Filmsy - Movie Reviews Blog

Top Films That Went Straight To Video

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As rare and ridiculous as it seems in today’s frenzied dog-eat-dog world, we’ve all been in that situation where we end up with a free night with nothing to do and nowhere to go. With no other alternatives presenting themselves, we end up ordering some take-out and dropping by the video store or something.

 

At the video store, however, your options suddenly take a turn for the seemingly endless, with rows and rows of films you haven’t seen yet. Your first instinct would be to reach out for the latest film you missed on the big screen, but why not give those straight-to-video flicks a chance? Not everything on the big screen is gold, y’know.  And not everything that goes straight to video is crap. Here are some examples:

 

DC Animated Films

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If you’re a comicbook fan, you already know how awesome Warner/DC’s animated video offerings are. From the Batman titles like Under the Red Hood, Year One, Gotham Knight, and The Dark Knight Returns to the other heroes such as Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and of course Superman, DC’s animated offerings are some of the best direct to video titles around.

 

 

The Boondock Saints

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An action-packed tale of two brothers who take it to themselves to rid their city of the mafia, The Boondock Saints is without a doubt one of the best straight to video films on the market spawning a cult following, a seque,l and a ton of movie merchandise. The film stars Willem Dafoe, Sean Patrick Flanery, and Norman Reedus.

 

 

Interstate 60

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A trippy adventure of self-discovery and much metaphysical existential awareness. With superb casting (James Marsden, Amy Smart, Gary Oldman, Christopher Lloyd, Kurt Russell, Michael J. Fox) and a clever storyline, Interstate 60 is sure to amuse.

 

As it is, the quality of films that make it to the silver screen and those that go straight to video still remain greatly varied – with hits and misses from both sides. If you’re not going to be watching on the big screen anyway, you might as well give straight-to-video a shot – or even hook up with TV service providers such as GetDirectTV.org.

 

About the guest author:

Matt is a real homebody who thrives in front of the couch and is an advocate of the equal treatment of film reels and DVDs.

Zebraman 2 spin-off to pave way for Zebraman sequel

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Takashi Miike’s Zebraman is highly regarded as one of the best cult movies to come out from Asia. It’s one of those movies that polarize people but also a great showcase for the wonderful directorial chops of Miike.

With Zebraman’s popularity, it’s not surprising to know that a sequel is already made, after all, there’s a big clamor from fans of the movie for a continuation of the story presented in the first Zebraman.

What’s unusual is having a spin-off that will serve to “complement” the upcoming sequel. But it’s there and it’s real. The straight to DVD spinoff is directed by Miike’s assistant director Nishiumi Kenichiro. The sequel, with the title “Revenge of teh Zebra Miniskirt Police” will feature three pretty women who will be the members of the police squad. Their role in the sequel are bodyguards to the main character . They will all be wearing Zebra miniskirts, which just brings the weirdness factor up a notch.

Transformers BD, DVD due October 20

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The most badly reviewed but one of the biggest earning movies of 2009 is Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen. I think the movie is a piece of crap. But, weirdly enough, I am still looking forward to buying the Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen Blu-ray when it gets released on October 20 (blame my five year old son who absolutely loved the movie).

The Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen two-disc Blu-ray and DVD editions will have more than three hours of comprehensive special features that will give viewers a wonderful view of the world of Transformers. Aside from the by-now requisite commentary, expect a documentary of the making of the movie that covers all of its aspects — from conceptualization to special effects to coordination with the US military. There are also multi-angle breakdowns of pivotal scenes, which budding directors will surely appreciate.

Biel’s Powder Blue DVD Release Only

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Sorry guys but if you have been waiting to see Jessica Biel in her new stripper role in Powder Blue you just won’t be seeing it in the cinemas anytime soon. Her new movie wasn’t able to make the cut and instead will be released on DVD this June. That means that not only won’t you be seeing her skin on the big screen but you’ll have to wait a month to buy a copy and enjoy it in your own homes.

The movie is supposed to be more than just a Jessica Biel stripper movie and the plot promises a whole lot more but it makes us wonder why it still wasn’t good enough to make it to the big screen. Other disappointed cast members of Powder Blue include Patrick Swaye, who plays the part of a sleazy club owner; Redmayne, a mortician head over heels for Biel’s character Rose Johnny; and Forrest Whitaker, a suicidal ex-priest. Luckily Whitaker, who’s also a producer of the film doesn’t feel suicidal over the movie being snubbed.

Hopefully Jessica Biel’s career will start faring as well as her love life is although right now even her next movie doesn’t seem to be making waves this early. In case her career doesn’t pan out well at least she has a fall back plan because according to Cher Tippetts of Entertainmentwise, “Jessica Biel has all the necessary requirements to become a real-life stripper, according to the woman who trained her in the art of exotic dance…should the Hollywood roles ever dry up, which could be a real possibility following Powder Blue.” Oh well, I bet she’ll have the last laugh.

New on DVD: Big Stan

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A few days ago I saw Rob Schneider promoting the DVD release of Big Stan on Chelsea Lately and with no real expectations set out to watch the prison comedy. Being a prison comedy I did expect a few laughs but was pleasantly surprised that it did make me chuckle more than I expected. What surprised me even more was that the action scenes were very decent – even interesting. Big Stan may not have made it to the big screen but it is actually enjoyable enough to watch on DVD.

Big Stan is about a con artist who, when he found out that he was going to prison, prepares by learning martial arts. Stan (Rob Schneider) is trained by “The Master” (David Carradine). When he arrives in prison he immediately sets out to make a reputation for himself and eventually becomes the big man in prison. He teaches fellow prisoners to co-exist in peace and thwarts the plans of the corrupt warden (Scott Wilson) to produce a bloody riot.

Though definitely not a deep movie it is worth watching if you are in the mood for something light-hearted. Rob Schneider’s attempt in action is also commendable with the scenes believable enough yet still managing to retain the humorous side each time. So if you’re looking for a few belly laughs this weekend go buy Big Stan settle down for an hour and a half of laughs.