The Proposal is out on DVD
This light-hearted rom-com is just what the doctor prescribed – it’ll lift your spirits, put a smile on your face and make you think the world is a better place.
Starring Sandra Bullock as Margaret, a tyrannical New York editor and Ryan Reynolds as Andrew, her hard-done-by but placid assistant, The Proposal is a refreshing and undemanding tonic.
When Margaret suddenly faces deportation because of a lapsed visa, she decides that the only way to save her high-powered and successful career is by faking an engagement and who better to choose than her doormat of an assistant, Andrew who has been employed for three years as her executive punchbag?
Andrew hatches a plan of his own however and agrees only on the basis that he’ll receive a deserved promotion to editorship. The plot thickens as an immigration official smells as rat and in order to make their story convincing the “happy couple” have to head off to attend Andrew’s grandmother’s 90th birthday party at the family home in Alaska. As the New York City professional is plunged into the wilds of Alaska, there’s plenty of fish-out-of-water comedy and pathos too, bolstered by a strong supporting case of Andrew’s dad (Craig T. Nelson), mother (Mary Steenburgen) and the feisty grandmother (former Golden Girl Betty White). With a liberal helping of slap-stick humour and farcical situations and entanglements (naked ones), Margaret’s hard persona gradually begins to melt as Andrew becomes more assertive.
With the star of the American version of The Office Oscar Nunez, also making an appearance as a vicar who works as a stripper by night, there’s laughs and gags galore through-out the film, but whether The Proposal ends up in a walk down the aisle or not is another question.
The Time Traveler's Wife - romantic movie
Based on the 2003 best-selling book by Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler’s wife is a story of true love that transcends time. If that sounds corny, here’s the practical part – it’s due for release on 8th February 2010 at a RRP of £19.99.
Clare (Rachel McAdams) and Henry (Eric Bana) are in love but there is a problem – Henry is a time traveller who has a genetic abnormality that means he shifts back and forth through his lifespan at random. Hence Henry visits his wife during various stages of her life, meeting her first when she is only six years old, so she grows up knowing that he is her one true love even though he meets her chronologically when he’s 28 – oh, it’s complicated - you’ll have to see it yourself!
The film rights were optioned by Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B entertainment even before the book was published and screenwriter Jeremy Leven was hired to convert the story to screen with director Robert Schwentke taking on the project in 2006.
Filming didn’t start until late 2007 due to the fact that Eric Bana had a shaved head for Star Trek, but don’t think about that when you’re watching. It’s probably one of the most romantic movies of all time; The Time Traveler’s Wife is sad, it’s happy at the same time, it’s very confusing - but we promise, you will weep buckets.
Dr Who - all the specials from 2009
This Box Set includes all the Doctor Who Specials from 2009 and is to be launched on 11th January 2010 with an RRP of £39.99.
The Next Doctor – When the Doctor arrives in Victorian London on Christmas Eve in 1851, he discovers that the Cybermen are on the loose and that there has been a series of unexplained deaths. The Doctor joins forces with another Doctor (David Morrissey) and together they combine to fight the cruel Miss Hartigan and the Cyberking himself.
Planet of the Dead – The Doctor joins forces with the formidable Lady Christina on an alien planet that holds deadly secrets but can they escape before the deadly Swarm arrives.
The Waters of Mars – Starring Lindsay Duncan, The Waters of Mars sees the Doctor visiting the base camp on the largest planet where an infection beneath the surface threatens to wipe out the whole of mankind.
The End of Time: Part One: When the Doctor’s nemesis, the Master is reborn on Christmas Eve both become locked in a battle that rages from the wastelands of London to the Immortality Gate as an even more terrifying danger encroaches across the universe.
The End of Time: Part Two: As the Doctor faces the end, David Tennant makes his last appearance as Dr Who and Russell T Davies writes his last script for the programme. An ancient trap encloses around the Earth and the Doctor and Wilf are left to fight alone as a doom laden prophecy from the psychic character Carmen; “He will knock four times,” comes to fruition.
Special features include David Tennant’s video diary of the final days and Russell T Davies’s intro to deleted scenes.
