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That Time of the Week: DVD/Blu Releases From 11/19 & 11/26!

Provided you’ve survived your turkey induced food coma and have successfully avoided all big box stores until today, we’ve got a big batch of titles below including the last chapter of the Cornetto trilogy, a slew of awesome Shout!/Scream Factory releases, the final season of one of the greatest tv shows ever, some retro goodies and a few really awful titles.

Fire up that queue and prep that shopping cart.  It’s that time of the week!

2 Guns

Universal / Released 11/19/13

Academy Award winner Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg lead an all-star cast in the explosive action hit 2 Guns. When an attempt to take down a drug cartel blows up in their faces, two undercover operatives are forced to go on the run together, though neither knows that the other is a federal agent. Suddenly, everyone on both sides of the law wants them dead, and their only hope is to trust each other. Extras include commentary, featurettes, deleted and extended scenes.

Last Word:  Sometimes you just want to see people shoot people. Other times, you want to step it up a notch, with a decent story and good actors to shoot people. 2 Guns delivers basically everything you want from a good, classic action movie.  Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington share a perfect chemistry as two guys who really cannot decide whether to trust each other. Wahlberg plays his usual flippant and comedic Michael ‘Stig’ Stigman to Washington’s dramatic, do-whatever-it-takes Robert ‘Bobby’ Trench.

From Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica, Dexter) as the ruthless drug lord, Papi Greco, to Bill Paxton (Big Love, Aliens) as the mysterious money hunter and even James Marsden (X-Men) as Stig’s ally-turned-enemy Quince, the movie is packed with intense actors cast exactly for their precise roles.

It features car chases, explosions, a helicopter crash, and all those other fun action things. It even has the wacky twist, revealed fairly early in the film, that both Stig and Bobby are actually law enforcement officers believing the other to be crooked and criminal.  It would be easy to classify 2 Guns for being a ‘been there, done that’ film. In some ways, it is. You have seen all these individual aspects come together before in films much like this. You have seen conspiracy in the military, betrayal, and an unlikely pairing of opposing personalities. The difference?  Does there have to be one?

The film captures the best elements of the genre and turns them into a single film, based on the comic series of the same name.  Washington brings a class and prestige that would otherwise have been lacking, making Wahlberg’s brash candor work as comic timing. Some of the stunts, such as Stig and Bobby lifting themselves from harm’s way while a bull attempts to crush them or Stig leaping from his car through Bobby’s car’s window to tackle Bobby out the door and on to the ground are new ideas that build on a perfect storm of ridiculous circumstances.  The result is a fun and entertaining ride, pure and simple. (– Joe Yezukevich)

The World’s End

Universal / Released 11/19/13

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost reteam with director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) in this wildly entertaining thrill ride. Twenty years after their first epic pub crawl attempt, the “five musketeers” reunite in their home town to complete the ultimate challenge – one night, five friends, twelve bars – a boozy quest on which only the strongest will survive. But after a bizarre series of encounters with the out-of-this-world locals, they soon realize that reaching their final pub, The World’s End, may be the least of their troubles. They’re having the time of their lives, ready to take on the world… but tonight they may have to save it. Extras include featurettes, commentaries, making of, outtakes, deleted scene, trivia track and storyboard picture in picture.

Last Word: An inebriated Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Edgar Wright’s The World’s End is one of those crazy, inspired gems that seems to come by every once and a while and just slap you with surprise.  The premise is simple—five childhood friends are reunited to return to their hometown and complete the Golden Mile, a pub-crawl consisting of 12 pubs and 12 pints, concluding at a bar known as The World’s End.

“What could possibly go wrong?” asks Gary King (a brilliant Pegg), a shining example of middle-aged arrested development/desperation who gathers up the rest of his crew for a night of nostalgia, drinking and wishful good times. Rounding off the rest of the posse is Andy (Nick Frost), Oliver (Martin Freeman), Steven (Paddy Considine), and Peter (Eddie Marsan), all of who have grown up and moved on with their lives while Gary has tragically remained stuck in the heyday of his youth.

