Tuesday Releases: This Means War & The Woman In Black

May 22, 2012 / Leave a Comment

MAY 22ND, 2012

The biggest release this week is The Woman In Black. Produced by the legendary Hammer Film Productions and starring the Harry Potter star himself, Daniel Radcliffe, The Woman In Black is a period piece horror story based on the Susan Hill book of the same title. The production value of the film should be its selling point with great set pieces, amazing sets, and the perfect location for a vengeful ghost story. Do not expect anything truly original or groundbreaking, but if you enjoy horror films, you shouldn’t miss it.

This Mean War also got a DVD release this week. Starring Chris Pine and Tom Hardy as best friends and fellow spies, they both unwittingly fall in love with the same Reese Witherspoon. Egged on by best friend Chelsea Handler, Reese leads both men on while each man uses their military and covert connections to “battle” each other for her affection. Trying too hard to be several genres of film, This Means War fails to grab hold of any one of those genres. Besides seeing great actors like Pine and Hardy, and getting to see Reese get down to her undergarments, there is very little that should draw you to this film.

Even the smaller releases this week are somewhat well-known. Red Tails is the George Lucas produced World War II film about the Tuskegee airmen, a crew of African American men who were mainly kept grounded during the war. Starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard, Red Tails can easily be missed, with very little to offer the period piece genre besides Lucas’ attempt at a 3D box office.

The Secret World Of Arrietty got some small press during its theatrical debut as being the next film from director Hiromasa Yonebayashi, known for directing Ponyo, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Academy Award winning Spirited Away. His latest film borrows the premise of The Borrowers, about a small race of people who steal household items to survive.

Besides the latest Edward Burns directed film Newlyweds, the only other noteworthy release is Perfect Sense, starring Ewan McGregor and Eva Green. In what sounds like an interesting love story, the two leads fall in love in a time where the world is facing the loss of senses. If there is any film I am looking forward to this week, it is this one.

Also, on the television release side, the talked about series The River gets its first (and probably only) season released on DVD. Produced by Steven Spielberg and created by the mind behind Paranormal Activity, it is a shame this “paranormal/action/horror/found-footage television series” only made it through eight episodes before getting canceled.

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