Starring: Chris Evans, Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Michelle Yeoh, Cliff Curtis, Troy Garity, Hiroyuki Sanada, Benedict Wong, Chipo Chung, Mark Strong
Directed by: Danny Boyle
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rating: R

Sunshine can is a sci-fi thriller that has a very simple plot but is complex and well directed.  Plot: It’s 2057 and the sun is dying, if we don’t reignite it then everything on the planet will die.  So you may be thinking to yourself, “oh no, not another Core or Armageddon end of the world movie”.  Don’t worry, the acting and directing it’s light years ahead of your typical end of the world film.  Essentially the characters in the film are sent on a psychological journey into the sun.

Without giving away any spoilers, I’ll fill you in on some of the story.  First we learn that this mission isn’t the first attempt to reignite the sun.  Seven years prior, a spacecraft (Icarus I) was sent out with a similar crew but contact was lost and the crew is presumed dead with no known explanation.  Now a new crew has been assembled and is on it’s way with a new payload (Icarus II) which has all the remaining fissile materials left on earth.  This means that if this mission fails, the earth is doomed because we have nothing else to throw at the sun to make it go boom.

With the crew well on it’s way to the sun an error in calculating a heat shield realignment causes significant damage to the ship and it’s oxygen supply.  Without enough oxygen to make a return trip, everyone is feeling pretty depressed and even one of the crew is put on a suicide watch list.  Making things worse is not knowing what happened to the previous ship.  Maybe they had a similar lack of oxygen, or maybe there was an explosion, or they went off course, no one knows but everyone is thinking about it.  Now as a little more time passes, it turns out that they have even less oxygen as previously calculated and won’t even make it to their destination to deliver the payload.  So one person must stop breathing (most likely be killed) in order to allow the rest of the crew to survive.  Getting pretty intense right?  Well everything escalates from there.

Danny Boyle directed this film and although you may not recognize his name, he has some pretty great and varied films attached to his name, such as: Trainspotting, 28 Days Later and Slumdog Millionaire.  Even though all of the films have very different themes, Danny Boyle is great at creating a sense of excitement and anticipation and has your eyes glued to the screen.

So if you want a great sci-fi thriller that gets your heart racing, make sure you pick up Sunshine this weekend on DVD or Blu-ray.

Rent Sunshine on Netflix
Buy Sunshine on Amazon
Buy Sunshine (Blu-ray) on Amazon

• ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ or “ Best picture of 2008? I think so.” (Review)
• Renters Anonymous – March 31st, 2009
• General Admission – October 3rd, 2008
• Oscars 2009 – Recap
• IHM Staff Pick – Feb. 25, 2010: “Once”

The Princess and the Frog – 6.9/10 – Trailer
Voiced by Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jim Cummings, Jenifer Lewis, John Goodman, Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Cody, Peter Bartlett, Terrence Howard
A modern day retelling of the classic story The Frog Prince. The Princess and the Frog finds the lives of arrogant, carefree Prince Naveen and hardworking waitress Tiana crossing paths. Prince Naveen is transformed into a frog by a conniving voodoo magician and Tiana, following suit, upon kissing the amphibian royalty. With the help of a trumpet-playing alligator, a Cajun firefly, and an old blind lady who lives in a boat in a tree, Naveen and Tiana must race to break the spell and fulfill their dreams.

To Save $10 of the Blu-ray version head over to PrincessAndTheFrogCoupon.com to print your coupon.

Blu-ray Features:

• 1.78:1 Widescreen with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• Deleted Scenes
• The Making of
• Conjuring the Villain
• The Return to Hand-Drawn Animation
• The Disney Legacy
• Disney’s Newest Princess
• Bringing Life to Animation
• Art Galleries
• Music Video by Ne-Yo
• The Princess Portraits Game
• Audio Commentary
• DVD Copy of the Film
• Digital Copy of the Film

Recommendation:  Buy (with the $10 off coupon)

Ninja Assassin – 6.4/10 – Trailer
Starring Rain, Naomie Harris
Trained since childhood to be a lethal killer, Raizo has since turned his back on the Ozunu clan that raised him and now seeks revenge for their heartless murders. Teaming up with Europol investigator Mika, Raizo steadily butchers his enemies while inching ever closer to the long-awaited bloody reunion with his former master.

Special Features:

• 2.40:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• Additional Scenes

Blu-ray Features:

• 2.40:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• “The Myth and Legend of Ninjas”
• “The Extreme Sport of a Ninja”
• “Training Rain”
• Additional Scenes

Recommendation:  Rent

Did You Hear About the Morgans? – 4.4/10 – Trailer
Starring Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sam Elliott, Mary Steenburgen, Elisabeth Moss, Michael Kelly, Wilford Brimley
In New York City, an estranged couple who witness a murder are relocated to small-town Wyoming as part of a witness-protection program.

Special Features:

• 2.35:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• A Bear of a Scene
• Deleted Scenes
• Commentary with Marc Lawrence, Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker
• Location, Location, Location
• Cowboys and Cosmopolitans
• Park Avenue Meets the Prairie
• Outtakes

Blu-ray Features:

• 2.35:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1
• All of the features of the DVD release, plus:
• movieIQ
• BD Live

Recommendation: Pass

Armored – 5.3/10 – Trailer
Starring Matt Dillon, Jean Reno, Laurence Fishburne, Amaury Nolasco, Milo Ventimiglia, Skeet Ulrich, Columbus Short
A newbie guard for an armored truck company is coerced by his veteran coworkers to steal a truck containing $42 million. But a wrinkle in their supposedly foolproof plan divides the group, leading to a potentially deadly resolution.

