Watchlist
Notable DVD releases for February 5th
By Max Braden
February 7, 2013
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Here's my watchlist of DVD and streaming releases for the week of February 5th:
Alex Cross
Who: Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox, Edward Burns, Jean Reno, John C. McGinley, Giancarlo Esposito
What: A serial killer (Fox) targets the family of Detective Alex Cross (Perry), based on the James Patterson novel Cross.
When: February 5th
Why: Patterson fans will probably want to see the book in movie form. Some Perry fans might want to see him play a serious character after his lighter perennial role as Madea. Based on the trailers, I don't buy him as a tough cop (I liked Morgan Freeman in the role), but I'm impressed by how intense former Lost star Fox got for his psychotic, sinewy character. Plus I like to watch Jean Reno movies whenever I can.
Celeste & Jesse Forever
Who: Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, Ari Graynor, Elijah Wood, Chris Messina, Eric Christian Olsen
What: A bittersweet romance, with Jones and Samberg as a couple in the process of getting divorce but still acting like best friends, until they start stumbling into new relationships. Graynor and Olsen play friends of Jones, Wood is her coworker, and Messina her potential new boyfriend. Rashida Jones wrote the screenplay with castmate Will McCormack.
When: February 5th
Why: Jones and Samberg have great chemistry, and the bittersweetness is lovely. Just be warned: I'd suggest something else more blissful if you're looking for a romantic date movie for Valentine's Day.
Deadfall
Who: Eric Bana, Olivia Wilde, Charlie Hunnam, Sissy Spacek, Kris Kristofferson, Kate Mara, Treat Williams
What: A crime thriller starring Bana and Wilde as brother and sister thieves who use an innocent family (Hunnam and his parents, Spacek and Kristofferson) for cover after robbing an Indian casino.
When: February 5th
Why: (Not to be mistaken for the 1993 Nic Cage movie). The trailer makes the plot look thrilling enough. Mostly I'd watch this for Wilde and Mara.
Flight
Who: Denzel Washington, Kelly Reilly, Bruce Greenwood, John Goodman, Don Cheadle, Melissa Leo, director Robert Zemeckis, cinematographer Don Burgess, screenwriter John Gatins
What: Denzel plays airline pilot Whip Whitaker, who saves most of a plane from an amazing crash, but then struggles with his own addictions. Reilly plays a fellow addict, Goodman plays his supplier, and Cheadle plays the lawyer who's intent on keeping Whitaker out of jail.
When: February 5th
Why: Denzel got Best Actor nominations from the Screen Actors Guild and Oscar voters, and John Gatins was nominated for his screenplay by the Writer's Guild of America and Oscar voters. I think it's a better movie than half of the Best Picture nominees, with great acting and some fantastic visuals. Make sure you see this.
Guns, Girls and Gambling
Who: Gary Oldman, Christan Slater, Dane Cook, Powers Booth, Jeff Fahey, Chris Kattan
What: A crime-thriller-comedy starring Slater and a whole mess of thieves trying to grab an artifact stolen from an Indian casino.
When: February 5th - DVD and streaming
Why: I'll see anything Oldman is in, and in this one he's dressed as an Elvis impersonator!
Hello I Must Be Going
Who: Melanie Lynskey, Blythe Danner, Christopher Abbott
What: A comedic romance, in which Lynskey plays a recently divorced woman who moves back home to stabilize, and gets involved with a younger guy, played by Abbott. Danner plays her mother.
When: February 5th
Why: Lynskey will be familiar to those who watch Two and a Half Men, in which she's starred as the obsessive Rose.
Here Comes the Boom
Who: Kevin James, Salma Hayek, Henry Winkler, Joe Rogan, director Frank Coraci
What: A comedy starring Kevin James as a teacher who takes up mixed-martial-arts to raise money for his school. As you can imagine, he gets his butt kicked. James wrote the screenplay.
When: February 8th
Why: I like Kevin James, and this looks like his typical lovable underdog comedy. Director Frank Caraci also directed James in Zookeeper, and Adam Sandler in Click, The Waterboy, and The Wedding Singer.
Hit & Run
Who: Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, Bradley Cooper, Tom Arnold, Kristen Chenoweth, Beau Bridges, David Koechner, Jason Bateman
What: A crime romcom starring Dax as a former getaway driver who leaves the safety of witness protection for the love of his girlfriend, and then runs into trouble with his ex-partner (Cooper). Arnold plays a Marshal, Chenoweth plays Bell's supervisor, and Bridges plays Dax's father. Bateman has a bit part at the end.
