DVD Pick of the Week: Natural Born Killers

Welcome back! Well, to some of you, anyway. To the rest of you, glad you decided to stop by and I hope this humble column helps you navigate the stacks of new releases each week. My goal is to point you toward titles of interest and warn you away from those films that seek to do nothing but leech away your time and give you nothing in return.



Full disclosure: I have not seen many of these titles, and what follows are not necessarily reviews, but opinions based upon what I know of the titles I pluck from the new release lists I peruse. The opinions I give based on the new releases are my own, and my recommendations are based on my personal interest. In any case, I hope you enjoy and perhaps find something you like or a title to point me towards.

Natural Born Killers (Blu-ray). I remember seeing this on the big screen back in 1994 as a homework assignment. Good class, right? This film arrived amid all sorts of controversy, cries of the glorification of violence rang through the air. Not for nothing, this Oliver Stone/Quentin Tarantino team up is a violent affair, more of an indictment of the media and the glorification of those who should not be. I have heard the Blu-ray looks spectacular. I look forward to revisiting this film.

Drag Me to Hell (also Blu-ray). Sam Raimi returns to the horror world for the first time since 1992. This film is a blast and the Blu-ray is not too shabby (unless you like extras, those are a bit lean). The film is the story of a young loan officer who is cursed by an old gypsy woman. She spends her time trying to retain her sanity while desperately seeking a way to stop the curse.

The Haunted Airman. Robert Pattinson stars alongside Julian Sands as an airman who is being haunted. I know little about this title, but the trailer looks halfway decent. The man has been injured and has been sent to recover, this is where strange things begin to happen. This release is hoping to capitalize on Pattinson's current wave of popularity.

Land of the Lost (also Blu-ray). This Will Ferrell vehicle is really bad. If you want an adaptation of the old series, this is not it. The jokes are bad, it is much too adult oriented, and I just wanted it to be over. Do yourself a favor and skip this.

The Proposal (also Blu-ray). Here is a romantic comedy that is not all that good, but it isn't terrible. It skates by on the charisma of its leads in Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Bullock needs a green card so she concocts a scheme to marry her assistant. Problems arise when they go to meet his family in Alaska.

The Stepfather. Before rising to his highest level of popularity as John Locke on Lost, Terry O'Quinn was the original Stepfather. If the remake has done anything for us, it gets us the original film on DVD. Perhaps I can soon scratch this off the "to see" list.

Hardware (also Blu-ray). I seem to recall seeing this on DVD a long time ago. I also remember not thinking much of it. I suspect that I may have seen it at the wrong time. I look forward to revisiting the Richard Stanley film. A few years back I had the opportunity to check out his prior film, Dust Devil. That was an interesting experience. This film, starring Dylan McDemott is set in an apocalyptic future where a robot begins going crazy. I am sure there is more to it, but I need to see it again.

South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut (Blu-ray). This movie has me in stitches every time I see it. I wonder how sharp it will look on in high definition? My guess is pretty spiffy.

Futurama: The Complete Collection. I already have them all, but this collection in a Bender head is sweet. This is a great show that took until it was canceled to catch on. (not me, I watched from the beginning)

The Craft (Blu-ray). I remember liking this movie, but I cannot remember any of the details. I do know it is about teenage witches, but that is about it. Well, it does have Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, and Rachel True. That is not a bad thing.

Midnight Movie (Blu-ray). This looks like a fun movie. A midnight screening is held for an old school horror film, but then the killer comes off the screen and begins to kill in the theater.

Infestation. Big bugs are taking over the world! This big bug film is fun. It is a bit low-rent, but it is an enjoyable enough romp.