300: Rise of an Empire – Zack Snyder is a good dude. He’s made some really good movies and some good choices in those movies. He’s not a cinematic god at this point, but he’s someone I still enjoy watching. And yes, I know he didn’t personally direct this film – but his greasy fingerprints are all over it. This one picks up right where the last one ended (and kinda sorta parallel to it) and concerns the backstory of Xerses, his sister Artemisia played by Eva Green and Greek hero Themistocles who leads his men into battle on the Aegean Sea. I think it’s a good addition to the first (nothing beats the first though) and it’s quite enjoyable. Definitely worth checking out on Blu if you missed it in theaters.
Blood Ties – I loved Tell No One, the last film I saw from French director Guillaume Canet, so even though this one looks like more of the same, I’ll give it a shot. Two brothers, one on each side of the law, head directly for each other. Stars everyone ever including Clive Owen, Billy Crudup, Marion Cotillard, Mila Kunis, James Caan, Zoe Saldana, Lili Taylor, Noah Emmerich and Matthias Schoenaerts.
Enemy – Denis Villeneuve once again teams up with Jake Gyllenhaal (they worked previously on Prisoners) about a film about sex, death and doppelgangers. Oh, and giant spiders. Yeah, I don’t know either. But of course I’m going to watch it.
Winter’s Tale – haven’t heard a single good thing about this, but it’s too big a title not to a) mention and b) watch myself... so, here it is in all its’ glory. An all-star cast lead by Colin Farrell, Oscar winner Akiva Goldsman writing and directing – all based on a fan favorite novel, what can go wrong?
The Boondocks: Season Four and The Uncensored Series (DVD Only) – Being forthright, I work at Adult Swim but not on this show (it’s a license) so I figure it’s not a big deal to promote this one. I’m mainly pointing out the uncensored edition, because if you’re going to watch Boondocks, you might as well go all the way with it, right?
The Bridge: Season One – I really liked this FX series. It’s really weird and Lynchian in parts, but then it’s also like a dust-swept Silence of the Lambs too. I love that the hero is autistic and that it sorta ends seven episodes in and keeps going. I’m really looking forward to season two starting up in July – so if you’re unfamiliar, do jump in and join me.
A Hard Day’s Night – Criterion’s release this week is the Beatles film that started it all. Not really, but that was an easy sentence to write, so I’m keeping it.
Peter Gabriel: Back to Front – Live in London – Our host and editor Bill Hunt will most likely chirp about this one on the front page or review it whole at some point because he’s a huge Gabriel fan. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if he was in the audience for this when they shot it.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 6 – One more season to go and this remastering project is done. Bits friend and content producer (and filmmaker) extraordinaire Robert Meyer Burnett once again helped produce the extras on this and continues his long win streak.
Screamers – I’m not overly familiar with this Italian horror film outside of the cover art when I haunted the local video store as a kid. I’m all for remastered horror films from my youth, thus – let’s trumpet this one this week from Scorpion; hooray!
That’s it then. Hardly anything is coming next week for you to entertain yourselves with – sorry. I’ll still chime in. But until then, reach into your library, find something you love and keep spinnin’ THOSE discs.
– Todd Doogan