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New Rental Releases This Week (19/07/10) |
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 New DVD rental releases at DVBee this week:
Shutter Island, Spread and Leap Year!
 SHUTTER ISLAND (2010)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Age Restriction: 16LV
Leonardo DiCaprio is on the hunt for that elusive Oscar, working alongside big shot directors and delivering some truly great lead performances. Shutter Island is no different as DiCaprio turns in yet another absorbing performance, supported by Ben Kingsley and Mark Ruffalo. This mystery thriller has the trappings of a classic with Scorsese behind camera in an uncharacteristic blend of genres. Shutter Island is gripping, well-acted, beautifully composed and based on a mystery novel by Dennis LeHane, although slightly subdued by parallels with The Shining and a sluggish conclusion. Full Review...
 SPREAD (2009)
Director: David Mackenzie
Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Anne Heche
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Age Restriction: 16LNS
Kutcher gears up his acting in this sleazy, LA story. Imagine John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever with sex substituting for dancing. It's a pity that David Duchovny already took the title for Californication, because Spread seems more fit for the title with Kutcher prostituting himself out to any wealthy 35-45 woman willing to take him on as a live-in toy boy. Its superficial slant on the Los Angeles lifestyle is quite becoming and there's very little heart at the core of living the high life, whether you're a successful attorney or a charming, unemployed loafer. Gratuitous sex scenes, cars, apartments and money all roll into one in this coming-of-age drama.
 LEAP YEAR (2009)
Director: Anand Tucker
Starring: Amy Adams, Matthew Goode
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Age Restriction: PG
This sweet, affable romantic comedy is charming and backed by two likable up-and-coming Hollywood starlets. The Irish backdrop is beautiful, the Claddagh ring meets Leap Year tradition of women proposing to men premise is quite original. However, Leap Year doesn't give you the heartwarming feeling of a truly classic romantic comedy. The laughs are a little scarce, making this a light, watchable and middling "romcom" for those who enjoyed Maid of Honour.
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Be first to identify this celeb at SPL!NG on Facebook and win a R100 WantItAll voucher!
Trivia: This Founder of the Sundance Film Festival dislikes watching his own films. (IMDB)
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World's Great Dad Movie Review: Um, About That... He Isn't. |
 World's Greatest Dad... we see the slogan on coffee mugs, t-shirts and fake certificates, but how could someone truly know they were the world's greatest dad? There's no way of quantifying it... and the illustrious title comes wrapped in a bundle of bias, making it a personal, yet hollow compliment with the best of intentions. A pretty complex little conundrum, which is probably why this film's for adults with Robin Williams as the World's Greatest Dad... he's not. Robin Williams stars as Lance Clayton, a loving father, a committed teacher and a struggling writer. His form of "writer's block" makes it so that his work keeps getting blocked from magazines, newspapers and publishing houses. To make matters worse, his ungrateful brat and only child, Kyle would make Bart Simpson blush with his repertoire of explicit language fueled by his filthy mind. When Lance finally does get his golden opportunity to become a full-time writer, ironically it's his son, who is there to open the door and keep him on the straight-and-narrow. This is a drama and a pretty gutsy, twisted, adult comedy too. It's for those of us, who like their comedy black. It's one of those awkward schoolyard dramas with mature themes like Donnie Darko, Rushmore and Charlie Bartlett, where one kid seems to be at the centre of it all. The kid in this case is Kyle, whose sudden celebrity status helps his father write his first book...continued. |
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Now Showing This Week (16/07/10) |
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New cinema releases this week... A Nightmare on Elm Street, Brooklyn's Finest, Shrek Forever After [in 3D], The Losers and Themba: A Boy Called Hope.
 A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (2010)
Director: Samuel Bayer
Starring: Jackie Earle Haley, Kyle Gallner
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Age Restriction: 16VL
"One, two Freddy's coming for you." Armed with a gardening glove and shears, this very badly burnt guy in the fedora has been ruining our dreams for almost 3 decades, clocking in more sequels than Rocky. Believe it. Now that his Michael Bay remake has surfaced... against Wes Craven's better judgment, it's time for Jackie Earle Haley to step up to the plate in the place of the Freddy, Robert Englund. Unfortunately, while slick, competent and street-wise as a stand-alone complex - the remake just doesn't measure up to the scares, performances and creepiness of the original. Full Review...
