Joey's DVD Picks of the week (8/2/2011)

This week is one of the larger ones in a while in terms of DVD release quantity, but is it also one in terms of quality? Well, the honest assessment is that it really isn't, though there's more than a few interesting selections out there for the discerning buyer. This is the kind of week where most of the films are specialty indies, so there are some that I haven't seen, making it a little tougher of a rundown than usual. Still, there's enough that I have seen, and I do have a PICK OF THE WEEK all set to go. It's one of the smaller movies this week, but it played decently well at Sundance earlier this year. It's:

The Music Never Stopped

Is it a shamelessly manipulative family drama in the same vein as Awakenings? Yes, but it's still effective enough to get my recommendation. Featuring an excellent lead performance by J.K. Simmons (who all too rarely gets big roles like this) and a strong rock soundtrack, this is flick that lets its strengths outweigh its weaknesses. It's not exactly an amazing film, but it's a nice little movie that is hard to pick on. In a better week (or perhaps if I had seen more), it might have had a stronger challenge, but for now, it's a sufficient top pick that I have no trouble recommending to you.

-Also out are a pair of well liked indie films that I didn't get a chance to see but will be checking out on DVD. First is the mumblecore film noir (yes, that type of film exists) Cold Weather, which some critics raved about. The other flick is the indie horror tale Stake Land. Both have solid reviews to their credit, and I know I'll be seeing them soon, so perhaps you should too...we can compare notes!

-The rest of the releases this week include the disappointing relationship drama Last Night, the mediocre animated flick Rio, the bland looking (since I haven't seen it) family sports tale The Perfect Game, the inspirational surfing movie brought down by religious obsession Soul Surfer, and the direct to DVD sequel Quarantine 2: Terminal (ironic that the sequel to the remake of [REC] comes out right after the sequel to [REC], right?). None of these do much for me, but if they do for you, feel free to check them out and enjoy...

-My Vintage pick, in honor of this week's release of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, is a collection of prequels (and reboots, since this could count as both) that I feel are worth their salt. They are, in alphabetical order: Batman Begins, Casino Royale, Red Dragon, and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. I know some have their issues with some of these picks, but I feel that they achieve their goals. Just avoid Tim Burton's dreadful remake of Planet of the Apes and you're good in my book.

-What will you be watching on DVD this week?

Circuit Round-Up, 07/31

* Last week, I previewed some rather interesting films opening on the last weekend of July.

* Joey Magidson recommended yet another acclaimed sci-fi thriller for his DVD Picks of the Week, and gives us his favorite Ryan Gosling performances.

* Mike Ward reported a surprising drop in the attendance for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 for last weekend.

* Joey also argued that – as a director – Ben Affleck’s star may shine brighter over time than Clint Eastwood’s.

* John H. Foote listed films from the Aughts that he feels are under-appreciated.

* Finally, the results of the ACCA 2001 are in, and I’m proud to say that the Awards Circuit community made some unexpected and delightfully idiosyncratic choices. Well done!

Joey's DVD Picks of the week (7/16/2011)

First of all, sorry for the delay in posting this, but I was dealing with a few things today, and then technical difficulties got in my way. All is good now, and we can focus on the DVD offerings that the current week has. This week, the top 2 releases are very strong, and the rest is just enough to boost the week into a rather notable category of being "better than usual". On their own, either of the top 2 flicks would be easy selections for top honors this week, but since they're together, a bit more thinking is needed. I thought long and hard about it, but I ultimately went with the one that managed to crack my mid-year top 10 list for my PICK OF THE WEEK. It's a supremely entertaining and surprisingly high quality hollywood offering. It's:

Source Code

I was already a huge fan of Duncan Jones from Moon a few years back, but this solidified him as one of the top young directors working today. It does feature a script that somewhat falls apart upon close inspection, but during the initial viewing it's an incredibly entertaining thrill ride that expertly directed by Jones and strongly acted by Jake Gyllenhaal in a lead role well suited for him, as well as strong supporting turns from Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, and Jeffrey Wright. It was easily one of the 10 best things I saw during the first half of 2011, and now that it's available on DVD, I highly recommend picking it up!

