Contagion (Blu-ray) Criticize This! Pick of the Week – One of my favourite films of 2011, Contagion follows an outbreak of a new virus as it spreads across the world, rapidly growing and killing people off. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have their best people on it, but it’s spreading faster than they can deal with and they have no cure in sight. Will they figure it out before a large chunk of the human race dies from it? Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, Marion Cotillard, Enrico Colantoni, and Bryan Cranston, Contagion is a freaky disease thriller that will turn you into a hypochondriac and leave you anxious and scared. The Blu-ray release looks and sounds great and is highly recommended. Special features include making-of featurettes and more. A regular DVD and digital copy are included as well. Film **** Blu-ray **** (out of 5 stars).
Shameless: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray) – I had never heard of the original UK show when the Americanized version of Shameless launched last year, but with William H. Macy playing an alcoholic single father raising six children, it quickly became one of my must-watch TV shows. It’s not for everyone and might stun and disgust you at first, but as the season progresses it’s hard to not appreciate a show that is not afraid to be so politically incorrect in this day and age. And fans of Macy will love seeing him play such a terrible person. The Blu-ray release features all 12 episodes as well as making-of featurettes and a sneak peek at the second season. Show **** Blu-ray **** (out of 5 stars).
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (Blu-ray) - I was so disappointed with Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark when it came out in the theatre that I didn’t even write a review for it. Produced by Guillermo del Toro and based on a decent 1973 TV movie, the film is a PG-13 horror about creatures living in the basement of a creepy old house. It’s more comedic than freaky, and is downright boring for a majority of it. To be fair, the film was much more enjoyable at home than in the theatre, but still failed to satisfy. Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes star. The image and sound mix on the Blu-ray release is decent, but it won’t blow you away. Special features include behind-the-scene featurettes. A regular DVD and digital copy are included as well. Film ** Blu-ray ** (out of 5 stars).
Shark Night – Having missed Shark Night in the theatre, where it was released in 3-D and promoted as a sickly fun B-movie in the same way Piranha 3-D was, I was admittedly excited to finally catch it at home. Sadly, it dropped the ball on all fronts and did not live up to what I expected from it. First, they teased at nudity and then did not deliver any. Second, you barely get to see any shark attacks! Is this a cheesy horror flick or not? A total disappointment and a complete waste of time. Special features include making-of featurettes. Film * DVD * (out of 5 stars).
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Top image: A scene from Contagion. Courtesy Warner Home Video.
