THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 23rd, 2010

THE INFORMANT!
directed by Steven Soderbergh
Warner Brothers

Special Features

  • Deleted Scenes
  • Commentary


The Informant! was one of the best comedies of 2009. Taking a sharp look at the idiocy that is American business, we see how Capitalism breeds the retarded bumpkins that lord over us all. Plus, Matt Damon’s got a wicked cool moustache in this bitch. Soderbergh got back to his dark comedic roots with this flick. Dug the Hamlisch score, but I thought Buster Bluth could’ve been used a little better.

THE BOX
c. Cameron Diaz, Frank Langella, James Marsden and James Rebhorn

Special Features

  • Featurette
  • Music Videos
  • Digital Copy
  • Commentary
  • Visual Effects Breakdown

The Box proves that Richard Kelly is just one film removed from being Troy Duffy. Taking a classic Richard Matheson story and then trying to cram in all his weird shit, it doesn’t work. Bad feet, Martian cameras and Frank Langella’s fucked-up face is less of a distraction than the terrible script from Kelly. I’m not going to fault the guy’s direction, it never had a chance. If you think I’m being too hard on the guy, google his script for Holes. Find a nice .pdf copy and take an hour to read it. That is all.

THE VAMPIRE’S ASSISTANT: CIRQUE DU FREAK
c. John C. Reilly, Ken Watanabe, Josh Hutcherson and Jane Krakowski

Special Features

  • Deleted Scenes
  • Featurettes

The Vampire’s Assistant was intended to be the first film in the Cirque du Freak series. America voted with their dollars and sent a message to Hollywood. John C. Reilly is not their preferred choice of Bloodsucker. They’d rather watch films about vampires that make Paul Lynde look like a badass. Paul Weitz continues to move further and further away from the About a Boy goodwill. One day, he might direct a good movie again.

SUPERJAIL: SEASON ONE
c. David Wain

Special Features


  • Bonus Pilot
  • Music Video
  • Animatics

Superjail
is coming to DVD. Adult Swim finally got around to releasing the first season of the sickest traditionally animated show on television. Playing off a Post-Modern Bosch styled landscape, we get to watch as prisoners are tortured for our amusement. They might be animated and their tears merely strokes of blue on a page. But, it’s still entertaining. Check it out before the second season starts.

NETFLIX INSTANT VIEW (POURING THE DIRT INTO BLOCKBUSTER’S GRAVE)

New movies to watch instantly
New TV to watch instantly

INSTANT VIEW/ON-DEMAND/HULU/GOOGLE VIDEO SHUT-IN CINEMA

For
the premiere Instant View sub-section, I’ve decided to cobble together
the best of what you might’ve missed at the video store. If you have
any legit suggestions to share, post them in the Talkback below.

Below,
I’ve included some decent documentaries that have made their way to
Netflix/Hulu. Give them a viewing and let me know what you thought.

Whether
or not this becomes a mix and match of the latest cool instant view
material is up to the readers. I’ve toyed with doing basic list
updates, giving you guys a chance to pick a film to show others. Hell,
just keep it legal and I’m open to whatever you find. Also, if you just
want to bitch about the shitty video quality of the Starz flicks on
Netflix Instant View…that works too.

Food, Inc. (2008)
Click the link to watch it over at Netflix Instant View
(membership required)

The Free Option via HULU

The Dead Zone  (1983)
with some commercial interruption



COMING SOON TO FUCK YOUR HOME THEATER IN THE FACE

1. LEARN SOME WHACKBAT with “THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX” ON MARCH 23rd!

Academy Award®-winning* Hollywood heavyweights George Clooney (Up In The Air) and Meryl Streep (It’s Complicated) lend their voices to the hilarious, heartwarming and dazzling stop-motion animated adventure from visionary director Wes
Anderson (The Royal Tenebaums) Fantastic Mr. Fox, arriving as a Blu-ray Disc/DVD Combo Pack and on DVD March 23 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. In there-imagined classic family tale, Mr. and Mrs. Fox (Clooney and Streep) live a happy home life with their eccentric son Ash (Jason Schwartzman: The Darjeeling Limited) and visiting nephew Kristopherson. That is until Mr. Fox slips into his sneaky, old ways and plots the greatest heist the animal world has ever seen. When mean old farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean join forces to surround Mr. Fox and his family, they don’t realize they are not dealing with any old fox – it’s Fantastic Mr. Fox and he has a fantastic master plan to save the day! Based on the beloved best-selling book by Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Fantastic Mr. Fox is family fun at its finest. Anderson employs a colorful supporting cast to bring his eccentric characters to life including Bill Murray (Lost In Translation), Owen Wilson (Marley & Me) and Willem Dafoe (Spiderman triology). Packed with behind-the-scenes bonus features, including a special inside look at how stop-motion animation really works and much more, Fantastic Mr. Fox will be available as a Blu-ray Disc/DVD Combo Pack

