait. Naturally, he uses hypnosis to travel back in time to 1912 to hook up with her. Jane Seymour co-stars in this adaptation of the novel by Richard Matheson, who also wrote the screenplay.
IN or OUT: It's a sweet, slightly weird sci-fi film from the '80s. Why not?
"Intolerable Cruelty"
What's It About? George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones bring the sex appeal in this battle of the wits between a divorce attorney and the (soon-to-be-ex) wife of his latest client.
IN or OUT: Joel and Ethan Coen do screwball, on Blu-ray? Sign us up.
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