Greetings from Sundance everyone! Yes, despite seeing up to 5 movies in a given day, I’m still committed to bringing this column to you all. This week, we have a ton of Blu-Ray and DVD titles hitting shelves, many of them are among the most interesting of 2012. Of course, one of my very favorite films of last year is out as well, so that’s just the icing on the cake from me. It really doesn’t leave much of a secret as to my top choice today, but I do want to make sure people know that it’s not a slate that’s top heavy. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I had no trouble deciding to highlight one of the most underrated films of last year. It really deserved not to have been shut out with the Oscars, but that’s just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. What movie is this? Well, it’s:
End of Watch
I was completely blown away by this moving cop drama, especially considering that I didn’t go in with incredibly high expectations. David Ayer probably made his masterpiece there, and Michael Pena also gives one of the best performances of his career as well. Jake Gyllenhaal is no slouch either, as the two display some amazing chemistry. I’ll refer you back to my 4 star rave review from last year (found here) for more poetic musings on this flick, but I can’t recommend it to you enough. This one is an absolute must own!
-One level down this week we have a trio of documentaries that are all quite worth your time. A pair of them are Oscar nominees this year, and are The Imposter and Searching for Sugar Man. The other is Pina from last year, and all are rather engaging. None rocked my world, but all of them are among the better documentaries of the last few years, so keep that in mind…
-The other releases today are an eclectic mix. We have the disappointing comedy For a Good Time, Call…, the bland drama Nobody Walks, the absolutely terrible melodrama The Paperboy, the insane action flick Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, as well as the drama Keep the Lights On and the comedies Nature Calls and Fat Kid Rules the World. I can’t recommend any of these, but they all have at least one thing working in their favor. If you have a particular interest in one or more of them, pick them up and enjoy. I certainly won’t stand in your way.
-My Vintage pick, in honor of this week’s release of Knife Fight, is a similarly themed story of political campaigning. It’s The Ides of March, and while the Oscar nominated flick underwhelmed for some, I quite enjoyed it last year. George Clooney continues to impress in all avenues, while Ryan Gosling got a different sort of role to tackle. It’s not a masterpiece, but it was very entertaining, especially for a politics junkie like myself. A bit removed from its Oscar campaign, I’m curious to see how it plays for all of you now. Pop it in for this latest viewing and let me know…
-What will you be watching on Blu Ray and DVD this week? Discuss in the comments!
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Tags: blu ray, DVD, Joey's DVD Column, Joey's DVD Picks of the Week, joeys dvd pick of the week, weekly DVD column
3 Comments












End of Watch will be on my Top 10 list, so that should tell you something…
Joey Magidson(Quote) (Reply)
End of Watch was amazing!
Jessie Makowski(Quote) (Reply)
Agreed…
Joey Magidson(Quote) (Reply)