New on DVD: A True Hero and Wannabe Heroes

What's new on DVD this week? There's not much new in the DVD aisle, but we'll break down your options.

Blessed is the Match

Documentary

The Gist: Hannah Senesch was a Jewish woman living in relative safety Palestine during World War II. As the Holocaust raged on in Europe, she joined a mission to rescue Jews in her homeland of Hungary. Parachuting behind enemy lines, she was captured, tortured, and executed, but eyewitnesses survived to tell her story.

The Ups: This film explores epic heroism with comprehensive scholarship. Senesch is fleshed out as a person, not just as a hero.

The Downs: Some questions remain unanswered, chiefly, how she planned to pull off her rescue of Jewish people.

The Verdict: Rent it. Real life heroism inspires us. Last Sunday marked Yom Hashoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day and this DVD is a way to remember and pledge again to fight such evil in our time wherever it raises its head.

Be Aware: This film is not rated in the US, but intense themes require caution with children.

Pirate Radio

Drama

The Gist: In the 1960s, The Man outlawed rock and roll in England, or so the story goes. A brave, intrepid, courageous band of radio DJs fought The Man by broadcasting to the UK from a boat in international waters. Being in international waters and all, they ushered in an early version of The Age of Aquarius on board, with free love, drugs, and groovy sounds. Did I mention they're brave heroes?

The Ups: Some good music.

The Downs: Every time the Sexual Revolution, rebellion, and drug culture of the 60s is portrayed as brave and wonderful by Hollywood, I want to strangle someone with a tye-dye shirt.

The Verdict: Skip it. I know some in Hollywood love self-congratulatory Baby Boomer fantasies, but that doesn't mean we have to pay to watch it.

Be Aware: R for language, and some sexual content including brief nudity. However, for all the threat of free love content, surprisingly little is shown onscreen.

At SixSeeds, we talk about the stories that surround modern life.  We love movies -- in fact, we even have a “brick and mortar” called SixSeeds Video in Winchester, Massachusetts! We know that good films have an amazing power to move, inspire, and sometimes even transform life.  Bad ones make you regret plunking down the $10 for the privilege of listening to the guy next to you chew milk duds for two hours.

That’s why we want to keep you informed of the latest offerings on DVD and Blu-Ray.  Listing the new releases below doesn't mean you should rush out and watch them with your pre-schoolers.  In fact, over the course of the next few months, we’ll list many we wouldn’t let our teenagers watch.  (Some, we regret watching!)  But somewhere in America, a teenager is going to come to their parent and say, “Hey, I’m supposed to bring the movie to the slumber party.  May I bring...?”

And right there in the aisle of the video store, a decision will be made. 

Come back next week to read “The RunDown,” America... and choose wisely!