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Ranking Wes Anderson: Worst to FirstA Wes Anderson movie is easy to pinpoint, but hard to pigeonhole. He's got his own tropes as a director. His characters seem to be an evolving definition of quirky. He's got his own look, his own style, and his own way of telling stories. [Teaser] With 'Moonrise Kingdom' coming out on Blu-ray this week, we thought we'd take a look at the acclaimed director's filmography and rank them from worst to first.[/teaser] Let me just say that before we begin with the inevitable ranking, I personally don't think Anderson has ever made a truly bad movie. The movies that come in at the bottom of the rankings simply don't measure up to the imaginative exuberance that the top movies excel at. 7. 'The Darjeeling Limited' If any of Anderson's movies feel forced to succeed - it's this one. For starters it comes off as far more pretentious than his other films (although many people argue that Anderson's movies are all pretentious to begin with). What I feel like the real problem here is the movie doesn't seem to add anything new to the Anderson equation. It's happy to coast along building upon the director's collection of his own clichés. Is it fun at times? Yes. Does it delight all the way through? Not so much. 6. 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou' Okay, everybody take a deep breath and say it with me one more time, "Finally!" I thought the first 15 minutes of 'Life Aquatic' was hysterical, but the rest of the film lacked the joyful dry humor of those opening minutes. Still, Bill Murray plays a great prick. Zissou is a perfect role for him... like Peter Venkman with a beard. 5. 'Bottle Rocket' Anderson's inaugural film was a great jumping off point. Coming in at number five doesn't mean that it's not good, it's just that the director became a better storyteller later on down the line. However, Anderson mainstay Owen Wilson is superb in this as he delivers some classic Anderson-esque lines from the witty script. 4. 'The Royal Tenenbaums' Perhaps Anderson's most well-known film, 'The Royal Tenebaums' assembles a star-studded ensemble and yet the way the story and characters are assembled you almost forget that every face in this movie is a household name. That's how good Anderson is at crafting his stories. It's easy to imagine these big-name stars as this crazy dysfunctional family. 3. 'Rushmore' The trademark style and clever writing that Anderson displayed in 'Bottle Rocket' evolved into something wholly remarkable when it came time for 'Rushmore.' His shots, although great in 'Bottle Rocket,' had become more refined, too. 'Rushmore' looked great and added a component of interesting characters immersed in an originally crafted coming-of-age tale. 2. 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' I'm going to come right out and admit my bias here by saying that I'm a big-time sucker for stop-motion animation. It is indeed a dying form of movie-making which makes me extremely sad. When Anderson took the reins of this children's tale he created a stop-motion masterpiece. Not only is the animation beautifully choreographed and the miniatures rich with detail, Anderson was also able to inject his characteristic dry sense of humor into almost every scene, which in turn created a wholly original movie experience. This wasn't just a kids movie, although kids could certainly enjoy it. It wasn't just a movie for adults, although they could enjoy it, too. It was a movie for people who love movies. A fantastic piece of light-hearted comedy mixed with parable. 1. 'Moonrise Kingdom' What a delightfully wonderful little film this is. Anderson has taken the road trip movie and turned it on its head. He's taken another ensemble cast of acting veterans and used them to his utmost advantage. Watching 'Moonrise Kingdom' play out is an utter joy. It's full of wry humor, great performances, and surprising drama. Not enough can be said about a movie in which a dog is murdered and somehow you're still laughing. He's taken the cardinal rule of movie making, "The dog always lives," and swept it aside. How can that be? Well, when you can tell a story like he can, you're able to do things a little differently. Oh, and I just wanted to mention that 'Moonrise Kingdom' is possibly the most beautifully filmed Anderson movie of this entire bunch. It's a pleasure to look at. This entire list is completely up for debate. Anderson's movies are extremely subjective so I wouldn't be surprised if someone out there has the exact opposite rankings. That's just fine. What we do know is that Anderson is an enormously inventive filmmaker. Sure he does get trapped inside his own tropes from time to time, but he's usually able to express himself cinematically in ways we haven't quite seen before. How would you rank Anderson's films? Let us know in the forums by clicking the link below. I'm eager to see how other people would rank his films.Posted Tue Oct 16, 2012 at 12:30 PM PDT by: -
