Watchlist
Notable DVD releases for October 8, 2013
By Max Braden
October 14, 2013
BoxOfficeProphets.com

Aren't they a little old to be playing Hide and Seek?
Every week, I search through movie release schedules to find movie rentals that I would have otherwise missed for lack of TV advertising. I'll watch the big name releases along with everyone else, but I know from experience that sometimes the box office failures, critically panned, straight-to-DVD, and independently financed movies that nobody's heard of can offer some real hidden gems. As they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure. This column is dedicated to bringing awareness to those potential treasures. Listed alphabetically, each movie includes a list of notable cast members, a basic plot summary, its DVD and/or cloud release date (based on Netflix - other services may have the movie earlier), and the basic reason why the movie caught my attention. With any luck, one or more of these will catch your attention, too. My picks of the week are listed at the end of the column.

Here's my watchlist of DVD and cloud releases for the week of:

October 8th (click the movie title to see the trailer)

After Earth
Who: Jaden Smith, Will Smith, Sophie Okonedo, Zoe Isabella Kravitz, director M. Night Shyamalan
What: A sci-fi thriller set 1,000 years in the future. Following abandonment of Earth for a new planet, humans are now fighting an alien species. Will Smith plays a General of the Ranger Corps who figures out how to become invisible to the aliens by controlling his fear. While traveling on a mission with his son (real-life son Jaden Smith), their ship crash lands on Earth, which is now thriving with huge, deadly animals. The son must survive in the environment by controlling his own fear in order to save his wounded father.
When: October 8th - DVD and online on demand
Why: Intended as a big summer kickoff movie, After Earth was a big flop at the box office and in reviews, criticized for being all senseless action. Shyamalan hasn't been doing very well compared to his fright fest heyday a dozen years ago. The Smiths previously acted as father and son in The Pursuit of Happyness. I don't expect much from it, but I'm still interested in seeing the effects and set pieces. Rated PG-13, this could be a family movie night option.

Home Run
Who: Scott Elrod, Dorian Brown, Vivica A. Fox
What: In this PG-13 faith-based sports drama, Elrod plays a baseball player who is forced into rehab after a drunken crash that puts his brother in the hospital. Part of his recovery is to stand in as coach of a Little League team for his brother, which leads him to embrace becoming a responsible man.
When: October 8th - DVD and online on demand
Why: Think of this as the feel-good alternative to Flight. This title came to my attention because of Vivica A. Fox's name, though she only appears in a minor role. Elrod has had a series of supporting roles, including the TV series Men in Trees. Brown appears as Kristen in the TV series Wilfred.

The Look of Love
Who: Steve Coogan, Stephen Fry, Imogen Poots, Anna Friel, Matt Lucas, Shirley Henderson, director Michael Winterbottom
What: This biopic covers five decades in the life of English publisher Paul Raymond. Coogan plays Raymond, who opened the first strip club in the U.K. in the 1950s. The story covers his adventures in erotic shows and magazines, and his troubled relationships with his wife (Anna Friel) and his daughter (Imogen Poots).
When: October 8th - DVD and online on demand
Why: This is the first I've heard of Raymond, who apparently was Britain's Hugh Hefner. I think Coogan can be a divisive actor, but in general I think he's dangerously funny. He previously worked with director Michael Winterbottom in Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story.


Much Ado About Nothing
Who: Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Reed Diamond, Nathan Fillion, Clark Gregg, Fran Kranz, Sean Maher, Jillian Morgese, director Joss Whedon
What: An adaptation of Shakespeare's romantic comedy, set in modern day. Acker plays Beatrice, Denisof is Benedick, Kranz is Claudio, Maher is Don John, Diamond is Don Pedro, Fillion is Dogberry, Gregg is Leonato.
When: October 8th - DVD and online on demand
Why: Despite being one of Shakespeare's popular plays, it appears this is only the second major movie adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing, with the first being Kenneth Branagh's version in 1993. Whedon's version is shot in black and white, and would otherwise look like a contemporary New York story, except that the cast's lines are taken directly from Shakespeare's original dialogue. The cast member that most interests me is Nathan Fillion, whom Whedon directed in Firefly and Serenity. After directing The Avengers, Whedon developed the TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., in which Gregg currently stars. Amy Acker previously starred in Whedon's TV series Dollhouse; she currently appears in the TV series Person of Interest.

Stuck in Love
Who: Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connelly, Lily Collins, Logan Lerman, Nat Wolff, Kristen Bell
What: In this romantic comedy, Kinnear plays a struggling writer who is obsessed with his ex-wife (Connelly) and her younger man. Their daughter (Collins) is a rebellious college student who has trouble in relationships with guys. Kristen Bell's character helps Kinnear get back in the saddle.
When: October 8th - DVD and online on demand
Why: Kinnear has been consistently good throughout his career, and he and Connelly both bring Oscar pedigree to the movie. Collins played Snow White alongside Julia Roberts in Mirror, Mirror, and starred in The Mortal Instruments.

We Steal Secrets
Who: Julian Assange, director Alex Gibney
What: Using available interview footage, documentary director Alex Gibney tells the recent history of whistleblower proponent Julian Assange and the involvement of Wikileaks in US Army analyst Bradley Manning's leak of classified files.
When: October 8th - DVD and online on demand
Why: It's too bad Gibney couldn't get Assange to talk to him for the documentary, but it will still be interesting to see the story compressed into movie length. In addition to covering Eliot Spitzer and Jack Abramoff, Gibney has earned an Oscar nomination for his documentary Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, and a win for Taxi to the Dark Side.

What I'm watching for this week:
This week is the first in a long time that I'm actually more interested in a documentary than the scripted movies. We Steal Secrets is an opportunity to get an overview of Wikileaks and revisit the Bradley Manning leak case since news about Edward Snowden has taken its place. Of the scripted shows, Stuck in Love seems to me the most promising as far as acting goes, though it may be just a generic romantic comedy/drama. I might get some argument from Shakespeare fans on that point, but even though I'm a fan of Nathan Fillion, I'm never quite sure about how well Shakespearean dialogue will work in a contemporary setting. Much Ado About Nothing may be good, but I wonder how much that dialogue will keep interrupting my ability to enjoy the movie. The Look of Love is also one that I'm interested in as a history lesson, and I expect a good performance from Steve Coogan. After Earth is the “blockbuster” release this week, but it didn't live up to blockbuster expectations. I'm still interested in it for the special effects and visuals. Home Run isn't my typical choice, and doesn't star anyone that jumps out at me, but some families might find it interesting.

Coming next week:
The Colony, The East, Ingenious, Maniac