The opening act of The World’s End focuses much of its attention on this painful reunion of friends who really don’t seem to get along much anymore.  It’s Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s It’s Always Fair Weather but without the musical numbers. Instead, Wright and Pegg’s ingenious, sci-fi inspired script puts this diverse (and increasingly inebriated) group of characters against an adversary even more menacing than time—the entire town has been taken over by robots.  In the end, no punches are pulled, no boundaries left uncrossed. It’s nice when filmmakers and storytellers alike dare to take risks.  And in these regards, Edgar Wright has built a career on fearlessness. (– Greg Vellante)

Night Of The Comet

Shout! Factory / Released 11/19/13

It was the last thing on Earth they ever expected. It’s the first comet to buzz the planet in 65 million years, and everyone seems to be celebrating its imminent arrival! Everyone, that is, except for Regina Belmont (Catherine Mary Stewart, The Last Starfighter), and her younger sister Samantha (Kelli Maroney, Chopping Mall), two Valley Girls who care more about fashion trends than celestial phenomena. But upon daybreak, when the girls discover that they’re the only residents of Los Angeles whom the comet hasn’t vaporized or turned into a zombie, they will do what all good Valley Girls do… they go shopping! But when their day of malling, threatens to become a day of mauling, these gals flee with killer zombies and blood-seeking scientists in hot pursuit! Extras include commentary, interview and trailer.

Last Word:  A ridiculously fun and entertaining movie that unlike many other Eighties genre films, holds up tremendously well.  The gorgeous Catherine Mary Stewart and adorable Kelli Maroney take on an interstellar undead infestation.   With a supporting cast that includes Robert Beltran, Sharon Farrell, Mary Woronov and Geoffrey Lewis, Night of the Comet is not only nostalgia worth revisiting, but a release worth celebrating.  Highly recommended.

Lost Girl: Season Three 

Funimation / Released 11/19/13

In the wake of the battle with the Garuda, Bo finds herself experiencing strange new appetites – and increasingly evil urges. ever loyal Lauren and the Succubus get serious about their relationship, but keeping up with Bo proves to be no easy task. Meanwhile, Kenzi continues to struggle with being human in a Fae world, Hale is named the acting Ash, and Dyson’s new partner – a Valkyrie Vixen known as Tamsin – has her sights set on Bo. To make matters worse, Trick reveals that Bo’s strange behavior is a result of The Sawning, a clandestine rite of passage that determines the fate of each and every Fae. As Bo rushes to prepare for the ritual that will decide her future, a mysterious being known as the Wanderer makes his powerful presence felt. Should Bo survive long enough to decipher the riddle of this enigmatic visitor, she may unlock the long-sought secrets of her own dark past! Extras include SDCC panel, interviews, gallery and previews.

The To Do List

Sony / Released 11/19/13

She’s going from straight A’s to getting her first F. Class of ’93 valedictorian Brandy Klark (Aubrey Plaza) wants to get “educated” before she goes off to college, so she assembles a “to do list” of all the sexual activities she missed out on in high school. Quickly realizing that she’s way out of her league, Brandy solicits her best friends, older sister (Rachel Bilson) and burnt-out boss (Bill Hader) for their help and advice. As Brandy crams for her sexual finals, a supporting cast of horny misfits – an orally-challenged classmate (Donald Glover), a grunge-singing doofus (Andy Samberg) – eagerly offer their assistance and shocking mayhem ensues… Extras include gag reel, commentary, featurettes and deleted and extended scenes.

Last Word:  The To Do List focuses on Brandi Klark, an uptight and overly-book smart valedictorian, and her mission to de-virginize herself in every way before college.  How else would such an organized young lady pursue these endeavors? A colorful “To Do List”.

Now, I’m amused by vulgar comedies about the teenage journey of losing IT, or not losing IT, (American Pie, Easy A, Superbad), but this movie was too much.  It isn’t really funny, or clever. I find these films are far more successful when there’s subtle cleverness that shows the audience someone had a point in writing the film. Characters are relatable and sympathetic; there is usually some growth in an individual, friendship, or even family.  Didn’t happen in The To Do List.  There is zero beneath the surface.

Brandi is the self-centered star and she’s not nice or quirky. I like Aubrey Plaza but I’m a little tired of the same quick and dry delivery. She’s amusing on Parks and Recreation but too much of her gets boring.  In The To Do List she’s not only dry, she’s unlikable, and I never wanted to root for her.

In The To Do List, there’s no arc. No growth. Brandi Klark doesn’t change and when she becomes a bitch, I liked her even less because she is so blindly pompous. The conflicts she stirs with her best friends and long-time-puppy-eyed lab partner are never expounded upon or really resolved. Brandi’s actions are driven by pure selfishness and she never appears guilty.  No matter what happens, all minor characters remain static, mean, or forgettable. Sing Bette Midler and watch the nerdy guy bawl his eyes out. Problems solved? No. Too fake. Dislike.  The movie was a giant satirical mess of the 90s. And maybe that’s what it was going for — an over the top, silly, low-quality, elongated skit with BAD wigs. And again — it had to have been intentional. But even as a giant satire, it wasn’t charming at all.  The makeup, wardrobes, and lingo of 1993 are too obvious and phony as well. Scrunchies, trapper-keepers, Tracey Gold, no-doy. I got it — the movie was set in the ‘90s. But all I could think of was I Love the 90s! from VH-1.

