10/25/11 Recommended New Releases, and Paranormal Activity 3 review

To start things off, my second review as an in-the-field writer for Film International is up, and this one is for Paranormal Activity 3. You can read it here.

Also, as I mentioned last week, Barnes & Noble will be having a 50% off sale on all Criterion Collection titles (60% in stores if you have a membership). The sale begins next Tuesday - November 1st - and will last through the 21st.

Now, on to what's out this week:

Captain America: The First Avenger - (Joe Johnston, 2011) - Chris Evans stars in the titular role as Steve Rogers, a lanky young man who seeks to serve his country during WWII. Deemed unfit for military service, he enlists in a top-secret program that turns him into a super soldier. Along with a band of allies, the hero who came to be known as Captain America battles against the HYDRA organization - led by the maniacal Nazi officer Johann Schmidt, a.k.a. the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). Also starring Hayley Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, and Neal McDonough.

Format: Blu-ray/DVD/DC Combo - There is a 3D Blu-ray available, but the 2-disc combo pack has the same content as far as special features are concerned; the only difference is the 3D disc itself. Most retailers have the 2-disc on sale for $21.99 or $22.99 this week; Best Buy has an exclusive edition that sports an alternate slip-cover (similar to their exclusive edition of Thor, the reverse side has an image of the cover artwork for Captain America's first comic book appearance). I should mention, too, that if you are interested, the 3D edition of the film is on sale for the reasonable price of $24.99 at Best Buy this week.

Atrocious (Fernando Barreda Luna, 2010) - Along with the United States, Spain has been rather successful in capitalizing on the 'found footage' niche of the horror genre, particularly with the [REC] franchise. Now, after making a splash at the Slamdance Film Festival back in January, Atrocious arrives on DVD today, courtesy of Bloody Disgusting Selects. The official synopsis, via RottenTomatoes: "Atrocious is a gruesome, mind-bending thriller shot in a style reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project. The horror film excerpts found footage from a film reel recovered by Spanish police, documenting a family of five discovering the truth behind a dangerous urban legend. The 37 hours of found footage follow Cristian and July Quintanilla passing time at their summer home by investigating a terrifying and mysterious urban legend. As their investigation intensifies, strange occurrences in and around the house escalate rapidly, culminating finally in unspeakable atrocities."

Format: DVD - Only available on DVD; Amazon has it available for $15.99, though you should be able to find at your local Walmart for $15.00. 




Attack the Block (Joe Cornish, 2011) - The official synopsis, via RottenTomatoes: "From the producers of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Attack the Block follows a gang of tough inner-city kids who try to defend their turf against an invasion of savage alien creatures, turning a South London apartment complex into an extraterrestrial warzone."

Format: DVD - The DVD will net you the same extras and is $3.00 cheaper on Amazon at $19.99.

Shaolin (Benny Chan, 2011) - The official synopsis, via RottenTomatoes: "As feuding warlords fight to expand their power, the noble monks of the Shaolin Temple clean up the mess left behind, tending to the injured while trying their best to protect the poor and weak. General Hou (Andy Lau) has caused much of this mess with his violent and ruthless tactics that rarely discriminate between soldiers and civilians. When Hou is betrayed by fellow general Cao Man (Nicholas Tse), he is forced into hiding, and takes refuge with the monks (including Jackie Chan) at their hidden mountain temple. As the days pass, he finds himself more and more at ease as he learns the ways of peace, and begins to release his hatred through Martial Zen. But Cao is not far behind, and war soon reaches the temple, where the monks are ready to fight back with their unstoppable Shaolin Kung Fu."

Format: DVD or Blu-ray Collector's Edition - The collector's edition sports a few additional special features, and at $18.99, the price is only $2.00 higher than the identical DVD collector's edition at Amazon,which makes it a matter of personal preference.

City of Life and Death (Chuan Lu, 2009) - The official synopsis, via Kino Lorber: "On December 9, 1937, the Imperial Japanese Army laid siege to the Chinese capital of Nanking, beginning a reign of terror that killed as many as 300,000 civilians — an infamous tragedy now referred to as the Rape of Nanking. The first big-budget fiction film by the Chinese to deal with this seminal event in their modern history, CITY OF LIFE AND DEATH is a visceral, heartbreaking portrait of life during wartime, and an unforgettable masterpiece of contemporary world cinema."

