This Week's DVD Releases

We're only a few days into SIFF, and some of you might be feeling film festivaled out already.  In that case, take a look at last week's new DVD releases, care of our good friends at Scarecrow Video.

Extraordinary Measures is the drama about Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford going rogue to work on cancer treatments for The Children.  If only they could be saved from Jackie Chan in The Spy Next Door.  What's even worse? Valentine's Day, starring nearly every actor in Hollywood, and yet entirely devoid of wit and charm.  Only slightly better than The New Daughter, an almost straight-to-DVD flick with Kevin Costner as a dad who moved into a haunted house built on an ancient burial site.  Yes, really.

I already gave my two cents on Invictus, but here it is again:  Sure, Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon win over post-apartheid South Africa with the power of rugby, but we never get a good look at who exactly these men are, nor exactly what are the rules of rugby.  Even worse, much of the film's bloated running time is devoted to faux-drama around Nelson Mandela's personal safety.  Spoiler alert:  Nelson Mandela is not assassinated.

If you're into anti-Semitism, you've got a couple choices this week: The Girl on the Train is the French drama based on a true story of a young woman who faked an assault by Jew-hating thugs.  Need attention much?  Meanwhile, documentary Defamation tries to define what exactly anti-Semitism looks like in this day and age.  Hint: More subtle!

Since we're getting heavy, check out The Messenger, Owen Moverman's sophisticated and gently stirring drama about two army officers whose daunting job is to deliver news to the families of fallen soldiers.  And if you've got any hope left after that, there's documentary Waiting for Armageddon about Evangelical Christians who are just positive that end times are upon us, so let's base our Middle East policy decisions based on that belief. You betcha!

And finally, as already mentioned, last week marked the arrival of Reggie Watts' new comedy DVD/CD, Reggie Watts: Why $#!+ So Crazy? and the documentary on singer-songwriter Bill Withers, Still Bill.