'Looper' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]One of the best reviewed films of the year will hit Blu-ray in early 2013. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Sony will be releasing 'Looper' on Blu-ray on January 1. Rian Johnson's time travel thriller stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, and Jeff Daniels and currently holds a 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Specs and supplements haven't been revealed yet, but the suggested list price for the Blu-ray/DVD combo will likely be $35.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Looper' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under January 1.Posted Tue Oct 16, 2012 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Dolby is Working on Atmos for 7.1, 2.1 and Soundbar Setups[teaser]There's no ETA on when we'll start seeing it, but Dolby says that it's doable, maybe even without height speakers. [/teaser] If you've had a chance to hear Dolby Atmos then you may have the same question as Dolby does – how soon can Atmos be in home theaters? Dolby says that they're actively working on adapting the tech to existing home theater setups and that they may even be able to get away with Atmos on home theaters that lack height channels. It's not just 7.1 channel setups that Dolby is looking at either. They're checking out 5.1, 2.1 and even home theaters that use soundbars in order to find out if they can include a version of Atmos. The technology apparently scales very well, so expect to see something along those lines on home theater products before too long. Unfortunately, the "when" of it is a mystery as Dolby doesn't have any time estimates. Source: TWICEPosted Tue Oct 16, 2012 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
HDD Spotlight Bargain: 'Christopher Nolan Director's Collection' Blu-ray $24.49 at Amazon[teaser]Own five great films from the acclaimed director on Blu-ray for one low price this week at Amazon![/teaser] The online retailer is now selling 'Christopher Nolan Director's Collection' on Blu-ray for only $24.49 (51% off suggested retail price). This set includes 'Memento: 10th Anniversary Edition,' 'Insomnia,' 'Batman Begins,' 'The Dark Knight,' and 'Inception.' Click here to pull the trigger on this deal from now through October 21!Posted Tue Oct 16, 2012 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
$99 Boxee TV Includes Online DVR Functionality for OTA and Basic Cable[teaser]The catch? You'll have to pay $15 a month to get any use out of it. Oh, and no local storage. [/teaser] When we first caught wind of Boxee's new set-top things looked pretty sweet. DVR capabilities for basic cable and over-the-air TV combined with streaming features and a low price – that's something we can all get behind. The reality of the Boxee TV is a little less impressive. There's no internal storage and doesn't appear to be a way to add it. The app count is down to just a few, streaming local media has been limited severely. In fact, only Netflix, Vudu, Pandora, YouTube and Vimeo will be available at launch. The one thing that the Boxee TV does that sets it apart is allow you to watch your content wherever you are, since it stores recorded shows online. The initial rollout starts in New York, L.A., Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington DC. Source: EngadgetPosted Tue Oct 16, 2012 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
'Marvel's Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]Marvel's next animated movie will debut on Blu-ray in April. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Marvel Animation will be releasing 'Marvel's Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United ' on Blu-ray on April 23. The Invincible Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk join forces to save the Earth from its greatest threat yet! When two HYDRA scientists try to supercharge a Stark Arc Reactor with Hulk's Gamma Energy, they unleash a being of pure electricity called Zzzax--and he's hungry for destruction. Together, Iron Man and Hulk are the only force that stands in the way of Zzzax's planetary blackout. But first the super heroic duo will have to get through snarling Wendigos, deadly robots and the scaly powerhouse, Abomination. Can two of Marvel's mightiest heroes find a way to work together without smashing each other before time runs out? Specs and supplements haven't been revealed yet, and the suggested list price for the Blu-ray is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Marvel's Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United ' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under April 23.Posted Tue Oct 16, 2012 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
'Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days' Blu-ray Dated & Detailed[teaser]The third film based on Jeff Kinney's illustrated novel will see a Blu-ray release in December. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, 20th Century Fox is working on 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days' for a Blu-ray release on December 18. School is out and Greg is ready for the days of summer, when all his plans go wrong. What on earth is he going to do all summer? The release will be a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack with 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: Commentary by Director David Bowers; Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Director David Bowers; Class Clown Animated Short; Gag Reel; FX Movie Channel presents Wimpy Empire; Theatrical Trailer; and Sneak Peek. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under December 18.Posted Tue Oct 16, 2012 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Save $5 on 'The Odd Life of Timothy Green' on Blu-ray at Amazon[teaser]Pre-order the Disney Blu-ray now, save an additional $5 later! [/teaser] Amazon has just launched a coupon offer to save $5 on 'The Odd Life of Timothy Green' Blu-ray available on December 4! From Academy Award-nominated writer/director Peter Hedges ('Dan in Real Life,' 'What’s Eating Gilbert Grape'), and starring Golden Globe® winner Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, Oscar® winner Dianne Wiest and CJ Adams as Timothy Green, comes this highly imaginative story about a happily married couple who can’t wait to start a family but can only dream about what their child would be like. Then one stormy night, young Timothy shows up on their doorstep. Soon they and the small town in which they live learn that sometimes the unexpected can bring some of life’s greatest gifts. The story is written by Ahmet Zappa (“American Gangster,” “Changeling”). Simply visit this page to clip the coupon that is located just beneath the price. And remember, with Amazon's price guarantee if the price should drop between the time you place your pre-order and the release date, you will automatically be charged the lowest price.Posted Mon Oct 15, 2012 at 03:38 PM PDT by: -
'6 Degrees of Hell' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]The independent horror film starring Corey Feldman is hellbound for Blu-ray this November. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Breaking Glass Pictures will bring '6 Degrees of Hell' to Blu-ray on November 27. In Northeast Pennsylvania, "Uncle Jack's Hotel of Horror" is besieged by a dark presence after two friends of "Uncle" Jack, Chris and Kellen, unwittingly release a deadly evil by transporting local psychic Mary Wilkins' collection of haunted objects as props for the popular tourist attraction. At the same time, a local TV ghost hunter, confronts an evil that has haunted him all his life-one he believes is responsible for his sister's death years ago. His search puts him in the path of a rogue police chief and June, a girl who seems to be the eye of this supernatural perfect storm. They all find themselves connected to the old hotel while the threads of their own personal horrors draw paranormal investigator Kyle Brenner (Feldman) to pull all the threads together. Specs have yet to be detailed, but supplements will include: The Making of 6 Degrees of Hell, Behind the Scenes with Corey Feldman, The Real Hotel of Horror Walkthrough, and The World Premiere of 6 Degrees of Hell. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.99. You can find the latest specs for '6 Degrees of Hell' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 27.Posted Mon Oct 15, 2012 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
'The Odd Life of Timothy Green' Dated and Detailed for Blu-ray[teaser]The uplifting and enchanting family film will sprout on Blu-ray this December! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Disney/Buena Vista is working on 'The Odd Life of Timothy Green' for a Blu-ray release on December 4. From Academy Award-nominated writer/director Peter Hedges ('Dan in Real Life,' 'What’s Eating Gilbert Grape'), and starring Golden Globe® winner Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, Oscar® winner Dianne Wiest and CJ Adams as Timothy Green, comes this highly imaginative story about a happily married couple who can’t wait to start a family but can only dream about what their child would be like. Then one stormy night, young Timothy shows up on their doorstep. Soon they and the small town in which they live learn that sometimes the unexpected can bring some of life’s greatest gifts. The story is written by Ahmet Zappa (“American Gangster,” “Changeling”). The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: Documentary—“Family Roots: Bringing ‘The Odd Life of Timothy Green’ to the Screen”; “Glen Hansard: Behind ‘This Gift.’”; and Director Audio Commentary. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'The Odd Life of Timothy Green' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under December 4.Posted Mon Oct 15, 2012 at 08:00 AM PDT by:
