DVD Picks for June 14, 2011

The glut of average movies that have filled the cineplex this year are now lining the shelves of your DVD store...okay, who am I kidding...filling up the Redbox or your Netflix queue.  I couldn't find anything worth making a best choice this week, but there were no shortage of stinkers (several of the "worth a rentals" were close to being put there as well).

Worth A Rental

Battle: Los Angeles (Rated PG-13)

Starring Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez

A Marine sergeant ready for retirement is called upon to serve his country and save the city of Los Angeles when the world is attacked by alien invaders.  A large cast who we never really get to know or care about and a plot mined from every previous alien invasion film about keep this mindless popcorn film from being something better.  It is also shot largely in handicam and it was hard to watch in the theater.  This aspect might improve on a smaller screen.  The full review can be found here.

Red Riding Hood (Rated PG-13)

Starring Amanda Seyfried, Lukas Haas, Gary Oldman

A small medieval village is plagued by a werewolf, and the problem is only intensified when a famed werewolf hunter comes to aid the town.  I wanted to love this movie.  Amanda Seyfried is so talented, and Gary Oldman is a god.  I really thought this was going to be Catherine Hardwicke's apology for Twilight.  It may be a better movie than Twilight, but it is no less a disappointment.  Hardwicke burst on to the scene with the phenomenal Thirteen and has yet to equal her directorial debut.  Red Riding Hood isn't terrible, but it's a somewhat boring and uninspired take on the classic tale.  Here's my original review, but for a far more interesting take on Little Red Riding Hood, check out Neil Jordan's The Company of Wolves.  It's not a perfect movie, but it's at least interesting.

Hall Pass (Rated R)

Starring Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate

Two men are give "hall passes" by their wives for one week where they can do whatever they want without repercussions.  They struggle with their new found freedom, especially when they find out their wives have been taking their own hall passes.  This movie looked promising in the trailers, but the humor fails miserably despite its likable cast.  Ultimately, the movie failed for me because its premise is both unrealistic and it bothered me that these couples would risk their marriages for a week of freedom.
Click here for the full review.

Kill The Irishman (Rated R)

Starring Ray Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Christopher Walken, Val Kilmer

This isn't a great movie, but it has it's moments.  Based on the true story of Danny Greene, an Irishman involved with unions and mafia in 1970's Cleveland.  Walken does a great job.  Stevenson isn't bad, but his accent comes and goes.  D'Onofrio and Kilmer seem to be sleepwalking through their roles.  The real gem though in Fionnula Flanagan who is flipping amazing in everything she does.

I don't normally cover TV on DVD releases, but these were two of my favorite new summer series last year.

The Glades (A&E)

A Chicago cop whose moves to the Everglades thinking his life will be golf and palm trees; but of course, this is a procedural crime drama, so it's all murder and mayhem.  Matt Passmore is perfect in the role.  A&E is two episodes in to the second season so this is a great opportunity to catch up.

Haven (SyFy)

When I think quality, I rarely think of SyFy; but a friend turned me on to this series last year, and it's good.  It's sort of a combination of The X-Files and Eerie, Indiana.  An FBI agent comes to town of Haven to investigate a mystery and ends up staying when she realizes the town my hold the key to the secrets in her own past.  The new season starts soon, so rent this or grab it and check it out for yourself.

Stinker of the Week

Big Momma's House (Rated PG-13)

Starring Martin Lawrence, Brandon T. Jackson, Jessica Lucas

When FBI agent Malcolm Turner and his stepson witness a murder, they both go into a drag and hiding in an all girls school.  I'm not a fan of Martin Lawrence or the Big Momma movies so this one had two strikes coming out of the gate.  Despite my personal dislikes, this is still not a good movie.  You might like it if you're a fan of Lawrence, but it's doubtful.  Here's my original review.

N-Secure (Rated R)

Starring Cordell Moore, Essence Atkins, Denise Boutte

Murder and manipulation surround an insecure man and the women who come in and out of his life. A compelling story is completely underminded by some of the worst acting I've seen outside of the B horror movie genre.  It's too bad, too.  This had potential to be a good movie.  I've often bemoaned the fact that so little of a films budget seems to go to writing.  Here I was wishing they'd spent a little more on hiring actors.

Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet (Rated R)

Starring Bill Mosely, Danielle Harris, Nate Dushku

A group of teen celebrating the death of a local axe murderer come face-to-face with the urban legend.  Blood Night commits the cardinal sin of horror movies for me.  I can enjoy a good horror movie; I can love a bad horror movie, but don't bore me.  Blood Night did just that despite copious amounts of gratuitous nudity and violence.

Groupie (Rated R)

Starring Taryn Manning, Eric Roberts