Reckless Video: Maple Leaf's DVD and Blu Ray Video Rentals: February 2010

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Week of February 23rd

Real Life in the movies

Based on the high-profile price fixing scandal in the mid-1990's, Stephen Soderbergh's The Informant! stars Matt Damon as Mark Whitacre, the highest level executive ever to become a whistle-bower for the FBI. Encouraged by his wife (Melanie Lynskey) to "do the right thing," Whitacre begins working with a Bureau agent (Scott Bakula), taping meetings and phone calls in order to expose the corruption of his superiors (Andrew Daly) and his company. The movie tells the tale as a series of comic misadventures, as Whitacre's evidence begins to unravel and the case becomes a media circus, the situation spirals further and further out of control. On DVD and Blu Ray.

The Damned United recounts Brian Clough's (Michael Sheen) time in 1974 as the manager of the Leeds United football club, as he inherits the team from a bitter rival (Colm Meaney) and tries to win over a team loyal to the old management. The story of Clough's short time with Leeds covers the larger-than-life personalities in professional sports, including his relationships with two assistants (Timothy Spall and Maurice Roeves) and the club's chairman (Henry Goodman), and tells the tale of epic rivalry, loyalty, and what it takes to make a team. With Jim Broadbent and Brian McCardie. On DVD and Blu Ray.

Widely known as the most violent prisoner in Britain, the man called Charlie Bronson (born Michael Peterson) has spent almost all of his adult life in solitary confinement. Played by Tom Hardy, Bronson bounces between points in his life inside and outside of prison, and his inner monologue that appears as a kind of vaudevillian one man show, depicting the character as a compelling enigma, and completely untamable: violently attacking anyone who comes within reach, regardless of odds.

An Englishman in New York stars John Hurt as gay icon Quentin Crisp during his later years in New York City. After his autobiography The Naked Civil Servant, Crisp travels to New York to put on an Off-Broadway show, and the film details the irrepressible author/performer's relationship with his agent (Swoozie Kurtz), playwrights (Cynthia Nixon), artists (Johnathan Tucker) and friends (Denis O'Hare) during the height of his fame.

Set during the Nazi occupation of Denmark, Flame & Citron follows a pair of resistance fighters: the young idealist codenamed Flame (Thure Lindhardt) and the intense family man called Citron (Mads Mikkelsen). As the most successful hunters of Nazi sympathizers and collaborators, they in turn are hunted by the SS, and can only trust one another. Shot as a dark, noir thriller, the film sends the pair on their most dangerous mission, one that could make them both heroes.

The two new documentaries out this week are The September Issue, about the year's most important edition of Vogue, its influence on the fashion world, and legendary Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's work in creating the year's "fashion bible;" and Blood on the Flat Track, about the current resurgence of roller derby in the United States, the Rat City Rollergirls, and the personalities behind the tattoos, short skirts, and bruises on the track.

Dangerous Pursuits

Richard Kelly's The Box takes place in the 1970s, where a financially struggling couple (Cameron Diaz and James Marsden) receive an anonymous package in the mail: a wooden box with a red button under a glass dome. When a mysterious stranger (Frank Langella) knocks on their door, he explains the conditions of the box... and a sticky moral choice. As they begin to understand the meaning behind the box and search for the identity of the stranger, their world becomes more mysterious and frightening as they struggle to keep their family together. With James Rebhorn. On DVD and Blu Ray.

A pair of friends find themselves on opposite sides of a war in The Vampire's Assistant, where nice guy Chris Massoglia finds himself working for John C. Reilly, a peaceful vampire living among humans in a traveling freakshow. His rebellious and violent best friend (Josh Hutcherson) is introduced to the more dangerous vampires by a the mischievous Mr. Tiny (Michael Cerveris), and the two friends are suddenly bitter rivals in a centuries old struggle. With Willem Dafoe.

The Norwegian Dead Snow puts a group of med students in a remote, snowbound cabin (with no cell phone service), and unleashes one of the most over-the-top horror movie conceits ever: Nazi zombies. Trapped in the mountains, they have to employ all the tools in and around the cabin in order to survive, pitting zombies against hammers, hatchets, shotguns, chainsaws, and s a snowmobile. On DVD and Blu Ray.