The film didn’t feel natural or have a decent flow. Just scene after scene of awkward and/or gross moments.  But maybe that’s the point – pure raunch. But you have to have some sort of redeeming quality that isn’t Clark Gregg (who is awesome in everything he does).  Clearly the movie is supposed to be exaggerated and really silly.  I think Superbad worked because the actors could pass for teenagers. Johnny Simmons alone, with his Zack Morris mushroom haircut, was the only character in The To Do List who was remotely believable in his role.  Everyone else, Bill Hader, Rachel Bilson, Alia Shawkat, etc, are late twenties or mid-thirties. And it shows. (– Caitlyn Thompson)

Treme: The Complete Third Season

HBO Home Video / Released 11/19/13

First, the people came back. Then, the crime. Now, more than two years after the near death of a great city, the money is starting to arrive. For the people of New Orleans, even the promises of redevelopment come with strings attached, and every dollar that shows up carries with it new dynamics and new risks. Those who know and love the Crescent City must find their way back to what matters in the life of their city. Little of what they can bring to bear yields a quick result, and nothing about New Orleans works as it should. Nothing is easy, In the end, their only weapons are community. And culture. Extras include featurettes, commentaries and music commentaries.

Paranoia

20th Century Fox / Released 11/19/13

Oscar Nominees Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman join Liam Hemsworth in this high-stakes espionage thriller based on Joseph Finder’s best seller. A technology company employee (Hemsworth) sent undercover to steal trade secrets finds himself trapped between two ruthless billionaire rivals. Soon, it becomes clear that his life depends on his ability to win a maddening race against time in this electrifying film directed by Robert Luketic that also stars Amber Heard. Extras include featurettes and deleted scenes.

Last Word:  Liam Hemsworth (the Chad Lowe to Chris Hemsworth’s Rob Lowe) has an unmemorable turn as Adam Cassidy, a “Bridge and Tunnel” Brooklynite (huh?) trying to get to the top of corporate Manhattan by any means necessary.  After he and his tight knit troop of developers blow a presentation to their boss Nicholas Wyatt (a criminally underused Gary Oldman), the gang gets fired. Under Adam’s wing, they blow the remainder of their budget on a night in Manhattan’s trendiest new club.  Now that the money has been embezzled, Wyatt owns Cassidy.

The only way to get out of this indentured servitude is for Cassidy to go to work for Wyatt’s old mentor Jock Goddard (Harrison Ford with a shaved head) and to steal Jock’s secret product in development.  He goes to work, things happen and the movie ends. All the while, I asked myself why this movie was made.  More importantly, I was asking myself why the cast agreed to work on this. The aforementioned Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman are a small part of the cast which is rounded out by Richard Dreyfuss as Cassidy’s sickly father, Josh Holloway as an FBI agent, and Julian McMahon who plays Wyatt’s psychotic henchman.  Each of these seasoned vets brings his own flavor of bland to his character.  Paranoia is a terrible movie that is best described as The Firm made for the Lifetime Movie Network.  The only thing you have to be paranoid about is a sequel. (– Caitlyn Thompson)

Tank Girl
 

Shout! Factory / Released 11/19/13

The year’s 2033 and since a humongous meteor hit earth, the world just hasn’t been the same. No Movies, No Cable TV, NO WATER!!! A mega-villain, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell), the leader of Water & Power, holds the world in his grasp since he controls all the H2O down to the last drop…or so he thinks. Two colossal enemies stand in his way: (1) The Rippers – an army of half-men/half-kangaroo people whose sole purpose is to bring down the W & P, and (2) a chick with a tank and tons of attitude – a.k.a. Tank Girl (Lori Petty). Kesslee had better get a grip on reality and his water jugs because not even a run in her stocking is going to stop her from saving the world. Extras include commentary, interviews, trailer and vintage featurette.

Last Word: Based on the cult comic book series by Alan Martin and Gorillaz mastermind Jamie Hewlett, Tank Girl is a pretty solid adaptation.  It’s a campy, B-movie with plenty of grrl power.   Naomi Watts shows up as Jet Girl and the rest of the cast includes such pop culture luminaries as James Hong, Iggy Pop, Reg E. Cathey, and Ice-T as Ripper, T-Saint.  A blast from start to finish, Tank Girl is a stylistic, over the top cinematic experience well worth undertaking.  Recommended.

