Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Week of August 31st

Standing Up

Michael Caine is the title character in Harry Brown, a widower living in a bad neighborhood in south London. Harry keeps to himself and avoids the local kids and their violence and drug deals. He plays chess with his friend Len (David Bradley), or the two get a pint at the local pub (run by Liam Cunningham), but when Len is killed by a group of street kids, Harry stops being afraid and starts taking action. Though he's never talked about his history in the Royal Marines, Harry's no stranger to violence, and almost no one suspects a senior citizen could be responsible for the escalating violence on the streets. With Emily Mortimer. On DVD and Blu Ray.

Set during the last major Soviet operation in Afghanistan in 1988, 9th Company is a war movie set in the USSR's closest equivalent to the US in Viet Nam-- A company of trainees endure a rugged initiation in basic training and are shipped off to secure supply lines in the province of Kost, but nothing could prepare the soldiers for the onslaught they are about to face. The men struggle to hold ground and stay alive in desperate conditions with failing support from the twilight of the Soviet military . On DVD and Blu Ray.

Sequels

Tyler Perry's sequel Why Did I Get Married Too? is new this week, sending four couples to the Bahamas for their annual week-long reunion. Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Tasha Smith, Malik Yoba, and Richard T. Jones all reprise their roles from Why Did I Get Married?, as the group reflects on their respective marriages and face the lingering problems and recent troubles in their past.

Set in 1967, the sequel to OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies is OSS 117: Lost In Rio, as the French spy is sent to Rio de Janeiro to track down a Nazi, as his circle expands to include an American CIA operative, a mysterious femme fatale, and a female Israeli officer who doesn't react well to the agent's boorish tendencies. They try to track down their high ranking Nazi prey through his son... who's become a hippie.

Musician Documentaries

Louie Bluie is Terry Zwigoff's documentary about the country/blues string player Howard "Louie Bluie" Armstrong, who began playing violin, mandolin, and guitar in blues and country bands in the 1930s: a musician, artist, and storyteller with a wild history and a unique presence on screen.

Who Killed Nancy? recounts the history of punk rock icons, and the case of Sid Vicious' alleged murdering of his girlfriend Nancy, which was never investigated after his death. Covering the punk scenes in New York and London in the 70s and 80s as well as the history between Sid & Nancy, the film asks questions that were ready to come to light if Sid Vicious had come to trial.

Kids Stuff

Based on the long running comic strip, Marmaduke moves the great dane (voiced by Owen Wilson) from Kansas when his owner (Lee Pace) is transferred to California. Now Marmaduke and his cat friend Carlos (George Lopez) have to deal with a whole new world, including a neighborhood bully (Kiefer Sutherland) and an Australian Shepherd (Emma Stone) with a crush on Marmaduke.
The new Penguins of Madagascar video is Happy King Julien Day, with the whole zoo celebrating the biggest holiday of the year: King Julien's birthday, along with seven other episodes.

Strawberry Shortcake's new celebration is The Glimmerberry Ball Movie, with a festival to put on and a mystery to solve.

Dora's friend Diego has his own movie in Diego's Ultimate Rescue League, leading an animal rescue team all over the world to save endangered species.

Anne-Marie Duff is leading a solitary existence in The Waiting Room, raising her daughter with little support after separating from the girl's father, and involved in a damaging affair with her friend's husband. She has a moment with a stranger (Ralf Little) at a train station that gives her something she hasn't felt in years: hope.

New this week to Reckless Video's TV New Releases are the 4th season of Brothers & Sisters and the 1st season of Parenthood. We also have the three TV movies The Red Riding Trilogy out of the UK, as well as season 1 of The Murdoch Mysteries. Finally, Reckless has brought in the 2nd season of Sons of Anarchy, the 6th season of House M.D., and the premier seasons of NCIS Los Angeles and The Vampire Diaries.

[X]Michael Caine:
Secondhand Lions, A Bridge Too Far
[X]Emily Mortimer:
City Island, Transsiberian
[X]David Bradley:
Nicholas Nickleby, The Frisco Kid
[X]Liam Cunningham:
Dog Soldiers, Clash of the Titans
[X]Terry Zwigoff:
Crumb, Ghost World
[X]Owen Wilson:
Marley & Me, Meet the Fockers
[X]Kiefer Sutherland:
Young Guns, Mirrors
[X]Ralf Little:
24 Hour Party People
[X]Anne-Marie Duff:
Notes on a Scandal, The Last Station
[X]Janet Jackson:
Poetic Justice, Nutty Professor 2
[X]Tasha Smith:
Couples Retreat, You Me & Dupree
[X]Malik Yoba:
Cop Land, Defying Gravity
[X]Richard T. Jones:
Renaissance Man, Breach
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Monday, August 30, 2010

Zoë and her TV obsession

Zoë and her TV obsession

I speak to you this morning through puffy eyes, caused by the finale of Lost. I have ridden this show to the bitter end and have found that though it has been deeply frustrating, to the point of me “quitting” it a number of times, I have always been drawn back by its siren’s call.

The end of Lost makes me aware of a sentence I say a lot around here when it is time for me to leave for the day…”what do I want to watch on my day off?” AND “I wish I could take home “insert TV show name here” and watch it like I was watching it for the first time. It is one of the thrills of my life to find a new show that I get so excited about that I want to watch 22 episodes in one sitting. Like a great book that you get so immersed in that when you go to make more tea you realize your legs are asleep and you didn’t even notice. Or that Video Game you are playing for the millionth time because you really love to just let Lara Croft drown.

