Harry Brown on DVD

 

Think "Death Wish" on a pension.

Don't miss this opportunity to watch Michael Caine kick ass!

Jacket: "... Michael Caine ... stars as Harry Brown, an ordinary, law-abiding citizen who justs wants to quietly live in fear of drug dealers who rule the streets ... and the police offer little protection. When Inspector Alice Frampton (Emily Mortimer) can't convict the thugs who killed Harry's best friend, he decides to take the law into his own hands. Using skills honed as a Royal Marine, Harry begins to serve his own brand of justice - and no one will stop him."

REPO MEN

Jacket: "Remy (Jude Law) and Jake (Forest Whitaker) are best friends and The Union's most dangerous repossession men, reclaiming top-dollar organs when recipients fall behind on their payments. But after an on-the-job accident forces Remy to be outfitted with a top-of-the-line heart replacement, he finds himself in debt and unable to pay.

Now, the hunter becomes the hunted as Jake will stop at nothing to track him down to finish the job."

What a snoozer! I think the funniest scene included the nine-year-old back alley surgeon. Leave this one on the shelf.

When in Rome on DVD

Jacket: "... When Beth, an unlucky-in-love New York curator (Kristen Bell), takes a whirlwind trip to Rome for her sister's wedding, an unexpected crush takes her by surprise. Quickly let down, she defiantly plucks coins from the Fontana de Amore, magically igniting the passions of some comically unsuitable suitors. As a charming reporter (Josh Duhamel) becomes zealously smitten. Beth is skeptical that he's the real deal."

The cheese factor is high on this one. While I avoided its fumes and walked out of the room while this played, my guest stayed on to watch and enjoy it. Go figure. 

the short second life of bree tanner (an eclipse novella) by Stephenie Meyer

 

 
 

This was an entertaining, complementary story to the Twilight saga.

Product description : "Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion."

Clash of the Titans (2010)

There's two hours I'm never getting back! This was a horrible remake of a classic film. And they don't include Bubo the owl! Really? The mythic story of Perseus was completely chewed up (not that the original was completely accurate, but it was so much closer than this) and what was regurgitated is an overly technical, boring, choppy, wanna-be epic action flick that Hollywood pooped out for the pre-teens. Next time they should spend more time on the story and less on the technology. Watch the original film. It's much more entertaining.

The Wolfman on DVD

Jacket: "... Anthony Hopkins and Benicio Del Toro tear up the screen in this action-packed thriller. Lawrence Talbot (Del Toro) is lured back to his family estate to investigate the savage murder of his brother by a bloodthirsty beast.  There, Talbot must confront his childhood demons, his estranged father (Hopkins), his brother's grieving fiancee (Emily Blunt) and a suspicious Scotland Yard Inspector (Hugo Weaving).  When Talbot is bitten by the creature, he becomes eternally cursed and soon discovers a fate far worse than death.

Inspired by the classic Universal film that launched a legacy of horror, The Wolfman brings the myth of a cursed man back to its iconic origins."

As mentioned above, this film is a throwback to the Gothic horror films we watched as kids. The story is a little choppy and can drag at times, but I appreciated the simplicity of it.

From Paris with Love on DVD

Jacket: "James Reece (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), personal aide to the U.S. ambassador to France, is secretly moonlighting as a low-level CIA operative. Looking for more action, Reece accepts a job that teams him with wisecracking special agent Charlie Wax (John Travolta), a trigger-happy loose cannon sent to Paris on a mission of international importance. Now, Reece finds himself on the wildest ride of his life as the new partners pull out all the stops to annihilate the enemy ..."

This was just okay. John Travolta salvages the film with his over-the-top bad-ass character, Charlie Wax. 

Drillbit Taylor: Budget Bodyguard (2008)

Wikipedia: "Drillbit Taylor is a 2008 comedy film starring Owen Wilson as the title character and based on an original idea by John Hughes. The screenplay was written by Kristofor Brown and Seth Rogen. Paramount Pictures released the film on March 21, 2008.  Drillbit Taylor was John Hughes' last movie as a writer before his death on August 6, 2009. He also used his pseudonym, Edmond Dantes, for this film."

I caught this film while recovering from the flu. I'm convinced it was the remedy I needed. Who doesn't like to see foul-mouthed, wise-cracking freshmen misfits, tired of getting crapped on by the school bully, hire a bodyguard ... on a budget. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for ... and they get Drillbit Taylor (Wilson). 

Pandorum

 

Jacket: "It's pitch black on an abandoned ship 500 miles from Earth. For crew members Corporal Bower (Ben Foster) and Lt. Payton (Dennis Quaid) an unflinching vision of terror is about to be unleashed.

... a horrifying descent into madness for a pair of astronauts who wake up in a hyper-sleep chamber, disorientated, with no memory of how they got there. With an unspeakable horror lurking around every corner, the astronauts uncover the terrifying reality that the survival of mankind hinges on their actions. Fear what happens next ..."

I've avoided watching this for quite some time having heard a few bad reviews, so I'll chalk this up to being trapped at home with the flu to finally succumbing to it.  It actually wasn't as bad as I had expected. Granted, the story and themes are blatantly copied from other classic sci-fi films (Aliens, etc).

Ben Foster carries the film. 

Pandorum Trailer

Bright Star (2009)

 

First love burns the brightest

Jacket: "... based on the true story of undying love between renowned poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and his muse Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish).

In the wilds of 19th century England, a forbidden passion draws the two lovers ever closer - even as fate conspires to tear them apart. Bright Star takes you to a world where, though live may be fleeting, great art - and great love - last forever."

How did I miss this extraordinary film in theaters?! Think of your favorite love story in the last decade and then throw it out the window. Bright Star has replaced it!

Planet 51

Jacket: "When Chuck the astronaut (Dwayne Johnson) lands on a distant planet filled with little green people, he is surprised to discover that are not alone in the galaxy.  But he gets the shock of his life when the residents of Planet 51 mistakenly believe that his presence is the start of an alien invasion of the human kind! Luckily, an alien teenager named Lem (Justin Long) quickly realizes that Chuck is friendly and the two blast off on an adventure to try and return Chuck safely to his space ship!"

I was not impressed by the REPEATED Star Wars references. One was slightly funny, two okay, but several?  I know it was to entertain the adult audience, but better effort should have been made in the story itself.

Disney Announces Monsters Inc Sequel

 



You gotta be kidding! I'm really getting tired of the remakes and reboots.