When a pledge prank goes wrong and one of their own dies, the sisters of Theta Pi swear themselves to silence in Sorority Row. Eight months later, as graduation approaches, revenge for the girl's death is taken out on the witnesses and participants one by one, in increasingly grisly ways, and the film offers one of this week's best tag lines: "It's all fun and games until someone gets stabbed with a tire iron."

Similarly, the plot synopsis of Open Graves is too good to pass up: "A group of surfers discover an old board game that claims a life every time it's played." Eliza Dushku and Mike Vogel star as two of the surfers who play the game at a party one night, only to find the cryptic writings on the game's cards have foreshadowed the deaths of all the players. As they begin to die, one by one, the survivors have to find ways to survive the fates the game has planned for them.

Drama

With his family reunion cancelled, Robert DeNiro heads out on a cross country journey to reconnect with his grown children in Everybody's Fine. Traveling from his daughter (Kate Beckinsale), who tells him it's a bad time and pretends to be sick, his son (Sam Rockwell) who isn't as successful as he lead his father to believe, and to his other daughter (Drew Barrymore), who was warned and is expecting him... the movie tells the story of their lives across the visits, and between the siblings phone calls to one another, revealing the loves and dysfunctions of the family.

The low key French romance Shall We Kiss spends the evening with Gabriel and Emilie, who get along very well, but when Gabriel suggests a "kiss without consequences," Emilie reveals a story, told in flashbacks, about the meanings and implications of a simple kiss.

Justin Frost is a small town slacker, working with his friend and taking care of his single mother (Leah Thompson) in Splinterheads. When the circus rolls into town, he meets the beautiful Rachael Taylor, who works as a "splinterhead," one of the barkers who draws locals in to play the unwinnable games on the carnival boardwalk... and her violent and jealous boyfriend (Dean Winters). As he struggles with his never-been-anywhere life and she fights against her tour of America's parking lots, the two could make an unlikely couple, if everything in their lives doesn't get in the way. With Christopher McDonald.

The Vicious Kind stars Adam Scott as a man who returns home for thanksgiving with his new girlfriend (Brittany Snow) in tow, but his antagonistic brother (Alex Frost) seems to have trouble with their life... and his own. Unable to sleep, his behavior is always a little off, but he seems to have his reasons, and his relationship with both of them is destined to evolve over time. With J.K. Simmons.

Comedy

Uma Thurman is a stay-at-home mother of two in Motherhood. The movie takes place over the course of one day, as she prepares for her daughter's 6th birthday... and the event sends her through a series of comic misadventures, each threatening to push her past the breaking point. While her clueless but well-meaning husband (Anthony Edwards) is oblivious to the stresses in her life, her best friend (Minnie Driver) can see that this is a woman on the edge.

Gordon Michaels is the title character in Unbeatable Harold, an assistant manager at a staekhouse, and a superstar personality with the Cadillac and sideburns to match. When the girl of his dreams (Nicole DeHuff) walks into his life, he pressures his boss (Henry Winkler) to give the girl a waitressing job and keep her in Harold's life. Unfortunately, her ex-rockstar boyfriend (Dylan McDermott) has rolled into town to reclaim her... but Harold's up to the challenge.

Patton Oswalt's Comedy Central special, No Reason to Complain, is also new this week on DVD, including a full, live comedy performance.

Animated

A series of vignettes depicted in stop-motion, $9.99 drifts from story to story, framed by a not-quite-omnicient angel (Geoffrey Rush) who usually keeps his wings hidden. From story to story, everyone seems to have the same questions and quest for meaning, but if an angel doesn't have the answers, it might be for sale in a book for just about $10. With Anthony LaPaglia, Roy Billing, and Ben Mendelsohn.

Elaborating on the popular video game series, Halo: Legends takes the same approach as The Animatrix and Gotham Knight, telling stories in the Halo world as drawn in a variety of styles by various animators.

New this week to Reckless Video's TV New Release section are the debut seasons of the science fiction Flash Forward, Comedy Central's ultra-violent Superjail!, and the medical drama series Nurse Jackie. Also new this week is the 6th season of Project Runway, as well as Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day and Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Women Directors

Women Directors are a rare commodity in Hollywood. There are three on our wall right now that have forged a name for themselves in this predominantly male field. Mira Nair, Kathyrn Bigalow, Anne Fontaine, and Adrienne Shelly.

Mira Nair has directed 20 movies (or segments in movies like New York, I love You, on the wall now.) Her style is visually as lush and provocative as the India she hails from. We have Monsoon Wedding on Blu-ray, simply because it is one of the most beautiful movies ever made. And Amelia, on the new release wall now, is a stirring biopic of the famed aviatrix and the world she flew over at 3,000 feet.