A new TV show that you get obsessed with is like that. And when it is over, there is a void and an emptiness that we here at Reckless understand. I often have customers drag their feet watching the end of a show because they don’t know what to watch next. So here is a list of TV that may help fill the void.



If you loved The Sopranos:
The Wire: Cops, good and bad, situations morally ambiguous and clear cut, excellent acting and some “I really should not be laughing/enjoying this as much as I am” moments that make you wish this 5 season show will never end.
Sons of Anarchy: Bad guys that you will love. Like The Sopranos, a world that most of us don’t live in, but the issues are the same as our every day issues, (except most of us don’t shoot the annoying neighbor, and then hide their body in an arson job). The characters are rich and a deep, and the Lady MacBeth-ness of Katy Segal makes me giggle with glee.

Breaking Bad: More bad guys, this time a cuddly science teach and a meth dealer. This is one of those shows that you just have to see to believe. The morality is stretched, the characters are gray, the violence is terrible and feels justified at the same time. And often after an episode you feel the jones to shoot up again and watch another episode….

Rome: The saddest part of this show is that it is only two seasons. The best part is that the relationship between the two main characters as set against the backdrop of Caesar’s Rome is the stuff that make you actually wish you had paid better attention in history class. Also violent, gritty, and if your TV had smell-o-vision you would wish the streets had better aqueducts. But a wonderful show that I was totally addicted to.

A wonderful show you may have missed:
Slings and Arrows: Canadian Show about a Shakespearean Theatre Company. Sounds kinda dull? Not when the story lines actually mimic the plays that are being presented that season. The cast of characters and the actors that appear are full and vibrant and wonderful. I actually have two sets of the show available; because there is no way you can wait for a disc on this one…


If you loved the X-files:
Doctor Who: The original BBC series has been re-imagined and re-booted with a new Doctor (or at this point 3). The effects are still old school in many ways, and you do not need to be familiar with the old show to get excited by this show. Trust me, once you get into this world you will be addicted.

Fringe: The first season was very entertaining, and the chemistry is lovely. I especially love Walter, the crazy scientist. The stories do a lot of what I loved about the X-files, they show incredible situations that reflect what is happening in our world, as well as weaving all the characters together in interesting mosaic of the real and unreal.

Battlestar Galactica: Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few years, you know what a sensation this politically based space opera has caused. This is a show that will gripe you from the beginning and wring a tear form you more often than not. Worth all 5 seasons. ..

Farscape: Yes, it has a Muppet or two. Yes, it is another space story. Yes, it is once again the rag tag crew on board a living ship. But this strange at times, Australian shot show, has the best of all TV elements, Interesting stories that reflect our lives today, relationships that grow and change and that you become totally invested in, and just enough fluff to make it very entertaining Television.


If you loved Seinfeld:
Arrested Development: This is the Number ONE pick of Reckless employees and customers. This totally off center sitcom makes you wonder “WHAT were they thinking canceling this show?” It is not something you can explain, you have to experience it.

Spaced: The team of Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead) developed this two season wonder (only 14 episodes) as a love letter to all things geeky and nerdy. The two twenty-somethings living in a rented flat and their friends is a tried and true recipe for a sit-com, but you will never see one as quirky and entertaining as this. Don’t miss watching the whole season with an “homage-o-meter”, that is part of the extra features, and the commentary tracks by the likes of Kevin Smith, will make repeated viewings a delight.

Black Books: Dylan Moran is that strange Irish comedian that you see in all sorts of cameo roles (he is the book thief in Notting Hill). But when he plays Bernard Black the curmudgeonly book shop owner in Black Books, you will see why he should be a house hold name. The show revolves around a tiny shop, and the three friends (including Simon Pegg in a cameo). British humor that sprouted from Fawlty Towers with a pinch of AbFab for sauciness.

Titus: A short run TV show starring comedian Christopher Titus, was one of the first shows on TV to portray a truly truly dysfunctional family. You can see how it roots in Norman Leer, (All in the Family) and how Malcolm in the Middle and Arrested Development will follow. It is a strange show that made me love Stacey Keach.

If you loved Simpsons / Family Guy / South Park:
Venture Brothers: This is a twisted riff on Johnny Quest. A REALLY twisted riff, and with the voice talent of Patrick Warburton (the live action Tick, also worth watching.) as the killer bodyguard, and a Public Service Announcement on “Testicular Torsion”, it boldly goes to levels that South Park would make crasser and Metalocalypse would make more Metal….and speaking of…

Metalocalypse: The Adult Swim show about the biggest, most popular metal band in the world (they have the 12 largest economy in the world). This tongue deeply implanted in cheek look at the world of super stardom and obsessed fandom, is best watched with the subtitles on, since some of the characters are foreign and their “Englishes is nots sos goods”. Plus the song lyrics are a scream…most literally.

The Power Puff Girls: Three words…Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup.


Shows that barely got a moment on TV, but are fun little one season wonders:
Top of the list is of course, wait for it….

Firefly: The perfect Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Dollhouse) Space Western. This show is so popular among its rabid fans (see anyone working at Reckless) that they got a movie made of the show, Serenity. The TV show is sharp, witty, poignant, fun and apparently way ahead of its time.

Defying Gravity: They were just getting a full head of steam on this space trip with its odd mysterious room and characters that looked like they could have really taken off. It ended all too soon for my likes, but the short ride is really enjoyable.