Disc One Blu-ray
• Making Mr. Fox Fantastic
o The Look Of Fantastic Mr. Fox
o From Script To Screen
o The Puppet Makers
o Still Life (Puppet Animation)
o The Cast
o Bill And His Badger
• A Beginner’s Guide To Whack-Bat
• Fantastic Mr. Fox: The World Of Roald Dahl
Disc Two
• Fantastic Mr. Fox widescreen feature film (16×9 1.85:1)
• From Script to Screen
• Still Life (Puppet Animation)
• A Beginner’s Guide to Whack-Bat
Disc Three
• Digital Copy of Fantastic Mr. Fox (Blu-ray Disc exclusive)
Single Disc DVD Special Features: (Catalog # 2265568)
• Fantastic Mr. Fox widescreen feature film (16×9 1.85:1)
• From Script to Screen
• Still Life (Puppet Animation)
• A Beginner’s Guide to Whack-Bat


THE CRITERION COMPLETION PROJECT (200 out of 504)

The
Chewer
Nation has been having fun with the little monthly challenges I’ve
thrown down. I’ve got a new one that just might take us through the end
of 2010. What I want us all to do is to review The Criterion
Collection. But, there’s a catch. The number of words you can use will
be determined by the spine number.

Due to length, click on the titles to access the spine specific reviews.

1 – 100.  The First Hundred
101. Cries and Whispers
102. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoise
103. The Lady Eve
104. Double Suicide
105. Spartacus
106. Coup de Torchon
107. Mona Lisa
108. The Rock
109. The Scarlet Empress
110. Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday
111. Mon Oncle
112. Playtime
113. Big Deal on Madonna Street
114. My Man Godfrey
115. Rififi
116. The Hidden Fortress
117. Diary of a Chambermaid
118. Sullivan’s Travels
119. Withnail and I
120. How to Get Ahead in Advertising
121. Billy Liar
122. Salesman
123. Grey Gardens
124. Carl Theodore Dreyer Boxset
125. Day of Wrath
126. Ordet
127. Gertrud
128. Carl Theodore Dreyer: My Metier
129. Le Trou
130. The Shop on Main Street
131. Closely Watched Trains
132. The Ruling Class
133. The Vanishing
134. Haxan
135. Rebecca
136. Spellbound
137. Notorious
138. Rashomon
139. Wild Strawberries
140. 8 1/2
141. Children of Paradise
142. The Last Wave
143. That Obscure Object of Desire
144. Loves of a Blonde
145. The Firemen’s Ball
146. Cranes are Flying
147. In the Mood for Love
148. Ballad of a Soldier
149. Juliet of the Spirits
150. Bob le Flambeur
151. Traffic
152. George Washington
153. General Idi Amin Dada
154. The Horse’s Mouth
155. Tokyo Olympiad
156. Hearts and Minds
157. The Royal Tenenbaums
158. The Importance of Being Earnest
159. Red Beard
160. A Nous La Liberte
161. Under the Roofs of Paris
162. Ratcatcher
163. Hopscotch
164. Solaris
165. Man Bites Dog
166. Down by Law
167. The Complete Monterey Pop Festival
168. Monterey Pop
169. Jimi Plays Monterey / Shake! Otis at Monterey
170. Trouble in Paradise
171. Contempt
172. Pepe le Moko
173. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
174. Band of Outsiders
175. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
177. The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum
178. My Life as a Dog
180. I Am Curious…Yellow
183. Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne
184. By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume One
185. The Adventures of Antoine Doinel Boxset
186. Stolen Kisses
187. Bed and Board
188. Love on the Run
189. The White Sheik
190. Throne of Blood
191. Jubilee
192. Coup de Grace
193. Quai des Orfèvres
194. Il Posto
195. I Fidanzati
196. Hiroshima mon Amour
197. Night and Fog
198. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
199. Schizopolis
200. The Honeymoon Killers
247. Videodrome
267. Kagemusha
281. Jules and Jim
422. The Last Emperor

and so on and so on.

