BluTuesday - March 19, 2013
What’s good, people? Joseph here, and I’m bringing you the new releases in Bluray for March 19, 2013. This week’s episode features women behaving badly, little people going on big adventures, the hunt for the world’s most wanted man, lots and lots of singing, and a pseudo-sequel that came out of the blue. All set? Let’s get to it.
Bachelorette (R)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 55%
Unresolved issues between four high school friends come roaring back to life when the least popular of them gets engaged to one of the most eligible bachelors in New York City and asks the others to be bridesmaids in her wedding. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, and James Marsden, the movie comes in a single disc Bluray and single disc DVD set. This movie is yet another entry in the raunchy comedy genre, and if it’s your thing, go for it. Otherwise, I’d say rent it and call it a day.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (PG-13)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 65%
The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets a creature and a simple ring that will change his life forever. This film comes in a five disc Bluray 3D/Bluray/DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy set, a three disc Bluray/DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy set, and a two disc DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy set. This film is perfect for J. R. R. Tolkien fans, and I highly recommend it.
Zero Dark Thirty (R)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93%
For a decade, an elite team of intelligence and military operatives, working in secret across the globe, devoted themselves to a single goal: to find and eliminate Osama bin Laden. Zero Dark Thirty reunites the Oscar winning team of director-producer Kathryn Bigelow and writer-producer Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker) for the story of history’s greatest manhunt for the world’s most dangerous man. Starring Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain, Chris Pratt, and Joel Edgerton, this Academy Award nominated film comes in both a two disc Bluray/DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy set and a single disc DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy set. This film was a bit contentious here at the VaginaCon offices, where some people consider it average, some people consider it good, and some people consider it great. I fall in the third column, and I have no issues with considering this my pick of the week.
Les Misérables (PG-13) – Scheduled for release on March 22, 2013
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 70%
Hugh Jackman, Academy Award winner Russell Crowe, and newly minted Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway star in this critically-acclaimed adaptation of the epic musical phenomenon. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Mis‚rables tells the story of ex-prisoner Jean Valjean (Jackman), hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe), after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever. This enthralling story is a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit and “an unforgettable experience” (Richard Roeper, RichardRoeper.com). This Academy Award nominated film comes in both a two disc Bluray/DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy and a single disc DVD version. Also, if you are so inclined, you can go to that fine French establishment Targét and get the three disc Bluray/DVD + UltraViolet Deluxe Version. Either way it goes, you can’t go wrong with this beautiful film.
This is 40 (NR – NOTE: The theatrical edition was rated R) – Scheduled for release on March 22, 2013
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 52%
From the director of “Knocked Up” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” comes an unfiltered, comedic look inside the life of an American family. After years of marriage, Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) are approaching a milestone meltdown. As they try to balance romance, careers, parents and children in their own hilarious ways, they must also figure out how to enjoy the rest of their lives. Featuring Academy Award nominee Melissa McCarthy, Jason Segel, Megan Fox, John Lithgow and Albert Brooks, This Is 40 is a candid and heartwarming comedy about the challenges and rewards of marriage and parenthood in the modern age. This movie comes in both a two disc Bluray/DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy and an R-rated single disc DVD version. See my above post about “Bachelorette” to see how I feel about raunchy comedies; it still holds firm.
That’s all for now, folks. Did I miss anything? Got any questions or comments? Wanna harangue me about my choice of pick of the week? Feel free to hit me up in the comments section below.
Until next time…
For me, Les Miserables is the best movie of the year.
I liked Les Mis, but Zero Dark Thirty kept me riveted throughout. Of course, I also have some skin in the game for that one, due to my military background, but that’s another story for another time.
I really liked the last hour of Zero Dark Thirty. The first hour-and-a-half? Not so much.
The baking of the cake, which was a real thing, just… no.