02/22/11 Recommended New Releases

Get Low (Aaron Schneider, 2009) - Starring Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Bill Murray, and Lucas Black, the film is the story of a Tennessee hermit (Duvall) who decides to throw a funeral party while he is still alive, inviting locals to come and tell their stories about him.

Format: DVD - there are a few special features, but nothing sets the Blu-ray version apart other than the fact that it is BD Live-enabled.

Mesrine Part 1: Killer Instinct (Jean-François Richet, 2008) - Vincent Cassel portrays Jacques Mesrine, a real-life, notorious French gangster whose career of bank heists, prison breaks, and kidnappings throughout the 60s and 70s spanned three continents. This is part one of a duology; the second part is slated for DVD/Blu-ray release on March 29th.

Format: DVD - the release is bare-bones, sporting only a theatrical trailer; the Blu-ray is no different, and from what I can tell, it appears to even contain the same quality audio track.

The Stieg Larsson Trilogy (Niels Arden Oplev [The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, 2009], and Daniel Alfredson [The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, 2009]) - though the film adaptations of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy have already been released individually on DVD and Blu-ray, a boxed set containing all three films - as well as a bonus disc of special features - was released today on both formats. The features, exclusive to this set, include:

-A 53 minute documentary detailing the phenomenon of the Millennium Trilogy and the personal history of author Stieg Larsson up until his tragic death before The Girl With the Dragon Tatttoo was published.
-A 20 Minute interview with Noomi Rapace (Lisbeth Salander).
-A 15 Minute Interview with Michael Nyqvist (Michael Blomkvist).
-A 9 Minute "Making of" the fight scene between Niederman and Paulo Roberto in The Girl Who Played with Fire.
-15 Minutes of Interviews with the Cast and Crew of The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest.
[Details of special features taken from the listing on Amazon.com].


Format: DVD - it is significantly cheaper to purchase the DVD set, and the content is the same as the Blu-ray release. Right now, the DVD boxed set is only $34.99 on Amazon.com, which is $12.00 cheaper than the Blu-ray version.

Eyes of the Mothman (Matthew J. Pellowski, 2007) - a feature-length documentary about the legend of the Mothman in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Though made in 2007, apparently the filmmaker had trouble finding distribution for the film until now. You can visit the official website for a more information, including a trailer, detailed history of the legend, and a synopsis of the documentary.

Format: DVD - only available on DVD.

Theatrical Review: Unknown (Jaume Collet-Serra, 2011)

When I first saw the trailer for Unknown, I was left with an unyielding anticipation for the film. Not only would it star Liam Neeson, an actor whose return to prominence these last few years I have enjoyed very much, but it would sport an outstanding supporting cast, and it had a premise with which I was ready and willing to be engaged. Naturally, I rushed to the theater to catch the midnight opening this past Thursday, and while the film was not quite what I expected nor wanted, I was far from disappointed.

The film begins simply enough: Dr. Martin Harris (Neeson) and his wife, Elizabeth (January Jones) arrive in Berlin, where Martin is to give a presentation at a biotechnology conference. The couple take a taxi to their hotel, where Martin learns he has left a briefcase at the airport, and thus he leaves Elizabeth to check in while he hails another taxi to take him to retrieve the luggage. On the way to the airport, however, a freak accident leaves Martin in a coma, from which he awakens four days later with no immediate recollection of the accident, and he can only recall fragments of the events leading up to it. His doctor (Karl Markovics, whom you may recognize from The Counterfeiters) fills him on what happened. Martin, remembering the hotel he was going to stay at, promptly leaves the hospital to find his wife, who he is sure must be worried about being alone in a city she does not know as well as the fact that her husband has been missing for four days.

