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Z At the Movies: DVD Report 8.19.08
By Jake Ziegler | August 19, 2008
FINALLY they’ve made a sequel to “The Scorpion King,” and they did it with Randy Couture!
AN AMERICAN CRIME
Theatrical Release Date: N/A
Director: Tommy O’Haver
Stars: Catherine Keener, Ellen Page, James Franco
Running time: 98 minutes
Rated: R for strong and disturbing depiction of child abuse and torture
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 33%
Box Office Take: N/A
It seems strange that I would have never heard of this movie with these three big names on top, especially given how hot Page is right now after “Juno” and Franco with “Pineapple Express.” Just seeing that this is Rated R for strong and disturbing depiction of child abuse and torture makes me push this one towards the bottom of my list.
FIGHTING WITH ANGER
Theatrical Release Date: N/A
Director: Sam Um
Stars: Willie Nelson, Kelli Fleming
Running time: 90 minutes
Rated: UR
Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A
Box Office Take: N/A
Willie Nelson is awesome, but he’s certainly more known for his singing than his acting. This is another movie that I’ve never heard of, and it looks like no one else has seen it either.
FRESHMAN ORIENTATION
Theatrical Release Date: August 31, 2007
Director: Ryan Shiraki
Stars: Sam Huntington, John Goodman
Running time: 92 minutes
Rated: R for strong sexual content, language and some drug use
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 33%
Box Office Take: $10,462
This is described as similar to “I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry,” which makes me want to run away and hide. The presence of John Goodman is at least enough to make me slightly interested, but this is another movie that I’ve never heard of, so it’s not really high on my list.
HANNAH MONTANA & MILEY CYRUS: BEST OF BOTH WORLDS CONCERT
Theatrical Release Date: February 1, 2008
Director: Bruce Hendricks
Stars: Miley Cyrus, Kenny Ortega, Billy Ray Cyrus
Running time: 90 minutes
Rated: G
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%
Box Office Take: $65 million
This is by far the biggest box office hit of the releases this week, and that’s no surprise given how insanely popular Hannah Montana is. I’m sure it’s no “Shine a Light” or “CSNY Déjà vu,” but I’m sure it’s well filmed and perfect for its audience, so if you have young children you might as well rent it.
HER BEST MOVE
Theatrical Release Date: September 7, 2007
Director: Norm Hunter
Stars: Leah Pipes, Scott Patterson
Running time: N/A
Rated: G
Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A
Box Office Take: N/A
It was nearly impossible to find any information on this movie, and with thirteen other releases this Tuesday I don’t think I’ll be missing too much without it.
THE LIFE BEFORE HER EYES
Theatrical Release Date: April 18, 2008
Director: Vadim Perelman
Stars: Uma Thurman, Evan Rachel Wood
Running time: 90 minutes
Rated: R for violent and disturbing content, language and brief drug use
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 26%
Box Office Take: $166,373
I remember seeing Uma Thurman promoting this movie on “The Daily Show” a while back, and it sounded good and I like both her and Evan Rachel Wood, so I was very intrigued by this movie. Its low score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes concerns me, but I’m still interested enough to rent it for $1.40.
LOST STALLIONS: THE JOURNEY HOME
Theatrical Release Date: June 13, 2008
Director: David Rotan
Stars: Mickey Rooney
Running time: 86 minutes
Rated: UR
Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A
Box Office Take: N/A
Here’s another one I know very little about, and it looks like a nice little family movie with Mickey Rooney that I’ll be just fine living without.
MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY
Theatrical Release Date: March 7, 2008
Director: Bharat Nalluri
Stars: Frances McDormand, Amy Adams, Lee Pace, Ciaran Hinds, Shirley Henderson
Running time: 92 minutes
Rated: PG-13 for some partial nudity and innuendo
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%
Box Office Take: $12 million
I was a little surprised to see that this one didn’t get a wide release. Frances McDormand is one of the more reliable actors in the business, and Amy Adams has made a huge name for herself with the success of “Enchanted.” This looked like a fun little movie and I will certainly rent it when I get a chance.
PROM NIGHT
Theatrical Release Date: April 11, 2008
Director: Nelson McCormick
Stars: Brittany Snow, Scott Porter
Running time: 89 minutes
Rated: PG-13 for violence and terror, some sexual material, underage drinking, and language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 8%
Box Office Take: $43 million
This is another remake of an old horror film starring Jamie Lee Curtis, and it depresses me that it made $43 million. At least critics railed on it, as only 8% of them found this movie likable. I probably will see this movie, because I’m always looking for potential “worst of the year” list entries.
QUID PRO QUO
Theatrical Release Date: June 13, 2008
Director: Carlos Brooks
Stars: Nick Stahl, Vera Farmiga, Aimee Mullins
Running time: 82 minutes
Rated: R for some sexuality and language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 66%
Box Office Take: $7,395
I know Brad likes Nick Stahl, so maybe he’ll see this movie and be able to tell us something about it. I’m a little surprised that Vera Farmiga’s name hasn’t popped up a little more after her riveting performance in “Down to the Bone” and her work in Scorsese’s Best Picture winner “The Departed.” This one looks interesting.
RECOUNT
Theatrical Release Date: N/A
Director: Jay Roach
Stars: Kevin Spacey, Dennis Leary, Laura Dern, Bob Balaban
Running time: 115 minutes
Rated: TV-MA
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%
Box Office Take: N/A
HBO presented this one back in May, about the sham known as the 2000 Presidential Election. Dern plays Barbara Harris, who was the Secretary of State in Florida at the time. She was also the head of Bush’s Florida campaign, and yet some people still won’t admit that there was anything slightly fishy going on there.
RESTRAINT
Theatrical Release Date: N/A
Director: David Denneen
Stars: Travis Fimmel, Teresa Palmer
Running time: N/A
Rated: R for violence, sexual content and language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A
Box Office Take: N/A
I’ve never heard of any of the actors in this, or the movie, and Rotten Tomatoes has never heard of it either. Swim at your own risk on this one.
THE SCORPION KING 2: RISE OF A WARRIOR
Theatrical Release Date: N/A
Director: Russell Mulcahy
Stars: Randy Couture
Running time: N/A
Rated: PG-13 for violence and sexual content including references
Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A
Box Office Take: N/A
This is the straight-to-video release of the week that might end up doing alright. Sequels can get by on name recognition, and Randy Couture has a base of fans that will probably be interested in checking it out. He’s no The Rock, that’s for sure.
STREET KINGS
Theatrical Release Date: April 11, 2008
Director: David Ayer
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans, Common
Running time: 109 minutes
Rated: R for strong violence and pervasive language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 36%
Box Office Take: $26 million
The most disturbing thing about this movie is that Hugh Laurie is talking in his non-House voice. This looks like so many other cop movies, and Keanu Reeves is still just an awful actor, no matter how much money his movies have made or how much some people try to defend him to me. I like Forest Whitaker, but this one looks beneath him (much like “Vantage Point”). I’m sure this one will rent very well.
And for fun, let’s see which TV shows are being released on DVD today…
Dexter Season 2
Gossip Girl Season 1
Heroes Season 2
House Season 4
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Season 1
Pick of the Week: “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day” at 77%
DUD of the Week: “Prom Night” at 8%
Unknowns of the Week: “Fighting with Anger,” “Her Best Move,” “Lost Stallions: The Journey Home,” “Restraint,” and “The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior”
Topics: DVD Reports |