RA: Renters Anonymous - September 16th, 2008
This Week: September 16th, 2008
New Releases
Speed Racer - 6.6/10 - Trailer
Starring Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox
The story begins with Speed Racer who is a young man with natural racing instincts whose goal is to win The Crucible, a cross-country car racing rally that took the life of his older brother, Rex Racer. Speed is loyal to the family business, run by his parents Pops and Mom. Pops designed Speed’s car, the Mach 5. The owner of Royalton Industries makes Speed a lucrative offer, Speed rejects the offer, angering the owner. Speed also uncovers a secret that top corporate interests, including Royalton, are fixing races and cheating to gain profit. With the offer to Speed denied, Royalton wants to ensure that Speed will not win races. Speed finds support from his parents and his girlfriend Trixie and enters The Crucible in a partnership with his one-time rival, Racer X, seeking to rescue his family’s business and the racing sport itself.
Special Features:
- Anamorphic Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
- Car Fu: The Making Of
- Spritle in the Big Leagues
- Interactive DVD Speed Racer game
- Digital Copy of the film
Blu-ray Features:
- 1080p Widescreen Transfer
- same as the DVD release
Recommendation: Pass
The Love Guru - Trailer
Starring Mike Myers, Jessica Alba, Romany Malco
Pitka an American raised outside of his country by gurus, returns to the States in order to break into the self-help business. His first challenge: To settle the romantic troubles and subsequent professional skid of a star hockey player whose wife left him for a rival athlete.
Special Features:
- Anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
- Featurettes: “One Hellava Elephant”, “Hockey Training for Actors”, “Back in the Booth with Trent and Jay”
11 deleted scenes, extended scenes, bloopers- Theatrical Trailer
- Digital Copy of the Film
Blu-ray Features:
- 1080p Widescreen Transfer with Dolby True HD 5.1
- Same features as the DVD release
Recommendation: Pass
Made of Honor - 6.3/10 - Trailer
Starring Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin McKidd, Kathleen Quinlan, Sydney Pollack
Made of Honor revolves around Tom and Hannah, who have been platonic friends for 10 years. He’s a serial dater, while she wants marriage but hasn’t found Mr. Right. Just as Tom is starting to think that he is relationship material after all, Hannah gets engaged. When she asks Tom to be her “maid” of honor, he reluctantly agrees just so he can attempt to stop the wedding and woo her.
Special Features:
- Widescreen and Fullscreen transfers with Dolby Digital 5.1
- Commentary by director Paul Weiland
Blu-ray Features:
- Same features as the DVD release
- Featurettes: “Save the Date” and “Three Weddings and a Skyline”
- Deleted scenes
Recommendation: Rent
88 Minutes - 5.1/10 - Trailer
Starring Al Pacino, Benjamin McKenzie, Alicia Witt, Leelee Sobieski, Deborah Kara Unger
In Seattle, the successful forensic psychiatrist and college professor Jack Gramm is in evidence since he was responsible for the condemnation of the serial killer Jon Forster, influencing the jury to sentence him to the death row. Jon accuses Jack of manipulation, inducing one witness and sister of one of his victims to testify against him. On the eve of Jon’s execution, Jack receives a phone call telling him that he has only eighty-eight minutes of life, while a killer is copycatting Jon, killing women with the same “modus-operandi” and is investigated by Seattle Slayer Task Force. With the support of associate Shelly Barnes, an FBI agent, his friend Frank Parks, and his assistant Kim Cummings, Jack investigates some weird and problematic students, a security guard of the campus and the woman with whom he had one night stand.
Special Features:
- 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
- Commentary with director Jon Avnet
- Alternate ending
- Featurettes: “Director’s Point of View”, “The Character Within”
Blu-ray Features:
- Same features as the DVD release
Recommendation: Pass
Kabluey
Starring Lisa Kudrow, Scott Prendergast, Teri Garr
When Leslie (Kudrow), whose husband is in Iraq, is in danger of losing her benefits if she does not return to work, Salman (Prendergast), her brother-in-law, arrives in town to help watch over her two kids. Meanwhile, Salman gets a job as the mascot for a failing dot-com and finds confidence through his costume and alter ego.
Special Features:
- 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
- Deleted Scenes
Recommendation: Rent
Snow Angels - Trailer
Starring Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell, Deborah Allen, Michael Angarano, Jeanetta Arnette
Arthur busses tables in a Chinese restaurant, plays trombone in the high school marching bnad, and has his eye on smart, funny, offbeat Lila - who definitely has her eye on him. But as Arthur takes tentative steps toward his first romantic relationship, the long-time relationships of the adults around him teeter and crash, drawing Arthur into a vortex of events that will change his world forever.
Special Features:
- Widescreen and Fullscreen presentations with Dolby Digital 5.1
Recommendation: Rent
Re-Releases
1408 (Blu-ray) - 6.2/10
Starring John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson
The film follows Mike Enslin (Cusack), an author who specializes in the horror (”paranormal”) genre. Enslin’s career is essentially based on investigating allegedly haunted houses, although his repeatedly unfruitful studies have left him disillusioned and pessimistic. Through an anonymous recommendation (via postcard), Enslin eventually learns of the Dolphin Hotel in New York City, which houses the infamous “Room 1408.” Interested yet skeptical, Enslin decides to spend one night in the hotel although manager Mr. Olin (Samuel L. Jackson) warns him strongly against it. Enslin encounters a series of bizarre experiences in the room.
