DVD Pick of the Week: The Day the Earth Stood Still - Page 2

Frost/Nixon: The Original Watergate Interviews. With the Ron Howard film based on these interviews coming soon to theaters, it seems like the perfect opportunity to put out the original video of the material. Before seeing the trailer I was unaware of these interviews (I was not in a position to care when they originally happened). It will be interesting to see these in concert with the film, see how everything fits together.

The X-Files: I Want to Believe. I have to label this a disappointment. As much as I wanted to like this, there is not enough meat to care about. There are a couple of nice moments and nods to the series, but when all is said and done, the story is not worthy of the title. I would love to see a standalone X-Files film that told a great "monster of the week" type story, something that this should have done, but I doubt that this franchise will warrant another sequel. At least we will always have the series to revisit.

Metalocalypse: Season II - Black Fire Upon Us. The continuing adventures of Dethklok. I have only seen the first season, but I cannot wait to see more. The music is actually good and the characters are seriously out there. It is great to see a series steeped in metal that is goofy yet not condescending.

Wanted. The DVD ads call this a trailblazing action film that no one has seen before. I would not go so far as to call it that, but it is an excellent action film. If you are looking for an adrenaline rush, this will definitely fit the bill. It is one of the, if not the, best action films of the year. I was hooked right from the start; it has a strong lead performance, big action, a story that has enough fuel for at least a sequel or two, and a nice, post-Matrix feel. Do yourself a favor and go for the ride.

Step Brothers. This is a movie that you are either going to love or hate. I have reason to go either way, thus pushing my rating towards the middle. The utter hilarity pushes it up while the lack of a decent narrative holds it down. This is an example of a movie based around star chemistry, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly mesh perfectly as they riff off each other for the whole film. Laugh out loud funny while narratively bankrupt, well worth checking out.

White Dog. I have never seen this Samuel Fuller film, but with this Criterion Collection edition, it looks like the perfect time. Kristy McNichol stars as a young actress who adopts a lost German Shepherd, only to discover through a series of horrifying incidents that the dog has been trained to attack black people. Paul Winfield plays the animal trainer who tries to cure him. A snarling, uncompromising vision, White Dog is a tragic portrait of the evil done by that most corruptible of animals: the human being.

Article Author: Chris Beaumont

Christopher Beaumont spends much of his time writing about music and movies when he isn't indulging in them. He is always ready to talk about his favorite form of entertainment and offer up recommendations. Follow: Twitter and Tumblr. Visit: Critical Outcast. …

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