Special Features:

• 2.35:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• Cast and Crew Commentary
• Planning the Heist: Making of
• Crash Course: Stunts
• Armed and Underground: Production Design

Blu-ray Features:

• 2.35:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• All of the features of the DVD release, plus:
• movieIQ
• BD Live

Recommendation: Pass

The Fourth Kind – 5.7/10 – Trailer
Starring Milla Jovovich, Elias Koteas, Will Patton
In 1972, a scale of measurement was established for alien encounters. When a UFO is sighted, it is called an encounter of the first kind. When evidence is collected, it is known as an encounter of the second kind. When contact is made with extraterrestrials, it is the third kind. The next level, abduction, is the fourth kind. Modern-day, Alaska, where-mysteriously since the 1960s-a disproportionate number of the population has been reported missing every year. Despite multiple FBI investigations of the region, the truth has never been discovered. Here in this remote region, psychologist Dr. Abigail Tyler began videotaping sessions with traumatized patients and unwittingly discovered some of the most disturbing evidence of alien abduction ever documented. The Fourth Kind exposes the terrified revelations of multiple witnesses. Their accounts of being visited by alien figures all share disturbingly identical details, the validity of which is investigated throughout the film.

Special Features:

• 2.35:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0
• Deleted Scenes

Blu-ray Features:

• 2.35:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0
• Deleted Scenes
• BD Live
• D-Box Motion Control
• pocket Blu App

Recommendation:  Pass

Re-Releases

Vengeance Trilogy

• Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
• Oldboy
• Lady Vengeance
• Available on DVD and Blu-ray (Blu-ray only available at Best Buy)

Recommendation: Rent (especially Oldboy)

TV on DVD/Blu-ray

• Breaking Bad (Complete 2nd Season) – DVD/Blu-ray
• Clash of the Gods (Complete 1st Season) – DVD/Blu-ray
• Destination Truth (Complete 1st Season) – DVD
• Hawaii Five-0 (Complete 8th Season) – DVD
• Monk (Complete 8th Season) – DVD
• My Two Dads (Complete 2nd Season) – DVD
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Volume 17) – DVD
• South Park (Complete 13th Season) – DVD/Blu-ray

Coming Soon:

• RA: Renters Anonymous – February 9th, 2010
• RA: Renters Anonymous – Jan 5th, 2010
• RA: Renters Anonymous – Jan 26th, 2009
• RA: Renters Anonymous – Feb 23rd, 2010
• RA: Renters Anonymous – December 29th, 2009

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper
Directed by: Spike Jonze
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rating: R

Nicolas Cage is the kind of actor that is present in movies that you either love or hate. Adaptation is one of his movies that you will enjoy.

Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage) is a screenwriter who is an awkward individual with no sense of confidence. However, he is a brilliant screenwriter – or so he thought. When he is contracted to write a film adaptation of a non-fiction novel about orchids, Kaufman develops a sudden case of writer’s block. At this point, he relies on his less-talented twin brother to help him further develop his script. As the two research the author (Meryl Streep) of the novel that they are adapting into film, they soon find themselves in the midst of a chain of events that will change their lives forever. Because of these events, Kaufman is forced to learn what it truly means to undergo adaptation.

Adaptation is one of Cage’s films that I had not seen until recently, and I was very pleasantly surprised. There have been a lack of any decent Cage films for a long while, and it was refreshing to see a movie that he starred in that really surprised me. Cage’s tendency to have a monotone voice really works well for his character in this movie.

Charlie Kaufman is a man who struggles to develop human connection. He constantly fears what other people think of him, and as a result he becomes a sort of hermit. By the end of the film, he is able to adapt and undergo a remarkable transformation that is exciting and moving.

If you haven’t seen Adaptation yet, be sure to rent it this weekend!

Rent Adaptation on Netflix.
Buy Adaptation on Amazon.

• General Admission – September 5th, 2008
• Trailer: Philip Seymour Hoffman in Synecdoche, New York
• IHM Staff Pick – March 18th, 2010: “Sunshine”
• RA: Renters Anonymous – May 20th, 2008
• IHM Staff Pick – Feb. 25, 2010: “Once”

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire – 7.6/10 – Trailer
Starring Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Sherri Shepherd
In Harlem, an overweight, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.  This film just won 2 Oscars for Best Supporting Actress (Mo’Nique) and Best Adapted Screenplay.  It was also nominated for Best Director (Lee Daniels), Best Editing, Best Actress (Gabourey Sidibe) and Best Picture. 

Special Features:

• 1.85:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• Commentary with Lee Daniels
• “From Push to Precious”
• “A Precious Ensemble”
• “Oprah and Tyler: A Project of Passion”
• A Conversation with author Sapphire and director Lee Daniels
• Deleted Scenes: The Incest Survivor Meeting
• Audition: Gabourey Sidibe
• Reflections on Precious

Blu-ray Features:

• 1.85:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• All of the features of the DVD release

Recommendation: Rent (or you will make Oprah cry)

Up in the Air – 7.1/10 – Trailer
Starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Danny McBride
Ryan Bingham’s job is to fire people from theirs. The anguish, hostility, and despair of his “clients” has left him falsely compassionate, living out of a suitcase, and loving every second of it. When his boss hires arrogant young Natalie, she develops a method of video conferencing that will allow termination without ever leaving the office – essentially threatening the existence Ryan so cherishes. Determined to show the naive girl the error of her logic, Ryan takes her on one of his cross country firing expeditions, but as she starts to realize the disheartening realities of her profession, he begins to see the downfalls to his way of life.

