Larry Ratliff

DVD emporiums pitch a 'Perfect Game'

 

Angel (Jake T. Austin), left, and Enrique (Jansen Panettiere) have the summer of their lives in "The Perfect Game."   (Courtesy:  Lionsgate)

So, what's your favorite baseball movie?

"The Natural" of 1984 is a good choice.  Or "The Pride of the Yankees" (1942), or "The Rookie" (2002) or maybe "Field of Dreams" (1989).

Good choices all.  'Scuse me if I toss in a wild card.  A late replacement, if you will.

If you have a child in Little League, or if you played Little League, or if you just like to attend Little League games, or you just like baseball movies or you just enjoy well done movies in general, it's time to run, not walk to your local DVD source to rent "The Perfect Game."

Clifton Collins Jr. ("Star Trek" remake), Cheech Marin ("Machete"), Louis Gossett Jr. ("Momentum") and perhaps San Antonio's Bruce McGill ("Fair Game," "W.") are the names you're likely to recognize.  This cast, however, is largely made up of young actors portraying the dirt poor Monterrey, Mexico Little League team destined for glory north of the U.S. border in 1957.

Based on a true story, "The Perfect Game" towers over films like "The Sandlot" in my humble opinion because the events are real.  Also, director William Dear ("Angels in the Outfield") doesn't resort to cheap tricks (unnatural foul language) in the name of entertainment value.

From this aisle seat, "The Perfect Game" is a must-see for baseball fans and lovers of exciting, heartfelt movies alike.

In fact, I'll race you to the video store.  I plan to get a copy today so my wife Suellen can see why I love this based-on-truth saga so much.

Actually, "The Perfect Game" isn't the only good choice hitting DVD shelves today.

"Soul Surfer," also based on a true story, washes over the heart with high emotion.

"Soul Surfer" chronicles the saga of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton. 

Hamilton is portrayed in the film by AnnaSophia Robb ("Race to Witch Mountain").

The determined teen doesn't let a little thing like losing an arm deter her from chasing her dream of shooting the curl on Hawaii's biggest waves. 

Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt are very good as the girl's parents.  And country singer Carrie Underwood has some rich moments as the wounded teen's emotional mentor.

Looking for something for young kids?  Just keep sliding down the New Releases shelf until you get to "Rio."

Animated, colorful and full of life, "Rio" pulls out all the fun stops. 

It spins a yarn about an unlikely match between a pampered blue Macaw that can't fly and his dangerous liaison with the only surviving female of his breed.

Anne Hathaway ("Love and Other Drugs") and Jesse Eisenberg ("The Social Network") provide the lead voices.

Listen closely, though, and you might just recognize the vocal stylings of comedians George Lopez and Jamie Foxx, as well as will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas.

("Soul Surfer" poster courtesy:  Sony/"Rio" poster courtesy:  20th Century Fox)

The lizard days of cinematic summer

 

Rango (voiced by Johnny Depp) catches the eye of the hawk.   (Courtesy:  Paramount Pictures)

As of Friday (July 15), there's a new sheriff in DVD Town.

His name is "Rango."

Johnny Depp, who has swashed more than a few buckles as the out-front guy in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, is out front as the title character, Rango the family pet chameleon who -- after a highway accident -- stumbles into a critter-infested Wild West town dubbed Dirt.

I was quick to point out when "Rango" hit the big screen back in March that this animated marvel from director Gore Verbinski aims this critter Western not only at adults, but at adults with such diverse movie-viewing experience as "Chinatown" and "The Terror of Tiny Town."

It's daring and fun, though, and filled with wave after wave of Western saga cliches.  What a refreshing, welcome hoot that's finally take up residence on DVD shelves.

Click here to read my full "Rango" review.

In other small-screen debuts this week, Matthew McConaughey keeps his shirt on (for the most part) and gets back to real acting in the offbeat crime/courtroom drama "The Lincoln Lawyer."  (Click here for my review.)

Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne get to chew the scenery more than a little in the sci-fi/horror thriller "Insidious" (Click here for my review.) and ...

Russell Brand embarrasses himself and his acting ability trying to channel Dudley Moore's brilliant (1981) performance in the "Arthur" do-over.

The listless remake is, from this aisle seat, a major dud.

Don't be caught 'King's Speech'-less

 

Colin Firth's Oscar-winning performance in "The King's Speech" hits DVD shelves today.

(Courtesy:  The Weinstein Company)

I know what you're thinking:  Why should I bother to rent or buy a movie about a man who would reluctantly be a stuttering king?

