New Releases on DVD, Blu-ray and Netflix Instant: December 7, 2010
Rank December 7th’s Blu-ray and DVD releases against the best films ever made
Inception (DVD and Blu-ray | PG-13 | 2010)
How would you rank it amongst the best science fiction movies of all time?
Flickchart Ranking: #9 |
I don’t know what I was doing in July but I totally missed seeing this, so… what do your fellow Flickcharters have to say?
johnmason – “Now, here’s a pair of movies where the directors were given a mega-budget and told, “Go ahead, do whatever the hell you want.” But Inception was far more successful than Avatar. Don’t get me wrong; I really quite like Avatar. But aside from the astounding visuals (and the 3-D gimmick that not even this movie could sell me on), it didn’t have a lot new to bring to the table. Inception is a really, truly original piece of work, and unlike Avatar, its long running time just flies by. I wish I could have the old James Cameron back, circa the late ’80s-early ’90s, before he became the King of the World, was trailblazing the way for films like this, and was making some of the best damn films of all time. Right now, Christopher Nolan is at the frikkin’ top of his game, and I’m worried that Cameron’s going to get lost on Pandora.”
JRM – “I really like Avatar; it succeeded in what it set out to do: create an immersive world that people will come back to again and again. This was a movie that was so successful because of word of mouth and repeat business. I actually saw it twice in theaters, in 3D. Having said that, you’re right, @johnmason–besides its visuals it really doesn’t have much going for it. It’s a grand spectacle for sure, but it lacks surprise because its story has been told in numerous ways multiple times. Inception is story telling at its finest, imho. And it’s awe-inspiring because of it. A truly great movie.”
(From Inception vs Avatar discussion)
Shrek Forever After (DVD and Blu-ray | PG | 2010)
How would you rank it amongst the best animated movies of all time?
Flickchart Ranking: #3424 |
Supposedly the “final” Shrek. Don’t worry though, because Dreamworks has plans to run the rest of their franchises into the ground with an endless number of sequels. Studio exec Jeffrey Katzenberger seriously said there are plans for three more How to Train Your Dragons, four more Madagascars and six (yes, 6) more Kung Fu Pandas.
A box set with all four movies is also being released, but Shrek the Third and Shrek Goes Fourth remain the only ones available individually.
Restrepo (DVD and Blu-ray | R | 2010)
How would you rank it amongst the best documentaries of all time?
Flickchart Ranking: #6220 |
What do your fellow Flickcharters have to say?
Avenger7 – “Not even fair to compare these two. A-Team is over-the-top goofy fun. Restrepo is as real as it gets. THE best documentary I’ve seen in years. This is a well structured and powerful film delivering incredible insight and feeling about the ground war in Afghanistan. There’s no political agenda at all. What the film does deliver is the actual feeling of being deployed with these incredibly brave and heroic soldiers.”
(From The A-Team vs. Restrepo discussion)
admiralpiett – “The two best films of 2010 I’ve seen so far. Both films’ greatest strength is their honesty. In Restrepo, that honesty is in its bare-bones style, showing only what happens and giving no direct commentary, other than what the soldiers themselves provide, and letting the terror inherent to their situation dictate the mood of the film; in Winter’s Bone, the honesty lies in the characters on screen, where no one looks like they were cast from outside a 5-mile radius in the Ozarks, anchored by two of the best performances I’ve seen in years (Jennifer Lawrence as Ree and John Hawkes as Teardrop). Ultimately, I think Winter’s Bone is a more satisfying film, though neither film provides a pat hollywood answer to any questions raised. If you haven’t seen either of these films, please go out and see them if you can; it’s a shame most people don’t even know these films exist.”
(From Winter’s Bone vs. Restrepo discussion)
* Also on Netflix Instant starting Tuesday
Barry Munday (DVD | NR | 2010)
How would you rank it amongst the best comedy movies of all time?
Flickchart Ranking: #10206 |
I love the concept, Judy Greer, and thought the trailer looked pretty good, but its reviews sucked and that 18% win percentage isn’t doing much to make me want to watch this either.
Classics and Re-releases on DVD and Blu-ray:
Cronos (Criterion DVD and Blu-ray | R | 1993)
How would you rank it amongst the best horror movies of all time?
Flickchart Ranking: #3074 |
The film that announced Guillermo Del Toro as one of the most imaginative (and skilled) filmmakers around.
* Also on Netflix Instant starting Tuesday
Videodrome (Criterion DVD and Blu-ray | R | 1983)
How would you rank it amongst the best science fiction horror movies of all time?
Flickchart Ranking: #340 |
Cronnenberg! I don’t think any DVD news would make me happier than if Criterion also releases a Blu-ray of Cronenberg’s Rabid.
Lost In Translation (Blu-ray | R | 2003)
How would you rank it amongst the best movies of 2003?
Flickchart Ranking: #181 |
It’s a perfect movie. I’ve been trying to come up with something to write about Lost in Translation for two days and can’t. It’s just perfect.
Big Bad Mama (DVD | NR | 1974)
How would you rank it amongst the best crime movies of all-time?
Flickchart Ranking: #7006 |
Angie Dickinson and William Shatner in an awesome film from Roger Corman.
New to Netflix Instant Streaming:
Tuesday December 7th:
Friday December 10th:
- Michael Collins (1996) – Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman
- Thunderheart (1992) – Val Kilmer
- The Money Pit (1986) – Tom Hanks
- The Deep (1977) – Robert Shaw, Jacqueline Bisset’s Bosoms
- City Heat (1993) – Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds
- Cold Souls (2009) – Paul Giamatti
Saturday December 11th:
- Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009) – Mo’Nique, Paula Patton