Special Features:

• 1.85:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• Commentary with Jason Reitman, Eric Steelberg and Jason Blumenfeld
• “Shadowplay: Before the Story”
• Deleted Scenes
• Trailers

Blu-ray Features:

• 1.85:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• All of the features of the DVD, plus:
• More Deleted Scenes
• Music Video: “Help Yourself” by Sad Brad
• Storyboards
• American Airlines Prank

Recommendation: Rent

The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day – 7/10 – Trailer
Starring Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Clifton Collins Jr, Julie Benz, Judd Nelson, David Della Rocco, Peter Fonda, Billy Connolly
For the last 8 years the brothers have been living with their father on a sheep farm deep in isolated Ireland. One day their uncle tells them that they have been framed for the murder of a Bostonian Catholic priest. The boys must return to Boston to not only clear their names but find the men who framed them

Special Features:

• 2.35:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• Deleted Scenes
• Commentary with Cast and Crew
• Behind the Scenes
• Billy Connolly and Troy Duffy: Unedited
• Inside the Vault: The Weapons
• The Cast Confesses: Secrets from the Set
• Comic-Con

Blu-ray Features:

• 2.35:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• All of the features of the DVD, plus:
• movieIQ
• BD-Live

Recommendation: Rent (buy for lovers of the Saints)

Planet 51 – 5.7/10 – Trailer
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Seann William Scott, Gary Oldman, John Cleese
Lem is just an average teenager working on getting the girl and furthering his career at the local planetarium – except that he’s an alien. At least to U.S. astronaut Captain Charles T. Baker who lands on Lem’s planet hoping for a quick flag plant and a hasty return to earth and his millions of screaming fans. But on this alien planet the media has tagged spacemen as brain-eating, zombie-creating monsters, causing Baker to run for his life and into Lem’s house. Now it’s up to the green native to get the clumsy astronaut back to his spaceship before military dictator General Grawl and mad scientist Professor Kipple manage to exterminate the Earthly visitor.

Special Features:

• 2.35:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• “Run Rover Run” Game
• Planetarium – The Voice Stars
• Extended Scenes
• “The World of Planet 51″
• “Life on Planet 51″
• Music Video Montage
• Animation Progression Reels
• Want More Fun?

Blu-ray Features:

• 2.35:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• All of the features of the DVD, plus:
• Target 51 Game with optional iPhone controller App
• DVD Copy of the Film
• Digital Copy of the Film

Recommendation:  Pass

Old Dogs – 5.2/10 – Trailer
Starring John Travolta, Robin Williams, Kelly Preston, Seth Green, Lori Loughlin, Bernie Mac, Matt Dillon
Two friends and business partners find their lives turned upside down when strange circumstances lead to them being placed in the care of 7-year-old twins.

Special Features:

• 1.85:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• Commentary with Walt Becker, Andrew Panay, David Diamond, David Weissman
• Deleted Scenes
• Bloopers

Single Disc Blu-ray Features:

• 1.85:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• All of the features of the DVD release, plus:
• Music Video: “Every Little Step” by John Travolta and Ella Bleu Travolta

2-Disc Blu-ray Features:

• All of the features of the Single Disc Blu-ray, plus:
• Young Dogs Learn Old Tricks
• Music Video: “You’ve Been a Friend to Me” by Bryan Adams
• DVD Copy of the Film
• Digital Copy of the Film

Recommendation: Pass

Capitalism: A Love Story – 7.2/10 – Trailer
Capitalism: A Love Story examines the impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world). The film moves from Middle America, to the halls of power in Washington, to the global financial epicenter in Manhattan. With both humor and outrage, the film explores the question: What is the price that America pays for its love of capitalism? Families pay the price with their jobs, their homes and their savings. Moore goes into the homes of ordinary people whose lives have been turned upside down; and he goes looking for explanations in Washington, DC and elsewhere. What he finds are the all-too-familiar symptoms of a love affair gone astray: lies, abuse, betrayal…and 14,000 jobs being lost every day. Capitalism: A Love Story also presents what a more hopeful future could look like. Who are we and why do we behave the way that we do?

