Today is Tuesday which means new movies are out to rent and own! So what's new this week? Let's take a look.

I have not seen this one, but I hear the book series it's based on is really good. The movie features a ton of cameos, which should be fun to spot, if nothing else. In the film, someone has stolen Zues' lightning bolt, and our hero, Percy Jackson, is the prime suspect. Why? Because unbeknowst to him, he's the son of Poseidon. It's an adventure tale in the vein of Harry Potter, and should at least be good for a rent. (Blu-ray Review to come)

One of my favorite movies of this year! HTTM is a hilarious, if raunchy, comedy whose title says it all. Four guys (John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, & Clark Duke) get drunk in a hot tub, that just happens to be a time machine, and end up back in 80s, at a crucial time in all of their lives. Can they make it back to the present? Can they make their lives better? Will Clark Duke be born at all? Find out in this hilarious comedy which also features Chevy Chase and Crispin Glover. Both the DVD and Blu-ray feature deleted scenes, but the Blu-ray also comes with extra special features including features focusing on Chevy Chase and Crispin Glover. Worth buying if you love the new R-rated comedies. (Blu-ray Review to come)

Predator: Ultimate Hunter Edition
In anticipation of the new film Predators, Fox is releasing the original Predator film on Blu-ray for the 2nd time. The new packaging features special features, something not on the original Blu-ray release, and a supposedly much better transfer of the film. So if you already own the original Blu-ray release, it might be worth double dipping, but it feels like a big screw you to anyone who shelled out the cash the first time around.

I was bored one night a few months back and decided to go see this movie, I assume because I'd already seen everything else showing on the 4 screens here in town. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Timothy Olyphant does an amazing job as a small town sheriff who has to deal with his entire town turning into crazy, violent killers. The movie is suspenseful and thrilling and is definitely worth a rent, although if you like horror it might even be a good purchase.

Labels: Blu-Ray, DVD releases, new releases

If you read a lot of 'Best of' lists every year like I do, one film you probably saw on many of the lists was Fantastic Mr. Fox. While I never saw this movie, I really wanted to. It's just one of those that fell through the cracks. But good news if you like me missed it, it's coming out on DVD & Blu-Ray on March 23.

Labels: Blu-Ray, DVD releases

Fanboys

This site and Fanboys have a long history (See Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, and the review Here.) and I for one can’t wait for work to end so I can run out to Best Buy and pick this one up.  I don’t know what the special features are on the disc (as I never got a copy for review) but I’m guessing since the Weinsteins are dropping this one on DVD only (Where’s the HD love???) that it won’t be much.  I really don’t know why a company would put as much money into a movie as they did Fanboys and treat it as horribly as they did.  The movie never got a proper wide release (I don’t think it ever played in more than 100 theaters at a time) and so I assume the DVD is pretty bare bones.

Which is sad, because I’d love to see a Blu-ray with both versions of the film (both Cancer and non-cancer) and some of the R rated stuff they filmed.  Overall I’m sure I’ll be pretty disappointed with the content on the DVD.  But at least I’ll have a really amazing movie, which is perfect for anyone as geeky as I am.

 

True Blood: Season 1

Another hit in last year’s popular vampire trend.  A really good show with an intriguing mystery (who’s killing all the vampire lovers?) set in a world where vampires have recently revealed they exist and are just trying to have the same rights as everyone else.  Season 2 starts on HBO in June, but you can catch up now that Season 1 is on DVD and Blu-Ray.

The latest Tom Cruise Mission:Impossible movie is not technically a Mission:Impossible movie, but instead a historical tale of the Nazi’s who tried to kill Hitler and ultimately failed.  A good action/thriller with lots of great actor’s playing German’s without those lousy German accents. Special Features Include 2 commentaries and 7 featurettes.