Post your Criterion reviews on the CHUD message board.

THE REST OF THE DVDs THIS WEEK

  • The Informant!

    (R)

  • The Box

    (PG-13)

  • Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant

    (PG-13)

  • Sorority Row

    (R)

  • Everybody’s Fine

    (PG-13)

  • The September Issue

    (PG-13)

  • Paris

    (R)

  • Shall We Kiss?

  • The Damned United

    (R)

  • $9.99

    (R)

  • 18 Kids and Counting: Season 2

    (Not Rated)

  • 2040

    (Not Rated)

  • 8 Avatar

    (Not Rated)

  • Academy Collection: The Envelope Please

    (Not Rated)

  • Adam-12: Season Four

    (Not Rated)

  • Alcove

    (Not Rated)

  • Alexander the Last

    (Not Rated)

  • Alice in Wonderland

    (Not Rated)

  • Alice: A Look into Alice’s Adventures in…

    (Not Rated)

  • All’s Well, End’s Well 2009

    (Not Rated)

  • Amanecer De Un Sueno

    (Not Rated)

  • American Chopper: Honoring the Uniform

    (Not Rated)

  • American Experience: Wyatt Earp

    (Not Rated)

  • American Sign Language Everyday Words Holidays & E

    (Not Rated)

  • American Sign Language Interpreter: Receptive Skil

    (Not Rated)

  • Anna: Pleasure/Torment

    (Not Rated)

  • Apocalypse How

    (Not Rated)

  • Aqua Zone: Aquarium

    (Not Rated)

  • Atomic Jihad: Ahmadinejadsming War For Islamic Rev

    (Not Rated)

  • Bandaged

    (Not Rated)

  • Basic Love

    (Not Rated)

  • Battle Girl: Living Dead in Tokyo Bay

    (Not Rated)

  • Beethoven Symphony No. 9 from Vatican City

    (Not Rated)

  • Beyond Sherwood Forest

    (Not Rated)

  • Birdie & Bogey

    (Not Rated)

  • Bleach Volume 25

    (Not Rated)

  • Blood on the Flat Track

    (Not Rated)

  • Break The Vabank: Vabank & Vabank 2

    (Not Rated)

  • Breakfast with Scot 
  • British Film Noir: Twilight Women / Slasher

    (Not Rated)

  • Captain Abu Raed

  • Car Cemetery

    (Not Rated)

  • The Caretaker

    (R)

  • Celestial Navigations: Short Films of Al Jarnow

    (Not Rated)

  • Clans of Scotland

    (Not Rated)

  • Colour from the Dark

    (Not Rated)

  • Coming Home

    (Not Rated)

  • Cosmic Collisions

    (Not Rated)

  • The Crazies 
  • Da Capo: Songs of Delight

    (Not Rated)

  • Dairugger Collection 1

    (Not Rated)

  • Dangerous Calling

    (Not Rated)

  • Davey & Goliath: Collection

    (Not Rated)

  • Dead Snow

  • Death Metal: Are We Watching You Die?

    (Not Rated)

  • Dirty Jobs: Something Fishy

    (Not Rated)

  • Domo Volume 1

    (Not Rated)

  • Double Identity

    (R)

  • Eclipse Series 20: George Bernard Shaw on Film

    (Not Rated)

  • Electric Purgatory: The Fate of the Black Rocker

    (Not Rated)

  • Eleven Minutes

    (R)

  • The End of the Line

  • The Englishman in New York

    (Not Rated)

  • Examined Life

  • Eyewitness: Pacific War

    (Not Rated)

  • Fallen

    (Not Rated)

  • Fernando Arrabal Collection 2

    (Not Rated)

  • The Films of Amos Gitai

    (Not Rated)

  • Fireplace Atmosphere

    (Not Rated)

  • Flame & Citron

    (Not Rated)

  • FlashForward: Season One, Part One

    (Not Rated)

  • Floating Soul: Relax Your Mind

    (Not Rated)

  • Forgotten Noir Volume 13

    (Not Rated)

  • GBH

    (Not Rated)

  • Gene Krupa: Jazz Legend

    (Not Rated)

