The handsome aristocrat Morton Salt is off exploring the Dead Sea for treasure and possibly using his sexuality for espionage, so I’m filling in this week to let you know what’s coming to your living rooms on DVD, Blu Ray and Video on Demand this week. And, boy, is there plenty of excitement and adventure to be had from the comfort of your own beer-stained futons and wicker rattans this week!
Coming to you on DVD, Blu Ray and VOD are:
Oblivion
The Place Beyond the Pines
Mud
On the Road
The Sapphires
Aftershock
To the Wonder
Not Today
West of Memphis
Eddie: The Sleepwalking Cannibal
The King of the Streets
Wow, so much to choose from! I sure hope that I’ve included some plot synopses and movie still for you to read and look at while deciding what you want to watch this week.
Oblivion (our review)
Tom Cruise stars in Oblivion, an original and groundbreaking cinematic event from the visionary director of TRON: Legacy and producers of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. On a spectacular future Earth that has evolved beyond recognition, one man’s confrontation with the past will lead him on a journey of redemption and discovery as he battles to save mankind. 2077: Jack Harper (Cruise) serves as a security repairmen stationed on an evacuated Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying alien threat who still scavenges what’s left of our planet, Jack’s mission is almost complete. In a matter of two weeks, he will join the remaining survivors on a lunar colony far from the war-torn world he has long called home. Living in and patrolling the breathtaking skies from thousands of feet above, Jack’s soaring existence is brought crashing down after he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Drawn to Jack through a connection that transcends logic, her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he thought he knew. With a reality that is shattered as he discovers shocking truths that connect him to Earth of the past, Jack will be pushed to a heroism he didn’t know he contained within. The fate of humanity now rests solely in the hands of a man who believed our world was soon to be lost forever.
Should You Watch It? Look, someone went to a lot of trouble to write that long synopsis, so you should at least give it a shot.
The Place Beyond the Pines (our review, interview with director Derek Cianfrance)
The highly anticipated new drama from director Derek Cianfrance (“Blue Valentine”) powerfully explores the consequences of motorcycle rider Luke’s (Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling) fateful decision to commit a crime to support his child. The incident renders him targeted by policeman Avery (Golden Globe Award nominee Bradley Cooper), and the two men become locked on a tense collision course which will have a devastating impact on both of their families in the years following.
Should You Watch It? Obviously, we love Ryan Gosling. He’s a hard-working, talented dreamboat. But I’m disappointed that he didn’t actually get fake and neck tattoos to commit to this role and/or give us other guys a chance.
Mud
Mud is an adventure about two boys, Ellis and his friend Neckbone, who find a man named Mud hiding out on an island in the Mississippi. Mud describes fantastic scenarios-he killed a man in Texas and vengeful bounty hunters are coming to get him. He says he is planning to meet and escape with the love of his life, Juniper, who is waiting for him in town. Skeptical but intrigued, Ellis and Neckbone agree to help him. It isn’t long until Mud’s visions come true and their small town is besieged by a beautiful girl with a line of bounty hunters in tow.
Should You Watch It? This has been on my must-watch since people first started saying things like, “You have to see McConaughey in this, he’s terrific” and “I’ll take my shirt off if you watch Mud,” so let’s all make sure to watch this.
On the Road
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Walter Salles and based on the iconic novel by Jack Kerouac, ‘On the Road’ the timeless story of Sal Paradise (Sam Riley), a young writer whose life is shaken and ultimately redefined by the arrival of Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund), a free-spirited, fearless, fast talking Westerner and his girl, Marylou (Kristen Stewart). Traveling cross-country, Sal and Dean venture out on a personal quest for freedom from the conformity and conservatism engulfing them in search of the unknown, themselves, and the pursuit of “it” — the pure essence of experience. Seeking uncharted terrain and the last American frontier, the duo encounter an eclectic mix of men and women — Bull (Viggo Mortensen), Camille (Kirsten Dunst), Carlo (Tom Sturridge), Jane (Amy Adams), Terry (Alice Braga), Galatea (Elisabeth Moss) — each impacting their journey indelibly.
Should You Watch It? I’d love to see behind-the-scenes footage of Amy Adams in the same room as Kristen Stewart and Kirsten Dunst. It would be like watching Peyton Manning play 3-on-3 with, well, Kristen Stewart and Kirsten Dunst.
