This Week's DVD/Blu-ray Choice, 12th July

A multitude of choices this week, all of which vary rather extravagantly. From critically-hated chick flicks, to publically-misunderstood comedies.

My joint three are:

-Youth in Revolt

-Green Zone

-Valentine's Day

Miguel Arteta directs Youth in Revolt, the outlandish comedy starring teen favourite Michael Cera. Nick Twisp lives with his trailer trash mother and her bum of a boyfriend, but life becomes bliss once Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday) comes on the scene. However, once thrown into the 'friend zone', Nick finds he must create an alternate personality to vicariously live through to wreck havoc in hope that Sheeni finds said personality attractive. While the film may be limited to those with a hardened sense of humour, the film never ceases to amuse with it's fantastically written script and near perfect cast of hilariously inept characters.

War film fans should eat Green Zone up, the latest product of the pairing between Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy) and Matt Damon. Once Chief Warrant Officer Miller (Damon) discovers faulty intelligence, it forces him to go rogue as he hunts for Weapons of Mass Destruction in an unstable region. Doing so, his actions force even his own side to turn on him. A clear professional, Greengrass successfully captures the ferocious, often terrifying, trials involved when involved in the war, with Damon once again flexing his acting chops.

Lastly, whilst Valentine's Day was pretty much spat upon by critics, fans of chick flicks are bound to have a blast watching their favourite actors team up for two hours. An extraordinarily good looking ensemble cast consisting of Anne Hathaway, Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel and Patrick Dempsey all grace the screen for Gary Marshall's latest heartwarmer, as a cast of hopefuls trek through one of the most romantic days of the year, Valentine's Day. Some stories are touching; some are bleak; some are just downright silly. But, as i've said, its target audience will have a field day.

DVD purchases for all will be perfectly fine. I, however, have succumbed to the special 'Pink-ray' edition of Valentine's Day which contains the Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy.

Movie News: Trailer Debut For The Loved Ones

It's fair to say that an uncensored range of emotions may spark after watching this downright fantastic trailer for the long-delayed Aussie horror, The Loved Ones.

Premiering at SXSW (a film festival focusing on the talents of new, talented directors), The Loved Ones is written and directed by Sean Byrne and stars hot new talents including Xavier Samuel (starring as we speak in the hotly anticipated vampire sequel The Twilight Saga: Eclipse), Robin McLeavy and Victoria Thaine.

The film centers around Brent (Samuel), a boy whose tragic life involving the death of his father is drawn out once Lola, a seemingly innocent girl, asks him to the school dance. Once he rejects her, Lola's father kidnaps Brent and forces him in a macabre, disturbing set of events involving a faux disco ball, copious amounts of pink glitter and a few deadly household devices which, unfortunately, thrusts Brent as the night's real entertainment.

Without a single doubt, the trailer is one of the most impressive of the year. Boasting an unarguably fun, fresh and superbly grim horror.

Cinema Review - The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

By this day and age, if the word Twilight doesn't deem itself well-known within your own mind, you're in trouble. With the extravagantly popular books written by Stephenie Meyer -- Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn -- accompanied by the die-hard Twifans (a descriptive word which i will take bets on it being in the Dictionary some time soon) -- who are unarguably some of the most loyal and downright enthusiastic fans ever -- it's no surprise that the films have set records in their multitudes, leaving it's own imprint on the movie industry.

Bella (Kristen Stewart) is weighed down by the impending realization of what is heading her way. Dealing with graduation, her love for broody chivelrous vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson, OMG!) is tested when muscle-bound werewolf Jacob (Taylor Lautner) overwhelms her with his apparent love. Still, problems in the vampire world are equally as strong as a series of unexplained deaths in Seattle set of a cavalcade of problems as Riley (Xavier Samuel), hired by red-headed, evil vamp

Victoria, groups a gang of Newborns to take down the Cullen family, with all hopes of murdering Bella.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is the third outing for our beloved characters -- Bella, Edward and Jacob, prominently -- but, thankfully, appears to have grown in age. David Slade (30 Days of Night) directs the latest blockbuster, with a heavy-handed realism on how adult the overall story is -- which is entirely fitting and somewhat refreshing when placed side-by-side to the previous two.

