And remember, you can order any of these titles from Amazon.com by clicking on either the title name or the cover artwork. You do this and you help support all of our work at The Bits. It’s all for you, ya little Damien’s.
New Releases (across the board):
Bad Milo! – Speaking of devil children, Bad Milo! takes a one-note joke first seen in Eric Powell’s Goon comic (I see what you did there writers Benjamin Hayes and Jacob Vaughan) and runs with it. Granted the cast is stellar for a movie about a demonic butt-baby (star of everything produced by Abominable Productions Ken Marino, Community’s Gillian Jacobs, character acting god Stephen Root and quite possibly the devil himself Peter Stormare) but the flick’s not for everyone. Consensus is it’s funny, but might be reaching farther than it can grasp. Maybe just rent this one from Netflix.
Best Man Down – Man-child-actor-looking-for-that-perfect-role Tyler Labine sadly doesn’t find it here as the best man to marrying buddies Justin Long and Jess “Teeth” Weixler who unexpectedly sets into motion a road trip that his friends are not quite prepared to deal with. Warning: reviews have not been kind. But then again, this is Hollywood and you are expected to sit through at least one attempt at making Justin Long a household name each year. Get it out of the way early.
Blue Jasmine – Oscar nom’ed movie time! Woody Allen directs Cate Blanchett with Alec Baldwin, Bobby Cannavale, Louis C.K. and Andrew Dice Clay along for the ride. Fans of Woody will want this one in their library – Blue Jasmine is a true return to form for him.
Captain Phillips – Do I even need to sum this up? Hanks! Abdi! Greengrass! Damon! What? Oh. No Damon!
Charlie Countryman – F*^k you, Shia. Sadly, this looks interesting enough for a rental, but don’t ask me about it because I’ll deny ever seeing it.
The Doors: R-Evolution – Doors fans (like myself) pre-bought this anyway – but if you didn’t: be sure to pick up the special edition version with the forty-page scrapbook featuring photos and lyrics. The video content is made up of rare news and home movie footage, early television appearances and music films. Swoon.
Freezer – Dylan McDermott stars as a guy grabbed up by the Russian mob and locked in a freezer in what is essentially a one-man show. The hows and whys are for you and he to learn if you’re willing to watch this DTV thriller.
In a World... – Lake Bell stars and makes an impressive directorial debut as a female trailer VO “guy” trying to make it in what is essentially a man’s world. It’s a small but very competent film worth checking out.
Instructions Not Included – Mexican superstar Eugenio Derbez also makes his directorial debut in this adorable hit film about an accidental dad making good with an accidental job and accidental hardships. If you haven’t already, do check out this fine, fun Spanish-language film.
Machete Kills – If you don’t like your Mexicans cute and funny, how about surly and bloody. Robert Rodriguez continues to put computer effects artists and green screen fabricator’s kids through college with the second in the threatened Machete Trilogy. I sound hateful, but I actually like these films; it’s just so hard to be funny when you praise things.
Sunlight, Jr. – A 90’s styled indy movie starring the beautiful Naomi Watts as a broken Floridian living in a motel with Matt Dillon as her paraplegic lover trying to save her from a brooding ex played by The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus (don’t expect bath salt zombies though). It’s good – but more like a throwback to those emotionally draining films that the Weinstein’s bombarded us with twenty odd years ago. God I’m old.
TV on DVD
Crossing Lines: Season One – The internationally produced (and set) police procedural ten-episode NBC Summer series starring William “villain in everything but this” Fichtner comes to disc. Huzzah! I don’t know if there’s a second season planned, but this first season was pretty damn solid.
NYPD Blue: Season 5 – All 22 episodes of the 1997-1998 season with Smits and Franz gets the Blu-ray treatment. I forget if there are naked butts in this season. Probably.
Blu-Ray Library Reissues:
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: 90th Anniversary Edition – New hi-def transfer, upgraded 7.1 audio and new interactive games are the selling points of this reissue. Two-discs include a DVD with sing-along mode. We have no idea why Fox is silently releasing this – but expect Bill to look into and bitch about it in a Two Cent Rant.
Die, Monster, Die! – It’s about time someone treated the 1956 Boris Karloff starring AIP Lovecraft adaptation with some respect. Somewhere Jahnke is smiling and asking Bill to get a copy for review.
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy – Speaking of Jahnke – one of his favorite movie-themed documentaries is getting the ol’ Blu-ray upgrade. You can read Adam’s original Oktoberfest review at the old Bits here.
Annnnnnnd that’s it for this week, kiddies. See you back here next week when we look at animated Bill Hader, unnecessary television remakes, Sherlock making bad hair choices, race cars and more than a few dirty old men.
Keeping spinnin’ those discs,
- Unkie Doogan