All Is Bright

Starz/Anchor Bay / Released 11/19/13

Lie, cheat, steal… it’s all part of the holiday spirit for French-Canadian ex-con Dennis (Paul Giamatti) and fast talker Rene (Paul Rudd) when they try to make a quick buck selling Christmas trees in New York. For Dennis it’s a chance to go straight, and for his best friend and former partner-in-crime, Rene, it’s a chance to make some easy cash so he can marry Dennis’s ex-wife. But for two not-very-bright guys now stuck together on the cold streets of Brooklyn, this holiday season may bring some of the most unexpected miracles of all. Golden Globe winner Sally Hawkins and Amy Landecker co-star in this film from executive producer Paul Giamatti and the award-winning director Phil Morrison. 

Prince Avalanche

Magnolia / Released 11/12/13

Driven by striking performances from Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch, Prince Avalanche is an offbeat comedy about two men painting traffic lines on a desolate country highway that’s been ravaged by wildfire. Against this dramatic setting, the men bicker and joke with each other, eventually developing an unlikely friendship. Funny, meditative and at times surreal, Prince Avalanche features a score by Explosions in the Sky and David Wingo, and was shot by frequent Green collaborator Tim Orr was. Loosely adapted from Either Way, an Icelandic film by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson. Extras include commentary, trailers, interviews, deleted scenes and featurette.

Last Word: Much more reminiscent of his earlier works such as All The Real Girls and Undertow, as opposed to Pineapple Express and Your Highness, Prince Avalanche is slow, methodical and slightly absurdist and plays out like a modern Waiting for Godot.  Rudd and Hirsch are both excellent in this sweet, charming, albeit slightly off kilter film.  Recommended.

The Paradise: Season One

BBC Home Video / Released 11/12/13

Set amidst the Victorian splendour of Britain’s first department store, The Paradise is a rags-to-riches story of a young girl who falls in love with the intoxicating charms of the modern world. As Denise finds her feet as a lowly shop girl, she must navigate her way through power struggles, intrigues and affairs. When the shop’s dashing and reckless owner, John Moray, spots her talents she knows she can use this opportunity to rise to great things. Through sexy, episodic stories driven by romance and glamour, this series creates a world as colourful and captivating as the silks on display in the store. This is a love story, a story of ambition and progress, with a mysterious, dark secret at its heart.

Assault On Precinct 13

Shout! Factory / Released 11/19/13

In this unrelenting action masterpiece from director John Carpenter, isolated and cut off from the city inside a soon-to-be-closed L.A. police station, a group of police officers and convicts must join forces to defend themselves against the gang called Street Thunder, who have taken a blood oath to kill someone trapped inside the precinct. Inspired by Howard Hawks’ immortal western, Rio Bravo, this explosive gem combines the elements of a classic western and a modern thriller to create a riveting cult classic. Extras include interviews, commentary, trailer and radio spots.

The Horror Show

Shout! Factory / Released 11/26/13

In your home, behind the door, beneath the steps… 116 people are dead at the hands of Max Jenke (Brion James) and his trusty meat cleaver. Now, justice is about to be served as Jenke is sentenced to the electric chair. But from the first high-voltage blast, it becomes clear that Max is no ordinary serial killer. With a blood-chilling laugh from the depths of hell, Max enters our world, transformed into a supernatural force by the high-voltage blast of electricity. Max vows revenge on the cop who captured him. Well aware of the maniacal killer’s passion to destroy, Detective Lucas McCarthy (Lance Henriksen) can only begin to imagine the horror that awaits him and his family. Extras include commentary, interviews and trailer.

Animals

Kino Lorber / Released 11/26/13

This very unconventional coming-of-age tale is an intoxicating blend of fantasy and cold reality as it follows shy teenager’s perilous period when exciting but troubling sexuality enters into his formerly innocent world. Seventeen-year-old high-schooler Pol has stubbornly extended his childhood,aided in no small measure by his opinionated, drums-playing, English-speaking pet teddy bear Deerhoof. But when he meets alluring new student Icari, the safety of Pol’s innocent imagination crumbles he experiences his first pangs of love and sexual longing. But what will happen to Deerhoof in this new world and can Pol accept his new-found feelings? Co-starring Martin Freeman as his perceptive teacher, this fresh, inventive take on first love that is funny, often bizarre and tragically intense.

Canyons

MPI Home Video / Released 11/26/13

Notorious writer Bret Easton Ellis and acclaimed director Paul Schrader join forces for this explicitly erotic thriller about youth, glamour, sex and surveillance. Manipulative and scheming young movie producer Christian (adult film star James Deen) makes films to keep his trust fund intact, while his actress girlfriend and bored plaything, Tara (Lindsay Lohan), hides a passionate affair with an actor from her past. When Christian becomes aware of Tara’s infidelity, the young lovers are thrust into a violent, sexually-charged tour through the dark side of human nature. Featuring fearless and unprecedented performances from its young cast, The Canyons is a thought-provoking examination of privilege run amok. Extras include featurettes and trailer.

