The Couch Potato Report – December 27th, 2009
This week The Couch Potato Report peels the newest DVD and Blu-ray releases! This is no best of 2009 feature, it is all-new!!
I know it is the season of comfort and joy, peace on earth, and wishing good will to men and women, but I just can’t.
Oh, sure…I am all over the comfort and joy and peace and love on earth stuff, but I can’t wish good will to ALL men and women…I just can’t.
Okay, to you…yes, to you…I have nothing but good wishes!!
To you, I wish tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future.
To you, I possess a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.
To the TRAILER PARK BOYS…well, I just wish that they would go away…ESPECIALLY after sitting through their latest film COUNTDOWN TO LIQUOR DAY.
The Trailer Park Boys was a popular Canadian mockumentary television series that premiered in April of 2001 and focusses on the misadventures of Ricky, Julian, Bubbles and the other residents of the fictional Sunnyvale Trailer Park, in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.
Filmed like a documentary, and seen from the camera person’s point of view, the low-budget program has been very succesful, but as I have said before…I don’t get it!
I personally know people who love this show and the characters…but I don’t understand the appeal, I have never laughed, not even once at the TV series or the movie, and I don’t like any of the characters.
However, since other people do…a lot of other people…the BOYS are still around.
In COUNTDOWN TO LIQUOR DAY the Boys get out of jail, and this time, Julian vows to go straight
But when they arrive back at the park, they find it’s not the same old Sunnyvale – and it’s not the same old Jim Lahey, Trailer Park Supervisor. Lahey’s a new man, hasn’t had a drink for two years. And he has plans – BIG PLANS – for Sunnyvale.
And…you know what…it doesn’t matter what the film is about…if you like, love and are entertained by THE TRAILER PARK BOYS, then this is a must see, a must own even…and I hope that you enjoy it…I truly do.
But, if you are like me, and you don’t get it, truly don’t get it, then skip it…walk past it…this is not worthy of your time.
Let’s move past that film now to a small movie that debuted back in January at the Sundance Film Festival and saw positive word of mouth allow it to open in more theatres than a small movie like this might have otherwise had the chance to.
This is (500) DAYS OF SUMMER…and it is one of my favourite movies of the year!
You know how, when you look back on a relationship – either an ongoing one or one that has ended – you arely look at it chronilogically? You – and I – we look at them through random events and dates, remembering the good and bad?
Well, that is what this film does too. It shows us the 500 days that Tom and Summer were together, but bounces from the good to the bad and back.
Easily explained, (500) DAYS OF SUMMER is an offbeat romantic comedy about a woman who doesn’t believe true love exists, and the young man who falls for her.
And it is that, but it is so much more, and that is because the film was well-written, has a great cast with two leads who have great chemistry…during the good times…and look and act like real couples do when they are not getting along.
I not only enjoyed (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, I adored it. I think this film is destined to become a classic.
Just remember…it is NOT a love story!!
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER is an original take on the romantic comedy genre and DISTRICT 9 is a unique take on the science fiction film.
This one is inspired by events that took place in District Six, Cape Town during the apartheid era.
DISTRICT 9 is a low budget film about a group of aliens who are forced to live in slum-like conditions in Johannesburg, South Africa, and the humans who are trying to relocate them.
DISTRICT 9 is – simply put – original. The story is well told, the cast of unknown actors are all perfect, the action and dramatic scenes all ring tue, and the special effects and aliens all look seemless.
When it all comes together, it makes for a fantasitic movie that is also one of my favourites from this year!!
I can’t wait to see it again!!
In the past, I have also said “I can’t wait to see it again!! ” about the television show ROBOT CHICKEN. However, of late…the show is starting to get repetative and even boring at times.
What’s worse…I didn’t even find much of THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON of the show to be that funny.
And when a comedy show isn’t funny…well…what else is on.
ROBOT CHICKEN is a stop motion animated series that parodies a number of pop culture figures, movies and events using toys, action figures, dolls, claymation and many other items.
ROBOT CHICKEN – THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON is more miss than hit, but when it is funny…it is very funny. However, much like the TRAILER PARK BOYS, you either like it or you don’t.
If you do, enjoy!!
If you don’t, then what you should do is elementary, my dear Watson.
Skip it.
And if that conclusion is where you arrive, and you enjoyed getting to that deduction, then perhaps you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes.
With the new SHERLOCK HOLMES film now open in theatres, there is a new set that has come out for those who feel Robert Downey, Jr. portrayal is a bit too modern.
This set has some old BBC episodes…in fact, this three-disc set has them all.
That is because only five episodes of the 1960s Sherlock Holmes series have survived the test of time.
All five star Peter Cushing as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary detective, with Nigel Stock as Dr. Watson.
The new film will bring a whole new generation of fans to Sherlock’s door, but THE SHERLOCK HOLMES COLLECTION is perfect for them, as well as those who have been there for many years already.
This is good stuff!!
If detectives aren’t your cinematic or literary passion, maybe you like wizards and witches…specifically, once Master Harry Potter.
Well, the boy-wizard was back on screen this year in HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE.
This is the sixth film in the Harry Potter series, which is all based on the fantasy-adventure books by J. K. Rowling.
In this one, As Harry begins his 6th year at Hogwarts and discovers an old book that is mysteriously marked “This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince”.
He also begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort’s dark past.
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE is what it is…if you have seen and loved the other film films…even while admitting the books are better…then you will need to see this film.
And I am sure that you will love it!!
BUT, if you think you have seen everything that the first two films has to offer…well, in that thought, you will be mistaken…because there is now an ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITION for HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE and HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS.
These sets will allow you to see some unique stuff, for the first time ever!!
