New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

Welcome to How to Spend $20, BOP's look at the latest DVDs to hit stores nationwide. This week: Zooey Deschanel sings for Joseph Gordon-Levitt, District 9 introduces a new kind of prawn and Jason Bateman tries his luck at blue collar comedy.

Pick of the Week

For people who think Zooey Deschanel should lend her voice to every movie she's in: (500) Days of Summer

(500) Days of Summer's marketing department had me by the balls months before this one was even released in theaters, so for me to show up on what I believe was its opening weekend is really no surprise to me. What was surprising, however, was how clever, unique and cute this movie turned out to be. It'd never show up on my list of favorite movies on Facebook or anything, but it does rank fairly high with me as far as 2009 movies go since this year, in my opinion, has been regrettably soft.

(500) Days of Summer isn't your typical Hollywood romance, but one that ends in heartbreak. No spoiler alert is necessary, given that (500) Days of Summer dubs itself as "not a love story." (And I'm sure something of that nature appears no less than five times on the DVD cover art). The film stars Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel as two delectably adorable lovebirds who meet, then consequently fall in and out of love over a period of, you guessed it, 500 days. Yes, Zooey's character's name happens to be Summer. It's not like this one is set in Death Valley or anything.

Disc includes: Deleted scenes, extended scenes, Bank Dance featurette, Means Cinemash: Sid and Nancy featurette, Not a Love Story: Making Of featurette, Conversations with Zoe and Joseph featurette, "Sweet Disposition" music video by Temper Trap, Filmmaking Specials featurette, audio commentary, digital copy





For people who like having nails on all of their fingers, thank you very much: District 9 (2-Disc Edition)

I'm bound to lose a few readers here, but I just wasn't as captivated by District 9 as seemingly everyone else who saw it. (Hold your fire, please. I'm not finished). My personal issues with the movie reside only in the final quarter/third of the movie, so I won't at this point rule out a repeat viewing somewhere down the line. What did me in was nearly everything that occurred once Wikus adorned the mechanized battle suit. I felt the ensuing action sequences weren't balanced with what had already transpired. And what about its "resolution"? As the closing credits crawled, a dude in my theater yelled, "WHERE'S THE ENDING?" I'm with ya, brother. By the end, you'll come to realize that District 9 was a prologue to an inevitable District 10.

That aside, if you praised the cinematography in Blair Witch, you'll adore District 9's. It sets cinema verite on a whole new level, as the shaky camera technique is combined with frantic pacing and quick edits. I can't even imagine what this thing would have looked like on IMAX.

Disc includes: Deleted scenes, audio commentary, The Alien Agenda: A Filmmaker's Log (three-part documentary), Metamorphosis: The Transformation of Wikus featurette, Innovation: Acting and Improvisation featurette, Conception and Design: Creating the World of District 9 featurette, Alien Generation: Visual Effects featurette, Joburg from Above: Satellite and Schematics of the World of District 9 featurette, digital copy

Continued:       1       2