 BROOKLYN'S FINEST (2009)
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Age Restriction: 16DNLSV
Antoine Fuqua, director of Training Day, returns with this gritty crime thriller about three disconnected Brooklyn cops. While Brooklyn's Finest is slick, tense, engrossing and backed by a top-notch cast, it still manages to play into genre clichés with a familiar script that just ignores the fact that similar films have already been made. The performances from Gere, Cheadle, Hawke and Snipes up the intensity, but the film doesn't have the goods to power its way beyond mediocrity- making it a good back-up plan for movie night.
 SHREK FOREVER AFTER 3D (2010)
Director: Mike Mitchell
Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Age Restriction: PG V
Shrek - that jolly green booger ogre is back in 3D, taking a couple of pages from that magical family classic, It's A Wonderful Life. Shrek has become a stranger in Far Far Away after signing a contract with Rumpelstiltskin. Everyone knows his name, but the Ogre-for-a-Day experience was just too tempting after feeling the pull of responsibility as a married man with kids. The new adventure isn't as funny as Shrek, Shrek 2 and even Shrek the Third and also carries a much more introspective, melancholic tone. It stays true to the world of Far Far Away, yet doesn't have the same happy-go-lucky tale of friendship and upbeat soundtrack in tow. It's still entertaining and better than Shrek the Third, but you can't help but feel that something's amiss. Full Review...
 THE LOSERS (2009)
Director: Sylvain White
Starring: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Idris Elba
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Age Restriction: TBA
If you like your action movies big, loud, funny, stupid and violent - look no further. This action-packed comic adventure features a great cast, witty dialogue and some cracking one-liners. This is the cinema equivalent of junk food, armed with a borderline cheesy script, a nonsensical plot and enough action set pieces to blow your hair back. It makes a great warm-up to The A-Team and it's most redeeming quality - it doesn't take itself too seriously. A fun, forgettable actioner for a guy's night out.
 THEMBA: A BOY CALLED HOPE (2010)
Director: Stefanie Sycholt
Starring: Nat 'Junior' Singo, Simphiwe Dana, Patrick Mofokeng
Genre: Drama
Age Restriction: 13M
This winning coming-of-age drama is about Themba, a young boy who escapes poverty to pursue his dream of becoming a soccer star. Themba is adapted from Lutz van Djik's novel, Crossing the Line, and draws a universal message of hope out of despair. Themba was filmed on-location in the Eastern Cape and entrenches itself in South Africa, while focusing on hot topic issues such as HIV and Aids. Great performances, solid production values, a beautiful story and a powerful message help knit this film into the fabric of South Africa in the aftermath of the FIFA World Cup 2010.
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A Nightmare on Elm Street Movie Review: Reslash |
 A Nightmare on Elm Street is one of the most successful horror franchises ever... carrying Freddy Krueger, the burnt man with a fedora and bladed claw through our nightmares for almost three decades. Freddy's colleagues, Halloween's Michael Myers and Friday the 13th's Jason Voorhees recently received their own remakes, so it was almost inevitable that Krueger would be given a face-lift remake. Rob Zombie's Halloween remake placed more emphasis on the face behind the mask, while the Friday the 13th remake got a less imaginative redux with Michael Bay as producer. Bay has been producing '70s and '80s horror remakes over the last few years... including The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Amityville Horror, The Hitcher, Friday the 13th and now A Nightmare on Elm Street. While most of these remakes have proved watchable and fairly entertaining as stand-alone features, many have not retained the same spirit and flair for horror, opting for a more contemporary stylish look and feel. The same can be said for A Nightmare on Elm Street with renowned music video director, Samuel Bayer and Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy Krueger, (Watchmen's Rorschach) at the helm of a largely unknown cast. Robert Englund will always be the Freddy Krueger and there have been some noticeable modifications. Apart from the burn scars, Freddy's face doesn't look the same... he looks like an alien rat with 3rd degree burns or Ralph Fiennes in The English Patient...continued. |
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Shrek Forever After Movie Review: Ogre-for-a-Day |
 The world would seem a little out-of-place without that lovable, jolly green ogre with the Scottish accent and his jabbering doggedly companion, Donkey. It's sad to say goodbye to the big green fella, but we'll always have his happy-go-lucky adventures. Shrek Forever After concludes the Shrek franchise in 3D, drawing to a close the last chapter of the tongue-in-cheek fairy tale saga. It's been fun, but all good things have to come to an end. Shrek Forever After is an improvement on Shrek the Third, which put the novelty and energy of the series in doubt. This fourth installment seems a bit tired and unnecessary, but the good news is that Dreamworks have managed to salvage any damage done by the crass and mixed bag that was Shrek the Third. Shrek Forever After is a sequel and the film-makers have tried to instill a fresh burst of energy to the last chapter with a take on that magical family classic It's A Wonderful Life. Shrek, Donkey, Fiona and Puss-in-Boots voice talents - Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonnio Banderas - have all made a return with Walt Dohrm voicing Rumpelstiltskin. The chemistry is still there between the characters, although it's almost a little too comfortable and Shrek Forever After leans more heavily on Myers with Shrek in almost every scene. The other voice talents absorb a team supporting role as Shrek is bandied from one character to the next. The comedy is slightly subdued by the tone in this episode with the...continued. |
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New Rental Releases This Week (13/07/10) |
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New DVD rental releases at DVBee this week:
Nine, Precious, Hachiko: A Dog's Story, Remember Me and Tooth Fairy!
