This Week on DVD & Blu-ray (05-01-12)

The only must-see film from earlier this year is Steven Soderbergh’s clean and efficient spy thriller “Haywire”, which showcases the impressive physical skill of former MMA fighter Gina Carano. Seeing her bulldoze her way through beefcake such as Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, and Ewan McGregor is a treat in and of itself. Not much to say about the other two new releases out: the Queen Latifah/Dolly Parton musical comedy “Joyful Noise” and “New Year’s Eve” yet another all-star (using the term lightly) holiday smorgasbord from director Garry Marshall. Happy Days, indeed. Notable new releases on Blu-ray this week: the fine 2002 dramedy “About a Boy” from the Weitz brothers, “Clueless” the classic 90’s comedy from Amy Heckerkling, and one of my favorite Westerns, 1972’s “Jeremiah Johnson” starring Robert Redford and directed by his frequent collaborator, the late Sydney Pollack. Three solid yet different films now on Blu-ray.

Finally, if you’re feeling adventurous or are in need of a remedy for insomnia, there’s “W.E.” which is the latest directorial effort from Madonna. It may be a Golden Globe winner (doesn’t mean much) for Madonna’s end credit song “Masterpiece” and it did get an Oscar nom, but it also has a Rotten Tomatoes scoring of 13%, out of 59 reviews. But, if you’re die-hard fans of actors Abbie Cornish, James D’Arcy and Oscar Isaac, you may be enticed by this film.

 

That’s it for this week! Previous reviews are highlighted in the list below. Enjoy the Rundown….

 

 

• About a Boy (Blu-ray)
• Bird of Paradise: Kino Classics Edition (DVD)
• Clueless (Blu-ray)
• Covert Affairs: Season Two (DVD)
• Definitely, Maybe (Blu-ray)
• Felicity: Season One (DVD)
• Felicity: Season Two (DVD)
• Flicka: Country Pride (DVD)
• Haywire (DVD/Blu-ray)
• The Invisible Man: The Complete Series (DVD/Blu-ray)
• Jeremiah Johnson (Blu-ray)
• Joyful Noise (DVD/Blu-ray)
• Level Up (DVD)
• Meet Joe Black (Blu-ray)
• Men in Black (DVD/Blu-ray)
• Men in Black II (DVD/Blu-ray)
• Mimic 3-Film Set (DVD/Blu-ray)
• New Year’s Eve (DVD/Blu-ray)
• Phil Collins: Live at Monreux 2004 (DVD)
• Pillow Talk (Universal 100th Anniversary) (Blu-ray)
• Sesame Street: Singing With the Stars (DVD)
• She’s Not Our Sister (DVD)
• Snow White: A Tale of Terror (DVD)
• Suits: Season One (DVD)
• The Tim Burton Collection (Blu-ray)
• Thunderstorm: Return of Thor (DVD)
• W.E. (DVD)