Shutter Island (Blu-ray) CityNews.ca Pick of the Week -
Set in 1954 at the Ashecliffe Asylum for the criminally insane on
Shutter Island, U.S. Marshals Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and
Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) have arrived to investigate the disappearance
of one of the most dangerous patients at the facility who seems to have
vanished from her room without a trace. While conducting their
investigation, a violent storm hits and Teddy and Chuck are stranded on
the island for the night. During their extended stay they begin to
question the motives behind the two lead psychiatrists at Ashecliffe,
Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) and Dr. Naehring (Max von Sydow). Are they
doing medical experiments on the patients? Is everything they're telling
them about the case what it seems? And that's the brilliance of Shutter
Island. You can play the guessing game for most of the film, but
when you think you know the direction it's going in, it changes without
you even realizing it. It might take a few viewings before one can fully
appreciate what Martin Scorsese has done with Shutter Island, but
if you give it a chance, and let it sink in, you should find it's a
Hollywood gem and be wowed with its outcome. Special features on the
Blu-ray release includes a making of and a featurette on psychiatric
therapies from the '50s. Film **** Blu-ray **** (out of 5 stars).
Long
Pigs - A sick, twisted, yet oh-so-enjoyable horror mockumentary
about a team of filmmakers that follow around a serial killer who
happens to also be a cannibal. It's shot in a very low-budget manner and
is quite shocking and disturbing at times. If the trailer (which can be
viewed below) piques
your interest, then you will not be disappointed. Special features
include commentary with director's Nathan Hynes and Chris Power, making
of featurettes, banned version of the trailer, and more. Film *** DVD
*** (out of 5 stars).
Long Pigs Official Trailer HD 480p from www.jordan-entertainment.com on Vimeo.
The Cry of the Owl - Based on the
Patricia Highsmith novel,
The Cry of the Owl is a very bleak
thriller about a young man (Robert Forrester) who moves from the city to
a small town in order to escape the hustle-bustle of the city, as well
as his ex-wife (Caroline Dhavernas). He soon finds himself in deep
trouble when he begins a friendship with a local woman (Julia Stiles)
right before her boyfriend is found dead, and he is accused of the
murder.
The Cry of the Owl is a decent enough flick for a rainy
Sunday afternoon but if you're looking for a better version I would
recommend the 1987 French take on it by Claude Chabrol instead. No special features. Film **
DVD * (out of 5 stars).
More New DVD releases this week:
From Paris With Love, Fish Tank, Homecoming, TCM Spotlight: Charlie Chan
Collection, A-Team: Complete Series Box Set, Caddyshack (Blu-ray)
brian.mckechnie@citynews.rogers.comTop
image: A scene from Shutter's Island. Courtesy Paramount Pictures.