-Also out getting a big thumbs up from me is David Schwimmer's well made melodrama Trust. It's a well acted cautionary tale about internet predators that's notable for two reasons. One is the breakout performance of young Liana Liberato (to go along with good supporting work from Clive Owen and Catherine Keener), and the other is the absolute gut punch of an ending that Schwimmer allows the film to conclude on. It's perhaps the most haunting final minutes of any film this year. It didn't do much in theaters, but now that it's out on DVD, I do recommend giving it a shot...

-The rest of the releases this week include the flawed but decent Dylan Dog: Dead of Night, the pseudo-sequel to Happiness that I missed called Life During Wartime, the biographic drama Mao's Last Dancer, and the nearly direct to video action flick Ironclad. I can only speak for the first film, but none of these movies seem that bad to me (or that amazing, for that matter), so it comes down to a matter of taste. Go with your gut on this one...

-My Vintage pick, in honor of this week's release of Crazy Stupid Love, is a collection of Ryan Gosling's 5 best performances (to me at least). They are, in quality of performance order: Blue Valentine, Half Nelson, The Slaughter Rule, Lars and the Real Girl, and The Believer. All are strong films, and Gosling is incredible in each of them, so if you haven't seen them, correct that now!

-What will you be watching on DVD this week?

Sorry for the DVD column delay...

..but I'll have it up soon, as I'm putting the finishing touches on it now. Blame technical difficulties!

Joey's DVD Picks of the week (7/19/2011)

Greetings to everyone from sunny Las Vegas! My apologies for not chiming in the last few days, but...you know...Vegas (also a refusal to pay for Wi-Fi on my part). I'll be leaving for a family wedding in North Carolina tomorrow (you may have seen my cousin on the news, she's the bride who was paralyzed before she was supposed to get married last year), and then a few days in Virginia, so Anna, Mike, and Robert will be continuing to hold the fort down until next week (as they've done so far to great effect), though I'll definitely be more likely to chime in from time to time down south in the coming days. I'm making time today to sit in a McDonald's with free internet to bring you this week's column, and on the DVD front, it's a decent yet unspectacular week. There's at least some variety and it's mostly made up of independent fare, so that's a bit of a plus. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I went with a good natured flick from earlier this year that deserved a better fate than it received theatrically. It's:

Take Me Home Tonight

This 80's set party comedy had an incredibly good natured attitude and its heart in the right place. It ultimately wasn't able to reach the quality levels of the films it loves and wants to emulate, but Topher Grace does a nice job in the lead role and it's hard to complain much about the flick. This is a movie that wouldn't normally get my top slot, but it's not bad at all and honestly could use the attention, as it absolutely bombed when it came out in theaters. Call me a softie, but I wish it had done better, so give it a shot on DVD and see what you think of it.

-Also out of note this week are the comedies Peep World and Potiche, along with the suspense flick Limitless and the drama Cracks. I've only seen Bradley Cooper's star vehicle among these releases, and didn't care too much for it, but I'm going to be seeing all of the other releases in the next week or two, and will try to review one or two of them in an upcoming site update (along with the Hobo with a Shotgun review I promised). If any of these appeal to you, pick them up and enjoy.

-My Vintage pick, in honor of this week's release of Captain America: The First Avenger, is the best of the Marvel Studios superhero flicks so far. It's Iron Man, and you can't go wrong with Robert Downey Jr.'s performance here. I found it awards worthy in an incredibly well made and entertaining film. I doubt anyone hasn't seen the movie yet, but with The Avengers coming next year, it can't hurt to re-watch it.

-What will you be watching on DVD this week?

Circuit Round-Up, 07/17

* Last week saw a ton of new reviews, including Hesher, Submarine, Larry Crowne, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Monte Carlo, Ceremony, Cars 2, Bad Teacher, and of course, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

* Joey’s DVD Pick of the Week was a film from James Wan and Leigh Whannell that’s actually…good?!?

* I previewed the, well, only weekend release that mattered…as well as some other films.

* Finally, Anna Belickis wrote up the “Oscarettes” for the 81st Academy Awards.

