Iron ManAt the risk of drawing the ire of Batfans everywhere, I'll just come out and say it: Iron Man is
(Available in both single disc and two-disc special edition)
Forgetting Sarah MarshallThe latest from Camp Apatow stars a far-too-naked Jason Segel, an almost unrecognizably sexy Mila Kunis 2.0, a scene-stealing Russell Brand, and Kristen Bell. The film definitely has its moments, but I'm just not sold on Segel as a leading man, who seems to equate "comedic skill" with "revealing your junk." And as much as we enjoy rooting for a lovable loser, at some point in the movie it helps if he stops moaning, crying and being generally so extremely pathetic. After Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder and The Happening, Sarah Marshall will have to settle for being the fourth funniest movie so far this year. Rent it, or buy it in the discount bin (Available in both single disc and two-disc collector's edition)
Taxi to the Dark SideAlex Gibney's damning doc on U.S. torture practices in the Middle East has gotten more ink for the filmmaker's recent legal battle with distributor ThinkFilm than it did for winning the Oscar for Best Documentary. But hey, there's no such thing as bad press, right? But the sad fact remains: most Americans would rather watch fake people being play-tortured in "porn" like Saw and Hostel than hear about real people being tortured in real life. Like most Iraq docs before it, Dark Side is an illuminating and infuriating film that won't be seen by anyone not already infuriated in the first place. Rent it (you're not going to need to watch more than once)
Bigger, Faster, StrongerChris Bell is the unlikeliest of filmmakers: A self-professed meathead from Poughkeepsie who sets out to examine the muscle-bound, steroid culture of America. The result is like watching an ESPN weightlifting event with disturbing insight and more Hulk Hogan. It's easy to feel both sorry for and extremely intimidated by its subjects: You want to hug them and tell them it'll all be OK, but know doing such will likely cause severe head injury. Rent it
Other Releases
Jellyfish
CSNY: Deja Vu
OSS 117
Chapter 27
Can't Hardly Wait: Special Edition
Iron Man: Special Edition
Forgetting Sarah Marshall: Collector's Edition
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Knocked Up
The Sixth Sense
The Thing (1982)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Land of the Dead: Special Edition
Dawn of the Dead: Special Edition
Can't Hardly Wait: Special Edition
Daredevil: Special Edition
1. There is a lot of truth in your analysis of Iron Man, despite my own raving love for The Dark Knight (http://goodmoviebadmovie.blogspot.com/2008/07/dark-knight.html). When all is said and done, Dark Knight is a better movie, but Iron Man is a better COMIC BOOk movie. Dark Knight is an impossibly compelling film about a guy who just happens to be a superhero, whereas Iron Man and in turn Robert Downey Jr. is everything that a comic book based movie can be. It is perhaps the funniest non comedy I have ever seen and manages to do what so few such movies manage to accomplish, it tells not the story of Iron Man but of how a very human Tony Stark became a very extraordinary superhero. The p'nash, wonderment and excitement of the film is reminiscent of some of the very best comic books I have ever read, whereas Christopher Nolan's masterpiece is a rollercoaster ride about a guy in a cape.
Posted at 5:08PM on Sep 30th 2008 by Bryan