Kathryn Bigelow is a rarity in Hollywood, a woman who makes action films. Some are really amazing like Hurt Locker, on the wall now, others are Craptacular (Point Break!) Her dynamic and muscular film making reminds us that men are not the only ones that can blow sh*t up. (Weight of Water, Near Dark, Strange Days)

Anne Fontaine who debuts on our Reckless new release wall with Coco Before Chanel, (on the wall now) has won numerous award for directing and screen play. he told a UK newspaper, "I try to work on my characters' blind side, in a kind of Freudian way: to ask, 'What are the things about themselves that they're unaware of?' I'm fascinated by the irony of fate, when something goes into a skid. All my stories have an element of cruelty in them."

Adrienne Shelly (who directed 6 movies in her short life) is the writer of Serious Moonlight, which is on the wall this week. As I watched this strange and talky tale of a marriage on the rocks and the duct tape that would save it, I was reminded of her start in the business as the muse to Hal Hartley. Serious Moonlight would have been a wonderful directing vehicle for this highly intellectual, verbal acrobat of a writer.

I hope you explore these wonderful and diverse directors.

--Zoe

Reckless Reviews

Week of February 16th

Can You Dig It?

In a spot-on tribute to the "blaxploitation" films of the 1970s, Michael Jai White is Black Dynamite: badder than Dolemite, tougher than Shaft, and faster than Williams from Enter the Dragon. When his brother is killed while working undercover for The Man, Black Dynamite's quest for vengeance finds him striking an uneasy alliance with an old Viet Nam comrade in the CIA (Kevin Chapman), and winning over the fixtures in his community. Along with Tasty Freeze (Arsenio Hall) and Cream Corn (Tommy Davidson), Black Dynamite takes his quest all the way to the top, while trying to win the heart of a feisty revolutionary (Salli Richardson). Shot on old Super-16 film, Black Dynamite looks like a real, 70s exploitation film: boom mics in frame, rough edits, and obvious stock footage are side-by-side with over the top action, fight scenes, and incredible one-liners. On DVD and Blu Ray.

Gerard Butler is also on a quest for justice (or vengeance) in Law Abiding Citizen: not just against Christian Stolte, who killed his wife, but against the legal system who let the killer go. Jamie Foxx is the lawyer who made the deal that set the killer free... but as his colleagues begin dying around him, he begins to fear for his assistant (Annie Corley), the district attorney (Bruce McGill), and even the mayor (Viola Davis) as everyone who ever made a deal with a killer becomes a target. On DVD and Blu Ray.

Zoe's Corner

Women Directors are a rare commodity in Hollywood. There are three on our wall right now that have forged a name for themselves in this predominantly male field. Mira Nair, Kathyrn Bigalow, Anne Fontaine, and Adrienne Shelly.

Anne Fontaine who debuts on our Reckless new release wall with Coco Before Chanel, (on the wall now) has won numerous award for directing and screen play. he told a UK newspaper, "I try to work on my characters' blind side, in a kind of Freudian way: to ask, 'What are the things about themselves that they're unaware of?' I'm fascinated by the irony of fate, when something goes into a skid. All my stories have an element of cruelty in them."

Friday, February 12, 2010

Lahv

Ah, February. The month of pink grocery stores aisles, drugstore chocolates, and flowers (or paper substitutes). The month that seems to be the only one out of the twelve that is okay to mispronounce (I mean seriously, how does that happen? THERE IS AN “R” THERE PEOPLE). The month that contains the second most commercialized holiday of the whole year: Valentine’s Day.

In the coming days, we all will pay tremendous amounts of money to show our companions how much we love them through material offerings. Heart-shaped candies that look, taste, and write as if they were made of chalk will be purchased by the cartload, along with cheap chocolates and rosy cards. After that, restaurants will fill up with young people. That’s it. Just young people. They will enjoy the dinner, but that’s not the point. The point is that one of them spent this much money for a small portion size, too many herbs, and a hankering for some real food afterwards.

I’m not saying that I’m one of those idealistic hipsters who believes that this is a holiday for commercialism only, but I do think that we should learn to express our love without spending large amounts of money. My plans are to take my girlfriend out to dinner at a good restaurant (not an expensive restaurant, a good one), make her a card, and entice her with her favorite candy--Skittles. After that, we will go back to my house and watch a movie. It will be simple, it will be elegant, and it will be free of chalk dust and expense.

