Andvil's DVD Picks for February 7th

Andvil · Post by **Andvil** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 4:53 pm

Andvil's DVD Picks for February 7th, 2006

A good bit of stuff coming out this week, including one or two big releases.
Actually a couple of things I'd really like to get.
here goes....

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Wallace & Gromit - The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
dir. Steve Box, Nick Park

According to RottenTomatoes.com, this was the "Best Reviewed Wide-Release Movie of 2005", scoring a 95% on the Tomato Meter.
And basically what that means is, 95% of the critics that saw it gave it a positive review.
That's gotta tell you something.
I never got around to watching this movie, but I'll more than likely check it out in the upcoming weeks.

Amazon.com's review:
A decade after their last hilarious short, the Oscar-winning A Close Shave, Claymation wonders Wallace and Gromit return for a full-length adventure. Daffy scientist Wallace (voiced by Peter Sallis) and his heroic dog Gromit are doing well with their business, Anti-Pesto, a varmint-hunting outfit designed to keep their English town safe from rabbits chomping on prized vegetables. Wallace meets Lady Tottington (Helena Bonham Carter), who appreciates Wallace's humane way of dealing with rabbits (courtesy of the Bun-Vac 6000), and sets up a rivalry with the gun-toting Victor Quartermaine (Ralph Fiennes, enjoying himself more than ever). Creator Nick Park, with co-director/writer Steve Box, delivers a story worthy of the 85-minute running time, although it stretches the act a bit; the formula plays better shorter, but the literally hand-crafted film is a joy to watch. Taking a chapter from classic horror films, a giant were-rabbit is soon on the prowl, and the town is up in arms, what with the annual vegetable contest close at hand. (Anyone who's seen the previous three shorts knows who saves the day.) Never content to do something simply when the extravagant will do, W&G's lives are filled with whimsical Rude Goldberg-style devices, and the opening number showcasing their alarm system is pure Aardman Animation at its finest. Even though there's a new twist here--a few mild sight gags aimed at adults--this G-rated film will delight young and old alike as Park, like team Pixar, seems incapable of making anything but an outstanding film.

DVD Features:
English & French DD5.1 Surround
English & Spanish DD2.0 Stereo
English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles
Audio commentary with director/writer Steve Box and director/writer Nick Park
Deleted Scenes with optional commentary
How Wallace & Gromit Went To Hollywood - Featurette
Behind the Scenes of 'The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
A Day in the Life at Aardman - Featurette
How to Build a Bunny - Featurette
Stage Fright - award-winning short film
The Family Album - Colourful production stills of the elaborate sets and meticulous character development
Dreamworks Kids - A variety of fun-filled, engaging interactive games and creative activities.

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Elizabethtown (2005)
dir. Cameron Crowe

Cameron Crowe makes good movies, but for whatever reason, I had (and still have) absolutely zero desire to see this.
Did anyone watch this? I could probably just search but I'm too lazy.

Amazon.com's review:
Elizabethtown has all of the elements of a great Cameron Crowe movie, but none of the Cameron Crowe vision that made Almost Famous work. It's mostly a series of sweet moments, each capped with the right song at the right time; in fact, the soundtrack is the real star of the movie, and the right song is all there is to piece together a film that is much less than the sum of its parts.
From the start of Elizabethtown, big contrasts are evoked: death and life, success and failure are side by side, so we're told. When the movie starts, Drew Baylor (Orlando Bloom) is experiencing failure and death in spades: the shoe he spent eight years designing for Mercury (a thinly-veiled copy of Nike) has been recalled, costing his company $972 million dollars. On the verge of a suicide attempt, he learns his father has died, and Drew flies to Kentucky to retrieve the body to Oregon for cremation. On the red-eye to Louisville he meets Claire Colburn (Kirsten Dunst), a perky flight att'ndant with a charming flair for cute lines ("I'm impossible to forget, but I

Andvil · Post by **Andvil** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 4:55 pm

I hope this thread gets more replies than the last one

quick survey question: Do you guys read any of the stuff underneath the DVDs or do you just skim through and check the titles or what?
I doubt I'll change the format, I'm just curious

Positive A · Post by **Positive A** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 4:59 pm

I just skim until I find something I like.

French Connection may get copped.

Tariq's Dilemma · Post by **Tariq's Dilemma** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 5:05 pm

Positive A wrote:I just skim until I find something I like.

