Get the feedNew on DVD: Date nights, Funerals, and Shopping
Monday, Aug 09th 2010
What's new on the DVD aisle? Here's the rundown.
Date Night
Comedy
The Gist: Two kids. Two jobs. A house in the suburbs. How does a middle aged couple rekindle the spark in their marriage? By being mistaken for an extortionist duo and getting on the wrong side of the mob, of course. Read our full review here.
The Ups: Tina Fey and Steve Carell play to their strengths with some good chemistry. A clever script ruminates on relationships in all their many forms. Plus, Mark Wahlberg plays a stud who just can't seem to keep his shirt on, much to Carell's dismay.
The Downs: Some of the humor is just too explicit to enjoy with your kids.
The Verdict: Watch it after the kiddos are down. You'll recognize yourself in Fey and Carell.
Be Aware: Rated PG-13 for sexual and crude content throughout, language, some violence, and a drug reference.
Death at a Funeral
Comedy
The Gist: We all know that weddings and funerals bring out the crazy in people, but we didn't know it could get as crazy as this. As a family gathers for a funeral of their patriarch, all sorts of weird stuff goes down, including secrets revealed, blackmail, and a lost corpse.
The Ups: A few darkly and crassly funny moments.
The Downs: Oh, look, we accidentally took some hallucinogenic drugs. Haha. Isn't that funny? Actually, no, it's not, and neither is this film.
The Verdict: Keep the dignity in death. Skip this mess.
Be Aware: Rated R for language, drug content, and some sexual humor.
The Joneses
Dramedy
The Gist: You know how Facebook markets to you based on what your friends and neighbors are doing? This film takes the concept one step further. Your neighbors aren't a family at all. They're marketing employees. The perfect life you see over your back fence is really a glorified magazine ad and every bit of it is for sale.
The Ups: This film has a subversive and intriguing concept. Just exactly how far will consumerism take us?
The Downs: Although the first part of the film is both entertaining and engaging, the ending feels like a bit of a cop-out.
The Verdict: Watch it. Perhaps it's not a perfect commentary on consumerism, but at least it tries.
Be Aware: Rated R for language, some sexual content, teen drinking and drug use.
Read more from the same author:
New on DVD: Superhero Dreams and Junior High Fears
Movie Review: Dinner for Schmucks
Rebecca Cusey
Rebecca Cusey is the official movie reviewer for SixSeeds.tv. A member of the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association and the Television Critics Association, she does celebrity interviews, reviews, trend pieces, and event coverage. Her work has appeared in USA Today, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, Comcast.net, World Magazine, National Review Online, Relevant Magazine, Beliefnet.com, and many other outlets.
Comments
by Mark Basnage #
Date Night is a scream. For kids, it's not even the "appropriateness" issue as much as it is the fact that they will have no idea how funny it is to find yourself 40.
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by Nancy French #