03/29/11 Recommended New Releases

You may have noticed that I did not provide a list of recommended new releases last week. The explanation for why is a simple one: there were none that captured my interest. It is rare, but it will happen from time to time. Anyways, on to this week:

Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky, 2010) - Since The Wrestler, one of the favorites of 2008 (featuring a performance by Mickey Rourke that deserved an Oscar far more than Sean Penn I have taken a more active interest in Aronofsky's prior work, and eagerly awaiting his next film. Natalie Portman stars as Nina, a ballet dancer who lands the leading role in a production of "Swan Lake." While she is immediately proficient as the White Swan, Nina struggles to become an effective Black Swan in the eyes of her director, Thomas (Vincent Cassel), while also competing with a fellow dancer, Lily (Mila Kunis). As the premier grows closer, Nina is increasingly consumed by the role of the Black Swan, which has adverse effects on herself as well as those close to her. With this backdrop, Aronofsky has delivered a powerful, mesmerizing psychological thriller.

Format: - Blu-ray - in addition to three exclusive featurettes, the Blu-ray version is BD Live-enabled and comes with a Digital Copy. For those interested, the Blu-ray version sold at Target stores includes a DVD copy of the film as well (for the same price, too).

Mesrine Part 2: Public Enemy #1 (Jean-François Richet, 2008) - Part two of a duology in which 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.

Format: - DVD - As with Part 1, the release is bare-bones; best to stick with the DVD here.

Tangled (Nathan Greno and Byran Howard, 2010) - Disney's (monumentally successful) take on the Grimm Fairy Tale, "Rapunzel." Features the voices of Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, and Donna Murphy, among others.

Format: - Blu-ray (2-disc) - The 2-disc version gives you the slew of exclusive features on the Blu-ray disc, as well as a DVD copy of the film. Or, if it interests you, you can nab the 4-disc Blu-ray for a few dollars more, which includes a 3D Blu-ray version and a Digital Copy of the film.

The Ten Commandments (Cecil B. DeMille, 1956) - the epic starring Charlton Heston as Moses has been released in a new restored edition on DVD and Blu-ray (thus making its Blu-ray debut).

Format: - Blu-ray (Limited Edition Gift Set) - limited to 100,000 units, the gift set includes the 2-disc Blu-ray, 2-disc DVD, an exclusive Blu-ray disc featuring the 1923 version of the film (also making its Blu-ray debut) as well as a new documentary on the making of the film, and a sixth disc that holds a DVD version of the 1923 version and other extras. To top it all off, the discs are packaged in replica tablets of the Ten Commandments. Along with the tablets, you'll find a 50-page book of facts and photos, a slew of reproductions of rarities from the Paramount and BYU vaults (costume designs, production notes, etc.). All of this is packaged in a "parting of the sea," box. Truly, this is among the most phenomenal treatments any film has received. Amazon has it on sale for $54.99.

Seriously: you cannot go wrong with this set.