April 27, 2010

It's a decent enough week for DVD...

...with some interesting options, though nothing that blew me away personally. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I went with a film that I enjoyed, but one that was enjoyed far more by our own Myles Hughes (and my girlfriend for that matter...and yes, they're separate people). It's:
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
I liked much more of this flick than I disliked, but I still didn't dig it as much as some (including the aforementioned two people) did. That being said, it's the best that Terry Gilliam has been in a while, and features a nice performance by Heath Ledger to close out his career. The tragic passing changed this movie, and we'll never know what it might have been, but what it is is pretty good. If you're a fan of the actor or filmmaker, this is a good addition to your collection, mildly flawed as it may be.
-The release of note this week is It's Complicated, which is essentially porn for middle aged women. It does have some very funny scenes and a great comedic performance by Alec Baldwin, but overall I found it lacking. If you didn't, go right ahead and pick this one up.
-Also out this week is the John Malkovich drama Disgrace, Liam Neeson's crime drama Five Minutes of Heaven, the action flick Distict B13: Ultimatum, and the very mediocre horror comedy Transylmania. If any of these appealed to you, grab them and enjoy!
-My Vintage pick is, in honor of Friday's release of A Nightmare on Elm Street, the original Freddy flick. It's also called A Nightmare on Elm Street, and it's bound to be better than the new one, so if you haven't seen it, see it now!
-What will you be watching on DVD this week?

14 comments:

  1. Not the best week for DVD, but not the worst, either...

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  2. Unless you're a big enough fan of The Descent, because the direct to DVD sequel hit today...sigh.

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  3. Already order Doctor Parnassus I'm with Myles and your girl LOVED it. Also loved It's Complicated but not one I would buy.

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  4. FYI: if I'm not mistaken, movies that go straight to video on demand (as well as theatrical) aren't eligible for Oscars... that being the case, remove Howl from your Oscars predictions. Oscilloscope Pictures is distributing it 9/24 in theaters and video on demand

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  5. What I disliked most about It's Complicated was that, contrary to its title, Jane's life was so devoid of any real complications - financial, kids, health, etc. - that her "complicated" relationship came off as a pathetic fantasy than an actual conflict.

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  6. wild things- I haven't heard anything about Howl going to VOD, but besides the fact, I don't see it quite being good enough for a nomination, so I don't have it in my predictions.

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  7. Robert- Agreed about It's Complicated, fully.

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  8. I know I'll probably get some shit for this, but I actually really enjoyed "It's Complicated". I don't think it was really trying to be a great film - which it wasn't - but that all it was attempting to do was entertain and be a nice little screwball-esque comedy with some really good (yet relaxed) performances.

    Also, I thought the title worked quite well, especially since I took it for the fact that, while her life wasn't all too complicated, it was her actions that made everything over-complicated.

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  9. Nah, it's not shit getting worthy...now, if you had enjoyed Remember Me, I'd mildly take you to task.

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  10. On the issue of VOD, if I'm not mistaken "In the Loop" was released concurrently last year and it received an oscar nomination....

    I must disagree with all of you and voice my complete and absolute dislike of Doctor Parnassus. I thought it was a complete waste of time.

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  11. You might be right there...I believe if it comes out on VOD after it's released in theaters, it's still eligible, but I'm not certain.

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  12. And believe me, I don't love the flick, it's just the best of what is out this week. That being, said, it's far from bad, if nowhere near as good as it could have been.

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  13. Joey, if I ever said that I enjoyed "Remember Me", I'd probably want the life support to be turned off by that point...

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  14. And that is why you are a smart man...

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