With the weather on the East Coast scorching, here are seven solid recommendations that will keep you indoors while you crank your AC.
Fire up your queues, fill up your shopping cart and get ready for some solid entertainment.
John Carter
Walt Disney Home Video / Released June 5th, 2012
John Carter might be the worst marketed film of all time. Epic in scope with excellent effects, this poorly received film never had a shot based on everything from the title (Hell, even call the film Barsoom) to the trailers and posters. Even comparing it to Star Wars or Avatar was foolish instead of promoting it as their inspiration. Taylor Kitsch does an admirable job (certainly on par with Mark Hamill or Sam Worthington), but more than anything else, director Andrew Stanton’s execution of a grand pulp adventure is tremendous fun. Extras include featurettes, commentary, deleted scenes. Highly entertaining and family friendly, John Carter is a must see. Recommended.
Goon
Magnolia Home Entertainment / Released May 29th, 2012
Seann William Scott is Doug Glatt, a simple guy in a successful family, who leverages his skills as a bouncer to become a hockey player like his hero, minor league goon Ross Rhea (Liev Schreiber). Without any solid skating skills, but a strong punch and aptitude for pain, Glatt slowly becomes a sensation much to the delight of his best friend (co-writer Jay Baruchel). Goon never got a wide release, which is a shame as it really is the successor to Slapshot; it’s crude, violent and very funny, with an underlying sweet side. It’s really not hard to root for underdog Glatt as Scott delivers his best performance in his career. Extras include commentary, outtakes/deleted scenes and film clips. Goon is anchored by some solid performances, laughs, punches and heart. Highly recommended.
Shallow Grave
Criterion Collection / Released June 12, 2012
Director Danny Boyle, producer Andrew Macdonald, writer John Hodge and actor Ewan McGregor in their first collaboration (they would go on to make A Life Less Ordinary and Trainspotting together) focuses on a pretentious set of flatmates who take on a fourth boarder, a criminal, who dies of an overdose on his first night leaving a mysterious bag full of money, which they decide to keep. The disposing of the body and the money itself leads to trio to unparalleled levels of paranoia, jealousy, and distrust. Shallow Grave also features excellent performances from Kerry Fox and Christopher Eccleston. The Criterion edition is packed with extras including a trailer, two commentary tracks, interviews, a video diary, and a making of documentary. Filled with dark humor, Shallow Grave is an intelligent thriller that is both unnerving and at times, shocking. Highly recommended.
Superman Vs. The Elite
Warner Home Video / Released June 12, 2012
Writer Joe Kelley adapts and expands his own story “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice and The American Way” from Action Comics #775, in the latest DC Universe Animated film which examines the possibility that Superman and his approach might be outdated.
When a new group of British heroes, The Elite, arrive on the scene, they approach crimefighting through violence, ignoring all morals and values. As a result, the general public begins to look at The Man of Steel as perhaps being less effective by not thinking that he is above the law. The public wants their heroes to act, not react, a concept foreign to Superman, who believes in people and the good within them. George Newbern returns to voice Superman in a fairly entertaining and Pauley Parrette voices Lois Lane with a vocal performance reminiscent of Margot Kidder. Extras include featurettes, digital comic, bonus episodes of Superman: The Animated Series and a fantastic extended look at the upcoming animated adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns. Dealing with adult themes Superman Vs. The Elite is definitely not for children, but for teens and adults it offers some competing, but interesting arguments concerning society and The Man of Steel. Recommended.
The Woman In Black
Sony/ Released May 22, 2012
A spooky, creepy film that certifies that there’s more to Daniel Radcliffe than portraying a boy wizard. Radcliffe portrays an attorney on assignment in a remote village where he encounters an angry ghost looking for vengeance. With stunning production design and cinematography, The Woman In Black is fairly standard in it’s execution, but pretty entertaining nevertheless. Extras include commentary, featurette and making of. The Woman In Black is an old-fashioned ghost story that provides plenty of solid thrills while paying solid homage to the vintage tone and look that it’s emulating. Recommended.
The Three Stooges: The Ultimate Collection
Sony / Released June 5th, 2012
Ultimate is an understatement as this must have set includes all 190 Columbia remastered shorts as well as an additional 11 hours of solo shorts starring Shemp Howard, Joe Besser and Joe Derita, 2 feature length films and more. Growing up watching these classic films, I was amazed by both how fantastic the restorations look and by how funny the Stooges are. It’s easy to dismiss the trio as stupid slapstick, but both the clever wordplay (though not as clever as The Marx Brothers) and precision execution of their gags are something the marvel at. The set is presented chronologically from 1934-1959 and having their body of work at hand truly is phenomenal. With younger audiences embracing the recent Three Stooges remake is all the more reason to embrace the original films. Highly influential and undoubtedly awesome, The Three Stooges: The Ultimate Collection belongs in the home of every knucklehead or porcupine. Highest recommendation.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Warner Home Video / Released June 5th, 2012 on DVD, Blu-ray Combo and Digital Download
If you can put yourself in the mindset of the film’s intended younger audience, Journey 2 is an entertaining sequel that finds Josh Hutcherson, reprising his role of Sean Anderson from the first film receiving his grandfather’s coded distress signal from an unknown island full of treasure. With the assistance of his new stepfather Hank (Dwayne Johnson), a pilot and his daugher (Luis Guzman and Vanessa Hudgens), Josh and Hank head to the island to rescue Josh’s grandfather (Michael Caine) before seismic shockwaves plunge the island and it’s treasures underwater forever.
At times reminiscent of old Irwin Allen and Krofft tv shows, Journey 2 is cheesy, but definitely has the hallmarks of the kind of film I’d watch again and again when I was younger. Filled with slapstick, this colorful and cartoony adventure is helped considerably by it’s cast, who play the film straight. Extras include a gag reel, an interactive map and deleted scenes. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is geared toward younger viewers, but set your cynicism aside and it will be hard not to find yourself grinning.
