This Week on DVD & Blu-ray (08-06-13)

There’s some satisfying choices this week, with some of them being the best 2013 has had to offer – at least in the drama category. Two talented American writer/directors, Jeff Nichols and Derek Cianfrance released “Mud” and “The Place Beyond the Pines”, respectively, delivering two fine genre-bending dramas with some fine performances. They both come highly-recommended by the folks here at Keeping It Reel. Check them out and spread the word. Universal Studios is also releasing “Oblivion”, the Tom Cruise-helmed high-minded sci-fi actioner directed by John Krasinski that suffers the same end result as “TRON: Legacy”, his last film. It’s all fascinating sound and vision with a mishmash of other films found in the story. That was good enough for me though. I was won over by all the breathtaking visuals and the clean-designed world-building that overwhelmed the big-screen. Unfortunately, unless you have a personal IMAX screen, you probably won’t feel the full effect of it all.

Also out this week is Terence Malick’s latest film, “To the Wonder” starring Ben Affleck, Olga Kurlyenko, Rachel McAdams and Javier Bardem. Once again, we’re treated to Malick’s sublime visuals over a hypnotic soundtrack by Hanan Townshend, but other than that, the film unfortunately winds up being pretentious in its poetic approach. Through vague characterization, we follow a couple (Affleck and Kurlyenko) as they meet in France and then start a life in Oklahoma, eventually both encountering a few distractions (Bardem and Adams) along the way. I found myself both bored and annoyed by this picture. Clearly, Malick was going for a “less is more” approach, but sometimes an audience needs more to go on if we’re asked to follow characters along a supposedly tumultuous road. Affleck’s and Kurlenko’s characters were bland and unrealistic, making their story quite uninteresting. This is a film strictly for the die-hard Malick fans as it winds up testing every last fiber of patience for the viewer. Still, it’s a beautiful film. Just look at the trailer below.

A wide range of selections make their way to Blu-ray for the first time. From “Action Jackson” to “Ishtar” to “The Pick-Up Artist”. How’s that for 80s gems?

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