Our weekly column resumes with a new format, and I will be your host. Only the most notable Blu-ray (and, occasionally, DVD) releases from around the world will be highlighted -- no more than 10 each week, to keep things sane -- as well as titles that our intrepid crew has already reviewed.
My Pick of the Week
The Rocketeer: 20th Anniversary Edition (U.S., Region A)Joe Johnston's rendition of Dave Stevens' original creation, a neat fusion of 40s sensibility as applied with affection (and without irony) to a patriotic adventure.Bill Campbell plays the hero, a down-on-his-luck pilot who comes into possession of a mysterious jet pack. He teams with his mechanic (Alan Arkin) to test it out, quickly earning the moniker "The Rocketeer" and drawing immediate attention from gangsters (led by Paul Sorvino), the U.S. goverment, and Howard Hughes (Terry O. Quinn). Jennifer Connelly plays the hero's girlfriend as the personification of a wholesome good girl with a knockout body, while the fabulous Timothy J. Dalton embodies a quasi-Errol Flynn stand-in as a vain matinee idol.It's all in good fun, a colorful adventures that sparkles and zips. The lack of post-modern irony probably accounts for its disappointing box office returns at the time of its original release in 1991 -- it couldn't compete in the cynical superhero world defined by Tim Burton's Batman -- but anyone with a love for classic Hollywood cinema should have a blast.Other Notable Releases
Branded to Kill, Tokyo Drifter (U.S., Region A)
Two of Seijun Suzuki's great 60s films, issued separately as upgrades by the Criterion Collection from previous DVD editions.
City of God (U.S. Region A)
Fernando Meirelles' sensationally-told tale of life in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.
Fright Night (2011) (U.S., Region A)
Imperfect as it is, the remake is better than expected, though falling short of the giddy b-movie heights of the original. Colin Farrell provides appropriate menace.
Heavenly Creatures (U.S., Region A)
Peter Jackson's dreamy account of best friends (Kate Winslet, Melanie Lynskey) who turn to murder.
The Inbetweeners (U.K., Region B)
"Sex-obsessed teens on holiday," as our own Todd Brown described it, based on the trailer. The movie was a smash hit. Help yourself.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (U.S., Region A; U.K., Region B)
This smart, snappy reboot was summer's most pleasant mainstream surprise, featuring strong performances by James Franco (as the human) and Andy Serkis (as the ape).
(More news and reviews for the films available via our handy "Search" feature.)
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