Special Features:

• 1.78:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• Deleted and Extended Scenes
• Featurettes: “The Man Who Might Save Flint”, “US Congressman Elijah Cummings on Why We Should Consider Discarding Capitalism”, “Capitalism: The Killer”, “Why the Rich Man Can’t Buy His Way Into Heaven”, “What If We Had Listened to Jimmy Carter”, “People Who Grow Food without Capitalism”, “You Talkin to Me?”, “The Ideas Behind a Worker-Owned Business”, “The People’s Bank of North Dakota”, “Miami Max Has a House for You”

Blu-ray Features:

• 1.78:1 Widescreen 1080p with Dolby TrueHD 5.1
• All of the features of the DVD release, plus:
• Harvard Professor Elizabeth Warren on “How Wall Street Got Away with Murder”
• Digital Copy of the Film

Recommendation: Rent

TV on DVD/Blu-ray

• Commish (Complete 1st Season) – DVD
• Hannah Montana: Miley Says Goodbye – DVD
• In Plain Sight (Complete 2nd Season) – DVD
• Matt Houston (Complete 1st Season) – DVD
• Tremors (Complete Series) – DVD
• Walker Texas Ranger (Complete 7th Season) – DVD
• Wanted: Dead or Alive (Complete 2nd Season) – DVD

Coming Soon:

• RA: Renters Anonymous – February 9th, 2010
• RA: Renters Anonymous – Jan 5th, 2010
• RA: Renters Anonymous – Jan 26th, 2009
• RA: Renters Anonymous – March 16th, 2010
• RA: Renters Anonymous – December 29th, 2009

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner, Patricia Clarkson
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rating: PG 13

Lars and the Real Girl is a nice little film about a semi-normal guy that lives in a small town in his brothers detached garage.  He’s never been in a relationship and doesn’t have any real friends outside of work.  When he’s not working, he spends most of his time alone in his garage/home where he consistently turns down his sister-in-law’s invitations for a home cooked meal.  Sounds pretty depressing right?  I guess that’s why his family is excited to hear that Lars has meet a woman online, and she is currently in town visiting him.  Now for the twist: the female in question is actually a life-sized, anatomically-correct doll that Lars ordered on the internet.  Uh…what?

Lars treats his new doll as “real girl” (see what I did there?) by giving her a name (Bianca) and a full backstory.  Fearing for Lars’ mental health, his family contacts their doctor – who is also a psychologist - for help.  After meeting with Lars and his “girl”, she suggests that everyone just play along and pretend that Bianca is a real person; hopefully this will allow Lars to be able to work through his mental and emotional issues.

Now starts an amazing, heart-warming story about a small town that comes together to help one of their own.  Everyone plays along with Lars and Bianca.  The local family friends even take Bianca out with them, giving her a life of her own.  No matter how far-fetched it sounds, everything seems real and believable, especially Bianca.  You soon become very emotionally attached to Lars and Bianca watching as they take move forward in their relationship.

I really enjoyed this movie and there is a very good reason why Ryan Gosling was nominated for Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor.  The only hard part is trying to decide if you should be laughing or crying.  So if you still haven’t seen this little gem, I would highly recommend picking it up this weekend.  A quick heads-up to my fellow Canadians: this movie was filmed in the GTA area of Ontario.

Rent Lars and the Real Girl on Netflix
Buy Lars and the Real Girl on Amazon

• RA: Renters Anonymous – April 15th, 2008
• Jen Hearts The Notebook [Movies I Heart Series]
• Streaming Free: Crawford – George W. Bush Related Documentary
• ‘Confessions of a Superhero’ or “Real people can wear capes too” (DVD Review)
• Trailer: My Best Friend’s Girl

Where the Wild Things Are – 7.6/10 – Trailer
Starring Max Records, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo, Lauren Ambrose, Chris Cooper, Paul Dano, James Gandolfini, Catherine O’Hara, Forest Whitaker
An adolescent named Max has an active imagination, and he will throw fits if others don’t go along with what he wants. Max – following an incident with Claire (his sister) and her friends, and following a tantrum which he throws as a result of his Mother paying more attention to her boyfriend than to him – runs away from home. Wearing his wolf costume at the time, Max not only runs away physically, but runs toward a world in his imagination. This world, an ocean away, is inhabited by large wild beasts, including one named Carol who is much like Max himself in temperament. Instead of eating Max like they normally would with creatures of his type, the wild things befriend Max after he proclaims himself a king who can magically solve all their problems.

Special Features:

• 2.40:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• Series of “Where the Wild Things Are” Shorts by Lance Bangs

Blu-ray Features:

• 2.40:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1
• Series of “Where the Wild Things Are” Shorts by Lance Bangs
• Higglety Piggety Pop! Or There Must Be More to Life
• HBO First Look: Where the Wild Things Are
• DVD Copy of the Film
• Digital Copy of the Film

Recommendation: Buy (on blu-ray because you also get a dvd copy)

2012 – 5.4/10 – Trailer
Starring John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Zlatko Buric, Morgan Lily, Liam James, John Billinglsey, Thomas McCarthy, Danny Glover, Woody Harrelson
Dr. Adrian Helmsley, part of a worldwide geophysical team investigating the effect on the earth of radiation from unprecedented solar storms, learns that the earth’s core is heating up. He warns U.S. President Thomas Wilson that the crust of the earth is becoming unstable and that without proper preparations for saving a fraction of the world’s population, the entire race is doomed. Meanwhile, writer Jackson Curtis stumbles on the same information. While the world’s leaders race to build “arks” to escape the impending cataclysm, Curtis struggles to find a way to save his family. Meanwhile, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes of unprecedented strength wreak havoc around the world.

