QUICK THOUGHTS: I had never seen this 1951 classic interpretation of Charles Dickens's story and with the recent disappointment that was Robert Zemeckis's film I was curious as to what the big deal was with this film considering so many people stood up to say it was their favorite version of the story. Certainly, it is a much better film, but what I am wondering is why Zemeckis felt his film was a vastly improved interpretation beyond those that came before it. As far as I can tell the only difference in terms of story is his addition of a mini-Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Past being represented by a candle rather than just another ghost. Other than that his version is damn near exactly the same and Jim Carrey's interpretation of Scrooge, all the way down to the reading of the lines, is a mirror image of Alastair Sim's performance here, which (of course) seems so much more real considering... it is. Oh well.

There you have it. Now share your weekly recaps and weigh in with any thoughts you may have on the films I saw. And remember to connect with my Netflix queue by clicking here, I have already added several titles from those that have already linked up.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/sunday-morning-movie-jumble-november-22-2009 http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/sunday-morning-movie-jumble-november-22-2009 Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:17:22 -0700 Brad Brevet

[jumble_form]

1. Never won an Oscar as an actor despite receiving a nomination for Best Actor for his first screen appearance.
2. Died the same day as Yul Brynner.
3. Declined the chance to be the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars.

• His role as Harry Lime didn't earn him an Oscar nomination yet it was ranked #93 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Don't give away the answer in the comments, but help me out... What did you think of this one? Clues too easy? Which one gave it away for you?]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/new-moon-dominates-opening-day-record-with-72-7-million http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/new-moon-dominates-opening-day-record-with-72-7-million Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:13:54 -0700 Brad Brevet The Dark Knight deserves that record for the mere fact it's a well made film and New Moon is not." I responded by saying it won't bother me unless New Moon hangs on next weekend and continues to gain strength. After all, tapping into a moment in pop culture doesn't make you quality material, just look at Britney Spears. New Moon simply filled a void and has done so to record numbers.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon stormed the box-office with a record midnight opening of $26.2 million topping the previous record set by Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince at $22.2 million. Now, it has gone on to break The Dark Knight's previous opening day record of $67 million with a whopping $72.7 million and with 342 fewer theaters than The Dark Knight opened in 2008.

What does this mean? Very little. Like I said, it tapped into a moment in pop culture and if someone wants to point out to you that numbers don't lie, simply toss back at them the RottenTomatoes score of 29%, the IMDb score of 4.4/10, the MetaCritic score of 46 and the MRQE score of 49%. If numbers don't lie then I think I have just found four that tell the "truth".

Laremy will be here tomorrow with the full box-office rundown, but for now here's how Friday stacked up:

1. The Twilight Saga: New Moon - $76.7 million
2. The Blind Side - $10.9 million
3. 2012 - $8.1 million
4. Precious: Based On The Novel "Push" By Sapphire - $3.6 million
5. Planet 51 - $3.1 million
6. A Christmas Carol - $3.0 million
7. The Men Who Stare At Goats - $860,000
8. The Fourth Kind - $610,000
9. Couples Retreat - $555,000
10. Law Abiding Citizen - $495,000

The Hurt Locker hits DVD and Blu-ray on January 12, click here for more on each release.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/video-previews-for-nine-of-the-ten-animated-short-film-oscar-contenders http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/video-previews-for-nine-of-the-ten-animated-short-film-oscar-contenders Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:57:45 -0700 Brad Brevet UPDATED: Thankfully a user has sent in the trailer for Nicolas Schmerkin's Logorama so I now have video previews (and a couple of full versions) of all ten Animated Short Film Oscar Contenders.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced the ten animated short films that have advanced in the voting process for the 82nd Academy Awards and I have compiled video previews for nine of the ten.

The only film I wasn't able to find any video for was Nicolas Schmerkin's Logorama, but I was able to find the image you see just to the right. If anyone is able to find actual video please let me know.

The ten films selected remain out of an original 37 that were submitted after the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting in screenings held in New York and Los Angeles. The group will now select the five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in January 2010.

The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

You can stay up-to-date on all of my Oscar season coverage by tuning in directly to my "The Contenders" section.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/investigation-reports-tyson-not-extorted-in-oscar-doc-controversy http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/investigation-reports-tyson-not-extorted-in-oscar-doc-controversy Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:48:53 -0700 Brad Brevet 15 documentaries that made their short list for Oscar nomination consideration I didn't even think twice about dissecting the list as much as I just wanted to put it out there for others to see and evaluate on their own.

To no surprise, the absence of Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story, Tyson and most notably Anvil: The Story of Anvil drew the most bewildering looks as the Internet has allowed word on not only fanboy driven fare to gain more attention but documentaries as well. Anvil is most likely the one documentary that most online commenters and film fans were upset at its omission, but it is Tyson that began stirring up the pot.

In Friday's New York Times Tyson director James Toback made quite the accusation suggesting that an irregularity in the process had contributed to what he saw as a snub. Toback added, "[How] is some tiny, dirty covert weirdly protective little group within the Academy going to be immune [to questions of validity]?"

Toback says he was confronted with something connected with the selections process, "which [he] put fully in the category of extortion," but he did not go along.

The "Times" article is written by Michael Cieply who took the claim to Rob Epstein, a filmmaker who is chairman of the executive committee of the documentary branch, who said, "I have no idea. It certainly hasn't come before me." Steve Pond at The Wrap has learned the investigation didn't stop there.

The Academy also investigated and Academy executive director, Bruce Davis, told Pond Toback's "concern was that one of the documentarians voting to pick the shortlist bore him a grudge and should have recused himself/herself from the balloting."

However, after asking PricewaterhouseCoopers to examine the voting records the accounting firm "assured [Davis] that 'no single voter was responsible for [Tyson's] failure to make the shortlist...'"

Pond's explanation of the situation at hand goes a bit deeper and will be particularly interesting to those upset at the snubbing of one of their favorites. Get the rest here.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/movie-review-red-cliff-2009 http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/movie-review-red-cliff-2009 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:36:50 -0700 Brad Brevet

I wish I was more familiar with the early work of director John Woo, but other than his highly acclaimed Hard Boiled, I'm afraid my knowledge is limited to his mixed bag of Hollywood features with Face/Off being my favorite of the bunch. However, I guess I'm not entirely at a loss as Woo has commissioned one of his Hard Boiled stars in Tony Leung to spearhead his first film since the abysmal Paycheck in 2003 and his his first Asian born film since Hard Boiled in 1992.

