Not every week can offer the kind of choice titles that we’ve been seeing lately, but while today’s sole major release is a bit of a dud, there are still plenty of decent catalog titles to check out as well. Okay, so maybe it’s not the best week for my Blu-ray collection, but that doesn’t mean everyone else will feel the same way.
Frank Miller’s “The Spirit” might just go down as one of the biggest disappointments of 2008. When the project was first announced, fanboys were ecstatic at the possibility of another comic book movie in the same vein as “Sin City” (especially when they had already waited so damn long for a sequel), but as soon as the first clips of the movie hit the net, any excitement was quickly deflated. If memory serves correct, there wasn’t a soul on the planet that was begging for a live-action Spy vs. Spy movie, but that’s exactly what Miller has delivered with “The Spirit.” The performances are terrible, the dialogue is even worse, and though Scarlett Johansson looks hotter than ever, there’s not a single redeeming element to be found. The few fans the movie does have will be pleased to discover that the Blu-ray release includes a nice selection of extras (including a director commentary, a making-of featurette, and an interview with Miller) but that’s about the only positive thing I could possibly say.
If there’s one novel I hate more than any other, it’s Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.” Then again, I’m a guy, so that’s hardly a surprise, but that doesn’t mean I abhor everything to do with the book. Joe Wright’s 2005 adaptation was certainly more enjoyable than expected, while the recently released mash-up novel, “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” is an absolute riot. Unfortunately, I just don’t feel the same way about the BBC’s six-part miniseries, which has long been considered the ultimate film version thanks to Colin Firth’s star-making role as every female’s nightmare/dream man, Mr. Darcy. My personal biases aside, “Pride and Prejudice” has long been considered a classic, so it’s nice to see that A&E has taken the time to restore the film in HD using the film’s original 16mm negatives. The end result is nothing short of amazing (in place of what looked like a storm cloud hovering overhead in every scene, there’s actually a burst of color) and should be considered a must-own by any fan.