Joey's DVD Picks of the Week (7/12/2011)

This week on DVD there's a whole bunch of variety to choose from, with a few titles managing to be good films as well. It's kind of interesting to me that often it seems that weeks with a dearth of volume are followed up by more crammed weeks like this one. Is it that studios want more films all coming out together to get consumers to purchase them in one bunch, or is it that they don't think their film being the lone high profile release will entice people to head to stores to pick it up? It's likely a combination of things, but that's a conversation (or potentially an article) for another time. A lot of the movies this week are slight let-downs, but one stood head and shoulders above the rest. It's an easy choice for my PICK OF THE WEEK and came within a hair of making my mid-year Top 10 list. It's:

Insidious

A clever and surprising take on the haunted house/Poltergeist type of fright flicks, this managed to actually scare me on a few occasions. That's almost impossible to do, so that's high praise for this film. It's also just a lot of fun, finding ways to terrorize you that you don't expect (and not relying on gore either, if that's a concern to you). It's a thrill ride of a movie, and for the first act or two is nearly perfect. The third act isn't as strong, but it's still a very good film with strong acting (especially by Rose Byrne) that I highly recommend. As I mentioned above, it very nearly made my Top 10 list for the first half of 2011. Check the flick out and enjoy!

-Also out getting a recommendation from me are two very different films. One is the animated flick Rango and the other is the Spanish horror sequel [Rec] 2. The former is an original cartoon that I didn't quite dig as much as most, but still found pretty entertaining. The latter is a step down from the very good original, but still does its job well enough to get the thumbs up from me. Both are worth your time this week if you're so inclined...

-The rest of the releases include the decent legal drama The Lincoln Lawyer, the average coming of age drama White Irish Drinkers, the supremely disappointing Oscar hopeful (more like wannabe) Miral, and the stunningly bland remake Arthur. None are overtly terrible films, and the first two are definitely stronger than the last two, but they all let me down in one regard or another. I realize that each has their fan base, so if you're among their defenders, now's the time to go pick them up on DVD.

-Special note is the release of the 2010 Palme d'Or winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. I've yet to see it, but I've heard mostly great things about it, so if you're looking for a more esoteric selection this week, this could be the one for you!

-My Vintage pick, in honor of this week's release of Winnie the Pooh, is another animated film that makes me nostalgic for childhood. It's Toy Story 3, and on top of being one of the 10 best animated flicks of all time to me, it made me remember the joy of first seeing the movie as a kid. Take the opportunity to hang out with Woody and Buzz once more this week!

-What will you be watching on DVD this week?

Circuit Round-Up, 07/10

* Last week, Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week centers on a diverse selection of three new DVD releases.

* In honor of America’s 235^th birthday, I published my list of the ten most patriotic films ever made.

* I also mused about the bizarre dichotomy between Michael Bay’s poor reputation and his financial success.

* Typical. The one time I didn’t want to be correct in my box office predictions was the one that ended up dead-on in Mike’s Box Office Actuals for the Independence Day weekend.

* On the bright side, that should make my preview of the weekend openings less of a joke…

* Finally, Joey Magidson published his Mid-Year report card.

Joey's DVD Picks of the Week (7/5/2011)

This week, we have a trio of specialty titles making up the entirety of the DVD choices available. It's not a bad thing per say, but it does make for a lighter week than normal, especially considering I haven't seen all 3 of the films in question...but this happens from time to time, so it's not really a big deal. All of the flicks are considered quality cinema though, so it's hard to make a bad choice today. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I ended up going with the one film I did see, so it's kind of a win by default (but not really, since it's a good movie in general). It's certainly the least serious of the group, but I'm confident that it's more than good enough for the honor. It's:

Hobo with a Shotgun

A literal Grindhouse film that sprung to cinematic life from just a fake trailer, this movie doesn't bury the lead. It's a tongue in cheek action yarn about, yes, a hobo who's cleaning up the town with...wait for it...a shotgun! It's far from high art, but it is a lot of fun and Rutger Hauer gives it his all. Director Jason Eisner has quite the calling card now, and one expects him to have a future. I didn't get around to reviewing this one outright, but I'll try to send one in soon for everyone who gets on me for forgetting the smaller flicks on occasion. If you like Grindhouse-style cinema, this is a good one for you!

-The other films out this week include the Takashi Miike samurai epic 13 Assassins and the drama Of Gods and Men. The word on both speaks to quality viewing experiences, but they escaped me when they were in theaters, so I can't vouch firsthand. If you're interested in either or both, give them a shot and report back...

-My Vintage pick, in honor of this week's release of Project Nim, is a collection of some recent (or recent-ish) documentaries I enjoyed. They are American Movie, Capitalism: A Love Story, The Cove, The Tillman Story, and When the Levees Broke. Each are quality docs that deserve to be seen (or seen again) and come with my stamp of approval. Check a few out!

