DVD Day: December 13th, 2011
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?? Rise of the Planet of the Apes
I heard really good things about this movie. But I also think I heard a pretty big spoiler about the end. Oh well. It’s my fault for not seeing it in theaters and then continuing to go on the internet.
? Fright Night
I also heard good things about this, although I can’t remember how much was “this is a good movie” and how much was “OMG DAVID TENNANT IS SHIRTLESS!!!!1!!!1110”.
? The Rocketeer
On Blu-ray. I have no idea what the 20th anniversary features are, sorry.
? The Transformers Trilogy
Not that you should get this set for anyone other than your worst enemy, but I thought it worth noting that the cover is a big metallic TF — no Autobot logo, no Decepticon logo, nothing. Seems appropriate.
? Ip Man
A very solid martial arts flick starring Donnie Yen as the dude who ended up teaching Bruce Lee.
? The Expendables: Extended Director’s Cut
I would watch more Expendables — either a sequel, or the first one with more footage. I enjoyed the hell out this movie.
? Intruder
A movie that I have never heard of featuring cameos from Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi. Eerie.
? Tokyo Drifter and Branded to Kill
Two of my favorite Criterion movies hit Blu-ray today. They’re from total lunatic Seijun Suzuki, who never saw a boring studio-made yakuza flick he couldn’t film in a completely insane way. Branded to Kill is my preferred of the two, as Joe Shishido — a man who was so handsome he got cheek implants so he’d stop getting normal leading man roles — tries, kind of, to become the #1 assassin in the world. Also he sniffs rice. It’s a hella of a movie.
About The Author
Robert Bricken is one of the original co-founders of the site formerly known as Topless Robot, and its first editor-in-chief, serving from 2008-12. He brought the site to prominence with “nerd news, humor and self-loathing” as its motto, raising it from total internet obscurity to a readership in the millions, with help from his savage “FAQ” movie reviews and Fan Fiction Fridays. Under his tenure Topless Robot was covered by Gawker, Wired, Defamer, New York magazine, ABC News, and others, and his articles have been praised by Roger Ebert, Avengers actor Clark Gregg, comedian and The Daily Show correspondent John Hodgman, the stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Rifftrax, and others. He is currently the managing editor of io9.com. Despite decades as both an amateur and professional nerd, he continues to be completely unprepared for either the zombie apocalypse or the robot uprising.