And with that, only eleven more months until 2015. This week we’ve got a smorgasbord of digital delights including movies and television series galore including tales among the British class system, food come to life, Julian Assange, Penguincams and more.
Fire up that queue and prep that shopping cart. It’s that time of the week!
Masterpiece: Downton Abbey Season 4 (U.K. Edition)
 |
| PBS / Released 1/28/14 |
Season Four, set in 1922, sees the return of our much-loved characters in the sumptuous setting of Downton Abbey. Six months after Matthew’s tragic death, his loss is still felt throughout the great house. Mary struggles to face a new future with her fatherless child, and is encouraged by the family to pick up the pieces. Accepting a new role on the estate, the now-eligible Mary also finds herself the reluctant object of attention from a number of eager suitors. With the twenties in full swing and the tides of change sweeping through Downtown, Rose’s continued attraction to the bright lights of London spells trouble for the Crawleys, and Edith’s budding relationship with Michael Gregson is trouble for the Crawleys, and Edith’s budding relationship with Michael Gregson is threatened by events beyond her control. Meanwhile, below stairs, passions run high and young hearts look set to be broken.
Writer and creator Julian Fellowes brings back this award-winning drama with the acclaimed ensemble cast led by Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, and Maggie Smith, as well as guest stars Shirley MacLaine and Paul Giamatti, who plays Cora’s playboy brother Harold. Extras include featurettes.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2
 |
| Sony / Released 1/28/14 |
Inventor Flint Lockwood thought he saved the world when he destroyed his most infamous invention – a machine that turned water into food causing cheeseburger rain and spaghetti tornadoes. But Flint soon learns that his invention survived and is now combining food and animals to create “foodimals!” Flint and his friends embark on an adventurously mouth-watering mission to battle hungry tacodiles, shrimpanzees, hippotatomuses, cheesepiders and other foodimals to save the world – again! Extras include commentary, featurettes, music video, mini movies and deleted scenes.
Last Word: Animated sequels rarely work. And yes, before you yell Toy Story, I have plenty of issues with Pixar’s formulaic and manipulative storytelling. I dug the first Cloudy film and was pleasantly surprised to find this one a worthy successor, simply, because it’s so damned weird. With food and animal hybrids attacking the world, this “Gastromic Park” brings the cast into a colorful, kinetic and fun film that embraces the goofy and surreal. It’s also funny. The film is filled with concepts, some more successful than others, but enough to inspire storytellers of all ages. The voice cast is also fantastic and includes Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Will Forte, Andy Samberg, Benjamin Bratt, Neil Patrick Harris, Terry Crews (replacing the equally beloved Mr. T) and Kristen Schaal. Cloudy 2 isn’t quite as sharp as the original film, but it’s humor and self-awareness made the film equally entertaining. Recommended.
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
 |
| Paramount / Released 1/28/14 |
Johnny Knoxville reprises his Jackass role as 86-year-old Irving Zisman in the story of a crotchety old man unexpectedly saddled with the care of his 8-year-old grandson Billy (Jackson Nicoll). The two generations of troublemakers soon develop a bond, as they hustle their way across the heartland of America on an outrageous road trip with a whole lot of high jinks and pranks on unsuspecting, real-life people – all of whom had no idea they were starring in a hidden camera comedy.
Last Word: As a huge fan of Jackass, I was pretty disappointed in Knoxville’s latest effort. Like Sacha Baron Coen’s equally disappointing Bruno, it tries to combine scripted material with hidden camera pranks. And it just doesn’t work. It feels too much like schtick; never genuine and unlike Jackass, the set-ups never seem genuine. Jackson Nicoll is great, but it’s Knoxville’s performance as Zisman that feels tired. If you’re a fan of Jackass, it’s worth a watch, but unfortunately the best stuff really was in the trailer.
 |
| Disney / Released 1/28/14 |
Triggering our age of high-stakes secrecy, explosive news leaks and the trafficking of classified information, WikiLeaks forever changed the game. Now, in a dramatic thriller based on real events, The Fifth Estate reveals the quest to expose the deceptions and corruptions of power that turned an Internet upstart into the 21st century’s most fiercely debated organization. The story begins as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his colleague Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Daniel Brühl) team up to become underground watchdogs of the privileged and powerful. On a shoestring, they create a platform that allows whistleblowers to anonymously leak covert data, shining a light on the dark recesses of government secrets and corporate crimes. Soon, they are breaking more hard news than the world’s most legendary media organizations combined. But when Assange and Berg gain access to the biggest trove of confidential intelligence documents in U.S. history, they battle each other and a defining question of our time: what are the costs of keeping secrets in a free society-and what are the costs of exposing them? Extras include featurettes, trailers and tv spots.