The result of said return is an explosively entertaining film with Shaw Brothers-style quick zooms, tortoise formations, a predicted changing of the winds, full body spearing, romantic tea sit downs, stories told using music on the guqin and even some Han dynasty biological warfare of sorts. And that's just a primer.

The story centers on Cao Cao (Zhang Feng Yi), the tyrannical Prime Minister-turned-General from the north who has convinced the Emperor that the Southlands must be conquered. Poised to be overthrown are two southern warlords, Liu Bei (You Yong) and Sun Quan (Chang Chen). The two band together at the advice of military strategist Zhuge Liang (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and under the leadership of Viceroy of the Southlands, Zhou Yu (Leung), they take to the battlefield.

The catch is the fact the warriors of the Southlands are vastly outnumbered. Fortunately military tactics and an overall knowledge of the elements balance out a battle of tens of thousands versus hundreds of thousand, at least balanced more than the numbers would indicate.

Considering its size and the scope of its action pieces some of the best moments are shared glances, particularly between Leung and Kaneshiro as they strategize their next move or how they are going to manage to bolster their arrow supply all while diminishing the enemy's. Woo has never been afraid of comedy, but here it isn't as much comical as much as it is playful interaction that helps balance out the tension caused by the rest of the story. Newcomer Chiling Lin, playing Leung's wife, also shares the film's quieter moments with her husband as he prepares for battle.

Leung is an obvious standout as he always is, the guy would be hard-pressed to disappoint and I can certainly appreciate the fact he hasn't felt the need to become a major Hollywood star and has stuck to making movies with the likes of Woo, Ang Lee, Yimou Zhang and, of course, Kar Wai Wong. Kaneshiro is also no stranger to powerful performances as he was also impressive as Jin in Yimou Zhang's House of Flying Daggers in 2004, but most notably in the outstanding 1994 Kar Wai Wong film Chunking Express, which also starred Leung.

If I was to have a complaint it would be at the occasional use of wirework, which isn't overused by any means, but in early field battle sequences it takes away from the reality of it all. Thankfully it is used sparingly with far more attention paid to military strategy and the attempts of both sides to try and outwit the other.

Along with all the violence and military strategy that is sure to excite action fans there's also something beautifully satisfying about this film. My description of the film in my opening is probably the best I can come up with, but to simplify it a bit further, to call this a classy blockbuster would not be too far off.

First for the comments that were sent in followed by some words by myself.

This past week I saw Everybody's Fine and Me and Orson Welles. I don't see anything for De Niro with Everybody's Fine, but I thought Christian McKay was phenomenal in Me and Orson Welles and it's upsetting more Oscar bloggers aren't championing his performance as the iconic actor/director.

Finally, if you want more Lovely Bones, I have just added two new stills to the gallery which you can check out right here. The Lovely Bones and Invictus hit theaters on December 11.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/pfridays-poster-puzzles-november-20-2009 http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/pfridays-poster-puzzles-november-20-2009 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:39:12 -0700 Brad Brevet

The rules for this one are simple. I have washed away all the credit details from the poster snippet above leaving only the cast names. Your job is to guess the title of the movie. Be sure to spell correctly, misspelled titles are wrong answers.

[poster_form]

	I reviewed this one and have said my peace, no sense in adding any more as it now belongs to the audience to make up their mind. However, I will still point you to my review. This film is rated PG-13 for some violence and action. CLICK HERE FOR THE GALLERY OF 83 PICTURES
	My Review / Get More Info

	For a safe film that takes absolutely no risks it's actually quite good. You can read my full review right here. This film is rated PG-13 for one scene involving brief violence, drug and sexual references. CLICK HERE FOR THE GALLERY OF 30 PICTURES
	My Review / Get More Info

	I just couldn't muster up enough interest to see this one. The last time I did that with an animated film it was Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and it ended up making over $122 million domestically so far, will the same formula apply here? This film is rated PG for mild sci-fi action and some suggestive humor. CLICK HERE FOR THE GALLERY OF 33 PICTURES
	Get More Info

	I saw this one and I apologize, but I just have nothing so important to say that it warrants a full on review. It wasn't as crazy as I expected, it dragged a lot and Val Kilmer wasn't given nearly enough on screen time considering he had the most interesting character in the entire film. One fellow film reviewer suggested some of the movie turned out the way it did as a result of director Werner Herzog getting bored. It's an interesting perspective, and one I don't expect we will ever know the truth about. This film is rated R for drug use and language throughout, some violence and sexuality. CLICK HERE FOR THE GALLERY OF 8 PICTURES
	Get More Info

	This one actually looks quite good and I requested a screener from IFC, but never received that disc so the trailer is all I can give you to go on. Then again, it's only in one theater so I'm not sure how many of you even care. This film is rated NR CLICK HERE FOR THE GALLERY OF 7 PICTURES
	Get More Info

	I recently learned I won't be screening this one here in Seattle until December, but if you are interested in a perspective on the film might I suggest Nathaniel Rogers's essay at Tribeca Film right here. I'm sure any Cruz and/or Almodovar fan will get something out of it. This film is rated R for sexual content, language and some drug material. CLICK HERE FOR THE GALLERY OF 35 PICTURES
	Get More Info

	This one I have seen and will be watching once again tomorrow morning before posting my review, but really quickly I will tell you it is definitely worth seeing. It's action packed and a lot of fun, but not perfect. I think Mike Hale summed it up nicely in his New York Times review saying, "It would be nice to report that he's also back on top of his game, but Red Cliff, while handsome and intelligent and perfectly easy to sit through, never really approaches the visceral tug of Mr. Woo's Hong Kong hits." It's not a glowing statement, but I would expand on his "perfectly easy to sit through" statement and say it's one I would recommend you check out in theaters for a good time. This film is rated R for sequences of epic warfare. CLICK HERE FOR THE GALLERY OF 28 PICTURES
	Get More Info

]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/movie-review-the-blind-side-2009 http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/movie-review-the-blind-side-2009 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:38:01 -0700 Brad Brevet

I will also tell you there wasn't a single woman I met that wasn't looking forward to this movie. Any conversation I had with a female about movies inevitably led to the question, "What do you think about The Blind Side?" Even those that would poke fun at the trailer were still excited to see it. Seeing the exact same trailers I had seen, the words obviously spoke a different language to members of the opposite sex. But I'm convinced no matter what side of the gender pool you wade on, most people will come out of this film duly entertained.