Last Word: Hugely disappointing, incredibly vapid movie dragged to a death by tepid performances. Paul Schrader non-directs what’s basically Bret Easton Ellis channeling the worst of Melrose Place. Lindsay Lohan struggles to make some sort of character and effort out of the mess, but you end up feeling bad for her being a part of the film in the first place. James Deen is a shoe-in for Worst Actor at this year’s Razzies. (– Todd Sokolove)

Doctor Who, Story 29: The Tenth Planet 

BBC Home Video / Released 11/19/13

The Tardis lands at the South Pole in 1986. The arrival coincides with the appearance of Earth’s forgotten twin planet Mondas along with visitors from that world – the emotionless Cybermen. It’s up to the Doctor and his friends to stop the creatures before they convert Earth’s population into similar cyber creations – but the encounter will have a devastating effect on the Doctor… This special DVD release contains a brand-new animated version of episode 4, currently missing from the BBC Archives. Extras include commentary, interviews, featurettes, and making of.

Drew: The Man Behind The Poster

Kino Lorber / Released 11/19/13

Drew: The Man Behind The Poster is a feature-length documentary highlighting the career of poster artist Drew Struzan, whose most popular works include the Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Back to the Future and Star Wars movie posters. Telling the tale through exclusive interviews with George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Michael J. Fox, Frank Darabont, Guillermo del Toro, Steven Spielberg and many other filmmakers, artists and critics, the journey spans Drew’s early career in commercial and album cover art through his recent retirement as one of the most recognizable and influential pop culture artists of all time.  Extras include SDCC panel and trailer.

Last Word: Few artists can evoke the same level of nostalgiac emotion as the work of Drew Struzan.  Having painted many of the seminal movie posters of my youth, this documentary reveals that I was far from the only one who was touched by his talent.  The film celebrates his work and despite accolades by some of cinema’s most talented visionaries, Struzan remains humble and a bit surprised by his admirers and fans.  Highly recommended.

Breaking the Girls

MPI Home Video / Released 11/19/13

Even the best laid plans can come apart. After law student Sara (Agnes Bruckner) is caught stealing and loses her job, she falls into the arms of sultry Alex (Madeline Zima) for a wild night out. During an evening of sexual passion, the two make a pact to murder each other’s enemies – Nina, Alex’s former lover and now mother-in-law; and Brooke, who sabotaged Sara’s college career by tattling on her for stealing. When Alex actually follows through on the agreement, Sara finds she must kill Nina or else risk being framed for Brooke’s murder. Now with the police closing in, each girl will do whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the other. Sexy, exhilarating, and full of unexpected twists, Breaking The Girls is a steamy tale of deception that shocks right up to the final frame. Extras include interviews and trailer.

Last Word: Who would have though that watching hot lesbians could be so dull?.  Breaking The Girls plods along with one double cross after another that plays more like a tepid remake of Wild Things rather than anything particularly interesting.  Stereotypical characters and underwhelming performances make Breaking The Girls the kind of movie you’d catch on late night Skinemax.  Before you change the channel.

Crystal Fairy

MPI Home Video / Released 11/19/13

During a road trip through Chile, boorish American expatriate Jamie (Michael Cera) and three Chilean brothers plan to set off in search of the prized San Pedro cactus and its promise of unrivaled hallucinations. But during a night’s drunken stupor Jamie invites free-spirited fellow American Crystal Fairy (Gaby Hoffmann) along on their psychedelic-driven journey, and before long Crystal’s devil-may-care attitude gives them more of an adventure than any of them had bargained for. Extras include behind the scenes and trailer.

Last Word: One of the more unlikeable films in recent memory, this pretentious, irritating film combines drug and hipster culture into one directionless, meandering movie.  Michael Cera continues to show his lack of range and I couldn’t help but want to see Gaby Hoffmann scrubbed down with some real soap rather than patchouli.  More than anything else, fault lays at the misguided attempt at improvising a movie.  Just having actors play off one another tripping during a road trip feels more like an acting exercise than a journey I want to take.

And While We Were Here

Well Go USA / Released 11/19/13

The future is not written. Set in the lush hills and cobbled streets of the Amalfi Coast, Jane (Kate Bosworth) is searching for something more from her life. She loves her husband (Iddo Goldberg), but the silence between them is growing. Her work and writing her grandmother’s memoir (voiced by Claire Bloom) immerses her in the quiet beauty of the town, its islands… and finally, in the romantic embrace of a younger man (Jamie Blackley). Jane must decide where her passions will take her, and who she really wants to be, as she documents the discoveries of And While We Were Here. Extras include director’s original black & white version.