Out of all of that, the best part will be cuddling up and watching the movie together. Beyond that, none of it really matters, so long as we get to spend time together. This is why I recommend that you stay home with your companion, dress casually and comfortably, curl up, and watch a good movie. They have a certain power around this time of year. Whether you’re looking for a romantic role-model, a cautionary tale, or a good sob on your loved one’s shoulder, you can find it in a film.

Nick and Norah’s infinite playlist (PG-13)
An unyielding aura of sweetness and originality drives this small teen movie about one unforgettable night (and the amazing soundtrack doesn’t hurt either). Nick and Norah are two New York teens who are thrown together by chance in a search for a secret gig by a legendary band. Accompanied by a drunken companion and three gay sidekicks, and pursued by Nick’s dreaded ex-girlfriend, they search the New York club scene, and have the time of their life. Michael Cera and Kat Dennings play the title roles, both giving a sense of honesty and realism to such a surreal string of events. See this movie, it will imprint a smile on your face for days to come.

Corpse Bride (PG)
Filled with some of the peppiest dead people you’ll ever see, this twisted, dark, warped, demented... Well, it’s a Tim Burton movie; let me put it that way. When Victor (Johnny Depp, of course) accidentally proposes to a creepy but lovable corpse (Helena Bonham Carter), he is brought to the underworld, where he is to fulfill his promise. There’s only one problem, he’s already scheduled to marry the woman he loves. It’s a unique and entertaining fairy tale, with classic Burton features (count the spirals), and breathtaking stop-motion animation. If you’re a fan of Tim Burton, your’e going to love this.

Once (R for language)
The first time I saw this movie, the elegant simplicity of it all blew me away. But only after viewing the credits and seeing that the two main characters don’t even have names did I realize how stunningly magical it really is. Once is the story of two street performers in Dublin, Ireland, who form a musical partnership, and a strong bond. Musicians Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard formed a romance on the set of this movie, and the love translates beautifully. If you enjoy the music (which is highly likely) I would highly recommend listening to Swell Season, the band Marketa and Glen formed after the movie.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (PG-13)
Despite all the jokes at this movie’s expense from T.V. sitcom writers and most of my friends, this is a great movie. Sure, it may be a little “Forrest Gumpy,” and it may differ drastically from the short story, but it’s still a good movie. Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) is a man with a strange condition. He appears to have come into this world as an old man, and he’s getting younger every day. Throughout his long and backwards life, he has many adventures, but the greatest adventure of all is his romance with a beautiful woman named Daisy (Cate Blanchett) and his journey with her through life. Somehow this movie manages to be heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. I remember leaving the theater with a smile, whilst mourning the passing of my favorite characters. Do yourself a favor and put up with the emotional confusion, length, and mockery. See it.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (R for language, drug use, and brief sexual material)
Charlie Kaufman was a lonely freak, as was Michael Gondry, but then they met each other, and made a great movie. Like most things these two make, it’s complicated, surreal, and just plain weird. But keep up if you can, for the rewards are plentiful. Joel Barish (Jim Carrey in a serious and fantastic performance) has just been dumped in a rather harsh way. His girlfriend, Clementine (Kate Winslet), has had him erased from her memory, in order to start a new life. Depressed and tormented, Joel asks to have the same procedure done, but as the memories of Clementine fade away, Joel changes his mind and fights to save the memories of his lost love. This movie is nothing if not evidence of Michael Gondry’s brilliance. Watch it multiple times to find all the nuances and to enjoy it again and again.

When Harry Met Sally (R for language)
This is a romantic comedy that even guys can enjoy. Billy Crystal plays Harry, a laid-back, somewhat childish man who believes that men and women can never truly be friends because of sexual tension. Meg Ryan plays Sally, a neurotic and optimistic woman who first meets Harry on a road trip from Chicago to New York. After gladly parting ways, the two meet again three years later, and then again five years later. I take it that you can see where this is heading (after all this is a romantic comedy), so I’ll just leave it to you to watch the movie, and finish my plot synopsis. In any case, this is very enjoyable for all, and you don’t have to worry about your boyfriend making wise cracks during the movie, he’ll be enjoying it too.