Format: DVD - Even though I am partial to Kino Lorber's Blu-ray releases, Amazon has the DVD version available for $19.99, which is $4.00 cheaper than the Blu-ray edition. However, if you have a Blu-ray player, I would say that their releases are worth the few extra dollars - even if they don't have any exclusive supplements.

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (Jalmari Helander, 2010) - The official synopsis reads: "It's the eve of Christmas in northern Finland, and an 'archeological' dig has just unearthed the real Santa Claus. But this particular Santa isn't the one you want coming to town. When the local children begin mysteriously disappearing, young Pietari and his father Rauno, a reindeer hunter by trade, capture the mythological being and attempt to sell Santa to the misguided leader of the multinational corporation sponsoring the dig. Santa's elves, however, will stop at nothing to free their fearless leader from captivity. What ensues is a wildly humorous nightmare – a fantastically bizarre polemic on modern day morality."

Format: Blu-ray/DVD Combo - In a move atypical of Oscilloscope releases, the Blu-ray release (which includes a DVD copy as well) contains an exclusive supplement in the form of the 1964 cult classic, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Amazon has it available for $19.99, which is just $3.50 more than the standard DVD release.

Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton, 1932) - The synopsis from the Criterion webpage for the film reads: "A twisted treasure from Hollywood’s pre-Code horror heyday, Island of Lost Souls is a cautionary tale of science run amok, adapted from H. G. Wells’s novel The Island of Dr. Moreau. In one of his first major movie roles, Charles Laughton is a mad doctor conducting ghastly genetic experiments on a remote island in the South Seas, much to the fear and disgust of the shipwrecked sailor (Richard Arlen) who finds himself trapped there. This touchstone of movie terror, directed by Erle C. Kenton, features expressionistic photography by Karl Struss, groundbreaking makeup effects that have inspired generations of monster-movie artists, and the legendary Bela Lugosi in one of his most gruesome roles."

Format: DVD - Amazon has the DVD available for $19.99, but I would recommend holding off on a purchase until next week when Barnes & Noble begins their 50% off sale on all Criterion Collection titles. As I have mentioned in the past, I am partial to the DVD format since I had already amassed a substantial collection before Blu-ray took off, but like Kino Lorber releases, if you have a Blu-ray player then I would say that Criterion Blu-ray releases are certainly worth the higher price tag.

Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy (Steven Spielberg [1993, 1997] & Joe Johnston [2001] - It took long enough, but the much-adored films based on two novels by the late Michael Crichton are finally available on Blu-ray. To celebrate the release, Universal Studios has included an all-new retrospective divided into six parts across the three films. 

Format: Blu-ray - Though this release does have a DVD version available, the significance lies in the series' transition to the Blu-ray format. Most retailers have it available for $49.99 this week, but there is also a collector's gift set (pictured below) available for $79.99 that includes a statue of the tyrannosaurus busting through the gates of the park, complete with certificate of authenticity. Additionally, Best Buy has an exclusive Steelbook edition of the standard trilogy for $59.99; it does not include the gift set's statue, but in addition to the nifty Steelbook case you get the films on Blu-ray and DVD (and Digital Copies, which also come with the other versions). If you do not have a Blu-ray player and are interested in the new retrospective, the DVD edition is $29.99 at most retailers.

And for the gamers out there, I am sure you are well aware that one of the most anticipated first-person shooters of the year is out today:

Battlefield 3 (developed by EA Digital Illusions CE [DICE]; published by Electronic Arts) - Available for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC, Battlfield 3 is the latest installment in a series that needs no introduction for even the most casual of gamers, so I will stick to giving you the rundown of what deals some retailers have to sweeten your purchase this week. Keep in mind, too, that there is a limited edition of the game that was hyped as a pre-order incentive, but if you did not reserve a copy do not fret: the initial shipment received by most retailers should have a substantial number of limited edition copies, so it should not to be difficult to locate at all. K-mart is offering a $20 Gaming Coupon* for Shop Your Way Rewards Members (which is free to join) with purchase, as well as an additional offer of purchasing either a pair of Turtle Beach X-12 headphones for $39.99 or a pair of Sony 7.1 Surround Sounds headphones for $69.99. Meanwhile, Target is throwing in a $10 gift card is you purchase Battlefield 3 and a 12-pack of Dr. Pepper. Finally, Toys R Us is offering a $10 gift card and a 2.5' wall graphic with purchase.


 




*K-Mart Gaming Coupons are issued with your receipt; those issued this week are valid from October 30th to December 10th. Also, as the name implies, they are only valid on gaming products.