Inglourious Basterds CityNews.ca Pick of the Week - Set during World
War II in Nazi-occupied France, a group of
American-Jewish soldiers (known as the "Basterds") led by Lt. Aldo
Raine (Brad Pitt) are sent in
undercover to hunt and kill the Nazis. SS member Col. Hans Landa
(Christoph Waltz) is assigned by Hitler to track them down and stop
them. Directed by Quentin Tarantino (who can do no wrong in my eyes –
even his worst film is tolerable), Inglourious Basterds is a fine film that presents great dialogue, cinematography and acting. I've seen it a few times and with each viewing it gets better. There's buzz that Waltz will earn an Oscar nomination for his role. Special features on the two-disc set include extended and alternate scenes, the full version of Nation's Pride
(the film from within the film), a roundtable with Tarantino, Pitt and
Elvis Mitchell, a digital copy of the film, and more. Also available on
Blu-ray. Film **** DVD **** (out of 5 stars).
The Hangover (Blu-ray) - Three buddies take their friend to Vegas for his bachelor party. The
night starts with shots of Jager and then...it's the next morning,
the groom is missing, and there's a tiger and a baby in their
hotel room. What happened? That's the adventure you're about to take as
the movie unfolds. If you missed The Hangover
in the theatre, run out and pick up the Unrated Blu-ray version and
revel in the glory of watching and laughing over and over again. Great
comedic performances by Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms easily makes
this the funniest movie of the year (and overall one of the best films
of the year). Special features include picture-in-picture commentary,
more missing photos from the digital camera in the movie, a cursing
montage, and more. Film **** Blu-ray **** (out of 5 stars).
G-Force (Blu-ray) - I've had a soft spot for guinea pigs ever since I was a child and was a proud owner of one. It would have been cool if Jacob (the name I gave mine) was a super undercover government agent like the team in G-Force.
Sure, it's a silly Disney movie but it's also fun and the whole family
can enjoy it. Zach Galifianakis and Will Arnett star, and Sam Rockwell,
Penélope Cruz, Steve Buscemi, Jon Favreau, and Tracy Morgan lend their
voices to the furry animals (Nicolas Cage voices the mole, Speckles).
Special features on the Blu-ray include a look at producer Jerry
Bruckheimer's CG work, bloopers, deleted scenes, a regular DVD and
digital copy of the film, and more. Film *** Blu-ray *** (out of 5
stars).
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard - Will Ferrell should
be ashamed of himself for producing (and making an appearance in) this
disaster of a movie that has climbed its way to the top spot of my
Worst of 2009 list (surpassing The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and Old Dogs).
Every stupid, lame comedy bit is crammed into this piece of crap movie
about a group of used car salesmen who are called in to save a
dealership on the brink of bankruptcy. When you think it can't get any
worse, it does! With names like Jeremy Piven, James Brolin, and The Hangover's Ed Helm attached, I expected something better (or at least funnier) than this horrible mess. On the bright side, the DVD makes a good coaster. No special features on the DVD. Film 0 DVD 0 (out of 5 stars).
More new DVD releases this week: Taking
Woodstock, The Girl in the Park, Star Trek: The Original Series Season
3 (Blu-ray), Ice Road Truckers: The Complete Season Three, Wizards of
Waverly Place: The Movie
brian.mckechnie@citynews.rogers.com
Top image: Eli Roth and Brad Pitt in Inglourious Basterds. Courtesy Alliance Films.