After last week’s mild offerings, this week sees a good number of new titles filling in shelves. Here’s what’s on tap:
Nymphomaniac: Parts 1 & 2 -
Director Lars Von Trier’s “controversial” new two-part movie (available as one DVD or Blu-ray, so you don’t have to purchase separate discs) is actually anything but. Despite a cast that includes Stellan Skarsgard, Shia Leboeuf, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Connie Nielsen, Uma Thurman, Christian Slater, Stacey Martin, Jamie Bell, and Willem Dafoe, the film is basically a really boring porn fim. Yes, there are punctuating moments of extremely graphic sex, but in between, it’s mostly people ruminating on comparing sex to fishing and trees to souls. Really? There are some good performances, and the films aren’t bad per se, but four hours? This could easily have been one film. Or, hell, you could have saved yourself a ton of money on famous actors and just made a good, old-fashioned porn film. Because that’s what Nymphomaniac really wants to be: an art house porno.
Bad Words -
Jason Bateman’s directorial debut won me over way more than I was expecting. I’ve sort of turned against Bateman in the past few years, because he always plays the same character: the uptight nice guy who’s cuckolded by his wife or girlfriend. Here, he’s finally decided to do something different, playing a guy who’s kind of a son of a bitch at heart. And it’s FANTSASTIC. Bateman plays an acerbic underachiever who uses a loophole in the rules to enter a kids’ spelling bee so he can take a run at the nationals. But his motivation, which is kept a mystery for much of the film, is what drives him, and it pays off well. When most of the film hinges on why a character is doing something, a weak reveal can kill it, but that doesn’t happen here. Bonus points for young Rohan Chand as Bateman’s main competitor, who lights up the screen with his youthful innocence and exuberance.
The Raid 2 -
The sequel to the smash cult hit action extravaganza The Raid, The Raid 2 does just about everything wrong. I can’t even describe how disappointed I was in this film. Where to begin? First of all, the plot is way too complicated. Now, I hate to say that, because I have no problem with good plots in action movies, but this one actually gets hard to follow at times, and with a two-and-a-half hour running time, the labyrinthine story really just stretches out the spaces between the action scenes to an interminable length. Second of all, the main character from the first film, Rama, basically takes a back seat in this movie and he’s absent for long stretches of the film, which is a huge mistake. But the action scenes are what made the first film so great, so what about the ones here? Well, they’re pretty good overall, but they’re also nastily brutal, to a level way beyond the first one. There’s such an increase in the level of blood, gore, and brutality this go-around that I found myself cringing more than once. Like I said, a huge disappointment.
Lake Placid -
On the flip side of things, I could not have enjoyed revisiting Lake Placid any more. Ostensibly a giant alligator movie, this movie was written by The Practice & Ally McBeal creator David E. Kelley, and his wit is rampant throughout the film. Basically a horror/comedy film, Lake Placid will keep you laughing throughout, all while serving up some solid giant reptile thrills. Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda, Brendan Gleeson and Oliver Platt are clearly having a ball, and Betty White started much of her career revival here as a foul-mouthed old lady. If you’ve never seen Lake Placid, this great new Blu-ray from Shout Factory’s awesome Scream Factory imprint is definitely worth owning.
Jodorowsky’s Dune -
This highly acclaimed documentary tells the tale of how surrealist filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky set out to make the original movie adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune, only to be undone by studio skepticism about the grandeur of the project he wanted to bring to life. The film details how he brought together some of the biggest names in sci-fi and the influence that would have on future movies like Alien, Blade Runner, etc. And Jodorowsky himself is quite amusing, coming across like a mix of genius and madman. But I didn’t love the film as much as most critics seem to. I think I would have preferred less talking and more showing; we’re constantly given glimpses of a master book of storyboards the size of a microwave oven, but we see precious little of it overall.
Bad Grandpa .5 -
Because apparently the world needed more Bad Grandpa, we now have Bad Grandpa .5, which is effectively a behind-the-scenes documentary mixed with deleted scenes and outtakes. It’s a mildly amusing film, about as amusing as the original movie, but there are some fun moments with Catherine Keener getting made up as Ellie, Johnny Knoxville’s female counterpart. Still, ultimately this one is only for the diehard fans of the Jackass crew and the Bad Grandpa film.
Stage Fright -
The cover describes Stage Fright as a cross between Glee and Sleepaway Camp, and honestly, I can’t come up with a better description than that. Yes, this is a horror film musical, and it seems loaded with potential at first. Minnie Driver stars in a pre-credits scene that sets the stage, and there’s an early musical number at the summer camp for drama kids that’s wickedly funny, but it goes downhill from there. The masked killer talks in this screechy heavy metal voice that’s incredibly annoying, and some of the kills are unnecessarily gruesome. I think the biggest problem is that most musical fans have little interest in horror, and most horror fans have little interest in musicals. I will say that the ending is pretty good, though, so you have a good beginning and a good ending, just a really weak middle. Too bad.
Also available this week on Blu-ray and DVD:
Capitalizing on the current World Cup Fever, the terrific documentary The Class of 92 looks back on the season that introduced the world to David Beckham and five other superstar footballers. A great documentary that will thrill fans of UK soccer.
Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi star in the British comedy Vicious: Season One, playing a gay couple who have been together for 50 years and bicker like, well, like an old married couple. Funny, sharp, and biting, watching McKellen play a shallower version of himself is terrific, and he and Jacobi are fantastic together.
