In stark contrast to last week’s wasteland of DVD releases, December 8 presents a lush garden of the stuff. It presents a wide range of DVDs, from family films to period dramas.
When I say period dramas, of course, I’m talking about Public Enemies. The Michael Mann film about the American criminal John Dillinger is a wild ride of fun; Johnny Depp plays Dillinger perfectly. Marion Cotillard plays Billie Frechette, Dillinger’s girlfriend, just as well. And that’s not to mention Billy Crudup (Watchmen, Big Fish), who plays J. Edgar Hoover as a delightfully strange head of the FBI. The film will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray in a two-disc special edition.
Next up is Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. The film is the sixth in the franchise, and has been one of the best-reviewed. It’s tone grows even darker than the tone of the previous film (though it’s only rated PG). Though based on the penultimate book in the series, Prince will actually be followed by two more films, since the seventh book will be divided into two movies. A limited-edition two-disc version of the film (with a digital copy) will be released alongside the standard cut of the film. A giftset of all six films will also be released, though it would be wise to wait for all eight films to be included before buying any such set.
Julie & Julia, one of the summer’s most talked-about films (surprisingly enough) will also be hitting the shelves. The film, which stars Meryl Streep and Amy Adams as the titular characters, received good reviews and will be a sure-to-please gift this holiday season.
Then there’s Robin Williams’ indie black-comedy flick World’s Greatest Dad, about the misadventures of a teacher who finally gets the career he always wanted after a tragic accident occurs in his life. The film also stars Spy Kids’ Daryl Sabrara as Williams’ son.
Then there’s the disturbing documentary The Cove, which is about the slaughter and sale of bottle-nosed dolphins in Japan.
Finally, Criterion will release another set of films: AK 100: 25 Films of Akira Kurosawa. The set, which retails for around $285, features 25 Japanese films from the director, and is a must-have for any Oriental film fan.
Sam McPherson got his start blogging for Lostpedia, a job which he still maintains. He also writes for TVOvermind. His favorite films are Fight Club and Donnie Darko, though he has a greatly varied interest in films of all genres.
