Moon
Pick of the Week – After spending close to three years alone on the moon mining Helium-3, a gas used to create energy on Earth, Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) begins to see someone else on the base with him. Someone who looks identical to him. GERTY, his computerized assistant (voiced by Kevin Spacey), claims to not see anyone else among them. Is GERTY programmed to lie? Or is Sam losing his mind from the isolation? Moon was on my Best Films of 2009 list and watching it again on DVD was just as enjoyable as the first time I saw in the theatre. The film still haunts me and I highly recommend it for those looking for a smart sci-fi film that is more about story than special effects. Special features include commentary with writer-director Duncan Jones, a making-of featurette, a featurette on the visual effects, plus more. Also available on Blu-ray. Film **** DVD *** (out of 5 stars).
Halloween II: Unrated Edition
- I was a big fan of Rob Zombie’s Halloween retelling and it sounds like I might be one of the few that enjoyed the sequel too. The film picks up right where the last one ends with Laurie (Scout Taylor-Compton) walking down the street covered in blood after shooting Michael. Skip ahead two years and Michael is back in the small town of Haddonfeld looking for Laurie and killing everyone that gets in his way. The violence is sick and brutal, the acting is so-so, and although the film has its problems (especially the film’s non-characteristic scenes such as Michael’s surreal visions of his mother or when he’s walking around in the open without his infamous white mask on), there was something eerie about it that kept me intrigued throughout. It might not fit as part of the Halloween franchise, but as a horror film on its own, it worked for me. Special features include commentary with Rob Zombie, blooper reel, deleted scenes, plus more. Also available on Blu-ray. Film *** DVD *** (out of 5 stars).
Urban Action Collection
– This is an awesome two-disc set featuring four bad-ass films. Included are Black Belt Jones (my favourite of the bunch), Black Samson, Hot Potato, and Three The Hard Way. Each film is cool, funny, and full of wild fight scenes. If you dug the style of Kill Bill or last year’s Black Dynamite, then this set is a must-own. **** (out of 5 stars).
More New DVD releases this week: The Hurt Locker
, Departures
, 8 1/2 (Blu-ray)
, Alien Trespass
, The Burning Plain
, Downloading Nancy