The Blind Side is about Leigh Anne Touhy, the rich white woman played by Sandra Bullock who takes in a homeless young black man named Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron). It's based on a true story as Oher becomes a part of the Touhy family and then goes on to get drafted in the NFL. Complications do arise, all of which are addressed in this movie based on the book by Michael Lewis, but not to the point it ever becomes overly melodramatic or even remotely challenging.

Writer/director John Lee Hancock wrote a script that avoids the trappings of a typical story of this sort, just as much as it avoids any kind of real risk. This film is as safe as they come in an effort to appeal to the broadest audience possible. I'm not complaining as much as audiences looking for risk-taking fare should look elsewhere, The Blind Side is as vanilla as they come.

On the bright side, even when the plot demands a melodramatic beat, such as an unfortunate accident or the inevitable misunderstanding, Hancock doesn't dwell on it as much as he allows for each situation to resolve itself naturally and without too much time spent pondering the sadness of it all. Instead this film focuses on the positive and is meant to be more uplifting than it hopes to be emotionally devastating.

Bullock is the number one standout and it may be simply due to the fact every awful sound bite used in the trailer is part of a much larger, well thought out statement. Bullock's Memphis accent grated on me in the trailers as each clip used seemed to emphasize the accent and whatever catch phrase was being said. But when heard in context with the rest of her dialogue it comes across perfectly natural and understood. She plays the part as well as one could hope.

Aaron plays Oher with a quiet reserve, but in such a way that when he finally does open up it isn't unexpected as much as it slowly becomes a natural character progression. He's countered by Bullock's young son played by Brian Hollan, who is far more witty than his age would actually lead us to believe he could be, but he delivers a NASCAR line that brings down the house.

The Blind Side was a welcomed surprise, especially considering everything I thought could potentially be wrong with the movie ended up making for some of the more enjoyable moments. Bullock's performance is most likely the best I've ever seen from her and makes me wonder why she insists on continuing down that terrible rom-com path she has dug for her career when she has the money to produce much more worthwhile efforts. Tim McGraw as her husband and Lily Collins as her daughter also bring something special to the Touhy family unit making for a perfect film to see with the coming Thanksgiving holidays.

How say you? Throw out a New Moon number and see if it sticks. Or call me out on my Blind Side feelings. Perhaps tell me why 2012 is going to sink like stone or go to bat for Precious making the top three again. You know the drill, learn us up! ]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/trailer-for-pattinsons-next-remember-me http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/trailer-for-pattinsons-next-remember-me Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:10:13 -0700 Brad Brevet

In the film Pattinson stars as Tyler, a rebellious young man in New York City who has a strained relationship with his father (Pierce Brosnan). Tyler didn't think anyone could possibly understand what he was going through until the day he met Ally (Emilie de Ravin) through an unusual twist of fate. But soon, hidden secrets are revealed, and the circumstances that brought them together slowly threaten to tear them apart.

The film also stars Chris Cooper as de Ravin's father and is directed by Hollywoodland helmer Allen Coulter.

It's set for release on February 12, 2010. You can check out the trailer directly below and I have added 13 screen captures from the trailer to the gallery right here.

You can watch the trailer in high definition at My Space.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/movie-review-the-twilight-saga-new-moon-2009 http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/movie-review-the-twilight-saga-new-moon-2009 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:42:58 -0700 Brad Brevet

Kristen Stewart returns as Bella as she pines for her golden-eye, ice cold vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). Unfortunately the Cullen clan has to leave town as their immortal aging process has become something of an alarm to the small town folk of Forks, Washington and Edward won't be sticking around. You know, for Bella's sake.

The decision results in Bella turning her attention toward Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), the mysterious Native American boy with the overnight buff physique and habit of stripping down to his jean shorts and running off into the forest with his boys. This, of course, is due to the fact he's a vampire-hating werewolf, but these are just minor details in the life of Bella and passed off as everyday occurrences. She's cool with weird stuff as one of the other werewolves says.

These two previous paragraphs take up approximately the first 90 minutes of New Moon -- along with briefly reintroducing a couple of loose ends from the first film to add to the running time -- before things can shift to Italy, and finally get interesting for 15 minutes or so. No joke.

I'm sorry to say this, but New Moon is a bore. The characters don't seem interested in what's going on and director Chris Weitz seems intent on making sure the audience feels the same way. When Bella isn't screaming in her sleep (over and over again, night after night) we are privileged enough to stare as she sits in a chair and does nothing as the months pass by. Months! And it feels like it.

If looked at as an exercise in patience, New Moon is a gem, but otherwise you are going to be nodding off fairly early. The presumed "love story" gets so bogged down in redundancy and storytelling miscues we never once care for any part of it, especially considering it is all so telegraphed there is hardly a mystery as to how it will all come to an end.

This isn't to say New Moon hasn't improved at all where Twilight failed. The action is a vast improvement. There's an impressive forest chase sequence that brings back Rachelle Lefevre as the vampire Victoria, and the moments in Italy where we are introduced to the vampire coven known as the Volturi are easily the film's stand out sequences. However, if you noticed the likes of Dakota Fanning and Michael Sheen as part of the cast don't expect too much as Fanning gets about five words in and Sheen, while impressive as Volturi leader Aro, isn't given nearly enough time to shine.

The effects are improved, but the same stunted performances by the disinterested Stewart, the waxy bore that is Pattinson and the amateurish turn by Lautner are all still present. Even Billy Burke playing Bella's father, the lone standout from the first film, is turned into a stiff. The life was sucked out of New Moon either by the lack of story or by the inability of Weitz to tap into any kind of real energy. However, to be fair, the story is so weak it didn't stand much of a chance and certainly not for more than two hours.

