While it has been a wasteland for new releases in recent weeks, a slow trickle of decent fair has begun to emerge. And while their is nothing really all that interesting at the multiplex, Gomorrah is getting released at places that show foreign films. It looks like a much darker and less glamorous take on the romantic mafioso film that most US theater goers would expect, but that certainly isn’t a bad thing.
DVD releases are pretty weak as well this week, which makes me wonder why some of the titles that were released last week weren’t pushed to this one so they wouldn’t have as much competition. The only recommendation I have is for Punisher: War Zone, which is by no means a good movie, but is a totally ridiculous movie that is worth a rental. Keep on the lookout for when the Punisher punches someone’s face off!
I’ve been wanting to give people a heads up on the various odd or seemingly interesting films that will be coming out in the future with out having to invest too much time in the process. While I watch as many new releases as anyone, the focus of the site is to find movies already released for people to discover. But there are always movies that might fly under the radar, so One to Watch is a simple series devoted to promoting new films that might end up at the end of the long tail.
Picking out a new DVD release was actually somewhat difficult this week, what with the seemingly universally despised Blindness coming out and me having enjoyed it quite a bit. Will I buy it? I don’t know, but I did enter a contest to win a copy of it, so there’s that. But instead of a bleak science fiction film I have gone in a different direction, choosing instead a relatively obscure Thai martial arts film. Now I know, when people think Thai martial arts they may think of Ong Bak or maybe even Tom Yum Goong, but this is a little bit different. Following a young autistic girl (Jeeja Vismistananda) who learns martial arts from watching television, and thus begins a quest of revenge. If you are a fan of as kicking women who totally kick ass, Chocolate is one you should definitely check out.
As for theatrical new releases, it is yet another week of holdovers for Oscar nominees competing against a bevy of new releases. With so many films being released week to week, I am almost under the impression that the studios don’t have much faith in any of them and are just hoping one of them sticks. Then I remember that it is February, and that means that of course studios don’t know what to do with any of these films. Thankfully, there is one film that should be must see for everyone, especially parents of small children, that movie being Coraline. Based on the fantasy book by Neil Gaiman and directed by Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas) this is the best kind of children’s film, a good one. It also has the extra added benefit of being rather scary, though while it should thrill kids it is bound to terrify parents.
But remember parents, just close your eyes and keep telling yourself, “It is only a children’s movie!”
Close circuit to The Edina Theatre employees, after months of waiting Elsa and Fred is finally getting released, on DVD. Which makes the fact a print has been lying around waiting to be shown for over three months now even funnier.
As for other other DVD new releases this week there isn’t much to look at. Henry Poole is Here looks passably interesting, but nothing more, and Igor might be ok at best. Really the only thing worth your time and possibly your money is City of Ember, a solid, if unspectacular, steampunk film that is fun for the whole family. While not a great film by any means, Anna and I both enjoyed it when we saw it in the theatre.
As for theatrical releases this is the second week in a row an Oscar hopeful is being re-released to try and garner votes. This week’s entry? Vicky Christina Barcelona, a wholly unremarkable film except for two great performances by Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz. While Cruz stands a good chance of garnering a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, Vicky Chistina Barcelon’s Golden Globe win for Best Comedy means they think the film might actually get a Best Picture nomination. Which is funny, whereas the actual film is not.
As for true new releases the big release is Defiance, which in the words of a great critic is “Sentimental tacky crap.” Please don’t go see that steaming pile. My Bloody Valentine looks even worse, relying on the cheap gimmick of being in 3-D to try and boost ticket sales. No, the one film that people should try and get out to this weekend in the Twin Cities is playing exclusively at The Uptown Theatre, Che. For one week only you get to see both Part One and Two for a single admission price, so be sure to head over to the theatre to watch the film, and make sure to tell the staff The Star Tribune blows for taking cheap shots at The Uptown and its staff this past weekend.
Finally a week in which I have plenty of options to choose from! The last several have left me grasping at straws in order to supply even a halfway decent recommendation, both DVD releases and theatrical releases are giving me a few options to pass on.
In theaters this week is the latest work of genius from Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York, which I’m sure will leave everyone scratching their heads while simultaneously praising it. So you know, a typical Charlie Kaufman film, only this time on a far grander scale.
As for DVD releases I had a bit more of a struggle in trying to choose which film to recommend. As you can probably imagine Hellboy II: The Golden Army was calling to me, but while I loved Hellboy II, I have instead decided to go in another direction and select a film I haven’t seen yet, and no one else has either. This particular film has taken seven years to make, and is just beginning to make a run as a midnight movie here in the US, and for those of you living in the Minneapolis metro area, you will be able to see it at The Uptown Theatre on November 22nd. It should be a great midnight show, so hopefully you will be in attendance. But for those of you who can’t wait, The Flaming Lips: Christmas on Mars will be released on DVD this Tuesday.
Entries (RSS)