Page 36 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Observer Showbiz What’s Hot and What’s Not on DVD and Blu-Ray
www.MelbourneObserver.com.au
Movies, DVDs
With James Sherlock
Reviews by Aaron Rourke
Top 10 Lists
Michael Clarke Duncan
THE AUSTRALIAN BOX OFFICE TOP TEN: 1. THE EXPENDABLES 2. 2. THE BOURNE LEGACY. 3. TOTAL RECALL. 4. THE SAPPHIRES. 5. HOPE SPRINGS. 6. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. 7. FINDING NEMO 3D. 8. MOONRISE KINGDOM. 9. THE CAMPAIGN. 10. STEP UP 4: MIAMI HEAT.
December 10, 1957 September 3, 2012
● Indiana Jones: Screen superstar Harrison Ford is back with the hat and whip as the world's favourite archaeologist in a spectacular box set that is sure to excite fans everywhere. FILM: INDIANA JONES - The Complete Adventures: Cast: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Karen Allen, John RhysDavies. Genre: Action/Adventure. Year: Assorted Years. Rating: M. Running Time: 483 Minutes. Format: DVD and BLU-RAY. Stars: ***** Verdict: The wait is over, the man with the hat is back and looking better than ever! The world's favourite globe-trotting archaeologist is on his greatest adventure with The Complete Indiana Jones Collection now available on Blu-ray This outstanding set includes all four of the thrilling Indiana Jones adventures starring Harrison Ford (Mr. Happy), along with a standout collection of documentaries, interviews, featurettes and a few new surprises, all making for great fun! FILM: CRIMSON TIDE: Cast: Denzel Washington, Gene Hackman, Viggo Mortensen, James Gandolfini. Genre: Action/Drama/Thriller. Year: 1995. Rating: M. Running Time: 116 Minutes. Format: DVD and BLU-RAY. Stars: **** Verdict: The sparks fly thick and fast as Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington go head-to-head in this nail-biting edge-of-your-seat thriller set on board a US nuclear missile submarine of a young first officer who stages a mutiny to prevent his captain from launching nuclear missiles due to instability in Russia. With a thought provoking screenplay, standout music score by Hans Zimmer, totally compelling performances and brilliantly controlled knife-edged direction by the late Tony Scott, this is one hell of a thrill ride! FILM: THE WOMAN IN BLACK: Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Ciaran Hinds, Janet McTeer. Genre: Horror. Year: 2012. Rating: M. Running Time: 95 Minutes. Format: DVD and BLU-RAY. Stars: ***1/2 Verdict: Britain's famed Hammer Horror studios are back in fine form with this haunting little tale of a young lawyer who travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman who is terrorizing the locals. At last, a good old fashioned ghost story that promises to send shivers up the spine without unending buckets of blood and gore, and even though Daniel Radcliffe has all the acting emotions of a snail, it's a worthy addition to a legendary studio built on a reputation of scaring the living daylights out of us. FILM: THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL: Cast: Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson. Genre: Comedy/Romance/Drama. Year: 2012. Rating: PG. Running Time: 124 Minutes. Format: DVD and BLU-RAY. Stars: **** Verdict: The delightfully funny and poignant journey of a group of British retirees who travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel, which turns out to be far less luxurious than its advertisements, but the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways. Stellar cast all shine in this beautifully tuned, light hearted adventure that only the British do best! This is definitely a trip well worth taking.
Melbourne
Observer
■ Well-liked screen actor Michael Clarke Duncan tragically passed away on Sunday September 3, aged only 54. Mr Duncan, who was always described as a gentle giant, succumbed to complications after suffering a major heart attack on July 13. Born in Chicago, and raised on the South Side by his single mother (who amazingly would not let him play football when he was young because she thought he would get hurt), Mr Duncan turned to acting, a choice that would prove fruitful for him. His first film appearance was in the 1995 comedy Friday, which starred Ice Cube and Chris Tucker, and directed by F. Gary Gray (The Negotiator / The Italian Job remake). The movie was successful, and spawned two sequels and an animated series. One of his early roles was in the sharp, darkly funny Bulworth (1998), where he played appropriately enough, a bouncer. This is an outstanding comedy, directed by and starring the legendary Warren Beatty, and is highly recommended. Mr Duncan's workload increased, scoring roles in the huge summer blockbuster Armageddon (1998), starring Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, and Billy Bob Thornton; the SNL cult hit A Night At The Roxbury (1998), starring Will Ferrell; and the off-beat comedy Breakfast Of Champions (1999), which again starred Willis. Mr Duncan caught the world's attention with his fine, Oscar-nominated performance in the box-office hit The Green Mile (1999), from director Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption), and starring Tom Hanks, David Morse, and a little mouse called Mr Jingles. The imposing Duncan won many fans with his sweet, sensitive turn as a deathrow inmate mistakingly accused of murder. Hit movies continued for Mr Duncan, with notable parts in films such as The Whole Nine Yards (2000 - again with Willis); Tim Burton's misfired reboot of The Planet Of The Apes (2001 - he played Attar); The Scorpion King (2002) alongside The Rock; Daredevil (2003 - as Kingpin), starring BenAffleck and Colin Farrell; Robert Rodriguez's fantastic, eyepopping comic-book extravaganza Sin City (2005), starring Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, and yes, Bruce Willis; the sci-fi/action/thriller The Island (2005), starring Ewan Mcgregor; Talladega Nights (2006), where he reteamed with Will Ferrell, but this time with a bigger role; supplying the voice of Commander Vachir in Kung Fu Panda (2008); and he was hilarious as restaurant owner Cleon Salmon in the uneven but amusing The Slammin' Salmon (2009), created by the Broken Lizard comedy team.
