BluTuesday - July 29, 2014
What’s up, ProFans? Joseph here, and I’m taking a break from mourning the shutdown of the Destiny game servers before I could play it one last time to bring you the latest in home media for July 29, 2014. In this week’s episode, we discuss the return of a classic anime, Johnny Depp, an interesting concept for a rom-com, a biblical story that may or may not be entirely biblical, and the worst punishment imaginable. All ready to go? Then, let’s get to it.
Appleseed: Alpha [Blu-ray]
- Available July 22
Prequels are a tough sell: you have to tell an interesting story, but you also have to make sure that the story ties into what has already come before it. Appleseed Alpha balances that tricky line and doesn’t teeter off of it. This tells the story of Deunan and Briareos, two mercenaries who are sent to the outskirts of their beat-down city (basically Detroit); there, they meet Iris and Olson, two citizens from the city of Olympus, and they have to keep them safe from other mercenaries and prevent the downfall of man. This movie is available in both a single disc Bluray version and a single disc DVD version. I love the Appleseed series; it’s thoughtful without being overbearing, and I’m good with that. This looks like it’ll be another successful film in the series.
Transcendence (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD UltraViolet Combo Pack)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 19%
- Available July 22
To use the song title from Clint Black, Johnny Depp has been on a good run of bad luck lately. It seems like every movie he’s made has been a stinker of a film, and this one is no exception to the rule. Depp plays Dr. Will Caster, a scientist who is mere steps away from making artificial intelligence a reality. But, when a terrorist organization wants to destroy him and his research, his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) and best friend Max Walters (Paul Bettany) upload him into the internet…and things get really strange from there. This movie is available in both a two disc Bluray/DVD + Digital Copy version and a single disc DVD version. There’s a good movie in here somewhere, but it got lost in the dull performance of one Johnny Depp. You may want to skip this one, folks; wait for the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie instead.
The Other Woman
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 23%
This movie, starring Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate and her Uptons, and Jamie Lannister - sorry, Nikolaj Coster-Waldeau, tells the story of how funny infidelity can really be. Carly (Diaz) falls in love with Mark (Coster-Waldeau), only to find out that he’s married to Kate (Mann). The two meet and form an unlikely friendship.. Mark is also seeing another woman named Amber (Upton), and…how does he have the stamina for all of that? Anyway, the three women meet, and hilarity ensues. This movie is available in both a single disc Bluray + Digital Copy version and a single disc DVD version. Y’know what? I’m good without not seeing this one. Moving on…
Noah (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 77%
LIttle known fact here: there was actually another movie called Noah starring Tony Danza back in 1998. The more you know, huh? Anyway, this movie stars Russell Crowe as the titular character who was instructed to build an ark by God. Oh, and there are rock monsters. It takes some artistic liberties with the biblical text, but it’s also based on a graphic novel of the same name. This movie - which also stars Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, and Anthony Hopkins - is available in both a single disc Bluray/DVD + Digital Copy version, and a single disc DVD version. Some people may take umbrage with the liberties taken in this movie, but it’s still a fun romp.
Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXX
The guys at MST3K are at it again, and this time, they’re going for broke. The satirists rip apart The Black Scorpion, Outlaw (Of Gor), The Projection Man, and It Lives By Night. At this point, you know what you’re getting into with these guys, so what else can I really say? Well, I can say that this is available in a four disc DVD set, and that it’s my pick of the week. So, it’s got that going for it, which is nice.
Well, that’s all I’ve got for this week. Got any questions or comments? Did I miss something you wanted to discuss? Feel free to hit me up in the comments section below.
Until next time…
