Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011

Recliner Rewind:The year’s best and worst home video releases - with an eye toward stocking stuffing

cslate@thesunnews.com

 

 

Down here in the comfort of the recliner, we review more than 200 movies per year. Loads and loads of discs are thrown into our player, notes are taken, research is done – all to bring you the straight dope, to inform your decision on selecting the right movie for your at-home leisure time. With bushel baskets full of movies covered, it’s time to reflect, retrace our annual history of Recliner Reviews published in these pages in 2011 – just in time for last-minute gift ideas for the holidays.

What is that you say? DVD and Blu-ray discs are obsolete? Streaming and On Demand services have demolished the fragile world of the disc and left it sniveling on the floor? Ho Ho No! DVD and Blu-ray have taken a hit but they’re still alive. Steve Kidera, a communication specialist at the Consumer Electronics Association, says, “Certainly, the holidays are a great time to buy and we see many (more) purchases in November and December.” Kidera provided statistics that indicate that online streaming per household has grown from 18 percent to 25 percent since 2010, coinciding with a drop in DVD sales overall. But there’s also been a surge of individual Blu-ray players bought and at quick glance of the numbers provided by the Digital Entertainment Group shows that $3.9 billion was spent the first half of this year in overall DVD and Blu-ray sales. It’s down about 18 percent compared to last year, but it’s still a significant number and with the big-time releases in the last half of the year and Christmas sales – the forecast calls for a major spike before it’s all over.

But why would you buy a disc when media is flying along the WiFi highway, ready to pit-stop in your computer, phone, Wii, TV, whatever? Why would you need to pay money for an antique disc when you’re jacked into the movie matrix? Perhaps, because they’re a solid - discs are an actual thing, in a case, that you can feel and wrap and stick in a stocking or under the tree and enjoy over and over and not have to worry about your Internet connection or memory space.

That’s why we’re giving you this Recliner Rewind, a look back at the flicks we’ve already put under the microscope so you don’t have to. We stop eating popcorn and screening flicks long enough to tell you which ones you should buy and which ones you should avoid at all costs. We broke the list into three sections: There are heroes, inspiring tales and good clean fun for the nice folks in your life; There are dirty jokes and antiheroes for those naughty rascals who need a gift, too; And then there’s the no-way list, the lumps of coal that should be transferred into energy, to make better movies. Or if you’re sadistic, you can wrap these lumps of coal in leather and give them as a punishment.

We’ve also grouped some films together by titles that relate in some way, because who doesn’t love a double or triple feature? You don’t have to be a cinephile to enjoy these lists…there’s something for everyone. Lay back, let the lights go low and let the playback begin.

The Nice

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 + Part 2”

The “Star Wars” for young adults today, Harry’s saga had Oscar-winning British actors signing on to play a janitor at Hogwarts just to get a piece of the Potter pie. The mix of good versus evil magic, young love with a coming of age story was a perfect storm for eight films. The end of the tale, told in two parts, was a blizzard of darkness being overcome by a shimmer of hope. The best final episode since “Return of the Jedi.” Please, don’t screw it up with a prequel.

“Tangled” + “Gnomeo and Juliet”

Two classic stories retold through animation. In “Tangled,” Disney gets a new princess for picture opportunities at the Mouse Co.’s theme parks, with Rapunzel. The filmmakers went for a traditional animation style. It feels like one of the classic Disney films with more humor injected. “Gnomeo and Juliet” takes on Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” through the eyes of garden gnomes. To say it plainly, it sounds stupid. But it’s one of the best animated films of the year. The bonus – the music of Elton John is used as the score.

“The Adjustment Bureau” + “Source Code”

Oh it is nice – nice to see science fiction go in a new direction where characters are placed in front of novelty or special effects. Emily Blunt and Matt Damon team up to make a sci-fi love story with “The Adjustment Bureau” – the ladies will like it as much as the guys. “Source Code” is the second film from Duncan Jones, son of David Bowie. And it’s his second slice of sci-fi deliciousness. Jake Gyllenhaal leads a loaded cast and the story is relevant, heartbreaking and hopeful.