The real question is not whether you should rush out to buy or rent "The King's Speech," which hits DVD shelves today, but, rather, how I know what you're thinking.

Sorry, that's a trade secret.  But here's a hint.  It might be wise not to lean in too close to your computer's microphone when you're chatting with friends.  I'm just saying.

Now, about "The King's Speech."  Oscar's reigning Best Picture -- not to mention Academy Awards for Best Director (Tom Hooper), Best Actor (Colin Firth) and Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (David Seidler).

If you haven't seen "The King's Speech," run, don't walk to enjoy a superb word-driven drama with sparkling performances all around.

And add this to the argument for grabbing "The King's Speech":  Supporting actors Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush were nominated for Oscars.

Also this week, Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart share the screen as a grieving married couple severely wounded by the loss of a young child in John Cameron Mitchell's "Rabbit Hole."

And Jack Black is forced to pay homage to the little people (actually he's tied up by them) in the modern-day reboot of  "Gulliver's Travels."

("Rabbit Hole" poster courtesy:  Lionsgate.)

Dishing Blockbuster, praising 'Phillip' & 'Jack'

 

Jim Carrey's character calls for Phillip Morris in "I Love You Phillip Morris."   (Courtesy:  Roadside Attractions)

You remember trips to the video store.

Many of us made the trek weekly, or perhaps more often than that to get the latest VHS (remember them?), then DVDs, then video games, then (and now) Blu-ray releases.

That was before Netflix invaded cyber space and those little red box DVD vending machines popped up next to the coin-operated horsie outside Walmart and other locales, of course.

As you may have heard, Dish, the satellite TV folks, gobbled up Blockbuster off the bankruptcy auction block Monday (and into Tuesday) for what Robert Wilonsky, my friend and colleague over at the Dallas Observer, cleverly called "around $230 mil in cash and a pallet of Junior Mints."

Whether you go to Blockbuster/Dish or not, this is a good week to drop by some DVD emporium.  Some exceptional movies are on the shelves as of Tuesday (April 5).

The most important one, in my semi-humble opinion, is "I Love You Phillip Morris," an outrageous love story, based on actual bizarre events, starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor.

I won't sugarcoat this one.  "I Love You Phillip Morris" is a tough movie to watch at times.  It's a dark, dark, dark comic-drama that revolves around a gay relationship.  It is also superbly acted and, as I like to say, a dagger of a movie that might challenge your movie-watching comfort zone. 

That said, I ranked "I Love You Phillip Morris" as the best film of 2010.  Click here for my full review.

I also like the political comic-drama "Casino Jack," which debuts on the small screen this week as well.

Kevin Spacey, the two-time Oscar winner ("American Beauty," "The Usual Suspects"), has a vice grip on the persona of real-life Washington power broker Jack Abramoff.

While "Casino Jack" is a larger-than-life entertainment version of the Abramoff saga, there's no denying the lengths the super lobbyist went to in an effort to grab and promote the Native American casino industry.

Look for Barry Pepper as Abramoff's No. 2 Guy and comic actor Jon Lovitz as a thick-skulled business partner with dubious ties to the Mob.

Be forewarned, though, both "Casino Jack" and "I Love You Phillip Morris" are rated R and are definitely not suitable for family movie night.

If you're in the mood for less-serious movie viewing, the sci-fi sequel "Tron:  Legacy" and "Little Fockers," the double-entendre comic titled sequel starring Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Owen Wilson, Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand, also await your perusal on the "New This Week" shelves.

("I Love You Phillip Morris" poster courtesy Roadside Attractions/"Casino Jack" poster courtesy:  ATO Pictures/"Tron:  Legacy" poster courtesy:  Walt Disney Studios)

Tragedy film proceeds to help tragedy victims

 

Cécile De France, right, and Jessica Griffiths portray characters caught in a tsunami in "Hereafter."

(Courtesy:  Warner Bros.)

I vent quite often in this space about how Hollywood drops the ball, misses opportunities and just plain screws up at times.

Today, however, something different.  Tinsel Town, or at least some members of the movie-making community, are getting it right.

The horrific tragedy in Japan (the devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant disasters) has moved Warner Bros. to donate a portion of today's DVD and Blu-ray release of the tsunami film "Hereafter" to raise money for the relief effort.

"The LA Times reported that Warner Bros. will donate an unspecified percentage of the film’s home video proceeds to the Japanese Red Cross Society, with sources putting the size of the donation in the $1 million range," according to a post on the Hollywood Reporter Web site.

