Small Screen Surprises - The Week In Releases

Small Screen Suprises – The Week in Releases

Week Beginning 22^nd April
As we said in our news, we’re relaunching our DVD review section with an upgraded look. Two new features we intend to focus on are – ‘Release of the Week’, which looks at the most popular release on disc from the last week, and ‘One For The Collection’, which looks at a new release that we personally recommend getting. We’ll be making our DVD reviews shorter to accommodate a larger range soon enough – we hope you agree! For now, we hope you enjoy this week's DVD releases - reviewed. 

Release Of The Week:

Jack Reacher (DVD/Blu-ray)

Released: 22^nd April

Rating: 6/10

Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie

Starring: Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, Werner Herzog, David Oyelowo, Robert Duvall
Written by: Christohper McQuarrie

Lots and lots of extremely slick violence and a thriller set to entertain in the evening.

Tom Cruise does his usual big-movie action hero work here; a prototype in the genre. Cruise, as usual, committed to stunts – he performed the major driving sequence himself. His performance is the stand-out reason this film is worth a watch – it’s not the greatest thriller, but it’s slick and it’s sexy and it works like a charm if you just want to sit back and relax. The film is an adaptation of the novels of Lee Child. Jack Reacher (Cruise) is an expert in hand to hand combat, surveillance, driving… Well, anything related to catching bad guys. He’s an ex-military cop with an axe to grind.

Jack Reacher helps out Helen (Rosamund Pike) who strongly believes that her client’s assumed actions of shooting five innocents dead in cold blood is not all that it seems. As Reacher investigates further, the conspiracy starts to unravel.

Cruise’s biggest challenge with the role? Jack Reacher is 1.96 m with blue eyes and dirty blond hair. Cruise clocks in at around a reported 1.7m with his classic trademark brown hair. He was worried about measuring up the character’s impressive physique – we’ll join the long list of people who say he did the role justice.

Jack Reacher is the ultimate anti-hero – a man without limits, with extraordinary skill and with an unparallel focus.

Disc Extras: All the standard fare – commentary, etc.

One For The Collection:

Reservoir Dogs (Collector’s Edition)

Released: 22^nd April

Rating: 7.5/10

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen

Written by: Quentin Tarantino

It’s gory, it’s pulp and it’s classic Tarantino.

The debut feature film of the great Quentin Tarantino (“Pulp Fiction”, “Jackie Brown”, “Kill Bill: Vol 1” “Kill Bill: Vol 2”, “Inglourious Basterds” and “Django Unchained”). You know who we’re talking about, don’t you? 

All the hallmarks of Tarantino are present in this film – watching his films back, you’ll see a lot in “Reservoir Dogs”.

The narrative is simple but explosive; it set the standard for several heist movies and a large chunk of the genre to follow. A group of strangers, using names such as Mr Blue, are assembled to pull off the greatest diamond heist. When the heist goes wrong and turns into a bloodbath of an ambush, the hardened criminals then have to find out who leaked the details. The film is most notable for Tarantino, but also for the spectacular performances of some of the actors, namely Keitel and Roth.

All the techniques from Tarantino are present; film noir style, a non-linear narrative, lots of gratuitous violence, underuse of close ups and a fair dose of black humour. And a lot of swearing. Tarantino’s classic use of using contemporary songs with few made-for-the-score selection began here.

It’s not an easy film to stomach, and when it premiered at Sundance, it was compared to an oncoming train – there’s no better analogy for it.

Disc Extras: A whole heap (and technically, the reason that we recommend this so highly and it’s reason for the re-release on DVD). Let’s take a look at the list:

Commentary with Tarantino (provides great insight into his process)

Profiling the Reservoir Dogs – A compiled profile taking you through Mr Brown, Mr Blue and all the strangers.

Tipping Guide – A guide to tipping, like a Dog.

Playing It Fast and Loose – A behind the scenes documentary about the effects that the film has had on contemporary cinema

Others:

Reservoir Dogs Style Guide/Dedications/Deleted Scenes/Original Interviews/An Introduction to Film Noir/Tarantino’s Film-Maker lab.
Critic’s Commentaries/Securing the Shot/Pulp Factoid Viewer

The Family Guy Trilogy – Laugh It Up, Fuzzball (Blu-ray/DVD)

Released: 22^nd April

Rating: 6/10
Directors: Dominic Polcino, Peter Shin

A hilarious treat for everyone involved… Well, for any fans of Star Wars (so a large part of movie going audiences) and/or a fan of Family Guy. Picture quality is great, the laugh-a-minute gags on this infamous cartoon look stunning on Blu-ray players too. The spoofs have been around for awhile now, but it’s all collected in one easy place now. A great comedic bash of a send-up of the Star Wars films – if you haven’t seen it before but like Family Guy, we implore you – buy this set! It’s not just Star Wars that Family Guy send up in this – there’s a fair few pop culture references in there for you to chuckle and spit out your drink too! (Don’t watch if easily offended). They say you can never account for taste and the shock gags and sometimes the oft-ridiculous parodies may grate on some nerves – some even fall flat on their face. 

