And so 2013 ends with one final What to Watch to carry you through to 2014. Have some gift card money burning a hole in your wallet? Want something to stream while your family bickers over the holiday? Just need a break from it all? Here are the latest and greatest new releases, listed in the order we’d put ‘em on an Amazon wish list.
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints
Photo credit: IFC
“Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”
David Lowery’s Sundance hit is a 2013 film that I can guarantee you will grow in esteem as time goes by. Future generations will be surprised that it didn’t get enough attention on its initial release. I’ve been stunned at its complete absence in the year-end conversation. It’s not a perfect film but there’s a lot to like here from Bradford Young’s gorgeous cinematography to great performances by Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, & Ben Foster to Daniel Hart’s mood-setting score. Check this out before history corrects the record on its remarkable quality. It’s a film I like more each time I see it.
From my theatrical review: “When I saw “Saints” on a cold, early morning in Park City, I knew I was too tired to fully appreciate it, but it’s a film that truly grew on me on second viewing. It’s rich, mesmerizing, and remarkably technically accomplished, while also buoyed by three stellar central performances. Don’t miss this one.”
Synopsis:
Academy Award Nominees Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Side Effects) and Casey Affleck (The Killer Inside Me, Gone Baby Gone) star as a pair of doomed lovers separated by prison bars and miles of desert wasteland in Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, a moody collision of love and crime in the tradition of Bonnie and Clyde.
Four years ago, impassioned young outlaw couple Bob Muldoon (Affleck) and Ruth Guthrie (Mara) were apprehended in the Texas hills during a shootout that left a local officer wounded by a bullet from Ruth’s gun. Taking the blame, Bob was sentenced to 25 years in prison. After having engineered a daring escape, Bob is now determined to reconnect with the love of his life and meet the daughter who was born while he was incarcerated. But the journey back won’t be easy, and the powers that be threaten to keep the two lovers apart forever. Co-starring Ben Foster (The Messenger) and set against the gritty landscape of 1970s Texas Hill Country, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints is a breathtaking and exquisitely photographed meditation on the fragility and transience of love.
Special Features:
o Making Of Documentary
o Deleted Scenes
o Music Video
o Behind The Scenes
o Teasers
o Trailer
o St. Nick - Director David Lowery’s First Feature
Where to Watch: Blu-ray, DVD, Vudu, Amazon Instant Streaming, iTunes
Family Guy: Volume Twelve
Photo credit: Fox
“Family Guy: Volume Twelve”
FOX’s “Family Guy” isn’t the creative force that it once was, LONG past its peak in terms of writing and cultural importance but Fox still knows how to put together a notable home release for a show that wouldn’t exist any more if not for its popularity on DVD. Much like they do with the award-winning season sets for “The Simpsons,” they load these things up with special features, although I’m still puzzled as to why the company continues to embrace DVD-only releases. These should be HD and Ultraviolet. Don’t you want to take the Griffin family with you when you go?
Synopsis:
Family Guy reaches new heights of hilarity in this outrageous collection of 22 uncensored episodes, including fan-favorite “Into Fat Air,” where the Griffins rock Mount Everest, plus the comedy jackpot “Roads to Vegas” and the milestone 200th episode “Yug Ylimaf,” in which Brian and Stewie develop a curious case of reverse aging thanks to a time machine foul-up. It’s a complete season of laughs with celebrity guest voiices Johnny Depp, Jon Hamm, Sofia Vergara, and more!
Special Features:
o Commentary by Series Writers, Directors, Producers and Cast Members on Select Episodes
o Deleted Scenes
o 200 Episodes Later
o 200th Episode Read
o Select Scene Animatics
o 2012 Comic-Con Panel
Where to Watch: DVD, Hulu, Vudu, Amazon Instant Streaming, iTunes, Netflix
Burn Notice: Season Seven
Photo credit: Fox
“Burn Notice: Season Seven”
“Burn Notice” never quite lived up to the potential displayed in its first few seasons but the show had loyal, devoted followers up to the very end, making it one of USA’s biggest hits of the last decade. I’m happy they went out on their own terms and now you can own the entire run of this saga of a spy with difficulty staying under the radar and, most of all, the people who love him. That’s what “Burn Notice” always was — the tale of how an ex-spy’s mom, best buddy, and true love kept him out of trouble. At its best, it was one of the coolest shows on TV.
Synopsis:
It all comes down to this - the thrilling final season of one of television’s hottest shows, where everything is finally revealed. Separated from his friends and family, and on the verge of losing it all, Michael Westen goes deep undercover, joining forces with a mysterious woman and infiltrating a sinister terrorist network. With time running out, Michael must do whatever it takes to stay alive and protect his loved ones; but now, he may be forced to go too far. Packed with explosive action and exciting plot twists, Burn Notice: Season Seven comes fully equipped with exclusive bonus features available only on DVD.
Special Features:
o Audio Commentary On Forget Me Not Featuring Matt Nix, Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell, Sharon Gless and Writer Ben Watkins
o Deleted Scenes
o Gag Reel
o Final Mission: Ending The Series
Where to Watch: DVD, Vudu, Amazon Instant Streaming, iTunes
The Lone Ranger
Photo credit: Disney
“The Lone Ranger”
The biggest bomb of 2013? It’s debatable that it’s this multi-million dollar film that didn’t make nearly the waves that Disney hoped upon its release, leading to a parting of the ways between the company and Jerry Bruckheimer. My advice? Decide for yourself. “The Lone Ranger” is far from a great film but it’s not the flat-out disaster that the headlines may have you believe and there’s already been a bit of a reappraisal of it outside of the summer buzz. Check it out, complete with the standard Disney HD treatment — great transfer and interesting special features.