Wonderfalls: For a show that got cancelled brutally early, this ends fairly well. A disaffected twenty something works in a Niagara Falls gift shop, and is spoken to (ala Joan of Arc) by inanimate objects that goad her into becoming a better person. Funny, human, and charming this show should be on everyone’s must see list.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: This is the “next” show by West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin (see Sports Night, pre-West Wing and really entertaining even if you hate Sports like I do) Studio 60 came out at the same time as 30 Rock and was also about a late night comedy show. Studio 60 is a darker hour long show. 22 not to be missed episodes.


These are only a few of the TV shows that you can get hooked on here at Reckless. Remember that when you buy a movie pass, you can rent two older TV shows for one movie pass. (A great deal when you get hooked on Buffy, trust me)

Reckless Reviews - Zoe

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Dysfunction and Melodrama

NO. MORE. WIRE. HANGERS.

A Who’s Who of Dysfunction and Melodrama

by                
Henry Kaye

Do you occasionally get the urge to beat your children with coat hangers? Do you sometimes brainwash your children into communist pawns? Is your last name Bluth? If so, you will thoroughly appreciate these films and their characters’ choices of family activities. So, sit your tied-up family down in front of one of these movies, and force them to enjoy the horrendous, tragic, and often hilarious world of dysfunctional families.

Dysfunction is the ultimate form of cinematic function, and family is the ultimate form of dysfunction. Movies like this are so ubiquitous because they’re easy to make, they’re inexpensive, they come with built-in conflict and plotline (just add movie star), and they’re topical. When something in this vein of cinematic cliché turns out well, it can be an artistically important film. The Royal Tenenbaums, Ordinary People, and Mommie Dearest are some that come to mind that have changed the landscape of film through their expert cinematography or classic abusive catchphrases. Family is the first real phase of reality that most of us go through, so when it is portrayed accurately, it can have a profound effect.

Right now, there are two new releases at Reckless that portray family flakiness—City Island, the story of a family that has to come to terms with the fact that they are all conning each other, and Parenthood, Season 1, a series loosely based on the classic Steve Martin movie of the same name.

But that’s not the only reason I’m writing about these movies. Let’s face it, that’s not even why people rent these movies. The reason these movies sell is because people need someone to look down on. They need to have that reassurance that yes, it can definitely get worse. Much, much worse. Like, by a lot. So let’s take a look at these denizens of domestic disturbance.

The Royal Tenenbaums (R for language, nudity, and drug references) - I can’t even figure out how to describe what this movie is about, but I still think that it’s fantastic. The characters, cinematography, structure, and every other single detail of this movie is brilliantly innovative. In short; it’s about a father (Gene Hackman) trying to make amends with his three estranged children (Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Luke Wilson). In the end, it’s a confusingly heartwarming affair. Wes Anderson brought about a new era in indie filmmaking with this movie, presenting the world as a fabled, anachronistic, random mess of a place within which one can’t help but see the sense.

Little Miss Sunshine (R for language, brief nudity, and drugs) - Little Miss Sunshine is the story of five hopelessly lost family members who come together against drug problems, muteness, suicide, and bankruptcy to get the young child in the family to a beauty pageant so that she may compete. Steve Carell gives the hands-down best performance of his career in this movie as the suicidal uncle who finds purpose in this task along with a stellar cast comprised of Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, and Paul Dano. Additionally backed up by an unbelievable soundtrack, this film is a road trip movie for the modern era, shedding light on the difficult struggle for innocence in an unwholesome world.

The Manchurian Candidate (PG-13 for violence) - This is not a light and fluffy movie. This is a very dark, weird, unsettling film that is probably one of the legendary political thrillers of our time. Set in the cold war, The Manchurian Candidate is the story of a young hotshot soldier who is hypnotized by communist agents to kill the president of the United States. Frank Sinatra gives a great performance as the soldier who must stop him from succeeding, and Angela Lansbury plays the mother who is responsible for the brainwashing of her son. The eerily crooked cinematography of this film wonderfully adds to the cold war paranoia that permeates the script. I won’t spoil the ending, but therapy is always a better option than family hypnosis.

Home Alone (PG) - This is one of those classics that every kid should see at least once. Macaulay Culkin is Kevin, an attention-deprived child in a massive family that seems to offer him no good will. On the morning of the family vacation to Paris, Kevin is forgotten amidst the commotion, and he is left at home alone on Christmas Day. Kevin first sees it as a blessing until two burglars attempt to rob the house, and Kevin is forced to defend it through the most ingenious means possible. Christopher Columbus’ cartoonishly violent spirit is at its peak of childish decadence in this effort. The film is filled with devilish traps and gags that will leave you with a great sense of admiration for Kevin. Rent this movie and wince the night away.

Mommie Dearest (PG) - The story of Joan Crawford and her attempts at parenting a young adopted child during the decline of her acting career brought about one of the more famous “bad mother” jokes of all time: “NO MORE WIRE HANGERS!!!” Based on the book by Christina Crawford, Mommie Dearest is by no means a light movie. Faye Dunaway is terrifying as the damaged, abusive, falling star Joan Crawford, largely due to the massive eyebrows that decorate her face, but the child abuse scenes might have helped too. Perhaps the most recognizable scene of the movie is when Joan goes into Christina’s room at night dressed all in black and wearing a white beauty mask, finds a dress on a wire hanger, wakes up the young Christina with a shout, and starts beating her with the hangers. OOF. If your son or daughter is talking trash about their home life, just sit ‘em in front of this and see what they think.