Last Word: Long, dull and pretentious, there’s nothing engaging about Bill Condon’s uncinematic interpretation of the Julian Asange story. Cumberbatch’s performance is constructed around his long, white hair (which like Heath Ledger’s Joker facial scars, seems to have multiple origins), and overall intensity that never seems to sell the audience on his cause. Although the film is supposed to reveal the truth behind WikiLeaks, instead we’re treated to an egotistical, borderline savant who sees himself more as a cult messiah than as revolutionary. All of his action is ego driven and the film never deals with the moral and political ramifications of his actions. Sadly, the film never comes together, wasting the opportunity to question the value of both secrets and truth.
1 The Movie
 |
| Millennium / Released 1/28/14 |
The true story of the drivers who risked their lives and changed the sport forever. 1 is an action documentary showcasing the glamour, speed, danger and excitement of Formula 1 Grand Prix racing. Narrated by Michael Fassbender, the film tells the story of the golden age of Formula 1, when the sport became terrifyingly dangerous. In the late 1960s, Formula 1 cars doubled their engine size and sprouted wings, making them incredibly quick, but even more hazardous. With money pouring in from sponsorship and a new worldwide television audience, superstar drivers were born, thrown like gladiators into the ring. The drivers were legendary with charisma and raw talent, but many of them paid the ultimate price. 1 follows the story of the drivers who raced on the edge and those who stood up to change the sport forever. It is about the greatest show in the world: Formula 1.
Concrete Blondes
 |
| Inception Media / Released 1/21/14 |
A wild, party-night out leads three twenty-something women to stumble on a suitcase with 3 million dollars in cash. After a gruesome, gang-land shootout where everybody dies, the girls step in and walk away with all the money. In a frantic attempt to keep it all, the girls hatch a plan to smuggle it out of the country. But things get more complicated when one of the women mentions their plan to her boyfriend who owes money to a violent, underworld crime boss. Now, everybody is after the girls’ cash and one misstep will affect all their lives forever. Greed, jealousy, and betrayal threaten to break the friends apart, but in an intense final showdown, they face off against the criminals and each other…and nobody can predict who will walk away.
Ass Backwards
 |
| Gravitas / Released 1/28/14 |
It’s Romy and Michele‘ meets Dumb & Dumber, Ass Backwards is an irreverent female buddy comedy about two childhood best friends who are pushing the age of 30 and not quite where they thought they’d be in life. When they run into their former beauty pageant nemesis, they decide to go on a road trip back home to recapture the pageant crown which eluded them as children. On the road, they encounter spring breakers, strip clubs, a women’s militant group and their favorite reality star. This heightened comedic awakening leads us into an unforgettable third act finale that is the girls’ homecoming and final reckoning with their past, present and future.
Penguins: Spy in the Huddle
 |
| BBC Home Ent. / Released 1/21/14 |
You’ve seen penguins, but never like this! Using the Penguincams (super-realistic animatronic cameras disguised as penguins, chicks and eggs) Spy in the Huddle gives the inside track on all the drama and challenges these “tuxedoed” birds face throughout the year, with no shortage of laughs along the way. From the freezing Antarctic, the domain of the regal emperor penguin to the blushing Humboldt of South America’s sizzling deserts, to the tiny Rockhopper of the Falkland Islands, the Penguincam allows a closer view of these creatures than ever before. Immersed in the very center of the penguin world, viewers are treated to a privileged view of the life of this enigmatic bird.
The War Between Men and Women
 |
| Paramount / Released 1/28/14 |
Starring Hollywood legend Jack Lemmon and based on the writings of humorist James Thurber, this unique comedy follows Peter (Lemmon), a near-sighted cartoonist who abhors women, children, and dogs but falls for Terri (Barbara Harris), the divorcee who comes bag and baggage with all three. Peter and Terri couldn’t be more wrong for one another, but Cupid has a sense of humor and soon the pair finds themselves dangerously close to living happily ever after. If they can overcome flirtatious ex-husbands, clashing lifestyles and Peter’s potential blindness, the might just see their relationship for what it is – true love. Interspersed with mesmerizing animation sequences, The War Between Men And Women also stars Jason Robards.
