New DVD Releases for the Week of April 21 2009
Here is a list of the new DVD Releases for the week of April 21 2009 (for TV on DVD releases head over to Daemon’s TV):
Frost/Nixon
Synopsis: Oscar®-winning director Ron Howard brings to the screen writer Peter Morgan’s electrifying battle between Richard Nixon, the disgraced president with a legacy to save, and David Frost, a jet-setting television personality with a name to make, in the untold story of the historic encounter that changed both: Frost/Nixon. Reprising their roles from Morgan’s stageplay are Frank Langella, who won a Tony for his portrayal of Nixon, and Michael Sheen, who fully inhabited the part of Frost onstage in London and New York.
Cast: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell, Toby Jones, Matthew MacFadyen, Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, Ned Vaughn
Director: Ron Howard
Recommendations: Just because of the subject matter, this has got to be a rental for me. Plus who wouldn’t want to see Frank Langella and Michael Sheen’s performance in this?!
Buy it: FROST/NIXON on Amazon (also available on Blu-ray)
The Wrestler
Synopsis: Centers on Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a 1980s-era star pro wrestler who has become a burnt-out shell of his former self. After he has a heart attack during a small-time match, a doctor tells him he could die if he fights again. In an effort to build a new life, Robinson takes a job at a deli, moves in with an aging stripper and tries to build a relationship with her son. But the prospect of a rematch with his old nemesis the Ayatollah proves too tempting to resist, even if it means risking his life.
Cast: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Marcia Jean Kurtz
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Recommendations: I still cannot believe I missed this in theaters and have got to make that up now that the movie is on DVD. And come on, Mickey Rourke won the Golden Globe for this.
Buy it: THE WRESTLER on Amazon (also available on Blu-ray)
The Last Word
Synopsis: Wes Bentley and Winona Ryder star in director/screenwriter Geoff Haley’s darkly comic romance centering on the relationship between a writer specializing in suicide notes and the unsuspecting sister of his most recent client. Evan Merck (Bentley) is a reclusive, Los Angeles-based writer whose unique way with words has earned him an unusual career as a professional suicide note scribe. One day, while attending the funeral of a dearly departed client, Evan forms a close connection with the deceased’s sister Charlotte (Ryder). A free spirit who remains blissfully unaware of Evan’s true connection to her late brother, Charlotte becomes fascinated by the introverted writer and the pair soon enter into a tenuous relationship. But Evan can’t keep his secret from Charlotte forever, and as love continues to blossom between the unlikely pair, the writer quickly finds his snowballing deceptions growing into a rampaging avalanche that threatens to destroy not only his career, but his one true human connection as well. (Source: All Movie Guide)
Cast: Wes Bentley, Winona Ryder, Ray Romano
Director: Geoff Haley
Recommendations: Hadn’t heard of this movie, probably a straight to DVD, but I really like Wes Bentley and so I’ll give it a look.
Buy it: THE LAST WORD on Amazon (also available on Blu-ray)
Notorious
Synopsis: “Notorious” is about the life of rapper Christopher Wallace a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G. In just a few short years, The Notorious B.I.G. rose from the streets of Brooklyn to become one of the most influential hip hop artists of all time. B.I.G. was a gifted storyteller; his narratives about violent life on the streets were told with a gritty, objective realism that won him enormous respect and credibility. His stories were universal and gave a voice to his generation.
Cast: Jamal Woolard, Angela Bassett, Derek Luke, Anthony Mackie, Marc John Jefferies
Director: George Tillman Jr.
Recommendations: I guess the subject matter just doesn’t interest me.
Buy it: NOTORIOUS on Amazon (also available on Blu-ray)
