DVD Releases for February 23rd

The Box – C (Wait for It)

It takes about 20 minutes or so to realize that you are watching another complete mind-trip of a film by Richard Kelly, the same guy that brought us Donnie Darko and Southland Tales. The Box starts off as a drama with an intriguing storyline, and then becomes seemingly random science fiction movie that instead of a giant bunny has Santa Claus. The movie just gets more and more confusing as it progresses, making very little sense. I’m starting to wonder if big name actors like Cameron Diaz even read through a whole script before collecting their paycheck. This may become a cult classic like Donnie Darko that you must watch a few times to even begin to understand what is going on. If you’re looking for a good drama with some sci-fi elements then get the “Cube” series or Donnie Darko itself. Otherwise be prepared to watch this a couple of times to have any clue of what you’ve just watched.

Sorority Row - B- (Wait for It)

Sorority Row is a B- movie when compared to other movies of its genre, as it will ultimately please who it is geared towards. Teenagers looking for a slasher flick that doesn’t include an unnecessary amount of gore, like the Scream series, Valentine or I Know What You Did Last Summer, will probably be the only ones that actually enjoy this movie. It is however quite satisfying seeing a shotgun-wielding Carrie Fisher, and Audrina Patridge get offed in the first 10 minutes of the film. It doesn’t add anything new to the genre, however is entertaining enough to rent if you’re just wanting a horror movie without the abhorrently graphic gore that My Bloody Valentine and many of today’s horror movies include.

Everybody’s Fine – A (Gotta Rent)

Everybody’s Fine might be the best under-the-radar film of the year. With such an all-star cast it’s hard to believe how little attention this movie has got as the script and acting are fantastic. Robert De Niro reveals another layer to his acting repertoire playing a recent widower struggling to keep his family intact. When his children aren’t able to make it to a planned get together, he takes it upon himself to travel across the country and surprise them. His performance is nothing short of Oscar worthy as he exudes so much emotion in his undying love for his family. His children, played by Kate Beckinsale, Drew Barrymore and Sam Rockwell all give great supporting performances doing everything in their power to protect their father from feeling any pain from the truth of what their lives have become. The family portrayal is very realistic and believable and doesn’t seem to be fabricated just for the big screen. It’s very heartfelt, at times tear jerking and shouldn’t be missed.

DVD Releases for February 16th

Law Abiding Citizen – A- (Gotta Rent)

Finally Gerard Butler has come out with a movie worth watching since 300, 4 years ago. His latest movies have all either been horrible action movies (Gamer, Rocknrolla) or terrible romantic comedies (Ugly Truth). Law Abiding Citizen however is a great action-drama about a man who takes the law into his own hands when his wife and child are brutally murdered. Jamie Foxx plays a lawyer for the DA’s office that made a deal with the murderer of Butler’s family, essentially letting him off scot-free. Butler’s revenge is unrelenting and targets anyone and everyone who was remotely involved in the case. It has plenty of drama, action and twists that keep you enthralled until its climactic ending. It’s quite a bit more graphic then I was expecting, violence wise, but I guess that should be expected with Butler as its main star. The movie points out a lot of the flaws of our justice system and the ways in which it can manipulated and even circumvented altogether. It’s definitely worth a watch and maybe even a purchase after you know how it ends.

DVD Releases for February 9th

A Serious Man – B- (Wait for It)

Most of the Cohen Brothers films are instant classics. No Country for Old Men, Fargo and Big Lebowski are all movies that most everyone love and will watch over and over. That being said, I feel like A Serious Man was their worst film yet and didn’t come close to living up to their previous films. The story is about a man whose life pretty much sucks all around, as he tries to deal with every aspect of his life coming crashing down. The first 15 minutes has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and I have no idea what the “hidden” meaning of it is. I honestly have no idea as to why it was nominated for Best Picture for this year’s Oscars as I found myself confused at times, bored throughout, and never really caring what would happen next. The Cohens are fantastic storytellers and always have a way to keep you intrigued until the very end, but this one is a complete flop in my mind. Maybe I just missed the meaning of the movie entirely and this really is a “best picture” worthy film, but I don’t plan on re-watching it to find out.

