It’s Tuesday, so that means that it is new release day DVD and Blu-Ray wise in the US and Canada, and there are some absolute belters out this week for your home viewing pleasure.
First up is the surprise gem of 2012 which is currently wowing audiences in theatres in the UK. RUBY SPARKS revolves around Paul Dano’s Calvin, a young novelist who manages to bring the girl of his dreams to life through the power of the written word. We caught this at a film showcase a couple of months ago, and instantly fell in love with it. A rom-com-dram to suit most tastes despite its rather predictable and indeed slightly corny climax. Fordy branded it “one of the year’s most endearing efforts: heartfelt, well intentioned, and very nicely constructed…” and I bloody agree with him. A delight.
Again, a film that is still playing in UK cinemas, but timed for a US release on the home formats to coincide with the current Presidential election campaigns. Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis star in the Jay Roach directed comedy that has a synopsis that goes a little like this: “In order to gain influence over their North Carolina district, two CEOs seize an opportunity to oust long-term congressman Cam Brady by putting up a rival candidate. Their man: naive Marty Huggins, director of the local Tourism Center. ” Our own Joe Upton lol-ed at it when he reviewed it for our podcast and Martin McDonaugh said “as long as you don’t expect a radical, innovative, or even slight departure from the usual feature comedy formula, then the levity should be enough to make the experience worthwhile.”
Next up is SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED, a Sundance graduate that revolves around a trio of magazine employees who investigate a classified ad seeking a partner for time travel. One employee develops feelings for the paranoid but compelling loner and seeks to discover what he’s really up to. The film also screened at this year’s Sundance London Festival back in the summer, and from what we hear, went down extremely well. It;s produced by the guys that were behind LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE. FYI.
Here’s a film that is yet to score a theatrical release in the UK, the Frank Langella starrer ROBOT AND FRANK, which we caught at the London Film Festival this past month. Our own Matt Dennis said: “Bought to life by a fantastic cast, particularly by Frank Langella, who excels in the difficult task of forming a repore with an almost inanimate object, and with some simplistic yet inspired futuristic production design, ROBOT & FRANK is an interesting and sweet movie that use’s it’s science fiction elements as a mere backdrop to it’s truthful and honest look at how old age can and will eventually hit us all.”
POLISSE centers on individuals and officers working in and around a child protection unit in Paris. It’s one of those films that slipped under the radar, but again we’re hearing great things about the French-language film from director Maiwenn Le Besco, so it is indeed one to hunt down. Also a Sundance alumni.
Also released is the Zach Galifianakis Presents CRAIGSLIST JOE, a VOD documentary ‘adventure’ from director Joseph Garner. There’s also AMERICANO, which is a fictional narrative about coming to terms with unattended grief and uncomfortable pasts> It boasts Salma Hayek amongst its cast. We also have the ballet documentary from Sundance Selects FIRST POSITION, about young dancers at the Youth America Grand Prix and finally horror thriller EXCISION, a film that is described as revolving around a ‘disturbed and delusional high school student with aspirations of a career in medicine goes to extremes to earn the approval of her controlling mother.’ Traci Lords features.
