127 Hours, True Grit, The Fighter, The Adjustment Bureau: June DVD & Blu-ray Round Up

June 6th

127 Hours was the movie Danny Boyle made after his surprise success with Slumdog Millionaire meant that he had the freedom to do as he pleased. An unusual choice perhaps, Boyle didn't take the studio's dollar and make the overblown epic of his dreams (it's hard to truly believe Boyle has such dreams), instead he decided to film the unfilmable true-story of Aron Ralston, a rather arrogant and unlikeable rock climber, forced to reassess his whole attitude to life when a climbing accident leaves him pinned under a boulder for the titular 127 hours.

127 Hours is an uncomfortable watch, it is meant to be. The crucial scene, which most will probably know of, but which I won't give away for those who don't, is near-unbearable, and will have even hardened horror fans squirming in their seats. But helmed by a filmmaker at the top at the very top of his game, and featuring a tour-de-force performance from James Franco as Ralston, this the film is far more than a single gruesome set piece, addressing themes of hubris, hope and redemption.

Megamind, Harry Potter, The Tourist etc: April DVD & Blu-ray Round Up

April 4th

Megamind was a fun and frothy bit of comedy, that was a bit of a pleasant surprise when it came out in the cinemas. It benefits greatly from an impressive cast of voice actors headed by Will Ferrell, who is ably supported by Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, David Cross and Brad Pitt, who I always forget is a great comedy actor until I see (or in this case hear) him.

The central conceit of the film is that the eponymous Megamind (Ferrell) is a supervillain who has defeated his superhero Metro Man. After the initial glory of one of his fiendish plans finally working out for him, he finds that life isn't as much fun without a nemesis, so decides to create a new one. But then there's the other thing, despite seeing himself that way since childhood, Megamind isn't actually all that villainous at heart. So when his new 'Hero' Tighten (Titan, geddit?) turns into a threat to Metro City, he has to switch roles and play the hero for a change.

DVD & Blu-ray Round Up: Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps

Popsiculture's release of the week has to go to Oliver Stone's Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps. The follow up to his legendary 1987 polemic against the excesses and shady dealings of the American banking industry, Money Never Sleeps could not have had a better real-life backdrop or it's release last year. Following the collapse of the sub-prime mortgage market, and subsequent worldwide economic crisis, surely Gordon Gekko's mantra that 'Greed is good' has never been more contentious.

So the iconic Gekko being released from prison for his former indiscretions, and returning to his old ways is an interesting and timely subject for Stone to explore. Unfortunately though, the resulting film fails to hold interest as it should.

DVD & Blu-ray Round Up: Doctor Who - A Christmas Carol

We're nothing if not predictable here at Popsiculture, so the with the release of the Doctor Who Christmas special today there are no prizes for guessing our DVD and Blu-ray release of the week. A Christmas Carol was a particularly strong festive outing for the Doctor, a time-travelling twist on the Dickens classic.

Michael Gambon gives a strong performance as the miserly Scrooge character, and Katherine Jenkins is good as the love interest, while Matt Smith continues to make the role of the Doctor his own. If there was one (predictable) complaint from me it would be the lack of screen time for the delectable Amy Pond, but you can't have everything.

Advent Calendar - Dec 6th - Twilight: Eclipse trailer

Today it has to be The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. The latest movie in the Twilight franchise is fresh out on DVD and Blu-ray, just in time for Christmas. Reacquaint yourself with the trailer as today's treat below.




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Advent Calendar - Dec 3rd - Blu-rays for under £10

Today's treat is proof that Blu-rays don't have to cost the Earth, with Amazon's excellent selection of Blu-rays for under £10. Our picks are below, but follow the link for a massive choice of more than 1,000 titles, all in high definition.


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DVD & Blu-ray Round Up: Toy Story 3

There's only one possible place to start this week, and that's with the release of the extraordinary final instalment in the Toy Story saga. Let me take you back for a moment to 1995: Colin Firth is winning ladies' hearts as Mr Darcy, Robbie Williams is breaking them by leaving Take That, and Sony are taking the world by storm with the release of the PlayStation. And a little known animation studio by the name of Pixar team up with Disney to release Toy Story, the first movie made entirely using computer-generated imagery. This 80-minute masterpiece was not only a big hit with the critics, but it went on to be a huge commercial success, spending 18 weeks in the movie charts, spawning an entirely new genre of film in the process.