All you need to know is that it’s Terminator 2 in HD, right?  Ok here’s some more details on one of the best sci-fi/action movies of the past 25 years: The disc includes multiple THX-certified versions of the film in HD and these special features: Picture-in-picture of behind the scenes video, text commentaries and multimedia galleries, Storyboard-script mode – view storyboards and read the script while watching the film, Interactive quizzes and games, BD-Live enabled, featuring games, extra content and more for internet-connected players, Audio commentary with 26 cast and crew members, Audio commentary with director James Cameron and co-writer William Wisher, Enhanced for D-Box Motion Control Systems, Includes THX Optimizer

My Bloody Valentine 3D

3D Horror (sadly not the new Real 3D which is not yet available on TVs) brought to you in high-def.  You already know if you want this one.

Ok this movie is really quite hilarious.  It’s one of those stupid movies you think you’ll probably only watch once, maybe twice, but it’s so funny you end up buying it and watching over and over.  So do yourself a favor and pick it up.  It’s good for the whole family and quite clean.  Kevin James is fantastic and the entire supporting cast does a great job.

And here's a few recent releases I've missed in the last couple of weeks:

S. Darko

A sequel to Donnie Darko?  Was anyone really screaming for this film to be made?  Especially without the original films principal cast, or writer/director?  Apparently someone was, and now we can all own it on Blu-ray and DVD.  I’ll admit, I haven’t had a chance to watch this one yet, and I’m a little intrigued.  Mainly I’m intrigued at how bad the movie will likely turn out to be, but part of me is rooting for it to be good, although based on current reviews that doesn’t seem likely.

In the film, Samantha Darko now eighteen, and her rebellious best-friend Corey set out on a cross-country road-trip to follow their Hollywood dreams but are cut short when their water pump explodes outside a small town in Utah.  After an unexplained meteorite crash-lands in the town, Samantha begins to be plagued by bizarre dreams warning her of the universe’s imminent end.  Now, she must decipher between blurred fantasy and reality, face the demons she fled back home, and attempt to save both the world and herself from the ultimate destruction.  Featuring a filmmakers’ commentary, a making-of featurette, deleted scenes and more.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture Trilogy

With the new Star Trek picture in theaters it was a perfect time to release the older films on Blu-ray and this package is really all I may ever need of the old films.  The “Trilogy” refers to films II, III, & IV (also known as The Wrath of Kahn, The Search for Spock, and The Voyage Home) and although I never thought of it before, it really is a trilogy.  Each film picks up just after the last finished and really tells one complete story.  But maybe the best part is that this set features II & IV together, which are hands down the best in the series. So for anyone who wants some of the old films, but not all the crappy ones (Read odd numbered films) this might be a good buy for you.  Yes III isn’t one of the best, but most places have this priced at around $45 which is about the price of two movies on Blu-Ray so basically you get III for free!

One of the best parts of all this though is that Khan has been completely remastered and all 3 films are in beautiful HD.  So if you either can’t afford the box set with all of the original films, or you’re not a big enough Trekkie to warrant buying them all, this sets is for you.

Taken

When is a summer movie, not a summer movie? When it comes out in January, kills at the box office, and remakes Liam Neeson into an action star.  That movie is Taken, one of the best action movies to hit screens in a long, long time.  You can read my full review here. 

In the movie Neeson’s ex Special Agent goes after the men who kidnapped his daughter.  And when I saw you don’t want to mess with this guy’s daughter I mean it.  He leaves behind a bloody trail of destruction, stopping at nothing to get his daughter back.  I loved this movie, and now with the new extended cut you can enjoy it for a bit longer.

Also available single DVD or 2 disc DVD, the Blu-ray Special Features include:  Coomentary with the Director, Writer, and Cinematogpaphers, a Making of Featurette, Side by Side comparisons of several scenes, and more.

 

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

One of the greatest westerns of all time is now out on Blu-ray.  This sprawling epic stars Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach, respectively, as the title trio.  A movie full of double crosses, dirty dealings, confederate soldiers, and some amazing gun play.  If you haven’t seen the extended cut, you haven’t seen this movie.  And it looks amazing in HD!

