This week we’ve got medieval penis jokes, alien genital jokes, and wolves that will probably eat you, but that’s no joke. Let’s get started!
This Week’s Big Releases
YOUR HIGHNESS
Synopsis: Director David Gordon Green brings us a sort of medieval stoner comedy, starring James Franco, Danny McBride, Natalie Portman, Justin Theroux and a plethora of penis jokes.
Tomatometer Rating: 26%
Special Features: Special Features include a commentary with David Gordon Green, Danny McBride, James Franco, and Justin Theroux, a making of documentary, deleted, alternate and extended scenes, and a gag reel.
Deals: Amazon and Best Buy have the blu-ray for $19.99
Buy/Queue/Skip: We were lukewarm about the film, but I’m not as convinced. I think comedy can be more than dick jokes and lady boobs. I’m hoping David Gordon Green’s next movie, THE SITTER, is a little better. If you’re in the mood for some medieval humor, I’d aim for MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, ARMY OF DARKNESS, or the upcoming KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM. SKIP IT.
PAUL
Synopsis: Director Greg Mottola brings together Geek Royalty Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as two nerds on a road trip across the US encounter Paul, a runaway alien, voiced by Seth Rogan. Bill Hader, Jason Bateman, and Kristen Wiig also star.
Tomatometer Rating: 72%
Special Features: Greg Mottola, producer Nira Park, and actors Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Bill Hader provide an audio commentary, making-of and behind the scenes featurettes, a featurette on constructing Paul (the character), and a gag reel.
Deals: Amazon and Best Buy have the blu-ray for $19.99
Buy/Queue/Skip: While this isn’t one of the better Pegg/Frost collaborations, I’d put that more on the script, which feels extra geek pander-y and doesn’t have the same sort of zing that the Wright/Pegg films do. If you can’t wait until the last film in the “blood and ice cream” trilogy comes out, this is worth a QUEUE.
Also Available This Week
James Gunn’s dark superhero comedy SUPER, starring Rainn Wilson, is available, along with one of our favorite documentaries of the year, CAMERMAN: THE LIFE & WORK OF JACK CARDIFF (check out Courtney’s review).
High school comedy classics DAZED AND CONFUSED and FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH are available on blu-ray for the first time.
Disney is also releasing The Fox and The Hound from the vault and coupling it with the sequel that I never knew existed.
Best Buy has some fun blu-rays on sale this week, like TWISTER, NATURAL BORN KILLERS, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and the original MORTAL KOMBAT for eight bucks, and THE MATRIX and ZOMBIELAND for twelve bucks.
Manny’s Pick
My pick for this week is a little out of the ordinary for me, because I am a horrible coward, but it’s FROZEN, a horror movie from director Adam Green. While Green’s more recent films like the two HATCHET films spare no expense in terms of gore, I like that FROZEN is almost a subdued film by comparison. The film centers around a group of friends on a ski trip who are stranded on a lift over a three day weekend and have to figure out how to survive.
What I like about this kind of movie is that it’s real horror, it’s the kind of thing that scares at an elemental kind of level, not the way a maniacal killer with an array of power tools does, which while scary in its own right, to me, the scares come mostly from the impending gore, rather than the killer themselves. Sort of the simplicity of Michael Meyers compared to the more elaborate kills of Freddy or Pinhead. The simple approach appeals to me a bit more.
Check it out on Netflix Watch Instantly
See you next week!