Wall-E (G)
In my opinion (and I’m gonna get flack for this) Wall-E is one of the greatest love stories of all time. Wall-E, is a cleanup droid designed to clean up Earth’s surface after major consumerism overloads the planet with garbage. His existence is fairly mundane, until a spaceship comes down and leaves a small, beautiful search probe named Eve. Wall-E falls hopelessly in love with Eve, but after finding a small sign of life, Eve is retrieved by her ship and brought back to the Axiom, a large cruise ship-like spaceship that is home to most of the human race. Wall-E follows Eve to prove his love for her, and in the process, we fall in love with both of them. It’s proof of Pixar’s genius that they can create two characters who can hardly say each others names, and make us love them as much as we do.

500 days of summer (PG-13)
“This is a story of boy meets girl... but this is not a love story.” That one line summarizes the whole movie. For those of you spending Valentine’s Day alone in your apartments listening to your favorite songs from the 80’s and choking down sobs, this one’s for you. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Tom, an aspiring architect/current greeting card writer that meets Summer (Zoe Deschanel) an attractive young woman who has a problem with commitment. After 285 days, their tumultuous relationship ends, and Tom spends the remaining 215 days trying to win her back or forget her. I know it sounds heartbreaking, but this movie’s freakin’ HILARIOUS! However, I must warn you not to watch it unless you’re willing to accept spiritual triumph over formulaic plot. Otherwise, it can be… problematic.

Better Off Dead

I learned the secret of life from this movie: “Go straight down that hill as fast as you can. If anything gets in the way, turn.” That may sound like someone giving deep philosophical advice, but it’s only someone giving skiing instructions to a fearful Lane Meyer (John Cusack). After Lane’s girlfriend of six months, Beth, breaks up with him, Lane tries (and fails) repeatedly to kill himself. However, after coaxing from friends and a hot French foreign exchange student, Lane decides to win her back, by skiing a slope that is an even more suicidal exercise. This movie is a coolometer. If you quote this movie, and the other guy knows what the heck you’re talking about, you know they’re awesome.

The Princess Bride (PG)
“My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” Mandy Patinkin is far from the star of this movie, but when he says that line, we know that that’s the part we’ll be quoting for days. Set in a child’s fairy tale told to an ill grandson, The Princess Bride is the story of Princess Buttercup, and her lover, Wesley. After hearing news that Wesley has died at the hands of the Dread Pirate Roberts, Buttercup is betrothed to Prince Humperdink. So you can imagine her relief when Wesley returns unharmed, and a dash more charming than when he left. Together, they travel across the land, fighting ROUSes (rodents of unusual size), giants (Andre the giant) and Sicilians. There is nothing I can say, or that anyone can say, that will do this movie justice. It’s just one of those great movies that you either know and love, or don’t know and long for.
Happy Valentines Day.

-- Henry Kaye
Reckless Reviews

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Week of February 9th

Couplehood

Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell are a neurotic couple on the verge of divorce in Couples Retreat, so they book a vacation package in a tropical paradise to give their marraige one last chance. The catch is: it's a package deal, and they can only go if they bring other couples... so they bring all of their friends along, vacationing with work-oriented Vince Vaughn and stay-at-home mom Malin Akerman, the no longer in love John Favreau and Kristen Davis who are just biding their time until their daughter leaves home, and Faizon Love and his new, much younger girlfriend. Though they all show up for sun, sand, and surf, they find themselves stuck in a manditory schedule of relationship therapy and are suddenly forced to spend their vacation talking about their feelings. On DVD and Blu Ray.

Billy Pilgrim-like, Eric Bana has come un-stuck in time in The Time Traveller's Wife, based on the popular novel. Though the trips aren't in his control, he drifts forward and backward between different times in his life, so he and his current/future wife (Rachel McAdams) have known each other at various ages for most of their lives. As their romance evolves over time, his random and uncontrollable comings and goings cause them some heartache, but if their love is strong, they can stand the test of time. On DVD and Blu Ray.

Reuniting the stars from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I Hate Valentine's Day stars Nia Vardalos as a woman who has figured out the secret to romantic happiness: never go on more than five dates with the same guy. This rule keeps her free relationships and heartbreak, but after five dates with John Corbett, she decides to take a big risk and keep seeing him.

Emmy Rossum is a highschool wallflower at the top of her drama class in Dare when a successful actor (Alan Cumming) tells her she'll never be an actress without real experiences. She changes her life completely, taking risks, falling in with a bad boy (Zach Gilford) and alienating her platonic best friend (Ashley Springer)... but the boys each have their own stories, and her new quest for life experience has unexpected repercussions within their triangle.

