As usual, the holiday week has proven to be lacking in the way of new releases. Only two caught my eye this week, but rest assured that the rest of the month is ripe with quality films making their way to DVD and Blu-ray, with over a dozen noteworthy titles coming over the course of the next four weeks. Furthermore, Next Monday is also the beginning of the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3), where the latest in gaming will be unveiled. Anyways, on to the new releases:
Biutiful (Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2010) - Receiving Oscar nominations for Best Foreign Film and Best Actor (for Javier Bardem), many have declared this to be renowned director Iñárritu's best film to date. Bardem stars as Uxbal, "a man on the wrong side of the law who struggles to provide for his children on the dangerous streets of Barcelona. As fate encircles him, Uxbal learns to accept the realities of life, whether bright, bad - or biutiful..." (quote taken from the DVD packaging).
Format: DVD - The supplements are the same for both formats, and the DVD is five bucks cheaper - $17.99 - at Amazon. Stores carrying the title should have it on sale for roughly the same price (such as Best Buy and MovieStop).
Prey (Antoine Blossier, 2010) - From IFC Midnight comes this French thriller. "One night, several deer inexplicably hurl themselves against the electric fence of a farm. Discovering deep bites on the animals bodies, the farmer and visiting family members (who have gathered for a tense reunion) penetrate deep into the surrounding forest. They carry guns, expecting to encounter wild predators, but what they are bewildered to find is an environment ravaged by a mysterious evil force. And as the sun slowly sinks away, howling resounds through the forest. The hunters have become prey! This modern-day horror film blends elements of The Descent, Jaws and Deliverance into an original picture of human nature scarier than the darkest woods," (taken from the Amazon.com synopsis).
Format: DVD - Only available on DVD. Amazon has it for $17.99.
Finally, here is the penultimate episode of Mortal Kombat: Legacy:
Not much today, but thankfully Criterion has us covered:
The Great Dictator (Charles Chaplin, 1940) - Synopsis from the Criterion webpage for the release: "In his controverisal masterpiece The Great Dictator, Charlie Chaplin offers both a cutting caricature of Adolf Hitler and a sly tweaking of his own comic persona. Chaplin, in his first pure talkie, brings his sublime physicality to two roles: the cruel yet clownish “Tomainian” dictator and the kindly Jewish barber who is mistaken for him. Featuring Jack Oakie and Paulette Goddard in stellar supporting turns, The Great Dictator, boldly going after the fascist leader before the U.S.’s official entry into World War II, is an audacious amalgam of politics and slapstick that culminates in Chaplin’s famously impassioned speech."
Format:DVD - Like many others, my Criterion collection began on DVD, and for the time being I see no reason to upgrade. For this release, the only noteworthy distinction between formats is that the Blu-ray sports an uncompressed monaural soundtrack. The DVD is $20.99 at Amazon.
Solaris (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1972)* - Originally released by Criterion in 2002, the film has been re-released to correct an issue with the black-and-white scenes in the film, which were supposed to be tinted blue. Synopsis from the Criterion webpage for this release: "Ground control has been receiving mysterious transmissions from the three remaining residents of the Solaris space station. When cosmonaut and psychologist Kris Kelvin is dispatched to investigate, he experiences the same strange phenomena that afflict the Solaris crew, sending him on a voyage into the darkest recesses of his consciousness. With Solaris, the legendary Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky created a brilliantly original science-fiction epic that challenges our conceptions about love, truth, and humanity itself."
* - Not to be confused with the 2002 Steven Soderbergh remake starring George Clooney.
Format: DVD - As with The Great Dictator, the only noteworthy difference between formats is the uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray. The DVD is $21.99 on Amazon.
Finally, here is episode seven of Mortal Kombat: Legacy:
The Rite (Mikael Håfström, 2011) - The recent thriller about an American seminary student struggling with his faith who goes to Italy to take a course on exorcism. You can read my review of the film here.
Format: Blu-ray Combo Pack - Apparently the standard Blu-ray release only includes the deleted scenes found on the DVD edition, but the combo back (which includes the DVD version of the film and a Digital Copy) also contains an alternate ending and a featurette, The Rite: Soldier of God, about the real priest who inspired the film, Father Gary Thomas. The combo pack is going for $22.99 at most places this week.