Couples Retreat – B (Gotta Rent)

I had a lot of high hopes before I watched this film, and for the most part those hopes were at least semi-fulfilled. Having Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau and Jason Bateman all star in a movie about failing marriages has the potential for comedy gold. The movie isn’t laugh-out-loud hilarious and isn’t even something I would necessarily watch again, but it is funny enough to watch once. The first half of the movie is where the vast majority of the humor comes in, as the last 20 minutes or so becomes more serious and about solving their marriage problems. The male roles were all cast perfectly, but I think what really makes this not a great comedy is the actresses that play the female leads. Kristin Davis was the worst of the 3, becoming an increasingly hated character and not very funny at all. Having Kristen Bell and Malin Akerman star as the other two weren’t terribly miscast, but there’s no way that Vaughn and Bateman could ever land those women. Ironically enough Vaughn’s character is the most likeable, when I assumed his would easily be the one that I would have hated the most. Overall it’s a decent comedy that is worth watching, but don’t expect to be in hysterics by the end.

The Time Traveler’s Wife – A- (Gotta Rent)

I found this to be far more enjoying than I was anticipating. It is a pleasant and heart-warming romance story about a woman who is in love with a man that uncontrollably bounces through time. The story follows McAdams’s character, having to try and live her life as normal as possible while the love of her life will periodically disappear for weeks, months, or even years. The relationship and chemistry between Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana is perfect, with McAdams specifically doing a great job. One key problem with all time travel movies is all of the paradoxes that are created. This film is no different, but does do a pretty good job tying up all the loose ends. As long as you do not dwell on the minor continuity errors and “think” too much about the movie then it can be very enjoyable. It takes a minute at first trying to figure out the concept of Bana’s character disappearing and reappearing at completely different stages in his life, while McAdams’s character is progressing through life at a normal pace, but once you establish yourself it’s fairly easy to follow and figure out what will happen. The Time Traveler's Wife is a perfect date movie that even a guy can enjoy.

DVD Releases for February 2nd

Zombieland - A (Gotta Own)

Anyone who likes Zombie movies or even a good comedy should watch Zombieland. It takes the concept of the end of the world via man-eating corpses and turns it into a hilarious comedy. It’s basically an American version of Shaun of the Dead, replacing British humor with good ole fashion guns and Twinkies. Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin, Emma Stone and Jesse Eisenberg all star as the misfit group of survivors doing anything they can to both survive, and track down the elusive last packs of Twinkies. Harrelson is hilarious as the redneck of the group, trying to get "Zombie killer of the week". I had my reservations for this going in as I was not a fan of Shaun of the Dead, and the trailer didn’t really have anything special to convince me that this would be worth a watch. That being said, I thought it was one of the best zombie flicks that have been made, and by far the funniest. Everyone looking for a laugh or a fresh take on zombies should watch this film.

Love Happens – C+ (Wait for It)

The most appealing reason to watch Love Happens is because its filmed and takes place in Seattle. It stars Aaron Eckhart as a self-help motivational speaker who just recently lost his wife, and Jennifer Aniston as a woman that has sworn off men, that is until she meets Eckhart. The main problem with this movie is that it barely develops Aniston’s character, to the point that she shouldn’t even really be in the movie. If the entire movie just focused on the fact that Eckhart is professing all these ways to overcome the death of a loved one, yet he hasn’t even come to terms with the death of his own wife. It should have been a drama solely about Eckhart, and not try to be just another Romantic Comedy. It has its touching moments, however they would have been there without Aniston anyways. I’d say this is a complete Don’t Bother but since there isn’t very many films that take place locally, it’s nice to see one, even if it isn’t all that good.