New Releases this Week at Bette's Flicks

TOP TEN TITLES OF THE WEEK:

1. The Dark Knight Rises
2. Hope Springs
3. Beasts of the Southern Wild
4. Lawless
5. Savages
6. Men in Black 3
7. ParaNorman
8. The Watch
9. Moonrise Kingdom
10. Safety Not Guaranteed

NEW RELEASES ON DVD & BLU-RAY THIS WEEK:

The Bourne Legacy
Ted
Ice Age 4: Continental Drift
Why Stop Now
Trade of Innocents
Backwards
Gangsters, Guns & Zombies
Girls: Season One

NEW IN FILM REVIEW THIS WEEK:

Ted
Directed by Seth MacFarlane
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane

Right off the bat, this film is about a grown man and his teddy bear, sounds stupid right? Well yeah, but it’s probably one of the most hilarious films of the year. Now for the parents, don’t let the cute teddy bear fool you into thinking you can watch this with the kids. What makes the film clever is that all the crude humor comes from the talking teddy bear voiced by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane. If you’re familiar with Family Guy, you’ll understand the humor. I recommend Ted for those just looking to laugh hard and not give a care about being politically correct. After watching Ted, you’ll never look at your childhood teddy bear the same way ever again. Also, indulge in the behind the scenes of the DVD/Blu-ray to see how Ted came to life on the screen.

NEW FOR THE FAMILY AND KIDS:

The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Directed by Peter Lord
Starring Hugh Grant, David Tennant, Jeremy Piven

I rarely watch animated films but every once and a while an animated film comes by that really entertains me from start to finish. The Pirates! Band of Misfits is claymation, similar to Wallace & Gromit, and it has never looked so stunning; beautiful set pieces and backdrops. It’s a fun ride as we follow these bands of misfits lead by their captain properly named The Pirate Captain voiced by Hugh Grant. While I believe kids will and should enjoy this film, the parents will enjoy it just as much if not more than their kids. If this film slipped by your radar, then look no further and pick up The Pirates! Band of Mifits. You’ll have an ARRRSOME time. 

SLEEPER OF THE WEEK:

Safety Not Guaranteed
Directed by Colin Trevorrow
Starring Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson

Safety Not Guaranteed was a film I dismissed when I first heard about the concept, which may seem silly at first; Three magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified ad seeking a companion for time travel. After giving the film a shot, I thought it was going to be another dull indie attempt but I found it to be funny and charming with likable characters. It’s part road picture, part buddy comedy, but in the end it’s what I’d like to call a human comedy. It’s a fun movie that I highly recommend for those looking for a comedy that isn’t just gross out jokes and pratfalls. It’s also interesting to know that the film was based off a real classified ad. A solid debut film by director Colin Trevorrow. 

NEW IN TV ON DVD REVIEW:

Magic City: Season One
Created by Mitch Glazer
Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Olga Kurylenko, Danny Huston

If Mad Men and The Sopranos had a kid you would probably get Magic City. Now granted, Magic City doesn’t have the deep layers of Mad Men or the character development of The Sopranos or even the sophistication of Boardwalk Empire. At first glance, it’s a show trying to ride on the coattails of other popular gangster shows, but Magic City is a very stylish, entertaining crime drama with great set pieces and 50’s clothes, cars, music, all set in Miami, Florida. It has everything one should expect from a crime drama. To use food as an analogy, while The Sopranos is a prime rib and Boardwalk Empire is a great T-bone steak, Magic City is a greasy yet delicious burger. And another note, Danny Huston was just nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance as crime boss Ben Diamond. Take a trip to Magic City by watching all eight episodes of the first season and decide if it’s worth waiting for the next season.