Special Features include Commentary from Film Historian Richard Schickel, Commentary from Christopher Frayling, several featurettes including: Leones West, Leones Style, The Man Who Lost the Civil War, Reconstructing “TG, TB, & TU”, the two part Il Maestro, Deleted Scenes, and Easter Eggs.

Big

This is one of those classic 80s films.  If you don’t already know what Big is, than you’ve been living under a rock for the last 2 decades.  This new HD transfer features both the theatrical version and the extended cut.  And anytime you’re throwing more of Tom Hanks in funny mode my way I’m gonna be excited about that.

Special Features include: Commentary:  “Big Brainstorming” – A Audio Documentary by Gary Ross & Anne Spielberg, Deleted Scenes,, several featurettes including: Zoltar Easter Egg, “Big” Beginnings, Chemistry of a Classic, The Work of Play, Hollywood Backstory: Big, and Carnival Party Newswrap

 There's Something About Mary

This movie was hilarious when it first came out, with lots of gross-out, shocking humor.  But I've never thought it was as funny as that first viewing, mainly because if it doesn't catch you off guard it's just not as funny.  And so although it was a bit ahead of its time (just look at all the R rated comedies we have today) it just feels a bit flat these days.  

Special Features include an extended cut, deleted scenes, 3 commentaries, and several featurettes.

Fargo follows a man (William H. Macy) who hires two bumbling hitmen to kill his wife, and the pregnant police woman (Francis McDormand) whose on the case.  I will admit I watched this movie years ago, after it first one all those awards, and I hated it.  But since then I’ve fallen for the Coen Brothers and everyone tells me I need to give this one another try.  So I look forward to trying it out again. Special Features include Commentary by the DP, Roger A Deakins, an article from American Cinematogropher, and so called “Minnesota Nice” and “Trivia Nice”.

 

Posted via email from the_cinemaniac's posterous

Labels: Blu-Ray, new releases

 

Vicki Christina Barcelona

I’m not a big fan of Woody Allen.  I’ve seen a few of his movies and they always manage to disappoint.  So I wasn’t excited to see this one, even if it had won an Academy Award.  The story follows Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), two young Americans spending a summer in Spain.  (Hence the title)  The two meet a charming "Casanova," Juan Antonio Gonzalo (Javier Bardem) and agree to go to his home.  While there Gonzalo’s beautiful but volatile ex-wife Maria (Penelope Cruz) arrives. When they all become romantically entangled, the smoldering sparks begin to fly in hilarious fashion.  It’s a fairly interesting premise, but I’ll let you decide how you feel it pays off.

The disc is pretty bare in the special features department.

  

Australia

I really love Baz Luhrmann.  Romeo + Juliet was very different, but great in its own right and Moulin Rouge! is one of the most original, beautiful musicals of all time.  When I first heard he was making Australia with Rouge!’s Nicole Kidman and the wonderfully talented Hugh Jackman, I was excited.  I assumed it would be a musical and couldn’t wait to see what this trio cooked up.  Then I found out it was not actually a musical but a Drama/Love-Letter to the trio’s homeland, Australia.  When the movie came out there was a very mixed reaction, some loved it, some hated it.  I never ended up seeing it in theaters.  The movie is one of the most beautifully shot films to come out in a long time.

Set in Australia on the brink of World War II, Lady Sarah Ashley, an English Aristocrat (Kidman), travels to a cattle ranch she inherited from her late husband.  When Australian cattle barons plot to take her land, she reluctantly joins forces with a rough-hewn local known as The Drover (Jackman) to drive 2,000 head of cattle across hundreds of miles of the country’s most unforgiving land, only to still face the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese forces that had attacked Pearl Harbor.  When tragedy strikes and Lady Sarah becomes unofficial guardian to a “half-caste” boy, the unlikely couple must come to terms with a prejudiced society, dishonorable business associates and the impending arrival of the Japanese.

