DVD’s I Bought This Week - March 4

Posted by Brian C. Gibson (brian@filmschoolrejects.com) on March 4, 2008

A wise man once said “It’s not just about seeing Star Wars two weeks before everyone else. You’ve gotta plow through crap like Marie Antoinette and Catwoman as well.” I have the fortune of being able to see all of the films that I want, and find out that they are only worth one viewing (or less) before I would willingly pay for the DVD…and subsequently end up hating myself later. But for every The Whoopee Boys there has to be an Indiana Jones, and because of the great films I am able to put myself further in debt every week.

101 Dalmatians - Platinum Edition

Director: Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wolfgang Reitherman
Cast: Rod Taylor, Betty Lou Gerson, Cate Bauer
Rated: G

Synopsis: A crazy woman named Cruella is bent on using 101 Dalmatian puppies to make a coat.

Special Features: “101 Pop Up Facts For Families”, “101 Pop Up Facts For Fans”, “Music and More”

Why Buy It?: This is easily the most creepy Disney movie ever made, but still a classic. Who would make a coat from dalmatians? Maybe if I were to claim I wanted to make a dalmatian blanket, I could get Pamela Anderson to protest and coax me not to be so cruel. She could then proceed to warm me up in her own special way. Oops, I just made 101 Dalmatians sound dirty.

Formats: Blu-ray, Standard DVD

Into The Wild (Two-Disc Special Collector’s Edition)

Director: Sean Penn
Cast: Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Brian Dierker
Rated: Rated R for language and some nudity.

Synopsis: Wacky college grad burns money, travels to Alaska, listens to some Eddie Vedder tunes…and dies.

Special Features: Into The Wild: The Story, The Characters, Into The Wild: The Experience, Theatrical Trailer

Why Buy It?: This film was not a favorite of FSR, but I personally liked it alot. Almost 18,000 IMDB users cant be wrong by rating this an 8.3. Into The Wild was a surprisingly capable adaptation of John Krakauer’s fantastic novel. The visuals were breathtaking, and this was a very good flick from a strong stable of last year’s films.

Formats: Blu-ray, Standard DVD

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium

Director: Zach Helm
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Jason Bateman
Rated: G

Synopsis: Crazy guy with a crazy store, LSD trip ensues

Special Features:Strangely Weird and weirdly strange: The magical world of a wonder emporium, Supposedly the mind of Zach Helm, An eccentric boss and an awkward apprentice - Featurette, To meet Eric Applebaum start by saying Hi - Featurette, The magical toy store - short, Fun on the set - short, Inside Look – Horton hears a who (select scene), Trailers

Why Rent It?: A great cast, and a cute movie. Just a bit too cute. I have heard that if you turn the sound off and play a Pink Floyd album, you might be too old to watch this. This one might just turn into this generation’s HR Pufnstuf.

Formats: Blu-ray, Standard DVD

Things We Lost In The Fire

Director: Susanne Bier
Cast: Halle Berry, Benicio Del Toro, David Duchovny
Rated: Rated R for drug content and language.

Synopsis: Watch David Duchovny die. Watch Halle Berry cry. Watch Benicio Del Toro get high, and make Halle cry…again.

Special Features: 7 Deleted scenes, Bonus scenes featuring Halle Berry

Why Avoid It?: I was hoping that the celluloid would have been lost in the fire, along with my patience and my mind. I could not pay attention during this movie. It was so emotional, almost for the sake of being emotional. Benicio Del Toro plays a junkie, Halle Berry plays a widow, and David Duchovny plays a heroic father. Can we say Oscar bait? I’m just glad that no one bit.

Formats: Blu-ray, Standard DVD

Awake

Director: Joby Harold
Cast: Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard
Rated: Rated R for language, an intense disturbing situation, and brief drug use.

Synopsis: Darth Vader wakes up during heart surgery to find that his doctors are trying to kill him.

Special Features: Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Jody Harold, Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary, Under The Knife & Behind The Camera: The Making of Awake, Storyboard to Film Comparison, Theatrical Trailer

Why Avoid It?: Other than the fact that the situations in this film are completely implausible, Hayden Christensen has about as much range as Helen Keller in a game of H-O-R-S-E. Zing! Christensen’s scenes with Alba look like he was just asked to French kiss his mom. This also marks another script in 2007 that Terrence Howard didn’t read.

Formats: Blu-ray, Standard DVD

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