This Week's New DVDs: A “Conversation” About “Vengeance” for “The Last Song”

The two biggest DVD releases this week are a pair of the most widely panned movies of 2010, one starring Miley Cyrus, the other starring Brendan Fraser. Fortunately, one of the greatest films from the greatest era of American cinema is coming out on home video. But enough jibber-jabber, let's break down the 10 most interesting/intriguing/biggest films out this week:

"The Last Song" (2010)
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth star in the Nicholas Sparks adaptation which a PB contributor called "Manipulative, cheesy, and reeking of a too expensive Hallmark Movie of the Week, you hate yourself for the moments the film batters you into emotional submission, ripping tears from your eye ducts with the dirtiest of tactics. If Cyrus thinks this is the film that will win her a new adult following, she's got that Hannah Montana wig on too tight." (On Blu-ray and DVD)

"Furry Vengeance" (2010)
Brendan Fraser stars as a real estate developer whose latest project comes under siege from a relentless battalion of four-legged protesters. It just looks awful and earned  a combined score of 10.2 from Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB. Think about that for a moment if your kid asks you to get it. (On Blu-ray and DVD)

"The Conversation" (1974)
Gene Hackman stars in this paranoia classic about as a surveillance expert racked with (Catholic) guilt over the death of three people because of his work. Perhaps no filmmaker has had a better year than Francis Ford Coppola in 1974. He would release both "The Godfather: Part II" and "The Conversation," both of which were nominated for Best Picture and Best Screenplay. (On DVD, watch the trailer)

"Black Orpheus" (1959)
In addition to winning the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film, as well as thr Pal d'Or at Cannes, this classic retelling of the Greek myths of Orhpeus and Euripides also helped take to bossa nova craze global. (On Blu-ray and DVD, watch the trailer)

"Cemetary Junction" (2010)
There was a time not long ago when we were on pins and needles in anticipation of this coming-of-age film from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. But our enthusiasm has been tempered by an underwhelming trailer and the film's inability to find U.S. distribution. Nonetheless, Gervais is a genius and anything he does is worth at least 90 minutes of our time. (On Blu-ray and DVD)

"Orlando" (1993)
The film that introduced Tilda Swinton to American audiences brings to life Virginia Woolf's novel, the story of a journey through time, of someone who lives for four hundred years, first as a man, then as a woman. (On DVD, watch the trailer)

"Hamlet" (1996)
Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of one of William Shakespeare's most beloved works finally comes out in a fancy new "Blu-ray book" edition. (On Blu-ray, Watch the trailer)

"The Good, the Bad & the Weird" (2010)
A hyper-stylized South Korean Western set in 1930s Manchuria about a bounty hunter chasing a hitman whose chasing a thief whose made off with a treasure map. Looks like it could be fun, if you're into that kind of thing. (On Blu-ray and DVD)

"Ca$h" (2010)
Sean Bean and Chris "Thor" Hemsworth star in this Australian crime thriller about a couple in Chicago who happen upon a suitcase full of money. But their luck flips from good to bad when a very bad man comes looking for it. (On DVD, watch the trailer)
 

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