How to Spend $20
By Eric Hughes
December 16, 2008
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Pick of the Week
For people who never knew George Clooney had such a fascination with dildos: Burn After Reading (Available Dec. 21)
Following an Oscar win for Best Pic with their uber gritty No Country for Old Men, Joel and Ethan Coen eased off the seriousness for something a bit lighter. That project turned into Burn After Reading, a star-studded comedy about two gym employees (Frances McDormand and a horrendous looking Brad Pitt) who attempt to make money off of a believed top-secret disk. In reality, it merely contains the memoirs of ex-CIA agent Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich). Soon enough the Russians get involved, people wind up dead and more misfortunate events ensue. Other cast members include George Clooney (and his penetration machine), Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins and J.K. Simmons.
Disc includes: Find the Burn: The Making of Burn After Reading featurette; DC Insiders Run Amuck featurette; Welcome Back, George featurette
For people who know what Captain Hammer was referring to when he was talking about his hammer: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog [Amazon.com Exclusive] (Available December 19th)
Jobless, bored and with nothing to do during the WGA writers strike, Joss Whedon hatched a new idea alongside brothers Zack and Jed (and Jed's fiancée, actress Maurissa Tancharoen): a 43-minute musical film split up into three acts featuring Nathan Fillion, Felicia Day, Simon Helberg and Harold and Kumar scene-stealer – and current HIMYM guy – Neil Patrick Harris (Let's get some poontang, then we'll go to White Castle!)
The result: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, a series that premiered free online in July and will now be available for purchase Friday exclusively through Amazon.com. It tells the story of an aspiring villain, Dr. Horrible (Harris); his nemesis, Captain Hammer (Fillion) and their mutual love interest, Penny (Day). Helberg rounds out the cast as Dr. Horrible's friend, Moist. A 25-minute soundtrack, digitally released on September 1st, was also made available on CD Monday.
Disc includes: Commentary! The Musical, audio commentary, Evil League of Evil Application Videos featurette, making-of featurettes
For people who think Anna Faris looks pretty in pink: The House Bunny
Finally landing a lead roll in something without Scary Movie in its title, Anna Faris proved she was more than a one-hit wonder when her little movie about a former Playboy Bunny who revamps a nerdy college sorority took in nearly twice its $25 million budget in North America.
Co-starring Emma Stone, Kat Dennings, Katharine McPhee and Colin Hanks, the flick didn't sit quite so pretty with reviewers. But for what it's worth, those same critics praised Faris' stereotypical portrayal of a dumb blonde. No word yet on a possible sequel Bunny, though Faris has already signed on to another untitled project with Bunny's writers, Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah Lutz (Legally Blonde).
Disc includes: House Bunny Style featurette, The Girls of Zeta featurette, Calendar Girls featurette, Anna Faris: House Mom featurette, Colin Hanks: Mr. Nice Guy featurette, From Song to Set: Katherine McPhee featurette, From Tour Bus to Trailer: Tyson Ritter featurette, Look Who Dropped By featurette, The Girls Upstairs featurette, Zetas Transformed featurette, Getting Ready for a Party featurette, House Bunny Memories featurette, "I Know What Boys Like" music video, deleted scenes
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Deluxe Edition)
Tucked neatly in the nobody-asked-for-it-but-here-it-is-anyway file, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, the franchise's first new entry in seven years, made a respectable $102.2 million (and another $289.8 million abroad) by the time it exited theaters after an early August start. Not bad for a movie that earned a horrible 14% rating at RottenTomatoes. Our own Matthew Huntley dubbed this one "loud, stupid and, worst of all, dull." Yikes.
Yet again starring Brendan Fraser (Sorry pal, there's a mummy on the loose!) as Richard "Rick" O'Connell, Dragon Emperor featured Rick and his son, Alex (Luke Ford), unearthing the mummy of the first Emperor of Qin, an entity cursed centuries ago by a wizard. Once reawakened, Emperor Han (Jet Li) seeks to enslave the world.
But wait, there's more! Ford and Maria Bello (and perhaps others) have already signed on for at least one more Mummy sequel. Yay.
Disc includes: Audio commentary, deleted scenes, extended scenes, Preparing for Battle with Brendan Fraser and Jet Li featurette, The Making of the The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Warrior featurette, Jet Li: Crafting the Emperor Mummy featurette, Creating New and Supernatural Worlds featurette, Legacy of the Terra Cotta featurette, A Call to Action: The Casting Process featurette
For people who like to see James Bond bust a move: Mamma Mia! The Movie (Special Edition)
With the economy in the toilet, hardly anyone can afford live theater anymore. For instance, select shows on Broadway – like Avenue Q, Chicago, Phantom – are or are about to sell seats for under 40 bucks per ticket (down from the usual astronomically large $100+ a pop). But if one thing can be learned from Mamma Mia!, it's that American hunger for theater hasn't lessened in the least as this thing racked up an impressive $143.7 million in domestic theaters.
Based on the pop songs by Swedish group ABBA, Mamma Mia! tells the story of a young woman (Amanda Seyfried) about to be married who discovers that any of three men (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard) could be her father. Without telling her mother (Meryl Streep), the girl invites the men to her wedding.
Disc includes: On-Screen Lyrics for 22 Musical Numbers Sing Along, deleted musical number ("The Name of the Game"), audio commentary, The Making of Mamma Mia! The Movie featurette, Anatomy of a Musical Number ("Lay All Your Love On Me"), Becoming a Singer featurette, Behind the Scenes with Amanda featurette, On Location in Greece featurette, A Look Inside Mamma Mia! The Movie featurette, "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! music video, Bjorn Ulvaeus Cameo featurette, deleted scenes, outtakes, digital copy of the movie
December 16, 2008
American Dragster: 2nd Season
The Biggest Loser: Boot Camp
The Biggest Loser: Weight Loss Yoga
Bottle Rocket (Criterion Collection)
The Cheetah Girls: One World (Special Edition)
Death Proof [Blu-ray]
Hamlet 2
Ice Road Truckers: Complete Season Two
Louis C.K.: Chewed Up
The Mummy Trilogy
Petticoat Junction: The Official First Season
Planet Terror [Blu-ray]
Tommy Boy (Special Edition)
Traitor (Special Edition)