French Connection will get copped.

Kalel · Post by **Kalel** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 5:07 pm

i look at the releases and then I read what you say. I could give a shit was Amazon says.

but im enjoyin these threads. keep doin em. props.

Mo Cheeks · Post by **Mo Cheeks** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 5:13 pm

LOL @ the Jack Nicolson face paint coment

yeah man the work you put into this is much appreciated

drizzle · Post by **drizzle** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 5:14 pm

Wallace and Gromit is incredible, i honestly never thought i could enjoy a claymation cartoon as much

Anybody seen day of the dolphin? i was watching the hustler last night and could do with more g.c. scott

personally i like the little write-ups, a picture of a box means jack shit to me

StormShadow · Post by **StormShadow** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 5:30 pm

I do not read the writeups because generally speaking I don't care what anybody has to say about most of these because I either already know about the movies or don't want to.

Sometimes though, I will read them. I read most of them this week for instance.

DIRT BIKE KID YEAAAAAAH

And yeah, there is nothing good about Last Resort. I blame that more on National Lampoon than the Coreys though. The Coreys are cinema magic, and fuck NL for not delivering them a vehicle worthy of their licenses to drive.

Tariq's Dilemma · Post by **Tariq's Dilemma** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 5:32 pm

To be clear: I read what you write about it Andvil, and occasionally the actual write up.

I reference this list all the time with my boys, it is more complete than any list I can find.

How many different websites do you use to compile this?

Andvil · Post by **Andvil** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 5:41 pm

Tariq's Dilemma wrote:How many different websites do you use to compile this?

mostly just Amazon.com
I know by using that site exclusively, I'm missing out on obscure DVDs that might get released on specific websites or whatever, but I'm not worried about that.
Sometimes if there are big name overseas releases I'll use DVDAsian.com.
And if a DVD on Amazon doesnt have extras listed, but it's clearly a DVD that would have extras, I check DVDTalk.com and see if there's a review

intuition · Post by **intuition** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 6:39 pm

i read what you write, but not so much the amazon reviews in less it's something i have absolutely never heard of.

not too many new movies coming out this week. i'll probably check the johnny knoxville movie (only because of the tarantino thing which i guess means nothing) if i see it around.

Psychosis · Post by **Psychosis** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 7:19 pm

Kalel wrote:i look at the releases and then I read what you say.

but im enjoyin these threads. keep doin em. props.

Butta · Post by **Butta** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:00 pm

A few things:

*I look forward to this every Monday. Seriously, every Monday I update my Blockbuster account.

* I read 100% of what you have to say.

*I read about 50% of the Amazon crap.

*Never stop doing this.

Andvil · Post by **Andvil** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:12 pm

^^

awesome

thanks everyone

drizzle · Post by **drizzle** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:20 pm

you ever thought of doing a blog or something? maybe a phila blog like reggie and mgp and whoever else is doing them?

reevolution · Post by **reevolution** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:57 pm

Andvil wrote:^^ awesome

thanks everyone

i pretty much just lurk in this forum, but i always check for this post at the beginning of the week.

jredd109 · Post by **jredd109** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 3:44 am

i definately check these threads every week. save me a trip to the store to find out there arn't any movies worth getting. that's not your fault though. and the write-ups are prime. keep it moving like LONS.

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 10:22 am

i read this thread every week. i look forward to it like vegas lines, but it's one of those informative threads not so much an interactive.

when does saw 2 drop?

HopeLess · Post by **HopeLess** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 12:16 pm

This drops today, most definately picking it up after school. Love this show.

wuk · Post by **wuk** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 7:29 pm

Mos def keep doing this as a thread, I don't think I would read a blog...but your taste rarely disappoints.

Bambi II???
Please let us know.

Dan · Post by **Dan** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 9:09 pm

Andvil, I look forward to these posts each week. I mainly look at the box cover and then the special features. I do not read the Amazon reviews at all.

This week I'll be getting

ECW's Most Violent Matches

This 2-DVD set features 19 of the most brutal matches in the history of ECW- Extreme Championship Wrestling, hand-selected by the evil genius of wrestling, Paul Heyman, who introduces every violent match.

Andvil · Post by **Andvil** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 10:41 am

Philaflava wrote:i read this thread every week. i look forward to it like vegas lines, but it's one of those informative threads not so much an interactive.

that's understandable.

when does saw 2 drop?

next week