We’re here to keep you informed on hot choices for renting or buying new DVD releases. Released this week: Failure to Launch, Imagine Me & You, Madea’s Family Reunion, Cache (Hidden), Annapolis, Untraviolet (Unrated, Extended Cut), Ren & Stimpy ‘Adult Party Cartoon, Beavis & Butt-head (Volume 2), Broken Saints, Strangers With Candy (Complete Series), Blue Collar Comedy Tour-One For The Road and, finally, Yellowbeard.
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Here’s what is getting released today on DVD:
Film:
Failure to Launch – Failure to Launch is yet another regurgitated romantic comedy where people are put together and kept apart through elaborate and contrived circumstances that could only happen in a film. You’ve seen (and if you are like me hated) this exact film many times before. Get the rest of Alan’s opinion on Failure to Launch.
Imagine Me & You – Imagine Me & You is a hopeless romantic comedy about love at first sight between two women. The problem? One is getting married to her fiancé at that very moment. Not a great film and it certainly has more than a few rough edges yet the performances and charm of the picture make it worth checking out; though despite my puntiffic title the movie itself is rather tame given the subject matter. Piper Perabo, Lena Headey, Matthew Goode, and Anthony Head star. Get the rest of Alan’s opinion on Imagine Me & You.
Madea’s Family Reunion – Director Tyler Perry, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, gives us another gun-totting grandma moment. Not quite as humorous as his plays and his latest piece, but does have a few moments. Here it is with 2 relationship troubled nieces and an unruly wild and uncontrollable foster teen living under the same roof, what is Madea to do? A mix of humor and serious situations, just like life.
Annapolis – How tough can it be to go through Naval basic training? Pretty damn tough if you ask Jake (James Franco), the lead in Annapolis, he gets dealt a tough hand cause he’s just that good and he’s from the wrong side of the tracks. Ssshhhhh, don’t tell, but it’s actually a boxing film, I think. Cole (Tyrese Gibson) plays the training officer that does everything in his power to make Jake quit, cause he sees a little of himself in Jake and thinks he can do better. The two box it out in the ring during the annual boxing competition.
Special Edition or Series Release:
Ultraviolet (Unrated, Extended Cut) – Why? I’m not sure why they created an extended cut, of a film that didn’t deserve the original cut. I must admit it was better than Aeon Flux and it had an interesting idea with the whole vampire hemophagia thing. Ultraviolet is protecting a 9-year-old boy who could be a threat to humans, but finds out to be the cure to their own disease. There is some pretty awesome affects and butt kicking action if you’re looking for a brainless bullet and beat’em up flick. Don’t get too excited the extended edition is a whole extra 7 minutes.
Animation: Better Late Than Never:
Ren & Stimpy ‘Adult Party Cartoon – Here is a collection, “The Lost Episodes” of Ren & Stimpy, but really, they are just the newest of a failed attempt to make us laugh. There isn’t anything like the old Ren & Stimpy, nothing compares, no matter how hard big time execs try to make up for canning the brilliant creative team that created this crazy duo.
Beavis & Butt-head – The Mike Judge Collection, Vol .2 (Released ???) – “40 cartoons hand-picked by Mike Judge”, what makes him an expert? What is this, wrong week? Beavis and Butt-head, Ren and Stimpy Adult Party, Yellowbeard, Strangers with Candy and Ultraviolet a special edition? It’s Bevis & Butt-head folks, what else is there to say, either you like them or you don’t. Then again, how could you pass on owning a DVD with titles such as, “Premature Evacuation”, “TP” and “Bungholio: Lord of the Harvest”. Fire! Fire!
Broken Saints – Company Line from their site: Broken Saints is a 24-chapter serial graphic novel that was launched on January 17 2001, new installments were posted every few weeks. Games, art, story and hidden secrets, the whole thing was online. Storyteller Brook Burgess worked with Ian Kirby and Andrew West to prove that something really outstanding, compelling and cool could be found online and that was their story of 4 warriors and there challenge against the Darkness through love, loss and sacrifice. Here is a concept from finish to not quite end, almost completely independent coming to you first ever on DVD. The creators will and have followed through with story, animated series, live-action television, graphic novel (print), interactive entertainment and toys/collectibles. Visit a Broken Saints for details.
TV:
Strangers with Candy – The Complete Series – Jerri Blank, a 46 year old “boozer, user and loser” tries to go back to school and be cool. There is everything wrong with this series, it’s just that damn funny. Jerri learned nothing from her past years as an addict, tramp, alcoholic and all around no common sense gal; to top it off, she tries to return to high school and fit in with a crowd more than a third of her age. Really, you can’t help, but laugh your butt off with this collection and all it’s very wrong lessons in life. There are deleted scenes on this collection, joy for us!
Blue Collar Comedy Tour – One for the Road– With each previous comedy tour, Blue Collar progressively got worse. The first one was a riot, the second was a tickle and this one blows. One for the Road, more like a case of Wild Turkey, so you can pretend to laugh. Of course, yes, there are a few moments that you can giggle at, but for the most part, there isn’t enough to add up to anything substantial. How many times can you hear the same “red neck” joke told over and over again, in different forms?
Finally:
Yellowbeard Yes, they have finally done it, Yellowbeard, freaking awesome. What the hell took them so long, a laugh out loud riot from 1983, with a mix of adventure, pirates, silly humor, Cheech and Chong, add a dash of Mel Brooks (no he didn’t create it, but just add the dash) and certainly a bit of Monty Python; you can’t help, but laugh. It’s completely silly and nonsensical. You would never believe that the director has done Charmed and Lois & Clark since his early 80’s glory days.