Each week DVDs come out. Some of them are worth your time and money and some aren't. Some of them are movies I've seen, and some of them aren't. Regardless, I give you my opinion on the big releases of the week. If the releases sound like something you want to buy, just click the link to go to amazon.com and you'll support Cinema Blend with a few pennies. Take it or leave it, here's the DVD Blend.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
I had concerns about one of sci-fi’s best stories making the leap to the big screen, but the movie proved me wrong. It may not be 100% true to the book/radio show/television show/comic book, but fans probably would have been disappointed if it had been. Martin Freeman makes a perfect Arthur Dent, but not nearly as perfect as Sam Rockwell’s take on the two headed president of the galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox. Toss in Zooey Deschanel and Alan Rickman’s voice and the casting of the movie is pretty solid. The true perfection of the movie is that it manages to keep the oddball tone of Douglas Adams’s work. From brains run on lemons to the string manifestations of the Improbability Drive, this is a must have for any true-blooded Sci-fi fan.
Click to purchase The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Widescreen Edition)
Click to purchase The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Full Screen Edition)
Fever Pitch
Jimmie Fallon has a special place in the hearts of the Cinema Blend crew. We know that no matter what, if we’re in a lull with our writing, Fallon’s films guarantee zingers and one liner insults in our reviews. You’d expect pairing Fallon with Drew Barrymore and the Farrelly Brothers would guarantee a movie that could save a film critic from the deepest writers block. Instead, the movie is supposed to be surprisingly good. The DVD bonus material includes a “Break the Curse” featurette, explaining how the Farrelly Brothers had to think fast when the Red Socks actually won the 2004 World Series. Also available is a “Curse Reversed Edition”, featuring an extended ending.
Click to purchase Fever Pitch (Widescreen Edition)
Click to purchase Fever Pitch (Full Screen Edition)
Click to purchase Fever Pitch (Curse Reversed Edition)
Childstar
I love it when I find small movies most people don’t know about. It gives me a cause I can rally behind, making sure people see that film. Childstar is one of those movies. Written, directed, and starring Don McKellar (32 Short Films About Glenn Gould), Childstar is a tale about a child actor like you’d expect from the title, but the story is far from what we’ve seen before. If a unique story isn’t enough, the movie features appearances by just about every Canadian actor you can think of (sans Mike Myers). Although I doubt you’ll find Childstar in most stores, I recommend adding it to your queue list if you’re using an online service and checking it out.
| Other titles released this week that might be worth your time: | |||
| Row 1 - Cell 0 | Coal Miner’s Daughter - 25th Anniversary Edition - Sissy Spacek won an Oscar for her portrayal of Loretta Lynn, which is about all I can tell you about this movie. I’m not a fan of Spacek or Lynn, which means the movie doesn’t have much appeal for me. Oddly enough, Former President Bush (Sr.) is included in one of the featurettes, which I guess explains another difference between me and the Republican Party. | Row 1 - Cell 2 | Ben-Hur (Four-Disc Collector’s Edition) - Charleton Heston won an Oscar for his portrayal of Ben-Hur, which is about all I can tell you about this movie. Yes, I know it’s a classic, but just like I’m not big with the Republicans, I’m not big with the Christian epics either. As for this edition, I’m sorry, but if it doesn’t have hobbits in it, it doesn’t need four discs devoted to it. |
| Row 2 - Cell 0 | |||
| Row 3 - Cell 0 | Rock School - I would joke that I liked this movie the first time around, when Jack Black starred in it, except that’s not much of a joke. This documentary is actually about someone very similar to School of Rock, which might be frightening enough to scare anyone away from it. | Row 3 - Cell 2 | Palindromes - This film, which uses five different actresses to play the lead part, received mixed reviews, including an extremely negative review from our own Lexi Feinberg. Still, since I’m not big with Republicans or Christian epics, it only seems logical to mention a movie that tackles abortion and pedophilia, featuring Childstar’s Jennifer Jason Leigh. |
| Row 4 - Cell 0 |
| Other titles released this week that aren't worth your time: |
| Row 0 - Cell 0 |