Ordinary People (R for language and really really sad stuff) - Mary Tyler Moore almost lost her status as America’s Sweetheart after portraying the cold, distant mother of a tormented child in Ordinary People. After a tragic boating accident that took the life of their firstborn son, the Jared family is thrown into turmoil. The father (Donald Sutherland) fails to understand how to deal with the family tragedy, the mother (Mary Tyler Moore) tries desperately to keep things looking normal, and the suicidal younger son (Timothy Hutton) is trying to come to terms with his guilt. Judd Hirsch gives a stellar performance as the psychologist who does his best to help this warped family. This film is a portrait of what happens when the people in a family outgrow one another, in the process of dealing with their own individual grief. What is left is less of a family portrait and more of a collection of individual snapshots.

Arrested Development (TV) - Yes, I know that this is a TV series, and I’m supposed to be recommending “movies,” but I can’t pass up an opportunity to promote what is arguably the best and most hilarious show ever broadcast. Jason Bateman plays Michael Bluth, son of the shady Bluth Company CEO George Bluth (Jeffery Tambor). Michael is the only responsible (and employed) member of the family, which includes a magician, an alcoholic, a broke socialite, and a wannabe actor, and is the only one who refuses to siphon funds from the company. When George is arrested for embezzlement, the funds are frozen, and Michael is forced to keep the business and family together.The series only lasted three seasons, but that’s all it needed to change the face of modern television. Its trademark “documentary style” camera work and mile-a-minute wit inspired such shows as The Office, Parks and Recreation, and many more. Even though Ron Howard (aka Opie) is the narrator, this ain’t no Mayberry.

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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Week of August 24th


Theatricality

Young Richard Samuels (Zac Efron) meets the famous Orson Welles in Richard Linklater's Me and Orson Welles, and the director offers Richard a role in his 1937 Broadway production of Julius Caesar. The young man is suddenly a part of the first Shakespearean production and swept up in the life of the theater, which includes the show's beautiful and driven production assistant (Claire Danes), but Welles is an unpredictable and wild force in the theater, and Richard's place within the production is always at the whim of the legendary director. With Ben Chaplin.

Ben Barnes stars as of Oscar Wilde's forever-young hedonist Dorian Gray, a young man who arrives in Victorian London and meets Lord Henry Wotton (Colin Firth). Henry teaches the young and innocent Dorian that youth and beauty are the only things worth possessing, but as his pursuit of pleasure ruins his true love (Rachel Hurd-Wood) and the painter (Ben Chaplin) who captured his image, Dorian's soul grows darker and more twisted, until his gift becomes his ultimate curse.
Dorian Gray: Now and Then
 

Family Ties

Jennifer Lopez wants a family but hasn't bet the right man, so she sets up The Back-Up Plan: artificial insemination... but as soon as she's pregnant, she meets Alex O'Loughlin and sparks fly. As they begin their relationship, they also have to learn the ropes of pregnancy, and all of the craziness that surrounds her in the new steps she's taking. Will he stay with her, and does she think he can handle a baby in his life? On DVD and Blu-Ray.

Andy Garcia is the head of a dysfunctional family in City Island, always bickering with his wife (Julianna Margulies) and not even suspecting the secret lives and wishes of his son (Ezra Miller) and daughter (Dominik Garcia-Lorido). When he discovers an illegitimate son from before his marriage, and invites the young man (Steven Strait) to stay with the family without telling anyone about their relation, the new element in the household causes all of their secrets rise to the surface. With Emily Mortimer.

Flynn (Alessandro Nivola) reluctantly joins Nat (Christopher Walken), his father, on a road trip in $5 a Day, but he doesn't trust his petty scam artist and con-man dad, whose schemes landed Flynn in jail. Diagnosed with cancer, Nat tries to reconnect with his son on an all-expenses-paid trip... but he'll always run his scams, and his food, lodging, and gas are all free giveaways, birthday meals earned with fake IDs, and squatting in for-sale houses. With Amanda Peet.

The Bad Mother's Handbook spans three generations of women, as Karen (Catherine Tate) discovers her teenage daughter Charlie (Holliday Grainger) is pregnant. Since Karen had her daughter early in life, and it seems that history is repeating itself, she turns to her own mother (Anne Reid) for help to try and help Charlie not to make the same mistakes she made. With Robert Pattinson.

Subs

Raquel has worked for the Vasquez family for over 20 years in The Maid, but without any kind of outside life, the family and the house have become her whole world. With four kids and a large estate taking their toll on Raquel's health, the family starts looking for a second maid to split the responsibilities... but Raquel sees new people in the household as intruders, and she tries to manipulate them and drive away anyone who might be accepted in her household.

The Oscar nominated Ajami is a crime drama set in an Israeli ghetto where violence between the Palestinian immigrants, Jews, Christians and Israeli Arabs, where violence against one group could send retaliation towards one of the others, leading to escalation and payback that can affect anyone in the city.

Deadly Plots

Brittany Murphy's last film is Abandoned, where she takes her boyfriend (Dean Cain) to the hospital for minor surgery but, when she returns to pick him up, he's mysteriously vanished. The hospital administrator (Mimi Rogers) can't find a record of him, and the staff psychiatrist (Peter Bogdanovich) declares her unstable... could the boyfriend that none of her friends have met and the hospital has no record of be a delusion?


John Patrick Amedori is an unpopular student in a high class prep school when he finally makes a connection with his dream girl (Lizzy Caplan) in Addicted to Her Love. Her in-crowd (D.J. Cotrona and Jenny Wade) doesn't have much use for him until they discover he works at a pharmacy, which wins him a pass into their life of drug-fueled excess... though her arrogant boyfriend (Jonathon Trent) seems to guarantee he'll never get the girl, unless their dangerous lifestyle upsets the group's status quo.

