Rhys Ifans plays a flamboyant disc jockey in writer-director Richard Curtis’ “Pirate Radio.”
It’s a slow week for home video, as only one major theatrical release is making its way to the small screen.
Tag Archives: DVD reviews
Video Verdict: ‘An Education,’ ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks 2’
Carey Mulligan received a best actress Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of a teen girl who has an affair with an older man in “An Education.” The film also received Oscar nominations for best picture and best adapted screenplay.
This week’s major video releases include an update of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes character, a children’s movie featuring singing chipmunks and an Oscar-nominated drama about a teen girl who falls for an older man.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘Twilight: New Moon,’ ‘Blind Side,’ ‘The Fantastic Mr. Fox,’ ‘Brothers,’ ‘Men Who Stare at Goats,’ ‘The African Queen’
Kristen Stewart, right, and Robert Pattinson do a lot of sulking in the vampire drama “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.”
This week’s DVD and Blu-ray releases include a Humphrey Bogart/Katharine Hepburn classic, a best picture candidate in the 2009 Oscar race and a pop culture phenomenon that had tweens flocking to theaters just a few months ago.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘Princess and the Frog,’ ‘Armored,’ ‘Ninja Assassin,’ ‘The Fourth Kind,’ ‘Astro Boy,’ ‘Did You Hear About the Morgans?’
Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” is a clever and well-executed riff on a classic fairytale.
It’s a busy week on the home video front, as no fewer than six titles that received wide theatrical releases are making their way into stores. The bad news is that most of these releases are average or worse. The good news is that there’s one shining star: A Disney movie that features old-fashioned, hand-drawn animation, great music and a sweet, sweet story.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘Up in the Air,’ ‘Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,’ ‘Capitalism,’ ‘Planet 51,’ ‘Old Dogs’
Gabourey Sidibi plays Claireece Precious Jones in the Oscar-nominated movie “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.”
Many titles are hitting home video this week, including two films that competed for multiple Oscars during Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘Everybody’s Fine,’ ‘Vampire’s Assistant: Cirque du Freak,’ ‘The Box,’ ‘The Informant!’
Matt Damon plays corporate whistleblower Mark Whitacre in director Steven Soderbergh’s offbeat dramedy “The Informant!”
This week’s video releases cover a lot of territory, with everything from a teen-vampire thriller to a family drama starring Robert DeNiro hitting rental store shelves.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘Law Abiding Citizen,’ ‘Coco Before Chanel’
Gerard Butler, right, and Jamie Foxx, left, star in "Law Abiding Citizen."
It’s a slow week for home video, as a revenge flick starring Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx is the only big-budget movie making its way into rental stores.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘A Serious Man,’ ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife,’ ‘Couples Retreat,’ ‘The Stepfather’
Michael Stuhlbarg plays a troubled college professor in the dark comedy “A Serious Man.” Writers-directors Joel and Ethan Coen were nominated for an Oscar for the movie’s screenplay, and the feature is one of 10 contenders in this year’s best picture race.
This week’s crop of home video releases includes a romantic science-fiction film, a broad relationship comedy, a paint-by-numbers horror flick and a contender for best picture at this year’s Academy Awards.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘Michael Jackson’s This Is It,’ ‘Surrogates,’ ‘Whip It,’ ‘Saw VI’
Ellen Page plays roller derby star Babe Ruthless in Drew Barrymore’s first feature as a director, “Whip It.”
This week’s home video releases include a Bruce Willis action flick, a new entry to the “Saw” franchise and Drew Barrymore’s first feature as a director, but it’s a documentary about late pop star Michael Jackson that leads the pack in terms of both quality and stature.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘Invention of Lying,’ ‘Gamer,’ ‘Whiteout,’ ‘Pandorum’
Gerard Butler doesn’t like the fact that he’s being controlled by a teenage video game nerd in the science-fiction action movie “Gamer.”
Sadly, this week’s major home video releases are all second-tier, but the best of the batch is an offbeat comedy that has comedian Ricky Gervais’ fingerprints all over it.
Filed under Video Verdict
foresthartman.com 