DISCussion: New on DVD and Blu-ray (8.19.14)

There are two great Criterion re-releases this week, but we have decided to go mainstream, and select The Amazing Spider-Man 2 as our Recommendation of the Week. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Only Lovers Left Alive – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) The Quiet Ones – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Fading Gigolo – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) The Sacrament – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Re-Release: Y To Mamá También (2001) – (Criterion Blu-ray) Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990) – (Criterion Blu-ray) The Flintstones (1994) – (Blu-ray)   The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – (Blu-ray, DVD, Instant and Jamie Foxx's Head) *Recommendation of the Week* Directed by Marc Webb Written by Alex Kurtzman (screenplay and screen story), Roberto Orci (screenplay and screen story), Jeff Pinkner (screenplay and screen story), James Vanderbilt (screen story), Stan Lee (Marvel comic book) and Steve Ditko (Marvel comic book) Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan Continuing the Spider-Man reboot from 2012, Andrew Garfield returns as the eponymous hero. Digging into his murky past, Peter Parker (Garfield) must go up against corporate giant, Oscorp, who throws a batch of fresh villains at the popular super hero. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 53% (Rotten) Metacritic: 53 (Okay) IMDB: 7.1 (Very Good) Entertainment Fuse: 8.1/10 (Read Our Review or listen to our episode of The Plot Hole) DISC DETAILS Special Features: Commentary; Deleted/ Alternate Scenes; “The Wages of Heroism: Making of The Amazing Spider-Man 2” a six-part documentary featuring behind-the-scenes footage and cast interviews; “The Music of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 with Director Mark Webb” featurette; and Alicia Keys' “It's On Again” music video Amazon: $18.96 (Blu-ray); $14.96 (DVD); $3.99/$14.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy); $74.99 (Jamie Foxx's Head Edition) Score (DVDTalk.com): Content: 3.5 stars(out of 5); Video: 4.5 stars; Audio: 4.5 stars; Extras: 4 stars; Replay: 3.5 stars. Recommended.   Only Lovers Left Alive – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Directed by Jim Jarmusch Written by Jim Jarmusch (screenplay) Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska Only Lovers Left Alive is Jim Jarmusch's vampire love story starring Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton as centuries old lovers. Disgusted with humanity, Adam (Hiddleston) seeks solace in his lover, Eve (Swinton). Their ancient love is sorely tested when Eve's younger sister, the uncontrollable Ava (Wasikowska), intervenes. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 85% (Very Good) Metacritic: 77 (Very Good) IMDB: 7.4 (Very Good) Entertainment Fuse: 4/10 (Read Our Review or listen to our episode of The Plot Hole) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $23.59 (Blu-ray); $23.79 (DVD); $3.99/$14.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   The Quiet Ones – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Directed by John Pogue Written by Chris Rosenberg (screenplay), Oren Moverman (screenplay), John Pogue (screenplay) and Tom de Ville (based on screenplay by) Starring: Jared Harris, Sam Clafin, Olivia Cooke “Based on a true story”, The Quiet Ones stars Jared Harris as a college professor who, alongside a group of students, conducts a series of experiments on a young girl. Harboring a myriad of dark and horrifying secrets, the professor unwittingly unlocks a horrible evil. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 35% (Very Bad) Metacritic: 41 (Very Bad) IMDB: 5.2 (Bad) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $16.99 (Blu-ray); $9.99 (DVD); $3.99/$12.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   Fading Gigolo – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Written and directed by John Turturro Starring John Turturro, Woody Allen, Sharon Stone When his family-owned book store closes its doors, Fioravante (Turturro) turns the his friend Murray (Allen) for advice. The two decide to enter the male-prostitution business where Murray will manage, and Fioravante will be the “hired hand”. Drawn into an unfamiliar world, the two struggle to cope with blending their personal and professional lives. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 54% (Rotten) Metacritic: 58 (Okay) IMDB: 6.3 (Okay) Entertainment Fuse: 6/10 DISC DETAILS Special Features: Commentary with John Turturro; Deleted/ Alternate Scenes Amazon: $15.49 (Blu-ray); $14.99 (DVD); $3.99/$12.