The releases that have followed from Pixar, and it's main CGI competitor Dreamworks, have been some of the funniest, most entertaining, and most popular films in the intervening 15 years. From the early efforts like Antz and Shrek, to Pixar's mid noughties golden era of Finding Nemo and The Incredibles, or latter day greats like WALL-E and Up, they all owe a debt to the ground that was broken by Toy Story.

So for Toy Story 3, bringing the stories of Buzz, Woody, Jessie, the Potato Heads, and that pig thing to and end is quite a responsibility. Get the tone wrong and a 15 year, 2 film legacy could be ruined, get it right, and you've just completed one of the greatest film trilogies of all time. Thankfully Toy Story 3 comes in much, much closer to the latter; superbly written and beautifully animated, with a truly touching dénouement.

DVD & Blu-ray Round Up: Avatar Extended Collector's Edition

Avatar, James Cameron's 12-years-in-the-making sci-fi epic, with it's beautifully drawn alien world, and it's broadly drawn characters hits the shelves today in an all new Extended Collector's Edition, offering the viewer an additional 16 minutes of immersive action on Pandora.

There can't be anyone left who hasn't seen Avatar by now, so I'll rattle through the plot as quickly as I can: It's 2154, humans are mining on an alien moon called Pandora where they use 'avatars' to interact with the native Na'vi race. The Na'vi are a peaceful bunch whose homeland is threatened by the nasty colonial humans, one of whom is Jake Sully, a paraplegic former Marine sent undercover using his avatar to persuade the Na'vi to abandon their spiritual home at Hometree. Naturally he has a change of heart, and 'goes native' leading a heroic fightback against the humans.

DVD & Blu-ray Round Up: Doctor Who - The Complete Fifth Series

Finally, five months after the series finale aired, the BBC have released a box-set of the complete Doctor Who Series 5. And wouldn't you know, you wait five months and suddenly 4 box-sets come along at once. Take your pick from the rather spiffy lenticular 3D cover to the left, available on DVD or Blu-ray, or the executive-looking Special Edition steelbook complete with collector's booklet, 4 illustrated artcards, and a host of the usual commentaries and extras, again on DVD or Blu-ray.

I've already touched on this Doctor Who series a few times on the round up, and made no secret of the fact that I loved it. Matt Smith stepped in to David Tennant's shoes and looked a natural right from the start, and the addition of the beautiful and brilliant Karen Gillan hasn't done the show any harm whatsoever.

All in all series 5 was a great success, from the charming opening to The Eleventh Hour, through the spooky Vampires of Venice, the petrifying Time of Angels to the quirkier episodes like Vincent and the Doctor, and the good old fashioned two parter of The Hungry Earth / Cold Blood, everything seemed to more or less click in to place.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: 35th Anniversary Blu-ray Edition

Hey Fox, I've got something to say... I really love the skilful way... you've brought The Rocky Horror Picture Show out on Blu-ray.

It's 35 years since The Rocky Horror Picture Show was first released and it continues to prove one of the most popular touring theatre performances. The atmosphere when you see it live is incredible - and the delays due to true fans heckling the actors mean you really get your money's worth. But if you want to see Richard O'Brien, Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon's classic appearances, the movie's the way to go.

There's little to say about The Rocky Horror Picture Show that hasn't already been said, but read on for a round-up of the extra features that come on the 35th Anniversary Blu-ray Edition - this could be a good option for Christmas, if you know anyone who just loves to yell "Slut!" and "Asshole!" at their TV while decked out in their best lingerie.

DVD & Blu-ray Round Up: Predators

Okay film fans, I've been neglecting my weekly DVD and Blu-ray round up for too long now. Last week I missed the big release of Iron Man 2, and a couple of killer Blu-ray box-sets in the form of Alien Anthology and the 25th Anniversary digitally remastered, goodie-packed Back to the Future Trilogy Collectors Tin. Don't ask any more questions, just buy that one right now.

