New to Blu Ray DVD the Last Few Weeks (July 12, July 15, July 19, July 26)

Released July 12, 2011

The Lincoln Lawyer

Rated: R

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei and Ryan Phillippe

Director: Brad Furman

Synopsis from IMDB: A sleazy defense attorney has a crisis of conscience when he represents a wealthy client who has a foolproof plan to beat the system.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take: Typically I’ll dismiss any movie where Matthew McConaughey recieves top billing, but the critical success of this film has peaked my interests enough to warrant it a rental (not to mention the ageless beauty that is Marisa Tomei).

Insidious

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne and Ty Simpkins

Director: James Wan

Synopsis from IMDB: A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take: I’m a sucker for a good horror movie, and I hear despite Insidious’s PG-13 rating, it is so far the years best and scariest.  My growing interest in Patrick Wilson also gives this film a boost, and despite The Lincoln Lawyer being the most acclaimed of this week’s releases, I vote Insidious as this week’s rental recommendation.

July 15, 2011

Rango

Rated: PG

Starring: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher and Timothy Olyphant

Director: Gore Verbinski

Synopsis from IMDB: Rango is an ordinary chameleon who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt, a lawless outpost in the Wild West in desperate need of a new sheriff.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take: I have to be in the right mood for an animated film, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about Rango.  That being said, I’ll probably add this to my Netflix queue, though I’m sure it will be there for a while.

Arthur

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Russell Brand, Helen Mirren and Jennifer Garner

Director: Jason Winer

Synopsis from IMDB: A drunken playboy stands to lose a wealthy inheritance when he falls for a woman his family doesn’t like.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take: I’m just not sure about this film.  While the original was a great comedy, I find this to be an unecessary remake with a few actors I don’t particularly care for.  Still, the marketing did a good job making this film appear to be genuine and well-scripted.  Helen Mirren is also a plus.  I’ll probably give this one a try in the near future.

July 19, 2011:

Limitless

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Anna Friel and Abbie Cornish

Director:  Neil Burger

Synopsis from IMDB: A writer discovers a top-secret drug which bestows him with super human abilities.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take: I seem to recall being interested in this movie when it was released in theaters but can’t recall what prevented me from seeing it.  Still, now that it is on home video I’ll definitely give it a look.

Take Me Home Tonight

Rated: R

Starring: Topher Grace, Anna Faris and Dan Fogler

Director: Michael Dowse

Synopsis from IMDB: Follow an aimless college grad who pursues his dream girl at a wild Labor Day weekend party. He, his twin sister and their best friend struggle with their burgeoning adulthood over the course of the night.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take: A cast full of names that haven’t fully lived up to their potential, Take Me Home Tonight seems to be yet another disappointment for Topher Grace, Anna Farris, and Dan Fogler.  While the reception seems to echo that sentiment, I’ve seen enough glimpses of goodness from each of these actors to at least give this movie a shot.

July 26, 2011

The Source Code

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga

 Director: Duncan Jones

Synopsis from IMDB: An action thriller centered on a soldier who wakes up in the body of an unknown man and discovers he’s part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take: I’ve heard nothing but good things about this film and am disappointed I wasn’t able to catch it during its theatrical run.  Still, my reward is saving a few bucks and enjoying it in the comfort of my own home.  This will be near the top of my Netflix queue.

Trust

Rated: R

Starring: Clive Owen, Catherine Keener and Liana Liberato

 Director: David Schwimmer

Synopsis from IMDB: A teenage girl is targeted by an online sexual predator.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take: I remember seeing this trailer when Chris posted it for an opening this week.  I really like the cast for this film and look forward to watching it.  As and aside, I was pretty shocked to write David Schwimmer in as the film’s director.

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Brandon Routh, Anita Briem and Sam Huntington

Director: Kevin Munroe

Synopsis from IMDB:

The adventures of supernatural private eye, Dylan Dog, who seeks out the monsters of the Louisiana bayou in his signature red shirt, black jacket, and blue jeans.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take: I passed on Dylan Dog in theaters solely because of its poor critical reception.  I’ve really been rooting for Brandon Routh after his disappointing departure following Superman Returns and look forward to seeing this on DVD/Blu Ray.  Hopefully I enjoy the film more than others clearly have.

Opening This Week (28 Mar – 3 Apr, 2011)

Even with all the negative buzz about Sucker Punch, I expected it to top the box office this past weekend. However, it was outdone by Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules. Still, both of them sputtered around this weekend, Wimpy Kid made $24 million and Sucker Punch made $19 million. Limitless took third place with $15 million. We definitely have an eclectic bunch of films coming out this weekend, but this week there is a treasure trove of limited releases that might be worth checking out as well.

