New DVD Releases This Week – 1/8/13

We’ve got plenty of new releases this week, many of which aren’t big studio releases. Yet, there’s still plenty of quality out there, and a nice slate of unique films. Let’s get right to it.

Dredd

Being only seven years old when the original was released, I don’t even have the nostalgia thing going for me when it comes to appreciating the Stallone version of this film. I, like most people, have pretty low expectations for this. After receiving a thumbs up from a couple friends, I decided I’d “waste my money” on a screening. I’ll tell you this people, if this was a waste of money, it was the best waste of money that I spent on a movie all year. This is a movie that’s relentless and creative in it’s action pieces, and the one liners belted out manage to stay on the proper side of the line between awesome and cheesy.

Some people might find the violence a little much, but I didn’t mind it one bit. And what helps separate this movie from most action movies is that it actually uses slow-motion and 3-D to tell the story. It’s not just there as a gimmick or as a money grab, and it might the best use of the 3-D format that I’ve witnessed, even when compared to an Avatar or Hugo. If you or a friend have a 3-D TV, I would highly recommend this movie in that format.

Karl Urban was a brilliant casting choice, although you can’t mention the acting in this movie without bringing up Lena Headey, who just absorbs her role completely. That really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, however. The plot is pretty similar to The Raid, but it wasn’t something that hit me until a week after watching it. This is one of the best action movies released this year, and is highly recommended as long as you don’t mind a little satire.

Verdit: Watch It

Compliance

You want a movie from this year that will make you uncomfortable? Even as someone who tends who enjoy movies that portray such a realism that it makes you uneasy, this movie left me in a state of denial the entire time. “What the?”, “Oh my”, and “But..” were expressions that the movie often left me uttering; and where some people can misconstrue that as a bad thing, I find it invigorating when movies are capable of doing such. And what makes it even more bind boggling is that it’s based off a true story.

The film essentially follows a group of employees at a fast food restaurant, as one of them is accused of stealing money by someone on the phone claiming to be the police. This leads to things happening in which you are often left questioning how such moments were allowed to transpire. The movie relishes in minimalism, and is all the better for it. Actress Ann Dowd has been campaigning for a Oscar nomination, and if there were any justice in this world, she’d receive one. She’s almost certain to miss out on one, however, but that’s no reason to miss out on this fantastic and powerful film.

Verdict: Watch It

Samsara

I don’t get around to as many documentaries as I would like, but this film was one that I simply couldn’t pass up. This is a collection of film that was done in 25 countries over a five year period, and is probably my favorite view of Earth and its relationship with the humans that inhabit it. It’s 109 minutes of film with nary a line dialogue, but it’s message is made loud and clear (and outputting to some) with fantastic visuals and and a magnificent score. I wish I would have type of a review for this while it was still in theaters, because ultimately that’s the format that this movie was supposed to be viewed in.

Spanning the entire globe, these wide lens shots will often leave you breathless, and to see this type of film in an IMAX format, I would’ve been more than comfortable forking out around $30 for just the ticket alone. The cinematography is that good. I’m sure it will still be impressive while watching it at home, but you’ll be missing out on some of the magic at the theater was able to deliver. That being said, this is a moving documentary that will create plenty of discussion, even if it doesn’t do any talking itself.

Verdict: Watch It

Frankenweenie

I never got around to watching Tim Burton’s latest in theaters, but it currently sits at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, and could manage to become an Oscar nominee come Thursday morning. From the trailers, it looks like the visuals will be top notch. It just seemed overly “Burton” to me, and while I enjoy most of his movies, it’d be nice to see something a little different from the guy. Is that too much to ask for?

Verdict: Give It A Try

Game Change

Of the movies being released this week, this one intrigues me the most. While I can’t stand the thought of watching a film about Sarah Palin (a similar effect has prevented me from watching W.), Julianne Moore looks as if she has the role down perfect, and her interpretation of the politician looks to be spot on. Ditto for Ed Harris. This received pretty good praise when it released by HBO, a company that turned something that was probably supposed to be direct-to-DVD into a hit.

Verdict: Give It A Try

House at the End of the Street

Can’t say I heard very many good things about this one. In fact, if you look at a lot of the Top 10 lists that people are publishing, this often finds itself into their bottom five. I like Jennifer Lawrence just as much as the next guy, but until I hear otherwise, I’m going to say that this one is a pass.

Verdict: Skip It

Jack and Diane

Starring Juno Temple and Kylie Minogue, I thought this one showed potential at one time. After only opening in two theaters and sporting a 10% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 45 of MetaCritic, I think we can safely assume this will be a pass, even though I still say that Juno Temple is destined to become something much, much bigger one day.

Verdict: Skip It

Stolen

Oh, Nicolas Cage. What are we going to do with you? Not only does this sound like a horrible movie, I honestly thought the official poster for this film was fan-made and was poking fun at the movies that Cage signs onto. Nope, all real. This is a movie that cost $35 million to make, but only managed to make $300,000 at the box office before being pulled from theaters two weeks into it’s release. It couldn’t make back 1% of its budget from its domestic in-take. That, my friends, is passed funny. It’s just sad.

Verdict: Skip It

What new releases did you enjoy? What will you be watching this week?