Last Word: From director Melville Shavelson, who directed one of my favorite movies as a child, Yours, Mine and Ours, comes this extremely dated, albeit mildly entertaining comedy. Trying to play onsetting blindness against sexual mores of the early Seventies might sound like an odd mix, because it is. Despite this film serving as little more than curiosity, it’s the always fantastic Lemmon that makes it a worthwhile viewing.
The April Fools
 |
| Paramount / Released 1/28/14 |
Howard Brubaker (Jack Lemmon) is a newly promoted man trapped in a loveless marriage. Catherine’s (Catherine Deneuve) marriage would be ideal if her husband weren’t a womanizer. When Howard and Catherine meet at a trendy party for New York’s corporate elite, they decide to escape and explore the city instead. Soon the pair find themselves falling in love and deciding to run away together. All they have to do now is tell their spouses. With outstanding performances by Lemmon and Deneuve, this urban adventure truly demonstrates the power of great love and great entertainment. Rat Pack legend Peter Lawford also stars in this delightful romantic comedy.
Last Word: Like The War Between Men and Women, The April Fools is extremely dated and mildly entertaining curiosity. Extremely derivative, the film feels like a mashup of several familiar plotlines, and never really comes together as it’s own fresh entity. The supporting cast is pretty terrific, and includes Peter Lawford, Jack Weston, Myrna Loy, Charles Boyer, Melinda Dillon, Harvey Korman, Sally Kellerman and David Doyle. The April Fools never really comes together as a film, but as a time capsule of late Sixties design and environment, it’s kind of neat.
Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?
 |
| Paramount / Released 1/28/14 |
Georgie Soloway (Dustin Hoffman) is a successful writer of love songs who ironically cannot love others, or himself. Although he’s rich, successful and seemingly on top of the world, he spends his days dreaming of suicide and trying to track down a man named Harry Kellerman, who had been spreading outrageous lies about him.
Last Word: Perhaps inspired by musician Harry Nilsson, a friend of Dustin Hoffman’s, Who is Harry Kellerman? is a mess of a movie. Dustin Hoffman is truly the anchor of the film, with virtually every scene resting on his shoulders. On one hand we’re dealing with Soloway’s mental breakdown, which combines both his suicidal dreams and his obsession with Kellerman, and on the other, the fragility of life and success. Ultimately, none of it really works. Co-star Barbara Harris earned an Oscar nomination and the supporting cast includes Dom DeLuise and Jack Warden and a score by Shel Silverstein. The film never seems to know what it’s intended tone is so it’s hard to tell if it’s an unfunny comedy or an unemotionally engaging drama.
Stonados
 |
| ARC Entertainment / Released 1/28/14 |
When a tornado appears in the waters south of Boston, former storm chaser Joe Randall is intrigued by the unusual weather. But as twisters begin to strike across the Boston shoreline, Joe quickly realizes this is no ordinary storm front. As the storms threaten to move inland, the citizens of Boston find themselves trapped in a tempest turning deadlier by the minute. With the city under siege, Joe, his sister Maddy and his old storm chasing partner Lee realize they’re dealing with a never before seen weather phenomenon known as Stonados. The only chance of stopping the storm is an untested theory about weather manipulation… the same theory that Joe has been trying to prove for over a decade. But with the storm spreading and threatening the entire Eastern Seaboard–as well as Joe’s children who are trapped in a storm-besieged stadium–Joe and his motley crew will have to give it a try, either saving the world… or accelerating its destruction!
Steven Spielberg Presents: Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain The Complete Series
 |
| Warner Home Video / Released 128/14 |
Acme Labs have closed, resulting in Pinky and the Brain ending up in a pet shop. Enthusiastic pet lover, Elmyra Duff, from the popular series Tiny Toon Adventures, purchases a turtle from the same shop, but does not realize the turtle is carrying Pinky and the Brain inside its shell. With eccentric Elmyra as their new owner, Pinky and the Brain must endure her torture-tinged affection, all the while continuing their plans for global domination.
