District 9 – I thought this was one of the best movies of the year. Set in South Africa, the story is about a group of aliens who are setup in refugee camps. A wimpy man is in charge of moving the group from one part of South Africa to another. It does not go smoothly. I don’t want to say too much about the plot of the film, because the less you know, the better, but the film has a cool style, and is a lot of fun. This is the must own of the week
500 Days of Summer – This is also a must-have DVD. The story is about a man who dates a girl named Summer for 500 days, and you see their relationship unfold, out of order. It is a great date film, and gives a unique take on the romantic comedy. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are outstanding in the film.
All About Steve – Sandra Bullock has had quite the year with The Proposal and The Blind Side, but I’m sure she would like to forget about this film that came out in September. She plays an obsessed woman trying to get a man to like her. Critics and audiences avoided this film like the plague.
Extract – Mike Judge latest effort didn’t connect with audiences (it was given a terrible September release), and is about a man who runs an Extract factory, and has to deal with the problems that his co-workers have, as well as his own issues with his wife. From what I’m told it is a darker comedy than what one would expect, but I’m always interested in checking out a Mike Judge film.
Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Dark Side – A sequel to Family Guy’s Blue Harvest, where this time they parody The Empire Strikes Back. What I found disappointing with Blue Harvest was that it just put the Family Guy characters as Star Wars character. There was nothing really funny about it (except Peter Griffin has Han Solo telling Luke Skywalker not to get all penisy instead of cocky). Hopefully there are more jokes in this one.
Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day – I have never watched an episode of the show from start to finish, and I never really got the hype around the show to begin with. The plot of the film deals with Lahey coping with Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles returning to Sunnyvale. It is a lot for Lahey to handle, and the boys also have a plot to get rich after getting out of jail.
It Might Get Loud – This is a documentary that brings together Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin, The Edge from U2, and Jack White from The White Stripes. You see the different styles they all have when it comes to playing a guitar, and of course they have a jam session, where everything comes together. Music lovers will definitely want to check this film out.
American Pie Presents: The Book of Love – Another Direct-To-DVD sequel that Eugene Levy is in (he is the only tie to the American Pie franchise in these films). I loved the American Pie trilogy, but have no interest in the Direct-To-DVD spinoffs.
TV on DVD
The Secret Life of an American Teenager: Volume Three – This series is not liked by critics, but loved by audiences (and is yet another show that I do not watch). For fans of 80’s teenager films, you’ll be happy to know that Molly Ringwald is in this show, and it deals with teenage issues like sex, pregnancy, and maturity. It’s all about growing up!
Until Next Tuesday!