His final film will be the fight drama The Challenger, due out early next year. Mr Duncan made standout appearances on the popular talk show The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson, especially when Ferguson took the show to Scotland in May, where he and Duncan played off each other very well. Ferguson paid tribute to Mr Duncan on the September 5 show, where he showed a lovely extended out-take of Mr Duncan trying to film an introduction to their Scotalnd Specials. It was an affectionate swan song to a person who was obviously loved by everyone around him. ★★★ Reel Anime 2012 : September 13 26. The Nova Cinema is once again screening some of the most cuttingedge animated films with Reel Anime 2012, and this new group of four films will please both young and old. For more details please contact the Nova on 9347 5331 or at www.cinemanova.com.au From Up On Poppy Hill (G). 91 minutes. ****. The renowned Studio Ghibli strike gold again, with this heartwarming tale of a young girl who starts to experience the outside world when she teams up with the editor of the high school paper to save their beloved cubby house. Beautiful animation and well-written characters makes for joyful, top-shelf viewing. The Wolf Children (PG). 117 minutes. Have not seen. Critically acclaimed family drama from the director of the terrific animated hits The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Summer Wars. Children Who Chase Lost Voices From Deep Below (M). 116 minutes. ****. Homage to Studio Ghibli centres on a teenage girl who discovers a magical world underground, a world damaged by man's violent and greedy nature. Familiar elements are overcome by gorgeous, stunningly-crafted animation and solid storytelling. From the director of 5 Centimetres Per Second and Voices From A Distant Star. Beserk - The Golden Age Arc 1 : The Egg Of The King (MA). 77 minutes. ***½. First of an intended trilogy detailing the exploits of Guts, a young mercenary who joins a group of notorious bandits called Band Of The Hawk. Led by the charismatic Griffith, Guts will discover that nothing is what it seems, and that their leader has a hidden agenda. Impressive animation by Studio 4C makes this visually striking (and violent) entertainment. Will feel more complete once all three films are released. - Aaron Rourke
NEW RELEASES AND COMING SOON TO CINEMAS AROUND AUSTRALIA: SEPTEMBER 6: HIT AND RUN, KATH & KIMDERELLA, KILLER JOE, MONSIEUR LAZHAR, WUNDERKINDER, YOUR SISTER'S SISTER. SEPTEMBER 13: BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE'S MOST WANTED, REEL ANIME, RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION, THE ANGEL'S SHARE, THE WATCH, BARFI! THE DVD TOP SELLERS: 1. THE AVENGERS [Action/Adventure/Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner]. 2. THE WAY [Drama/Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez, James Nesbitt]. 3. THE LADY [Drama/Michelle Yeoh, David Thewlis, Jonathan Raggett]. 4. THE HUNGER GAMES [Action/ Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson]. 5. W.E. [Drama/Abbie Cornish, James D'Arcy]. 6. SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN [Comedy/Ewan McGregor, Kristin Scott-Thomas]. 7. THIS MEANS WAR [Comedy/ Tom Hardy, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine]. 8. AMERICAN PIE: REUNION [Comedy/Jason Biggs, Eugene Levy, Chris Klein]. 9. KILLER ELITE [Action/Robert De Niro, Clive Owen, Jason Statham]. 10. WRATH OF THE TITANS [Action/Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Danny Huston]. Also: MARGIN CALL, BATTLESHIP, 21 JUMP STREET, Dr. Seuss' THE LORAX, THE LUCKY ONE, THE AWAKENING, THE RAID, PROJECT X, THE BIG YEAR, CONTRABAND. NEW RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS ON DVD THIS WEEK: KING OF DEVIL'S ISLAND [Drama/Thriller/Stellan Skarsgard]. RAMPART [Drama/Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster, Steve Buscemi, Anne Heche]. SAFE [Action/Jason Statham, Chris Sarandon, James Hong]. 96 MINUTES [Thriller/Brittany Snow, Evan Ross]. OBA: THE LAST SAMURAI [War/ Treat Williams, Sean McGowan, Daniel Baldwin]. CAFE DE FLORE [Drama/Romance/Vanessa Paradis]. NEW & RE-RELEASE CLASSICS ON DVD HIGHLIGHTS: TITANIC [Drama/Romance/ Leonardo DiDacrio, Kate Winslet, Kathy Bates, Billy Zane]. THE WANDERERS [Drama/Karen Allen, Ken Wahl]. ● Turn To Page 43