Thirteen episodes featured on the DVD include, The Girl With Nothing Extra, in which Pinky and the Brain attempt to make Elmyra popular, so that they may have more time to take over the world. Brain organizes the neighborhood kids into a gang, so that when they grow up, they will view him as a leader in The Icky Mouse Club. Pinky and the Brain test the black hole theory in Elmyra’s room in Fun, Time, and Space. In the Christmas-themed Yule Be Sorry, Brain has a dream that shows him what his life would be like without Pinky. Other episodes include Patty Ann, Gee, Your Hair Spells Terrific, Cute Little Alienhead, Better Living Through Cheese, My Fair Brainy, The Cat That Cried Woof, Narfily Ever After, The Man from Washington, How I Spent My Weekend, At the Hop!, Pinky’s Dream House, Squeeze Play, The Raven, Wag the Mouse, A Walk in the Park, Teleport a Friend, That’s Edutainment, Mr. Doctor, Hooray for Meat, Party Night and The Mask of Braino.
Danny Phantom: The Complete Series
 |
| Shout! Factory / Released 1/28/14 |
And you thought the hassles of everyday high school life were bad! Meet Danny Fenton, a good-natured, ordinary 14-year-old kid with extraordinary powers. The son of two highly eccentric ghost-hunting parents, Danny now has the half-ectoplasmic DNA of a ghost, giving him the ability to fight off the horrible spooks, specters and vengeful ghost hunters threatening our world! But before Danny can defeat anything, he must first learn to control his newfound powers with the help of his best friends, tech-head Tucker and self-proclaimed goth Sam. Includes all 52 episodes from all three seasons.
Snow Babies / Polar Bear: Spy on the Ice
 |
| BBC Home Ent. / Released 1/21/14 |
In Snow Babies, stunning wildlife footage provides an intimate and often playful look at the first year of life of adorable baby animals and their families, including arctic wolves, snow monkeys, reindeer, otters and others. Also included on this release is Polar Bear – Spy on the Ice, which gets closer than ever before to the world’s greatest land predator: the polar bear. Witness in amazing detail how these elusive creatures use their intelligence and curiosity to survive in a world of shrinking ice.
Bonnie & Clyde
 |
| Sony / Released 1/28/14 |
Though Bonnie Parker (Holliday Grainger, Jane Eyre) & Clyde Barrow’s (Emile Hirsch, Into The Wild) crime spree is legendary, their story has never been told quite like this. Fueled by their passion for each other and Bonnie’s obsession with fame, the couple committed increasingly dangerous robberies, leaving a trail of blood – and headlines – behind them. Aided by Clyde’s sixth sense, they stayed one step ahead of the law until their final, fateful showdown. Also starring Academy Award winners Holly Hunter (Best Actress, 1993, The Piano) and William Hurt (Best Actor, 1985, Kiss Of The Spider Woman), Bonnie & Clyde is powerful, gripping entertainment. Extras include featurettes.
Last Word: It’s hard not to instantly think of Arthur Penn’s 1967 film starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway at the mere mention of a filmed Bonnie and Clyde bio-pic. Which is precisely why I mentioned it. This 2013 miniseries directed by Bruce Beresford feels bloated in comparison and seems to lack the energy and charm necessary to engage. Emile Hirsch plays Clyde with some enthusiasm and the miscast Holliday Grainger as Bonnie never really resonates. The film also combines far too much fiction with it’s non-fiction; from Clyde’s ability to see the future to Elizabeth Reaser as a completely fictional journalist who puts the duo in the headlines, courtesy of tips from Bonnie herself. Bonnie & Clyde is a glossy take on celebrity culture rather than examining these characters as outlaws and thieves. There’s little grit or insight, instead padding the uninspired material with fantasy.
Argento’s Dracula
 |
| MPI Home Video / Released 1/28/14 |
Horror maestro Dario Argento (Suspiria) puts his unique stylistic spin on the classic supernatural tale with Dracula, a visually sumptuous retelling of the legendary myth.
It’s been 400 years since Count Dracula’s (Thomas Kretschmann, Wanted) beloved Dolingen De Gratz passed away, leaving the immortal bloodsucker forever abandoned. But when he discovers that local newlywed Mina Harker (Marta Gastini, The Rite) bears a striking resemblance to Dolingen, his furious yearning is reawakened as he believes Mina to be a reincarnation of his beloved. Luring her husband Jonathan away to his castle with the help of his minion (and Mina’s best friend) Lucy (Asia Argento, xXx), Dracula embarks on a bloody quest to reunite with his long lost love and live forever with her in hellish immortality. Only the arrival of vampire expert Abraham Van Helsing (Rutger Hauer, Blade Runner) can put an end to the fiend’s unholy plan.
