In 2009, audiences were introduced to The Hangover, a raunchy Frat Pack-esque comedy about a small group of men who overdo it when they celebrate one of their own’s bachelor party in Las Vegas. With a crew consisting of Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha, insane hijinks and ridiculous R-rated debauchery ensue. After the film’s enormous success, a sequel was eventually more than likely to be made and that is the subject of this review. The Hangover Part II is now out in a nifty Blu-ray/DVD/digital copy combo pack and what a perfect stocking stuffer it is for the holiday season.
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Frontline: Faith & Doubt at Ground Zero
Spirituality and religion are elements many people in the world possess. The idea that there is something out there bigger than ourselves is fascinating and helps people cope with the difficulty and pain that often come with life. PBS and Frontline have put together Faith & Doubt at Ground Zero, a truly insightful and thought-provoking documentary which sheds light on the spiritual and religious activity surrounding 9/11. This wonderful program is now out on DVD and it is truly enlightening and certainly worth your time.
The Adventures of Tintin: Season One
The character of Tintin has been around for many decades-as early as 1929. He was originally featured in a series of comic books created by Belgian artist Georges Remi (a.k.a Herge) and Tintin’s fictional adventures have been well-documented ever since in a variety of mediums, from books, magazines, radio programs, theater productions, film, and for purposes of this review, television series. The Adventures of Tintin was the second animated series to feature Tintin and ran for three seasons starting in 1991. Season one has just been released on DVD in a “subtle” way to help promote Steven Spielberg’s upcoming motion capture Tintin film.
The Crow
What happens when Batman, the wrestler Sting and Edward Scissorhands all have a love child together? You get one hell of a cool superhero film. The film I’m talking about is The Crow and if you have overlooked this gritty crime thriller in the past, then I highly recommend giving it a try now. It’s out on Blu-ray and digital copy and it would be the perfect stocking-stuffer for your Goth/alternative significant other.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
Christmas and thriller. These two words are typically not used together but Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, directed by Jalmari Helander, has attempted to make the words compatible. The movie begins in the Finnish mountains, where we see a conversation between a driller and the benefactor of what appears to be an expedition. The driller says that they found some sawdust in the mountain, something that obviously doesn’t exist inside a mountain. At this point, the benefactor demands that the crew must keep drilling and gives the driller rules to follow as he continues his work. A closer examination shows these are basic rules for any one good person to follow, such as not to swear and make sure to wash behind his ears. The camera pans out to show that two children are spying on the drillers: Pietari, our protagonist and his friend Jusso. Pietari, our very young protagonist makes a very educated and seemingly random guess that the drilling has something to do with Santa Claus. After this opening scene, shots during the opening credits show us that Santa Claus was in fact, evil and that over time the folklore has evolved to what we know Santa Claus to be now.
The Howling Reborn
Werewolf movies have a long and hairy past. Ever since Universal’s golden age of horror cinema, unfortunate individuals who get bitten by Lycans transform into snarling beasts and terrorize hapless victims all under the eerie glow of a full moon. The topic of werewolves has been a successful entity over the years in film and now yet another movie has been released to further showcase these nasty monsters. That film I’m referring to is a direct-to-Blu-ray reboot of the 80’s horror franchise The Howlingand it is called The Howling Reborn.
Devil’s Playground
The zombie genre has been done and redone and just seems to be producing the same stuff again and again. This movie is no different. Devil’s Playground is directed by Mark McQueen and stars Craig Fairbrass as Cole, our heroic protagonist. Cole is that tough Jason Statham like dude that all the zombies are scared of. A chemical company creates a zombie clan with a new drug. You can actually tell who the zombies are in this movie because of the large and apparent dark veins coming out of the zombie’s bodies. Chaos ensues in an England town as the zombies run rampant, big and eating the flesh of the commoners.
Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On
Pop diva Bette Midler (a.k.a. The Divine Miss M) has enjoyed a long successful career in a wide array of mediums most notably on stage. She has a wonderful stage presence and is liked by many. Her three-year Las Vegas show The Showgirl Must Go On which began in February of 2008 and ended in January of 2010 featured many songs that the performer made popular including “From a Distance” and “Wind Beneath My Wings”. Now, The Showgirl Must Go On is out on Blu-ray so fans of Midler’s can rejoice and enjoy her show in crystal-clear high definition.
The Lion King: Diamond Edition
Hakuna Matata, what a wonderful phrase! Now thatThe Lion King: Diamond Edition is out on Blu-ray and DVD, you will probably be singing the classic film’s delightful tunes in the shower all over again. And if the first time around was any indication, the Disney merchandising mills and t-shirt printing presses will be primed and ready to ride the second wave of Lion King madness! Originally released in 1994, Disney’s The Lion King was met with enormous praise both critically and commercially. During its initial run and its subsequent re-releases, the film has made a whopping total of over $800 million worldwide. It is the highest grossing hand-drawn animated film of all time and its legacy is still being honored through a very successful show on Broadway, two sequels, piles of merchandise and a TV spinoff. It is obvious that The Lion King’s influence is strong and a recent 3D reissue coinciding with the release of the Blu-ray/DVD Diamond Edition reinforces that fact.
40 Days and 40 Nights
Once upon a time in the early 2000s, the tall and lean heartthrob Josh Hartnett had a relatively promising film career. He made a splash in the late 90s with the popular horror films Halloween H20 andThe Faculty. He then continued into the 21st century with the military blockbusters Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down. He seemed to be destined for even more success but once he branched off into comedy, he kind of ran out of steam. One of the films that derailed him was 2002’s 40 Days and 40 Nights, a lackluster romantic comedy that proved that Hartnett has zero range as an actor. The film is now out on Blu-ray but seriously, why would you want to punish yourself by buying it?
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