  • GFC: Girls Fight Club Las Vegas (Lidell)

    (Not Rated)

  • GFC: Girls Fight Club Las Vegas (Ortiz)

    (Not Rated)

  • Ghost Hunters: Season 5, Part 1

    (Not Rated)

  • Gigi: Gigi’s Big Break

    (Not Rated)

  • Goodbye Ana Elisa

    (Not Rated)

  • Groper Train: Wedding Capriccio

    (Not Rated)

  • Histories of the Holocaust: Buchenwald 1937-1942
  • Hollywood Singing & Dancing: Movies That Swing
  • Hood Affairs TV: Volume 11
  • The Human Spark with Alan Alda
  • I am Virgin
  • I Corrupt All Cops
  • Iannis Xenakis: Charisma X
  • Idioms & Phrases in American Sign Language: Vol 2

  • The Initiation of Alice in Wonderland
  • Inner Balance: For Body & Soul
  • Japanese Wife Next Door
  • Joan Armatrading: Steppin’ Out
  • Joyce Vedral: Complete Fat Burning Plus Bathing
  • Joyce Vedral: Quick Quartet No Stopping Quick
  • Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
  • Karemquin: The Early Years Volume 1
  • La Nativite Du Seigneur: Olivier Messiaen
  • La Traviata: Verdi Opera Australia
  • The Last Hurrah
  • Leapfrog: Math Adventure to the Moon
  • Lego: Adventures of Clutch Powers
  • Like a Dragon
  • Lo
  • Lock N Load with R. Lee Ermey: Complete Season 1
  • Love Conquers Paul
  • Man vs. Wild: Stranded Around the World
  • Mandy Black Intimate
  • Maria-holic: Complete Collection
  • May Story
  • Medicine Men Go Wild
  • Meteor Apocalypse
  • Mick Taylor Band: Tokyo Concert

    (Not Rated)

  • Midsomer Murders: Set 14

    (Not Rated)

  • Mommo

    (Not Rated)

  • Mor Amira: Belly Dance For Ecstasy

    (Not Rated)

  • Mor Amira: Belly Dance For Mother & Daughter

    (Not Rated)

  • Motherhood

    (PG-13)

  • My Son

    (Not Rated)

  • My Three Sons: The Second Season, Volume 1

    (Not Rated)

  • Mythbusters: Urban Legends

    (Not Rated)

  • National Geographic: Drain the Ocean

    (Not Rated)

  • Night Court: Seasons 1-3

    (Not Rated)

  • Night Court: The Complete Third Season

    (Not Rated)

  • Nurse Jackie: Season One

    (Not Rated)

  • Open Graves

    (R)

  • Operation Desert Stormy

    (Not Rated)

  • Outlaw Bikers

    (Not Rated)

  • Outsiders: Champions Films Of Mike Wallington

    (Not Rated)

  • Outsiders: Dressing For Pleasure Films Of John Sam

    (Not Rated)

  • Outsiders: Walking On Water Films By Steve Stevens

    (Not Rated)

  • Palermo or Wolfsburg

    (Not Rated)

  • Penderecki Conducts Penderecki

    (Not Rated)

  • Person of Interest

    (Not Rated)

  • Peter Erskine: Everything Is Timekeeping

    (Not Rated)

  • Philadelphia Experiment: Invisibility, Time Travel

    (Not Rated)

  • Project Runway: The Complete Sixth Season

    (Not Rated)

  • Pure Relaxation: Enjoy The Silence

    (Not Rated)

  • Rage Against The Machine: Revolution In The Head &

    (Not Rated)

  • Rick Latham: All About The Groove Style Sound Feel

    (Not Rated)

  • The Road of No Return

    (Not Rated)

  • Rosamunde Quartet: Celibidaches Heritage

    (Not Rated)

  • Ryuji The Yakuza

    (Not Rated)

  • Salto

    (Not Rated)

  • Segment 76

    (Not Rated)

  • Sinbad: Where U Been?