Special Features:

• 2.40:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• Alternate Ending
• Deleted Scenes
• Commentary with Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser
• “Roland Emmerich: Master of the Modern Epic”
• Music Video: Adam Lambert – ‘Time For Miracles’

Single Disc Blu-ray Features:

• 2.40:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• Alternate Ending
• Commentary with Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser
• movieIQ
• PiP: Roland’s Vision
• BD-Live Enabled

2-Disc Blu-ray Features:

• All of the features of the Single Disc Blu-ray, plus:
• Deleted Scenes
• Countdown to the Future
• Interactive Mayan Calendar
• “Mysteries of the Mayan Calendar”
• “Designing the End of the World”
• “Science Behind the Destruction”
• “The End of the World: The Actor’s Perspective”
• Music Video: Adam Lambert – “Time for Miracles”
• Making of the Music Video
• Digital Copy for the Playstation Portable
• Digital Copy of the Film (PC, Mac & iPod)

Recommendation: Rent (stuff blows up)

Ponyo – 7.2/10 – Trailer
Starring (English Voicing) Cate Blanchett, Noah Cyrus, Matt Damon, Frankie Jonas, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson, Cloris Leachman, Betty White, Lily Tomlin
The son of a sailor, 5-year old Sosuke lives a quiet life on an oceanside cliff with his mother Lisa. One fateful day, he finds a beautiful goldfish trapped in a bottle on the beach and upon rescuing her, names her Ponyo. But she is no ordinary goldfish. The daughter of a masterful wizard and a sea goddess, Ponyo uses her father’s magic to transform herself into a young girl and quickly falls in love with Sosuke, but the use of such powerful sorcery causes a dangerous imbalance in the world. As the moon steadily draws nearer to the earth and Ponyo’s father sends the ocean’s mighty waves to find his daughter, the two children embark on an adventure of a lifetime to save the world and fulfill Ponyo’s dreams of becoming human.

Special Features:

• 1.85:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• Featurette: The World of Ghibli
• Featurette: Behind the Studio
• Meet Ponyo
• Storyboard Presentation of the Movie

Blu-ray Features:

• 1.85:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• All of the features of the DVD release, plus:
• DVD Copy of the Film

Recommendation: Buy (if you love Miyazaki, and who doesn’t? otherwise rent)

Bitch Slap – 4.6/10
Starring Julia Voth, Erin Cummings, America Olivo, Michael Hurst, Lucy Lawless, Kevin Sorbo, Renee O’Connor
When three curvaceous babes arrive at a desert hideaway to steal from an underworld kingpin, things quickly spiral out of control. Allegiances are switched, truths are revealed, criminals are unmasked and nothing is quite what it seems as the fate of the world is precariously balanced among this trio of sexy femmes fatales.

Special Features:

• 2.35:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• Commentary with Rick Jacobson, Eric Gruendemann, Brian Peck, Julia Voth, Erin Cummings and America Olivo
• Buidling a Better B-Movie Documentary

Recommendation:  Pass (yes i know it has both Hercules and Xena in it)

Gentlemen Broncos – 5.5/10 – Trailer
Starring Michael Angarano, Jermaine Clement, Sam Rockwell, Jennifer Coolidge, Suzanne May, Halley Feiffer
Benjamin (Angarano), home-schooled by his eccentric mother (Coolidge), is a loner whose passion for writing leads him on an journey as his story first gets ripped off by the legendary fantasy novelist, Ronald Chevalier (Clement) and then is adapted into a disastrous movie by the small town’s most prolific homespun filmmaker.

Special Features:

• 1.85:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• Commentary with Jared Hess, Jerusha Hess and Munn Powell
• Deleted Scenes
• Outtakes Reel: A Buttload of Keepsakes
• One Nutty Movie: Behind-the-Scenes

Blu-ray Features:

• 1.85:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• All of the features of the DVD release, plus:
• Mini-Docs

Recommendation: Pass (sorry Jermaine)

Re-Releases

The NeverEnding Story (Blu-ray) – 7.2/10
Starring Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Tami Stronach, Moses Gunn, Thomas Hill
Bastian is a young boy who lives a dreary life being tormented by school bullies. On one such occasion he escapes into a book shop where the old proprieter reveals an ancient story-book to him, which he is warned can be dangerous. Shortly after, he “borrows” the book and begins to read it in the school attic where he is drawn into the mythical land of Fantasia, which desperately needs a hero to save it from destruction.

Blu-ray Features:

• 2.40:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• Available for the first time in 5.1 surround sound

Recommendation: Rent (HD and 5.1 audio, that’s it?)

Clash of the Titans (Blu-ray) – 6.8/10
Starring Laurence Olivier, Harry Hamlin, Judi Bowker, Maggie Smith, Ursula Andress
Perseus is the favored son of the god Zeus, but he has unwittingly ticked off the sea goddess Thetis. Just to make things worse, Perseus falls in love with the lovely Princess Andromeda, who used to be engaged to Thetis’s son. Soon Perseus is off on one quest after another, with Zeus helping, Thetis hindering, and lots of innocent bystanders getting stabbed, drowned, and squished.

Blu-ray Features:

• 1.85:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
• A Conversation with Ray Harryhausen
• Myths and Monsters Gallery

Recommendation: Pass

TV 0n DVD/Blu-ray

• Alice (Complete Mini-Series) – DVD/Blu-ray
• Alice in Wonderland (TV Movie) – DVD
• Designing Women (Complete 3rd Season) – DVD
• King Arthur and the Knights of Justice (Complete Series) – DVD
• Matlock (Complete 4th Season) – DVD

Coming Soon:

• RA: Renters Anonymous – Jan 5th, 2010
• RA: Renters Anonymous – February 9th, 2010
• RA: Renters Anonymous – Jan 26th, 2009
• RA: Renters Anonymous – Feb 23rd, 2010
• RA: Renters Anonymous – December 15th, 2009

Starring: Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová
Directed by: John Carney
Genre: Drama, Romance, Music
Rating: R

Once is a low budget independent Irish film written and directed by John Carney. Set in Dublin, it tells the story of an unnamed busker (Glen Hansard) and an immigrant woman (Markéta Irglová) who begin to fall for one another. The two write, perform and record songs through which their true feelings are conveyed.

Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová are both professional musicians by trade and composed the soundtrack for this film, which received a Grammy nomination. The song “Falling Slowly” received a 2008 Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Though this film doesn’t have a very complex plot, the story is very moving and enjoyable. The characters feel a bit awkward at times, but the emotion they display is real, and the songs that the duo wrote and sing are breathtaking. Once can be described as a modern musical, but not in the sense that a ton of people randomly break out into song. Instead, the songs performed in the movie disclose what the two main characters are feeling at any given moment, and they come naturally. Because the plot revolves around a busker – a musician who plays in public gatherings for tip money – the performances never feel intrusive or out of place. The compositions convey raw emotion that could not be effectively understood in any other form, and are absolutely beautiful.

Once is inspirational and moving, and is certainly worth your time. If you need something to watch this weekend, be sure to check this one out if you haven’t already.

Rent Once on Netflix
Once soundtrack on Amazon
Buy Once on Amazon

Once

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• 007’s Quantum of Solace Theme Hits the Web

As the weekend approaches, you’re bound to be haunted by one extremely important question: What movie(s) am I going to watch?

Ever stroll through the local video store in hopes of finding the perfect film, but instead leave with a handful of garbage and a bag of Swedish Fish? We’ve all been there.  In fact, I know a man who spontaneously combusted after his extreme disappointment in 2004’s Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2. Like drunken decisions, our movie-renting choices often leave us feeling let down and dirty.

But fear no longer – the staff of I Heart Movies is here to save you from certain heartache and cerebral trauma.

Welcome to our new feature, IHM Staff Picks! Every Thursday, we will recommend a DVD for your viewing enjoyment. We hope to provide the IHM crowd with some unique films, including independent films, B films and movies that may have just slipped by you. Every film suggested will have been previously viewed by the well-versed IHM staff to ensure that you won’t feel deceived.

Your days of renting terrible movies are over.

Now that you’ve been told the good news, crack open a beer (or a bottle of wine), relax and enjoy this picture of the world’s most glorious creature.

• IHM Staff Pick – Feb. 25, 2010: “Once”
• Here comes the Thunder (Tropic that is) DVD/Blu-ray News
• In an Ode to Terrible Choices, Sex and The City Chooses Fergie’s Theme
• Reno suffers ‘heart attack’?
• IHM Staff Pick – March 18th, 2010: “Sunshine”

The Informant! – 6.9/10 – Trailer
Starring Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale, Melanie Lynskey, Richard Steven Horvitz
Mark Whitacre has worked for lysine developing company ADM for many years and has even found his way into upper management. But nothing has prepared him for the job he is about to undertake – being a spy for the FBI. Unwillingly pressured into working as an informant against the illegal price-fixing activities of his company, Whitacre gradually adopts the idea that he’s a true secret agent. But as his incessant lies keep piling up, his world begins crashing down around him.

Special Features:

• 1.85:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• Additional Scenes

Blu-ray Features:

• 1.85:1 Widescreen 1080p with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1
• Commentary with Steven Soderbergh and Scott Z Burns
• Additional Scenes
• DVD Copy of the Film
• Digital Copy of the Film

Recommendation:  Rent

The Box – 5.6/10 – Trailer
Starring Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella
Norma and Arthur Lewis, a suburban couple with a young child, receive a simple wooden box as a gift, which bears fatal and irrevocable consequences. A mysterious stranger, delivers the message that the box promises to bestow upon its owner $1 million with the press of a button. But, pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world; someone they don’t know. With just 24 hours to have the box in their possession, Norma and Arthur find themselves in the cross-hairs of a startling moral dilemma and must face the true nature of their humanity.

Special Features:

• 2.35:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• Richard Matheson: In His Own Words

Blu-ray Features:

• 2.35:1 Widescreen with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• Richard Matheson: In His Own Words
• Commentary with Richard Kelly
• The Box: Grounded in Reality
• Visual Effect Revealed
• Music Video Prequels
• DVD Copy of the Film
• Digital Copy of the Film

Recommendation:  Pass

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant – 7/10 – Trailer
Starring Chris Massoglia, John C Reilly, Ken Watanabe, Josh Hutcherson, Ray Stevenson, Willem Dafoe, Salma Hayek
A young boy named Darren Shan meets a mysterious man at a freak show who turns out to be a Vampire. After a series of events Darren must leave his normal life and go on the road with the Cirque Du Freak and become a Vampire.

Special Features:

• 2.35:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• Deleted Scenes
• Guide to Becoming a Vampire
• Tour du Freak

Blu-ray Features:

• 2.40:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0
• All of the features of the DVD release, plus:
• U Control – PiP
• My Scenes
• D-Box Motion Control
• BD Live Enabled
• pocket BLU app

Recommendation: Pass

Sorority Row – 5/10 – Trailer
Starring Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Margo Harshman, Audrian Partridge, Julian Morris, Carrie Fisher
After finding out a guy cheated on their sister, sorority house Theta Pi play a simple prank on him. They trick him into thinking that he has killed his girlfriend, then take him into the middle of nowhere to ‘dismember” the body, only then revealing it was a prank. However, the prank goes horribly wrong and all involved swear never to speak of it again. A year later at graduation though, they are all reminded of the past.

