Nick’s Picks 08/08/12

DVD REVIEWS

FREE DVD GIVEAWAY

We are doing a Free DVD Giveaway! If you are interested in a chance at winning a free copy of Dr. Lori Mosca’s Three Keys to Heart Health, LOL, Federal Men, Misfits: Season One, George Washington, Transformers Prime, G.I. Joe: Season Two, Series Two, it is really easy! All you have to do is send me an email at HoustonMovieGuy@gmail.com. The subject line of the email should read DVD GIVEAWAY. In the body of the email, be sure to put your name, full mailing address and which DVD or Blu-ray you would like. Winners will be selected by random drawing. Best of luck!

TRANSFORMERS PRIME – Shout Factory

For centuries across the universe, Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) and the Autobots have battled their greatest foes, Megatron (Frank Welker) and his army of Decepticons. But on Earth they face a new threat: discovery by the human race. By using their unique ability to disguise themselves as common Earth vehicles, the Autobots have managed to avoid detection and the risk of escalating their war to disastrous proportions. But now they require the assistance of three young human allies (Jack, Miko and Raf), along with Special Agent Bill Fowler (Ernie Hudson, Ghostbusters) not only to help keep their secret but also to defeat the sinister Decepticons once and for all!

DR LORI MOSCA’S THREE KEYS TO HEART HEALTH – PBS

Dr. Lori Mosca one of the leading cardiologists in the country presents an engaging and evidence-based (scientifically accurate) approach for women and their families to improve their cardiovascular health.

G.I. JOE: Season Two, Series Two – Shout Factory

The battle rolls on in the final season of G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero, Series 2! General Hawk returns with his new team of Joe’s, ready to take on any challenge by Cobra, a ruthless criminal organization out for world domination. And Cobra Commander’s clearly left the toughest challenges for last! Does G.I. Joe have what it takes to stop them? The popular second season of this series from 1991 sees the return of fan favorite characters including Duke, Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow in adventures more exciting than ever! And now you can complete your collection with all 20 episodes of this outrageous second season in one three-disc set!

LOL – Lionsgate

In a world connected by Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, Miley Cyrus stars as a teen girl navigating through the peer pressures of high school romance and friendship, while dodging her protective mother (Demi Moore), in the fresh coming-of-age comedy LOL.

FEDERAL MEN – Film Chest Media

Based on real-life U.S. Treasury criminal cases, the Chief (Walter Greaza) and his agents pursue counterfeiters, loan sharks, gamblers, bootleggers, swindlers, smugglers and confidence men. Featuring a who s-who of Hollywood, series guest stars included James Dean, Claude Atkins, Carolyn Jones, Ben Gazzara and Nancy Evans and more. This 3-Disc Collector’s Set includes the following 16 Episodes: 1. The Case of the Man Outside 2. The Case of the Bad Bargain 3. The Case of the Black Sheep 4. The Case of the Little Tin Box 5. The Case of the Man Trap 6. The Case of the Gentlemen Cheat 7. The Case of the Green Feathers 8. The Case of the Buried Treasure 9. The Case of the Princely Pauper 10.The Case of the Iron Curtain 11. The Case of the Man Next Door 12. The Case of the Tight Squeeze 13. The Case of the Leather Bags 14. The Case of the Chartered Chiseler 15. The Case of the Slippery Eel 16. The Case of the Steady Hand.

MISFITS: Season One – BBC

Kelly, Nathan, Curtis, Alisha and Simon are five unruly teenagers forced to do community service as payback for their crimes. But when a freak electrical storm hits their town, strange things begin to happen to them that are way out of their control. In fact, they have no idea that they’ve actually turned into superheroes, each with a power they didn’t choose or want – a power which reveals each of their deepest, darkest insecurities. But while they just want to finish their community service and get through the challenges of everyday teenage life – relationships, friendships, parents and sex – fate has another task in store for them: they must save their town from the evil that has descended upon it. If you think life’s tough for your average superhero, it’s even tougher when you’ve got a curfew.

GEORGE WASHINGTON – PBS

George Washington: The Man Who Wouldn t Be King is the story of a man who grew into greatness by accepting the challenge of leading a fractious, rag-tag army against the might of the British government. As a young man, Washington was a social climber, a land-hungry Virginia surveyor and self-conscious military officer, often blaming others for his own mistakes. However, he gradually built a reputation as a gentleman by educating himself in the classics and sciences, entering politics, and marrying one of the wealthiest women in Virginia. It was at the battle of Trenton where everything changed. Brilliantly timing his attack on Christmas night, Trenton was a psychological victory both for America and for Washington himself. His growing skill and unwavering bravery transformed Washington into the very symbol of the Revolutionary War. After leading his army to the final victory at Yorktown, his officers–unpaid and distrustful of Congress–wanted him to assume even greater power. Using impressionistic photography and rare paintings, etchings and prints from museums, libraries, and private collections, George Washington: The Man Who Wouldn t Be King goes beyond the standard textbook portrait to reveal the real George Washington.

ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING – Disney

Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime with the 25th anniversary edition of Adventures In Babysitting, starring Academy Award nominee Elisabeth Shue (best actress, 1995, Leaving Las Vegas). Experience all the laughter and excitement in a whole new way on Blu-ray with a sensational new digital restoration! When Chris Parker (Shue) agrees to babysit, she expects a night of TV and boredom. But when her frantic friend calls and pleads to be rescued from a downtown Chicago bus station, Chris and the kids pack up and leave their safe suburban surroundings for the heart of the big city. It’s a frighteningly funny expedition no one will forget!

Johnny Guitar – Olive Films

This one-of-a-kind western stars Joan Crawford as a saloon owner battling the local townspeople headed by Emma (Mercedes McCambridge), the local sexually repressed, lynch-happy female rancher out to frame her for a string of robberies. The title character played by Sterling Hayden is a guitar-strumming drifter with a dark past who was once in love with Crawford and has been offered a job in her saloon. Nicholas Ray’s epic western is considered on the most original westerns of all time – the women are far tougher than the men and some saw in the film a bizarre allegory for the McCarthy era Red Scare. In addition to the stars, Johnny Guitar is well stocked with great supporting players, including Ernest Borgnine, Scott Brady, Ward Bond, Paul Fix, Royal Dano and John Carradine. Classic score title song written by Peggy Lee and the film’s composer Victor Young and sung by Peggy Lee.

RIO GRAND – Olive Films

In the John Ford (The Quiet Man) classic, John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara (First of five films together) are embroiled in an epic battle with the Apaches and each other. Wayne leads his Calvary troops to the Rio Grande to fight a warring tribe. His toughest battle lies ahead when his unorthodox plan to outwit the elusive Apaches leads to a possible court-martial. Locked in a bloody war, he must fight not only to save his family, but also to redeem his honor. This was the third and final of the John Wayne/John Ford Cavalry films, which started with Fort Apache and was followed by She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. The great supporting cast includes Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Victor McLaglen and Chill Wills.

GROSSE POINTE BLANK: 15th Anniversary Edition – Disney

Hit man Martin Q. Blank (John Cusack) is in an awkward situation. Several of them, actually. He’s attending his high school reunion on an assignment; he’s got a rival hit man (Dan Aykroyd) on his tail; and he’s going to have to explain to his old girlfriend (Minnie Driver) why he stood her up on prom night. This amiable black comedy, cowritten by Cusack and directed by Jonathan Demme protégé George Armitage (Miami Blues), has the feel of Demme’s Something Wild and Married to the Mob–which is to say its humor is dark and brightly colored at the same time. Cusack and Driver are utterly charming–as is the leading man’s sister, Joan, who plays his secretary. Alan Arkin incrediblty funny as Martin’s psychiatrist.

STRIKE BACK: Season One – HBO

A high-octane, globe-spanning thriller with storylines ripped from today’s headlines, Strike Back is a one-hour drama series that focuses on two members of a top-secret anti-terrorist organization known as Section 20: Michael Stonebridge, a British sergeant in the ultra secret Section 20 anti-terrorist team, and Damien Scott, a Delta Forces operative who was disgraced and discharged on the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

WWE SUPERSTAR COLLECTION: Daniel Bryan – WWE

Since his debut on the very first season of WWE NXT, Daniel Bryan’s career has resembled a roller coaster ride. From his oil-and-water relationship with his NXT Pro, The Miz, through his rocky road from Nexus-member to singles star, to his crowning achievement winning the World Heavyweight Championship, this internet sensation-turned mainstream star has been no stranger to success or controversy, and is never short on words.or wrestling holds. In this first-ever DVD set to focus on Daniel Bryan, fans can own some of the best action featuring this multi-talented Superstar, including his very first match in WWE.

THE PREACHER’S WIFE – Disney

This tedious remake of the classic Christmas movie The Bishop’s Wife falls on its face by significantly altering the careful design of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert E. Sherwood’s story for the original film. In Sherwood’s version, a rather wooden, inept bishop and his lonely wife unknowingly take into their lives a heaven-sent angel who aids the former and ends up falling in love with the latter. In this unnecessary update, an inner-city preacher (Courtney B. Vance) and his estranged spouse (Whitney Houston) are visited by a celestial goof (Denzel Washington), whose unsolicited offer of help is enough to galvanize Vance’s character to fix his own problems. What that means is this: by the second act, there’s no reason to have Washington’s angel in the story. Even his infatuation with the missus isn’t enough to warrant his hanging around this movie; the change is a colossal blunder by director Penny Marshall.

WWE SUPERSTAR COLLECTION: Sheamus – WWE

With a WWE Championship, World Heavyweight Championship and United States Championship to his credit, as well as victories in the Royal Rumble Match and King of the Ring tournament, ‘The Great White’ Sheamus can already boast the credentials that have eluded several WWE Hall of Famers. This DVD collection, the first ever to focus on the Celtic Warrior, features five milestone matches from Sheamus’s impressive career, including his shocking first WWE Title win over John Cena in a Tables Match and the riveting finale of the 2012 Royal Rumble.