Meg Ryan has to take drastic action when she finds out her husband (Timothy Hutton) is leaving her for the much younger Kristen Bell in Serious Moonlight: she duct tapes him to a chair and forces him to have a long conversation. As the guilt and blame are thrown around, the situation gets more complicated when robbers break into their home... and now being held captive is the theme of the evening. With Justin Long.

Figure skater Taylor Firth stars in Ice Castles as a promising skater who falls during a triple axle, hits her head, and loses her sight. Now she has to

reinvent herself, learn to skate without her eyes, and find the love and support that will help her do the impossible.

Very Uncertain

Michael Stuhlbarg's life is in upheaval in A Serious Man, the newest film by The Coen Brothers. Living in the midwestern suburbs in 1967, he tries to be a faithful member of the Jewish community, a good teacher, and family man... but a series of moral issues confound him. With his wife leaving him for a more serious man (Fred Melamed), his tenure in jepordy at work, and brother (Richard Kind) in his care, he isn't certain of anything, and seeks the advice of three rabbis, who each take a different approach to his unanswerable questions. On DVD and Blu Ray.

Violence

A remake of the 1987 thriller, The Stepfather sees teenage Penn Badgley returning home to find a Dylan Walsh has moved in with his divorced mother (Sela Ward). The new man seems like the perfect husband and father, but something seems "off" about him... as the suspicions build, he begins to think the new stepfather may not be what he seems.

The animated Dante's Inferno is a dark retelling of the classic tale of a knight (Dermot Mulroney) who travels through the nine levels of hell. On a quest to reclaim the soul of his betrothed, he travels trough a violent and dangerous landscape, led by his spirit guide Virgil (James Cromwell), in a darkly satirical deconstruction of dogma and sin.

Based on a true story, Endgame takes place in 1985 in South Africa, with Nelson Mandela in prison and the country teetering on the edge of violent upheaval. Set up by a representative of a British company (Jonny Lee Miller), the film covers the talks and negotions between the old guard (including a William Hurt's philosophy professor) and the forces of change (including Chiwetel Ejiofor as a high ranking member of the African National Congress), and the effect impending change has both men, and their relationship with one another.

The Farsi The Song of Sparrows is about a man who needs to make money to do right by his daughter: he leaves his small town and heads into the city to find work. In Tehran, he finds a big city life to be materialistic and immoral, and struggles to infuse his new life with the simple values he cherished back home.

The highschool basketball documentary More than a Game tells the story of five friends (including LeBron James) who found their world on the courts, and the different sacrifices that would be required of them to make it in the world of sports.

New this week to Reckless Video's TV New Releases are HBO's politically incorrect cartoon sitcom The Life and Times of Tim, the first series of BBCs Pie in the Sky, the first installment of the next Stargate spinoff Stagate Universe, and the standalone Madagascar spinoff The Penguins of Madagascar.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Week of February 2nd

Splatter

Zoe's Corner

I have to tell you that one of the joys of my life lately has been the fact that Zombieland is FINALLY coming out on DVD. I will admit that I have a predisposition to enjoy this movie being that I am a huge Shawn of the Dead fan and that every October I try to watch only Horror movies. But I also like Jane Austin and Gene Kelly musicals, so there is that.

The joy I feel with Zombieland is the same joy I feel anytime I watch a smart, fun, entertaining movie. I laughed, I was moved and I felt like that was a great ride. I cannot tell you how much Woody Harrelson has risen in my opinion, and Abigail Breslin is more than that squeaky little girl from Little Miss Sunshine. Jesse Eisenberg is hitting his stride and has a humanity and a kindness that I believe, and Emma Stone is more than just “the Chick” which is a nice surprise.

So please give Zombieland a try, if for no other reason than rule number 32.

After the undead take over the world, there's no more United States of America... there's just Zombieland, where a geeky survivor (Jesse Eisenberg) keeps himself alive in an empty world by observing his own list of zombie-survival rules until he meets Woody Harrelson, who never follows any rules at all, surviving by his zombie killing skills and a quest to find the world's last surviving Twinkies. When they meet a pair of sisters (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin), the only other survivors they've seen, everything changes: not only is the world overrun with Zombies, but everyone left has stayed alive by only looking out for themselves. The girls are going to do whatever it takes to get to California, and now the boys have to decide whether to keep going east, or follow them west in search of their post-apocalyptic family, adventure, and Twinkies. On DVD and Blu-Ray.

