Law Abiding Citizen – The highest profile film of the week stars Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx in a cat and mouse thriller. Butler is seeking to exact revenge on those who were responsible not only for the death of his family, but with how little punishment the killers got. Butler ends up being sent to prison, but the targets that Butler has vowed to exact revenge on are still getting killed. It was definitely a divisive film in theatres as audiences either liked it, or really really hated it. Check your brain at the door for this one.
Black Dynamite – Speaking of checking your brain at the door, this film is a homage to the blaxploitation flicks of the 1970’s. Starring Michael Jai White as the hero, he goes out to clean up his town, while making love with the ladies, shooting those who deserve to be shot, and spinning out catchy one-liners left, right, and centre. If the film is as much fun as the trailer, then a good time will be had by all.
Coco Before Chanel – Audrey Tautou stars in this biopic about Coco Chanel from her humble beginnings to her rise where she takes the fashion world by storm. I always thought that this film would do a little better in theatres with the art-house crowd, but it was never a film that critics or audiences got behind to support. Maybe it will find an audience on DVD.
Hunger – This film is one that should find an audience on DVD, as it is extremely acclaimed, and is being released by The Criterion Collection. Hunger is about the last six weeks in the life of Bobby Sands, who led the 1981 IRA Hunger Strike. Actor Michael Fassbender and director Steve McQueen received excellent notices for their work. Apparently some liberties are taken with the story, but it is supposed to be an excellent character piece about how far the body and the mind can be pushed.
Good Hair – This is a documentary about hair. More specifically, this is a documentary about African-American hairstyles, and Chris Rock is your guide through the film. Many famous faces appear throughout the film giving their thoughts on the subject. From what I have read on the film, don’t expect too many hilarious Chris Rock monologues. He does let loose once or twice, but it is not like his stand up comedy.
Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever – A Direct-To-DVD sequel that has almost nothing to do with the original except in name only. Eli Roth is not involved in the sequel to his original either. This time around, a bunch of teenagers at their high school prom get exposed to a killer virus that is part of a very popular brand of bottled water. I’ve read some reviews saying that the horror comedy doesn’t work this time around, and to stick with the original.
Halo: Legends – This film is much like The Animatrix where several top Japanese animation studios tell a short story from the Halo universe. It will be interesting to see if there is a cross between the popularity of the game to the DVD world.
Clint Eastwood – Warner Bros.: 35 Films, 35 Years – For anyone who is a fan of even just a couple of Eastwood’s films; this set is a must-have. The more Eastwood films I see, the more impressed I am of his career. I did not grow up watching Eastwood films, in fact the first Eastwood film I ever saw was Unforgiven, so I was definitely late to the game when it came to his films. What I have seen, I have almost always been in awe of. I just can’t stress enough that this is the MUST purchase of the week.