Special Features:

• 2.35:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1

Blu-ray Features:

• 2.35:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• Sorority Secrets: Stories from the Set
• Killer 101
• Kill Switch
• Deleted Scenes
• Outtakes
• PiP Commentary with Cast and Crew

Recommendation: Pass

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
Starring Mark Harmon, Alyssa Milano, William Baldwin, James Woods, Chris Noth, Gina Torres, Gary Cole, Nolan North, James Patrick Stuart
In a parallel universe, the lone survivor of Earth’s Justice League – Lex Luthor – travels through other-world dimensions to join forces with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash and J’onn J’onzz to save his world and its people. But the villainous Crime Syndicate controlled by Ultraman, Owlman and Superwoman will stop at nothing to maintain their domination.

Special Features:

• 1.78:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• “A First Look at the next DC Universe Movie”
• Green Lantern First Look
• Superman/Batman Public Enemies First Look
• Wonder Woman: The Amazon Princess First Look
• Trailers

2-Disc DVD Features:

• All of the features of the Single Disc DVD, plus:
• DC Showcase: The Spectre
• “The New World” – Extended Cut
• Bruce Timm’s Top Picks
• Four Justice League Unlimited episodes
• Trailers
• Digital Copy of the Film

Blu-ray Features:

• 1.78:1 Widescreen 1080p with Dolby Digital 5.1
• All of the features of the 2-Disc DVD, plus:
• First Look: Batman Under the Red Hood
• Live-Action Pilot Episodes for the Aquaman and Wonder Woman TV Series
• Digital Copy of the Film

Recommendation:  Rent (for comic book lovers)

Re-Releases

Blu-ray Combo Packs

• Analyze This / Analyze That (Comedy Double Feature)
• Miss Congeniality / Miss Congeniality 2 (Comedy Double Feature)
• Dirty Harry / Magnum Force (Action Double Feature)
• Presumed Innocent / Frantic (Thriller Double Feature)

TV on DVD/Blu-ray

• Adam 12 (Complete 4th Season) – DVD
• FlashForward (Season 1 Part 1) – DVD
• Ghost Hunters (Season 5 Part 1) – DVD
• Jersey Shore (Complete First Season) – DVD
• Lock ‘N Load with R Lee Ermey (Complete First Season) – DVD
• My Three Sons (Season 2 vol 1) – DVD
• Night Court (Complete 3rd Season) – DVD
• Nurse Jackie (Complete First Season) – DVD/Blu-ray
• Project Runway (Complete 6th Season) – DVD
• The Universe (Complete 4th Season) – DVD/Blu-ray

Coming Soon:

The Informant!

The Box

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant

• RA: Renters Anonymous – February 9th, 2010
• RA: Renters Anonymous – Jan 5th, 2010
• RA: Renters Anonymous – Jan 26th, 2009
• RA: Renters Anonymous – December 15th, 2009
• RA: Renters Anonymous – October 20th 2009

Law Abiding Citizen – 7.3/10 – Trailer
Starring Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Leslie Bibb, Colm Meaney, Viola Davis, Bruce McGill
A frustrated man decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets one of his family’s killers free. He targets not only the killer but also the district attorney and others involved in the deal.

Special Features:

• 2.40:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• Commentary with Lucas Foster and Alan Siegel
• The Justice of Law Abiding Citizen
• Law in Black and White
• Preliminary Arguments – The Visual Effects
• The Verdict
• Trailers

Blu-ray Features:

• 2.40:1 Widescreen 1080p with Dolby TrueHD 5.1
• All of the features of the DVD release, plus:
• Theatrical and Unrated Director’s Cut of the Film

Recommendation: Rent

Black Dynamite – 7.6/10 – Trailer
Starring Michael Jai White, Salli Richardson, Arsenio Hall, Kevin Chapman, Tommy Davidson
This is the story of 1970s African-American action legend Black Dynamite. The Man killed his brother, pumped heroin into local orphanages, and flooded the ghetto with adulterated malt liquor. Black Dynamite was the one hero willing to fight The Man all the way from the blood-soaked city streets to the hallowed halls of the Honky House.

Special Features:

• 1.85:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• Cast and Crew Commentary
• Making-of
• The Comic-Con Experience

Blu-ray Features:

• 1.85:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• All of the features of the DVD release, plus:
• MovieIQ
• Deleted and Alternate Scenes
• The ’70s: Back in Action
• BD-Live enabled

Recommendation: Rent

Halo Legends
This 8 episode anthology of 10-15 minute length each, explores the origin and historical events of the HALO universe, and various characters inhabiting the world. Like Animatrix and Batman Gotham Knight, each of the 8 episodes will be created by a separate prominent Japanese anime producer.