After an initial scuffle with the hotel staff due to Martin's lack of any identification, he spots his wife amid a throng of people and makes his way over to her. However, she does not seem to recognize him at all. Even stranger is when she calls out to "Martin," and a man quickly comes to her side. He is her husband, Dr. Martin Harris (Aidan Quinn). Baffled, Martin is escorted away from the crowd, now faced with the challenge of somehow proving that he is the real Dr. Martin Harris and that the man with his wife is an impostor. He has the hotel security attempt to contact a friend and colleague in the United States (a man named Rodney Cole, played by Frank Langella), but there is no answer. He has them check his profile on the website of the University he teaches at; the photo is not of him, but of the impostor. Obviously, someone went through a lot of trouble to take his place - but how, and why?

Several occurrences thereafter escalate the tension and assure Martin that he is not crazy - namely the fact that he is being pursued by menacing individuals intent on killing him (discreetly). He tracks down the cab driver that saved his life, Gina (Diane Kruger), in hopes that she will help him, learning in the process that she is an illegal immigrant from Bosnia who is trying to lay low. She is hesitant to get involved, naturally, but once it becomes apparent that the assassins after Martin intend to silence her as well, she has little choice. He then enlists the help of an ex-East Berlin Secret Police officer named Jürgen (portrayed by legendary actor Bruno Ganz, notable for his starring roles as Damiel in Wings of Desire and Adolf Hitler in Downfall). Jürgen begins a bit of investigating while Martin and Gina continue to elude their assassins and attempt to reach Elizabeth, whom Martin is convinced must surely be acting against her will.

Throughout the remainder of the film, most of the mystery unravels, but whether or not the secrets revealed are satisfactory depends entirely on the mindset of the viewer. Does it all really make any sense by the time the credits role? Not really. The answers the viewer receives are often preposterous, but that does not stop the film from being engaging. There are two exciting car chases and a few scenes of action that are generally edited efficiently, though there are moments of cutting between rapid close-ups framed at canted angles that, while I can acknowledged their effect of inviting the viewer into the disorientation of the moment, I do not particularly care for. Still, Unknown is ripe with outstanding performances (particularly from Neeson, Kruger, and Ganz) as well as enough exciting moments to make it a worthwhile thriller, so long as one does not expect the mystery to be laden with explanations grounded in conventional logic.

B+

02/15/11 Recommended New Releases (and other news)

Just one title releasing today piqued my interest:

Glorious 39 (Stephen Poliakoff, 2009) - a thriller set in the U.K. during the early days of World War II in which Anne Keyes, a woman from a family with significant political power, comes across evidence of a Nazi conspiracy. As she investigates further, she gradually comes to realize that she cannot even trust those closest to her.

Format: DVD - Though Amazon has the Blu-ray version on sale for only two dollars more than the DVD currently, aside from the slight upgrade in picture/sound quality, there is no difference between the two formats.









However, there is also one other noteworthy title hitting shelves today:

Unstoppable (Tony Scott, 2010) - Denzel Washington and Chris Pine star in this action-thriller about a runaway train carrying toxic chemicals that is on a collision course with the town of Scranton, PA; loosely based on a true story.

Format: Blu-ray - this version includes a handful of exclusive features, as well as a digital copy of the film, making it the preferable format.












And on a final note, I received in my e-mail this morning an interesting piece of news: The Criterion Collection is on Hulu. Right now there are a little over 150 films from the collection available to HuluPlus members ($7.99/month membership) for streaming, with plans to make over 800 available in the months to come. You can read the story here, and view the current selection on Hulu.

02/08/11 Recommended New Releases

 Paranormal Activity 2 (Tod Williams, 2010) - the follow-up to what I would consider the best horror film of the new millennium, and one that I would consider superior to its predecessor.

Format: DVD - the only perks to shelling out the extra cash for the Blu-ray version, aside from the negligible difference in audio/visual quality, are the DVD and Digital Copy of the film that accompany it. The only special feature, running just shy of four minutes long, is a reel of deleted scenes. While this release, like the original film, is practically bare-bones, it is one I cannot recommend enough.

