How to Spend $20
By Eric Hughes
August 3, 2010
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Pick of the Week
For people who think Nicolas Cage should never be referred to as Big Daddy: Kick-Ass
It seems trite of me to issue disappointment in Kick-Ass’ total receipts at the U.S. box office – principally because it outdid its $28 million production budget by about $20 million – and yet that’s what I’m going to do. It's got a great name, its marketing and trailer were stellar, it reviewed rather well, Nicolas Cage was in it (wait, how did that get in here?!). So many signs pointed to this one turning into an April success story. And to a certain extent it was. I just would have liked the project to crack at least $50 million domestically – a feat Kick-Ass missed by about $2 million.
Based on the same-named comic book and starring no one you’ve heard of (well, Christopher Mintz-Plasse), Kick-Ass is the story of an ordinary teen boy who rechristens himself Kick-Ass, a DIY superhero. Later, he gets caught in the middle of a war between a drug lord and a former cop, Big Daddy, who trained his young daughter to be Hit-Girl, another DIY superhero.
Speaking of Hit-Girl, the actress who plays her, Chloe Grace Moretz, likely has a big career ahead of her – at least in the short-term. Prior to Kick-Ass’ release, Moretz starred in 20th Century Fox’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Later this year, she’ll be the lead in Let Me In, an American adaptation of the fantastic Swedish vampire drama, Let the Right One In.
Disc includes: Ass-Kicking Bonus View featurette, audio commentary, A New Kind of Superhero: The Making Of featurette, It’s On! The Comic Book Origin of Kick-Ass featurette, The Art of Kick-Ass featurette, Marketing Archive featurette
For people who go to East Lake High School: SNL: Best of Will Ferrell Volume 3 (Widescreen)
Will Ferrell was already the only former Saturday Night Live player to get not one, but two “best of” DVDs. Relatedly, as of today he’s the proud owner of a third disc.
The thing is, sure, these collections are cash grabs. I don’t think former cast members count down the days to the release of their best ofs or anything. But with a dude like Ferrell, at least you know you’re probably getting some funny stuff for your money.
His work on the big screen has been largely hit or miss with me. His years of service on the late-night staple, however, was quality. The disc’s description doesn’t conveniently outline all included sketches, yet I do know his James Lipton (Inside the Actors Studio), his Alex Trebek (Celebrity Jeopardy – obviously) and his work as one half of the Spartan cheerleading squad are all here.
Disc includes: N/A
For people whose wardrobe was raided by Barry Manilow: The Breakfast Club (25th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]
One of the all-time high school movie greats, The Breakfast Club celebrates 25 years with not just an anniversary disc, but a Blu-ray one at that. Not sure that infamous piece of meat clinging to the library sculpture or Paul Gleason’s mug (as is) need to be in glistening high definition, but that’s what you’re getting here, so deal with it.
For the film buff in you, you may be interested in knowing that the school in The Breakfast Club is the same one John Hughes would use for some of the school-based scenes in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, released a year later. Actually, in an effort to save a little money, Hughes shot both movies back to back (a la Pirates of the Caribbean or The Matrix). What we don’t know, though, is whether Hughes intended for Bueller to be a student at the same school as the one featured in The Breakfast Club. An investigation into that kind of thing would be just about the nerdiest thing this planet has to offer. And yet I’m intrigued…
Disc includes: Sincerely Yours: 12-Part Documentary, The Most Convenient Definitions: The Origins of the Brat Pack featurette, audio commentary
For people who are going to miss Hayden Panettiere in uniform: Heroes: Season 4
Heroes hasn’t been relevant since its second season got off to a less than favorable start. But, I’m including it here for consistency sake. Consider it a small token to those handful of Heroes viewers out there who may just have to deal with a nixed miniseries or movie intended to close out lingering storylines. Apparently NBC is still in talks with creator Tim Kring in bringing to series around to proper conclusion. And yet, you’d think that if NBC really wanted anything, they would have set something up already.
I haven’t been a regular viewer since that “save the cheerleader, save the world” business, so I’d be a terrible choice to run point man on an analysis of season four. Its 18th episode, “Brave New World,” serves as the show’s unofficial series finale, even if it wasn’t intended to be. The episode concludes Heroes’ fifth volume, Redemption, but leaves the door open for a sixth, Brave New World, that may never come to be.
Hey, DirecTV can’t rescue everybody.
Disc includes: Deleted scenes, extended scenes, Deconstructing Sylar featurette, Milo Speaks featurette, Sullivan Brother Design Gallery featurette, Heroes Revolution featurette, Genetics of a Scene featurette, audio commentary
August 3, 2010
Blu-ray
After.Life
Blood Done Sign My Name
The Breakfast Club (25th Anniversary Edition)
Bull Durham
Charlie's Angels
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Elvis Blu-ray Collection
Elvis On Tour
Escape From New York
Fargo
The Ghost Writer
Haunting of Winchester House
The Haunting of Winchester House / I Am Omega
HD Moods Amos Rebel
HD Moods Amos Rise
Heroes: Season 4
Humanoids From The Deep
I Am Legend (Ultimate Collector's Edition)
I Am Omega
James And The Giant Peach (Special Edition)
Kalifornia
Kick-Ass
The Lovely Bones
Mission: Impossible III
Never Say Never Again
Open House
Pandora And The Flying Dutchman (Deluxe Edition)
Piranha
A Prophet
Road To Perdition
Splinter
To Save a Life
Tom Petty: Damn The Torpedoes Classic Album
Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music (Ultimate Collector's Edition)
WWE: Wrestlemania XXVI
DVD
300 (Limited Edition)
After.Life
Blood Done Sign My Name
The Breakfast Club (25th Anniversary Edition)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Elvis On Tour
Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection
The Ghost Writer
Hawaii Five-O: Seasons 1-9 (Set)
Hawaii Five-O: The Ninth Season
Heroes: Season 4
Humanoids From The Deep
I Am Legend (Ultimate Collector's Edition)
James And The Giant Peach (Special Edition)
Kalifornia
Kick-Ass
Max Headroom: The Complete Series
Mercy: The Complete First Season
The Onion Movie (Unrated)
Open House
Pandora And The Flying Dutchman (Deluxe Edition)
Piranha
A Prophet
SNL: Best of Will Ferrell Volume 3 (Widescreen)
To Save a Life
Tom Petty: Damn The Torpedoes Classic Album
Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music (Ultimate Collector's Edition)
WWE: Wrestlemania XXVI