This Week on DVD & Blu-ray (08-20-13)

 

 

Sandwiched in-between a mediocre animated feature (“Epic”) and yet another  unnecessary horror movie spoof sequel (“Scary Movie 5”), we find Michael Haneke’s “Amour” a challenging film which depicts probably the most honest and heartbreaking portrayal of love I’ve ever seen on-screen. The film, about a physically and mentally deteriorating elderly couple touches on many themes, especially on illness and aging, but this Oscar-winning film (for Best Foreign Language film, yet was also nominated for Best Actress, Director and Picture) is most impacting in how it forces the viewer to consider themselves and what they would do (or quite possibly, will do) if such inevitable unfortunate circumstances befall them. It’s a powerful and emotional film that is both tender and hostile. It’s not easy to see, but that shouldn’t stop anyone from seeing this raw and unabashed look at life by a provocative filmmaker.

 

Also out this week is one of the most yawn-inducing movies of the year.  Mark Steven Chapman’s (“Daredevil” and “Ghost Rider”) latest “Killing Season”, starring Robert DeNiro and John Travolta (in one of the most laughable performances of the year), barely saw any theatrical release and that’s a good thing. The two actors star as veteran soldiers from the Bosnian war. DeNiro is a wounded American, while Travolta is a Bosnian solider with a most ridiculous accent. What could have been a gripping cat-and-mouse survival thriller in the  Appalachians, proves to be a formulaic bore. DeNiro all but sleepwalks through his role, while Travolta continues his bizarro run of hamming it up for some oblivious reason. I saw this out of pure curiosity and wound up feeling like I was gawking at a roadside accident as I drove by. I’m glad it’s them and not me as I look back at my rearview mirror.

 

That’s it for this week. Gonna keep it short. Enjoy the Rundown….