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy) Score (DVDTalk.com): Content: 2.5 stars(out of 5); Video: 4 stars; Audio: 4 stars; Extras: 2 stars; Replay: 2 stars. Rent It.   The Sacrament – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Written and directed by Ti West Starring: Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen, Kentucker Audley A pair of journalists follow their friend as he tries to reunite with his sister. Upon entering idellic “Eden Parish” the two explore this self-sustained religious commune controlled by a man known only as “Father”. As their friend gets closer to his sister, the journalists realize that all is not what it seems in Eden Parish. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 63% (Fresh) Metacritic: 51 (Bad) IMDB: 6.2 (Okay) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $17.99 (Blu-ray); $15.98 (DVD); $3.99/$14.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   Re-Release:   Y To Mamá También (2001) – (Criterion Blu-ray) Directed by Alfonso Cuarón Written by Alfonso Cuarón and Carlos Cuarón Starring: Maribel Verdú, Gael García Bernal, Daniel Giménez Two wealthy teen boys excitedly await the departure of their girlfriends who are traveling through Europe for the summer before college. Planning a trip throughout Mexico, the men engage in all means of debauchery: drugs, alcohol and meaningless sex. When the men meet an older woman at a family wedding, they convince her to come along, but their individual feelings for her threaten to rip apart their friendship. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 91% (Excellent) Metacritic: 88 (Excellent) IMDB: 7.7 (Very Good) Entertainment Fuse: 9/10 DISC DETAILS Special Features:2K digital film transfer supervised by director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki and approved by director Alfonso Cuarón, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray; Two new pieces on the making of the film, featuring interviews, recorded at the time of production and in 2014, with actors Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, and Maribel Verdú; Alfonso Cuarón; cowriter Carlos Cuarón; and Lubezki; New interview with philosopher Slavoj Žižek about the film’s social and political aspects; On-set documentary from 2001; Deleted scenes; You Owe Me One (2002), a short film by Carlos Cuarón; Trailers; New English subtitle translation; PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Charles Taylor and reprinted character biographies by Carlos Cuarón and Alfonso Cuarón Amazon: $22.49 (Criterion Blu-ray) Score (DVDTalk.com): Content: 5 stars(out of 5); Video: 5 stars; Audio: 4 stars; Extras: 4.5 stars; Replay: 4.5 stars. Highly Recommended.   Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990) – (Criterion Blu-ray) Written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar Starring: Antonio Banderas, Victoria Abril, Loles León A handsome ex-mental patient (Banderas) takes a porn star hostage in the hopes that she will fall in love with him. If he can keep her tied up long enough, she may just fall prey to Stockholm Syndrome. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 72% (Good) Metacritic: 54 (Okay) IMDB: 7.0 (Good) DISC DETAILS Special Features:2K digital restoration supervised by director Pedro Almodóvar and executive producer Agustín Almodóvar, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray; Documentary on the making of the film, featuring interviews with Pedro Almodóvar, Agustín Almodóvar, Antonio Banderas, Victoria Abril, Loles León, and Rossy de Palma, production manager Esther García and cinematographer José Luis Alcaine; Interview with Almodóvar collaborator and Sony Pictures Classics co-president Michael Barker; Conversation from 2003 between Pedro Almodóvar and Banderas; Footage from the film’s 1990 premiere party in Madrid; New English subtitle translation; PLUS: A booklet featuring a 1990 piece about the film by Pedro Almodóvar, a conversation between critic Kent Jones and filmmaker Wes Anderson, and an interview with Almodóvar from 1989 Amazon: $19.99 (Criterion Blu-ray)   The Flintstones (1994) – (Blu-ray) Directed by Brian Levant Written by Tom S. Parker, Jim Jennewein and Steven E. de Souza Starring: John Goodman, Rick Moranis, Rosie O'Donnell In this live-action version of the famous cartoon, John Goodman plays Fred Flintstone, who is going up against his best friend Barney (Moranis) for a promotion at work. When the head of Slate and Co. tempts Fred with riches, he is blinded by money, and turns his back on his friends, and to a larger scheme aimed at destroying his life. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 22% (Awful) Metacritic: 38 (Very Bad) IMDB: 4.8 (Bad) Entertainment Fuse: 6/10 DISC DETAILS Amazon: $16.98 (Blu-ray)