DVD Releases

Those expecting Superbad things from director Greg Mottola’s follow-up comedy Adventureland may be disappointed. The R-rated drama-comedy, about a young man in the 1980′s who desperately takes a job at a trashy carnival and finds first love, is a well-made and engaging film, but it isn’t nearly as funny as Superbad, nor is it meant to be.

Jessie Eisenberg, Kristin Stewart and Ryan Reynolds star in the film, which, if anything, can be compared to the classic John Hughes films of the ’80′s. While it definitely offers more swearing and at times crude humor, at its heart is, well, heart, and believable nuances that capture youthful love surprisingly well. Adventureland is now out on DVD, but, unfortunately, the DVD doesn’t have much to offer.

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Paramount, in its never-ending battle (along with the other studios) to make money off of movies they’ve already released, is re-releasing How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days on DVD and Blu-Ray on August 25, 2009. The movie, which stars Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson as two opposing forces each trying to break the other, was an entertaining little romantic comedy when it came out, though it never quite lived up to expectations.

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It must be crazy to say that Battlestar Galactica is one of the best television series ever made, simply because I and so many other people have been repeating such a statement for years now. Why say a thing repetitively when almost everyone who you talk to believes you already? That, my friends, is insanity.

The show is now over(except for the upcoming TV movie The Plan, which gives us one last BSG item to hold onto), as sad as that it is. That means it’s time for a complete series package, and a complete series package Sci-Fi Channel has made!

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Joaquin Phoenix. What comes to mind when you hear that name? Two-time Academy Award nominee?  Younger brother of River Phoenix? Or crazy, bearded rapper wannabe who embarrassed himself, either intentionally or not, on a variety of occasions over the last several months? Regardless, what he isn’t known for is his “final” movie Two Lovers, which he was supposed to be promoting on David Letterman during the now infamous gum chewing interview.

Read the rest of the Two Lovers review.

There are good movies, and there are bad ones. That’s a John Madden thing to say, but it’s true. Miss March, sad to say, falls clearly into the latter category, and doesn’t even appear to care.

Zach Cregger and Trevor Moore wrote, directed and star in this road trip movie, about a guy who fell into a coma in high school and has awoken four years later only to discover that he can no longer control his bowels, his parents have moved away and his girlfriend, once a proponent of abstinence, has become a Playboy cover girl. His best friend Tucker (played by Moore) decides to kidnap him from the hospital, travel across the country and crash a Playboy Mansion party to win her back. Antics ensue, all of which are allegedly funny.

Read the rest of the Miss March review.

When Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse debuted in February, I was mildly intrigued to see what the man had come up with. I never watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer but was a huge fan of Firefly and its companion film Serenity, and so Whedon’s name alone was enough to get me to watch the premiere. The show didn’t look all that great from the previews, as the Fox marketing team had once again failed to present it as quality material (when Firefly first came out, I also thought it looked incredibly stupid). The show also stars Eliza Dushku, a sexy woman who I like to look at but have always equated with B-grade television.

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The Golden Globe-winning series Mad Men brings Season 2 to DVD this Tuesday, and along with it all 13 episodes of some of the best drama on television. Season 2 builds upon the foundations created in the first season while giving the characters more things to do, and more importantly, more avenues to explore.

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There’s bad, and then there’s Street Fighter bad. And what’s worse than a Street Fighter movie but an unnecessary, unwanted sequel fifteen years after the franchise’s heyday, starring a TV actress and lacking a plot? Yes, it’s Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.

One has to think that 20th Century Fox had this absurd idea when greenlighting the film that it would do well enough to fund several sequels titled Street Fighter: The Legend of Another Forgettable Character. Ah, Hollywood executives. You’re so cute sometimes.

Read the rest of the Street Fighter movie review.

One would think that after The Marine Hollywood would have decided that John Cena wasn’t cut out for movies, but the professional wrestler is back, this time to save his wife from the hands of an evil mastermind, in 12 Rounds.

