New to Blu Ray DVD the Last 2 Weeks (June 28, 2011 & July 05, 2011)

Released June 28, 2011

  Sucker Punch

Rated: R

Starring: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens and Abbie Cornish

Director: Zack Snyder

Synopsis from IMDB: A young girl is institutionalized by her abusive stepfather. Retreating to an alternative reality as a coping strategy, she envisions a plan which will help her escape from the mental facility.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take: Chris and I both passed on seeing this movie in theaters due to a lot of negative reviews, but given Zack Snyder’s track record and visionary style, it is worth at least a look on Blu Ray.

Season of the Witch

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman and Claire Foy

Director: Dominic Sena

Synopsis from IMDB:14th-century knights transport a suspected witch to a monastery, where monks deduce her powers could be the source of the Black Plague.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take: Nicolas Cage, what else is there to say.  Back with his Con-Air style haircut, this film suffered at the box office due to poor reviews and negative audience feedback.  If you like medieval films or Nicolas Cage then you may want to rent this; I’ll pass.

Barney’s Version

Rated: R

Starring: Paul Giamatti, Rosamund Pike and Jake Hoffman

Director: Richard J. Lewis

Synopsis from IMDB: The picaresque and touching story of the politically incorrect, fully lived life of the impulsive, irascible and fearlessly blunt Barney Panofsky.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take: This is the type of role I like to see Paul Giamatti portray.  Though this is labeled as a drama, there seems to be a lot of comedic elements in the film. Barney’s Version jumps to the top of my queue for this week.

Beastly

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens and Mary-Kate Olsen

Director: Daniel Barnz

Synopsis from IMDB: A modern-day take on the “Beauty and the Beast” tale where a New York teen is transformed into a hideous monster in order to find true love.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take: Though I have a soft spot for Vanessa Hudgens, there is no way I’m seeing this film.  Fortunately for me, Hudgens is in two of this week’s releases so I’ll definitely opt for Sucker Punch instead.

July 5, 2011:

Hobo with a Shotgun

Rated: UR

Starring: Rutger Hauer, Pasha Ebrahimi and Robb Wells

Director: Jason Eisener

Synopsis from IMDB: A homeless vigilante blows away crooked cops, pedophile Santas, and other scumbags with his trusty pump-action shotgun.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take: Hopefully this turned out better than the last fake trailer-turned-movie from Grindhouse.  This is probably worth a viewing, but given it’s nature I’ll have to be in the right mood.

13 Assassins

Rated: R

Starring: Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada and Yûsuke Iseya

Director: Takashi Miike

Synopsis from IMDB: A group of assassins come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take: My list of foreign films to see, especially from the continent of Asia is continuing to grow.  13 Assassins looks like a welcome addition and I’m looking forward to seeing it, hopefully I’ll get to it before the inevitable Hollywood remake.

Of Gods and Men

Rated: R

Starring: Lambert Wilson, Michael Lonsdale and Olivier Rabourdin

Director: Xavier Beauvois

Synopsis from IMDB: Under threat by fundamentalist terrorists, a group of Trappist monks stationed with an impoverished Algerian community must decide whether to leave or stay.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take: This French import looks very well made, and given its accolades I’m sure it is.  It really isn’t my type of fare, however, so I doubt I’ll see it anytime soon.

Bloodrayne: The Third Reich

Rated: R

Starring: Natassia Malthe, Clint Howard and Michael Paré

Director: Uwe Boll

Synopsis from IMDB: Rayne fights against the Nazis in Europe during World War II, encountering Ekart Brand, a Nazi leader whose target is to inject Adolf Hitler with Rayne’s blood in an attempt to transform him into a dhampir and attain immortality

Trailer:

Pac’s Take: A director’s cut of a Uwe Boll film, this is probably all sorts of terrible.

 

 

Opening This Week (03 – 09 Jan, 2011)

Happy New Year, everyone! Several films at the end of the year left hope for things to come in the future (even though the box office numbers may not show it). Anyway, January is a very slow time of the year for films, but every now and then there is something to keep you warm during the dead of Winter. Here are the wide releases for this week:

Season of the Witch

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Stephen Campbell Moore, Claire Foy

Director: Dominic Sena

Synopsis from IMDB: 14th-century knights transport a suspected witch to a monastery, where monks deduce her powers could be the source of the Black Plague.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: Maybe I spoke too soon about hope for the new year. What a depressing way to start off: a new Nicolas Cage film. I don’t know what to make of this premise, and just looking at Cage’s face on screen almost induces vomit. Please, please do not go see this. I don’t want to give anymore money or validity to his sham of a career. If you want to hear more about the Keep Nic off the Screen (KNOTS) Foundation, read this article: https://chrispetersen25.wordpress.com/2010/06/21/5-actors-i-cant-believe-keep-getting-work-1/

Limited Releases

The Time That Remains (Le Temps qu’il Reste)

Rated: Unrated

Starring: Saleh Bakri, Yasmine Haj, Leila Muammar, Elia Suleiman

Director: Elia Suleiman

Synopsis from IMDB: An examination of the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 through to the present day.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: I wouldn’t have guessed the synopsis based on the trailer. The early reviews were good and it won a couple of French awards, so it might be checking out on Netflix, but maybe not the theater.