Now available to own titles for the week of June 14, 2016 are 10 Cloverfield Lane, 45 Years, Eddie the Eagle, Star Trek: The Original Series, and more Continue reading
Coming Soon to Blu-Ray and DVD for the week of February 13, 2016 includes Point Break, I Smile Back, The League, and more Continue reading
Welcome to your Netflix Streaming Report for September 3, 2015. After the long week you deserve a relaxing staycation with a bowl of popcorn, a bucket of ice cream, and only your Netflix queue to judge you. This past week, Netflix Watch Instant has been kind enough to supply us with Once Upon a Time, Up in the Air, The League, Area 51, and over 50 more titles new to streaming this September.
Up in the Air (Jason Reitman) Rated R [109 min] – With a job traveling around the country firing people, Ryan Bingham enjoys his life living out of a suitcase, but finds that lifestyle threatened by the presence of a new hire and a potential love interest. Starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, and J.K. Simmons
The cast alone is enough to bring a stir to my pants. But if you’re looking for an intellectual drama that hones in on love, life, and existentialism in a hilarious, touching, and poignant way, Up in the Air is one fine piece of cinema. The performances (Anna Kendrick earns her first Oscar nom for her role) and honesty are something missing from a lot of movies these days, and Jason Reitman nails this one out of the ballpark.
The League: The Complete Sixth Season (Jackie Marcus Schaffer and Jeff Schaffer) Semi-scripted comedy about a fantasy football league. Starring Mark Duplass, Nick Kroll, Jonathan Lajoie, Stephen Rannazzisi, Paul Scheer, and Katie Aselton
I’m a big fan of The League, but unfortunately I do not have FXX – who does really? So I’m excited to catch up on one of the silliest and smarter live-action comedies on television.
Time Lapse (Bradley King) Not Yet Rated [104 min] – Three friends discover a mysterious machine that takes pictures 24hrs into the future and conspire to use it for personal gain, until disturbing and dangerous images begin to develop. Starring Danielle Panabaker, Matt O’Leary, and George Finn
It’s not so much a good movie as it is a great concept that falls flat on its face in the last third of the film. Time Lapse has its perks, but it definitely could have found better direction to come to a more satisfying ending. Good thing it’s on Netflix to check out if you missed it during its festival run.
Once Upon a Time: The Complete Fourth Season (Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz) Rated TV-PG [44 min] – Soon after Emma and Hook unwittingly bring Elsa of Arendelle to Storybrooke, they encounter the mysterious Snow Queen, whose relentless obsession with both Emma and Elsa has chilling consequences. Meanwhile, it appears Regina has at last found true love with Robin Hood. But how will she react when her happy ending is thwarted yet again by a maddening twist of fate? Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Josh Dallas, Emilie de Ravin, Colin O’Donoghue, Lana Parrilla, Jared Gilmore, Michael Raymond-James, Robert Carlyle, and Georgina Haig
Because we obviously didn’t get enough of Frozen in theaters. Disney had to squeeze every last inch of the animated feature’s popularity out onto their ABC show.
Area 51 (Oren Peli) Rated R [91 min] – Three young conspiracy theorists attempt to uncover the mysteries of Area 51, the government’s secret location rumored to have hosted encounters with alien beings. What they find at this hidden facility exposes unimaginable secrets. Starring Reid Warner, Darrin Bragg, Ben Rovner
The long awaited sophomore feature from writer/director Oren Peli finally arrived earlier this year. I have not seen it yet, but I am looking forward to finding out whether this filmmaker delivers on the promise of what appeared to be a unique vision when Paranormal Activity released in 2009.
What will you be watching this weekend?
Look forward to more new titles from the Netflix Streaming Report every Thursday on TTRC.
All plot synopses courtesy of IMDb.com
Brace your bank accounts, it’s time to see what’s Now Available to Own for the week of September 1, 2015. Every Tuesday we run down new movie, television, and video game releases that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home, as well as some slick deals that can save you some coin. New on shelves this week are Mad Max: Fury Road, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, The Vampire Diaries, and more.
Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller) Rated R [120 min] – In a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, two rebels just might be able to restore order: Max, a man of action and of few words, and Furiosa, a woman of action who is looking to make it back to her childhood homeland. Starring Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Nicholas Hoult, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Abbey Lee, and Zoë Kravitz [Watch the trailer]
Mad Max: Fury Road is the reason we go to the movie theaters. It is the epitome of brilliant storytelling in the most visually cinematic and compelling way. All of its incredible parts create a most spectacular whole. Fury Road keeps your attention the entire time, and is absolutely relentless in making sure everything that happens on-screen adds something meaningful to the story. It’s a near perfect movie. [Read my full review]
Special features include:
The D Train (Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul) [Limited] Rated R [97 min] – The head of a high school reunion committee travels to Los Angeles to track down the most popular guy from his graduating class and convince him to go to the reunion. Starring Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, and Jeffrey Tambor (Watch the trailer)
I have not had the pleasure of seeing this movie yet. The D Train feels like more of a Netflix pick than anything else. The whole concept is kind of depressing.