Last Word:  And While We Were Here is about a weary couple who, while on a brief trip in Italy, are forced to confront their failing relationship when the wife has an affair with a younger man.

Kate Bosworth’s Jane is haunted by her inability to have children. She is stuck in a hapless marriage unable to move the relationship forward. Jane and her husband Leonard’s exchanges are short and harsh.  Leonard, played by Iddo Goldberg, never has time to engage with her. His time is overwhelmed with his career as a violist and when he is present he is condescending and dismissive. It’s difficult to tell at first whether or not his demanding work or his wife’s constantly dragging mood instigates his behavior.

Kate Bosworth’s stiff demeanor works well in this subtle role. Even though the script is weak, her portrayal of desperation is quite powerful. Her intense stares and fragile stature create a sympathetic character especially in contrast to her brutish husband.  Jane doesn’t speak much and when she does she is meek and passive. However, as the film progresses it becomes clear that Leonard’s abrasive self-centeredness is smothering her.

While journeying around Italy, Jane bumps into a young man named Caleb. While he is supposed to be carefree and charming, his hovering seems driven out of boredom and is more annoying than endearing. Jamie Blackley is sweet enough but his character has little depth, only a naïve, puppy-love kindness that involves zero forward thinking or rational.  It’s understandable that Jane is seduced by Caleb’s attention. He’s young, handsome and engaging. He asks a lot of questions and tells a lot of stories. Caleb excites Jane and when she exudes this happiness toward her husband he shuts down her joy instantly. He’s older and disheartened by what he perceives is immaturity. All Jane wants him to do is show some sort of emotion and he cannot deliver.  Jane and Caleb’s affair is depicted through a series of mini-adventures throughout Italy, which have a teen-romance air about them. It’s an odd couple but it’s fun to see them enjoying the sun and their romantic surroundings however briefly. Jane isn’t head over heals for this young kid, she is just starved for attention and needs to feel wanted.

Blackley’s best moment of the film is when he describes the trip Jane is supposed to take with him with tears running down his face. This subtle begging and sadness was the strongest point in the film.
A subplot of the movie involves Jane’s novel in progress. She listens to her grandmother’s stories on tape about war, love, and life. This part of the film wasn’t too engaging and felt out of place. It serves as the soundtrack and inspires Jane’s final action of going out on her own and discovering herself without a partner.

In And While We Were Here the major confrontation ends in Leonard’s submission. In films featuring failing couples, usually both parties hack it out until blue in the cheeks, but Leonard has been battling Jane’s indifference for so long that he is willing to submit to her needs in order for her regain some happiness. At first the act seems selfless, but is it? Is he really just trying to get her to leave him in peace for the remainder of their trip? I was proud that Jane chose neither her husband nor her young companion, realizing that she needs to live her life and find her own stories.  Emotions are never high, but perhaps that’s what the movie strives for – pained indifference. If that’s the case, than it was a success, but again, still not my favorite presentation of this story. (– Caitlyn Thompson)

Breaking Bad: The Final Season

Sony / Released 11/26/13

It all ends with a bang! In the final episodes, Emmy winners Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul bring the saga of Breaking Bad to a bloody conclusion in their roles as meth kingpin Walter White and his guilt-ridden partner Jesse Pinkman. As each tries to get clear of the wreckage they left behind in the meth world, DEA agent Hank Schrader’s obsessive pursuit of ‘Heisenberg’ gains steam, leading up to a shattering finale that will leave no one in Walt’s world unscathed. Executive Produced by Vince Gilligan, Mark Johnson and Michelle MacLaren, the final episodes bring the unforgettable story of Walter White to its inevitable close. Extras include commentaries, deleted and extended scenes, gag reel, alternate ending, featurettes, extended and uncensored episodes, table read.

Last Word:  The Machiavellian manipulations of Walter White come to an end in this final run of episodes in one of the best dramatic series in the history of television.  After forty plus hours of story, this final stretch ties together plot threads, reveals secrets and literally crushes relationships, families and lives once and for all.  With the fates of Walter, Jesse, Skyler and Walter Jr., Hank and Marie, Saul Goodman finally revealed, Gilligan’s saga comes to a close.  Absorbing, addicting and amazing, this, like every other season, is a must have and earns my highest recommendation.

Red 2

Summit/Lionsgate / Released 11/26/13

Retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device. To succeed, they’ll need to survive assassins, terrorists and power-crazed government officials, all eager to get their hands on the superweapon. Extras include documentary, deleted scenes and gag reel.