“Lincoln Lawyer” + “The Conspirator”

These are the two best lawyer films released on DVD this year. “Lincoln Lawyer” is a film cut from the cloth of John Grisham. Matthew McConaughey chose this film to start showing his acting muscle again. Yes, he’s more than the six-pack. “The Conspirator” is a period piece about what happened after the Lincoln assassination. James McAvoy does a phenomenal job illustrating how governmental agencies can lose their level-headedness and morality trying to deliver swift justice following a national tragedy.

“Thor” + “Captain America: The First Avenger” + “X-Men: First Class”

Three superhero films that kick-ass and all three are based on Marvel Comics. “Thor” came just in time to tie into “The Avengers” – the supergroup of superhero films coming out in 2012. “Thor” is fun with big action. It’s a nice introduction to a new Marvel hero. “X-Men: First Class” is the prequel to the “X-Men” franchise and the first without Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. He’s not missed. James McAvoy hits his mark as a young Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender is a badass as a young Magneto. Set in the early ‘60s, it’s a period piece superhero movie – who’d thunk it could be this good in past tense? “Captain America: The First Avenger” is also set in the past, half a WWII war movie, half a superhero film and half Indiana Jones – yeah, I know that’s three halves, so what…The Captain crushes.

“Inside Job” + “Exit Through the Gift Shop” + “The Tillman Story”

The three best documentaries of the year – they deal with three very different subjects but all of them are stocking-worthy. “Inside Job” was the Oscar winner – a statement about the corruptness of Wall Street. The filmmakers do a masterful job of explaining a series of complex financial scams in a very digestible way. “Exit Through the Gift Shop” may be a mockumentary or it could be a documentary. Either way, it’s an exploration of street art, aka graffiti. Directed by Banksy, who is a groundbreaking artist in his own right, it’s definitely the most amusing of the three. “The Tillman Story” tells the story of the Army’s cover-up in the Patrick Tillman case. It’s the search of a family trying to reveal the truth about what really happened to Tillman. In the process it makes Patrick Tillman a man instead of a football player or a soldier or a promotional poster.

“Super 8” + “Cowboys & Aliens” + “Paul”

Three alien movies; Three different genres; Three fun films. “Super 8” is a suspense/drama from J.J. Abrams. Abrams has the Midas touch – rebooting “Star Trek,” giving the “Mission Impossible” series a sharp edge, making TV shows cool again with “Lost” and “Fringe.” But “Super 8” is special to him. An ode to his childhood, his beginnings in film and his love of Spielberg films. “Cowboys and Aliens” is the action. This is the first film Jon Favreau has directed since giving us the hero with an F.U. attitude in “Iron Man” and its sequel. Here he mashes up alien invasion movies with spaghetti Westerns and the results are gosh-darn root-tootin’. “Paul” is another mixtape – this time it’s “Shaun of the Dead” colliding with “Mac and Me” – Simon Pegg and Nick Frost join the director of “Superbad” on this super-funny film.

“The Fighter” + “Black Swan” + “The King’s Speech”

Three Oscar winners about overcoming adversity. In the reality-based “The Fighter,” boxer Mickey Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg, must overcome his neighborhood and his family to become a champion. In “Black Swan,” a neurotic ballerina, played deftly by Natalie Portman, must overcome her compulsive mother and her own paranoia to become the black swan from “Swan Lake.” In “The King’s Speech,” it’s a speech impediment that holds down the future King of England, portrayed by ace-in-hole-actor Colin Firth. The results are a pile of Oscars – 7 wins and 18 nominations. This is a Merry Christmas for any Oscar-lover.

“Limitless” + “Cedar Rapids” + “It’s Kind of a Funny Story”

You hear it all the time: that movie was a springboard for so-and-so’s career. Rarely, though, do you see a movie blast three actors into space simultaneously but that’s exactly what happened in the case of “The Hangover.” All three of the cover actors have gone on to make tremendous work. Bradley Cooper, “People’s Sexiest Man Alive,” has made two great films since his first hangover – “The A-Team” and “Limitless.” But “Limitless” is all Cooper, fast and sexy and stylish. “Cedar Rapids” showcases what Ed Helms is capable of. A subtly funny film that allowed him to expound on his fragile delivery, making him come across as genuine. “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” is a typical example of how Zack Galifianakis is the ideal co-star. If you want to inject hilariousness into any scene…just take a look at Galifianakis’ work in “Due Date,” “Dinner for Schmucks” and HBO’s “Bored to Death” as illustrations. Galifianakis can play quirky, broken human beings well.