Terminator Salvation is the 4th in the series
This blockbuster film, starring Christian Bale is a prequel to the iconic Terminator series and was screened to packed cinemas across the UK this summer. Now it’s available on DVD at £9.99, with an extended cut on Blu-ray at £15.88 or 4-Disc set of Terminator Films 1 to 4 from £16.88.
Set in 2018 the action follows resistance fighter John Connor’s struggle against the machines post Judgement Day and the nuclear war that left Skynet in control of the world. As an army of Skynet Terminators terrorises the land, John meets Marcus Wright, a former prisoner on death row who has no recollection of how he came to be in the midst of devastation and destruction. His testimony forces John into a quandary as he decides whether Marcus can be trusted or not and whether he will fulfil his destiny and lead mankind to triumph over the machines.
The film features spectacular, carefully orchestrated action with gripping chases set against the deserts of California and the twisted labyrinths of pipes, gun turrets and factories of Skynet’s LA. At least two of the action sequences will have you on the edge of your seat with your heart pounding and the film introduces terrifying some new killing machines including the Harvester, Mototerminators and T-600s.
Supported by Sam Worthington as Marcus and Bryce Dallas-Howard as Kate Connor, Bale more than lives up to the challenge sets by his predecessors and breathes new life into the series that has thrilled audiences since 1984.
Julia & Julia is about the cookery writer Julia Child
Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci and Chris Messina star in this biographical comedy/drama directed by Nora Ephron, now released on DVD and Blue-Ray.
Celebrating the life of Julia Child (Streep), the film is based on the book by would-be author Julie Powell (Adams), who decides to enliven her depressing life by challenging herself to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s book that took eight years to complete - Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The catch is that she aspires do it in one year and also write a daily blog about her experiences.
The project begins to give a meaning to Julie Powell’s life as she begins to explore Child’s relationship with her glamorous husband Paul (Tucci) and adopts her life’s philosophy which is to embrace it in the same way that she approaches food - with enthusiasm and gusto. Eventually Julie’s blog is published and receives universal praise. Streep plays the role of Julia Child with affection and humour with a performance that “goes beyond physical imitation.”
As well as being based on Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the screenplay is also adapted from Child’s autobiography, My Life in France written with Alex Prud’homme. The film was officially premiered in July 2009.
The first major motion picture ever based on a blog, Julia & Julia was nominated for two Golden Globe awards and is a story about passion, ambition and butter.
Gavin & Stacey: Series 3 - "What's occurring?"
In this third and final series of the award-wining comedy that brought the phrase “What’s occurring?” into popular usage, the newly-weds Gavin and Stacey have moved to Wales.
Stacey is happy back in the bosom of her family with mum Gwen and Uncle Bryn, but Gavin is having a few withdrawal symptoms after leaving his life and mum and dad in Essex. These are nothing compared to the massive withdrawal symptoms his friend Smithy is having after losing his beloved mate Gavin.
In the meantime, Nessa has moved into a caravan with Dave and her baby fathered by Smithy. This comedy drama is hilarious and tender at the same time. You can’t fail to enjoy it.
District 9 - a sci-fi thriller
Producer Peter Jackson and director Neill Blomkamp’s new sci-fi thriller is a hand-held documentary style movie that immerses the audience in thrilling action right from the start and is to be released on 28th December.
Based on Neill Blomkamp’s 2005 short film Alive in Joburg, District 9 describes the conflict between alien refugees who were forced to land their spacecraft in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1982 after contracting an illness, and an increasingly hostile existing population.
Twenty eight years later, the aliens are known as ‘Prawns’ and live in a squalid ghetto called District 9 where they exist amongst piles of rubbish and are treated with contempt by the humans. Meanwhile the privately owned munitions company, Multi-National United, contracted to care for the aliens is secretly mining the wealth of weapon technology from their spacecraft. When the company plans to remove them to another compound, the bureaucrat Wikus Van Der Merwe is asked to oversee the operation but accidently consumes a DNA altering substance and begins to metamorphose into an alien. Banished and friendless he is forced to become allies with the Prawns.