-What will you be watching on DVD this week?

Circuit Round-Up, 07/03

* Last week, Joey Magidson closed the book on the first half of 2011. Let us know what you thought were the best (and worst) films of the year so far in the comments.

* Joey also chose one of his favorite films of 2010 for his DVD Pick of the Week.

* I previewed the new releases of the weekend...well, Transformers: Dark of the Moon was technically a Wednesday release…

* John H. Foote celebrated the upcoming return of Warren Beatty.

* Joey listed some of his favorite trailers of all time. What are some of your favorites?

* Our esteemed Editor Clayton Davis continued to update his Oscar predictions, this time for Best Director.

* Finally, time is running out to vote for ACCA 2001. Today is your last chance!

Joey's DVD Picks of the Week (6/28/2011)

This week, one of the most underrated films of last year hits DVD, alongside some other flicks, although those are less than stellar. The underrated film in question is so good that, had I seen it before completing my Top 10 of 2010 list, it would have very likely cracked the list (perhaps going as high as #7 or 8) and pushed some films down a level. As it stands, it will have to settle for being my PICK OF THE WEEK now that it's available for home viewing. Curious what it is? Well, it's:

Barney's Version

A Canadian dramedy with a Golden Globe winning performance by Paul Giamatti (doing career best work in my eyes), the film follows 30 years in the life of the title character, as he lives and loves. It's very clever, and the entire cast is terrific (including Minni Driver and Scott Speedman), but Rosamund Pike is phenomenal as the most substantial love of Barney's life and Dustin Hoffman steals the show as Barney's randy father. Pike and Hoffman deserved Oscar nods, and in a less competitive Best Actor field, Giamatti would have been in play too. As it stands, this is an excellent film that very much deserves to be seen. It's a funny, touching movie that's really something special. I can't recommend it enough, so go out and get it!

-Also out this week of note is a well regarded indie called Lebanon, Pa. The drama has occasionally been called the "anti-Juno", but since I haven't seen it, I can't comment. That being said, I think it could be a strong little flick, and if anyone ends up seeing it, let me know what you think. If I check it out, I'll throw up a belated review for you all...

-The rest of the releases this week is the decent action fantasy Sucker Punch, the mediocre flick The Warrior's Way (also an action fantasy of sorts, but less overt), the terrible adventure film Season of the Witch, and the terrible looking (since I didn't see it) remake of Beauty and the Beast, known as Beastly. If any of those appeal to you, as always...don't let me get in the way. Pick them up and enjoy them.

-My Vintage pick, in honor of this week's release of Larry Crowne, is another Capra-like Tom Hanks film. It's The Terminal, and I consider it not only one of Hanks' most underrated movies, but one of director Steven Spielberg's as well. I found it incredibly charming and hope that his new film is as well. If you didn't see this when it came out, or didn't like it, give it a shot this week...it should make you smile!

-What will you be watching on DVD this week?

Circuit Round-Up, 06/26

* Last week, Mike Ward gave less than enthusiastic reviews of both Green Lantern and Mr. Popper’s Penguins.

* Luckily, Joey Magidson had a DVD Pick of the Week that he could really get behind.

* Anna Belickis spotlights Emma Hamer-whoops, I mean Emma Stone for this week’s Women in Cinema.

* Coinciding with Green Lantern is an Under the Circuit for Peter Sarsgaard, who I still maintain gave one of the most unjustly snubbed performances of the last ten years in Shattered Glass.

* I also previewed the Weekend Openings, and gave a surprisingly accurate prediction for Cars 2.

* Finally, Joey expresses his disagreement with the recent changes to the Academy’s rules regarding Best Picture nominations. Let us know your take on the news!

Joey's DVD Picks of the Week (6/21/2011)

This week is a welcome return to the DVD release weeks that we all used to take for granted. This is the type of week where you know that you're going to be buying more than one thing, just because of how much is out and how much variety there is. Today's releases includes one of the best films of the year so far, along with a few of the more underrated selections of the first part of 2011, plus more! Even the worst release is far from an awful film, and that's always a good sign. Let's jump right in though, as my PICK OF THE WEEK is a flick worth talking about. It's:

The Adjustment Bureau

A romantic thriller that mixed sci-fi and fantasy with the aforementioned romance in such a way that the love story never felt shortchanged, I loved this movie. So many films like this focus on the action and not on the romance, and this was the exact opposite. The imbalance was a turn-off to some, but I was a big fan. Matt Damon and Emily Blunt are excellent, and writer/director George Nolfi is able to give us one of the better Philip K. Dick adaptations to date (yes, I said it). Plus, if you're into politics, Damon's character is an up and coming Democratic star, and it's a well done portrait of a candidate. I know that it didn't work for everyone, but in my eyes it's just an overall well done flick that I recommend extremely highly.