The Sapphires
Inspired by a true story, THE SAPPHIRES follows four vivacious, young and talented Australian Aboriginal girls from a remote mission as they learn about love, friendship and war when their all girl group The Sapphires entertains the U.S. troops in Vietnam in 1968. Cynthia (Tapsell), Gail (Mailman), Julie (Mauboy) and Kay (Sebbens) are discovered by Dave (O’Dowd), a good-humored talent scout with a kind heart, very little rhythm but a great knowledge of soul music. As their manager, Dave books the sisters their first true gig giving them their first taste of stardom, and travels them to Vietnam to sing for the American troops.
Should You Watch It? I’m not sure. It sounds like a nice movie, but I prefer that portrayals of aboriginals have people eating bats while casually proclaiming, “Needs more garlic!” Time to make another movie, Paul Hogan.
Aftershock
What happens to a group of travelers who are in an underground nightclub in Chile when a massive earthquake hits? Hint: Nothing good!
Should You Watch It? I forgot that this movie was made, and I really wanted to see it because it looks and sounds comically fantastic, so I think we should have a slumber party and make Jiffy Pop like the rest of the cool kids!
To the Wonder
‘To The Wonder’ tells the story of Marina (Kurylenko) and Neil (Affleck), who meet in France and move to Oklahoma to start a life together, where problems soon arise. While Marina makes the acquaintance of a priest and fellow exile (Bardem), who is struggling with his vocation, Neil renews a relationship with a childhood sweetheart, Jane (McAdams). Bold and lyrical, the film is a moving, gorgeously shot exploration of love in its many forms.
Should You Watch It? Wait, someone moves from Paris to Oklahoma? This must be science fiction.
Not Today
Caden Welles has the world at his disposal. With the resources of his wealthy father, he’s living life as large as any 20-year-old could dream. But what happens when that dream becomes a nightmare halfway around the world? Traveling with his friends to Hyderabad, India on a whim, Caden’s expectations of a never-ending party crash hard. But not as hard as his conscience when he refuses to help a starving man and his little girl. Haunted by the images of Kiran and Annika, Caden attempts to right his wrong-only to discover Kiran has been forced to sell his own daughter.
Should You Watch It? Good lord, that sounds like a brutal plot. Re-edit it with a talking dog and an imaginary friend named “Stinky” and you’ve got yourself a deal.
West of Memphis
From director Amy Berg, in collaboration with first time Producers Damien Echols and Lorri Davis along with filmmakers Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh comes West of Memphis, a powerful examination of a catastrophic failure of justice in Arkansas. The documentary tells the hitherto unknown story behind an extraordinary and desperate fight to bring the truth to light. Told and made by those who lived it, Berg’s unprecedented access to the inner workings of the defense, allows the film to show the investigation, research and appeals process in a way that has never been seen before; revealing shocking and disturbing new information about a case that still haunts the American South.
Should You Watch It? I’m told this documentary is fantastic. Then again, I’ve also been told that Z. Cavaricci’s looked cool. So I’m not sure who to believe anymore.
Eddie: The Sleepwalking Cannibal
Thure Lindhardt (Keep the Lights On) stars in this quirky dark comedy as Lars, a former darling of the art scene slipping away into the land of has-beens and struggling with lack of inspiration. His art dealer Ronny arranges a teaching job in a small town as a “therapeutic measure” to stir up some creative juices, but things never turn out quite as planned. At first, life in the peaceful small town seems rosy, as the young man settles in and impresses beautiful fellow colleague Leslie, by taking in the brawny, mute Eddie after the latter’s caregiver passes away. But Lars soon discovers that the façade of serenity hides something unimaginable: Eddie suffers from a rare form of sleepwalking that transforms him from docile, cereal-obsessed art student into ravenous sleepwalking cannibal craving fresh meat. Initially horrified by Eddie’s dark secret, Lars becomes enthralled by the not-so-gentle giant: at long last, here’s the muse he’d been searching for high and low! Exceptional art does indeed come at a very high price, even the cost of human lives…and how far is Lars willing to go for his next masterpiece?
Should You Watch It? Let me put it to you this way – if you hang a portrait in your house and tell me not to touch it because it cost a million dollars, I’m going to want to touch it. That’s how I feel about a movie called Eddie: The Sleepwalking Cannibal. I can’t ignore a movie with such an enticing name.
The King of the Streets
KING OF THE STREETS, China’s first street-fighting movie, pits real-life martial artist Yue Song against more than 10 of the world’s top contenders in MMA, Jiu-jitsu, Jeet Kune Do, Sanda, and Muay Thai boxing.
Should You Watch It? I should warn you that this isn’t to be confused with the documentary King of the Streets about the Ruff Ryders, but this one sounds pretty good nonetheless.