The Other Woman (Don Roos, 2009) - Natalie Portman stars in this adaptation of the Ayelet Waldman novel, Love and Other Impossible Pursuits as Emilia, a Harvard law graduate who falls for her married boss, Jack. He leaves his wife and the two start a new life together, but tragedy strikes when they lose their newborn daughter. Coping with her grief, Emilia tries to connect with her new stepson while also dealing with Jack's ex-wife.
Format: DVD - The only extra for both formats is a theatrical trailer. The DVD is available for $10.99 on Amazon.
Red White & Blue (Simon Rumley, 2010) - Erica is emotionless, drifting from one Austin bar to another in pursuit of nothing more than sex. Things change, however, when she meets Nate, an Iraqi war veteran who is more interested in having a friend than a sex partner. The strong friendship they develop is threatened after Emily has a drunken encounter with a man from her seedy lifestyle, Franki.
Format: DVD - Only available on DVD. Available for $17.99 at Amazon.
Daydream Nation (Michael Goldbach, 2010) - described by Variety as "Juno...reimagined by David Lynch," the film stars Kat Dennings as Julia, a girl who, after moving from the city to a small town, becomes wrapped up in a love triangle with a teacher (Josh Lucas) and a fellow classmate (Reece Thompson).
Format: DVD - Same supplements for both formats, and the DVD is only $15.99 at Amazon.
Finally, here is episode six of Mortal Kombat: Legacy:
I Saw the Devil (Kim Jee-woon, 2010) - I have been eagerly awaiting this much-hyped release, which stars Lee Byung-hun as an elite special agent who seeks revenge after a serial killer (Choi Min-sik, of Oldboy fame) claims the agent's pregnant fiancee as his latest victim.
Format: DVD - The two formats sport identical supplements (deleted scenes and a behind-the-scenes featurrette), so I opted for the cheaper of the two. Amazon has it for $15.99. Wal-mart.com is a dollar cheaper.
Blue Valentine (Derek Cianfrance, 2010) - Crosscutting between past and present moments, the film is centered around Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams), a young married couple who take one night away from their daughter to try and salvage their waning relationship. Williams received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
Format: DVD - Once again, the two formats have the same extras. Wal-mart.com appears to have the best deal on the DVD at $14.96.
Black Death (Christopher Smith, 2010) - Set in 1348 during the outbreak of the first bubonic plague in England, a knight, Ulric (Sean Bean), leads a small band of soldiers and a monk (Eddie Redmayne) on an assignment to investigate rumors of a hidden village that is immune to the plague and led by a necromancer who can bring people back from the dead.
Format: DVD - Nothing exclusive to Blu-ray, and the DVD can be had for only $10.96 at Wal-mart.com.
The Illusionist (Sylvain Chomet, 2010) - An animated film about a struggling French magician who relocates to Scotland. There, he meets a young girl with whom he sets off on a adventure of discovery that will change both of their lives. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.
Format: Blu-ray/DVD Combo - For whatever reason, Sony Pictures Classics decided to only release a Blu-ray/DVD combo package instead of issuing a separate release for each format. Amazon and Wal-mart.com have it for $24.99 and $24.96, respectively.
Cropsey (Barbara Brancaccio & Joshua Zeman, 2009) - a documentary in which two filmmakers investigate the mystery surrounding five missing children and Andre Rand - a convicted child kidnapper of Staten Island, New York.
Format: DVD - Only available on DVD. Wal-mart.com has it for $12.96 and Amazon has it for $13.49.
And in continuation of the past few weeks, here is the fifth episode of Mortal Kombat: Legacy:
Megan is Missing (Michael Goi, 2011) - I am a bit curious as to whether whoever designed the cover art could have ripped off of Paranormal Activity just a little bit more. With that said, the trailer for this pseudo-documentary thriller intrigued me enough to give it a recommendation (and I am quite smitten with the sub-genre). The film, based on true events (of course), is about two teenage girls who encounter an internet predator, their final recorded moments presented in the form of video chats, webcam footage, home videos, and news reports.
Format: DVD - Only available on DVD.
A Somewhat Gentle Man (Hans Petter Moland, 2010) - Stellan Skarsgård stars in this Norwegian comedy as Ulrik, who is released from prison after serving twelve years for murder. Now that he is back in society, he has to deal with his gang, his ex, other women, a snitch, and his son - who is engaged.
Format: DVD - Only available on DVD.
Finally, after a rather disappointing third episode, Mortal Kombat: Legacy is back in top form this week; looking forward to part two of this entry:
