Not a lot this week, as one would expect for the week following a major holiday.
South Park: The Complete Fourteenth Season (2010) - Pretty self explanatory, I would say. Season Fourteen hits shelves just in time for the season premiere tomorrow night.
Format: DVD - The two formats sport identical supplements, so I opted for the cheaper of the two since I have been collecting the series on DVD since the first season anyways. $29.99 seems to be the price most retailers are selling it for this week.
Jolene (Dan Ireland, 2008) - based on a short story by E.L. Doctorow, the film stars Jessica Chastain in the titular role of a teenage orphan who spends ten years traveling all over the country, during which she experiences life in all of its ups and downs.
Format:DVD - Once again, I opted for the cheaper format since the features are the same. Wal-mart.com has it for $12.96.
And, continuing off of the past two weeks, here is episode three of Mortal Kombat: Legacy:
Let me begin by saying that I do realize it has been some time since I have written any reviews (or anything besides a weekly post concerning new releases), but it has been difficult to find the time while working two jobs, working on an essay for an independent study, working on reviews for an internship, and dealing with allergies and being sick. I hope to have more time to devote here in the near future. Now: on to the new releases (there are quite a few today)!
Goemon (Kazuaki Kiriya, 2009) - from the director of Casshern comes the Robin Hood-like tale of a ninja, Goemon, who turns to thievery, robbing the nobility and giving to the poor. Then, upon learning of a conspiracy that exposes the king for the corrupt tyrant that he is, Goemon sets out on a mission to assassinate him.
Format: DVD or Blu-ray - While the two formats share the same supplements, I had pre-ordered Goemon on Blu-ray from Amazon for $17.49, which at the time was a few dollars cheaper than the DVD version. The DVD version has now been lowered to $15.49, so it boils down to a matter of preference.
Ip Man 2: Legend of the Grandmaster (Wilson Yip, 2010) - the sequel to the 2008 hit, Donnie Yen returns as the martial arts master Ip Man, who migrates to British-occupied Hong Kong in 1949 to open a martial arts academy and teach his Wing Chun style.
Format: 2-disc DVD - The content is the same for both formats, making the cheaper 2-disc DVD the preferable choice. It is available on Amazon for $15.99, or for $1.00 cheaper on Walmart.com. I will note that the Blu-ray is only $18.99 on both sites, so it could be seen as a matter of preference, too.
The King's Speech (Tom Hooper, 2010) - the winner of four Oscars (Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Actor, and Best Original Screenplay), as well as the recipient of eight other Oscar nominations. Based on actual events, the film stars Colin Firth as King George VI, who with the help of his wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) and a speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), struggles to overcome his troublesome stammer as he prepares to take the throne.
Format: DVD - Identical supplements for both formats, and the DVD is on sale for $14.99 or $15.99 at most retailers, while the Blu-ray is $19.99.
Rabbit Hole (John Cameron Mitchell, 2010) - Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart star in this tragic film about a couple coping with life after their son dies in an accident. Kidman received a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her performance.
Format: DVD - Once again, the DVD contains the same features and is the cheaper way to go. Amazon and Wal-mart.com both have it for $14.99.
Somewhere (Sofia Coppola, 2010) - from the Amazon.com description: "Actor Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff) is leading the fast-paced lifestyle of a tabloid celebrity. He’s comfortably numb with his life of women and pills when his 11-year-old daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning) unexpectedly arrives at his room at Hollywood’s legendary Chateau Marmont hotel. Their time together encourages Johnny to re-question his life in ways he never expected.
Format: DVD - The release is practically bare-bones for both formats, and the DVD is the cheaper version, selling for $18.99 at both Amazon and Wal-mart.com.
The Way Back (Peter Weir, 2010) - Based on a true story, starring Ed Harris, Jim Sturges, Saoirse Ronan, and Colin Farrell. Set in 1940, the plot concerns a group of seven prisoners who escape from a Siberian gulag and must then survive a 4,000-mile walk to freedom in India.
