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

Silver Linings gets the Silver medal...at best

This movie is the definition of over-hyped. Let's just open with that. I was so excited to watch this movie, and honestly, I blame myself. I should've known better. The only movie to ever be this hyped, and live up to it, was The Dark Knight, and this is clearly not The Dark Knight.

As Pol would say, "give me the dessert first", so I'll start with the one, redeeming quality of this film, great acting. Everyone in this movie did an amazing job. Especially Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro. De Niro's role in this film was the one thing that was undersold. De Niro plays Cooper's father in the film who suffers from severe OCD with a dash of Bipolar. His character in the film has gone undiagnosed his whole life, and he plays it beautifully. You totally believe this man was high functioning enough that no one would have picked up on it, but at home, where he's totally himself, his mental issues are clear as day. So well done, and De Niro in a way you've never seen him before.

Jennifer Lawrence deserved every bit of that Oscar for her role as Tiffany, Pat's (Cooper) counterpart/love interest. She plays crazy like she wrote the book on crazy. Unlike her fellow female Oscar winner, Anne Hathaway, Lawrence truly deserved the win. Hathaway essentially won for being in Les Mis for 4 minutes and singing one great song. I'm pretty sure Adele had already taken home that award for her song, Skyfall. Lawrence on the other hand steals the screen for 2 hours and hits you on every level.

Finally, Bradley Cooper, also does an incredible job in this film. Like De Niro, he plays a character you've never seen him play before, and he sells it beautifully. He has a few moments that are just laugh out loud funny, and his dynamic with his "friend" played by Chris Tucker, really leaves you wishing that was a larger part of the film. Cooper really shows you his range in this one, and makes you believe in life after hangovers.

With that said, on to the not so good. While this movie was incredibly acted, literally everyone in the movie played the same role. It is 2 hours of watching 8-10 people in various rooms, being off their balls bonkers. It's funny at first, but very soon becomes tiresome, and annoying. The story never takes you very far, it's all very predictable, and as great as the characters can be at times, I never found myself relating to, or really feeling invested in any of them.

The movie also just seemed to drag on. Mainly because every scene was identical to the last. Personally, I found this film to be a disappointment, primarily due to how much everyone built it up. I'm not sure if XBox Video has a different cut of the film, but we must not have been watching the same movie.

I give this move a 6.25 on the Paul Bettany Scale, and every bit of that is thanks to De Niro and Lawrence. Personally, I would not have recommended this movie to anyone. By the end it leaves you feeling let down, and a bit crazy. Kind of like Requiem for a Dream did, except without the desire to jump off a bridge.

I say, don't waste your time on this one, do some pushups instead and watch a plant grow for 2 hours.

Let us know what you think, if you agree or disagree. We'd love to hear your thoughts. As always you can comment here, email us at pausedreviews@gmail.com, or message us on Facebook or Twitter.

Thanks for reading!

- 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

"Dear Lord, please let me live until June 14th..."

This has been my prayer these past few nights, and now, after having watched the new trailer for Man of Steel, I will continue this prayer with renewed vigor.

There are few movies, nay, few things in my life as a whole, that I have looked forward to more than the release of this film. I dare you, our fans and loyal readers, to name any movie, ever, that has been more highly anticipated, more built up, or has set the bar of expectation so high.

This trailer certainly doesn't help. This film will go down as one of the greatest cinematic achievements of all time, or will be remembered as the greatest disappointment in movie history. With a cast like this, and a trailer that provides a glimpse of beautiful cinematography, incredible acting, and a perfectly sculpted script, no film has ever had so much to deliver.

Check out the new trailer here, and I dare you to tell me I'm wrong.

I will be there on opening night, fighting the traffic and the crowds, with pregnant wife in tow. I hope and pray that years from now, when I watch it with my soon-to-be born son, I can turn to him and say, "Gabriel, my darling son and heir to my name...you were there, you were there."

I will end with this final thought. Though I am probably the biggest Batman fan you will ever meet, I have been adamantly opposed to the idea of a Justice League run of films. However, if DC can pull off this film, with Bale and company willing and able to join Cavil, I am open to seeing where they can take it.

Of course, we'll have to see how they can handle of few of the other "questionable" members of the League and their films. However, a door that was locked and sealed in my eyes, would now have a peep hole where we can see what might come knocking.

Anyways, check it out, share your thoughts in comments here, or by email, or on our Facebook page.

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

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