RA: Renters Anonymous – August 25th, 2009
New Releases
Adventureland – 6.2/10 – Trailer
Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Stewart, Martin Starr, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig
In 1987, James Brennan’s dreams of a summer European tour before studying at an Ivy League school in New York City are ruined after his parents have a severe career setback. As a result, James must get a summer job to cover his upcoming expenses at the decrepit local amusement park, Adventureland, where he falls in love with a witty co-worker, Emily Lewin. In that bizarrely shady workplace, the young carnies have unforgettable and painful learning experiences about life, love and trust while James discovers what he truly values.
Special Features:
- 1.85:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
Deleted Scenes- Commentary with Greg Mottola and Jesse Eisenberg
- Just My Life: The Making of Adventureland
Blu-ray Features:
- 1.85:1 Widescreen 1080p with Dolby TrueHD 5.1
- All of the features of the DVD release, plus:
- Frigo’s Ball Tap
- Lisa P’s Guide to Style
- Welcome to Adventureland
Recommendation: Rent
Duplicity – 5.9/10 – Trailer
Starring Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti
Julia Roberts and Clive Owen star as two sexy spies-turned-corporate operatives in the midst of a clandestine love affair. When they find themselves on either side of an all-out corporate war, they’ll put everything on the line to remain one double-cross ahead in a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse.
Special Features:
2.40:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1- Commentary with Tony Gilroy and John Gilroy
Blu-ray Features:
- 2.40:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Commentary with Tony Gilroy and John Gilroy
- BD Live: Download Center
- My Scenes
Recommendation: Pass
Fighting – 5.7/10 -Trailer
Starring Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard
In New York City, a young counterfeiter is introduced to the world of underground street fighting by a seasoned scam artist, who becomes his manager on the bare-knuckling brawling circuit.
Special Features:
- 1.85:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
- Both the Rated and Unrated (3min longer) versions of the film
- Deleted Scenes
Blu-ray Features:
- 1.85:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Both the Rated and Unrated (3min longer) versions of the film
- Deleted Scenes
- D-Box Motion Control
- Digital Copy of the Unrated version
Recommendation: Pass
The Informers – 6/10 – Trailer
Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Winona Ryder, Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke, Brad Renfro, Amber Heard
A multi-strand narrative set in early 1980’s Los Angeles, centered on an array of characters who represent both the top of the heap (a Hollywood dream merchant, a dissolute rock star, an aging newscaster) and the bottom (a voyeuristic doorman, an amoral ex-con). Connecting the intertwining strands are a group of beautiful, blonde young men and women who sleep all day and party all night, doing drugs — and one another –with abandon, never realizing that they are dancing on the edge of a volcano.
Special Features:
- 2.40:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
- Cast and Crew Commentary
- “Human Intersections: Making the Informers”
Blu-ray Features:
- 2.40:1 Widescreen 1080p with Dolby TrueHD 5.1
- Cast and Crew Commentary
- “Human Intersections: Making the Informers”
- BD-Live Enabled
Recommendation: Pass
Sunshine Cleaning – 6.8/10 -Trailer
Starring Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Steve Zahn, Clifton Collins Jr, Mary Lynn Rajskub
Former high school cheerleading captain Rose Lorkowski (Adams) is a thirty-something single mother who cleans houses for a living. Wanting to send her trouble-making eight-year-old son Oscar (Jason Spevack) to a private school, Rose decides to take her married lover’s advice and get into the “lucrative” business of crime scene cleanup. Rose convinces her disillusioned, underachieving sister Norah (Blunt) to join her in the enterprise, which she calls “Sunshine Cleaning.” The sisters begin to find meaning in their function to “help” in some way in the aftermath of a loss, just as the job stirs up memories of their own mother’s death. Their priorities and goals tested, Rose and Norah face hard challenges as they strive to improve their lives.
Special Features:
- 2.40:1 Widescreen and 1.33 Fullscreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
- Commentary with Megan Holley and Glenn Williamson
- “A Fresh Look at a Dirty Business”
Blu-ray Features:
- 2.40:1 Widescreen 1080p with Dolby TrueHD 5.1
- Commentary with Megan Holley and Glenn Williamson
- “A Fresh Look at a Dirty Business”
Recommendation: Rent
Re-Releases
Children of the Corn (25th Anniversary Edition) (Blu-ray) – 6.8/10
Starring Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton, R.G. Armstrong, John Franklin, Courtney Gains
A boy preacher named Isaac goes to a town in Nebraska called Gatlin and gets all the children to murder every adult in town. A young couple have a murder to report and they go to the nearest town (Gatlin) to seek help but the town seems deserted. They are soon trapped in Gatlin with little chance of getting out alive.
Blu-ray Features:
- 1.85:1 Widescreen 1080p with Dolby TrueHD 5.1
- Commentary with Fritz Kiersch, Terrence Kirby, John Franklin and Courtney Gains
- Featurettes: “It Was Eighties!”, “Stephen King on a Shoestring”, “Welcome to Gatlin: The Sights and Sounds of Children of the Corn”, “Harvesting Horror: The Making of Children of the Corn”
- Fast Film Facts
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Poster and Still Gallery
- Original storyboard and original title sequence art
- BD-Live Enabled
Recommendation: Rent (for horror fans)
The Unrated Blogger’s Cut
I really enjoyed watching Adventureland and think it’s a very good summer coming of age film that can be watched by just about anyone. I haven’t seen Sunshine Cleaning but I’ve heard good things and am looking forward to renting it. The other releases just seem like they can be either really bad or just ok, so I wouldn’t waste my time with them.
Coming Soon:
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