"The news comes after the studio decided to pull the Clint Eastwood-directed film  from theaters in Japan earlier than originally planned, with an official saying that its disaster scenes are 'not appropriate' at this time," the Web post states.

Meanwhile, over at the Mouse House, Disney is stepping up as well, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"The Walt Disney Co. has also decided to donate $2.5 million to the American Red Cross for the earthquake and tsunami relief efforts in Japan, the LA Times reported. The company will also match employee donations to certain charities aiding Japan up to a total of $1 million," according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Time to show your vid store a little love

 

Elizabeth Banks and Russell Crowe as jailed wife and troubled husband in "The Next Three Days." 

(Courtesy:  Lionsgate)

Blockbuster's in deep, deep financial yogurt, for lack of a better term.

That, however, is not the only reason you might want to drop by the video store with the big blue sign.

As is usually the case in hard-nosed business, it's the product and not necessarilly the seller that matters.

Two new DVD and Blu-Ray arrivals, "The Next Three Days" and "Morning Glory," make stopping at your neighborhood vid store (Blockbuster or not) a good idea this week.

Russell Crowe teams with Elizabeth Banks and, briefly, with Liam Neeson in "The Next Three Days," a frenzied thriller from Paul Haggis ("In the Valley of Elah").

Crowe, acting on more throttles than I've witnessed for quite some time, plays a desperate husband and father who decides to bust his wife (Banks) out of jail once he believes the legal system has failed to see her innocence.

From this aisle seat, "The Next Three Days" is a very well-crafted slice of entertainment.  Click here for my full review.

In "Morning Glory," it's fun to see Diane Keaton play a former, fading beauty queen and current New York morning TV show co-host.  Keaton's character spars on cue with her new co-anchor, a respected, but put-out-to-pasture network TV evening news anchor played by Harrison Ford.

The banter between the perky young show producer played by Rachel McAdams and Ford is the most important reason to take this one home, though.

"Morning Glory" didn't get the attention it deserved when it played the big screen in November.  Click here for my review.

Also, if you're into excellent documentaries, you'll want to know that "Inside Job," this year's Oscar winning feature documentary, is also lurking on vid store shelves; just waiting to explain the financial meltdown that involves almost all of us.

(Rachel McAdams and Harrison Ford photo from "Morning Glory" courtesy:  Paramount Pictures.)

Rocks, hard places and a thumping wabbit

 

James Franco, rock star, in "127 Hours."   (Courtesy:  Fox Searchlight)

It's appropriate that the recently Blu-rayed version of "Bambi," the 1942 Disney animated classic, hits DVD shelves this week.

I thought I was sitting next to Thumper-reincarnated at a movie screening the other night.  A guy -- and not a petite guy, either -- kept thumping his right foot throughout an otherwise forgettable flick.

All I, and methinks everyone on my press row, could think about was, "When will this stop?"  Not the movie, the annoying subconscious (I think.  I hope.) one-stepping in the dark.

Come to think of it, I was wondering when the film would run out of celluloid redundency as well.

When you grab "Bambi" for the kids (and confess, you might just want to revisit the classic tale along with the little ones), you'll notice that Danny Boyle's how-did-I-get-into-this-mess adventure "127 Hours" has also become available this week.

You know "127 Hours."  That's the sad, stilted tale where James Franco gets stuck hosting the Academy Awards and must cut off his arm to get away in time for graduate classes at Yale and his "General Hospital" soap opera gig.

Just kidding (sort of).  Franco, who slipped into Oliver Stone's bizarre 200-yard stare more than once during Sunday night's telecast, actually earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination for portraying hiker/adventurer Aron Ralston in "127 Hours."

It's not as good as "Bambi."  But at least Franco doesn't pat his foot throughout "127 Hours."

Also appearing on a DVD shelf near you this week:

"Burlesque," in which Christina Aguilera sings her heart out and appears to remember all the words.  (Click here for my review.)

"Love and Other Drugs" teams Anne Hathaway (Franco's Oscar co-host, who oozed too much perkiness) and Jake Gyllenhaal, and ...

"Faster," an action-thriller pairing Dwayne Johnson, who used to wrestle a little, and Billy Bob Thornton, who used to appear in better flicks.

("Bambi" photo courtesy:  Disney.)

Now you can get 'Social' at home

I've tried it both ways.  And I must say, from this aisle seat "The Social Network" packs more emotional, dramatic punch on the big screen.

That said, it's only fair to mention that David Fincher's mesmerizing, pulsating (great music!) tale of the formation of online social circle Facebook hits DVD shelves today.