Blu-ray Features:
- Anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
- Alternate Ending and extened scenes
Recommendation: Pass
Beetlejuice (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) - 6.9/10
Starring Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Catherina O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones, Glenn Shadix
Adam and Barbara are a normal couple, who happen to be dead. They have given their precious time to decorate the house and make it their own, but unfortunately a family are moving in, and not quietly. Adam and Barbara try to scare them out, but ends up becoming the main attraction to the money making family. They call upon Beetlejuice to help, but Beetlejuice has more in more in mind than the just helping.
Special Features:
- Newly remastered presentation
- 3 Beetlejuice cartoons: “A-ha”, “Skeletons in the Closet”, “Spooky Boo-tique”
Blu-ray Features:
- Same as the DVD release
Recommendation: Buy
The Breakfast Club: Flashback Edition - 7.9/10
Starring Emilio Estévez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy
The plot follows five students at fictional Shermer High School in the widely used John Hughes setting of Shermer, Illinois (a fictitious suburb of Chicago based on Hughes’ hometown of Northbrook, Illinois, which was originally called Shermerville; Shermer is a street in Northbrook, and the school in Northbrook, Glenbrook North High School is on Shermer), as they report for Saturday detention on March 24, 1984. Complete strangers, the five teenagers are all from a different clique or social group.
Special Features:
- 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1
- Commentary with Anthony Michael Hall and Judd Nelson
- Featurettes: “Sincerely Yours”, “Most Convenient Definitions”
- Theatrical Trailer
Recommendation: Buy
Hulk (Blu-ray) - 4.9/10
Starring Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Nick Nolte, Josh Lucas
After a terrible accident of Bruce banner in the lab his extraordinary mind is now making him angry.He then figures out that David banner is his real father.Bruce has now turned into hulk and nothing can stop him for when he is angry.Betty is the only person that can stop him from being angry.Betty has now gone to the father to ask for help how to help him,but the father has now sent his super villian dogs like hulk to kill her,hulk is now the only person to stop the mutant dogs.David banner has now transformed himself into anything he touches and with evil power,hulk must now save the world and save the people.
Blu-ray Features:
- Widescreen 1080p Transfer with DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio
- Commentary with Ang Lee
- Deleted Scenes
- Featurettes: “Evolution of the Hulk”, “The Incredible Ang Lee”, “The Dog Fight Scene”, “The Making of Hulk”, “The Unique Style of Editing Hulk”
- U-Control features: “Tutorial Static Images”, “Picture-in-Picture”, “My Scenes”
Recommendation: Pass
Risy Business (25th Anniversary) - 5.3/10
Starring Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, Joe Pantoliano
Left alone in the wealthy northern Chicago suburbs with the family house and Porsche at his disposal, Joel, through his scheming friends, finds himself entertaining to-die-for lady-of-the-night Lana. After meeting Joel’s enthusiastic friends, Lana spots a business opportunity, and suggests bringing in some of her equally stunning colleagues. Joel is aghast at such an idea, at least until the Porsche accidentally falls into Lake Michigan, requiring a quick infusion of ready cash.
Special Features:
- Commentary by Tom Cruise, director Paul Brickman and producer Jon Avnet
Alternate ending- New making-of documentary
- Original screen tests with Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay
Blu-ray Features:
- Same as the DVD release, plus:
- Video commentary
- Digital copy of the film
Recommendation: Pass (unless you love Tom Cruise)
Sixteen Candles: Flashback Edition - 7.1/10
Starring Molly Ringwald, Justin Henry, Michael Schoeffling, Haviland Morris, Gedde Watanabe, Anthony Michael Hall
Samantha’s life is going downhill fast. The fifteen-year-old has a crush on the most popular boy in school, and the geekiest boy in school has a crush on her. Her sister’s getting married, and with all the excitement the rest of her family forgets her birthday! Add all this to a pair of horrendously embarrassing grandparents, a foreign exchange student named Long Duc Dong, and we have the makings of a hilarious journey into young womanhood.
Special Features:
- 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1
- Celebrating Sixteen Candles featurette
Recommendation: Rent
Weird Science: Flashback Edition - 6.1/10
Starring Anthony Michael Hall, Kelly LeBrock, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Bill Paxton
Two unpopular teenagers, Gary and Wyatt, fail at all attempts to be accepted by their peers. Their desperation to be liked leads them to “create” a woman via their computer. Their living and breathing creation is a gorgeous woman, Lisa, whose purpose is to boost their confidence level by putting them into situations which require Gary and Wyatt to act like men. On their road to becoming accepted, they encounter many hilarious obstacles, which gives the movie an overall sense of silliness.
Special Features:
- 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1
- It’s Alive! Resurrecting Weird Science featurette
- Weird Science TV Pilot Episode
- Theatrical Trailer
Recommendation: Rent
The Unrated Blogger’s Cut
So this week it seems like 80s week or shall I say John Hughes Week or Anthony Michael Hall Week with the releases of The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles and Weird Science. Although all the films are great 80s films, only The Breakfast Club has had a lasting effect on me and I will definitely be picking it up to add to my collection. Also, after watching the trailer for Kabluey I giggled and decided that I wanted to watch this so I will be picking it up for a viewing. All the other new releases seem like films that fell flat on their faces in the theater and probably don’t deserve a regular viewing, at least in my opinion.
How is everyone going to celebrate 80s week?
Coming up next week:
New: Deception*, Leatherheads*, Pathology, Seoul Raiders, Sex and the City: The Movie*
Re-releases: LA Confidential*, The Godfather Collection: Coppola Restoration*
* denotes separate DVD and Blu-ray releases
** denotes Blu-ray only release
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