“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” + “The Smurfs”

Two childhood memories that didn’t get ruined by their remakes – OK, it may be subjective but you probably have this connection as well. “The Smurfs” were icons of Saturday morning cartoons. And how many of you haven’t said, “Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape”? And “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” doesn’t make you feel dirty if you continue to say it. Our memories have been slaughtered enough by the remakes of “Godzilla,” “Arthur” and “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” It’s nice to see two films that get it right by not trying to change too much but giving us a new story that breaths its own air without suffocating the originals.

The Naughty

“Easy A” + “Crazy, Stupid, Love”

The Emma Stone double feature – you would think that this should be on the Nice List, but no. Stone’s at her best when she’s naughty. “Easy A” is a modern telling of “The Scarlet Letter” and channels the teenage John Hughes films of the ‘80s. It’s also Stone’s first headlining gig – her charisma is palpable. But she can hold her own in an ensemble cast, too. In “Crazy, Stupid, Love” she proves that she can not only coexist with Steve Carrell and Ryan Gosling but she makes them better. This is the best romantic comedy of the year because of the team mentality. There are also big things ahead for Ms. Stone. She’ll be the love interest in “The Amazing Spiderman”.

“Red” Vs. “Hanna”

Here is a real death-match – geriatric killer vs. a teenage assassin. “Red” is an over-the-top action romp about four retired CIA agents being pulled out of their golden years for self-preservation. Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren and John Malkovich bash through one crazy action scene after another. “Hanna” stars the young and talented, Saoirse Ronan. It has a definite “Bourne Identity” touch. The action sequences are fast and original. Don’t be surprised if one or two of these performances get nominated for an Oscar.

“Bridesmaids” + “The Hangover: Part II”

These two films owe their successes expressly to the debauchery that occurs before matrimony. “Bridesmaids” is the funniest movie ever made with all female lead characters. Kristen Wiig co-wrote, starred and demonstrates why she is the best thing on “Saturday Night Live.” “The Hangover: Part II” ran the chance of being a stupid parody of the first film. Guess what? It is. But that’s cool because the strength of Cooper, Galifianakis and Helms is the fact that they’re a fucking riot together.

“Rango” + “Megamind”

Two animated flicks with antiheroes as the protagonists. “Rango” reunites Johnny Depp with the director of the first three “Pirates of the Caribbean” flicks. Depp is a lying lizard. His facial expressions, the nuances of his performance are all captured. An homage to film noir, this is the smartest cartoon since Pixar’s “Toy Story.” “Megamind” pits Will Ferrell against Jonah Hill against Brad Pitt – all selfish egomaniacs. Toss in a little Tina Fey, David Cross and Ben Stiller and bam – you get an entertaining piece of Technicolor.

“The Social Network” + “30 Minutes or Less” + “Rio”

The year of the geek hath cometh. Top geek in the game, Jesse Eisenberg, made three rocking movies this year. All three were in different genres. The most consistent director of the last 15 years, David Fincher brings out a new caliber of dry wit from Eisenberg in “The Social Network.” And the effort earned Eisenberg an Oscar nomination. “30 Minutes or Less” is Eisenberg’s second film with “Zombieland” director Ruben Fleischer. Fleischer knows how to get the best out of Eisenberg – they make unfunny lines, funny in the delivery. Eisenberg even lends his voice to an animated movie, “Rio,” about bird smuggling and guess what – it’s worth the gift wrap as well.

“Let Me In” + “Insidious” + “Scream 4”

The three best horror movies released on home video this year. “Let Me In” is a recent remake of the Swedish groundbreaker. Even the film purists couldn’t hate this one. The actors make you care. And that’s rare in a horror movie about a 12 year-old vampire. “Insidious” attempts to let the creators of the “Saw” franchise cut loose from the dying brand. It worked. This film is creepy and in-your-face. “Scream 4” brings back all the important parts of the series – actors, writer, director. The chemistry is obvious on screen. It gives us back a little slice of the ’90s and reminds us how “Scream” changed horror movies forever.