Format: DVD or Blu-ray - Another almost bare-bones release for both formats, the DVD can had for $14.99 on Amazon; the Blu-ray is $1.00 more. Also note that his film is street-dated for Friday, 4/22, though I have seen copies on shelves already at both MovieStop and Best Buy.
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air: The Complete Sixth Season - it took several years to settle a dispute over certain rights regarding the series, but the fifth season was finally released back in May of 2010, a little over four years after the release of season four. Now, almost a year later, the sixth and final season of the popular sitcom starring Will Smith is out.
Format: DVD - Only available on DVD. Amazon has it for $21.99, and Wal-mart.com is $1.00 cheaper.
Finally, the second episode of Mortal Kombat: Legacy is out:
A good number of new releases this week, but unfortunately they are films you fill have trouble locating at your average retailer. Some may allow you to place a special order, but you are most likely going to be better off ordering from either Amazon.com, Walmart.com, or DeepDiscount.com this week.
Farewell (Christian Carion, 2009) - starring Guillaume Canet, Emir Kusturica, Fred Ward, Willem Dafoe and Diane Kruger, the film is based on a true story set during the Cold War in which a French intelligence service alerts the U.S. about a Soviet spy operation. The intelligence is provided by a KGB analyst who seeks to force change within the Soviet Union, his actions setting off a chain of unfortunate events.
Format: DVD - I have not been able to track down a listing of the supplements, if any exist, but I assume the DVD version is identical to the Blu-ray in that regard. DeepDiscount has the best deal by far - $12.04 with $0.99 shipping (free shipping on orders over $15.00); the next best is Wal-Mart.com, but they are currently sold out. (NOTE: the artwork on DeepDiscount represents that of the actual DVD, as opposed to the image on the left).
Heartless (Philip Ridley, 2009) - distributed by IFC midnight, this psychological horror film stars Jim Sturges as Jamie Morgan, a young photographer with a heart-shaped birthmark on his face. After certain events bring Jamie to the brink of suicide, he makes a deal with an individual named Papa B to help instill chaos in London; in return, Papa B will remove Jamie's birthmark.
Format: DVD - From what I understand, the film has been released only in the DVD format. Wal-mart.com has the best deal at $16.96 with free site-to-store shipping; Amazon is $17.99.
Marwencol (Jeff Malmber, 2010) - a documentary about the peculiar but incessantly interesting Mark Hogancamp, a man who seeks therapeutic recovery in a 1/6 scale, WWII-era model town he created after a brutal attack that left him brain-damaged.
Format: DVD - Though this film is the first title to be released as part of Cinema Guild's new Blu-ray line, the supplements are identical on the DVD version. Amazon appears to be one of the better deals for the film, though the price is still a bit steep at $23.99.
The Secret of the Urn (Hideo Gosha, 1966) - a samurai, Samanosuke (Kinnosuke Nakamura) is attacked and left for dead while on a mission for his clan. Though he loses an eye and an arm, he recovers and, under a new identity, seeks justice.
Format: DVD - Only available on DVD. Wal-mart.com has it for $12.86 with free site-to-store shipping; Amazon has it for $15.49.
A Summer in Genoa (Michael Winterbottom, 2008) - After his wife dies in a car accident, Joe (Colin Firth) moves to Genoa, Italy with his two daughters in an effort to begin anew. While Joe balances being a single father, teaching English literature at a university, and exploring new romantic interests, his elder daughter begins dating a local boy behind his back and the younger daughter is haunted by her mother's death.
Format: DVD - Only available on DVD. Wal-mart.com has it for $10.96 with free site-to-store shipping; Amazon has it for $10.99.
Format: DVD - This is more of a personal preference than anything else (ie. desire to stick to a single format and not wanting to upgrade my substantial Criterion Collection to Blu-ray), but both formats have received the same masterful treatment one has come to expect from the folks at Criterion. Walmart.com has it for $17.96 with free site-to-store shipping; Amazon has it for $18.99.