Fans of Stephenie Meyer's best-selling teen-vampire franchise were tolerant of the first film, and some may have legitimately enjoyed it, but I can't help but wonder how long they can remain interested if the filmed adaptations continue to disappoint.

• The Beaches of Agnes, Agnes Varda, director (Cine-Tamaris)
• Burma VJ, Anders Østergaard, director (Magic Hour Films)
• The Cove, Louie Psihoyos, director (Oceanic Preservation Society)
• Every Little Step, James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, directors (Endgame Entertainment)
• Facing Ali, Pete McCormack, director (Network Films Inc.)
• Food, Inc., Robert Kenner, director (Robert Kenner Films)
• Garbage Dreams, Mai Iskander, director (Iskander Films, Inc.)
• Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders, Mark N. Hopkins, director (Red Floor Pictures LLC)
• The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, directors (Kovno Communications)
• Mugabe and the White African, Andrew Thompson and Lucy Bailey, directors (Arturi Films Limited)
• Sergio, Greg Barker, director (Passion Pictures and Silverbridge Productions)
• Soundtrack for a Revolution, Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, directors (Freedom Song Productions)
• Under Our Skin, Andy Abrahams Wilson, director (Open Eye Pictures)
• Valentino The Last Emperor, Matt Tyrnauer, director (Acolyte Films)
• Which Way Home, Rebecca Cammisa, director (Mr. Mudd)

The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/dallas-howards-loss-of-a-teardrop-poster-debuts http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/dallas-howards-loss-of-a-teardrop-poster-debuts Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:22:24 -0700 Brad Brevet The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, a long-forgotten Tennessee Williams screenplay starring Bryce Dallas Howard as Fisher Willow, the disliked 1920s Memphis debutante daughter of a plantation owner with a distaste for narrow-minded people and a penchant for shocking and insulting those around her.

After returning from studies overseas, Fisher falls in love with Jimmy (Chris Evans), the down-and-out son of an alcoholic father (David Strathairn) and an insane mother who works at a store on her family's plantation. She tries to pass him off as an upper-class suitor to appease the spinster aunt (Ann-Margret) who controls her family's fortune, but when she loses a diamond, it places their tenuous relationship in further jeopardy.

The film hits theaters in New York and Los Angeles on December 30. A slightly larger look at the poster as well as an additional image from the film can be found here.

Photo: Paladin

What does this mean for the show? Truthfully I have no idea, but I see it as a bad sign that Hollywood's most prestigious show is going to slowly go the way of the increasingly popular 15-year-old fan obsessed culture. Of course, I sound like an old fogey right now, but there are just some things that should remain the same. The golden age of Hollywood is over, but we don't have to put a stake in its heart.

In other award news, it was announced just yesterday the Hollywood Foreign Press Association will nominate five animated films for Best Animated Feature this year. Their new rule is half as strict as the Academy's, which requires 16 qualifying animated films to be submitted. Here's how it reads:

Eligible films must be feature-length (70 minutes or longer) with no more than 25% live action. If less than eight animated films qualify, the award will not be given, in which case the films would be eligible for Best Picture. If less than twelve animated films qualify, the category will be limited to three nominations per year.

I've started to realize where this film is going to find its largest group of detractors, people expecting James Cameron's Aliens or Terminator 2 films. Instead, Avatar looks like it is gearing up for a family-friendly appeal. I recently opened the door to the possibility of the film getting a PG-rating, which many people were none too happy about and then just yesterday I received the following email from a reader named 'AZ':

I have news that Avatar will most likely be rated PG due to the fact that McDonald's will be having tie-in toys for the movies' release. McDonald's always has toys based on movies rated PG or below. If Burger King had the tie-in toys it would most likely be PG-13.

Of course, this sounds like a lot of speculation and I have no idea what the history of film marketing at McDonald's has been but I did notice Star Trek and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith were both partnered with Burger King while McDonald's partnered on the more friendly Star Wars: The Clone Wars. However, I wasn't able to find any evidence 20th Century Fox will be partnering with McDonald's on Avatar, but I am checking with the studio.

Now, take a look at this latest poster and weigh in with what direction you think the marketing is headed. Avatar is sure to be a visual feast, but will expectations and anticipation hurt it?

Personally I am hoping Avatar is the game changer we all heard it will be. I can say that after seeing A Christmas Carol and Zemeckis's continued failure to add life to the eyes of his motion-capture characters Avatar already has a leg up there. Now I just have my fingers crossed the story can bring the same kind of success.

Photo: 20th Century Fox

Whether The Professional made Speed look "like a slow ride to grandma's house" or not is irrelevant, because it's definitely a substantial addition to the action genre. This movie had me hook, line and sinker once Natalie Portman - in one of cinema's great child performances - stood outside Jean Reno's door crying silently, begging to be let in as the lanky Frenchman peered out his peephole debating with himself whether or not he should open the door. I couldn't remember a scene quite like it and Portman's performance, married with the threat of violence vigorously established by Besson, made for a moment as intense as anything in Jan de Bont's film.

It's easy to forget 15 years later this was a rather controversial movie, particularly the European cut, Leon. In fact, the European version was so risque for American test screen audiences the movie's diciest scenes were removed and the film was retitled, The Professional. The European version is clearly the better film specifically because it takes those risks. There's an undercurrent in this movie that is designed to make you feel a little uncomfortable and that's what separates it from the pack. Consider the elements: A 12-year-old girl's family, including her three-year-old younger brother are massacred. A hitman (or "cleaner" as he prefers) takes her in. She then enlists his help to teach her how to "clean" so that one day she too could master the art of scrubbing. He teaches her to kill, she teaches him to read and write. They play. He uses an oven mitt with a cartoon pig on it to get her to stop crying about losing her family to murder. Things get kinkier.