This is a long movie and so the home format works great for it as you can break it up into 2 parts, or just pause it to go to the restroom or get a bite to eat.  This movie won’t be for everyone, but if you like epic love stories, it’s likely that you will enjoy it.

The Special Features include a Featurette on Australia (the country, not the movie), 2 Delete Scenes, and A Set of Behind the Scenes looks at the filmmaking process

Let the Right One In

This was one of my favorite movies of 2008.  A beautifully dark vampire story that not only makes you care for the vampire, and this one’s not a peaceful lover ala Twilight’s Edward, but a cold blooded murderer, but also packs in the shocks and scares.  I was Super Excited when I received this Blu-Ray for review.  And while the features are good with a number of deleted scenes and features, I can’t recommend you buy this disc.

 Unfortunately Magnet Films/Magnolia Pictures who distribute the film have included a very different version of the English subtitles on this release.  The new version seems to be almost an afterthought and don’t stand up to the great Theatrical subtitles, mainly because the new subtitles leave a lot of the emotion and humor on the wayside and some of the dialogue goes without subtitles at all.

 Magnolia has said they will be releasing a version that has the theatrical subtitles, which will look identical to the current release except on the back next to English Subtitles it will say (Theatrical).  But they will not be recalling the old version or replacing it.  Just thought you should have a heads up.

  

My Name Is Bruce

This movie is not for everyone.  It’s made for B horror fans, specifically those that love Bruce Campbell.  It’s hilarious, cheesy, and amazing.  You know if you want it or not, so I’m not going to say anything else.

 

Role Models

I first saw this movie, well before it was a finished product and quickly fell in love.  I had been excited to see it since I first heard there was a new movie with Paul Rudd, because really that’s all I need.  But throw in Chrisopher “McLovin’” Mintz-Plasse, as a LARPer and I was sold.  But the movie was even better than I could have anticipated.  In fact it was one of the funniest movies of last year.

Yes, this is another of the ‘R’ rated comedies, so you likely already know if you’re even remotely interested in it.  But just in case here’s a bit of the plot.  Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott play immature adults who work for an energy drink, much like Red Bull, going to schools to promote it.  Neither of them are responsible in any way and they very quickly get into trouble and get community service working for ‘Sturdy Wings’ AKA Big Brother, Big Sister.  The pair are each teamed up with a kid who is somehow worse off than they are.  Rudd’s Danny gets paired up with Mintz-Plasse’s Augie, a nerdy Live Action Role Player, whose own parents rag on him.  Scott’s Wheeler get paired up with Bobb’e J. Thompson’s hilarious Ronnie, a loud-mouthed, boob obsessed kid who drives off each of his mentor’s after less than a day.  And of course these kids teach them something about themselves.  But really it’s hilarious and all the feel good moments are worth it to see the foresome show up for the ultimate role-playing battle that ends the movie.  Funny and brilliant.

  

Twilight

What more can be said about this movie.  It’s the opposite of Let the Right One In, with a love-story between a girl and her vampire.  It’s kind of cheesy, aimed at teen girls, and yet I really enjoyed it.  So have several other guys I’ve talked to, and all of our wife’s have loved it as well. 

So if you like romance, vampires, supernatural danger, or baseball then maybe you should look past the stigma it’s got from everyone and give it a chance.

  

Marley & Me

I’m not gonna lie, I haven’t gotten around to seeing this one yet.  I’m not a dog person, My wife is allergic and the last dog I had was sometime in middle school, and so I just wasn’t that interested.  I thought my wife would want to watch it, but she didn’t, so we haven’t watched it.

But if you’re a dog person, or a pet person apparently this movie is for you.  It’s based on a bestselling book, it’s got Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson and it centers on a man and his relationship with the most unruly, but loveable dog of all time.  The movie follows this family as it starts and then grows all the way up to…well I shouldn’t ruin the movie, just have some tissue close at hand.