With some tense action scenes and gruesome special effects, the film is tipped to be the film of the year. The gripping storyline draws some parallels with modern society and the aliens, far from being clichéd bug-eyed creatures from outer space, are portrayed as believable and complex characters in their own right.
The film stars Sharlto Copley, David James and Jason Cope and despite its low budget provenance, is a powerful movie that should not be missed.
Harry Potter Complete Box Set 1-6
Now you can watch them all back to back – the famous Harry Potter series adapted from the books of JK Rowling is available in one box set containing six films at a RRP of £49.99.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone introduces Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) as an orphaned wizard who possesses magical powers to such an extent that he is one of the only wizards capable of combating the evil Voldemart. Following his first days at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he embarks on a magical adventure with friends Hermione and Ron with an eclectic supporting cast of teachers, wizards, owls and trolls, watched over by Professor Dumbledore.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets sees Harry start his second year at Hogwarts in a spectacular way – in a flying car and in a realisation that he can speak to snakes (not necessarily a good thing). But when the Chamber of Secrets is opened, who knows what lurks in the corridors of Hogwarts and can Harry, Ron and Hermione rescue the school from the clutches of evil?
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - in the adaptation of the third book Harry learns that the convicted murderer Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban and is heading towards Hogwarts and him.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – Harry, now in his fourth year represents his wizarding school in the Quidditch World Cup but forces of evil are gathering as something sinister appears in the sky above Hogwarts.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – After the culmination of events following the Triwizard Cup, Harry has been somewhat ostracized. When the new Defence Against Dark Arts teacher leaves the young wizards unable to defend themselves against the threat that surrounds them, Harry has to take matters into his own hands.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – As Voldemort becomes stronger, Dumbledore prepares Harry for the final battle…but can he ever win?
Fame - DVD release date 25th January 2010
This reinvention of the Alan Parker’s 1980 hit film Fame following the fortunes of the students of the New York City High School of Performing Arts is due for release on 25th January 2010.
It also includes an extended dance edition featuring 15 minutes of thrilling dance. Starring a group of talented performers including Kristy Flores, Asher Book and Paul Iacono with co-stars Debbie Allen, Charles S Dutton and Kelsey Grammar, the story traces the lives of the dancers, singers, musicians and actors at the school (now known as Fiorello H. Laguardia High School), from the Sophomore year to graduation, as they strive to achieve fame and stardom. Coming from all walks of life, some of the students will live out their dreams, others may founder by the wayside, some may be plagued by self doubt, but ultimately fame is only achieved by incredible dedication and commitment.
Directed by Kevin Tancharoen and written by Allison Burnett, the soundtrack includes American standards, music from the original film and new pieces written specifically for the movie. Bright and squeaky clean Fame 2009 is more starry-eyed than ever and there’s not even a leg warmer in sight.
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen
At the cinema, Michael Bay’s Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen was louder, more explosive and visually hyperactive than ever before. Now you can relive the whole experience in your living room – and you can turn down the volume if you want to.
The storyline and actors continue from the 2007 movie, this time DreamWorks and Paramount have enlisted the help of executive producer Steven Spielberg and the Star Trek script-writing team; Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman.
If you like giant robots, non-stop action and epic adventure, you’ll love this one; Transformers 2 takes all the extreme elements of the first movie and doubles them and it’s proved to be a winning formula. Starring Shia LeBeouf as the nerdy Sam Witwicky and Megan Fox as his girlfriend Mikaela, the story is set two years after the planet was saved from destruction by the Autobots and their leader Optimus Prime who have now formed an alliance with the US military to whittle out remaining Decepticon forces on earth. Sam in the meantime is heading off to college, but when he accidentally comes into contact with a shard of ancient transformer technology he learns the secret of the ancient origins of the Transformers and becomes the target of the evil Megatron and even more terrifying forces.
As Decepticon forces head towards earth in pursuit of global destruction (and Sam), the mind-blowing action is played out in locations including woods and the Smithsonian Museum in Washington and, in an epic battle to end all battles, the protagonists are transported to Egypt where several ancient treasures are demolished in the ensuing mayhem.