Last Word:  The film opens on Frank (Willis) and girlfriend Sarah (Mary Louise-Parker) shopping at a warehouse club. Seemingly retired from being retired, the two have settled down, though this domestic bliss can’t cover up the fact that things are getting a tad boring for the couple. CIA-induced acid head Marvin (John Malkovich), our paranoid bunker living friend from the first movie stalks Frank in the store, encouraging him out of this simple life. Marvin is shooed away, but not before giving Frank a warning.  As Marvin drives away, his car explodes and we are off to the races!

The CIA and MI-6 have a bounty on Frank, and Han Jo-Bae (Lee Byung-hun) and Victoria (Helen Mirren) take the bait. These two highly skilled assassins track down Frank across the world and after some firefights and fisticuffs eventually all turn their heads toward the common enemy, the Project Nightshade WMD hidden in the Kremlin by Dr. Edward Bradley (Anthony Hopkins).

The backdrop of the movie takes us from the States, to London, The Kremlin and Paris. Some of the time is spent in Han’s private plane, who earns top dollar as the world’s most well trained assassin. Marvin’s detective work, his hilarious multi-handset phone device and use of WikiLeaks leads to major clues on Project Nightshade and Dr. Bradley.  If you are looking for a funny movie with explosions, a romance story and your favorite actors on the screen, including an evil Neal McDonough, Red 2 is a hit for just about everyone. (– Clay N Ferno)

Syrup

Magnolia Pictures / Released 11/5/13

Based on the best-selling book, Syrup is an edgy comedy that exposes the cut-throat world of advertising through the eyes of a young prodigy chasing fame, fortune, and the woman of his dreams. Fresh out of school with a degree in marketing, Scat (Shiloh Fernandez) will do anything to prove that he has what it takes to swim with the rich and wildly successful. Scat comes up with a brilliant new product that gives new meaning to the old saying “sex sells.” He is sure it will send him right to the top…if only he can convince his boss, the beautiful and mysterious “6”(Amber Heard), that it’s an idea worth millions. Betrayed by his best friend “Sneaky Pete” (Kellan Lutz), Scat stumbles through an industry riddled with deception. As he begins to realize that fame and fortune have cost him his morality, he must rediscover his true self behind the elaborate image he has created or risk losing the love of his life. In a world where the average person sees over eight hundred ads in a single day, Syrup takes a biting look at the insidious-and often ridiculous-side of advertising. Crackling with romance and humor, this razor-sharp satire leaves you guessing and laughing until the end Extras include interview, featurette and trailer.

Violet & Daisy

New Video Group / Released 11/19/13

Violet (Alexis Bledel) and Daisy (Saoirse Ronan) are a pair of gum-chomping, gun-toting teenage assassins who casually snuff out crime figures in New York City, bothered only by the fact that a concert by their favorite pop idol Barbie Sunday has suddenly been canceled. Determined to raise cash for some Barbie Sunday dresses, the duo takes on a new hit, only to discover a kind of reckoning in the form of sad-sack shut-in (James Gandolfini) who is dying alone in his apartment of terminal cancer. He persuades the duo to kill him out of mercy, prompting an odyssey of self-examination that catapults the junior enforcers into a world beyond Barbie Sunday and bullets for pay. From Geoffrey Fletcher, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Precious comes a mesmerizing hybrid of New York City crime fable and existential coming-of-age drama in which teenage kicks match wits with adult-world turmoil, placing three wounded souls into a line of fire none expected – themselves.

Here’s Edie: The Edie Adams Television Collection

MVD Entertainment / Released 11/19/13

Unseen in any format in more than 50 years, this box set contains the entire series of Here’s Edie plus some amazing bonus features including segments from the Ernie Kovacs shows as well as guest that includes Kovacs, Sammy Davis Jr, Bobby Darin, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Stan Getz, Spike Jones, Soupy Sales, Johnny Mathis, Charlie Brill and Mitzi McCall, Bob Hope, Terry-Thomas, Peter Falk and many more! This 12-hour, four DVD set features a new digital transfer from original 2-inch videotapes of the entire 1962-64 run of 21 episodes (with her famed Muriel Cigar commercials intact), plus extensive bonus footage. This material includes rarely seen Adams musical numbers from numerous Ernie Kovacs shows of the 1950’s with introductions from Kovacs himself. Other bonus features include a set of commercial promos by Adams and another Mad World co-star Sid Caesar (whose The Sid Caesar Show alternated weeks with Edie’s shows), a Muriel Cigars promotional film and more. Also included is a lush 16-page booklet packed with rare photos from the family archive, an essay from Edie’s son Joshua Mills and a show-by-show rundown from Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams curator and DVD co-Producer Ben Model.

Last Word:  Here’s Edie, starring the inimitable Edie Adams is one of this year’s most entertaining releases.  Collecting the entire run of her variety show, Here’s Edie (and later, The Edie Adams Show), this release is packed with great music, incredible guest stars and some really charming ephemeral moments (in particular Edie’s Muriel Cigar commercials).  For pop culture aficionados, Here’s Edie is not only highly recommended, but without a doubt, a must have.