I Spit on Your Grave (Steven R. Monroe, 2010) - a remake of the cult classic 1978 exploitation film about a woman who seeks revenge on a group of men who beat and rape her and leave her for dead. I have yet to see this new take myself, but the trailers left me with the impression that it might be one of the rare remakes that is at least worth checking out.

Format: DVD - once again, the extras here are the same as you will find on the Blu-ray disc, minus a Digital Copy of the film.

(Also worth noting is that the original 1978 film was re-released today as well, on both DVD and - for the first time - on Blu-ray.

Wild Target (Jonathan Lynn, 2010) - a comedy starring Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, and Rupert Grint about an assassin named Victor (Nighy) who decides to spare Rose, a woman he has been hired to kill (Blunt). Joined by a would-be apprentice Tony (Grint), Victor attempts to protect Rose (and himself) from the wrath of his dissatisfied client.

Format: DVD - like the two above, the Blu-ray is void of exclusive features.










And that would be all for this week; not a whole lot in the way of worthwhile releases.

Exorcismus (Manuel Carballo, 2010) Review

Given my obsession as of late with cinema exploring the realm of demonic possession and exorcism, I thought it only appropriate to seize upon the opportunity to see this recent effort from Spain. I had seen the theatrical trailer sometime in January, and while browsing Time Warner Cable's "On Demand" service last week, I noticed that Exorcismus was available via "IFC In Theaters." While I rented the film primarily to satisfy my need for a fix of my latest addiction, I also had noticed that there was only one review of the film on RottenTomatoes. So, I thought, why not pen a review myself?

Fifteen-year-old Emma Evans (Sophie Vavasseur, in an outstanding performance) has locked herself inside her bathroom, and is sobbing for reasons unknown. Then, she decides to take a small portable mirror, break it, and cut her palm with one of the shards. Though the initial assumption might be that she is doing this as a result of her emotional state, the film frequently reverts back to this scene and the events leading up to it as it progresses, gradually disclosing information that points to a more grand revelation. Anyways, the next day Emma seems to be fine, her bandaged hand attributed to an "accident," so as not to concern her parents. She seems almost a stereotypically rebellious adolescent at first glance - she is frustrated with her parents because they will not let her attend a concert with her friends and because they will not let her attend public school (Emma and her younger brother, Mark, are home-schooled). After a routine argument, Emma storms off and then suddenly falls to the floor and begins seizing.

 
Emma is taken to the hospital and put through a battery of tests, all of which are negative; nobody seems to know what provoked her seizure. It becomes apparent rather quickly, though, that something is terribly wrong with Emma. She begins hallucinating and occasionally losing control of herself for brief periods of time - during which she is prone to acts of violence against her family. Then, during a session with a psychologist, Emma is placed under hypnosis, only to awaken to find the psychologist dead from a heart attack. Her parents are worried to tears, unsure what is wrong or what exactly to do; her brother refuses to go near her. Emma believes she is possessed, which prompts her to visit her uncle, Christopher (Stephen Billington), a Catholic priest who was recently suspended from his duties as a result of an exorcism that lead to the death of a teenage girl (how convenient, no?). It does not take much to convince him that she is indeed possessed, and an inexplicable event soon after is enough to convince her nonreligious parents as well.

Christopher agrees to perform an exorcism, and if that were not odd enough to raise an eyebrow considering his suspension, he does not notify the church and requests of Emma's parents that he be allowed to record his sessions, so that he maybe present them as evidence. As the days go by, though, Emma only becomes worse; the demon inside of her only grows stronger, which does not bode well for those closest to her. What occurs when the demon takes control is what one tends to expect from this sort of film: screaming obscenities at the priest, offering carnal knowledge of Emma, manipulating others through deception, eyes rolled back, deep evil voice, etc.