The characters, whilst loved by many, are brutally flawed. Teen angst has never been so furiously fuelled by a cast of broody, often one-dimensional characters -- a comment aimed more towards Lautner, a man whose ability to act hasn't flourished within his run in the franchise. Still, Bella and Edward make the entire 120 minutes worthwhile. Despite their conspicuously re-hashed dialogue, the pair maintain a chemistry that could alight the coldest of viewers. Their scenes together contain a certain elegance that is usually found within a blossoming, young romance -- something which transfers poignantly on-screen, with the undoubtable intention by Slade (and Meyer) to leave you rightfully swayed by the impenetrable feelings lashed towards one another. Bella's undecided nature, however, may test the audiences who've found themselves dragged alongside by their young'uns, with her 'will she-won't she commit necrophilia/beastiality' attitude providing a possible hatred towards the love-struck teen.

The tone of the film enables it to be enjoyed by an older, more advanced audience. As so, the relationship between our couple is more adult, dealing with the curious but painfully strong sexual attraction which, in Eclipse, is a blatant fact -- scenes involving the two writhing around on a bed will lead many to produce a drop, or a bucket, of sweat. Scenes such as this are easily relatable -- we've all been there, right? Still, whilst it may be enjoyed by newcomers, the lack of distinction between characters and/or depth may cause slight confusion. Slade focuses more on the action, whereas New Moon director Chris Weitz took the alternative route and stuck with producing a magnitude of sympathy for Bella, helping to round off Catherine Hardwicke's (the director of Twilight) version of the girl.

Victoria's (Bryce Dallas Howard, taking over the role from Rachelle Lefevre) devious plans culminate in the film's more violent, but brilliantly relevant, factor. Riley is sleek, handsome but overwhelmingly fierce. His concentrated, dramatic facial expressions equal that of a villainous animal, therefore Samuel, a newcomer to the franchise, is an almost perfect casting choice. Despite the little knowledge surrounding the Newborns, the battle sequence at the end will remain as one of the most exciting scenes in the entire series -- something i fear would be absent without Slade's keen eye for a meticulously staged scene.

Slade's third outing infuses characterzation of the well-known characters with a string of melodramatic set pieces. A highly enjoyable entry into one of the most popular franchises of all-time, Eclipse, i fear, may be the peak of the series. Still, while it's perfectly enjoyable to fans of the previous two, opening up the doors for newcomers enables the possibility that Breaking Dawn will round off Meyer's creation with something special.

4/5

This Week's DVD/Blu-ray Choice, 5th July

This week hands-down belongs to a certain teen fantasy which has remained as one of the most all-round enjoyable of the year for myself.

My choice this week is Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.

Chris Columbus, the director of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, brings us the first entry in the hopeful franchise which centers around the troublesome teen Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) whose realisation about his Greek heritage sparks a series of potentially life-threatening situations involving legendary creations which can only usually be seen in the toga-wearing epics such as Clash of the Titans. Teaming up with two other younguns, Percy must triumph over the various obstacles to defeat whoever has fiendishly stolen Zeus' lightning bolt, clear his name and save his Mum - who has been unwillingly snatched by Lord of the Underworld, Hades. A cast of down-to-Earth, likable characters and an entertaining, whirlwind of a story fuse together to make a furiously enjoyable 120 minutes. Despite an undeniable resemblance to the likes of Harry Potter and Twilight -- both of which are also book-to-film adaptations -- the film opens the series strong, therefore is equally as deserving as films thrown into the similar genre. The Triple Play Edition Blu-ray is a must - if solely for the wonderful packaging, DVD copy, Digital Copy and the special features exclusive to Blu-ray.

Blu-ray Special Features -

Deleted scenes

Secrets of the Gods featurette

Discover Your Powers quiz

Inside Camp Half-Blood featurette

On set with Brandon T. Jackson featurette

Meet the Demigods featurette

Composing for the Gods: A conversation with Christophe Beck

BD Live extras

Movie News: One Sheet For Deathly Hallows

If the mind-numbingly brilliant trailer (which you can see here) for the latest, and finale, two-part installment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows didn't grab your attention, then this equally as fantastic poster will.

Boasting the inevitable wear on Hogwarts after the climactic battle which has been forcefully built up for almost ten years now, the poster displays an uneasy, but painfully beautiful, image of the school which fell as a refuge for witches and wizards of all ages. It's simple, but damn, it's unarguably effective. "It All Ends Here"; a tagline weighed down with the impending realisation that the phenomenon is almost over.

The two-part finale will see our courageous three-some Harry, Ron and Hermione, battle a cavalcade of foes to thieve the horcruxes that the evil Lord Voldemort has deviously hidden. Alongside their friends, the stampede of young and old witches and wizards head out to defeat Voldemort and his minions, with all intention of destroying him for good.