Go behind the scenes of the global search to cast Harry Potter and his friends, and find out how Rupert, Emma and Daniel got the news, and what they did.
There are also great new and old interviews with the main three.
These new, very insightful ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITIONS also allow fans to look back on a decade’s worth of movies and movie making with all of the people behind the scenes as well, including director Chris Columbus.
The ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITION of HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE and HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS are must haves for anyone who loves these films. So, if you got money for Christmas, and need an idea of what to use it on…there you go!
Adults love the Harry Potter books, as well as kids. They are the great type of entertainment that can appeal to everyone.
This next release is only for adults…but not too many of them.
This is my review for THE OTHER MAN, a film that is not great in any way, but it is interesting enough to warrant a mention.
The film stars Liam Neeson as a husband who suspects his wife of adultery, and sets out to track down the other man in her life.
Antonio Banderas plays the other man.
Like I said, THE OTHER MAN is not great, but the acting is good, the Italian locations are beautiful, and there is enough here for me to suggest that it is a good rental to any adults looking for a movie to watch on a cold winter’s night.
Just don’t try and guess how it ends, because you may be fooled.
This is the time of year when many of us look back at the past twelve months and come to a conclusion about how good, or bad the year has been.
When Sandra Bullock looks at her professional 2009, she will see the huge box office successes of THE PROPOSAL and THE BLIND SIDE, and that latter film may even get har nominated for an Academy Award.
But she will – unfortunately – also have to look back and see a film she made called ALL ABOUT STEVE as well.
This film is a mess!!
In ALL ABOUT STEVE Bullock plays a ditsy slash eccentric crossword puzzle creator who is convinced that she and a television cameraman belong together.
After all, they met for about five minutes and he seemed to like her, so why wouldn’t she trail him as he travels all over the country, hoping to convince him that they belong together?!?
Why wouldn’t she?!?!
ALL ABOUT STEVE is all about being awful!! I had heard that it was bad, and it was worse than I even imagined.
Even if you love, and I mean LOVE Sandra Bullock and her movies, skip this one!!
Go and see THE PROPOSAL or THE BLIND SIDE again!
Yes, I knew going in that ALL ABOUT STEVE would be bad, and it was…and is…but going into the latest STAR WARS spoof from the folks at FAMILY GUY – a film called SOMETHING SOMETHING SOMETHING DARK SIDE – I was expecting something good.
But I didn’t get something good, and that was a huge surprise to me as FAMILY GUY’S first STAR WARS parody – BLUE HARVEST – was so fun and entertaining!
This second one is their take on THE EMPIRE STRIKLES BACK and it isn’t really fun nor entertaining. It isn’t awful, but I expected it to be a lot better.
FAMILY GUY is a show that I think has been coasting on it’s past success for a while now…and they definitely seem on auto pilot for most of DARK SIDE.
Yes, there are a few jokes that are funny, but most of them fall flat…plus, the STAR WARS stuff was done better in BLUE HARVEST.
If you love the show, you’ll probably want to see this…otherwise, FAMILY GUY PRESENTS: SOMETHING SOMETHING SOMETHING DARK SIDE is as useless as a nerf hearder!
Yes, I expected better from FAMILY GUY, and I also thought that this next film would be better than it was…and then I watched it again, and I enjoyed it.
I still don’t think that EXTRACT is as good as OFFICE SPACE, BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD, or most of the other things that Mike Judge has created or been involved with over the years, but I did like it and it has some laughs.
In this film Jason Bateman from JUNO and ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, is the owner of a plant that makes extract, and both his professional and personal lives need some sprucing up.
So he makes some decisions that he thinks will correct the situations…but they don’t.
EXTRACT has a supporting cast that includes Ben Affleck, Kristin Wiig from Saturday Night Live and Mila Kunis from That 70s Show.
It is not a comedy for everyone, but I liked it. Yes, I did like it.
Finally this week is a warning…get ready…for the next couple of minutes…it might get loud!!
The superb film IT MIGHT GET LOUD is a documentary about the electric guitar and three musicians who have had some success using it: the Edge from U2, Jack White of the White Stripes, and Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin.
IT MIGHT GET LOUD features the three guys talking and playing, and it also looks back at their careers. I enjoyed it the most when it was the three guys in a studio talking and playing…and the look on The Edge and Jack White’s faces when Page starts playing “Whole Lotta Love” is priceless.
If you love to rock and or roll, check this one out!! I enjoyed it immensely!!
IT MIGHT GET LOUD, EXTRACT, FAMILY GUY PRESENTS: SOMETHING SOMETHING SOMETHING DARK SIDE, ALL ABOUT STEVE, the ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITIONs of HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE and HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, THE OTHER MAN, DISTRICT 9, TRAILER PARK BOYS – COUNTDOWN TO LIQUOR DAY and (500) DAYS OF SUMMER are all available now on Blu-ray and DVD.
THE SHERLOCK HOLMES COLLECTION and THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON of ROBOT CHICKEN are all available now only on DVD.
Coming up on the next Couch Potato ReportÖwhich will once again air on Sunday, since Stan Carew and his crew will be doing the show for you again next Saturday from Halifax.
I will have the fantastic animated film 9 and the very scary PARANORMAL ACTIVITY!
Plus, the mediocre film JENNIFER’S BODY starring Megan Fox, A PERFECT GETAWAY with Milla Jovovich and The BLU-RAY BEACON will shine on the third release of WATCHMEN so far this year…THE ULTIMATE CUT.
I’m Dan Reynish. I’ll have more on those, and some other releases, soon.
For now, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, and that’s this morning’s COUCH POTATO REPORT.
Enjoy the movies and I’ll see you back here next time on The Couch!
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