Keith Carradine, Powers Boothe, and Peter Coyote star in Southern Comfort, a cult classic action/horror film from the director of The Warriors and 48 Hours. This film has a fan following for a reason.
In case you’ve been missing Chuck Norris’s hit TV character, Walker Texas Ranger: One Riot, One Ranger presents the two-hour premiere episode as a standalone movie, on a DVD currently exclusively available at Wal-Mart.
Zalman King’s Pleasure or Pain was the last movie the auteur made before his death. Much like his signature television show, Red Shoe Diaries, this is an erotic fiction tale that’s equal parts romance and soft core cheese.
Not the typical stoner comedy the title suggests, Kid Cannabis is instead a based-on-a-true-story of the unlikely teenager who ended up becoming a marijuana kingpin, and the whirlwind his life becomes when he gets caught up in that world.
Jim Broadbent and Lindsay Duncan star in the critically acclaimed Le Week-End, a moving drama about a long-married couple trying to recapture their fading romance in Paris. Great performances and some solid drama will sell this one to the right crowd.
In this spin-off of the hit Hot in Cleveland, Cedric the Entertainer plays a Las Vegas singer who returns to his hometown to become a preacher. Sure, why not? The Soul Man: Season 1 also stars Niecy Nash (Reno 911) and has some laughs to be found, even if it’s not a slam dunk.
If you’re looking for an action film starring the world’s most charisma-free man, then Dead Drop has exactly what you’re looking for, as Luke Goss stars in the lead role. Luckily, the somewhat more charismatic Cole Hauser is also along for the ride, adding a little personality to a by-the-numbers action film.
The Inspector Morse prequel series continues with Endeavour: Series 2, a period mystery piece. With four feature-length movies, this Masterpiece Mystery series delivers the sleuthing goods.
You don’t see a lot of Asian vampire films with high production values, but Rigor Mortis isn’t content to stop there. No, this moody horror film adds in zombies and ghosts as well. With good production values, this one plays out almost like an art-house horror flick.
Did you now that the hit series Homeland was actually based on a hit Israeli TV series? Well, it is, and that series is now on DVD. Prisoners of War: Season One follows the story of two Israeli soldiers who are returned home after being prisoners of war, and the psychological mystery that follows. The Hebrew language will dissuade some viewers, but it shouldn’t, as this is top-notch drama.
Nickelodeon has four new DVDs out this week: Heroes in Action & Robot Invasion, and Rugrats: Reptar Returns & Rugrats: Outdoor Shenanigans. Heroes in Action and Robot Invasion offer up a sampling of themed episodes from Nick’s current hit series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Spongebob Squarepants, and Sanjay and Craig. Meanwhile, the two Rugrats discs offer up a little over an hour’s worth of episodes on each, which will be a welcome return to DVD for fans of the beloved show.
“A friend helps you move. A good friend helps you move a body.” That’s the tagline for Favor, an intriguing horror thriller with a distinct indie feel. For a film that got very little attention, it’s actually surprisingly well-done.
Barbra Stanwyck, Lee Majors, and Linda Evans return to the small screen in The Big Valley: Season 3, which collects all 26 episodes of the hit western series. After a long wait, Shout Factory picks up the reins from Fox to bring this well-loved show to fans who have been eagerly awaiting its release.
From the makers of Planet Earth, BBC’s Hidden Kingdoms focuses on all animals small and, well… small. We get an up close and personal look at reptiles and rodents and other animals that have to survive despite being much smaller than the predators and terrain they go up against daily.
Last year’s Planes knock-off video Wings was apparently popular enough to warrant a knock-off sequel with Wings: Sky Force Heroes. Josh Duhamel, Hilary Duff, and Rob Schneider return to provide voices, although I can’t figure out why.
A cast of unknowns leads Ragamuffin, the story of a Christian music star who left his successful music career to live on an Indian reservation. Pure drama and with lots of faith-based messaging, this will be one for the conservative crowd it’s aiming for.
The Gathering Swarms is a new documentary that looks at the phenomenon of swarming animals, such as bats and butterflies. With some stunning footage, this doc seeks to understand the unusual process of swarming.
Not quite the political documentary it sounds like, American Pharaoh traces the journey of Bob Bradley, the American soccer coach heading up the Egyptian team during that country’s revolution, as they seek World Cup glory.
Kellie Martin stars in Dear Viola, a cliche-ridden but not without its charms romantic movie that combines plot elements from You’ve Got Mail, Roxanne, and a dozen other romantic dramedies.
I’m always hoping for someone to make a really good horror film about Bigfoot, but Hunting the Legend isn’t it. Instead, it’s yet another found footage tim, and lie most entries in this genre, it’s just not that great.
PBS offers up two new science/history shows with Time Scanners: Petra and Time Scanners: St. Paul’s Cathedral. These two programs explore the archaeological wonders of the past using cutting edge laser technology to take us into their worlds like never before.
Watermark is not just an environmental documentary; instead, it’s more like a spiritual look at water and our relationship with it. Like most documentaries, it can be a bit hit or miss at times, but it is fairly interesting, and not as dry as many more scientific movies can be.
I know absolutely nothing about reggae music, but I do know that Dennis Brown Live is out on DVD this week. And Im sure that means something to somebody.