David Roberts plans a scheme with the small time gangster (Anthony Hayes) in the Australian The Square, but he also plans to use the money to run off with the gangster's wife. As the plot gets more tangled and the stakes raise, and he brings in the local arsonist (Joel Edgerton), the situation evolves out of everyone's control. With Bill Hunter.

Zombies!

Sgt. "Nicotine" Crockett (Alan Van Sprang), a side character from Diary of the Dead and Land of the Dead, and the few remaining members of his military unit are struggling to survive the zombie apocalypse in George Romero's Survival of the Dead. When they set sail for a small, secluded island, home to two rival clans. The O'Flynns (led by Kenneth Welsh) want the dead to stay dead and destroy the zombies wherever they can, while the Muldoons (led by Richard Fitzpatrick) try to teach the dead to eat something other than human flesh. Crockett and his crew are stuck in the middle, as their newly found refuges is yet another fight for survival. With Devon Bostick.

New this week to Reckless Video's TV New Releases are the 6th and final season of Lost and season 13 of The Simpsons, as well as the third season of Gossip Girl and the seventh season of NCIS. We also have the direct to video Tom & Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes and three videos from BBC's The Murdoch Mysteries: Except the Dying, Poor Tom Is Cold, and Under the Dragon's Tail.

[X]Brittany Murphy:
Drop Dead Gorgeous, The Ramen Girl
[X]Dean Cain:
Rat Race, Lois & Clark
[X]Mimi Rogers:
The Mirror Has Two Faces, Jesse Stone: Stone Cold
[X]Peter Bogdanovich:
Humboldt County, Broken English
[X]John Patrick Amedori:
Timer, Stick It
[X]D.J. Cotrona:
Venom, Law & Order: SVU
[X]Jenny Wade:
Brothers, Feast
[X]Jonathon Trent:
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, The O.C.
[X]Jennifer Lopez:
Gigli, Money Train
[X]Alex O'Loughlin:
Whiteout, August Rush
[X]Catherine Tate:
Starter for 10, Doctor Who
[X]Holliday Grainger:
Robin Hood, Waking the Dead
[X]Anne Reid:
Hot Fuzz, The Mother
[X]Robert Pattinson:
Twilight, Little Ashes
[X]Andy Garcia:
Modigliani, Jennifer 8
[X]Julianna Margulies:
Snakes on a Plane, ER
[X]Steven Strait:
Stop-Loss, Sky High
[X]Emily Mortimer:
Match Point, Lars and the Real Girl
[X]Dominik Garcia-Lorido:
The Lost City, Steal Big Steal Little
[X]Ezra Miller:
Californication, Royal Pains
[X]Colin Firth:
The Accidental Husband, Apartment Zero
[X]Ben Chaplin:
Murder By Numbers, Stage Beauty
[X]Rachel Hurd-Wood:
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Peter Pan
[X]Christopher Walken:
The Maiden Heist, Heaven's Gate
[X]Alessandro Nivola:
Laurel Canyon, Grace Is Gone
[X]Amanda Peet:
Griffin & Phoenix, 2012
[X]Richard Linklater:
Dazed and Confused, The School of Rock
[X]Zac Efron:
High School Musical, 17 Again
[X]David Roberts:
Fool's Gold, The Matrix Revolutions
[X]Anthony Hayes:
Rabbit Proof Fence, Ned Kelly
[X]Joel Edgerton:
$9.99, Smokin' Aces
[X]Bill Hunter:
Finding Nemo, Australia
[X]George Romero:
Night of the Living Dead, Bruiser
[X]Alan Van Sprang:
Narc, Saw III
[X]Kenneth Welsh:
The Freshman, Grey Gardens
[X]Richard Fitzpatrick:
Good Will Hunting, 16 Blocks
[X]Devon Bostick:
Adoration, Land of the Dead
Close this Window[X]
New this week
in Reckless Video's
New Releases.
1973
in Reckless Video's
Period Drama section
1945
in Reckless Video's
Suspense section
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Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Week of August 17th

Love & Drama

A graduate student (Omar Metwally) travels to South America to write a biography of deceased writer Jules Gund in James Ivory's (of Merchant-Ivory) The City of Your Final Destination, but he must first convince the writer's family to authorize the book. Though he was told not to come, he arrives at the writer's estate in Uruguay and tries to win over Gund's stony and unwelcoming widow (Laura Linney), his younger mistress (Charlotte Gainsbourg), and his charismatic older brother (Anthony Hopkins), all of whom have their own desires, dreams, and agendas that have gone unfulfilled on the secluded estate... but they each develop their own relationship with their visitor, their first link to the outside world in years. On DVD and Blu-Ray.

Directed by Ricky Gervais, the coming-of-age film Cemetery Junction finds three friends from working-class families trying to find their way in life in the early 70s. Popular and charming Bruce and awkward goofball Snork are aimlessly wandering through their lives, but ambitious Freddie starts yearning for freedom when he runs into an old flame (Felicity Jones) who dreams of a life beyond jobs, marriage, kids, and the lives their parents lead.

Based on the book by Nicholas Sparks, The Last Song stars Miley Cyrus as a rebellious musical prodigy who hasn't approached a piano since her parents' ugly divorce, spending the summer with her father (Greg Kinnear), a former concert pianist. At first she's miserable, but develops a relationship with a local boy (Liam Hemsworth) who helps her reclaim her relationship with her father, her music, and her place in the world. On DVD and Blu-Ray.

