How to Spend $20
By Eric Hughes
October 26, 2010
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Pick of the Week
For people willing to reignite the great “which is the best Back to the Future movie debate”; or, for people who wanna be more familiar with Brokeback to the Future’s original source material: Back To The Future: The Complete Trilogy (25th Anniversary Edition)
Brokeback Mountain was so good to us in so many ways. For one, Ang Lee probably never could have imagined that it – principally the main theme and, well, gay cowboys – would later be used in a popular YouTube video that depicts Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd (Marty McFly and Emmett “Doc” Brown) as secret lovers outfitted in cowboy hats and boots. The joke worked so incredibly well because the series’ third and final entry is set in the late 19th century – a time when that look, you know, thrived.
I’ve yet to fully appreciate Back to the Future: Part II, yet the movies that bookend it are pretty solid. It’s always felt a bit cheap to me in that it uses the time travel device set up in the original movie as a way for Biff to make some cash. While I do like that it gives us a glimpse of the future – hoverboards, oh my! – it failed to capture the character of the series’ first entry. (Something the sequel does much better).
And kudos to Universal for releasing something in time for Back to the Future’s 25th anniversary. Over a year ago, I wondered why it would release a special edition of Back to the Future for the franchise’s 24th anniversary. Good to see the studio is back to celebrating regular anniversaries again. And unless I’m mistaken, this is the first time any of the movies has been released in Blu-ray.
Disc includes: Tales from the Future (six-part documentary), The Physics of Back to the Future featurette, deleted scenes, Michael J. Fox Q&A, eight archival featurettes, Behind the Scenes featurette, music videos, audio commentaries, Back to the Future: The Ride featurette
For people who, figuratively, play with fire: The Girl Who Played With Fire
The final Swedish adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s phenomenally successful book series, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, hits U.S. theaters on Friday – it was released in Sweden last November – and then the whole Dragon Tattoo business can be put to bed, eh?
Actually, absolutely definitely no. The titular female, Noomi Rapace, has become Hollywood’s next It girl, even though the actress has yet to appear in a Hollywood movie. She’s attached to Sherlock Holmes 2 and last I checked was circling Ridley Scott’s Alien prequel. At one point, she was rumored to star in Mission: Impossible 4, too, but that appears to be over for now.
As for the franchise, shooting has already begun on an American remake to be distributed by Columbia. The studio expects to release it in December 2011. The hunt for Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist was pretty epic, but the roles eventually went to Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig, respectively. (Yay for Mara, but the jury’s still out on Craig).
Anyway, The Girl Who Played With Fire – the middle chapter of the trilogy – wasn’t as good as Dragon Tattoo in my opinion. Very few people agree with me on that, and that’s fine. All’s I know is I remember Dragon Tattoo a hell of a lot more vividly than The Girl Who Played With Fire.
The sequel seemed to be watered down with too many redundant characters, and the plot itself wasn’t as compelling. So much so that my interest in the final chapter waned, and I’ve yet to read it. I still plan to, and I probably will, but I feel like plowing through a number of other books before I get to it.
Disc includes: N/A
For people who think there just haven’t been enough camels in Sex and the City: Sex and the City 2
One series that should be put to bed, however, is Sex and the City. I’ve never seen the show – nor the movies – yet I can’t imagine these Hollywood movies are doing anything for its reputation. I mean, really, an all-expenses paid vacation to Abu Dhabi?! No, this isn’t the log line of the theatrical parody; this is what Michael Patrick King and company actually wanted to do with their acclaimed television show on the big screen. You know, have it be mostly set in the United Arab Emirates. Who saw any of this coming when the TV show came to a close?
I have to say that I’d be a believer in something going terribly wrong if a critically acclaimed favorite of mine – Mad Men, Dexter, Breaking Bad – got made into a movie and then earned the respect of about 15% of the critics who saw it. Yeesh.
There are talks of another sequel, only this time it may be a prequel set well before Carrie met the rest of her sex comrades. New Line is reportedly interested in Candace Bushnell’s The Carrie Diaries, which is set during Carrie’s high school years.
Disc includes: A conversation with Sarah Jessica Parker and Michael Patrick King, The Men of Sex and the City featurette, Styling Sex and the City 2 featurette, Marry Me Liza! featurette, audio commentary, Revisiting the ‘80s featurette, SATC2 Soundtrack: Behind the Scenes with Alicia Keys
October 26, 2010
Blu-ray
Alien Anthology
Altitude
Back To The Future: The Complete Trilogy (25th Anniversary Edition)
BBC High Definition Natural History Collection
Blood Pledge
The Cursed
Dawn of the Oceans
Earth & Space
Echoes of the Rainbow
Elf (Ultimate Collector's Edition)
The Girl Who Played With Fire
House (Criterion Collection)
How the Earth Was Made: The Complete Season One
Legend of the Black Scorpion
Maniac (Special Edition)
Martin Scorsese Collection (Collector's Edition)
NBA: Los Angeles Lakers 2010 NBA Finals Series (Collector's Edition)
The Oliver Stone Collection (Collector's Edition)
Paths Of Glory (Criterion Collection)
Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express
Psychomania
Ray Harryhausen Collection
Santa Claus: The Movie (25th Anniversary Edition)
The Score
Sex and the City 2
Slings & Arrows: The Complete Collection
Star Wars The Clone Wars: The Complete Season Two
Tom & Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes
Ultimate NFL
Winter's Bone
World War II 360
DVD
2010 Wimbledon: Men's & Women's Finals
Alien Anthology
Altitude
Back To The Future: The Complete Trilogy (25th Anniversary Edition)
Cannibal Girls (Special Edition)
CSI NY: Seasons 1-6 (Set)
CSI: New York - The Sixth Season
The Cursed
Dark Star (Anniversary Edition)
Dawn of the Oceans
Deputy: The Complete Series
Elf (Ultimate Collector's Edition)
The Girl Who Played With Fire
House (Criterion Collection)
How the Earth Was Made: The Complete Season One
Law & Order UK: Season One
Maniac (Special Edition)
Martin Scorsese Collection (Collector's Edition)
MILF (Unrated Special Edition)
NBA: Los Angeles Lakers 2010 NBA Finals Series (Collector's Edition)
The Oliver Stone Collection (Collector's Edition)
Paths Of Glory (Criterion Collection)
Pillars of Freedom: Three Branches
Psychomania
Santa Claus: The Movie (25th Anniversary Edition)
The Score
Sex & The City: The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition)
Sex and the City 2
Star Wars The Clone Wars: The Complete Season Two
Twisted Sister: Live at Wacken Reunion (Includes Music CD)
War of the Worlds: The Complete Series (Set)
War of the Worlds: The Final Season