New Release Tuesday! 5/7/13

Hey there kids! It's that time of the week again...New Release Tuesday! There a few titles out this week that I am super excited to check out. So without further adieu, here is the breakdown:

Jack Reacher and Mama are two movies that I really wanted to check out in theaters, but was just never able to get a chance to see. Jack Reacher got a 7.0 from IMDB, which let's be honest with ourselves, is pretty good for a Tom Cruise movie. Personally, I love Cruise, and pretty much any movie he's ever been in. I mean, you have to respect any actor that can make NASCAR look awesome. Mama got a 6.4, but again, not bad for a horror flick, and Guillermo del Torro is amazing. He'll lay some duds from time to time (yea, I'm talking to you Hellboy), but if you give him a chance, he may just Pan's Labyrinth you.

I think I'll pass on Safe Haven (6.3 IMDB). Truthfully, I think Julianne Hough is one of America's worst actors. To the point where she may one day have a Paused! scale named after her. Also, I've had it with Nicholas Sparks. I'll give him The Notebook, it was pretty great and fairly original. But now, I'm done. I mean how many times can one man write the same book, and an even better question, how many times can movie studios buy the same rights to a movie? If there is one thing I could care less about than paperback romance novels, its movies based on paperback romance novels. At least those have the decency to give us some dirty sex scenes.

I honestly don't know much about The Oranges, but it looks like it has some great people in it. However, with a 5.7 on IMDB, I may approach this one with caution. Finally, the 7th and final season of the greatest comedy in TV history, 30 Rock. What can I say about this show, that hasn't already been said about electricity, cheese, cows, America and the rest of the universe's greatest inventions. I've already ordered my copy and will be adding it to the shelf with it's 6 older brothers (seasons 1-6, in case that analogy passed you by).

Here are the rest of the titles releasing today:

• The Fringe: The Complete 5th Season (8.5 IMDB)
• Flashpoint: The 5th Season (7.0 IMDB)
• Private Practice: The Complete 6th Season (5.9 IMDB)
• Rookie Blue: The Complete 3rd Season (6.9 IMDB)
• Royal Pains: Season 4 (6.8 IMDB)

Thanks for reading, and let us know you opinions on any of this week's titles. As always, you can comment here, email us at pausedreviews@gmail.com, or message us on Facebook or Twitter.

Enjoy!

Franc

New Release Tuesday! 4/30/13

Well Ladies and Gents, it's that time again, New Release Tuesday!

Here is what releases today on DVD and Bluray and their IMDB ratings:

• Silver Linings Playbook (8.0)
• Broken City (6.1)
• The Details (6.1)
• The Guilt Trip (5.6)
• Not Fade Away (5.9)
• The Wicked (3.5)

Today seems to be a pretty strong day for new releases. There are a few in this class that I am actually pretty excited to see. 

Of course, we will be taking a look at Silver Linings Playbook. With all the buzz around this film, and all the oscar recognition, this is one you clearly need to check out. At the very least, to see if all the talk is legit, or simply just talk. I'm sure Pol wont fight me on this one, as he and J-Law have a long running, top secret love affair. It is so secret in fact, that not even Jennifer knows anything about it. I'll probably take some time later today to check this one out, so keep eyes out for my blog post about this one.

Broken City is another one that had peaked my interest. Classic plot line, of corrupt/dangerous/power crazed politician meets bad-ass/renegade cop/horrible actor Mark Wahlberg. This one at least seems to be Mark doing what he does best, very little talking, lots of threatening, and then, following up on those threats in a glorious and biblical fashion. Oh, and fun bit of trivia for you, Wahlberg (who I believe is the producer on this one) actually offered the role to Michael Fassbender (300, X-Men: First Class, Inglorious Basterds) but he turned it down, forcing Wahlberg to play the part himself. While I do love Fassbender in pretty much anything he does, I think this worked out for the best, as this is Wahlberg's bread and butter kind of role.