Claire Danes stars as the title character in Temple Grandin, a biopic about an autistic woman and doctor of animal science who advanced the practices of handling livestock. The film takes Temple through college, and her attempts to implement her ideas amidst a misunderstood disorder in the 60's, and the professor (David Strathairn) and family (Catherine O'Hara and Julia Ormond) who helped shape her life and her ability to function in the world.


Kim Ji-Woon's action/adventure/western The Good, The Bad, The Weird sets up a free-for-all as everyone from gang lords to the Japanese army chase a treasure map across Manchuria in the 1930s. A petty thief (Song Kang-Ho) steals the map while robbing a train, and is sought by everyone in the country, including a vicious killer (Lee Byung-Hun) and a stoic bounty hunter (Jung Woo-Sung): all expatriates from Japanese-occupied Korea. As the quest changes from the map to the treasure to notoriety, the three men are always in pursuit or being pursued, trying to get what they want amidst gunfire, desert car chases, and knife fights.

Brendan Fraser is sent by his boss (Ken Jeong) to level a forest to build a subdivision in Furry Vengeance, and though his wife's (Brooke Shields) protests don't stop him from razing the woodlands, the creatures whose homes he's destroying might-- his life is turned into a slapstick comedy where raccoons, skunks, squirrels, and bears make sure he's as miserable as he can be.

Our two new documentaries this week are The Dungeon Masters, which looks into the lives of people devoted to role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, and Scott Hicks' Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts, about the composer Philip Glass.

New this week to Reckless Video's TV New Releases are the 4th seasons of the Showtime's serial killer procedural Dexter (on DVD and Blu-Ray), the high school football drama Friday Night Lights, and workplace dramedy Ugly Betty. We also have the first season of Cougar Town, season seven of One Tree Hill, and the complete science fiction series Max Headroom.
[X]Ricky Gervais:
The Invention of Lying, The Office
[X]Felicity Jones:
Cheri, Northanger Abbey
[X]James Ivory:
The White Countess, A Room with a View
[X]Anthony Hopkins:
84 Charing Cross Road, The Wolfman
[X]Omar Metwally:
Rendition, Munich
[X]Laura Linney:
Mystic River, The Other Man
[X]Charlotte Gainsbourg:
21 Grams, The Science of Sleep
[X]Brooke Shields:
The Midnight Meat Train, Freeway
[X]Scott Hicks:
No Reservations, Shine
[X]Kim Ji-Woon:
A Tale of Two Sisters, 3 Extremes
[X]Song Kang-Ho:
Thirst, The Host
[X]Lee Byung-Hun:
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, My Beautiful Girl, Mari
[X]Jung Woo-Sung:
Musa: The Warrior
[X]Nicholas Sparks:
Dear John, The Notebook
[X]Greg Kinnear:
Fast Food Nation, Green Zone
[X]Liam Hemsworth:
Triangle, Knowing
[X]Claire Danes:
Stage Beauty, How to Make an American Quilt
[X]Catherine O'Hara:
Beetlejuice, A Mighty Wind
[X]Julia Ormond:
First Knight, Inland Empire
[X]David Strathairn:
Good Night and Good Luck, The Uninvited
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Friday, August 13, 2010

Screwball Comedies

  • Laws Of Attraction
  • Living In Oblivion
  • Lover Come Back
  • Mallrats
  • Midsummer Night's Dream
  • Much Ado About Nothing
  • My Man Godfrey
  • Overboard
  • The Palm Beach Story
  • Philadelphia Story
  • Pillow Talk
  • Seems Like Old Times
  • Some Like It Hot
  • Sullivan's Travels
  • There's Something About Mary
  • Topper
  • Topper Returns
  • Unfaithfully Yours
  • What's Up Doc?
  • You Can't Take It With You
  • 50 First Dates
  • All Of Me
  • Arsenic & Old Lace
  • As You Like It
  • The Awful Truth
  • The Baxter
  • Bringing Up Baby
  • Chinatown
  • Down With Love
  • Easy Virtue
  • Four Weddings & A Funeral
  • His Girl Friday
  • Holiday
  • Housesitter
  • The Hudsucker Proxy
  • I Was A Male War Bride
  • Importance Of Being Earnest
  • Intolerable Cruelty
  • It Happened One Night
  • The Lady Eve

Spotlight on... Screwball Comedies

Screwball Comedies usually features farcical situations involve mistaken identities or other secrets, a combination of slapstick with fast-paced repartee, and a plot involving courtship and marriage or remarriage. The couple seems mismatched and even hostile to each other at first, and "meet cute" in some way, "a sex comedy without the sex.” says film critic Andrew Sarris. 

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Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Week of August 10th

Putting on your best

Tina Fey and Steve Carell have been married long enough to fall into a dull routine, so they step out for an exciting trip into New York City in Date Night, but their night gets more exiting than they anticipated when a case of mistaken identity sends a pair of gun toting heavies (Jimmi Simpson and Common) after them. On the run and alone in the city, they leave a path of mayhem as they work to discover the reason they're being chased and clear their names, all the while pursued by a police detective (Taraji P. Henson) who thinks the couple's story is too weird to be anything but true. With Mark Wahlberg. On DVD and Blu-Ray.


"When it's my funeral, I want people to be celebrating. Like it's Anna Nicole Smith or Richard Nixon, somebody big."
In Neil LaBute's remake of the 2007 film of the same name, Death at a Funeral stars Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence as brothers taking care of their father's funeral, but coming together under stressful and emotional circumstances brings out old rivalries and wildly comic misadventures, especially as their sister (Zoe Saldana) and her boyfriend (James Marsden) arrive, along with unexpected visitors, unintended hallucinations, and newly revealed secrets. With Peter Dinklage.