Reno's performance is a kind of beautiful. Child like, maybe slightly mentally challenged but undeniably an efficient being. He walks as if always in a rush to be somewhere though it seems for the most part, he has very little to do with his time. He looks like an immigrant and fits in perfectly in a city filled with them. He isn't so much a film buff as he is a fan of Gene Kelly movies. His "best friend" is a potted plant which he cares for diligently. He is a killer of hundreds but he has an undeniable innocence about him. He sits before Danny Aiello like a slightly guilty son or an indentured servant eternally grateful for whatever favor Aiello granted him years ago (he shyly inquires about money rightfully owed to him and Aiello is "holding"). That's the other thing about Leon: you genuinely feel like you're dropping into a fleshed-out world. There is definitely a whole slew of Leon stories before he met Mathilda just as I'm sure there are a slew of Mathilda stories to be had in the years following the film.

Portman, meanwhile, was a revelation at the time. Creepy crushes across America developed from the geeks to the greasers to the socs (count me among the crushed). Part of it was the old soul, but she was also the sort of heroine you read in Japanese manga or pulpy dime novels. There was a femme fatale edge. I remember seeing a publicity picture of Portman holding a gun in one hand and a stuffed bunny in the other. Picking up on this vibe perhaps, she was perfectly cast two years later in the Ted Demme movie, Beautiful Girls where even the much older Timothy Hutton fell for her a little.

Gary Oldman. Reactions to his work were all over the place. And honestly, I always felt perhaps he was too over-the-top, but like Al Pacino's work in Heat more and more the hamminess has grown on me and I'm more fascinated by the actor's work than I am riddled.

There's an exchange early in the movie that has stuck with me for years. Portman's character is hanging near the stairwell outside her apartment, no doubt after an abusive run-in with her father. Reno has just come back (from a job perhaps) and offers her a handkerchief for her bleeding lip. She asks, "Is life always this tough? Or just when you're a kid?" He responds, "Always like this."

This frankness, this honesty breathes through Leon, my favorite Besson effort. Even if the world is bogus, the relationships are not. You may not like what it makes you think or feel or worry about, but it's one action film that isn't about to bullsh*t you either. Imagine that.

The Professional was just released on Blu-ray, if you'd like to get more information on that click here.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/contender-notes-1118a http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/contender-notes-1118a Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:04:16 -0700 Brad Brevet here.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/the-road-will-hit-31-territories-on-november-25 http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/the-road-will-hit-31-territories-on-november-25 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:14:32 -0700 Brad Brevet I am posting this only because there seems to be some misinformation running around as to how many markets John Hillcoat's The Road will be hitting on November 25 as it finally makes its long-awaited theatrical debut.

Recent rumors stated its wide release was whittled down to theaters in only New York and Los Angeles so I did a quick check and it appears it's going to be hitting 31 markets on November 25. Weinstein has also confirmed an additional roll out, but haven't confirmed markets. So I can't tell you where the film will go from here.

Below is the list I was given directly from Weinstein.

1. Atlanta
2. Austin
3. Baltimore
4. Boston
5. Chicago
6. Dallas-Ft. Worth
7. Denver
8. Detroit
9. Erie
10. Houston
11. Kansas City
12. Los Angeles
13. Miami-Ft. Lauderdale
14. Minneapolis-St. Paul
15. New York
16. Oklahoma City
17. Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne
18. Palm Springs
19. Philadelphia
20. Phoenix
21. Pittsburgh
22. Portland, OR
23. Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto
24. San Antonio
25. San Diego
26. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose
27. Santa Barbara-San Marcos-San Luis Obispo
28. Seattle-Tacoma
29. St. Louis
30. Tampa -St. Petersburg - Sarasota
31. Washington, DC

I guess one would have to assume WB and Nolan would be smart to get things sorted out by at least June of 2010 so interviews for Nolan's new film Inception won't be bogged down with conversation asking about the next Batman feature, or at least kept to a minimum.

Will Nolan be back? My gut tells me yes he will be, but I could also see how the death of Heath Ledger and perhaps the expectation The Joker would return in the next installment could have thrown Nolan off. So, in the spirit of having nothing else to do, I thought it might be fun to explore alternate options.

Personally, the first name that comes to mind is Darren Aronofsky, if for no other reason than he was a major player in keeping the Batman franchise alive before Nolan came along, as well as the first person to meet with Christian Bale in relation to taking on the role of Bruce Wayne.

He was working with a script from Frank Miller, an adaptation of Miller's "Year One" graphic novel, which you can read right here. In describing the film that never was to The Guardian Aronofsky said, "It was a hard, R-rated Batman. What I pitched them was Travis Bickle meets The French Connection -- a real guy running around fighting crime. No super-powers, no villains, just corruption. For the Batmobile, I had him taking a bus engine and sticking it in a black Lincoln. Real low-tech geek stuff."

I have not read the script myself, but Devin Faraci at CHUD offered the following last November:

This film saw Bruce Wayne wandering the streets after the murder of his parents; he's taken in by an auto mechanic named Big Al (Aronofsky's version of Alfred). Bruce grows up a borderline psychotic who begins taking violent vengeance on street thugs. He turns an abandoned subway station below Big Al's auto shop into his version of the Batcave. He puts a bus engine in a black Lincoln Continental as his version of the Batmobile. Over the course of the story he assembles the elements of the costume and persona of Batman (or The Bat-Man, as he's called).

I posed the question to a couple of the guys that write for RopeofSilicon on occasion and here are the names they offered up as potential successors to Nolan's Batman mantle.

Andre agreed with me on Aronofsky and brought the names of David Fincher, J.J. Abrams and Paul Greengrass to the table. Laremy agreed with Dre on Greengrass and Abrams and also added Kathryn Bigelow, Joss Whedon, Peter Jackson and John Hillcoat (The Road).

David joked about bringing Joel Schumacher back along with bat-nipples, but then suggested Master and Commander helmer Peter Weir saying he's like Nolan in that he's cerebral without being pretentious and has a clean visual style that would flow nicely with the previous two films.

Another name I thought to add was Martin Campbell as I think the tone of the Batman films would finally allow him to go a little further than he did with Casino Royale and as far as it looks like he's gone with Edge of Darkness. Campbell, however, is cutting his teeth on his first superhero movie with Ryan Reynolds and Green Lantern for WB, so it's highly unlikely he would bounce between the two. And just as a matter of how cool I think it would be, I would also love to see David Cronenberg or perhaps Mark Romanek take a stab at the franchise.

