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Black Swan

Black Swan is probably the strangest movie I’ve seen in theaters. It’s got Natalie Portman yanking out her fingernails, Winona Ryder stabbing herself in the cheeks and Barbara Hershey looking extremely old. Unbeknownst to me going in, viewers are all but required to have super stomachs.

And as much as I “enjoyed” the thing, I don’t think I have any real desire to go out and see it again. Like Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan is once and done. Because I need to see Nina’s existence spin violently out of control the same way I do the last five minutes of Requiem. There’s only so much bodily mutilation I can take before I yell shenanigans.

For what it’s worth, Black Swan is profoundly dark, and is rather relentless once the magic of Nina’s metamorphosis begins unraveling. Which is to say Daron Aronofsky does a bang up job making you feel very uncomfortable from the moment Natalie makes her first appearance.

Black Swan is more cinematic than Aronofsky’s last, The Wrestler, and I think that to be the case because Black Swan is less character study and more “let’s see how Natalie Portman reacts when treated with X.” As well, the movie utilizes that fantastic behind-the-head dolly we all remember from The Wrestler, and I commend Aronofsky for not thinking it unwise to do so again. I love that shot.

Disc includes: Metamorphosis (behind-the-scenes documentary), Behind the Curtain featurette, Ten Years in the Making featurette, Roles of a Lifetime featurette

Treme: The Complete First Season

After fitting the final pieces together on The Wire, David Simon didn’t pack up his things and go off and live a sustainable life far, far away from here. Or, at least, take anything resembling a “break.” He shifted his focus on a new part of the country and, you know, birthed another critically acclaimed HBO television show, Treme. I mean, why pull a Seinfeld and leave while on top – many television critics think The Wire to be the greatest show ever produced – when you can just, well, shoot higher with a show about a post-Katrina New Orleans?

Strangely, like The Wire, Treme has its foot in the door critically, but is by no means a bona fide hit with HBO subscribers. Additionally, Treme wasn’t the golden calf of HBO’s 2010 television slate, Instead, that prize went to Boardwalk Empire, which has got a lot more people talking.

A second season of Treme has already been ordered.

Disc includes: N/A

March 29, 2011

Blu-ray
Alice in Wonderland
All Dogs Go To Heaven
All Dogs Go To Heaven 2
All Good Things
Apocalypse World War II
Black Swan
Charlotte's Web
Dead Awake
Dogtooth
The Embodiment of Evil
Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance
The Exorcist
Fair Game
The Game Plan
Gangland: The Final Season
The Greatest Game Ever Played
High School Musical
High School Musical 2
Hotel for Dogs
Inferno
Invincible
Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3-D
King Of Kings
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde
The Long Kiss Goodnight
The Machine Girl
Mad Men: Season Four
Made in Dagenham
Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1
The Mikado (Criterion Collection)
Miracle
Mummies: Secret of the Pharaohs
National Geographic: When Rome Ruled
Picture This!
Remember The Titans
The Resident
The Rookie
Scar
Scream
Scream 2
Scream 3
The Secret Of NIMH
Seven
Soylent Green
The Spiderwick Chronicles
The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie
Star Trek II / Star Trek IV
Tangled
Teen Wolf
The Ten Commandments
Topsy-Turvy (Criterion Collection)
Treme: The Complete First Season
UFC: Best of 2010
Ultimate G's: Zac's Flying Dream

DVD
Ace Ventura 1-3 Collection (Triple Feature)
All Good Things
Black Swan
Dead Awake
Fair Game
Gangland: The Final Season
Here's Lucy: Season 4
In Plain Sight: Season Three
Inferno
Mad Men: Season Four
The Mikado (Criterion Collection)
The Resident
Scar
Tangled
The Ten Commandments
Topsy-Turvy (Criterion Collection)
Treme: The Complete First Season
Upstairs, Downstairs: The Complete Series (Anniversary Edition)
Vega$: The Complete Second Season
Vega$: The Second Season, Volume 2
Xena Warrior Princess: Season Two

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