ON DVD TODAY: January 8, 2008

By Brad Brevet

Well, last week was an interesting week for home video as Warner Bros. announced it was going to stop producing titles on HD DVD and simply go Blu-ray exclusive. You will notice below that all but one of the latest high definition announcements are Blu-ray titles and unless Universal and Paramount go hog wild that is going to be the case for quite some time. However, there are a couple of HD DVD titles on our list today including one in the “must buy” category.

On a related note I recently added a Blu-ray player to my collection of household hardware and I really couldn’t be more impressed. I went ahead and opted for the Playstation 3 even though I am not a huge gamer (Uncharted: Drakes Fortune is AMAZING however) and this thing is already more impressive than either of the HD DVD players I have purchased. The quality of video is virtually the same, but the speed at which it operates is much faster than my Toshiba HD-A3, which is a third generation HD DVD player. I hope to begin bringing Blu-ray reviews to you soon and maybe a comparison at some point. We’ll have to wait and see how things shape up.

And now, this week’s edition…

MUST BUYS
The only true must buy this week is the 2-disc Director’s Cut of Zodiac. This is easily one of the best films of 2007 and it is still up in the air as to whether or not it is going to get its due in Oscar nominations or be ignored thanks to its early 2007 release. Perhaps this DVD/HD DVD release will be enough to get people talking. I know I liked it, read my HD DVD review here and you can read Dominic’s glowing DVD review here. Or you could just… BUY IT AT AMAZON
I personally did not really enjoy 3:10 to Yuma. I never thought it packed the punch that I expected. It certainly looked great and it is always nice when more westerns are being made, but this one is a matter of taste. I am including it in the “Must Buy” section because I believe many of you will enjoy it, even though I did not. BUY IT AT AMAZON
I debated on whether or not to include an HD DVD title in the “Must Buy” section with the latest news that HD DVD has pretty much been hit with a death blow, but I love The Pianist and can’t wait to add it to my collection since I do not own this one on DVD yet. Adrien Brody is fantastic in Roman Polanski’s period piece, which won three Oscars in 2003 including Actor, Director and adapted screenplay. Truly, this is a great film and I can’t wait to see it in high definition. BUY IT AT AMAZON
THE REST
Awful, this film is truly awful. If you believe you must see it rent it from Netflix, buying this is equal to burning money. BUY IT AT AMAZON
I have not seen this, but I have heard it is terrible. I requested a review copy that has not yet arrived and I don’t think I am going to check to see what the deal is. I have much better things to do with my time. BUY IT AT AMAZON
I just finished a White Noise double feature as I watched the original for the first time followed up by the sequel. I will say the original is pretty damn good for a PG-13 scare flick with a rather satisfying ending. Unfortunately it is obvious why White Noise 2 is skipping theaters and heading straight to DVD and HD DVD, it isn’t very good. The first thing you have to do with these films is suspend disbelief, of course it is ridiculous. However, with the sequel (which is hardly a sequel as much as it is just a new film with the same theme) the story goes off on silly tangents every time it shows potential and the ending is awful. This is definitely a rental at best, but I urge you to give the original film a chance as it hits HD DVD today as well. BUY THE SEQUEL AT AMAZON
Joshua isn’t all that bad of a movie, and of the titles outside the “must buy” section this is probably the best (even though I have not yet watched Sunshine). The best part of the film is that it stars Sam Rockwell and a rather interesting turn from Vera Farmiga. However, the weight of the film lies on Jacob Kogan’s shoulders as the creepy young kid and he pulls it off rather well. This isn’t a title you should buy, but it is definitely rental worthy should you desire a scare. BUY IT AT AMAZON
Like I said above, I haven’t watched Sunshine yet. I can tell you I hadn’t heard good things about this flick from 28 Days Later and Trainspotting helmer Danny Boyle until Domenic’s review. The film tells a story set 50 years from now and the sun is dying, and mankind is dying with it. If it sounds up your alley give it a shot, or give Dom’s review a read and decide at that time. BUY IT AT AMAZON
The niche choice of the week has to be Eagle vs. Shark, a film I have no interest in seeing, but have heard several good things about including Domenic’s brand new review. Hell, this one even found its way onto a few best of 2007 lists. BUY IT AT AMAZON
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Brad Brevet

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