From Patrick McDonald’s theatrical review: “The Lone Ranger” succeeds because it also sticks to what makes a classic western fun. There are bad guys, shoot-outs, taverns of ill repute, heroes that save the day and miles of train tracks to play with in the movie, and a Native American named Tonto to add the comic relief.”
Synopsis:
Johnny Depp and Arnie Hammer star in The Lone Ranger, from Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Director Gore Verbinski. It’s a wild ride of high-velocity action, explosions and gunfights that brings the famed masked legend to life through brand-new eyes. The Lone Ranger (Hammer), the last of his kind, teams with Tonto (Depp), a dark and mysterious vigilante, to seek vengeance after justice has failed them. It’s a runaway train of epic surprises, as these two unlikely heroes must learn to work together before the ultimate showdown between good and evil explodes.
Special Features:
o Bloopers
o Deleted Scene
o Riding The Rails Of The Lone Ranger
o Armie’s Western Road Trip
o Becoming A Cowboy
Where to Watch: Blu-ray, DVD, Vudu, Amazon Instant Streaming, iTunes
One Direction: This is Us
Photo credit: Sony
“One Direction: This is Us”
I must admit that I’m not the target audience for a concert film featuring One Direction. With that in mind, this is a strong release for its fan base, complete with exclusive special features and bonus material not seen in theaters. In other words, if you have a One Direction fan in your family tree, you could be their favorite relative if you get them “This is Us.”
Synopsis:
One Direction: This Is Us is a captivating and intimate all-access look at life on the road for the global music phenomenon. Weaved with stunning live concert footage, this inspiring feature film tells the remarkable story of Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis’ meteoric rise to fame, from their humble hometown beginnings and competing on the X-Factor, to conquering the world and performing at London’s famed O2 Arena. Hear it from the boys themselves and see through their own eyes what it’s really like to be One Direction.
Special Features:
o “Best Song Ever” Music Video
o Going Home: Harry, Liam, Louis, Niall, Zayn
o Extended Scenes
o Before The Show
o The 1D Family
o Original Theatrical & Extended Fan Cut
o 20 Minutes Of New Footage
o Four Additional Songs
Where to Watch: Blu-ray, DVD, Vudu, Amazon Instant Streaming, iTunes
The Family
Photo credit: Fox
“The Family”
There was a time, young readers, when an action-comedy starring Robert De Niro & Michelle Pfeiffer from director Luc Besson would have been a major film event. Instead, it’s this inert comedy that is SO tonally off that one wonders if it wasn’t mis-translated from Besson’s original French draft. The cast is strong and Besson still has a great visual sense but that script…wow…it’s one of the worst of the year. For hardcore fans of those involved only.
From Patrick McDonald’s theatrical review: “Mostly the film is damn lazy, and wastes a great cast with a phone-it-in script and formulaic performances which follows that telephone line. It basically makes these cartoonish Italian stereotypes into heroic figures, while in any other parallel world they would be viewed as dangerous sociopaths.”
Synopsis:
Academy Award Winners Robert De Niro and Tommy Lee Jones star in this action-comedy from executive producer Martin Scorsese and acclaimed director Luc Besson. A Mafia boss and his family are relocated to a sleepy town in France under the Witness Protection Program after snitching on the mob. Despite Agent Stansfield’s (Jones) best efforts to keep them in line, Fred Blake (Robert De Niro), his wife Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer), and their children Belle (Dianna Agron) and Warren (John D’Leo), can’t help resorting to old habits by handling their problems the “family” way. Chaos ensues as their former Mafia cronies try to track them down, and scores are settled in the unlikeliest of settings.
Special Features:
o Making The Family
o The Many Meanings Of…
Where to Watch: Blu-ray, DVD, Vudu, Amazon Instant Streaming, iTunes
Kick-Ass 2
Photo credit: Universal
“Kick-Ass 2”
I was a fan of Matthew Vaughn’s “Kick-Ass” but the follow-up is a tonal mess, never finding the right balance between its more extreme moments and the plot that’s constantly trying to claim that this story takes place in the real world. It’s like a cartoon written by an eight-year-old. Avoid at all costs.
From my theatrical review: “Writer/director Jeff Wadlow entirely misplaces the priorities of the first film, thinking that the sequel needs to be more extreme, even if that’s at the expense of style and intelligence. Only another totally game performance from Chloe Grace Moretz saves it from complete disaster but it comes damn close. One could argue that “Kick-Ass” was all style and no substance. “Kick-Ass 2” has absolutely none of either.”
Synopsis:
Self-made superhero Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and sweet-faced, foul-mouthed assassin Hit Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) try to return to life as “normal” teenagers, but soon they are faced with their deadliest challenge yet. To seek revenge for his father’s death, Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) has re-invented himself as the leader of an evil league of super-villains. To defeat their new nemesis, Kick-Ass and Hit Girl must team up with a new wave of masked crusaders, led by the badass Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey), in this battle of real-life villains and heroes.
Special Features:
o Alternate Opening
o Big Daddy Returns: The Unshot Scene
o An Ass-Kicking Cast
o Street Rules: Showdown At The Evil Lair
o Hit Girl Attacks: Creating The Van Sequence
o Extended Scenes
o Upping The Game
o Creating A Badass World
o Going Ballistic: Weapons & Stunts
o Feature Commentary With Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Grace Moretz and Writer/Director Jeff Wadlow
Where to Watch: Blu-ray, DVD, Vudu, Amazon Instant Streaming, iTunes
 | By BRIANTALLERICO |