This Week’s Big Releases
DRIVE
Synopsis: Ryan Gosling says nothing but remains awesome and badass. He drives. Carrie Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, and Albert Brooks also star.
Tomatometer Rating: 93%
Special Features: There are a handful of special features on the film’s characters and stunts, as well as an interview with Director Nicolas Winding Refn.
Deals: Target, Best Buy, and Amazon all have the blu-ray combo pack for $19.99.
Buy/Queue/Skip: Why are you still reading this? Why haven’t you ordered this movie? BUY IT.
IN TIME
Synopsis: Time is literally money in this sci-fi film. After being accused of murder and being given a gift of over a century of time, Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) is on the run from Timekeepers and is trying to take down the system. There’s a little bit of the whole #occupy movement in this movie too, which has a great cast lead by Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried. Matt Bomer, Olivia Wilder, Cillian Murphy and Vincent Kartheiser also star.
Tomatometer Rating: 37%
Special Features: There are making of featuettes, deleted and extended scenes and access to the IN TIME: THE GAME app.
Deals: Best Buy and Amazon have the blu-ray combo pack for $19.99.
Buy/Queue/Skip: While this film isn’t great, or even as good as GATTACA, Director Andrew Niccol’s previous sci-fi film for which he’s best known, there are enough nuggets of good concepts and supporting characters that will make me forgive the incessant time puns and Amanda Seyfried’s attempts to look edgy with a bob and eyeliner. QUEUE IT.
Also Available This Week
The recent THE THING remake/prequel (Read Mel’s review),
THE BIG YEAR and the not so good movie with the usually good cast DREAM HOUSE (Read Mel’s review).
Also available are TEXAS KILLING FIELDS with Sam “on a ledge with the worst accent ever” Worthington and THE DOUBLE with Richard Gere. Look for our reviews of both of these films later this week.
For all the robot fans out there, TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON get a legitimate release this week when it becomes available in 3D. Rather than the previous bare bones edition, this version includes a whole host of special features.
Since we’re in the midst of awards season, the studios are getting Oscar contenders and winners (for better or worse) out there, releasing previous winners like ADAPTATION, THE PIANO, FRIDA, >a href=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0064MT1LM>COLD MOUNTAIN, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE and THE ENGLISH PATIENT on blu-ray for the first time.
If you’re in the mood for something come substantial and thought provoking, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (50th Anniversary Edition) is available and is as beautiful as it ever was.
Manny’s Pick
My pick this week is DRIVE. We at VeryAware have been gushing about this movie since we saw it at the LA Film Festival last summer and it is an utter travesty that this film, which made all of our, as well as many other critics, Best of 2011 lists, received virtually zero recognition from the Academy this year, which to me, proves that the only part of the Oscars worth watching any more are the red carpet arrivals. Get a toothpick and watch it with friends.
See you next week!