-Also out getting high marks from me and distinguishing themselves, we have the indie romantic comedies Ceremony and HappyThankYouMorePlease, as well as the comedy Cedar Rapids. The first film is a promising debut from filmmaker Max Winkler and features strong performances from Michael Angarano and Uma Thurman, not to mention a scene stealing role for Lee Pace. It only got a token release earlier this year, but look for my official review soon! As for the second film, it's a Woody Allen-esque New York flick that makes good use of its ensemble and charms you into liking it. The final comedy mentioned is a good, but not great Ed Helms vehicle that is funny enough to get my recommendation. All three of these movies are worth picking up and giving a shot to...

-The rest of the week's release include the decent but not good enough sex farce sequel Elektra Luxx, the stunningly average thriller Unknown, and the disappointing action flick The Eagle. There's also the kids sequel Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, but I haven't seen it and can't vouch for it. None of these are anything special, but honestly...you could do a lot worse, as we've seen in previous weeks.

-My Vintage pick this week, in honor of the release of Bad Teacher, is a satirical comedy from the same director as the aforementioned release. It's The TV Set, and Jake Kasdan teamed up with Judd Apatow to deliver a scathing portrait of television executives ruining a show. It's painfully funny, and speaks from knowledge. It's well worth checking out, so give it a look!

-What will you be watching on DVD this week?

Circuit Round-Up, 05/19

* Last week, John H. Foote weighed in on The Tree of Life and submitted his Oscar predictions.

* Joey’s DVD Pick of the Week is a, well, terrible movie, but he didn’t have a strong release slate this week at all. On the plus side, we (specifically John) have a quote on the DVD box for True Grit!

* I didn’t fare much better in previewing the new theatrical releases.

* But I suppose I shouldn’t complain; I never gave an amazing performance that was snubbed by the Academy like Maria Bello.

* Okay, okay, no more grouchiness. On the more positive side, Anna Belickis discovers a great actress that she’s unknowingly been a fan of for a long time for this week’s Women in Cinema.

* Also on a very positive note, our online community did a great job distinguishing themselves with some interesting and quality nominees for ACCA 2001. Well done, guys!

* Finally, The Awards Circuit extends its congratulations to Clayton Davis for celebrating his first Father’s Day as a proud parent himself!

Joey's DVD Picks of the Week (6/14/2011)

Before we get into this week's releases, which are fair at best, it's worth noting that last week those of you who picked up True Grit on Blu-Ray or DVD got a nice surprise on the back of the box art. Yes, The Awards Circuit was quoted! John Foote's blurb is there for all of you to see, and yes...we're gloating a bit (despite me obviously not being as strong for the film as most others are, but that's neither here nor there). As for this week, well...it's not nearly as good a week as last week was. That being said, there's some variety and that's always a plus. There's plenty of mediocrity to sift through, but I managed to distill one into being my PICK OF THE WEEK. It's a tremendously flawed film, but it does more right than wrong and gets the top slot. It's:

Battle: Los Angeles

Most weeks, this movie wouldn't get close to being cited this highly, but here we are anyway. The film has an awful script and seems to be a bit too much in the way of a Right-Wing rah rah piece of military propaganda, but when you push that out of your head, it's a decently exciting sci-fi action flick. Aaron Eckhart is surprisingly committed to the lead role, and the action is suitably kinetic. I wanted to like this more than I did, but it's still something that achieves the goals that it sets out to achieve. If you think you'll like it, you likely will.

-Also out this week we have the mediocre latest outing from the Farrelly Brothers, entitled Hall Pass, as well as the decent crime drama Kill the Irishman and the certifiably awful Red Riding Hood. Neither of the former two are much to write home about, but both are fair enough to not get any scorn from me. The latter of the three however, is absolutely terrible and wastes both some nice visuals and Amanda Seyfried, not to mention Gary Oldman. Little more than a spin on Twilight, it's dreadful and you should avoid it at all costs.