Special features include
The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Sixth Season (Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec) Rated TV-14 [43 min] – A high school girl is torn between two vampire brothers. Starring Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, and Ian Somerhalder
For a show called The Vampire Diaries, it’s rather more engaging and thrilling than you’d expect. I wouldn’t put it on the same level as Buffy, but it has it’s quirks that makes it stand on its own to deliver digestible content. Scanning through this season, there are a lot of pivotal moments that lead to Nina Dobrev’s inevitable exit from the show. It’s a well deserved ending with a big cliffhanger, but I’m not sure it is strong enough to keep fans on board after Elena’s departure.
Special features include:
The Originals: The Complete Second Season (Julie Plec) Rated TV-14 [45 min] – The Original vampire family, from The Vampire Diaries, return and settle in the city they helped build, New Orleans. Starring Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, and Phoebe Tonkin
You can definitely feel the strain of this series as it tries to live up to its bigger brother, The Vampire Diaries. I can’t say that the characters or story are able to capture my attention as much as Elena and her journey, but The Originals isn’t the worst thing on television. It’s just not something I would want to devote my time to it on a regular basis.
Special features include:
Texas Rising: The TV Mini-Series (Roland Joffé) Rated TV-PG [450 mins] – Texas Rising tells the story of legendary hero Sam Houston and the Republic of Texas’s intense struggle for independence against the forces of fierce Mexican General Santa Anna. Starring Bill Paxton, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Addai-Robinson, and Olivier Martinez
If you’re a history buff, unlike me, you might find Texas Rising insulting to your intelligence and those historians who truly captured what really happened in 1836. The whole mini-series is over glamorized with spark notes, warped to shape a narrative too simple-minded to take seriously. All the actors do the best with that they’re given and carry on. If the story and dialogue were as pretty as the production and cinematography, Texas Rising may have had a shot at being decent.
Special features include:
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Kojima Productions) [Konami] (Available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC) Taking place nine years after the events of MGSV: Ground Zeroes and the fall of Mother Base, Snake a.k.a. Big Boss, awakes from a nine year coma. The game resumes the story in 1984, with the Cold War still as the backdrop, which continues to shape a global crisis. Snake’s journey takes him into a world where he is driven by a need for revenge and the pursuit of a shadow group, XOF.
Since I didn’t get a review copy and waited patiently for the moment when the Collector’s Edition would become available, I unfortunately haven’t been touched by the critically acclaimed greatness that is Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. I’ve been a big fan of the Metal Gear Solid franchise ever since I was introduced to Sons of Liberty, MGS2. I had never seen a game like it before. And with the mixture of quirky winks, phenomenal action, and layered storytelling, I was sold instantly. Like any form of entertainment, I try to stay as spoiler free as possible, but from the little gameplay I’ve seen and the trailers, it looks like Hideo Kojima has capped off the series with a masterpiece. I am highly looking forward to this last mission in the Metal Gear universe.
Key Game Features:
“Day 1 Edition” Content (Physical Version):
Collector’s Edition Content (Physical Version Only):
All prices from Amazon.com. Best Buy, Frys, and Target all price match online prices.
What will you be taking home this week? Tell us in the comments section below!
All plot synopses come courtesy of IMDb.com
Welcome to your Netflix Streaming Report for September 4, 2014. After the long week you deserve a relaxing staycation with a bowl of popcorn, a bucket of ice cream, and only your Netflix queue to judge you. This past week, Netflix Watch Instant has been kind enough to supply us with Spaceballs, Californication, The League, Once Upon a Time, The Addams Family, and more, which you’ll find after the break. Continue reading
Prepare your bank accounts, it’s time to see what’s Now Available to Own for the week of September 2, 2014. Each week we run down new releases in movies, television series, and video games that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home. On shelves this week, you can find titles such as Draft Day, Person of Interest, New Girl, The Sims 4, and more. Check out the complete list of new releases after the jump. Continue reading
Empty your wallets and check your bank accounts, it’s time to see what’s Now Available To Own for the week of September 10, 2013. Each week we run down new releases in movies, television series, and video games that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home. On shelves this week, you can find titles such as Star Trek Into Darkness, Frankenstein’s Army, Homeland Season 2, The League Season 4, NHL 14, and Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX. Check out the complete list of new releases after the jump. Continue reading