Exorcismus, however, is not without a few shining sparks of originality - details I cannot reveal without spoiling the film entirely. What I can say is that while most films dealing with the subject matter are explorations of faith, Exorcismus is ultimately more concerned with human nature than anything else, particularly the more fallible aspects. The viewer does not spend the majority of the film watching characters who wonder if perhaps Emma is not really possessed; it becomes apparent fairly quickly. This allows the viewer to concern his/her self with more pertinent questions surrounding the actions of the characters on screen and their motivations for them. There is a twist or two to be found late into the film, which lays most of the lingering oddity or mystery to rest while managing to be somewhat thought-provoking. Also, I should note that while Doug Bradley (who for many years played Pinhead in the Hellraiser films) was among those to receive top billing for the film, his appearance is but a very brief one at the end of the film.

B

02/01/11 Recommended New Releases

Today is a huge day for DVD/Blu-Ray releases, and I am here to provide my recommendations:

 Let Me In (Matt Reeves, 2010) - an impressive remake (from the director of Cloverfield) of the Swedish hit, Let the Right One In (which was based on a novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist). Chloe Moretz, in particular, gives an extraordinary performance as Abby, and Elias Koteas (in a supporting role as a policeman) is always a welcome presence on the screen.

Format: Blu-ray - this version includes an exclusive special feature titled "Dissecting Let Me In," as well as a Digital Copy of the film.

Monsters (Gareth Edwards, 2010) - a critically acclaimed flick from the UK. The film takes place six years after an alien invasion in a quarantined area of Mexico, where a U.S. journalist agrees to help an American tourist make it through the quarantined zone to reach the U.S. border.

Format: Blu-ray - Includes all of the special features of the 2-disc DVD edition (which is actually more expensive) and is BD-Live enabled. Like the 2-disc DVD, the Blu-ray also includes a Digital Copy of the film.

Secretariat (Randall Wallace, 2010) - based on the true story of the racehorse Secretariat, who won the Triple Crown in 1973.

Format: Blu-ray - Includes the DVD version of the film as well as a slew of special features exclusive to the Blu-ray version (take from the Amazon.com listing):
• Heart of a Champion
• Choreographing the Races
• A Director's Inspiration: A Conversation with The Real Penny Chenery
• Audio commentary by director Randall Wallace
• 7 Deleted Scenes with optional audio commentary by director Randall Wallace • Secretariat multi-angle simulation
• Music video - AJ Michalka "It's Who You Are" 

                                           

Hatchet II (Adam Green, 2010) - the sequel to the 2006 cult hit, picking up right the original film ended, with Marybeth (Danielle Harris) narrowly escaping the clutches of the vicious maniac Victor Crowley. While I was not too fond of the original film due to its emphasis more on self-reflexive humor than actual thrills, the sequel is supposedly more the latter this time around. Plus, Tony Todd is in it, which is all a film really needs to at least pique my interest.

Format: Blu-ray - includes two exclusive features: "Hatchet II: First Look," and "Meet the FX Team." The sale price of $14.99 this week, specifically at Best Buy and on Amazon.com, makes the Blu-ray only an extra dollar or two investment. 

Conviction (Tony Goldwyn, 2010) - based on a true story and starring Hilary Swank as Betty Anne Waters, a woman who puts herself through law school in order to represent her brother (Sam Rockwell), who has been wrongfully convicted of murder and can no longer appeal through public defenders.

Format: DVD - the release is bare-bones with only a single special feature to speak of ("A Conversation with Tony Goldwyn and Betty Anne Waters"), and the Blu-ray sports nothing extra. Furthermore, the DVD version is on sale for $13.99 at Best Buy this week, and comes with a coupon to save $5 instantly when purchased with Never Let Me Go.

Never Let Me Go (Mark Romanek, 2010) - an adaptation of the Kazuo Ishiguro novel from the director of One Hour Photo.

Format: DVD - there are not extra features for the Blu-ray release, and the DVD version is on sale for $13.99 at Best Buy this week. Also, as previously mentioned, one can save $5 when purchasing this film with Conviction.