"To succeed here, you can't just sell things. You're here to sell a lifestyle, an attitude. If people want you, they'll want what you've got."
David Duchovny is a charismatic used car salesman who gets a new sales position in The Joneses: he's to pose as the husband and father of a household, along with Demi Moore, as they move into a new neighborhood and subtly encourage their new "peers" to buy more, better, and more expensive products. A satire of consumerism and suburbia, the family's social world strives to literally keep up with the Jones "family," even though their mission is just to encourage the neighbors to keep buying. With Amber Heard.

Tough Love


Che (Benjamin Bratt) is a reformed convict gone straight, driving a city bus, restoring classic cars, and supporting his son (Jeremy Ray Valdez) in La Mission, but his reputation and history make him one of the most respected and feared men in San Francisco's Mission District. Che's world is challenged by unexpected changes in his family and a direct threat to the authoritative, macho image that maintains his status in the community.

"You're not a natural when it comes to hostility and arrogance, but, given time, it'll come."
Jacques (Brian Cox), a bartender with a failing heart, shares a hospital room with Lucas (Paul Dano), a young homeless man, in The Good Heart. Jacques takes Lucas in and shows him how to run the bar, training him as an heir to keep the bar open after he's gone... but Jacques is cantankerous, stubborn, and opinionated, and he's convinced he has to train Lucas to stop being kind and helpful if he's to deal with barflies and run a business. With Stephanie Szostak.

"I drink to bring myself down to the level of the common man, but remember: the common man drinks, so I must drink twice as much."
K. Roth Binew (Mike O'Connell) has re-imagined the failures of his past as the important work of an unrecognized genius in The Living Wake. Chauffeured through town by his friend and biographer (Jesse Eisenberg) on a bicycle driven rickshaw, Binew distributes invitations to his living wake-- a short performance to commemorate his last day on earth, after which he will drop dead-- because like all great visionaries, he needs to be celebrated after his untimely demise.

Evicted from their home and squatting in an unrented apartment, a hardworking mother (Cindy Cheung) is trying to get back on her feet while caring for her two small children in Children of Invention, but she disappears after getting involved with a pyramid scheme. Now on their own, 10-year-old Mark must take care of his 8-year-old sister Tina and find ways for them to survive on the streets of Boston.

Twins Rachel and Theo are staying with their aunt and uncle in the New Zeland film Under the Mountain when they investigate the creepy house next-door and discover the Wilberforces: evil shape-shifting creatures that live underground. Befriended by the mysterious Mr. Jones (Sam Neill), the twins must stop with Wilberforces from destroying the world. With Oliver Driver.

Our two new documentaries this week are Tapped, an investigation into the big business of bottled water and its effects on society and the environment, and Flag Wars, a look at a predominantly black, working-class neighborhood in Ohio and the changes an influx of white, gay homebuyers has on the community.

New this week to Reckless Video's TV New Releases are the first season of Adult Swim's Titan Maximum, a Voltron-themed action comedy series by the creators of Robot Chicken. We also have the final season of the FBI procedural Numb3rs, Volume 3 of Saturday Night Live's: Best of Will Ferrell, and several new Goosebumps DVDs, including: Shocker on Shock Street, Scary House, Chillogy, The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight, It Came from beneath the Sink, Deep Trouble, and Attack of the Jack-O-Lanterns.

[X]Cindy Cheung:
Lady in the Water, Spider-Man 2
[X]Tina Fey:
Baby Mama, Mean Girls
[X]Jimmi Simpson:
Zodiac, Loser
[X]Common:
Terminator Salvation, Smokin' Aces
[X]Taraji P. Henson:
I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Hustle & Flow
[X]Neil LaBute:
In the Company of Men, The Wicker Man
[X]Chris Rock:
Head of State, I Think I Love My Life
[X]Martin Lawrence:
College Road Trip, National Security
[X]Zoe Saldana:
The Losers, Avatar
[X]James Marsden:
The Notebook, The Box
[X]Peter Dinklage:
Find Me Guilty, Underdog
[X]Brian Cox:
The Escapist, The Flying Scotsman
[X]Stephanie Szostak:
The Devil Wears Prada, Motherhood
[X]David Duchovny:
Things We Lost in the Fire, Californication
[X]Benjamin Bratt:
Pinero, Love in the Time of Cholera
[X]Mike O'Connell:
Funny People, The Black Dahlia
[X]Jesse Eisenberg:
Zombieland, Adventureland
[X]Sam Neill:
Wimbledon, Daybreakers
[X]Oliver Driver:
Black Sheep
[X]Will Ferrell:
Land of the Lost, Anchorman
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Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Week of August 3rd

Ultra-Violence

A comics obsessed teenager (Aaron Johnson) decides to reinvent himself as a superhero in Matthew Vaughn's Kick-Ass. Without superpowers, he buys a costume and sets out to fight crime on the city streets and becomes famous enough to catch the attention of two heroes already fighting crime: the Batman-like Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and the assassin Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz), his 11-year-old daughter. Kick-Ass gets more than he bargained for when he teams up with Big Daddy and Hit Girl-- they are at war with a dangerous gangster (Mark Strong), Kick-Ass has to deal with the switch from petty street crime to heavy weapons, mob bosses, torture, and extreme violence. With Lyndsy Fonseca and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. On DVD and Blu-Ray.