Source Code

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright

Director: Duncan Jones

Synopsis from IMDB: An action thriller centered on a soldier who wakes up in the body of an unknown man and discovers he’s part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: I was hesitant to be interested in this film. I am not a huge fan of Jake Gyllenhaal, that might be because my fiance is, but that is beside the point. While it looked like a cool concept, it also looked a lot like Deja Vu. Also, I hadn’t seen a full length trailer until just now either. I had seen the frenetic tv bits of explosions and looks of sad sack desperation that Gyllenhaal has mastered, so I was skeptical. But the full length trailer is pretty solid and it is directed by Duncan Jones, who wrote and directed 2009’s Moon, which was a great film. This will be his second full length feature and the early reviews have been positive (currently 86% on RT) so this is probably a safe bet this weekend.

Hop

Rated: PG

Starring: Russell Brand, James Marsden, Gary Cole, Elizabeth Perkins

Director: Tim Hill

Synopsis from IMDB: E.B., the Easter Bunny’s teenage son, heads to Hollywood, determined to become a drummer in a rock ‘n’ roll band. In LA, he’s taken in by Fred after the out-of-work slacker hits E.B. with his car.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: While James Marsden usually does better in comedic roles, this isn’t really what I had in mind. Plus, Russell Brand is just a grating british accent when you take away his continual string of vulgar humor. Throw in the words, “From the Director of Alvin and the Chipmunks” and you can guarantee I’ll be staying away from this one. While I might not be excited about this film, I know people who love animated cute furry animals are, so if that is your thing, this could be the movie for you this weekend.

Insidious

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Ty Simpkins

Director: James Wan

Synopsis from IMDB: A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: It has been a little while since there was a decent horror film, but based on the cast and people involved with this project, I am mildly optimistic. James Wan hasn’t done a whole lot for the horror genre since he gave us the first Saw film, but that became the gift that kept on giving. I hope that this film is more focused and finished than that, but I will probably wait for DVD for this one.

Limited Releases

Super

Rated: Unrated

Starring: Rainn Wilson, Liv Tyler, Ellen Page, Kevin Bacon

Director: James Gunn

Synopsis from IMDB: After his wife falls under the influence of a drug dealer, an everyday guy transforms himself into Crimson Bolt, a superhero with the best intentions, though he lacks for heroic skills.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: My first thoughts about this were that it looked exactly like Kick-Ass, but with a higher billed cast. I watched the trailer though and found myself chuckling quite a bit. Unfortunately, since this is a limited release, I will probably have to wait for Netflix. While Rainn Wilson does look funny in this film, I still am not sure about his ability to anchor an entire movie. Fortunately, this time around he has some better talent surrounding him than his last starring venture, The Rocker.

Rubber

Rated: R

Starring: Stephen Spinella, Jack Plotnick, Wings Hauser, Roxane Mesquida

Director: Quentin Dupieux

Synopsis from IMDB: When Robert, an inanimate tire, discovers his destructive telepathic powers, he soon sets his sights on a desert town; in particular, a mysterious woman becomes his obsession.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: Yes, you read that synopsis correctly. No, you were not hallucinating when you were watching that trailer. This is a movie about a murderous, telekinetic tire. The trailer for this film started making tracks (pun intended) several months ago, circulating in movie forums like Reddit, usually with the headline, “Is this a joke?” To tell you honestly, I am still not sure. I mean, it is being released in theaters on April Fools Day, but I hope so much that it is for real because this movie looks subversively hilarious.

Trust

Rated: R

Starring: Clive Owen, Catherine Keener, Noah Emmerich

Director: David Schwimmer

Synopsis from IMDB: A teenage girl is targeted by an online sexual predator.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: I’m really glad that I don’t really have to see David Schwimmer’s face anymore. His first directorial feature, Run Fatboy Run, was a comedy, he stuck with what he knows and he didn’t do half bad, making me like him much more behind the camera than in front of it (not that that was difficult). Now, he is stepping into unfamiliar territory with Trust and it is doing really well with critics and was an official selection at a couple of Film Festivals. I am intrigued by the premise, hopefully going away from the overwrought tone of most predatory films and delving into the ripple effect it creates in the lives of those it involves.

Wrecked

Rated: R

Starring: Adrien Brody, Caroline Dhavernas, Ryan Robbins, Jacob Blair

Director: Michael Greenspan

Synopsis from IMDB: A man trapped in a car wreck at the bottom of a ravine must overcome incredible odds to survive.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: This film looks like a mix of Buried, Alive and Unknown. I like Adrien Brody, except when he is pretending to be an action hero, so hopefully this will recover him from that. I am on the fence about this one, but it might be worth checking out.

In a Better World

Rated: R

Starring: Mikael Persbrandt, Trine Dyrholm, Ulrich Thomsen, Markus Rygaard

Director: Susanne Bier

Synopsis from IMDB: The lives of two Danish families cross each other, and an extraordinary but risky friendship comes into bud. But loneliness, frailty and sorrow lie in wait.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: In a Better World was the Academy Award Winner for Best Foreign Language Film and it is now getting a limited release in U.S. theaters. It looks like a pretty intense view of a long distance family and is probably worth viewing on Netflix, or it might be available On Demand.