If that sounds like the plot of The Marine only more absurd, you’re not alone. In 12 Rounds though, you see, Cena is a police detective who is accidentally responsible for the death of the bad guy’s hot girlfriend. Fearing he may never get someone as hot as her again, the bad guy (Aidan Gillen) breaks out of prison a year later (I don’t believe the movie ever explains how to a satisfying degree), kidnaps Cena’s wife (Ashley Scott), blows up their house and then forces Cena to do 12 rounds of nearly impossible and even more implausible tasks to get her back. It’s like Die Hard with a Vengeance, only without Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and entertainment value.

Read the rest of the 12 Rounds movie review.

When I saw the previews for Dark Streets, I was intrigued. It looked like a darker Moulin Rouge meets Chicago, a smoky musical thriller set in the underworld of New Orleans. Unfortunately, reality is often much less exciting.

Dark Streets stars Gabriel Mann as Chaz, a playboy and nightclub owner who finds his life spinning out of control amidst too many love affairs, debt and the mystery surrounding his father’s death. Though there is a plot, Dark Streets is essentially one-long music video, featuring original songs with performances by Natalie Cole, Etta James, Richie Sambora and more.

Read the rest of the Dark Streets movie review.

Confessions of a Shopaholic comes to DVD next Tuesday, June 23, 2009. The movie is a hate it or dislike it kind of movie, not particularly terrible as it is, ultimately, unoriginal and cliche. Those that did like the film will find little to enjoy on the DVD, as the picture contains an embarassingly small amount of special features – a couple of deleted scenes, bloopers and a music vivdeo. The second disc merely contains a digital copy, but I can’t imagine too many people are tripping over themselves to put this on their iPod.

As for the movie itself, read on to see not one, but two movie reviews for the romantic comedy.

Paramount Home Video has unleashed another wave of terror upon us by re-releasing three more Friday the 13th movies on DVD, thus confirming that Paramount is, indeed, trying to get everyone in the world to commit suicide simultaneously.

This awful franchise only gets worse as it goes along, as The Final Chapter and A New Beginning are some of the worst slasher films ever made. Thankfully, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives is halfway decent, as far as Jason movies go. These movies return to DVD on June 16, 2009.

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It takes a little bit of head scratching to figure out what Paramount is talking about when they refer to the Star Trek trilogy, as I’m pretty sure there are eleven films released one after the other with no proclamation of a trilogy. But when it comes down to it, there is a three-part story arc beginning with Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan and that goes on to include The Search for Spock and The Voyage Home.

The Wrath of Khan, as many people would agree, is the best Star Trek movie made (and yes, that includes 2009′s film). In it, an exiled Khan uses his strength and intellect to overwhelm a Star Fleet ship, but his one weakness – the need for vengeance – is what Kirk and a crippled Enterprise takes advantage of. I’ve never been a fan of The Search for Spock, as it all seems like an endeavor just to bring the title character back from the dead with uninteresting villains, led by Christopher Lloyd of all people. Lastly, The Voyage Home, though featuring a story I would generally find cheesy, is a funny and entertaining way to round things out.

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There are many movies that have been released over the years where sequels make sense. That doesn’t mean they need sequels, but you can see how it’ll work. A sequel to Donnie Darko, however, never crossed my mind.

Donnie Darko, one of the most unique, intriguing, mind-bending and debate-invigorating films of the 21st century, is one of my favorite movies. The film, though it was never a box office hit, has become a cult classic, solidified Jake Gyllenhaal as a leading man and is just one damn fine film. It is also a movie with a satisfying ending… an ending where the title character dies to save the world.

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My Bloody Valentine 3D comes to DVD this Tuesday, May 19, 2009, and I’ll just say: wait until the new Friday the 13th hits stores. When I saw the movie in theaters, I found it mildly amusing, if only for how bad it was and for the fact that it was in 3D. The movie was, in fact, my first Real3D experience, and the visuals are pretty impressive; impressive enough that they helped me survive through a rather painful and cliche horror movie that thinks it is so much smarter than it actually is.

You can read the My Bloody Valentine 3D movie review here, or read on for my DVD review…

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