The 3-Disc Edition includes a DVD copy, a Digital Copy, and these Special Features:  19 Deleted Scenes, 5 featurettes, a Gag Reel, and much more. 

  

Slumdog Millionaire

Still one of the 2 best films I saw last year (the other being The Dark Knight). It’s simply the most uplifting movie I’ve seen in years.  It’s the story of one man’s life and his love for the girl of his dreams.  Of course it’s all told through flashback as he reveals how each part of his life has given him the answers to each of the questions on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.  If you haven’t seen it, or purchased it yet, run out and do it now.  It’s the best movie on this list.

Special Features include: A Making of, 12 deleted scenes, From Script To Screen: Toilet Scene, Indian Short Film – Manjha, Bombay Liquid Dance Music Video and 2 commentary tracks.

 

Labels: Blu-Ray, New to BluRay

Labels: Blu-Ray, Donnie Darko, new releases

Today I was out and I got to reminiscing, almost 9 years ago (it was the first week of January 2000) I purchased my first DVD. I'd accumulated a pretty decent VHS collection for a teenager and did not as of yet own a DVD player. But about half of my friends on my dorm hall had DVD players and I knew I'd get one eventually. So while shopping at Target I picked up "Detroit Rock City" a movie I'd been wanting to see and made the decision to purchase it. (One of my friends had worked at Target and still had his discount card so I wasn't paying full price)

Now lets be honest no one wants to admit their first DVD purchase was "Detroit Rock City" you want it to be something awesome like "The Matrix" but alas it wasn't to be. It was one of the few times I've ever bought a movie without seeing it and it helped instill the notion that I probably shouldn't purchase a movie unless I'd seen it.

But that DVD started a habit I've yet to break and which leaves me with well over 200 movies and countless TV series on DVD. (OK I could count them, but I'm not going to) But why am I telling you all this?

Well to answer that we must go back to May of this year. At that time I purchased a HDTV as a graduation present to myself (Thanks President Bush!!). Since then I've been thinking about switching over to Blu-Ray. Several of my friends have it, and it looks amazing. Besides more and more I'm getting e-mails letting me know of movies coming out on Blu-Ray that I might be able to review if I had a Blu-Ray player.

A few months back I decided not to buy DVDs anymore. First off I'm unemployed and couldn't afford it, but occasionally I'd be tempted to pick something up even though I shouldn't. But I stopped myself because I didn't want to buy a movie on DVD if I was going to switch over to Blu-Ray in the near future. Last month my wife and I decided since I would be working soon but not until after Christmas, we would wait to get each other Christmas and Birthday gifts. But we decided that my wife would go to Las Vegas with her friends and I would get a Blu-Ray player.

All this to tell you I bought my first Blu-Ray disc today. And if you know what movies came out this week, you probably know what it was. The Dark Knight. I know some of you are saying how can you buy a Blu-Ray disc if A) you don't have any income and B) you don't have a Blu-Ray player?


A) I was given a free DVD as a gift and I returned it and traded it in for The Dark Knight on Blu-Ray for a total of $5.41; and
B)It comes with a free digital copy, which means I can still watch it by hooking the lappy up to the HDTV. I can wait to see the special features, and I'd rather wait to see it in a better quality. Also I couldn't resist that the Blu-Ray switches Aspect Ratios between the 1.78:1 IMAX Sequences and the 2.4:1 of the rest of the movie.

So as a new era begins in The CineManiac household, what do you think of Blu-Ray and The Dark Knight. Does the Aspect Ration matter to you, would you wait to see it so much better or just keep buying DVD until you got a new player? Apparently some are saying The Dark Knight might be the savior of the Blu-Ray format, it could be as it sold over 700k units on Tuesday alone.

Labels: Blu-Ray, The Dark Knight