By Diana Srougi
MONTREAL (RushPRNews) 01/22/09– This week’s DVD releases are action-packed no holds barred films. Sit back, relax, and allow yourself to be entertained, and kept on the edge of your seat.
City of Ember: The Underground Refuge
After the success of his animated film “Monster Houseâ€, Oscar nominee Gil Kenan directs his second movie. “City of Emberâ€, an adaptation of Jeanne Dupreau’s book, tells the fantastic tale of two adolescents who try to save the citizens of their dying underground city after discovering that it was created as a temporary refuge for humanity. Young actors Saoirse Ronan and Harry Treadaway play alongside brilliant Golden Globe winners Tim Robbins and Bill Murray, in this post-apocalyptic family adventure that was nominated for two Satellite Awards for Best Art Direction & Production Design and for Best Costume Design. “City Of Ember†closed both the 41st edition of the International Film Festival of Catalonia and Austin’s 2008 Fantastic Fest.
DVD release date USA: January 20th 2009
Distributor: Fox-Walden
Rating: 6.5/10
Max Payne: When Film and Video Games Cross Paths
This week’s big blockbuster is “Max Payneâ€, a crime thriller directed by John Moore, known for his remake of Richard Donner’s “The Omenâ€, a 70’s horror classic. This time, Moore recreates an action video game designed by Remedy Entertainment and 3-D Realms Entertainment. Indeed, we live in an era in which more and more films are inspired by video games and vice-versa. Alongside Mila Kunis and Beau Bridges, Mark Wahlberg (“The Departedâ€, “We Own the Nightâ€) plays Max Payne, a cop whose determination to avenge the murder of his family and partner, becomes an obsession that leads him into New York’s dark underworld. Its Matrix-like qualities lead to the screening of “Max Payne†at Austin’s Film Festival in 2008.
DVD release date USA: January 20th 2009
Distributor: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Rating: 5.3/10
Saw V: The Legacy Goes On
Every year since 2004, a new sequel to the movie “Saw†is released, which brings us to the fifth one (the sixth is already in pre-production). This time however, the director is David Hackl, who was the second unit director on the third and forth sequels. This is actually Hackl’s first time directing. Contrary to the first “Saw†that premiered at the 2004 Sundance Festival, it seems that critics are not quite as impressed by “Saw Vâ€, perhaps because it focuses more on the intrigue than on the horror itself. Saw V starts where the last one left off: Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) is dead and Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), the last apprentice standing, must face accusations of being linked to the serial killer.
DVD release date USA: January 20th 2009
Distributor: Lionsgate
Rating: 5.8/10