It is worth noting, I suppose, that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 will be released this Friday, but I intend on waiting for the inevitable boxed set of the complete series that will undoubtedly accompany the final installment when it is released on DVD/Blu-ray. Therefore, I did not include it in this update.
It's quality over quantity today with the release of the original classic, Tron, on Blu-ray and the release of the recent sequel, Tron: Legacy.
Tron: The Original Classic (Steven Lisberger, 1982) - Disney created quite the stir as the theatrical release of Tron: Legacy drew near, for those who had not seen the original film were now curious, and those who had were in need of refreshing, but the film was almost completely unavailable. The DVD was out of print, Netflix was not offering the film for streaming, and other would-be sources such as iTunes and Amazon did not have the film available for rent digitally. Basically, unless you already owned the film, happened by a local rental store that had a copy, could luckily secure a used copy somewhere, or resorted to pirating, you were out of luck. Many (such as myself and a group of friends) wound up watching the film (divided into multiple parts and lacking in quality) on YouTube. The reason the film was unavailable, however, was quite obvious: Disney was prepping the classic for a Blu-ray release. Personally, I thought releasing the film prior to the theatrical release would have been a smarter move, but alas Disney opted to hold out until the sequel hit store shelves as well.
The film is about a hacker and arcade owner named Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) who is warped into the digital world while attempting to hack the mainframe of a company called ENCOM in order to prove that a senior executive, Ed Dillenger (David Warner), stole code that Flynn created and claimed he wrote it. Within the digital world, Flynn gets caught up in a struggle to destroy the Master Control Program responsible for bringing him there and enslaving the programs that inhabit it.
Format: Blu-ray (2-disc) - The 2-disc Blu-ray is the most sensible choice; it contains a copy of the DVD version, and the Blu-ray contains all the features of the DVD release plus an exclusive featurette.
Tron: Legacy (Joseph Kosinski, 2010) - In the sequel, Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) - the son of Kevin Flynn - winds up in the digital world while investigating a lead on the whereabouts of his father, who has been missing for years. Once there, he is reunited with his father (once again played by Jeff Bridges) and must help him, along with Quorra (Olivia Wilde), save the digital realm from Clu (Jeff Bridges, in a dual role) - a digital copy of Flynn gone rogue. The film received a single Oscar nomination for Best Sound Editing, creating a bit of angst among fans (myself included) who thought it should have received nominations for Best Visual Effects and Best Original Score. Personally, I also thought Michael Sheen's quirky, entertaining performance as Zuse was deserving of a nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Format: Blu-ray (2D 2-disc) - In addition to a copy of the DVD version, the Blu-ray is loaded with exclusive features. Unless you have a 3D TV, there is no point in forking out the extra dollars for the 4-disc Blu-ray, as the only bonus you get besides the 3D version of the film is a Digital Copy.
This week, you will find the 2-disc Blu-rays for the original film and the sequel on sale for $19.99 at most retailers. To make it more enticing, Target is offering an additional savings of $8.00 when the two films are purchased together, while Best Buy is offering a likewise savings of $5.00. Furthermore, Disney has a rewards coupon that allows you to save another $5.00. Though the coupon states that it is for the 4-disc Tron Legacy Blu-ray or the 5-disc combo of the two films, you should have no problem using it on other versions. Also, even though the weekly ad for Target explicitly states that the $8.00 savings cannot be combined with the Disney coupon, you will likely find success anyways, as the latter is a manufacturer's coupon, meaning that the store will be reimbursed its value.
In sum, it is possible to obtain both 2-disc Blu-rays for approximately $31.00-$34.00, which is much cheaper than the 5-disc set (includes the 4-disc of Tron: Legacy and the Blu-ray disc of Tron: The Original Classic). There is also a collector's edition of the 5-disc set packaged in a replica identity disc, but unless the identity disc is worth an extra $30.00 to you, you are better off skipping it.