The rest are ones that seem interesting enough, and I may take a look at if I have time later in the week, with the exception of The Wicked, that just looks terrible. However, The Details, looks like a star-studded cast with potential. The Guilt Trip is another that could go either way. Seth Rogen seems to be just hit or miss, and when he misses, he misses huge. He's basically the Tony Romo of cinema, but unlike Romo or the cowboys, it makes be a little sad when he just takes a giant Green Hornet-esque dump in a movie, since I do actually like the guy. 

Anyways, as always, let us know what you think, if you've seen these films, give us your thoughts. You can reach us on Facebook and Twitter, you can comment here, or of course, email us at pausedreviews@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy this week's releases!

- Franc

New Release Tuesday 4/16/13...on Wednesday...oops

Hi everyone,

So sorry that I am a day late with this post, but here are this week's new DVD/Bluray releases!

Honestly, I can keep this one very, very short. Go out today, if you haven't already, and buy Django Unchained. It is incredible and another slam dunk for Quentin Tarantino. Waltz, Foxx and DiCaprio are amazing in this film. Go out, buy it, you won't regret it.

I haven't seen the others, and don't really have any desire to, so again, buy these at your own risk.

Happy new release Wednesday to all, and I promise I'll get this post out on time next week. lol


- Franc

New Release Tuesday is hours away! 4/9/13

Hey there all,

Tomorrow is usually the second greatest day of the week...New Release Tuesday! Not so much this week however. Here is a look at what's coming out tomorrow, I'll give you a hint...nothing...nothing is coming out tomorrow.

This week, like the rest of April, will be a doo-doo week for new releases. However, don't let that discourage you too much, because the second half has some gems to deliver yet, but I digress. Here is a list of what is coming out this week:

• Hyde Park on Hudson
• The Sorcerer and the White Snake
• Bad Kids go to Hell
• Late Bloomers
• The Kitchen
• Boss: Season 2
• Merlin: The Complete Fifth Season

The only one of these lumps of coal that I've seen is, Bad Kids go to Hell. My brother and I were up one night and looking for something to watch. As you all know, horror is our hands-down favorite genre. So as we were cycling through the offerings on XBox Video, we stumbled across this. We had never seen it, and it was obviously a "D" movie at best, but we were in the mood for something campy and fun. Had I known what I was about to bear witness to, I would have literally done anything else.

Please, I implore you, do not watch this film. Shaving yourself from head to toe, then covering your entire, newly shaved body in chunky peanut butter (which ever brand you prefer), then dressing yourself as pirate and jumping into a large aquarium while listening to Meatloaf's "I Would Do Anything" would be a far better use of your time.

I would not dare to insult Paul Bettany or Scott Stewart by even giving this movie a rating on their scale. If you were in this movie, or had anything to do with it's making, you should be ashamed of yourself, and I hope you live forever with this guilt.

As for the other releases this month, none really sound very interesting or appealing, so I won't be watching any of them. If you choose to however, just know that you do so at your own risk.

Stay tuned however, as I said before, next week we begin to see light at the end of the tunnel of the crapfest that has been April's movie releases.

Thanks for reading!

- Franc

New Release Tuesday! 3/12/13

New Release Tuesday is back on the blog!

We are so sorry that our posts have fallen by the wayside, however, we are here to assure you that they are back, and better than ever! Starting first, with new releases this week.

Tomorrow is actually a fairly big day for DVD/Blu-Ray, with big blockbuster heavy hitters like Life of Pi, Hitchcock, and Rise of the Guardians.

While I haven't seen any of these titles yet, I know my wife has been hounding me to watch Life of Pi with her, so we'll be sitting down to watch that one in the next day or two. It's being billed as the next Avatar and is apparently supposed to be pretty amazing, and visually stunning. I'll have to do a blog review of this one for you guys after I watch it this week. So look out for that.