Other names I considered were Edward Zwick (The Last Samurai) and Phillip Noyce (Clear and Present Danger and Salt), but I just can't really see either of them fitting in too well. I guess Ridley Scott's style might fit, but I don't think I would anticipate a Scott-directed Batman as much as the other names I mentioned.

What do you say? Any of the above names fit in with what you were thinking? Have any others to add? Is it possible you would prefer they didn't make a third film if Nolan wasn't directing? After all, he would most certainly remain involved as producer and most likely as a producer with plenty of input. Sound off below.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/upgrade-your-warner-dvds-to-blu-ray-for-as-low-as-7-95 http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/upgrade-your-warner-dvds-to-blu-ray-for-as-low-as-7-95 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:02:55 -0700 Brad Brevet Red2Blu offer they made allowing customers to upgrade their HD DVD titles to Blu-ray, a program I actually took advantage of and loved it as a result.

The process to upgrade is simple. Consumers select the titles they want to upgrade on DVD2Blu.com, mail in their standard DVDs with pre-paid postage and a short time later receive copies of the same film on Blu-ray Disc. Consumers who place orders over $25 will receive free shipping. For a complete list of titles visit DVD2Blu.com, but I have included the most recent list of titles and prices directly below.

• 10,000 B.C. ($9.95)
• Rush Hour 3 ($9.95)
• Full Metal Jacket ($9.95)
• Pan's Labyrinth ($9.95)
• Ocean's Thirteen ($9.95)
• A Christmas Story ($9.95)
• Elf ($9.95)
• We Are Marshall ($9.95)
• Speed Racer ($9.95)
• Body of Lies ($9.95)
• The Golden Compass ($9.95)
• The Orphanage ($9.95)
• Superman Returns ($9.95)
• The Searchers ($7.95)
• Blazing Saddles ($7.95)
• 2001: A Space Odyssey ($7.95)
• History of Violence ($7.95)
• A Clockwork Orange: Special Edition ($7.95)
• Risky Business ($7.95)
• Scanner Darkly ($7.95)
• The Wedding Singer: Totally Awesome Edition ($7.95)
• Alexander Revisited ($7.95)
• Michael Clayton ($7.95)
• Swordfish ($7.95)
• Rumor Has It ($7.95)
• American History X ($7.95)
• Final Destination ($7.95)
• Beetlejuice ($7.95)
• Taking Lives ($7.95)
• Wyatt Earp ($7.95)
• The Fugitive ($7.95)
• The Aviator ($7.95)
• Eraser ($7.95)
• Dirty Dozen ($7.95)
• Collateral Damage ($7.95)
• Last Samurai ($7.95)
• Dark City, Director's Cut ($7.95)
• Rio Bravo ($7.95)
• Training Day ($7.95)
• Gods and Generals ($7.95)
• The Shining: Special Edition ($7.95)
• The Perfect Storm ($7.95)
• Pride and Glory ($7.95)
• Constantine ($7.95)
• The Lost Boys ($7.95)
• Journey to the Center of Earth (2008) ($7.95)
• Wedding Crashers Uncorked (Unrated) ($7.95)
• Any Given Sunday (Director's Cut) ($7.95)
• Bucket List, The ($7.95)
• Superman II: Richard Donner Cut ($7.95)
• Harold and Kumar Go To the White Castle ($7.95)
• An American in Paris ($7.95)
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation ($7.95)
• Deliverance ($7.95)
• Dumb and Dumber (Unrated) ($7.95)

The latest news comes from Variety reporting Ray Stevenson (Punisher: War Zone), Stuart Townsend (Queen of the Damned) and Tadanobu Asano (Mongol) will star as the previously mentioned Warriors Three, gods of Asgard who fight alongside Thor. Stevenson will take on the role of Volstagg the Valiant; Asano as Hogun the Grim; and Townsend will play Fandral the Dashing.

This announcement also debunks the possibility of An Education co-star Dominic Cooper as a potential Fandral.

The trio join the already impressive cast headlined by Chris Hemsworth as the title character followed by Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Colm Feore, Jaimie Alexander, Stellan Skarsgard and Anthony Hopkins. I mean, it's not hard to look at this line-up and already have expectations even if the idea of a hammer-wielding hero sent to Earth to protect mankind seems a little bit like a risky venture.

Thor is scheduled to begin in Los Angeles in mid-January, then move to Santa Fe, New Mexico from March till late-April. The film is set to hit theaters on May 20, 2011.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/this-week-on-dvd-and-blu-ray-november-17-2009 http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/this-week-on-dvd-and-blu-ray-november-17-2009 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:12:40 -0700 Brad Brevet

I don't know if any of you took my advice on the 50% off Criterion sale at Barnes and Noble I mentioned two weeks ago, but you have one more week and I have already taken advantage of it by getting Battle of Algiers, the Fanny and Alexander box set and upgraded my single-disc version of Seven Samurai with the three-disc edition. I basically paid about $70 for the whole thing with my Barnes and Noble Membership card and it's about $160 worth of DVDs so that's a good deal in my book. Take advantage of it and use this coupon to save an extra $5.

Now, for this week's DVDs.

Gone With the Wind (70th Anniversary Ultimate Collection)
	I just reviewed the Blu-ray edition of this and was incredibly impressed. What's even more impressive is Amazon is charging only $45.49 for both the Blu-ray and DVD versions which means Blu-ray owners aren't being punished for adopting the new format with outrageous prices. I have included the video I made looking at the extra bonuses this set comes with, but to get the full review, which includes a quality comparison to the 2004 four-disc edition click here.

Star Trek
	I am sure most people will be adding this one to their cart this week, it's just a matter of which version? Once again, Amazon makes it INCREDIBLY easy to pick up the Blu-ray as they are charging $19.99 for both the Blu-ray and 2-disc DVD and if you don't want that you can pick up the single-disc DVD for only $9.99. Impressive!

Kevin Smith Blu-ray Collection / Chasing Amy / Clerks
	I reviewed this one also, which you can read right here. In short, I think the Blu-ray versions of Jay and Silent Bob and Chasing Amy are worth the pick up, but Clerks just did not look good in high definition and for $55.49 I'm not sure it's worth the price. If you already own the tenth anniversary edition of Clerks on DVD forget about this Blu-ray and buy the other two separately, or just Chasing Amy if you already own the Clerks tenth anniversary DVD.

