New to Blu-Ray/DVD this Week (March 8, 2011)

Jackass 3

Rated: R

Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O and Bam Margera

Director: Jeff Tremaine

Synopsis from IMDB:  Johnny Knoxville and company return for the third installment of their TV show spin-off, where dangerous stunts and explicit public displays rule.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take:  I guess now that this film is not in theaters anymore they dropped the “D” and are just calling it Jackass 3.  Without that added gimmick of 3D there isn’t much attracting me to see this movie right away, in fact I wasn’t that interested when I could see it in 3D.  I’m sure some of the stunts will be entertaining and the pranks could be funny but after 12 years of seeing these guys on-screen and on MTV since the first CKY came out, their once unique brand of humor is starting to wear thin.

Morning Glory

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton

Director: Roger Michell

Synopsis from IMDB: An upstart television producer accepts the challenge of reviving a struggling morning show program with warring co-hosts.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take:  I consider morning talk television to be sensationalized stories and banter that no one really cares enough about to watch when better programming is on.  Morning Glory appears to be exactly that, except on film.  With a $31 million gross it appears that I’m not the only person who feels this way.  However a 54% on Rotten Tomatoes, while not great, is much higher than expected. 

The Next Three Days

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks and Liam Neeson

Director: Paul Haggis

Synopsis from IMDB: A married couple’s life is turned upside down when the wife is accused of a murder.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take: I really do not know what to think about this film, which is probably why I didn’t make it to the theaters when it was released.  A 7.4 rating on IMDB, Paul Haggis as writer/director, and Liam Neeson all appear to be the elements of a very good film, but a %50 rating on Rotten Tomatoes is perplexing.  Also, while I’m not a huge fan of Russell Crow he does occasionally impress me and this seems like the type of role I might enjoy him in.  Of all the films released on DVD/Blu-Ray this week, this is the one that interests me most.

Inside Job

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Matt Damon, William Ackman and Daniel Alpert

Director: Charles Ferguson

Synopsis from IMDB: Takes a closer look at what brought about the financial meltdown.

Pac’s Take: Given the fact that I paid $3.50 for gas today and I’m privileged enough to live where gas is relatively cheap, this documentary about the U.S. financial meltdown would probably just infuriate me.  Aside from that displeasure all signs point to this being a great film.  Certified fresh with a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but probably best to watch on payday (if you’re lucky enough to have one).

Every Day

Rated: R

Starring: Carla Gugino, Liev Schreiber and Helen Hunt

Director: Richard Levine

Synopsis from IMDB: A comedy about a New York City couple (Schreiber and Hunt) in romantic crisis.

Pac’s Take: Though the description lists it as a romantic comedy, this film appears to be more of a family drama about a man’s mid-life crisis.  I consider Carla Gugino to be a very underrated actress (though her newest box office release Elektra Luxx is even more critically panned), and Liev Shreiber has good acting ability, just not good ability in choosing films.  The film is not marketed for my demographic and with a %41 on Rotten Tomatoes, it is one that I may catch out of convenience but not out of desire. 

Opening This Week (Oct 11 – 17, 2010)

This week boasts only two wide release films and a spattering of limited releases. From what I can see, this is probably one of the weakest weekends for wide releases that will come this Fall. While these films may not be entirely bad, I don’t see either of these being given anything special come awards season, especially Jackass.

RED (Oct 15, 2010) #1 Recommendation for this Weekend

Rating: PG-13

Starring: Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman

Director: Robert Schwentke

Plot Summary from IMDB: When his idyllic life is threatened by a high-tech assassin, former Black Ops agent Frank Moses reassembles his old team in a last ditch effort to survive.

Chris’ Take: I am sure this movie will be good and humorous and if I saw it, I am sure I would laugh, but I think this is almost just a little too trite for my tastes and that ultimately it will be forgotten in a week or so. Since there are only two wide releases this week, this is the one I would recommend, but it is not necessarily one I would rush out to see.

Jackass 3D (Oct 15, 2010) Monday Movie

Rating: R

Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, Jason Acuna

Summary from RT: Johnny Knoxville and his buddies are up to their daredevil comic antics again. And this time they’re coming at ya in 3D.

Chris’ Take: I don’t know what to say about this one. This will no doubt be another humorous outing by the cast of Jackass, but this looks to be the biggest waste of 3D that I have ever seen. At least the gang acknowledges that and they have no qualms about being just plain ridiculous and they are definitely out to just have fun. Critically I can’t recommend this over RED, so it gets the #1 film to avoid this week, but this will be the Monday movie next week and I just hope that I at least gets some of my money’s worth. The “high five” trick did look hilarious.

LIMITED RELEASES

Conviction (Oct 15, 2010)

I may be one of the few, but I can’t stand Hilary Swank. Maybe it is just her brand of acting, maybe it is her face, maybe it is the twang in her voice, but whatever it is I cringe when she comes on screen. Conviction is about a sister (Hilary Swank) whose brother (Sam Rockwell) is convicted of a crime that she thinks he didn’t commit and she devotes her life to becoming a lawyer to prove his innocence. Aside from Swank’s presence, this might be appealing, especially with Sam Rockwell co-starring and Tony Goldwyn directing. The early reviews have been mixed, but this might be worth a rental come DVD release.

Down Terrace (Oct 15, 2010)

This film sounds like something similar to Sidney Lumet’s Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, except it centers around a father and son instead of two brothers. Father and son, Bill and Karl (played by real life father and son Bob and Robin Hill) are the centers of a crime family whose lifestyle is threatened when an estranged girlfriend show’s up claiming to be carrying Karl’s baby. I think this would be my recommendation for a limited release this week based on its strong early reviews and the intriguing plot line.

Let me know what movies you are going to see and why in the comments!