-The other release this week is the foreign flick The Concert, which I haven't seen. A year ago, this was seen as a potential Oscar contender by Harvey Weinstein, but it never materialized. I'm curious to see it, if for Melanie Laurent alone. If you get a chance to check it out, let us know what you think!

-My Vintage pick this week, in honor of the release of Green Lantern, are some underrated Ryan Reynolds films that I found to be enjoyable. They are, in alphabetical order: Adventureland, Buried, Buying the Cow, and Definitely, Maybe. Especially the first two, these are quality flicks, and I recommend them. Give them a shot before Reynolds becomes a intergalactic cop on Friday!

-What will you be watching on DVD this week?

Circuit Round-Up, 06/12

* Last week, Joey Magidson loved Beginners, was intrigued by Kaboom, shrugged at Priest and despised Passion Play. Mike Ward very much enjoyed X-Men: First Class, and both of them recommended Super 8.

* Joey admitted his cinematic “blind spots.” What films are seemingly forever in your “To Watch” pile?

* Joey’s DVD Pick of the Week was not what most would expect.

* “The Oscarettes” make a triumphant return to Anna Belickis’ Women in Cinema, this time evaluating the victories of Sandra Bullock and Mo’Nique as well as their competition.

* The relatively modest slate of weekend releases was also previewed by yours truly.

Joey's DVD Picks of the Week (6/7/2011)

This week, we have a welcome deluge of quality available to own. It's one of the better weeks we've had in a while, with more than one critical darling out on DVD. Overall it's one of those "something for everyone" types of weeks, and I'm always a fan of those. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I'm skirting the expected pick and going with a film that I was a big fan of when it came out. It's a flick that didn't get the support it deserved. It's:

The Company Men

A powerful and heartbreaking story of corporate downsizing and the lives it affects, I was very much won over by John Wells' theatrical debut. Featuring excellent work from Ben Affleck and strong supporting turns from the likes of Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Rosemarie Dewitt, Craig T. Nelson, and Maria Bello. It's a well done drama that touches you in just the right way. It can be a tough watch for those feeling the sting of unemployment, but it's well worth watching. The Weinstein Company didn't get behind this movie like it should have, but now is your chance to catch up with it on DVD and see one of the more underrated films of 2010!

-The other real highly regarded release (and the one most will cite as their top pick this week) is the Coen Brothers' remake of True Grit. I think it might actually be an improvement over the original, and on its own it's still a very entertaining Western. I'm not huge on Ethan and Joel Coen on the whole, but this is one of my favorites of theirs. That being said, it didn't thrill me in a way that it did a lot of people (and the Academy too), so my admiration is a bit more limited than most. It's still well worth picking up, but I don't need to tell you all that...

-The rest of the releases this week include the Mike Leigh film Another Year (which I haven't seen but heard nothing but raves about), the supposedly excellent documentary American: The Bill Hicks Story (I haven't seen this one either, but like the comedian very much), the mediocre Adam Sandler comedy Just Go With It, the disappointing action film Sanctum, the gonzo horror flick Rubber (which I might be submitting a review of soon), and the direct to DVD James Franco movie Shadows and Lies. These films appeal to a wide range of folks and truly covers almost ever demographic. Decide which are for you and enjoy!

-My Vintage pick, in honor of this week's release of Super 8, is a collection of films that seem to form together to create the flick in question. They are Alien, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Cloverfield, and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. All are classics to me, so enjoy them and get ready for Friday's release!

-What will you be watching on DVD this week?

Circuit Round-Up, 06/05

* Last week, Joey Magidson published his long-awaited (and very conflicted) thoughts on The Tree of Life, while Mike Ward mostly dismissed The Hangover: Part II.

* Joey also recommended something dumb but fun for his DVD Picks of the Week.

* The awards season has barely started and John H. Foote already felt comfortable betting the house on Steven Spielberg’s War Horse.

* I gave a controversial warning in response to the rapturously-received trailer for David Fincher’s upcoming remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

* Anna Belickis concluded her long-running series on “Dancing with the Stars,” with her predicted winner Hines Ward taking the Mirrorball.

* Anna also paid tribute to Dakota Fanning for Women in Cinema, almost a full decade after her first major film role in I Am Sam.