Fight Club
	I received this Blu-ray just today so I can't tell you anything about it just yet, but DVD Beaver has some FANTASTIC screen captures that make prior editions look like they were presented with the same green tint we saw in The Matrix. The film now looks 100% color corrected, and on top of the improved picture it has a few new features including the ability to remix the sound design of four scenes from the film and some kind of other interactive feature that sounds too complicated to explain without trying it out first. Hopefully I will have further word for you soon, but this one already looks like it is worth it.

Leon - The Professional
	You know this movie. We know this movie, but come Wednesday we can talk about this movie a little further... Stay tuned.

Bruno
	I reviewed this one too (read it here) and in short, rent it from Netflix and be done with it. It has a couple of really good features that outshine the movie at every turn as this is a movie I can't imagine people wanting to watch more than once.

Scrubs - The Complete Eighth Season
	I thought this one had already come out, but apparently I was wrong. It showed up recently, but I'm not sure I am going to find the time to review it. I have reviewed several previous seasons, but sort of lost interest after the lackluster final episodes of the seventh season and what was overall a pretty lousy season.

Wild Child
	Ugh, nope.

My Sister's Keeper
	This one showed up and I simply can't bring myself to watch it. Obviously I am judging this book by its cover, but I'm just not interested.

The Open Road
	Now this one starring Justin Timberlake, Kate Mara and Jeff Bridges looked decent, gonna have to add it to the Netflix account for one of these days.

Franklyn
	I have no idea what's going on with this movie, but if the cover art has you interested click here to watch the trailer and see if it's for you.

The Limits of Control
	This movie bored me to the point I couldn't even bring myself to review it back in May. Every now and then that happens.

Thirst
	Ironically enough, I saw this one and didn't review it either. Primarily because I couldn't get my thoughts together on it. The first half is basically rubbish in my opinion, but it gets progressively better. Definitely worth a rental and perhaps you'll like it enough to add it to your collection.

Mamma Mia! - Gimmie! Gimmie! Gimmie! More Gift Set
	I am mentioning this here because Universal sent it to me and when you push a button on the box cover it plays a clip from the title song and lights begin flashing around the film's title. It's quite the production and it comes with the full soundtrack. I hated this movie, but I know it has several fans and they are sure to enjoy this new edition. Pick it up if you're a fan, avoid at all costs if you're not.

• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Its A Very Sunny Christmas
• Galaxy Quest [Blu-ray]
• Rome: The Complete Series
• The Sopranos: The Complete Series ($158.99)
• Downhill Racer (The Criterion Collection)
• Sex, Lies, and Videotape [Blu-ray]
• Humpday

• The Burning Plain (buy now)
  Releasing on January 12, 2010
• Bright Star (buy now)
  Releasing on January 26, 2010
• Halloween II (Unrated)
  Releasing on January 12, 2010
• Halloween II
  Releasing on January 12, 2010
• Post Grad
  Releasing on January 12, 2010
• Pandorum
  Releasing on December 22, 2009
• Roberto Rossellini's War Trilogy (Criterion Collection) (buy now)
  Releasing on January 26, 2010
• Lola Montes (Criterion Collection)
  Releasing on February 16, 2010
• Revanche (Criterion Collection)
  Releasing on February 16, 2010
• Hunger (Criterion Collection)
  Releasing on February 16, 2010

• The Burning Plain (buy now)
  Releasing on January 12, 2010
• Halloween II (Unrated) (buy now)
  Releasing on January 12, 2010
• Post Grad (buy now)
  Releasing on January 12, 2010
• Pandorum
  Releasing on December 22, 2009
• Lola Montes (Criterion Collection)
  Releasing on February 16, 2010
• Revanche (Criterion Collection)
  Releasing on February 16, 2010
• Hunger (Criterion Collection)
  Releasing on February 16, 2010

When it comes to Blu-ray high-definition we are really getting down to the true essence of today's films and when we're talking about restoring a 70-year-old film onto the new media, one of my primary concerns was the expectation of too much grain, primarily in the lavish colors. Fortunately none of that is visible here and there is by no means any visible digital tweaking, at least not to my untrained eyes. Thanks to DVD Beaver we have comparable screen captures directly below to show you the difference between this latest Blu-ray release and 2004's very impressive four-disc set (which I reviewed here), and I am blown away by the improvements.

A screen capture from the 2004 release of Gone With the Wind, mouse over for a comparison to the 2009 Blu-ray edition
Photo: Warner Home Video courtesy of DVD Beaver

As if it wasn't already evident, the picture is immaculate, and the film itself is a stunner. The other MAJOR benefit I see when it comes to this release is the fact the film itself is now offered on one disc and one disc alone. I know it's a lazy-American kind of thing to say, but I don't like it when I have to get up in the middle of a movie and switch to a second disc. It's the number one reason I bought the Kingdom of Heaven director's cut on Blu-ray and one of the main reasons I can't wait for films such as Titanic and the extended versions of Lord of the Rings on Blu-ray. There is just something about having it all on one disc that appeals to me and is a big selling point.

As far as the special features are concerned, I'm honestly not bowled over, that is in terms of getting anything all that "new" is concerned. Everything from the four-disc set is here and still in standard definition along with only a few new bonuses, but hardly anything worth getting excited over.

Among the new "features" are the 68-minute "1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year" which was first shown on TCM in 2009, Moviola: The Scarlett O'Hara Wars made-for-TV movie, "Gone with the Wind: The Legend Lives On" documentary doing exactly as its title insinuates and the 6-hour MGM: When The Lion Roars documentary, which is presented on a dual-sided disc of its own. The 1939 piece is rather general but enjoyable as Kenneth Branagh narrates a quick glimpse at what is rather unanimously considered the best year in Hollywood. The made-for-TV movie was, in my honest opinion, terrible and When The Lion Roars just felt extraordinarily dated. You can get my opinion on all the carried over features in my 2004 review, but the highlight of that bunch remains the "The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind" two-hour documentary.

Most importantly, with a set like this you have to ask yourself what kind of fan are you of this film and who are you buying it for?

