New Releases - June 30, 2009

Hello, and happy Canada Day! I missed reporting on last week's batch of releases, which surely represented the low-point in the current home video slump, because I really couldn't think of any constructive comment on things like 'The Pink Panther 2' and 'Inkheart.' I'll list them at the end of the post for completeness' sake. Thankfully, this week we're back in business with a large number of low-key niche releases that should provide something for everyone.

First, we've got 'Stone of Destiny,' a reportedly charming Scottish indie that did well at the Toronto Film Festival, and has had people asking after it ever since. It might be somewhat scarce on the shelf for a week or two, and good for it. Then there's 'Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li,' and while no moral person would ever tell you that this is a good film, watching a truly awful kung-fu movie is a pleasure I'm sure some of you are no stranger to. Speaking of the sublimely awful, the revered Dr. Uwe Boll's new masterpiece, 'Tunnel Rats,' is ready to erode your faith in mankind. And for those of you who despair the end of the McCarthy witch hunts of the 1950s, we have the long-delayed home video release of 'Michael Moore Hates America,' thank God for that. Back on the bright side, there's 'Iron Maiden: Flight 666,' which I know some people have been asking about, and 'Tokyo!,' another short film triptych in the vein of the runaway success, 'Paris, Je T'Aime.' The last film I'm going to expand on is 'I.O.U.S.A.' which Dave tells me is a must-see. It's a documentary on the American national debt, a fascinating topic simply due to the sheer scale of statistics it produces, I'll be checking it out at the earliest opportunity. Apart from that, there's a smattering of thrillers, actioners, dramas, a TV show starring Danny McBride of the storied Apatowverse, just check the list and you'll probably find something to pique your interest.

New This Week:

12 Rounds



The Betrayed



The Code



Columbus Day



Eastbound and Down



The Exonerated



Flashback



The Human Contract



I.O.U.S.A.



Invasion Iowa



Iron Maiden: Flight 666



Michael Moore Hates America



Stone of Destiny



Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li



Tokyo!



Tunnel Rats



New Last Week:

Confessions of a Shopaholic



Crossing Over



Dragon Hunters



Guns



Inkheart



Pink Panther 2

New Releases - June 16th, 2009

Hi again, another fairly dry week, I know I'm looking forward to feigning ignorance about why everyone's renting 'Powder Blue,' or disguising my bewilderment about why everyone's renting 'Madea Goes to Jail.' We have got 'One Week,' which is one of the most well-recieved Canadian films in recent memory, and 'Friday the 13th' which I've heard is a workable if not spectacular high-class horror offering.

New this week:

Powder Blue



Madea Goes to Jail



One Week



Operation Valkyrie



Jessie Stone: Thin Ice



45 RPM



Friday the 13th



The Cell 2



Direct Contact



Family Guy: Season 7

New Releases - June 9th, 2009

Hi everyone, a couple of heavy hitters this week, first there's "Gran Torino," the highly anticipated and critically acclaimed drama/thriller from Clint Eastwood, who it seems can do no wrong. From all the questions we've had, I know it'll be a big hit on video. Next, there's "The International," possibly the most fortuitously-timed film release since "Collateral Damage" put a firefighter on a trail of revenge against the terrorists that killed his family in early 2002. It's a perfect way to vicariously take your recession-fueled rage all the way to the bank, so to speak. We've also got "Fired Up," which I hear is perfectly adequate at what it does, which is assembling fratboys and cheerleaders in all imaginable configurations, and "Nurse.Fighter.Boy," a potential homegrown hit.

New this week: (Now with IMAGES!)

Gran Torino




The International



The Shield: Season 7



Sunny and the Elephant



Outsourced


Nurse.Fighter.Boy



Nightwatching




Home



Fired Up



Baby on Board

New staff picks

I've decided it's time to refresh my staff picks for the summer months, so check them out if you need to fill up a 3 for 7 deal. The rookie draft is as follows:

Patlabor: The Movie
The release of Mamoru Oshii's "The Sky Crawlers," brought this to mind, an early film of Oshii's and a staple of my late-formative years. This is what would happen if Agatha Christie had written about giant freaking robots. The robots in question, or "Labors" as they're called in the film, have begun occasionally going berzerk and moving on their own, and all the leads trace back to a programmer who seems to have committed suicide just before the crisis started. It's really a detective story at heart, and there's less robot-on-robot combat than you might expect, but the action is always gorgeous and satisfying. The big draw here is the atmosphere, the excellent characterizations, and an awesome high-tech mystery/thriller yarn. A bit dry and overly serious at times, but look past it and you'll find a mostly unsung classic of modern anime.

Sullivan's Travels
I have a special affection for the films of the brilliant american comedy auteur Preston Sturges, famous also for "The Lady Eve" and my favorite, "The Palm Beach Story," and while I'm still working on adding the rest of his deserving filmography to Jumbo's collection, Sullivan's Travels stands out as his signature piece. Sturges is equally comfortable dealing in verbal repartee and riotous slapstick, and both talents are used to their utmost here. A film director decides to abandon his Hollywood ivory tower and travel as a vagrant in order to research his masterpiece, "O Brother, Where Art Thou," a somber filmic tribute to the humble working man. The story plays out in unexpected directions from that simple premise, but it's always fast-paced, enjoyable and satisfying. This is a classic of American comedy the equal of anything from Billy Wilder or Howard Hawks. Be warned though, Sturges is addictive.

The Ice Storm
I just saw this the other week and it completely bowled me over. It's a bit frustrating that this film, an ensemble drama which was released two years prior to and treads precisely the same ground as 'Magnolia,' which spent some time as my favorite film, and 'American Beauty,' a certified modern classic,  received attention so disproportionate with its quality. It's still a mystery to me how Ang Lee has a firmer grasp on the most subtle elements of American culture than almost any other working director. The film's overall theme is a longing for intimacy, and how it relates to sexuality, in both adults and children, and it's bookended by a brilliant interpretation of The Fantastic Four as narrated by a very young Tobey Maguire, and he's just the beginning of a veritable dream cast. There's endless complexity in the nuances of the actors' exchanges, this is a case of an already great script given even more depth and meaning by performances that squeeze every drop out of it. I suspect the film is well-known in certain circles, but simply the fact that Criterion deigned to release it tells me that a lot of people have yet to see it. Don't wait any longer. Makes a great contrast with sweaty summer nights!

Out with the old:

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

The Trial

Following

Dr. Horrible, P.H.D.

Your attention, please.

We now stock Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog for rent.

That is all.