Editors’ Picks

29 Dec

Best DVDs of January 2009 - Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Author: Editor // Category: Entertainment, Video Reviews

What it is:
Conceived as an “online miniseries event” during the 2008 writers’ strike, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is a 42-minute musical romp that bears the distinctive stamp of Joss Whedon. Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) plays the title character, who video-blogs about his twin goals to join the Evil League of Evil and to woo the fair Penny (Felicia Day, of Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Web series The Guild), a woman he met at the local laundromat. Dr. Horrible is foiled on both fronts, however, by his arch-nemesis, the self-absorbed superhero Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion, Whedon’s Firefly).

Why it’s Significant: If you are already a Whedon fan, you’ve likely been enjoying Dr. Horrible since it initially hit the internet. Don’t overlook the slew of special features that are only available on the DVD, though. For those of you who are Whedon newbies, if you like super-quirky humor, musicals, and science fiction–you’ll find yourself watching this repeatedly.

Note: This DVD can only be purchased at Amazon.com.

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29 Dec

Best DVDs of January 2009 - Burn After Reading

Author: Editor // Category: Entertainment, Video Reviews

What it is: Hapless gym employees Chad (Brad Pitt) and Linda (Francis McDormand) discover a disk containing CIA secrets. This leads them to former CIA analyst Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) whom they attempt to blackmail. Failing at that they then turn to espionage as they attempt to sell the disk to the Russians. Events become complicated when Osbourne’s wife (Tilda Swinton) and her lover (George Clooney) get tangled in the escapade which leads to murder and mayhem. Who lives, who dies, and who gets the secret files? Watch the film to find out!

Why it’s Significant: Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Francis McDormand, George Clooney, and Tilda Swinton all directed by the Coen brothers. Need we say more? This sardonic look at what can transpire when government secrets and human lies collide provides this dark comedy with enough laughs and quirky scenes to entertain any Coen fan. Best known for recent hit No Country for Old Men and their classics The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou, Fargo, and my favorite Raising Arizona the Coen brothers have a style all their own. For those of you with a wicked sense of humor, Burn After Reading does not disappoint.