The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series (Episodes Only Collection)

Image Entertainment / Released 11/19/13

All 156 episodes of Rod Serling’s classic, groundbreaking series in one special box set! Travel to another dimension of sight and sound again and again. The series cast includes Rod Serling, Art Carney, Burgess Meredith, Cliff Robertson, Dennis Hopper, Bill Bixby, Leonard Nimoy, Burt Reynolds, Don Rickles, Jack Klugman, Robert Redford, Lee Marvin, Martin Landau, Telly Savalas, William Shatner and many more!

The Twilight Zone remains television’s most treasured anthology program. The brainchild of writer and narrator Rod Serling — inspired by the pulp comics, novels and sci-fi films of his youth — the series introduced its own special brand of weirdness to viewers on October 2, 1959. As a program that correctly billed itself as one “of shadow and substance, of things and ideas,” The Twilight Zone left indelible tracks — not to mention unforgettable theme music — and directors that included Don Medford, Douglas Heyes and Richard L. Bare.

Last Word:  Although it’s become standard for the digital format to trot out their bells & whistles with supplementary content, the realistic factor in many occasions is “who has the time?”  Just in time for the holidays, Image Entertainment has released The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series in a new edition sans the plethora of commentaries and featurettes included in the previous definitive collection at a lower price.  And although the extra material is nice, the over seventy five hours of content is more than enough to enjoy and celebrate one of television’s greatest series in it’s entirety.  There’s 156 episodes within including such classics as Night of the Meek, The Invaders, Nothing in the Dark, Time Enough at Last, Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, The Monsters are Due on Maple Street, The Odyssey of Flight 33, Steel, A Game of Pool, Walking Distance, Kick the Can, Mr. Dingle the Strong, Two, A Passage for Trumpet, The Four of Us are Dying, Long Distance Call, I Sing the Body Electric, The Lonely, Probe 7, Over and Out, he Passerby, The Grave, Death’s Head Revisited, The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank, Perchance to Dream, The Hitch-Hiker, King Nine Will Not Return, Shadow Play, Third from the Sun, The Shelter, To Serve Man, The Fugitive, Nick of Time, The Prime Mover, It’s a Good Life, The Mind and the Matter, The Last Flight, Once Upon a Time, A Hundred Yards Over the Rim, and The Trouble with Templeton.  The episodes all look great and this must have warrants a weekend on the couch so you can unlock this door with the key of imagination, travel to the fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man.  A dimension of imagination. And check out the series which we call The Twilight Zone.  Highest recommendation.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: 25th Anniversary Edition

Shout! Factory / Released 11/16/13

A man and his puppets in space watching cheesy movies … sounds crazy, no? But here on the Satellite of Love you might say each one of us is a captive audience, watching gifted writers and performers try to make sense of it all without losing their minds. Why do we continue to treasure this oddball TV series? That can be answered in one word: funny!

Housed in a collectible silver(ish) tin, MST3K: 25th Anniversary Edition is a five DVD set that features the films Moon Zero Two, The Day The Earth Froze, The Leech Woman and Gorgo. Also included are all new bonus features including the three-part documentary Return To Eden Prairie: 25 Years Of Mystery Science Theater 3000, Life After MST3K: Mary Jo Pehl, Ninth Wonder Of The World: The Making Of Gorgo (MST3K Edition), Last Flight Of Joel Robinson, MST Hour wraps, four exclusive mini-posters by artist Steve Vance, and a bonus disc with a double feature of classic episodes: Mitchell and The Brain That Wouldn’t Die!

Last Word: Joel, Mike, Dr, Forrester, Crow, Tom Servo, Gypsy, Cam Robot, TV’s Frank.  25 years of magic.  No questions.  Only one answer.  Buy This.  Watch it.  Love it.  Be a better person for it. 

Impractical Jokers: Season One

Warner Home Video / Released 11/26/13

They have to SAY it. They have to DO it. You have to SEE it. Once you start watching, you just can’t stop! For the first time ever on DVD, watch Q, Sal, Joe and Murr compete in a series of the most hilarious dares ever, recorded by hidden cameras, with Impractical Jokers: The Complete First Season. Packed with all 17 episodes from the first season plus bonus features, this DVD will have you howling with laughter!

Last Word:  Perhaps one of the most torturous experiences I’ve ever experienced.  Not only did I not laugh, but I couldn’t really understand what was supposed to be funny.  Essentially three guys laugh as a fourth does stupid things on unsuspecting participants.  A failure on every level.

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