Scotty G is on a much deserved vacation for the next three weeks so I’ll be filling in for both DVD Tuesdays and Friday’s Box Office Predictions.
Apocalypse Now – Full Disclosure: The motherlode when it comes to one of the greatest films of all time is the definite pick of the week. Francis Ford Coppola’s brilliant film about Viet Nam, inspired by Joseph Conrad’s Heart Of Darkness, makes its debut on Blu-Ray in an essential collection that features the 1979 original, the 2001 Redux which featured nearly an hour of new footage, and Hearts Of Darkness, the 1991 documentary about the making of the film by Coppola’s wife. Throw in hours of extras both new and from the previous DVD release and you have the definitive statement on what may be the director’s masterpiece, and this is coming from someone who reveres The Godfather.
Predators: The stench of those awful Alien Vs Predator films has been wiped away by this Robert Rodriguez produced reboot that features a bunch of hardcases marooned on an unknown planet where they’re hunted down for sport by you-know-who. A buffed-up and surprisingly badass Adrien Brody leads a stellar cast through a film that, while a little too faithful to the structure of the original 1987 flick, packs enough action to reinvigorate the franchise.
Giallo: A double dose of Adrien Brody this week, as he stars in horror auteur Dario Argento’s 2009 thriller about a serial killer in Italy known as “Yellow” who abducts foreign women in his taxi cab. Hence the nickname. Argento reportedly didn’t like the final cut his producers made and has distanced himself from the film, which might make you pause before checking it out.
Mirrors 2: Great news for everybody whose been clamouring for a sequel to the original Mirrors. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left wondering “there was a Mirrors 1?”
Please Give: I’ve never heard of this particular film, but apparently it’s “dazzling, uproarious, rare and remarkable”. Wow. Please Give stars Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet and Oliver Platt in the story of a couple who own a furniture store that purchase the apartment next to there’s. I’m guessing hilarity ensues. Ok, I’m coming off a little too sarcastic here. Keener is never less than great and the reviews for the film have been legitimately strong so Please Give could be worth checking out if you’re in need of a laugh.
Oceans: Released by Disneynature this past Earth Day, Oceans takes you into the deep blue sea for an in-depth look at the animals that live there. If you’re picking this one up, make sure you grab the Blu-Ray, as there’s really no better way to view any sort of nature documentary than in HD.
TV Shows On DVD:
The Bionic Woman Season 1
The Real L Word
See you next Tuesday!