“The Switch” + “The Change-Up” + “Horrible Bosses”

I know, two of the titles sound like baseball terminology but they’re not. They’re three really good comedies with Jason Bateman playing the deadpan, straight man. “The Switch” is an independent film, co-starring Jennifer Aniston, with a lot of heart. “The Change-Up” is a body swapping flick that has more dick jokes than a room full of Richards. And “Horrible Bosses” reteams Bateman with Aniston, who plays a sexually harassing boss. Since Bateman made his big comeback on FOX’s “Arrested Development,” he has steadily climbed back into one great film after another. Don’t miss snagging these three for the tree.

“The Mechanic” + “True Grit” + “The Green Hornet” + “The Next Three Days”

The only marathon on the list and all four are remakes with lead characters who exhibit questionable morals. But hey, they’re doing bad things for the right reasons. Isn’t that what Christmas shopping is all about? “The Mechanic” stars Jason Statham and Ben Foster in a Charles Bronson reboot and Foster is such a great actor he makes Statham look good. “True Grit” – need I say more? Thanks to the Coen Brothers crafting this masterpiece, Jeff Bridges now owns the character of Rooster Cogburn…get over it, John Wayne loyalists. “The Green Hornet” is not a masterpiece but it’s not boring either. Seth Rogen fits the character, plus the cast around is so good it makes Rogen’s stoner approach feel calculated. Originally a French film, “The Next Three Days,” is the most suspenseful film Russell Crowe has ever done. There are literally 45 minutes where you won’t be able to sit still. These four films deserve a gratuitous merry marathon.

“Our Idiot Brother” + “Bad Teacher”

Here’s two more comedies related by insulting titles. “Our Idiot Brother” is a title many people will identify with. You would think the movie would be one madcap bumble after another done by a Jerry Lewis type – not so. Paul Rudd portrays our idiot but he’s more of a good-natured goof who simply steps on all his relationships by being too honest. Cameron Diaz made a bold choice when she took the role of “Bad Teacher” - an educator with close to zero ethics. And this isn’t a story about a scoundrel who learns her lesson by sacrifice. This is a story about dry humping and conning cash for a boob job. This duo is dumb and mean, like salt and pepper on the roast beast.

“Hesher”

We couldn’t pair this one up with another movie because it’s not like any other. It’s a smash in the face. It’s Motorhead turned up to 11. But it’s also the philosophy of the Socratic Method used as grief counseling. “Hesher” is id incarnate – Joseph Gordon-Levitt becomes the scarred, brutal, caring title character. The results are laughs that you feel guilty about and a drama that is strangely touching. It’s not a movie. It’s primal scream therapy written in script form. What else could you ask for in a gift?

Lumps of Coal

“Saw: The Final Chapter” + “Paranormal Activity 2”

This list begins with two horror movies that suck in monumental proportions. “ Saw: The Final Chapter” had every opportunity not to suck. Actors returned from previous outing to help put the series to bed. Instead of making a simple story tidying up the mess they made of the overall franchise, they decided to mess it up some more and leave it in an unresolved, unsatisfying heap. “Paranormal 2” gets points for being better than the first one but the shaky cam gimmick can only take you so far when you keep using the same gags over and over. Yes, it’s a dark figure in the doorway…again. Throw these lumps of coal in the stove and warm your feet.

“Get Him to the Greek” + “Arthur”

Russell Brand is funny but come on. Both of these go on too long and Brand rides the gag for almost two hours apiece. “Get Him to the Greek” is a spin-off of a supporting role Brand played in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” The role was hilarious with 25 minutes of air time – two hours of watching Brand trying to arc the character into something worthwhile is painful. No one should’ve even tried to replace Dudley Moore as “Arthur.” Brand is a great stand-up comic and his supporting roles make a movie better but please don’t stick him in front of a camera and ask him to act in long sequences. These coals should be on a grill, cooking us a holiday hot dog.

