Movies New on DVD & Download-19 February 2008


N E W • T H I S • W E E K
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For the Bible Tells Me So (2007) [NR]-- W.I.P. Scale™ Rating:
Review-lite: (click for full details and complete review)

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For The Bible Tells Me So [DVD](2007) DVD
Does the desire to be a "good Christian" require the condemnation of homosexuality? This explosive documentary profiles five American families--including that of former House of Representatives leader Richard A. Gephardt--that experienced the convergence of their religious faith with the emergence of a gay family member. The film reveals how strict adherence to Christian principles can lead believers either to hate or to love. 98 min. Soundtrack: English; biographies; interview; photo gallery; theatrical trailers.




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Margot at the Wedding (2007) [R]-- W.I.P. Scale™ Rating:
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Margot At The Wedding [DVD](2007)
Writer/director Noah Baumbach ("The Squid and the Whale") presents this insightful dramedy starring Nicole Kidman as an acerbic short story writer who attempts to reconnect with estranged sibling Jennifer Jason Leigh. While Leigh prepares to wed struggling artist/musician Jack Black, Kidman's brash personality reveals the dark side of familial relationships. With John Turturro, Ciaran Hinds. 92 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; theatrical trailers.




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Redacted (2007) [R]-- W.I.P. Scale™ Rating:
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Redacted [DVD](2007)
Brian De Palma's incendiary drama, based on true events, is set against the backdrop of war-torn Iraq, as American soldiers struggle to keep the peace at a checkpoint in Samarra. Escalating hostilities between the Iraqis and the troops lead to a violent raid and the rape of a 14-year-old girl. Shot with a "you are there" immediacy, writer/director De Palma's shocking film stars Izzy Diaz, Ty Jones, and Zahra Zubaidi. 90 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: Spanish; behind-the-scenes footage; interviews; photo gallery.




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30 Days of Night (2007) [R]-- W.I.P. Scale™ Rating: $10.00
Review-lite: Director David Slade adapts the comic book series, 30 Days of Night, into a wickedly chilling film capable of conjuring claustrophobic dread as he directs a clan of wandering vampires, led by Danny Huston's Marlow, to the takeover and mass murder of the entire town of Barrow, Alaska so picked due to the 30 days each winter the town endures without sunlight—the chief nemesis of vampires. Defending the town are Sheriff Eben Oleson (Josh Hartnett), his deputy Billy Kitka (Manu Bennett), and his estranged wife, Stella (Melissa George) who fails to get out of town before the darkness sets in and the airport is closed for a month. Unfortunately, the film is better at setting up terror than concluding it. The climax is less potent than the rest of the film, and the final scene ends things with a whimper. (click for full details and complete review)

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30 Days Of Night [Blu-ray](2007)
30 Days Of Night [DVD](2007) DVD
30 Days Of Night (UMD For PlayStation Portable)(2007)



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In The Valley Of Elah (2007) [R]-- W.I.P. Scale™ Rating: $14.25
Review-lite: Paul Haggis takes on the story of a US Iraq War veteran who returns home only to be murdered hours later and the investigation conducted by his father, a former M.P., Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones) into his death and disappearance. Inspired by real events (names and places changed), the story seems on the surface like a powerful military suspense film, when it quickly transforms, as did his son Mike while in Iraq, into something very different. In the case of the film, it becomes a less subtle anti-war film, with the final scene showing in no uncertain terms how Hank Deerfield feels now about a government that has cost him the lives of both of his sons. (click for full details and complete review)

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In The Valley Of Elah [Blu-ray](2007)
In The Valley Of Elah [DVD](2007)



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Michael Clayton (2007) [R]-- W.I.P. Scale™ Rating: $13.25
Review-lite: Tony Gilroy, best known for his screenplays for the Jason Bourne movies, helms this political and legal thriller featuring George Clooney as Michael Clayton. Technically a 'fixer' for a high-powered NYC law firm with London merger aspirations, Clayton is called in to 'fix' up a mess. His mentor and the chief architect of the defense against a $3 billion class-action lawsuit for the firm's biggest client, Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) has gone start raving mad in a deposition. Meanwhile, Clayton's personal life is complicated by problems with loan sharks and gambling additions. How will this part-time dad, give his son a proper role model when he's out 'adjusting the truth' to make a living? Unfortunately, the script builds awesome characters, but just doesn't have enough time to tie everything together properly creating a film that requires far too much speculation on the part of the viewer. (click for full details and complete review)

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Michael Clayton [Blu-ray](2007)
Michael Clayton [DVD](2007)
Michael Clayton (Widescreen Version) [DVD](2007)



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Rendition (2007) [R]-- W.I.P. Scale™ Rating: $14.25
Review-lite: Director Gavin Hood using a script by Kelley Sane brings to light a secret government program called 'Extraordinary Rendition'. In the film Rendition, starring Meryle Streep, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Reese Witherspoon three interlocking stories are told detailing what happens in the aftermath of a terrorist bombing when an innocent man is taken for interrogation in connection to the bombing. The film stands out as a wake up call to cause everyone to question when, if ever, giving in to fear and sacrificing core values to save lives is a good idea. The shocking ending forces everyone involved to reconsider the operations. Jake Gyllenhaal and Omar Metwally were the cast standouts. (click for full details and complete review)

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Rendition [DVD](2007) DVD



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American Gangster (2007) [R]-- W.I.P. Scale™ Rating: $13.50
Review-lite: What happens when you put a director known for slow-moving, pastoral epics in charge of gangster film? You get Ridley Scott's slow-moving, pastoral American Gangsters. Despite near legendary performances by two of the earth's most respected and honored living actors, Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, the story of Frank Lucas's meteoric rise from driver and side-kick to major drug lord, lacks freshness and action. Too much emphasis is placed on Lucas's wardrobe and his nemesis, Richie Roberts's lack of one. There's no denying the caliber of the leading performances, unfortunately, two great performances in a slow-moving, almost pastoral look at the life of one of the most successful personal American gangsters cannot undo a flawed film that plays like an epic without an epic hero or even, for that matter, a truly epic story. (click for full details and complete review)

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American Gangster [DVD](2007)
American Gangster (Collector's Edition)(2007)
Gangsters: The Ultimate Film Collection [DVD]



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