Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy
Truth be told I don't remember much about Back to the Futures 2 & 3, but the original remains a favorite. Who didn't want to be Mary McFly(Michael J. Fox) when they were a kid? Getting the chance to travel through time in the coolest car ever, hanging out with that crazy Doc Brown, getting macked on by your own mom. Ugh. A true classic that continues to stand the test of time, courtesy of Robert Zemeckis. This is a must-own.
Sex and the City 2
Just seeing the four Big Apple sluts riding through the desert on camels gave me really bad Ishtar flashbacks. Not that there was any real chance of me seeing this ill-advised sequel, finding out that half of them are dealing with marital issues sealed the deal. One of the few reasons I ever watched the show was that it was a hoot following the lives of these promiscuous chicks. Why would I ever want to listen to them talk about babies and getting all domestic? Yuck.
The Girl Who Played with Fire
I like the marketing symmetry of these Millennium flicks more than I like the movies themselves. With the final leg of the trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest, hitting theaters this upcoming Friday, the 2nd part of the story is on store shelves today. Those who've grown to love Lisbeth Salander(Noomi Rapace), our fearsome computer hacking heroine, will probably dig this chapter more than the first as it delves more into her troubled past.
Alien Anthology
The question becomes whether or not it's worth it to upgrade from the DVD set, which I bought not that long ago, to this jacked up Blu-Ray edition. This one features both the theatrical version and the director's cuts of all four flicks. Unfortunately there's no way to buy this without Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Alien Resurrection included, but dem's the breaks. For $90 it's not that bad of a deal...
Star Wars The Clone Wars: The Complete Season Two
Being the Star Wars fanatic that I am you probably think I put this up here because of how much I adore Cartoon Network's animated take on the events between between Episodes II and III. But you'd be wrong. I've never seen 2 minutes of this crap. Why? Because it runs roughshod over the best animated Clone Wars saga from 2005. The one that accurately and definitively bridged both movies, tying up loose ends and adding much needed depth. When I watch all my Star Wars flicks in a row it'll be that version I rely on. You can..and SHOULD buy that one right here.
Winter's Bone
Part hard boiled mystery, part mob drama, Winter's Bone is the type of movie that will stick in your brain and never let go. Jennifer Lawrence puts up what I think is the best female performance of the year so far as a headstrong girl living in the heart of the Ozarks. When her drug dealing loser of a father puts their house up for bond and skips town, it's up to her to navigate the seedier parts of town to find him. Her quest puts her in all too close contact with a number of unsavory, tight mouthed people who'd just as soon shut her up as look at her. As great as Lawrence is, be sure to keep an eye out for John Hawkes(who most will recognize from Eastbound and Down) as her raging, enigmatic uncle. Best supporting nomination? I sure hope so.
You Don't Know Jack
Leave it to HBO and director Barry Levinson to find a sympathetic angle to the "Angel of Mercy" himself, Jack Kevorkian. Al Pacino gives one of his most well-rounded performances in years as the controversial doctor who made it his life mission to assist those wanting to die in peace.
Altitude
Altitude had a lot of buzz surrounding it at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. While I'm sure some of that had to do with the simple, somewhat Hitchockian premise. But I think most of it was surrounding the film's director, Kaare Andrews, known as one of the best comic book artists in the business. This would be his directorial debut.