When: February 5th
Why: I sought this out primarily because of the car chases, but was more pleasantly surprised when I found my hidden gem of the week: the first 20 minutes of the movie feature the most ridiculously adorable onscreen flirting, between Dax and Bell (who are engaged in real life), that you'll see anywhere.
The House at the End of the Street
Who: Jennifer Lawrence, Max Theiriot, Elisabeth Shue, Gil Bellows
What: Horror. Shue and Lawrence play a mother and daughter who move in to a house next to Max Theriot, whose family was killed there. And then there's more creepiness and murder, etc etc.
When: February 5th
Why: For all the buzz Lawrence is getting for Silver Linings Playbook, there's very little mention of this horror movie she starred in only a couple months earlier. Probably because it's not very good. But I might watch it to see her performance.
In Our Nature
Who: Jena Malone, Gabrielle Union, Zach Gilford, John Slattery
What: Gilford takes his girlfriend, played by Malone, for a private weekend at his family's vacation home in the woods, just at the moment when his father (Slattery) shows up with his own girlfriend (Union). Romance and drama and father-son healing are the themes here.
When: February 5th
Why: I'm a big fan of Slattery's from Mad Men, and I'd be interested in seeing his dramatic performance in this movie. Friday Night Lights fans may want to see this for Gilford.
Little White Lies
Who: Francois Cluzet, Marion Cotillard, Jean Dujardin
What: A French comedy-drama starring Cluzet, whose annual vacation plans with his friends come undone when one of them (Dujardin) ends up in the hospital after an accident, and the friends start being honest with each other.
When: February 5th
Why: Cotillard and Dujardin have been names to watch since they won Oscars - Cotillard for La Vie en Rose and Dujardin for The Artist.
Side by Side
Who: Keanu Reeves, James Cameron, David Fincher, George Lucas, David Lynch, Robert Rodriguez, Martin Scorsese, Steven Soderbergh
What: A documentary featuring the biggest directors in Hollywood, about the impact of digital filmmaking on the industry. Reeves narrates.
When: February 5th
Why: Professional and amateur students of film ought to be interested in this collection of great filmmakers.
So Undercover
Who: Miley Cyrus, Jeremy Piven, Alexis Knapp, Joshua Bowman
What: Miley Cyrus plays a teenage private investigator hired by the FBI to go undercover in college. I couldn't tell from the trailer what she's investigating, so let's assume it's Bowman's abs.
When: February 5th
Why: I wouldn't want to admit to anyone that I watched a Miley Cyrus bubblegum comedy, but dammit, I'm a Piven fan and would consider tolerating Cyrus for his scenes.
The Liquidator
Who: Vinnie Jones
What: Vinnie Jones plays a former special forces soldier who seeks revenge for the death of his journalist brother in this action flick from Eastern Europe.
When: February 5th
Why: It doesn't have to be good - after a long work week, watching Vinnie Jones crack skulls is perfect Friday viewing for me.
The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure
Who: Christopher Lloyd, Cary Elwes, Jaime Pressly, Cloris Leachman, Chazz Palminteri, Toni Braxton
What: A G-rated live action adventure appropriate for toddlers. Three mascot-like characters who go on a birthday adventure and meet the cast actors in various roles.
When: February 15th - DVD and digital download
Why: I assume these characters are typical of the mid-day material on TV familiar to parents with small children. This movie set the record for the lowest box office opening for a wide release movie. Every instinct tells me to avoid this movie, but I like some of these actors and could imagine watching it to see them be a little more casual than usual.
What I'm watching this week:
Based on a goal of watching 200 movies per year, I try to watch - or limit myself to - four movies per week. I've already seen Flight, which is my top suggestion for anyone renting a movie this week. My other three picks are: Celeste and Jesse Forever because it's a solid, if bittersweet, romance; Hit & Run, not a great movie but worth it for the chemistry between Dax and Bell; and Here Comes the Boom for some light Kevin James buffoonery.
In theaters, if I had to choose one of the movies released on February 1st... that's a tough choice. I really want to see Stallone's action flick Bullet to the Head, but I would have picked Warm Bodies based on its amusing trailer. I skipped the theater this weekend, though, as I tend to do early in the year because I know I can catch these movies on DVD in four months.