New Release Tuesday (8/9/11)!!!

Must Buy DVD of the Week!

SUPER:  I was seriously bummed that I missed this in theaters and I just couldn't bring myself to watch it on demand.  James Gunn's Slither is one of my favorite wink-wink horror films of the last decade and I can't wait to see how his twisted sense of humor tackles the super hero genre.  Plus, my buddy Blain worked on the crew of this flick and one should always support their friends.  And you can all do with a little more Nathan Fillion, Michael Rooker, and Kevin Bacon in your lives.

Buy!

PAUL:  Yeah, this was nowhere near as bloody brilliant as Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz but damn, I was pretty much laughing my butt off through the film's entire proceedings.  Hell, it's worth owning in the highest definition just for the Keith Nash nut shot.  Adorably vulgar, and yes, one of my favorite films of 2011 so far.

YOUR HIGHNESS:  This is just dumb fun.  If I laughed through the entire proceedings of Paul, then I lost my ever-lovin' mind during Your Highness.  It's soooooo smartly dumb and I love the medieval fantasy mockery. "Punch and twist...kissessssss."  Definitely, not for everybody, but where I can take or leave Franco in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, I absolutely neeeeed him here in Your Highness.  He's goofily genius.  And Justin Theroux has to be my favorite evil wizard (sorry Ralph Fiennes).  A definite contender for this year's Best Foul Language award.

M.A.S.K. THE COMPLETE SERIES:  Man, I haven't watched an episode of this series since I was ten years old.  Thanks must be given once again to the treasure trove that is Shout Factory for re-releasing this bad boy on the public once more.  To this day, one of my favorite Christmas mornings was when Santa dropped off the MASK gas station mountain fortress under the tree.  That thing was badass.

THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS (BLU):  This might have made my Must Buy DVD of the Week but I've already got the standard edition on the shelf.  It's a pretty great set and I'm looking forward to revisiting it before Criterion Cast discusses it as part of their August War month.  Not an every Saturday Night kinda movie, but when the mood strikes you right than Algiers can really knock your socks off.

Rent!

JAMES ELLROY'S LA CITY OF DEMONS:  Ellroy wrote one of my all-time favorite novels with The Black Dahlia (DePalma's film is kinda neat but doesn't come close to capture the scope of that book) and the rest of his LA Quartet is utterly brilliant as well.  Not so sure about this tv show though.  Ellroy can be...a bit much when interviewed and I can see myself getting more than a little eye-rolly with this love/hate letter to Los Angeles.  It's a tempting buy, but I'm gonna show restraint and Netflix it.

--Brad