New DVD Tuesday!

The one thing that September has going for it is that it usually brings with it a lot of TV on DVD. I love TV but I love no commercials even more. The "play all" function on the main menu of a TV show on DVD is one of my favorite things in the world. The ability to hit one button and watch 4-6 episodes of a good show is just sublime in my book.

Killers (2010): Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl
Absolutely abysmal reviews. Entertainment Weekly (a haven for mainstream mediocrity if ever there was one) even ran a column covering all the reasons they hated Heigl's character. If you needed further proof of its awfulness, this movie debuted in theaters on June 4, making today the absolute earliest this film could hit the shelves (most mainstream studios require a 90 day waiting period between theater and DVD). No thank you.

MacGruber (2010): Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Val Kilmer
I'm very interested to see how well this does as far as rentals and sales go. "MacGruber" bombed miserably at the box office but it has all the makings of a cult hit. With Forte having announced his leaving of Saturday Night Live, DVD sales could be a big indicator of where his career goes from here.

The Office: Season 6 (2009): Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson
In all honesty, "The Office" peaked a couple of years ago. Seasons 3 and 4 were incredible but Season 5 lost its way a bit and Season 6 is hit and miss. When it misses, you find yourself questioning the direction the show is taking and wondering where this is going to end up. When it hits, however, its still one of the funniest, most ingenious shows on TV. The wedding episode, the baby episode, and Scott's Tots are all as good if not better than anything the show did during its first 4 years. Favorite show ever.

Chuck: Season 3 (2009): Zachary Levi, Adam Baldwin, Yvonne Strahovski
I like the idea of "Chuck" more than I like the actual show. I've watched Season 1 and I'm working on Season 2 and I truly appreciate what they're trying to do, I'm just not dying to see the next episode. I'm committed to finishing out Season 2 and then we'll see about Season 3.

Solitary Man (2010): Michael Douglas, Susan Sarandon
Something about a cynical old dude who starts to rethink his life blah blah blah. These movies are a dime a dozen and yet we never seem to figure this out. Douglas is getting some Best Actor buzz which is really the only reason it's even getting mentioned on the Soap Box.

New to Blu Ray
The Poltergeist (1982): Craig T. Nelson, Jobeth Williams, Zelda Rubenstein
A classic horror movie gets the Blu treatment. I'm not into horror/ghost movies at all but when I am, they're almost always from this era. I'm not running out to Best Buy to pick this up today but it might hit the Netflix queue.

The Skeleton Key (2005): Kate Hudson, Peter Sarsgaard, John Hurt
Alright, I know I just got done saying I wasn't into horror movies, but this is another exception. (Big day for the rare scary movie that doesn't suck!) "Skeleton Key" revolves around a nurse (Hudson) hired to watch over a near-dead old man (Hurt) in his Louisiana home. Everything takes a turn, however, when she gets wrapped up into a strange voodoo ritual that puts her life in danger. Extremely suspenseful, super creepy shots, and a big payoff at the end make this is a worthwhile viewing.

Other New to Blu Ray:

Stardust (2007): Robert De Niro, Claire Danes, Ian McKellan - Saw this on a plane a few years back and nearly threatened a flight attendant just to get the air marshal to shoot me and put me out of my misery. Awful.

Mars Attacks! (1996): Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Pierce Brosnan - Stupid. Very stupid. But mildly entertaining on a seriously juvenile level.

Lost in Space (1998): William Hurt, Gary Oldman, Matt LeBlanc - Look, this is not a good movie, okay? I know. But I kind of still get a kick out of it every time I happen across it on TBS on a Sunday afternoon.
THX 1138 (1971): Robert Duvall - George Lucas' first studio film is considered a sci-fi classic that I sadly have never seen. It popped up on Instant View (in HD even!) this week and I'm hoping I can find time for it in the near future.