 NINE (2009)
Director: Rob Marshall
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz
Genre: Drama, Musical, Romance
Age Restriction: PG13
Nine is a for lack of a better description, a 'straight' musical. The central director figure, played by Daniel Day-Lewis, fulfills several reflective roles according to each of the leading ladies in his life in this story about a talented, yet indecisive directorial genius. Memoirs of a Geisha director, Rob Marshall, adapts a musical based on Fellini's 8 1/2 with great style and flair, creating a classic Italian look and surreal feel to the musical. A first-rate performance from Day-Lewis and some surprisingly good musical performances from the likes of Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman and Dame Judi Dench make Nine classy, sultry, entertaining and full of verve.
 PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE (2009)
Director: Lee Daniels
Starring: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton
Genre: Drama
Age Restriction: 16LV
Precious tells the depressing, yet inspiring story of an abused teenage girl living in South Central. She's overweight, unwanted and scorned by her abusive mother, taking life in her stride. The adaptation of Push is gritty, yet moving... taking a kitchen sink slice-of-life on a low budget and investing heaps of real emotion and drama. The strength of the performances is what carries this heart-wrenching drama home with an excellent debut performance from Sidibe, a career best from Mo'Nique and a strong turn by Paula Patton.
 HACHIKO: A DOG'S STORY (2009)
Director: Lasse Hallstrom
Starring: Richard Gere, Joan Allen
Genre: Drama, Family
Age Restriction: PG
Hachiko: A Dog's Story, like Marley & Me, is one of those heartwarming tearjerker's you just can't help but like. An Akita puppy is lost in transit at a train station in New York and a Professor adopts and raises the prized Japanese dog like a son. Altruistic themes of honour, respect and loyalty breach any excessive sentiment and create a wonderful true story about a dog and his master. Fine performances, inspired direction, beautiful cinematography and sweetness follow in this beautiful tale. The maudlin feel, lilting music and short runtime are no match for the story's overpowering story and style.
 REMEMBER ME (2009)
Director: Allen Coulter
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Chris Cooper
Genre: Drama, Romance
Age Restriction: 13LSV
Remember Me is a drama about a James Dean-type character, played by Robert Pattinson. The 21-year-old is undecided about his future, pushing away from his father's cold, corporate climate and trying to find a channel of his own. On his journey he protects his sister, finds himself in jail with a friend, challenges his father and meets Ally, a street smart girl who he just could love. Remember Me's ebb-and-flow works effectively in portraying the life and times of a troubled youth surviving in a bustling New York City, yet manages to undo all the good work in the closing stages with a radical and jarring plot development.
 TOOTH FAIRY (2010)
Director: Michael Lembeck
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Ashley Judd
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Family
Age Restriction: A
Dwayne Johnson has made tremendous in-roads in Hollywood with performances ranging from tyrannical in The Scorpion King to lovable in The Game Plan. He's too big to be a supporting character and dominates proceedings once again with a charismatic turn in Tooth Fairy alongside Ashley Judd, Stephen Merchant, Billy Crystal and Julie Andrews. While this high concept fantasy family comedy has the potential for great laughs, it's primarily aimed at kids continually reinventing the muscle man in fairy wings joke... again and again. The formulaic plot and lack-lustre writing make this super lightweight production fun, dumb and sweet at best.
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