 

"The Social Network," starring Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake, came in at No. 2 in my Top 10 films of 2010.  But it was only slightly nudged out by "I Love You Phillip Morris," which teamed Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor in a sublime comic-drama about offbeat true love.

Either way you see it, though, "The Social Network" is a must-see for anyone who plans to keep up with the fast-approaching Movie Awards Season.

It kicks off for real this weekend with the Critics Choice Awards (of which I'm a voting member) on VH1 Friday night and The Golden Globes Sunday night on NBC.  

Turkey time at the vid store and at home

 

Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) takes a year off from life for a little "me" time.  (Courtesy:  Sony Pictures)

We live in an era of serious multitasking.

While I was writing that sentence, for instance, I also Tweeted about taking a batch of hot gizzard muffins out of the oven (We're going non-traditional this Thanksgiving).  I also took Frankie, our house-guest dog, for a short walk and checked my retirement portfolio (Lotto ticket).

The point is that while you're rushing around getting ready for the annual Thanksgiving feast you might want to stop by your neighborhood DVD/video store to stock up on some flicks to watch.  A good movie -- or even a lousy one -- might come in handy not only while preparing the food (multitasking, remember?), but also after the feast, when Uncle Obnoxious has unbuckled his belt, fallen asleep and is drooling and snoring loudly in your favorite chair.

The obvious choice among new arrivals is "Eat Pray Love," the searching-for-inner meaning, peace and decent pasta drowning in butter sauce travel odyssey starring Julia Roberts.

I've always been an admirer of Roberts' talent.  "Eat Pray Love" didn't work for me, but it might mix well as a relaxer during hectic Thanksgiving preparations.  Click here to read my full review.

Those looking for something a little more meaty plot wise, aw heck, let's just say wall-to-wall violent, might want to opt for the action-thriller "The Expendables," which also lands on DVD shelves this week.

Sylvester Stallone directs and plays yet another man with nothing to lose on a mission to overthrow a South American dictator.  But yo, Adrian, it also stars Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

"The Expendables" goes for the bloody violence and gore.  If that sounds like too much violence for the Thanksgiving holiday, imagine how the turkey feels (no, make that felt).

"I'm Still Here," the fake documentary where decent actor Joaquin Phoenix punk'd his fans into believing he was shucking acting for a career as a drugging, boozing, whoring hip-hop singer, also debuts on the small screen this week.

From this aisle seat, the movie became a non-event as soon as Phoenix and director Casey Affleck admitted it was all a hoax.  If you're curious, though, click here for my review (written when the validity of the "documentary" was unknown).

Whichever way you decide to go, video or no video, turkey or vegan, here's hoping that you and yours have a wonderful holiday.

And, if I may, a word of caution.  With all that delicious food piled high on the table, it's a good time to remember that stuffing should be a noun, not a verb this week.

Oh, and "Pass the gravy!" 

("The Expendables" poster courtesy:  Lionsgate)

'Karate' and the creepy await at vid stores

Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan have landed on DVD shelves as "Karate Kid" and mentor.

(Courtesy:  Columbia Pictures)

Movie fans who like solid remakes and those who enjoy living on the edge -- vicariously, of course -- might want to motor over to the neighborhood video store today.

Once you venture past the dozens of copies of the "Karate Kid" remake on the new releases shelves, Halloween fans can find some pretty creepy stuff sure to set the mood for later in the month.

Director/co-writer Vincenzo Natali's "Splice" explores the intelligent end of the sci-fi/horror/thriller spectrum, while including enough eerie goofiness to appeal to mainstream horror flick fans.  Let's put it this way.  Once you meet Dren, portrayed in adult form by budding French actress Delphine Chanéac, you are not likely to soon forget her.

Click here for my full "Splice" review.

The "Nightmare on Elm Street" re-tooling, also landing on video/DVD shelves today, didn't work for me.  It's just a retread of Wes Craven's 1984 original and not nearly as frightful from this aisle seat.

But, hey, San Antonio's Jackie Earle Haley is in the striped sweater as gleeful nightmare rider Freddy.  So, take a look if you must.

Click here for my "Nightmare on Elm Street" review. 

By the way, there's nothing wrong with the "Karate Kid" do-over.  Jaden Smith steps into the "stop-that-bullying" shoes of Ralph Macchio just fine, and Jackie Chan hams it up just enough to make us appreciate his work while thinking fondly of the late Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi.

Click here for my "Karate Kid" review.

("Splice" poster courtesy:  Warner Bros./"Nightmare on Elm Street" poster courtesy:  New Line Cinema.)