RA: Renters Anonymous – September 23rd, 2008
This Week: September 23rd, 2008
New Releases
Leatherheads – 6.8/10 – Trailer
Starring George Clooney, John Krasinski, Renée Zellweger, Jonathan Pryce, Stephen Root, Wayne Duvall
A romantic comedy set against the backdrop of America’s nascent pro-football league in 1925. Dodge Connolly, a charming, brash football hero, is determined to guide his team from bar brawls to packed stadiums. But after the players lose their sponsor and the entire league faces certain collapse, Dodge convinces a college football star to join his ragtag ranks. The captain hopes his latest move will help the struggling sport finally capture the country’s attention. Welcome to the team Carter Rutherford, America’s favorite son. A golden-boy war hero who single-handedly forced multiple German soldiers to surrender in WWI, Carter has dashing good looks and unparalleled speed on the field. This new champ is almost too good to be true, and Lexie Littleton aims to prove that’s the case. A cub journalist playing in the big leagues, Lexie is a spitfire newswoman who suspects there are holes in Carter’s war story. But while she digs, the two teammates start to become serious off-field rivals for her fickle affections. As the new game of pro-football becomes less like the freewheeling sport he knew and loved, Dodge must both fight to keep his guys together and to get the girl of his dreams. Finding that love and football have a surprisingly similar playbook, however, he has one maneuver he will save just for the fourth quarter.
Special Features:
- Commentary with director George Clooney and producer Grant Heslov
- Featurettes: “Football’s Beginning: The Making of Leatherheads”, “No Pads No Fear: Creating the Rowdy Footbal Scenes”, “George Clooney: A Leatherheaded Prankster”
- Deleted Scenes
- Feature on the visual effects
Blu-ray Features:
- Same features as the DVD release, plus:
- Video commentary with George Clooney and Grant Heslov
Recommendation: Rent
Sex and the City: The Movie – 6.8/10 – Trailer
Starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth, Jennifer Hudson, Candice Bergen
The once prominent HBO series is now a Hollywood film. For those who have forgetten what has happened in the series or haven’t seen it all together, you might want to check out our previous post Foreplay and the City. Basically this is a four episode long film that continues four years after the series ended, the same amount of time that has passed in our world without sex (and the city). From what I’ve written before
From the trailers we find that Carrie and Big are still dating and eventually become engaged, Charlotte and Harry are still together raising their adopted daughter, Miranda and Steve are continuing their suburban life and Samantha has moved away to LA with Smith for his acting career. We also see that Carrie pulls a runaway bride and ditches Big at the altar, for reasons that are unclear. Miranda finds out that Steve cheated on her, after which she leaves him taking Brady with her. Charlotte finally becomes pregnant after many years of trying. And Samantha is still her horny self.
Single Disc Special Features:
- Original Theatrical cut of the film (145 min)
- Commentary with director Michael Patrick King
Two-Disc Special Features:
- Extended cut of the film (151 min) (extra 6 min)
- Fabulous Fashion of Sex and the City
- Intimate conversations with cast and crew
- Digital Copy of the film
Blu-ray Features:
- Same extended cut of Two-Disc DVD
- Same features as the Two-Disc DVD plus:
- Two interactive features
Recommendation: Rent (for those Sex and the City fans)
Run, Fatboy, Run – 6.8/10 – Trailer
Starring Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Harish Patel, Dylan Moran, Hank Azaria
Dennis is a clueless and slightly overweight guy, who left his pregnant fiancée five years earlier. Every day, Dennis tries to persuade the woman he loves to accept him back into his life, but everyday he fails. When he discovers that Libby has found a partner in the form of American Whit, frustration grows, and Dennis vows, that for once in his life, he will finish something. This something ends up being a Nike River-run in London. With his friends Gordon and Mr. Ghoshdashtidar by his side, Dennis begins training for the marathon he must finish.
Special Features:
- Anamorphic widescreen and full screen transfers with Dolby Digital 5.1
- Cast and Director commentary
- Deleted Scenes
- Thandie’s Goof
Blu-ray Features:
- Same features as the DVD release, plus:
- Digital copy of the film
Recommendation: Rent
Deception – 6.5/10 – Trailer
Starring Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Maggie Q
Ewan McGregor plays Jonathan, a man who is living a lonely boring life until he accidentally grabs the wrong phone after a meeting with a lawyer, Wyatt (Hugh Jackman). After answering the phone, Jonathan is thrust into a secret and dark world which he is not prepared for. From the trailer the performances look a little bland and I really don’t see the film being able to pull off “thriller”.
