Moviefone’s Pick of the Week
“Jiro Dreams of Sushi”
What’s It About? This documentary looks at Jiro Ono, a sushi chef in his mid-80s, who is regarded as the best in the world.
See It Because: Ono is a fascinating character, and the movie’s approach to his food preparation is meditative and hypnotic (plus, the film will make you really hungry).
Moviefone’s Blu-ray Pick of the Week
“The Last Days of Disco” (Criterion Collection)
What’s It About? Kate Beckinsale and Chloe Sevigny star as two Ivy League graduates looking for love in New York, during disco’s last moment in the sun.
See It Because: Criterion is also releasing “Metropolitan” on Blu-ray today, but we’re picking “Disco” as the one to see. The early ’80s setting gives the film an exciting flavor, so if dialogue-heavy indies aren’t really your thing, you can still give this one a shot.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
“The Deep Blue Sea”
What’s It About? Rachel Weisz plays a married woman, living in post-WWII London, who leaves her husband for an Air Force pilot (Tom Hiddleston).
See It or Skip It: See it. If you like your romances to be moody and tragic, than this film is for you.
(Also Available on Amazon Instant Video)
“Footnote”
What’s It About? Israel’s selection for this year’s Foreign-Language Oscar concerns father and son academics whose dueling professional accomplishments lead to a rivalry between them.
See It or Skip It: See it. The movie does not have a lot of bold, big moments, but the depiction of familial tension is realistic.
“Meeting Evil”
What’s It About? Luke Wilson plays a down-on-his-luck businessman who helps a mysterious and deadly stranger (Samuel L. Jackson) stranded on the side of the road.
See It or Skip It: Skip it; you can see every twist coming from a mile away in this predictable thriller.
(Also Available on Redbox)
“My Way”
What’s It About? Two young men — one Japanese, the other Korean — are drafted into the Japanese army during WWII, where they must put aside their racial differences and survive the atrocities they are forced to witness.
See It or Skip It: Skip it. It’s touted as South Korea’s biggest movie ever, and the violence is “Saving Private Ryan”-level, but it’s still a bundle of cliches.
(Also Available on Redbox)
“Silent House”
What’s It About? Elizabeth Olsen (Mary-Kate and Ashley’s younger sister) stars as a young woman trapped inside her decrepit, secluded family lake house with a terrifying presence. The movie is presented in one-take, real-time over 80 minutes. It’s a seriously scary display of skill, but the film completely falls apart with a third act twist that ruins all the goodwill.
See It or Skip It: See the first hour, then turn it off.
(Also Available on Amazon Instant Video)
New to Blu-ray
“Dracula vs. Frankenstein” (1971)
“The Faculty”
“The Island of Dr. Moreau” – Director’s Cut (1996)
“The Last of England” (1988)
“Life” (1999)
“Metropolitan” (Criterion Collection)
“Mystery Men”
“They Made Me a Fugitive” (“I Became a Criminal”)
New on Redbox
“Intruders”
“The Machinist”
“Mirror Mirror” DVD & Blu-ray
“Where the Red Fern Grows” 1 & 2
New on Amazon Instant Video
“City Island”
“Total Recall” (1990)