We can't keep living in the past though, so on to this week's batch of Doovdés. The big Hollywood release is Predators Robert Rodriguez' updated take on the 80s action/horror franchise. Bob gave you his verdict on the blog back in July, and I can't really fault his logic there.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed: Blu-ray Edition

The Disappearance of Alice Creed is what would probably usually be called a "stylish thriller". We're not talking George Clooney style here, we're talking about gritty, true-to-life cinema. If the character would swear in real life, they swear in the film. If there'd be violence, there is. The only real deviation from that is in the necessary fiction required to drive the plot, which is well crafted with all the twists and turns you might expect from a really well planned short story.

A cast of thousands this certainly is not - in fact, only three people appear on screen in the entire film. If you're a fan of Reservoir Dogs, with its ensemble cast, clearly laid out situation and dedication to driving the events towards that scene, rather than taking the actors to where the action is, then you should find something to like in The Disappearance of Alice Creed. If you're not much of a cinema fan, just buy it for the chance to see Gemma Arterton nude in high definition.

DVD & Blu-ray Round Up: The Exorcist

It's a thin week for new movie releases. You might be interested in MacGruber which I mercifully missed at the cinema, or The Losers, which I think everyone missed in the cinema, maybe even Steve Austin's Hunt To Kill, which I'm pretty sure missed the cinema all together.

No really, you might be interested in those. If you aren't mentally deranged however, you would be better off turning to an old gem getting it's first outing on Blu-ray this week, William Friedkin's classic horror The Exorcist. Now remastered in glorious high definition with 5.1 surround sound, the blu-ray presents a Directors Cut which extends the terror for another 12 spine-tingling minutes, plus the option for the purists of watching the original Theatrical Cut.

In case you don't already know the story of The Exorcist (where have you been?) it's the tale of a 12 year-old girl (Linda Blair) who becomes possessed by a devil, or possibly the devil. We follow her degeneration into a demonic state until her terrified mother has no option but to turn to Fathers Karras and Merrin to perform a dangerous and disturbing exorcism.

Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) is ultimately the embodiment of good, the counterpoint to the demon's evil, in a good old fashioned humdinger of a battle between the forces of light and dark. All of the iconic scenes are here, the head-turning, the projectile vomiting, the revelations about what Father Karras' mother gets up to in hell. And the additional 12 minutes brings some striking new images to the party too, not least Linda Blair's body-contorting 'spider-walk' which has to be seen to be understood.

Get it in for halloween at the end of the month, and maybe stock up on The Evil Dead, Halloween 4 and 5, or 30 Days of Night: Dark Days, all released or re-released this week. Maybe even treat yourself to Big Tits Zombie (seriously) while you're at it.

Back to the Future 25th Anniversary Re-release

It's been a busy year for Back to the Future. Of course it's 25 years since the original 1985 release of the movie - and it's a little strange to think how close we now are to the dates used in 1989's Back to the Future Part II. We might not have hoverboards, but we're getting closer to massive holographic sharks, so that's good.

As any of you who use Twitter to an obsessive extent will no doubt no, the anniversary festivities really got underway on July 5th when Totalfilm got it a bit wrong and thought JUL 05 2010 had ever appeared on the top row of the DeLorean's time circuits... and then did some ill-advised Photoshopping to go alongside their apology.

But now it's October - just like in the movie - and the 25th anniversary DVD and Blu-ray versions of the original film are being released to mark the proper milestone. What's more, they've only gone and put it back on the big screen, too. Great Scott!

DVD & Blu-ray Round Up: Robin Hood

DVD release of the week has to be Ridley Scott's Robin Hood, despite being criticised for it's historical inaccuracies and Russell Crowe's wandering accent, this Extended Directors' Cut is surely the best two-hours of blockbusting fun you'll get on DVD this week.

The amount of derision that Robin Hood has received for daring not to be a historical documentary, about what is essentially a fairytale, has been really unfair. Quibbles about the chronology of the Magna Carta, or Eleanor of Aquitaine's role in the story are so far removed from film criticism as to be absurd. As for Crowe's accent, okay it can be disconcerting as a viewer, and there is definitely something a bit off about the mix of Barnsley/Brisbane/Ballymena, but does it really matter?

DVD & Blu-ray Round Up: Lost - The Complete Sixth Season

When Lost was first imported to our shores by Channel Four back in 2005 it came with a blaze of hype and publicity. Not only was it the most expensive TV production ever (the feature-length series opener alone cost a reported $10m), but it had received rave reviews in the US where the first season had been a huge success.

