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Apparently, it is impossible for Netflix to predict if someone will like Napoleon Dynamite. The movie is so quirky and strange that there are no movies where somebody can click "I like this" and have that translate to being a good match for Napoleon. Which is understandable -- after all, the movie has few jokes, little physical comedy, and most of its humor comes from awkward scenarios where unknown or nonprofessional actors wear hideous outfits and don't speak much. That said, a lot of people find it hysterical, particularly the bizarre vocal inflections of its lead characters. Some have even shelled out for the talking action figures. Director Jared Hess' latest movie, Gentlemen Broncos, has no action figures, sadly, but it does have a lot of similarities with Napoleon. However, the addition of a plot -- and three dynamic, talented actors -- turns it into a completely different beast.
Are we having fun yet? After a trip to the DVD aisle, we'll be having a lot more fun, because this is the week of fun movie releases. Maybe not good movies, but "good" and "fun" don't always go hand-in-hand. Also, "clean."
How do we know that Couples Retreat is going to be good? Two words. Actually, four words. Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau. Okay, that was five words. But still, those two are hilarious by themselves, and they're even more funny when they're together. Yes, Jason Bateman and Faizon Love and Kristen Bell and Jean Reno are all funny, too, but those two are like comedy peanut butter and hilarity jelly. Of course, if it was just one of them in the movie, we wouldn't be so excited, because while the two of them are great together, when left to their own devices they tend to make bad decisions. Also, their personality types balance each other out. Who wants a sandwich that's just jelly? Or just peanut butter. Nobody, that's who. Well, sometimes you do, but it's rare. Check out our guide to their best team-ups and worst solo projects, with a few good solitary ones sprinkled in. And let us know if we're off-base below.
The question isn't "What DVDs are you going to buy?" The question is, "What DVDs aren't you going to buy?" We have a few suggestions.
When you go see a Coen Brothers film, you know what you're going to get, inasmuch you can always expect at least a few of their recurring themes to rear their heads. A man constantly burdened by setback after setback. An unfaithful woman. Shady financial dealings. The bullying of the weak by the strong. Murder. With each successive movie incorporating some or all of these elements, you have to wonder what happened in the Coens' lives to continually draw them back to these staples... aside from the fact that they're the stuff of great movies, of course. You also have to wonder why the Coens hate their own characters so much, that they would heap such troubles upon them until they break. All of the above tropes (even murder, kind of) are present in A Serious Man, which is about a Jewish family living in the Midwest in the 1960s, and was actually filmed in locations near where Joel and Ethan Coen grew up. While not autobiographical, it does draw heavily from their childhood and upbringing, so it's as much of an insight into the team's origins as we're likely to get.
Before you go to see this feel-good romp about a girl who discovers roller derby and first love in the same week, there are a few things you should know about Whip It! (Exclamation theirs. I would have gone with an ellipsis.)
Depending on how you feel about security guards, Lyme disease, Matthew McConaughey, claymation, Avatar and the French, this is either a very good week for DVDs or the worst week ever.
I Want My DVD: Tuesday, August 25, 2009
I Want My DVD was getting out of control, so drastic action has been taken. No, we haven't instituted a ban on Mickey Rourke -- the dude will act in anything, but we'll still cover all of his movies, even the weird ones. No, we've removed TV shows from the mix and given them their own home. For the latest television releases, you can check out TV on DVD over in the Telefile. All movie releases will remain right here, just in time for us to call out one of our favorite movies of the year, as well as a couple of the worst.
Fall Movie Previews Without Pity are Live!
Looking to find out what the big movie releases of the fall are? Well, barring any unfortunate incidents like last year's surprise postponement of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, MWoP has put together the essential guide to the final season of 2009, broken down into five convenient categories: Comedies and Dramedies, Serious Dramas, Chills and Thrills, Animation and Sci-Fi, Action and Adventure. There's a bit of cross-pollination in there, but all of the big releases this season are covered in one of those galleries, as well as some little gems we can't wait to see. Sure, there are a lot of Oscar-bait movies and horror flicks, as is the season's wont, but there are also a lot of big spectacles and even a few potential blockbusters, so start planning your calendar appropriately!
Once upon a time, Jeremy Piven was a humorously welcome presence in our movies and on our televisions. (Remember when he played TV George on Seinfeld?) Then something happened. His rapid-fire conversation style and cocksure bravado went from charming to kinda obnoxious. Maybe it was when he got a regular gig on Ellen, or when he stopped playing the best friend all the time, but whatever it was, his shtick started to get a little old. We're reluctant to go see his new movie The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard, because we're worried that partway through we'll hit our capacity for Piven and have to leave the theater. To try and break it down scientifically, we looked back at Piven's body of work to see how much Piven, exactly, is too much Piven.
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