RA: Renters Anonymous - August 12th, 2008
This Week: August 12th, 2008
After receiving a few suggestions on the previous Renters Anonymous posts, we’re going to try a new setup this week that should give you readers some more information for when you head out to rent or buy new dvd/blu-ray discs. We won’t be covering every single release because we don’t have room and most readers are mostly interested in “popular” releases. Also we won’t be covering TV series releases, at least for now. With each release we’ll be giving you an average rating from I Heart Movies along with trailers (where available), special features and recommendations about buying/renting/passing on each release. Plus we’ll be covering Blu-ray releases for you HD guys out there.
New Releases
Smart People - 5.3/10 - Trailer
Starring Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, Ellen Page
A widowed professor, Lawrence Wetherhold, forms an unexpected romance with a former student at the same time his adopted brother pops in for a surprise visit. Lawrence’s brother attempts to help the family let loose after mourning for their wife/mother for so long. But is the family ready for change?
Special Features:
- Anamorphic Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
- Commentary with director Noam Murro and writer Mark Jude
- 9 deleted scenes plus outtakes
- Sundance featurette
- Interviews with the producers, cast and crew
Blu-ray:
- 1080p transfer with Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital 5.1
- Same extra features as standard release
Recommendation: Pass
Felon
Starring Val Kilmer, Stephen Dorff, Harold Parrineau
Wade Porter pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter after accidentally killing an intruder and has to struggle to keep his relationship afloat as well as survive in an animalistic and merciless prison system where the rules of normal society no longer apply.
Special Features:
- Anamorphic Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
- Shark Tank: An Inside Look at Felon featurette
Recommendation: Rent
CJ7 - 6.3/10 - Trailer
Starring Stephen Chow, Xu Jiao, Kitty Zhang Yuqi, Danny Chan Kwok, Kuen, Tin Kai Man
A poor construction worker picks up an alien orb for his son, mistaking it for a toy. Inside is an alien with regenerative powers that soon teaches the father and son important lessons about life.
Special Features:
- Anamorphic widescreen with Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1, plus English subtitles
- Cast and crew commentary
- Featurettes: The Story of CJ7, The Making of CJ7, Anatomy of a Scene
Blu-ray:
- Same features as standard release
Recommendation: Pass
Re-Releases
The Doors (Blu-ray) - 6.6/10
Starring Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan, Kyle MacLachlan, Frank Whaley, Kathleen Quinlan, Billy Idol, Josh Evans
Oliver Stone’s homage to 60’s rock group The Doors also doubles as a biography of the group’s late singer, the “Electric Poet” Jim Morrison.
Blu-ray Features:
- 1080p Transfer in 16×9 Widescreen
- 7.1 DTS HD Master Audio
- Oliver Stone commentary
- Deleted Scenes
- Featurettes: The Doors in LA, Jim Morrison: An American Poet in Paris
Recommendation: Buy (for Doors fans)
xXx: State of the Union (Blu-ray) - 4/10
Starring Ice Cub, Willem Dafoe, Samuel L. Jackson, Scott Speedman, Peter Strauss, Xzibit
Darius Stone, a new agent in the XXX program, is sent to Washington, DC to defuse a power struggle amongst national leaders.
Blu-ray Features:
- 1080p 2.40:1 Widescreen Transfer
- TrueHD 5.1
- Filmmakers and Visual Effects Commentary
- Deleted Scenes
- Featurettes: From Convict to Hero: The Making of, Top Secret Military Warehouse, xXx: According to Ice Cub, Bullet Train Breakdown
- BD-Live Enabled
Recommendation: Pass
The Unrated Blogger’s Cut
I’ll be renting Felon this week because the film has been getting decent reviews and even though Val Kilmer is out of the limelight, I still enjoy his films, especially one of his more recent works, Spartan. Besides that I’ll be sitting back and catching up on some summer tv shows that I have backlogged.
What does everyone think of the new format for RA? Also, what do you guys plan on picking up this week?
Coming up next week:
New: Street Kings*, Prom Night*, The Scorpion King 2*, Best of Both Worlds Concert: The 3-D Movie*
Re-release: Disney/Pixar Ultimate Collection
* denotes seperate DVD and Blu-ray releases
** denotes Blu-ray only release
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