The first installment will be released November this year, and the second July 2011.

This Week's UK Cinema Releases, 2nd July

-Those with a tendency to duck at the sight of a teeny-bopper may wish to cower in safety in their homes this weekend as the previews for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse are hitting cinemas all over Britain. The third outing sees Bella (Kristen Stewart) dealing with graduation, her feisty vampire enemy Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard) and the love she has for charming, incorrigibly broody, vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and hot-tempered werewolf Jacob (Taylor Lautner)

-Rory and Kieren Culkin team up with Alec Baldwin, Cynthia Nixon and rising star Emma Roberts in the poignant tale about family in Lymelife, dealing with a family's down-spiraling condition after a failing marriage.

-French romcom Heartbreaker has also caused a positive stir with audiences and critics alike. Romain Duris is Alex, a man whose business partnership with his sister leads him to end relationships on strictly work ethics. Problems, however, come in the form of a rich man hiring Alex to break up the wedding belonging to his daughter.

-White Material is a hard-hitting drama, following director Claire Denis as she returns to Africa but focuses more on civil and racial conflicts. Maria (Isabelle Huppert) must decide between safety and protecting her livelihood as the ever-increasing Civil War causes problems on her coffee plantation. Help thankfully arises as a local black man decides to risk his life for the family - something which Maria, her husband and her son appreciate dearly.

-The Jason Isaacs comedy Skeletons is also released. Two real exorcists make a living out of ridding actual skeletons found in people's closets, but find trouble in their latest case when the skeletons decide to hide themselves.

Film Of The Week, July 1st

Hayao Miyazaki. A household name in the world of animation, with various films so downright bewitching they stick out in the film industry like a sore thumb. Retaining his much-deserved success in Japan, Miyazaki broke out Worldwide when the late Miramax decided to release Princess Mononoke back in 1997, catapulting him into the limelight. Once his later feature Spirited Away won an Academy Award, all bets were off that Miyazaki was one of the World's most sought-after animators, with a distinct taste and desire to create such exquisite works of art, all-the-while involving deep, relevant messages which could be conveyed to all ages.

Co-finding the animation studio/production company Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki has released 17 films, all of which have gained international praise and merited themselves a place in the heart of film-goers. An abundance of care, knowledge and appreciation for the art of hand drawn animation is blatantly obvious. All of which couldn't be of more importance in his latest film, and my film of the week, Ponyo - or Ponyo On The Cliff as known otherwise.

An imaginative retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, Ponyo tells the story of a young boy named Sosuke and his discovery of heartwarming love towards his new found friend Ponyo, a seemingly innocent fish found in the local harbor. Ponyo, however, finds herself in trouble with her father, the Wizard Fujimoto, as he wishes for her to remain under water. Escaping, Ponyo transforms herself into a little girl and begins an adventure of epic proportions with Sosuke, despite the gigantic storm caused by her disagreeing father.

The overwhelmingly touching and beautifully uplifting tale of friendship couldn't work more tremendously. Miyazaki's revamped storytelling of the classic fairytale works wonders, with the luscious and wonderfully captivating animation fitting hand-in-hand. Undoubtedly ambitious, the vibrantly aquatic, under water adventure waiting to entice you into a sheer dumbfounded trance is the product of an astonishing creation.

Positive -

Almost everything. The twist on the well-known tale is fantastic, with added elements stirring the story enough to appear original. The animation is angelic; the characters are quirky, enticing and relatable; the subtle message dealing with global warming is fitting. You won't find another animation this year which is so confoundingly full of heart.

Negative -

The English-dubbed talents may grate on your nerves: Miley Cyrus' sister, Noah Cyrus, stars as Ponyo, and mini Jonas Bro. Frankie stars as Sosuke. Together, their high pitched tones and insatiable tendency to squeal and appear in absolute wonderment may p**s elderly viewers off, but i, and i hope many, found the whole ordeal adorable.

Other opinions...

"A weird, wonderful aquatic romp..." - Nick de Semlyen, Empire Magazine

"...another Ghibli charmer that finds story, subject matter and style in freewheeling harmony." - Matthew Leyland, Total Film

"...imaginative, enchanting and exciting..." - Lucy Barrick, Radio Times

Check out some of Miyazaki's other films: My Neighbour Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service and Howl's Moving Castle.

Check below for a trailer for Ponyo.