Special Features:
- Anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
- Director commentary with Marcei Langenegger
- Featurettes: “Exposing Deception: The Making of Deception”, “Club Sexy”
- Deleted Scenes
Blu-ray Features:
- Same features as the DVD release, plus:
- DTS HD 5.1 Master Audio
Recommendation: Pass
Pathology – 6/10 – Trailer
Starring Milo Ventimiglia, Alyssa Milano, Lauren Lee Smith, Michael Weston, Johnny Whitworth
Harvard Medical School graduate Dr. Ted Grey arrives at one of the nations most prestigious Pathology programs and is quickly noticed by the program’s privileged and elite band of pathology interns who invite him into their crowd. It is also here, where he is introduced to Dr. Jake Gallo, who brings him to a secluded wing, where he and four other indulge in their after-hours, extra-curricular activities…finding ways to commit the perfect murder.
Special Features:
- 1.85:1 Anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
- Commentary with director Marc Schoelermann and writers/producers Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
- Conversation with Pathologist Craig Harvey
- “Unintended Consequences” music video by Legion of Doom vs Triune
- Deleted and alternate scenes
Recommendation: Rent
Re-Releases
The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration
Some of the greatest films ever made (ie Part I and Part II) are being re-released on DVD and Blu-ray after being fully restored. Oh yea, Part III is also available.
Special Features:
- Fully restored editions of Godfather Part I and Part II
- Newly remastered version of Godfather Part III
- 5th Disc of bonus material
- Featurettes: “Godfather World”, “The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t”, “When Shooting Stopped”, “Emulsional Rescue Revealing The Godfather”, “The Godfathre on the Red Carpet”
- Four Short Films: “The Godfather vs The Godfather Part II”, “Cannoli”, “Riffing on the Riffing”, “Clemenza”
Also all three films will be available for seperate purchase
Blu-ray Features:
- Same features as the DVD release, plus:
- 1080p widescreen transfer
- English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD and English Mono (no Mono for Part III)
- Blu-ray films are not sold seperatly
Recommendation: Buy
LA Confidential – 7.7/10
Starring Guy Pearce, Russel Crowe, James Cromwell, Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger, David Strathairn, Danny DeVito
1950’s Los Angeles is the seedy backdrop for this intricate noir-ish tale of police corruption and Hollywood sleaze. Three very different cops are all after the truth, each in their own style: Ed Exley, the golden boy of the police force, willing to do almost anything to get ahead, except sell out; Bud White, ready to break the rules to seek justice, but barely able to keep his raging violence under control; and Jack Vincennes, always looking for celebrity and a quick buck until his conscience drives him to join Exley and White down the one-way path to find the truth behind the dark world of L.A. crime.
Special Features:
- Commentary by film critic Andrew Sarris
- Music only track
Whatever You Desire: Making L.A. Confidential documentary- Featurettes: “Sunligh and Shadow: The Visual Styel of LA Confidential”, “A True Ensemble: The Cast of LA Confidential”, “LA Confidential: From Book to Screen”, “LA of LA Confidential Hollywood Center Motel”
- 2000 LA Confidential TV pilot
- Trailers and TV spots
Blu-ray Features:
- Same features as the DVD release, plus:
- 1080p widescreen transfer plus Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Recommendation: Rent
The Unrated Blogger’s Cut
I’ve been waiting to pick up The Godfather collection for a while now especially after I saw that they were restoring them. Other than that I’ll probably be renting Leatherheads and Pathology, sounds like a nice mix of comedy/thriller for the week. Other than that I’ll be saving my pennies to pick up Iron Man and Forgetting Sarah Marshall next week.
What are you guys grabbing off the shelves this week?
Coming up next week:
New: Iron Man*, Forgetting Sarah Marshall*, Chapter 27
Re-releases: Can’t Hardly Wait (10 Year Reunion Edition)*, Daredevil**, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre**, The-40-Year-Old Virgin**, Knocked Up**, The Sixth Sense**, Land of the Dead**, Dawn of the Dead**, The Thing**
* denotes separate DVD and Blu-ray releases
** denotes Blu-ray only release
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Rich
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Mike Davis (mcdavis)