* Speaking of tributes, I celebrated the recent success and acclaim of actor Michael Fassbender.

* Finally, the weekend openings were previewed. As always, we love to hear what you saw and what you thought of it.

Joey's DVD Picks of the Week (5/31/2011)

This week, the DVD releases are better than the absolute dregs that were last week's selections, but we're still not where we'd ideally like to be. Don't get me wrong now, there are some interesting titles to sift through, but none jump out at me as being incredibly memorable. It's not the end of the world, and compared to last week, it's a goldmine, but I obviously still prefer the weeks where there's something to truly get exited over. That being said, there's enough here to make it an acceptable week overall. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I went with the most purely fun selection available, if not the most classy. It's essentially little more than Nicholas Cage being...well, the crazy Nic Cage we all know and (sometimes) love, but what more do you need? It's:

Drive Angry

A Grindhouse type B movie gleefully embracing the silly side of 3D, this feature from the team that brought you the surprisingly good My Bloody Valentine 3D isn't quite on that level, but it still is a good time. It's ridiculous and never quite finds the right balance to make it completely successful, but it does more things right than it does wrong. In a better week it wouldn't be the top choice, but during this week, it's a solid enough selection. If you like a bit of wacky fun with your action, you can do a lot worse than this movie.

-Also out this week that I've seen is the latest film by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, the Oscar nominated drama Biutiful. I've never really been sold by an Inarritu film, and this is no exception. He's not a particularly strong screenwriter, and while he continues to get excellent performances from his actors, he can't tie it together effectively. It's worth checking out to see Javier Bardem's lead performance, but that's really it in my opinion.

-The other two films out this week I haven't seen but am very curious about. There's the latest film by Gregg Araki, the sexual suspense/comedy Kaboom, which received mixed reviews, and the drama Passion Play, which received awful reviews ever since its festival premiere last year. I'm interested in seeing both, and will be definitely chiming in with a review of the latter in the coming weeks, so be on the lookout for that. If you're a brave soul, check one or both of them out and report back with what you thought!

-My Vintage pick, in honor of this week's release of Submarine, is a collection of other "coming of age" type films. They are, in alphabetical order, American Pie, Bickford Schmeckler's Cool Ideas, Finding Forrester, The Girl Next Door, Saved!, and Slums of Beverly Hills. It's an eclectic mix, no doubt, so there's something here for everyone. Check whichever out you feel like and enjoy!

-What will you be watching on DVD this week?

Joey's DVD Picks of the Week (5/24/2011)

This week, I won't lie to you, is one of the worst I've seen for DVD. There's only two releases, I didn't care much for either of them, and there's really no saving graces. These don't come along too often (and I always think that it's the last time something like this is going to occur), but when they do, it's annoying for a lover of DVD like myself. I'm not even going to bother overloading my Vintage picks, I'm just going to get through this week and focus on the better ones to come (in 2 weeks we have an excellent assortment of films hitting shelves). For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I'm going with the lesser of two evils. The film in question is harmless, but very average. I'd honestly almost rather not have a pick this week, but I'm not a quitter, so we press on. Now, on to the movie getting the dubious honor. It's:

Gnomeo and Juliet

I got a few giggles out of this animated flick, and that was its saving grace. It was sporadically clever, but it just tried too hard to be "hip". It's definitely not an awful movie or anything, but I've never had to sink this low to make a top pick. If you've got young kids or have a thing for kids flicks, then you might find this to be fun enough. For most others though, it's barely acceptable as disposable entertainment. Again, I normally wouldn't be citing something like this in a slot like this, but it is what it is. Sigh...

-The only other release this week is the incredibly mediocre sci-fi film I Am Number Four. Derivative, boring, and shamelessly trying to be a franchise, there's not much to like with this flick. It plays almost like a 'Twilight' type movie with no vampires, and aliens instead. Unless you loved the film in theaters, I don't see any reason to bother with it. That being said, if you're desperate for something new to watch, there's not much else to choose from at the moment...

-My Vintage pick this week, in honor of the release of The Tree of Life, is Terrence Malick's best film in my opinion. It's Badlands, and it's a stark and incredibly compelling portrait of the Charles Starkweather killings. I'm not a big Malick fan, but I really like this movie. If you never saw it, do yourself a favor and check it out.

-What will you be watching on DVD this week?