GIRLFRIEND – Strand Releasing

Winner of three Audience Awards, Girlfriend is a moving, coming-of-age drama that explores the nature of love and human compassion. Evan, a young adult with Down Syndrome, lives with his mother (Amanda Plummer) in a poor, working-class town. When he unexpectedly inherits a large sum of money, he decides to use it to help out his friend and high school crush, Candy (Shannon Woodward), a single mother deeply in-debt and facing eviction. The two form an unlikely relationship, and everything seems to be falling into place, until Candy s volatile ex-boyfriend, Russ (Jackson Rathbone) interferes, resulting in an eruption of secrets and emotions. Girlfriend subverts conventions, presenting a fresh take on love, struggle and family in contemporary society.

SQUIDBILLIES: Booty Hunter Volume 5 – Adult Swim

When you can’t count on that expensive hog mess we call “modern medicine” to fix your funnybone, Squidbillies Volume 5 is there to scrub up for surgery, y’all! This volume features the complete fifth season, filled with special guest appearances, bonus features like Art + Music, and much more. Your television ain’t never looked this gorgeous!

ROMY & MICHELLE’s H.S. REUNION – Disney

Big laughs and hot stars make this a can’t-miss comedy in the hilarious tradition of Clueless and Dumb and Dumber! Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow) are carefree party girls who reinvent themselves for their 10-year high school reunion. With new wardrobes and wild stories of success, they make a big impression … until a former classmate Janeane Garofalo) blabs their real story to everyone! But that’s when Romy and Michele let loose with a surprise of their own … and outrageous results! Featuring a sizzling hit soundtrack of favorite hits from the ’80s, it’s the comedy treat The New York Times calls “cheerful, giddy fun!”

STANLEY CUP 2012 CHAMP LA KINGS – Warner

The Kings have been crowned! For the first time in franchise history, the Los Angeles Kings are Stanley Cup Champions. NHL Original Productions takes you behind the glass, on the bench, and into the locker room as the Kings embark on a historic journey through the regular season and battle the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes, and New Jersey Devils during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Backstopped by Conn Smythe trophy winner Jonathan Quick and led by captain Dustin Brown, dynamic forwards Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards, and defenseman Drew Doughty, Los Angeles defeated the top 3 seeds of the Western Conference en route to becoming the first 8th seed in NHL history to hoist the most coveted trophy in sports – the Stanley Cup. Exclusive interviews with players, coaches, and Kings legends provide an inside look at the most improbable championship run in NHL history. The cup has finally come to LA! Experience one of the most memorable championship runs with the 2012 Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings.

FOREVER MARILYN – Fox

Marilyn Monroe forever stands alone as Hollywood’s quintessential icon of sex appeal and timeless allure. Her breathy voice, voluptuous figure and wide-ranging talents catapulted her to superstardom, where she remains as legendary today as ever. Immortalized here in this must-own collection are seven of her best and most popular films, presented on Blu-Ray – the perfect format to showcase Marilyn’s flawless beauty and captivating performances as they’re meant to be seen.

HIGH FIDELITY – Disney

From the guys who brought you Grosse Point Blank comes the absolutely hilarious High Fidelity. John Cusack stars as Rob Gordon, the owner of a semi-failing record store located on one of the back streets of Chicago. He sells music the old-fashioned way — on vinyl, with two wacky clerks, the hysterically funny rock snob Barry (Jack Black) and the more quietly opinionated underachiever Dick (Todd Luiso). But Rob’s business isn’t the only thing in his life that’s floundering — his needle skips the love groove when his longtime girlfriend Laura (newcomer Iben Hjejle) walks out on him. And this forces him to examine his past failed attempts at romance the only way he knows how! For a rocking fun time, give High Fidelity a spin. It’s sure to make your all-time top five list for comedies — with a bullet.

GUNSMOKE: Season Six, Volume One – CBS Paramount

Matt Dillon (James Arness) is in charge of Dodge City, a town in the Wild West where people often have no respect for the law. He deals on a daily basis with the problems associated with frontier life: cattle rustling, gunfights, brawls, standover tactics, and land fraud. Such situations call for sound judgment and brave actions: of which Marshal Dillon has plenty. Season six was the most powerful season of Gunsmoke with incredible characterizations during the half hour show. These remastered episodes are wonderful and are sure to keep you reliving the Gunsmoke saga for years to come!

LET IT SHINE – Disney

Cyrus DeBarge (Tyler James Williams) loves music. Leading the choir at his father’s church by day, while working as a busboy at a teen club by night, Cyrus is a talented rapper with just one thing holding him back – his lack of confidence. When a local music show announces that pop star Roxie (Coco Jones) – Cyrus’s former classmate and schoolboy crush – is judging a contest looking for the next big single, Cyrus submits a track. Much to his surprise, Cyrus wins, but he allows his ultra-confident best friend Kris (Trevor Jackson) to take all the credit, while he fades into the background, feeding him lyrics and rhymes. However, Cyrus’ music works too well, and when Kris finds himself getting Roxie’s affections and musical acclaim, Cyrus has to learn to speak up for himself. Will he take his rightful place on the stage and in Roxie’s heart? The Let It Shine: Extended Edition also features an exclusive scene where Cyrus takes on his nemesis, “Bling,” in his first-ever rap battle.

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