Middle School

Our family-friendly film this week takes Greg (Zachary Gordon) to his first experience with middle-school in Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Telling his story through his journal (not a diary, he insists), Greg is one of the smallest boys in his class and saddled with a childish best friend (Robert Capron) as he tries to navigate the bullies and social cliques of 6th grade. Constantly picked on by his big brother (Devon Bostick) and befriended by an outcast 7th grader (Chloe Moretz), Greg sees another approach to middle school, and begins a campaign to become a "class favorite" that could win him great popularity... but at what cost? On DVD and Blu-Ray.

Lies, Secrets, and Mysteries

Ewan McGregor is a successful ghostwriter in Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer, hired to finish the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister (Pierce Brosnan), but the day he arrives, the former Prime Minister is accused of war crimes. Sequestered in an island estate with the Prime Minister, the PM's wife (Olivia Williams) and assistant (Kim Cattrall), the writer's research begins to uncover mysteries of the Prime Minister's history, and the clandestine movements that could prove his guilt or innocence. On DVD and Blu-Ray.

Christina Ricci wakes up on a mortician's (Liam Neeson) table in After.Life, but she has already been pronounced dead. The mystery unfolds as the mortician tells her that she is talking because of his gift: he can speak with the dead, and has spent his life helping souls to move on from one life to the next... but is he really a supernatural man, or is she still alive and being held captive by a deranged killer who intends to bury her alive? With Justin Long.

As part of her impending divorce, Rachel Blanchard is selling her home in Open House, but finds herself drugged and tied to a chair in the basement by a psychotic couple (Brian Geraghty and Tricia Helfer) who use the on-the-market home to lure victims to their deaths. Not sure how long she'll be allowed to live, she detects a secret between the killers that could lead to her freedom-- if she can get away before a knife gets turned on her. With True Blood's Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer.

Prison

Brian Cox is serving a life sentence without hope of ever seeing the outside world again in The Escapist when he receives dire news about his 14-year-old daughter; if he's to save his little girl, he has to plan a daring prison break with his closest friend (Liam Cunningham), a thief and bare-knuckle boxer (Joseph Fiennes), and the prison chemist (Seu Jorge). When his new cellmate (Dominic Cooper) attracts the attention of the prison's vicious alpha dog (Damian Lewis), the escalating conflict between the groups of prisoners could ruin any chance of escape.

Malik is sentenced to six years in prison in A Prophet, where he is isolated, powerless, and illiterate. Upon his arrival he's taken in by Luciani (Niels Arestrup), the leader of a Corsican mafia group, and ordered to kill. Luciani arranges day leaves for Malik as he grows more important, sending him to conduct missions for the Corsicans in the outside world, but as Malik becomes more powerful, he also gets more ambitious.

Based on a True Story

Based on a 1970 racial murder in North Carolina, Blood Done Sign My Name recounts the murder of a black man and the acquittal of the accused by an all-white jury, an event that helped initiate racial upheaval and change in Viet Nam era southern America. With Omar Benson Miller, Rick Schroder, and Rhoda Griffis.

Released by the Criterion Collection, the Swedish Everlasting Moments tells the story of Maria Larsson. Set in the early 1900s, Maria is poor and married to an abusive man, but claims a new lease on life when she wins a camera in the lottery. Though the camera could be sold to help her desperate financial situation, it lets her see the world in a new way and begins her artistic life.

New this week to Reckless Video's TV New Releases are all four seasons of the BBC's The Last Detective as well as the fourth season of the superhero drama Heroes. We also have the miniseries Stephen Fry in America, where Englishman Stephen Fry travels through all 50 states to familiarize himself with our national culture.

[X]Christina Ricci:
Penelope, Prozac Nation
[X]Liam Neeson:
Rob Roy, Clash of the Titans
[X]Justin Long:
Jeepers Creepers, Youth in Revolt
[X]Michael Rooker:
Super Capers, Mallrats
[X]Omar Benson Miller:
The Express, Shall We Dance
[X]Rick Schroder:
Crimson Tide, Poolhall Junkies
[X]Rhoda Griffis:
The Blind Side, Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius
[X]Devon Bostick:
Land of the Dead, Adoration
[X]Brian Cox:
Trick 'r Treat, Manhunter
[X]Joseph Fiennes:
Enemy at the Gates, Running with Scissors
[X]Seu Jorge:
City of God, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
[X]Dominic Cooper:
An Education, The History Boys
[X]Damian Lewis:
Life, Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker
[X]Roman Polanski:
Chinatown, Bitter Moon
[X]Ewan McGregor:
Down with Love, The Men Who Stare at Goats
[X]Pierce Brosnan:
Seraphim Falls, Remember Me
[X]Kim Cattrall:
Ice Princess, Sex & the City
[X]Matthew Vaughn:
Stardust, Layer Cake
[X]Aaron Johnson:
The Thief Lord, The Greatest
[X]Lyndsy Fonseca:
Hot Tub Time Machine, How I Met Your Mother
[X]Christopher Mintz-Plasse:
Role Models, Superbad
[X]Chloe Moretz:
(500) Days of Summer, Wicked Little Things
[X]Nicolas Cage:
Bad Lieutenant - Port of Call: New Orleans, World Trade Center
[X]Rachel Blanchard:
Spread, Where the Truth Lies
[X]Brian Geraghty:
The Hurt Locker, Art School Confidential
[X]Tricia Helfer:
Battlestar Galactica, Spiral
[X]Niels Arestrup:
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The Beat That My Heart Skipped
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