    (Not Rated)

  • Soo

    (Not Rated)

  • Spaghetti Western Bible Volume 4: Trinity

    (Not Rated)

  • Steam Locomotives 2: German Railway 1919-1939

    (Not Rated)

  • Stephanie’s Image

    (Not Rated)

  • Street Poet

    (Not Rated)

  • Super Drumming: Ultimate Collection

    (Not Rated)

  • Superjail: Season One

    (Not Rated)

  • Survivorman: Alone in the American Wilderness

    (Not Rated)

  • Susan Boyle: From Pain to Fame

    (Not Rated)

  • Swedish Auto

    (Not Rated)

  • T-Rex: A Dinosaur In Hollywood

    (Not Rated)

  • Taggart: Set 2

    (Not Rated)

  • Taxi Hunter

    (Not Rated)

  • Three Blind Mice

    (Not Rated)

  • Tower of Druaga Part 2: Sword of Uruk

    (Not Rated)

  • The Trade

    (Not Rated)

  • Trailer Park Boys 2: Countdown to Liquor Day

    (R)

  • Triad Underworld

    (Not Rated)

  • UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez

    (Not Rated)

  • Uncommon Women: My Name Was Sabina Spielrein / Ann

    (Not Rated)

  • The Universe: Colonizing Space

    (Not Rated)

  • The Universe: Complete Season 4

    (Not Rated)

  • The Universe: Space Threats

    (Not Rated)

  • The Vicious Kind

    (R)

  • Wartime Britain: Three Complete Dramas

    (Not Rated)

  • West Kingston Jamboree: Part 1

    (Not Rated)

  • West Kingston Jamboree: Part 2

    (Not Rated)

  • West Kingston Jamboree: Part 3

    (Not Rated)

  • The Wiggles: Hot Poppin’ Popcorn

    (Not Rated)

  • Wrong Side of Town

    (R)

  • Yogaxoga Demystified Yoga Volume 2

    (Not Rated)

  • You Can Knit

    (Not Rated)

  • You Can Make Childrens Toys

    (Not Rated)

BLU-RAY: IT’S GETTING CHEAPER

  • The Informant!

    (R)

  • The Box

    (PG-13)

  • Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant

    (PG-13)

  • Sorority Row

    (R)

  • Paris

    (R)

  • The Damned United

    (R)

  • The Crazies
  • Dead Snow

  • Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
  • Nurse Jackie: Season One

    (Not Rated)

  • Trailer Park Boys 2: Countdown to Liquor Day

    (R)

  • The Universe: Complete Season 4

    (Not Rated)

  • Wrong Side of Town

    (R)


SPEND YOUR MONEY!

NEW RELEASES


*Blu-Ray prices are in BOLD BLUE

The Informant                                         $16.99   $24.99
The Box                                                 $17.99   $24.99
The Vampire’s Assistant                         $17.99   $24.99
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths      $12.99    $16.99   $19.99
Flash Forward: Season 1 Volume 1        $19.99
Everybody’s Fine                                    $19.99
Nurse Jackie: Season 1                          $24.99   $24.99

$12.99 BLU-RAY SALE

500 Days Of Summer
All About Steve
Night At The Museum Battle Of The Smithsonian
Jennifer’s Body
Fame
Family Guy: Something, Something, Something, Darkside

$17.99 BLU-RAY SALE

Transformers Revenge Of The Fallen
Up!
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Inglorious Basterds
District 9
Law Abiding Citizen
The Godfather
The Godfather II
Star Trek (2009)

$4.75 DVDs

Matilda
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Green Eggs and Ham
Corpse Bride


———————————————–

NEW RELEASES

*Blu-Ray prices are in BOLD BLUE

The Informant                                         $19.99   $25.99
The Box                                                 $19.99   $26.99
The Vampire’s Assistant                         $19.99   $26.99
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths      $12.99  $19.99
Flash Forward: Season 1 Volume 1        $19.99
Everybody’s Fine                                    $19.99
Nurse Jackie: Season 1                          $29.99   $29.99
Sorority Row                                         $16.99  $25.99

$16.99 BLU-RAY SALE

Law Abiding Citizen
Up
Star Trek
G-Force
Night At The Museum 2
Gamer

TV On DVD Sale

Entourage Season 5 $15.99
Gossip Girl Season 2 $16.99
Supernatural Season 4 $16.99
Smallville Season 8 $16.99
The Shield Season 7 $19.99
Scrubs Season 8 $19.99
Dexter Season 3 $24.99
It’s Always Sunny In Philly Season 4 $24.99
Weeds Season 4 $24.99
The Office Season 5 $29.99
House Season 5 $34.99
Heroes Season 3 $34.99
Grey’s Anatomy Season 5 $34.99
Lost Season 5 $39.99