Luridly violent and brimming with passionate eroticism, Dario Argento’s Dracula is an all-out assault on the senses from one of horror cinema’s most celebrated auteurs. Extras include behind the scenes, music video and trailers.
Last Word: On paper, this sounds like a surefire hit; Giallo master Dario Argento taking on the classic Dracula story with cult legend Rutger Hauer as Van Helsing. But, it’s not good. It’s not cult good. It’s not fun bad. It’s just lousy. Sure, there are attempts at humor and horror, but neither is particularly effective as there are virtually no laughs or moments of tension. Once again, Argento has his daughter, Asia, take off her clothes onscreen, this time as Lucy. Horrible CGI and laughable soundstage settings combined with the mess of a screenplay feels like it was intended to be a porn parody, that at the last moment they decided to make as a feature. Hauer, who shows up late in the film, is the film’s best asset, but it’s still not enough. Fans of Argento are best to show their love for the filmmaker by not watching this travesty by a once great auteur.
Treme: Complete Series
 |
| HBO / Released 1/28/14 |
From David Simon, creator of The Wire and Generation Kill, and Eric Overmyer, writer-producer of Homicide and Law & Order, Treme is set in post-Katrina New Orleans. It chronicles the struggles of a diverse group of residents as they rebuild their lives and their city. Treme, pronounced Truh-may, takes its title from the name of one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, an historically important source of African-American music and culture.
Season 1 begins in fall of 2005, three months after Hurricane Katrina. What keeps the city afloat through all of this is its culture. Mardi Gras Indian chief Albert Lambreaux (Clarke Peters) is sewing in preparation for Mardi Gras. The social aid and pleasure clubs are getting ready to hit the streets in their colorful, fast step finery. And those loveable rogues, Davis McAlary (Steve Zahn) and Antoine Batiste (Wendell Pierce) have cooked up a new set of schemes on and off the bandstand.
In Season 2, 14 months have passed since Hurricane Katrina, but residents of the Crescent City are finding it harder than ever to rebuild their lives, much less hold on to their unique cultural identity. Some have become expatriates in distant cities. The insurance checks that never arrived for homeowners were followed by the bureaucratic nightmare that was the Road Home program, and a land-grab is underway as developers and disaster capitalists press their advantage. Crime and drug use are up, and corruption and graft are endemic, with civic institutions unable to counter any of it. And yet the culture of New Orleans somehow endures.
In Season 3, which takes place from Fall 2007-Spring 2008, rampant crime and government ineptitude continue to cripple the city’s recovery, with outside profiteers looking to cash in on short-term gains. The series’ focus is still on ordinary people, but they no longer accept their lack of influence on the institutions that have controlled the city. Diminished by grief and loss, but fed up with incompetence and graft among police and city officials, the characters in Treme begin to make inroads in demanding that their music, art and well-being be protected. Through a murder prosecution that unites several players, Treme will also explore the city’s handling of justice, schools and politics, while charting the inspiring, grassroots efforts to preserve the individuality of this most iconic of American cities.
Finally, in the series’ final five episodes, which take place from November 2008 through Mardi Gras 2009, the promise of economic and cultural recovery — heightened by the historic election of a new president — is tempered by sobering economics, continued police corruption, and the ongoing specter of violence and crime. Still, the connection Treme’s protagonists have with their city keeps them committed to its future — and to building their own legacy in this most iconic of American cities. Extras include commentaries, featurettes, and interviews.
Collision
 |
| Lionsgate / Released 1/28/14 |
Their lives will never be the same. On their honeymoon in Morocco, a couple ventures out on a day trip through the Sahara desert. Unbeknownst to her husband Scott (Frank Grillo), Taylor (Jaimie Alexander) has been plotting to murder him with the help of her lover. But the plan goes terribly wrong, and the newlyweds find themselves stranded in the middle of the remote desert. To get out of the desert unscathed, they have no choice but to join forces. Their journey is soon fraught with twists and turns, lies and betrayals, revealing that nothing happens by chance. Extras include interviews and trailer.