Disc Extras: A digital copy of the film to take with you as you go. Extras including scenes to watch, how the series is put together. A ‘behind-the-scenes’ documentary. There’s also a bonus episode.

But you didn't hear that from us,

The Mr and the Misses

This Week's DVD Releases - 15-22nd April

Pitch Perfect (2012)

'Aca-scuse me?!'

DVD/Blu-Ray

Release Date: 15/04/2013

Directed by: Jason Moore
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Adam DeVine - with John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks
Written by: Kay Cannon

Rating: 6.5/10

A film that is so terrible with plot, it could bother not to have one. The saving grace?

It's utterly hilarious.

Your standard musical farce comedy about the maturing of a group of budding students  - their illustrious leader (notoriously mocked in the film for a visual spectacle at last year's Championship), Aubrey (played by Anna Camp) is relentless in her pursuit to keep things traditional and conservative - to stop the process and revert back to what she idealises the group as. Anna Kendrick plays the new comer Becca, who throws everything into turmoil and helps all the characters, including herself, reinvent themselves.

The film's shining star though? Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy. Not only are there great comic moments throughout, but Wilson's timing is impeccable and her performance is side ripping hilarious. The songs will have you tapping and singing along, wanting to join the Bellas in their quest for a win at the Acapella championships. If you want a laugh or like musicals, this one is a do-not-miss.

Seven Psycopaths (2012)

Released 15/04/2013

DVD/Blu-Ray

Directed by: Martin McDonagh
Starring: Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken, Tom Waits, Abbie Cornish, Olga Kurylenko
Written by: Martin McDonagh

Rating: 7/10

A brilliant film by Martin McDonagh, which sees him reunite with Colin Farrell from his first feature outing, "In Bruges" (2008). Sure, it has echoes of Tarantino, and in fact, Quentin does some of it better, crisper and sharper. But, still, the film and it's own little world inside the life of Hollywood, is finely crafted, down to a tee.

Marty (Farrell) is a writer with huge writer's block - all he has is a title for his next piece of work 'Seven Psychopaths'. It's a great send up of self-referential humour and great use of black comedy. Marty's friend, Billy (Sam Rockwell), ends up dognapping a Shih Tzu from the unbalanced gangster Charlie Costello (Woody Harrelson). The underworld of Hollywood then intermeshes with Marty's writing to create an eclectic, offbeat but entertaining mix.

I, Anna (2012)

Released 15/04/2013

DVD

Directed by: Barnaby Southcombe
Starring: Gabriel Byrne, Charlotte Rampling
Written by: Barnaby Southcombe

Rating: 5.5/10

A film that didn't make as much of a splash as some of the feature films, but definitely one worth a second look. Bernie Reid (Gabriel Byrne) is investigating a homicide that leads him to the mysterious Anna (Charlotte Rampling) and a conspiracy that will unravel around them.

A stylish looking neo-noir thriller; another 'lemonade' film.


Classics on Blu-Ray:
A whole slew of old classics have been released onto Blu-ray this week and as always - deserve some love and attention and are all recommended.

Films include: Blade Runner (1982), Dances With Volves (1990), The Color Purple (1985), The Goones (1985), The Empire of the Sun (1985), Casablanca (1942), Ben-Hur (1959), Aladdin (1992), Heat (1995), One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975).. Among many others. A great way to bring back some of the greatest films to ever grace the screen and into your home - and to reintroduce them to a new generation.


Boxsets:

Castle Seasons 1-4

Created by: Andrew Marlowe,
Starring: Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic

Rating: 7/10

Castle has to be one of the most oddball crime dramas that have graced TV over the last few years - but definitely worth a watch. If you're looking for your next box-set and haven't seen Castle, this is it!

Castle stars mystery and crime writer Castle (Nathan Fillion) who, through connections and almost unbridled wealth, becomes part of the NYPD in Kate Beckett's (Stana Katic) homicide squad. The two develop feelings for each other and then spend the majority of the seasons fighting them.

Seasoned fans of Whedon's "Firefly" series (or "Serenity") will love to see Nathan Fillion in fine form as a quick witted writer who always has a quip. The pairing of Fillion and Katic is sublime.

The best parts? Castle's attempts to explain the murders as if they were written in 'pop' fiction by coming up with hilariously un-plausible reasons for their murders.


But you didn't hear it from us,

Mr & Misses