Special Features:

• 1.78:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• The Making of Halo Legends
• Halo: Gaming Evolved
• Commentary with Frank O’Connor and Joseph Chou

Blu-ray Features:

• 1.78:1 Widescreen 1080p with Dolby TrueHD 5.1
• All of the features of the DVD release, plus:
• Halo: The Story So Far

Recommendation: Buy (for Halo lovers)

Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever – 4.5/10
Starring Rider Strong, Giuseppe Andrews, Judah Friedlander, Noah Segan, Marc Senter, Mark Borchardt, Larry Fessenden
A high school prom faces a deadly threat: a flesh-eating virus that spreads via a popular brand of bottled water.

Special Features:

• 2.35:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1
• The Making of Gore
• Prom Blow Gore Reel

Recommendation: Pass

Women in Trouble – 6.5/10 – Trailer
Starring Carla Gugino, Connie Britton, Emanuelle Chriqui, Marley Shelton, Elizabeth Berkely, Cameron Richardson, Adrianne Palicki, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
A serpentine day in the life of ten seemingly disparate women: a porn star, a flight attendant, a psychiatrist, a masseuse, a bartender, a pair of call girls, etc. All of them with one crucial thing in common. Trouble.

Special Features:

• 1.78:1 Widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0
• Deleted Scenes
• Behind the Scenes
• Trailer

Blu-ray Features:

• 1.78:1 Widescreen 1080p with Dolby TrueHD 5.1
• All of the features of the DVD release

Recommendation: Pass

Re-Releases

Clint Eastwood: 35 Films 35 Years
Hollywood legend CLINT EASTWOOD has touched generations of filmgoers for over half a century. The five-time Academy Award winner has made an indelible mark as one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors and insightful directors. In honor of Eastwood’s long standing 35 year relationship with Warner Bros. through Malpaso Productions, this definitive collection celebrates Eastwood’s entire filmography at the studio from Where Eagles Dare (1968) throughGran Torino (2008) all packaged in an elegant giftset.  Includes a 24 page Memorabilia booklet.

1. Where Eagles Dare, 1968
2. Kelly’s Heroes, 1970
3. Dirty Harry, 1971
4. Magnum Force, 1973
5. The Enforcer, 1975
6. The Outlaw Josey Wales, 1976
7. The Gauntlet, 1977
8. Every Which Way but Loose, 1978
9. Bronco Billy, 1980
10. Any Which Way You Can, 1980
11. Honkytonk Man, 1982
12. Firefox, 1982
13. Sudden Impact, 1983
14. City Heat, 1984
15. Tightrope, 1984
16. Pale Rider, 1985
17. Heartbreak Ridge, 1986
18. Bird, 1988
19. The Dead Pool, 1988
20. Pink Cadillac, 1989
21. White Hunter, Black Heart, 1990
22. The Rookie, 1990
23. Unforgiven, 1992
24. A Perfect World, 1993
25. The Bridges of Madison County, 1995
26. Absolute Power, 1997
27. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, 1997
28. True Crime, 1999
29. Space Cowboys, 2000
30. Blood Work, 2002
31. Mystic River, 2003
32. Million Dollar Baby, 2004
33. Letters from Iwo Jima, 2006
34. Gran Torino, 2008
35. The Eastwood Factor, 2009

Recommendation: You have to LOVE Clint Eastwood to buy this

Goodfellas (Blu-ray) – 8.1/10
Starring Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Paul Sorvino
Henry Hill is a small time gangster, who takes part in a robbery with Jimmy Conway and Tommy De Vito, two other gangsters who have set their sights a bit higher. His two partners kill off everyone else involved in the robbery, and slowly start to climb up through the hierarchy of the Mob. Henry, however, is badly affected by his partners success, but will he stoop low enough to bring about the downfall of Jimmy and Tommy?

Blu-ray Features:

• 1.85:1 Widescreen 1080p with Dolby Digital 5.1 (no hi-def audio?)
• 34 page Blu-ray Digibook
• Commentary with cast and crew
• Featurettes: “Getting Made”, “Made Men: The Goodfellas Legacy”, “The Workaday Gangster”
• Story to screen comparison
• Trailer
• “Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film”
• Mob of classic gangster-related cartoons

Recommendation:  Rent (this is just a repackage of the 2007 Blu-ray)

Cabin Fever (Blu-ray) – 4.9/10
Starring Rider Strong, Jordan Ladd, James DeBello, Cerina Vincent, Joey Kern, Jeff Hoffman
An offbeat horror tale about a group of five college friends on vacation at a remote mountain cabin when one contracts a flesh-eating virus. As it spreads among the friends, their true feelings and personalities emerge as they struggle to survive the virus and each other.

Blu-ray Features:

• 2.40:1 Widescreen 1080p with DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
• Commentary with Eli Roth, Rider Strong, Jordan Ladd, Cerina Vincent and Joey Kern
• Director’s Shorts: “The Rotten Fruit”
• Director’s Behind-the-Scenes Photos
• Beneath the Skin: The Making of
• Family Friendly Version
• Pancakes!
• Trailer

Recommendation:  Rent

TV on DVD/Blu-ray

• Barnaby Jones (Complete First Season) – DVD
• Lark Rise to Candleford (Complete Second Season) – DVD
• Small Wonder (Complete First Season) – DVD
• Spectacular Spider-Man (Volume 6 and Volume 7) – DVD

Coming Soon:

• RA: Renters Anonymous – February 9th, 2010
• RA: Renters Anonymous – Jan 5th, 2010
• RA: Renters Anonymous – October 20th 2009
• Renters Anonymous – July 7th, 2009
• RA: Renters Anonymous – Jan 26th, 2009