Next is Hitchcock. Again, while I haven't seen it, it is my understanding that this movie focuses on the relationship between Alfred Hitchcock and his wife, during the making of Psycho. Apparently she had a pretty important role in how the film was written and visualized. I'll probably rent this one and check it out before committing to the purchase, as I've heard mixed reviews. However, anything with Helen Mirren and Anthony Hopkins, you know it's just got to be good.

Rounding out the top releases this week are Rise of the Guardians and Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Apart. The first, is the latest release from Dreamworks. A nice family film, just in time for Easter. Finally, the Cirque movie. I'm actually secretly excited for this one. I went to see Cirque live several years ago, and I was in total awe. I'm curious to see how it translates to the screen. While I am sure it can not even come close to comparing to the live events, amazing is amazing, so we'll see.

Finally, as always, I leave you with the complete list of all the other titles releasing this week. Thanks for reading, and be sure to email us, or shoot us a message on Facebook letting us know if you've seen any of these flicks and what your thoughts were, we'd love to share them on our podcasts!


- Franc


Other Releases for 3/12/13

• Smashed
• Sound City
• This Must be the Place
• Kumare
• You've Been Trumped
• The First Time
• Grave Encounters 2
• In Their Skin
• Storage 24
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent: The Final Year
• The Mob Doctor: The Complete Series

The Sessions, a hidden gem

Buy it on DVD/Bluray February 12, 2013

Good morning readers!

I just wanted to take a moment to do a (not-so) quick post about this incredible movie I watched last night. The Sessions, starring John Hawkes, Hellen Hunt, and William H. Macy. It's a film (a true story by the way) about a man named Mark O'Brien, who was striken with Polio as a child and whose muscles are essentially paralyzed from the neck down. To make a long story short, he eventually begins seeing a sex surrogate to guide him through the process of, well, becoming a man.

I know it sounds borderline ridiculous, but it's actually quite a great film. The relationships explored between Mark (Hawkes) and his surrogate Cheryl (Hunt), attendants, and priest (Macy) are brilliantly depicted and developed. Plus, believe it or not, the story is nothing short of inspirational. I don't want to give too much away, because I truly believe this is a must see.

A few quick notes however.

1. If you are asking yourself, "I wonder what the difference between a sex surrogate and a prostitute is?" The answer is, not much. Hellen Hunt's character attempts explaining the difference in the film, but really, it's kind of weak. Truth is, she's just a super classy prostitute. Picture Julia Roberts in pretty woman, towards the end of her stint with Gere (you know, when she's all classed out and fancy), and add a college education, simple therapy tactics, a tape recorder, and about 25 years.

2. Ladies, be warned, there is a bit more than a fair share of nudity in this one, and it's pretty much all Hellen Hunt. However, we must give credit where credit is due. Hellen is roughly 50 years old (in real life), her face is about 58 +/-, but good for her, because truth be told, the body is still only 32! She looks fantastic, and be at ease, the nudity is very much in context and gracefully done. There are a few "graphic" moments, but nothing too in your face (well except the scene where she is all up in his face). So, if you're weird about sex, maybe stay away, but trust me, you'd be missing out on an incredible story.

3. Lastly, the ending felt a little rushed and unsatisfying. The movie spans roughly 11 years from what I gathered, but 7/8 of the film all take place in 1988, and then, slam, you've flex capacitored your way to the future, where of course we don't need roads, but I'd like an explanation of how we got there. But it's a small price to pay for a great story, greater characters, and greaterest bumpin physiques.

Anyways, I hope this helps, and makes you want to see it. The DVD/Bluray releases on Tuesday, February 12, 2013, and trust me, you won't regret it.

As always, if you like reading this, follow Pol, Dre and myself on Facebook and Twitter for daily updates, thoughts, pics and more. You can also email us at pausedreviews@gmail.com with your thoughts as well as any suggestions for what you'd like us to watch/play and review!

Thanks for reading all!

- Franc