Christopher Smith's Triangle follows Jess (Melissa George), a single mother, out sailing for an afternoon with some friends, but a sudden storm overturns them and they end up rescued by an ocean liner. The rescuing ship seems empty, but there's fresh blood in the corridors and mysterious messages left for the new arrivals, and there is a mysterious figure stalking them throughout the ship. Jess begins to suspect that she's been on the ship before, and has an idea about how they can be rescued... which either could be their salvation or her descent into madness.

Earhart

Hillary Swank is the legendary aviator Amelia Earhart in Mira Nair's biopic Amelia, which tells the story of her legacy in the air and her rise to fame. Encouraged by a publishing magnate (Richard Gere) to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, Earhart's feats capture attention and headlines as she continually tops herself, until Earhart and her navigator (Christopher Eccleston) make their ultimate voyage: a trip around the world. With Ewan McGregor and Mia Wasikowska. On DVD and Blu Ray.

Romance

Set in Seattle, Love Happens stars Aaron Eckhart as an author made famous by his book on dealing with the loss of a loved one. While at a Seattle workshop, he makes a connection with a beautiful florist (Jennifer Aniston), but their time together is tinted by the writer's inability to take his own advice-- he's still dealing with the death of his own wife. Inspired by his new relationship, and with the help of friends (Dan Fogler) and family (Martin Sheen), he moves forward with his life, leaving behind his grief and guilt. With Judy Greer.

Hugh Dancy is the title character in Adam, the story of a brilliant young man with Asperger syndrome who begins a relationship with his new neighbor (Rose Byrne), but he has a hard time relating to others and at first she doesn't realize what's different about him. As their relationship blooms, they have to adapt different parts of their lives: he has to interact with his girlfriend's social world and and she has to make her parents (Peter Gallagher and Amy Irving) understand why Adam is so special.

After suffering a heart attack on stage, a conductor returns to his small childhood hometown in the Swedish As It Is In Heaven. Though his memories of the town aren't happy ones, he becomes a central figure in the community's world by conducting the church choir, where he makes friends, finds love, as he helps the townsfolk achieve their dreams, and they help him achieve his.

Action Sequels

Tony Jaa returns in the sequel/origin story Ong Bak 2: The Beginning, set in 1421 in feudal Thailand. Jaa plays a boy rescued from the slave trade, and trained by guerilla revolutionaries to become the greatest warrior in the world: again, Jaa performs all of his own stunts and fights without the help of wirework, as he takes his fight to the corrupt royalty that killed his family.

The fifth installment in the series, Universal Soldiers: Regeneration has the rejuvenated super-soldiers introduced in the previous films falling into the wrong hands: a mad scientist is using them as terrorist weapons. After being socialized and conditioned to live a normal life, one of the first soldiers (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is brought out of retirement to stop the newer models. The mad scientist has a countermeasure: they've cloned and animated Van Damme's nemesis from the original Universal Soldier mission: Dolph Lundgren.

Paul Giamatti is having a hard time finding his character in a Chekov play until he finds a Charlie Kaufman-esque solution in Cold Souls. When a high tech New York company extracts his soul and puts it into storage, his anxiety fades... but so does most of his talent, his humanity, and his ability to relate to his wife (Emily Watson). When he asks to have his soul put back, the company seems to have misplaced it: Russian soul-trafficking is big business, and though there are many souls available to him, his original soul is the only one he wants. With David Strathairn.

Following Paris, je t'aime, New York, I Love You is another film composed of several vignettes, each dedicated to one of the city's five boroughs. The stories are all built to capture the romance and identity of the city, each helmed by a different director (including Allen Hughes, Mira Nair, and Brett Ratner), and a massive cast, from story to story, including Bradley Cooper, Shia LaBeouf, Natalie Portman, Orlando Bloom, Robin Wright Penn, and many more.

Among our smaller releases this week are Nova's documentary Hubble's Amazing Rescue, about the five spacewalks taken to repair and rejuvenate the 20-year-old satellite; the animated Planet Hulk, where Hulk has been banished from Earth and finds himself on a strange planet, in gladiatorial combat; the second season of Brendan Small's Home Movies, and the complete series of R. Kelly's Trapped in the Closet.