Release Dates May 28 2008 @ 10:56 am
DVD Releases for May 27th, 2008
So May 27th was yesterday, as in this is a day late, as in I didn’t get up early enough yesterday to write this, as in I have a six-week-old baby who likes to projectile vomit on me at three in the morning. Everyone should have babies - they are the ultimate excuse machines. “Would you like to come to my three-hour monologue I’m performing at the community theater?” “Oh, gosh, would I ever! Its just I have a baby, and he…uh…ate one of his teddy bears and we have to, you know, take care of that.” Works every time.
So this week we have a few movies about war, some subtle and some not so much. I’ll let you figure out which is which.
Rambo - 
We’ve been carrying on a surprisingly in-depth conversation on the merits (or lack thereof) of Rambo in the comments section on the review, which will make you smarter if you read it. Promise. As far as a guilty-pleasure action flick goes, this one contains a bit too much ‘guilty’ and not enough ‘pleasure,’ as the violence is extremely brutal and nasty at times. Stallone, however, is not as long in the tooth as you might think a 61 year old would be, and he definitely keeps up with the proceedings. Proceed with caution.
Recommended if you liked…really, do I even need to finish this sentence?
Cassandra’s Dream
Woody Allen attempts to recreate the fleeting success he had with Match Point by essentially copying Sydney Lumet’s Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. The critics weren’t particularly kind, but then again Allen has been on a bit of a 15-film slump of late (was ’89’s Crimes and Misdemeanors, apart from the fantastic Match Point, really his last well-received film?). Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell, and Tom Wilkinson star, so if you’ve got the munchies for A-list talent, this might do the trick.
Recommended if you liked Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead or A Simple Plan
Grace is Gone
For your consideration, Iraq War Drama #36. In all fairness, rather than slapping you in the face with some preachy anti-war rhetoric, this one focuses on the drama of a man (John Cusack) and his two daughters who have to cope with the death of their wife and mother (who died in Iraq). If you’re aching for a war drama but desire a bit more subtlety than Mr. Rambo can deliver, this one might be for you.
Fun Fact: Clint Eastwood composed the score for this one.
Recommended if you liked My Girl, Bambi, or Fanny & Alexander. Also, gold star to whoever figures out why I selected those films as recommendations.
on May 28 2008 @ 2:40 pm 1. Daniel said …
Wow, somebody else liked Match Point? Yeah, it was a lot better than this. But Colin Farrell is pretty great in it, even though that’s not saying much, and he’s still better in In Bruges.
on May 28 2008 @ 2:46 pm 2. Rick Olson said …
There was a major character that died in each of them … the girl’s boyfriend (McCaulay Culkin) in “My Girl”, Bambi’s mom in “Bambi”, the children’s father (Allan Edwall) in “Fanny & Alexander). All at least partially about children/families dealing with that loss.
on May 28 2008 @ 3:01 pm 3. Rick Olson said …
By the way, I liked match point as well, Daniel.
on May 28 2008 @ 3:05 pm 4. Phillip Johnston said …
Beat me to it, Rick — that was my guess too.
I loved Match Point as well even though it made me mad. Coincidentally, I just picked it up for $1.50 at a used DVD store.
on May 28 2008 @ 3:13 pm 5. Evan Derrick said …
Match Point is brilliant stuff, even though I don’t like what it is saying at all.
BING BING BING! Tell Rick what’s he’s won…
Yup, specifically, they are all about children dealing with the loss of a parent. In “My Girl,” the boyfriend’s death recalls her own parent’s death.
on May 28 2008 @ 3:31 pm 6. Joseph said …
I doubt Grace is Gone is going to be THAT similar to Fanny & Alexander, but I see the connection.
on May 28 2008 @ 4:08 pm 7. Phillip Johnston said …
Evan, you should figure out how to put a gold star by Rick’s name every time he comments or something. He could be the first of our official group of Elite Commenters.
on May 28 2008 @ 4:08 pm 8. Evan Derrick said …
Well, after you’ve written 20 of these release posts, you begin to get a bit desperate for new material.
on May 30 2008 @ 9:05 pm 9. Rick Olson said …
I will graciously concede that my star be a virtual one, and I will get my true star in that great movie-blogger, uh, place in the sky. But “elite commenter” does sound groovy.