6 million British viewers tuned in to find out what all the fuss was about on it's debut (which was scheduled next to another now defunct TV phenomenon). The series quickly attracted a dedicated fanbase returning each week to follow the story of the survivors of Oceanic flight 815 on the dark and duplicitous Island.

DVD & Blu-ray Round Up: Four Lions

Another good bunch of British releases this week is topped off by Chris Morris' Four Lions, a black comedy about four would-be Jihadist terrorists. It's clearly a controversial subject for a film, particularly a comedy, but Chris Morris is no stranger to edgy comedy. Previous sketches on The Day Today and Brass Eye have touched on war, drug use, animal rights and famously, paedophilia, so terrorism was the logical next step.

Morris walks the line very cleverly, creating a funny film, with a serious point about the absurdity of Muslim extremism, which carries the viewer through to its ending, which is genuinely poignant. When Omar and his pals, the gullible Waj (played by Fonejacker Kayvan Novak), Faisal and Barry (a recent, and zealous convert to Islam), set out to bring judgement down upon the decadent West, they soon find out that planning and executing their atrocity isn't as easy as it looks on TV. Whether it's the farce of recording their Jihad video, or considering the possibility of exploding birds as weapons.

DVD & Blu-ray Round Up: Going Postal

I'm finding it hard to pick a release of the week on DVD or Blu-ray this time around. As far as movie releases go it's a very underwhelming week indeed. Lebanon is an interesting indie flick, and Dear John is a half-decent weepy, while Jude Law continues his dodgy choice of roles starring in the sci-fi oddity that is Repo Men. Nothing that stands out though, so I'll have to turn to the TV releases instead.

Plenty to choose from on that front, but, because I like to champion quality British releases, I'll have to plump for the adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Going Postal, which aired on Sky back in May of this year. As usual with these things there's a cast of familiar faces, rather than superstar names. Richard Coyle takes up the lead role as Moist von Lipwig, a small-time confidence trickster whose unusual punishment is to be made Postmaster of Ankh-Morpork, and charged with reviving the city's defunct Postal Service. There are parts along the way for Great British institutions such as David Suchet, Andrew Sachs and Charles Dance, as well as newer stars like Tamsin Greig and League of Gentlemen's Steve Pemberton.

DVD & Blu-ray Round Up - The Infidel

The Infidel is top of the pile this week, a light-hearted and enjoyable British comedy written by David Baddiel. It stars Omid Djalili as Mahmud Nasir a semi-observant British Muslim of Pakistani origin...at least that’s what he believes himself to be as the action gets under way. He soon discovers that he was adopted as a child though, and intrigued to discover his true parentage, he toddles off to the town hall to find out. After a heated encounter with the ubiquitous Miranda Hart, Mahmud is told that he was born to Jewish parents. What ensues is really, a comedy of manners, as Mahmud struggles to live up to both his Jewish heritage, and the Muslim life he has been living.

The subject matter could easily have been controversial, indeed it could have been played deliberately to reach for controversy, but that isn’t Baddiel’s style. Instead, we are taken through a knockabout romp, which never feels forced and doesn’t rely (too much) on one-deminsional stereotypes. Djalili is an endearing screen presence, and the cameos from various other British comedy stars are pleasing.

DVD & Blu-ray Round Up - Shutter Island

Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island grabs the coveted POPSICULTURE DVD and Blu-ray Release of the Week(TM) this week. It's okay Marty, you don't have to come over to pick up the award. The thriller starring Leo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo divided opinion at the time of its cinema release, seen by some as a glorified B-movie unworthy of its director, and by others as a chilling psychological masterpiece.

The truth, as always, is somewhere in between. Shutter Island a slow-slow-fast movie, full of lingering suspenseful scenes, interspersed with the occasional burst of action to keep you on your toes. DiCaprio and Ruffalo play charmingly named US Marshals, Teddy and Chuck, who are sent to the eponymous island to investigate mysterious goings on at a hospital for the criminally insane. It’s hard to get away from the B-movie connotations in that plot, but there are enough twists and turns throughout the two-hour running time to hold our attention. Suffice to say nothing, and no one, on the island is what it seems.