“The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” + “Red Riding Hood”

“The Twilight Saga” is ending next year with the final installment of “Breaking Dawn” and that’s a shame because we’ve had so much fun ripping apart this Harlequin Romance for tweens. Four years of watching vampires and werewolves become swathed in cliché and hammy plots so we could smash them publicly. “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” is the best of the bunch and it still wasn’t good enough to make it out of the coal pile. “Red Riding Hood” was directed by the same director who brought you the first “Twilight.” She took all the grey gothic to this Grimm interpretation. It’s a pathetic film that wastes everyone’s time. These two flicks resemble pieces of coal but as you get closer…you’ll realize they’re actually soft and stink like poo.

“The Rite” + “Priest”

Two religious films – one is a drama in the mold of “The Exorcist” and the other is an Amen action film. “The Rite” boasts Anthony Hopkins in the lead role and that’s about it. They say it’s based on a true story but every movie about exorcism says it’s based on a true story. The filmmakers should have apologized to Hopkins for making him try to carry this embarrassment. “Priest” is another take on vampires. Hollywood, please quit writing about vampires and start writing about characters that happen to be vampires. Burn these sacramental offerings.

“Takers” + “Faster”

Heists-gone-bad films…should be called, films-gone-bad to heist your money. “Takers” is nothing new. From the double-crosses to the regurgitated dialogue – it’s all been seen before and better…much better. “Faster” is one of those movies that mislead you with a really cool preview only to let you down after watching. This one goes so far in letting you down that if you see the preview after you’ve seen the movie, you’ll probably yell at your TV screen. Lumps of coal are a Christmas kindness for these two.

“Skyline” + “Battle: Los Angeles”

This is bad and badder in alien invasion movies. Here’s the thing about “Battle: Los Angeles”: The whole movie is watching marines move around in thick fog…you can’t tell who’s who. Spoiler alert…the marines win but I still can’t tell which ones. “Skyline” is the worst alien movie since the pie-pan-on-strings of the ’50s. That may be unfair because the best part of this movie is the special effects – in fact, you’ll find yourself rooting for the aliens to shut up the annoying humans.

“Unknown” + “Your Highness”

These are the two worst follow-up films this year. Liam Neeson does “Taken,” “The A-Team” and for the trifecta, he goes for “Unknown” – a “Bourne Identity” rip-off with plot holes so big that they swallow the whole film. With “Your Highness,” it’s evident that James Franco was trying to recapture some of his “Pineapple Express” groove after his heady performance in “127 Hours.” But he chose a stoner comedy set in the medieval period…really?

“Season of the Witch” + “Dylan Dog: Dead of Night”

A movie about a witch and a movie about every other supernatural species – it’s not the content that landed these atrocities on this list. It’s the acting. “Season of the Witch” equals Nicolas Cage…need we say more? We could’ve thrown any recent Cage film on here without any arguments. “Dylan Dog: Dead of Night” stars the guy who got fired from the job of being Superman – nothing goes right for this adaptation of a well-loved, British graphic novel. There must be a million English comic book geeks looking to retrieve the head of ex-Superman.

“Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” + “The American” + “Sanctum”

These three relied on big names so much, they didn’t even try. In “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” Oliver Stone relies on Michael Douglas as a fiscal Yoda so heavily that the issue of Wall Street corruption becomes shtick by the second scene. “ The American” could’ve been a slide show of George Clooney’s vacation to Italy and it might’ve been more entertaining if it was…just flat boring. “ Sanctum” propped James Cameron’s name on top of this flop as if he directed it, when in fact he was a producer by name alone. Cameron’s name didn’t make the acting less horrible or the story less predictable.

“TRON: Legacy” + “Green Lantern” + “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”

More than a half a billion dollars was spent making these three movies – $620 million to be more exact. And what are the returns? Yes they made the money back and then some. But let’s be honest, all three were letdowns. “TRON: Legacy” is a predictable lightshow with an unlikable hero. “Green Lantern” has no character development and a terrible villain. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” feels like…been there, done that. Even Johnny Depp looks bored. There are a lot of great hero movies being made. We don’t have time for the mediocre story that relies on past laurels or 3D effects to entertain. These coals were put under so much pressure, instead of making diamonds, they cracked and crumble.