I have a friend who would absolutely love this set as a Christmas present. Buying this for her would probably make her holiday season as it has all the necessary extras to entertain a rabid fan of this film for hours, and that's even though I know she already owns the four-disc set. I also think any film fan will want this on their shelf as it is the definitive version of this film. The logical next step is digital high-definition streaming delivery, which isn't going to be available for some time from now and even then who knows what kind of overall quality we are talking about once it's initially available.

When the conversation turns to the best films of all-time, Gone With the Wind is always part of the conversation, and for good reason and Warner Home Video has brought it to fans in the best possible format. Now, I'm sure there is going to be a single-disc Blu-ray edition some time in the future, just as a single-disc version of both Casablanca and The Wizard of Oz are coming to Blu-ray this holiday season. So you just need to ask yourself, what kind of fan are you of this movie and can you wait until a slightly cheaper version is available without all the frills and gimmicks. Right now the Blu-ray is available at Amazon for $45.49, and in my opinion that's a very good price for everything you get. Click here if you want to buy yourself a copy now. ]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/blu-ray-review-the-kevin-smith-collection http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/blu-ray-review-the-kevin-smith-collection Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:00:20 -0700 Brad Brevet I am an unashamed Kevin Smith fan, and primarily of his earlier, less mature work. If there's such a thing as quality dick and fart joke movies, I would say Kevin's pre-Jersey Girl films fit the description. While I wasn't a big fan of either Clerks 2 or Zack and Miri Make a Porno, films such as Clerks, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Mallrats and Dogma are personal comedic favorites of mine and Miramax's Kevin Smith Blu-ray collection brings two of those along with what may be Smith's most respected film, Chasing Amy, home in a tidy little package.

To begin, the collection includes the first ever Blu-ray releases of Clerks and Chasing Amy as well as the previously released Blu-ray edition of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. If you already own the Jay and Silent Bob Blu-ray this is the exact same thing with the included audio commentary, and nothing else. However, the Clerks Blu-ray comes with a few added goodies that weren't on the tenth anniversary DVD and the Chasing Amy disc is equipped with a bunch of new stuff.

First, we have Clerks, a film that really shouldn't be on Blu-ray. It is quite grainy and doesn't benefit from the high-definition upgrade as several scenes are so grainy it becomes something of a muddled distraction. The disc does include everything that was available on the highly impressive tenth anniversary release (reviewed here), including the first cut of the film with the alternate ending as well as a new documentary showing the making of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back as shot by Smith's wife Jennifer Schwalbach. This new documentary includes a short introduction by Smith discussing the absurdity of Clerks on Blu-ray and how this new documentary was included to make it seem at least like a mildly worthwhile purchase since it was never included on the Jay and Silent Bob releases. It is, for the most part, another great Smith-related doc and much more fun than the new, more professional doc included on Chasing Amy.

Chasing Amy comes with several new features including a new audio commentary by Smith and his longtime producer Scott Mosier (it's actually a new Smodcast recording available only on the Blu-ray), the just-mentioned, new one hour and 21 minute making-of doc, a 27 minute two-year-old ten year reunion Qand#038;A with the cast and director and finally an 18-minute sit down with Smith and star Joey Lauren Adams.

The documentary is by far the most professional doc having to do with Smith I have seen and for that reason it seems a little bit out of place, but also informative and interesting as is pretty much anything having to do with a Kevin Smith production, which always seem to have intriguing stories behind them. The Qand#038;A is pretty much standard fare for anyone that has ever seen a Smith-related question and answer session, they don't tend to surprise, but they are entertaining. And finally, the short sit down with Smith and Lauren Adams is the best part of the whole package as the two talk about the relationship that formed after Mallrats and through Chasing Amy and just their overall impressions of the film. The best part is when Smith tells Joey, "You are probably the only honest nomination in Miramax history," when discussing her Golden Globe nomination. Touche Mr. Smith.

You can buy each film individually, which is nice since I am sure many Smith fans have already purchased the Jay and Silent Bob Blu-ray if they were ever going to, and just as a side note, if you don't already own Dogma on Blu-ray I just saw it is only $7.99 at Amazon. Now that's a steal!

I enjoy all three of these movies as Chasing Amy continues to grow on me even though I didn't particularly like it the first time I saw it and both Clerks and Jay and Bob are two of my favorite comedies. I will say, however, the Blu-ray high-definition upgrades on these aren't particularly necessary even if Chasing Amy and Jay and Bob do look decidedly improved. Clerks, however, is not an improvement and is only interesting for the new doc, which I am sure most Smith fans will enjoy. So that's a choice I will leave up to you.

SUPPLEMENTS: This is where this Blu-ray shines, and no, it's not in the endless deleted and extended scenes although Pete Rose does prove he is quite the arrogant dick (featured below) and the Latoya Jackson piece that was removed in respect to the death of Michael Jackson was neither offensive nor funny. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

However, the interview with Lloyd Robinson, the agent that becomes the butt of many of Bruno's jokes, is particularly interesting and he proves he has a great sense of humor about the whole thing. And the picture-in-picture commentary with Sacha Baron Cohen and director Larry Charles is incredibly interesting and is easily the highlight of the entire release.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I can't recommend you buy this Blu-ray. If you have a Netflix account you can rent it and be done with it. I thought Cohen's Borat was far funnier and even that film I haven't watched since receiving the DVD way back in 2007. So what are the chances of me watching this one again? None. Sorry, I like Cohen and think he is incredibly funny, but this just isn't the one.

The film is directed by first-time helmer Scott Cooper and features Bridges as Bad Blake, a broken-down, hard-living country music singer who's had way too many marriages, far too many years on the road and one too many drinks way too many times. And yet, he can't help but reach for salvation with the help of Jean (Gyllenhaal), a journalist who discovers the real man behind the musician.

Crazy Heart was quickly set for a limited December 16 release and we already have a poster (featured at the bottom of this post), two images (all of which can be found here) and the trailer, which is directly below.

I don't think you can really determine if Bridges is going to be a winner based on a trailer, but I bet you can get some kind of vibe. Let me know what you think in the comments and stay tuned as I am sure we will be hearing more and more about this one in the near future.

You can watch the trailer in high definition at Apple.

Photo: Fox Searchlight