IRON MAN 3: NOW ON DEMAND & ON DVD

The Film Fatales get snarky with Tony Stark.

NOW ON DEMAND & ON DVD. Iron Man 3. PG-13. 130 minutes. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce, Don Cheadle, Ben Kingsley. Directed by Shane Black.

When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution. [imdb]




Nicole: You know what happens with movie franchises: They either sink or swim after that first amazing effort. And, since Iron Man 2 was at times uneven and a pale comparison to Iron Man 1, I was thinking this might be Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) swan song. I’m really, really glad to say I was wrong.

elizabeth: Are you getting kickbacks from Mr. Downey? I just don’t get the appeal. Iron Man gets squeezed by a Mandarin? Oh, I’m scared.

 
Nicole: Humph, I only wish. From your lips to God's ears, Cassidy. Look, it's not enough to say Iron Man 3 was a great movie – it had a lot to live up to after the success of last summer’s The Avengers, which brought together Marvel’s team of superheroes (Thor, Black Widow, Hulk, Captain America, Hawkeye and, of course, Iron Man) under the incredible direction of ultimate fanboy Joss Whedon. The camaraderie that Tony Stark (Iron Man) enjoyed with the Avengers is, admittedly, hard to match – but Downey Jr. is always able to pull off a terrific performance of equal parts kick-ass action, hilarious one liners and hubris-laden bravado. (Maybe I’m not qualified to write this review, since I admit to being biased on all things RDJ: I would seriously watch him read the phone book.)

elizabeth: I think RDJ (as you call him; what is this your new pet name?) is quite the talented actor, but when talent succumbs to films like this, I start to mourn the actor’s ability to do anything else. He will always be labeled Iron Man and that will hinder his ability to get more serious roles. I am acting like I am a Hollywood insider. Let’s take a meeting.

Nicole: Oh, pah-lease. You woefully underestimate his talents. He's a chameleon. He could easily switch from highbrow drama to tongue-in-cheek action seamlessly. I have no worries about the direction of his career; I'm just so very glad he has one. (Bobby, make the check out to CASH.) Iron Man 3 takes place post-Avengers saving NYC (and, by default, the world) from alien takeover. And, it’s clear Stark is still dealing with those events. Suffering from PTSD, represented by severe panic attacks and insomnia, we’re reminded that Stark is human after all and that Iron Man is just a suit he wears. What’s more, Stark comes to this realization himself in a very meaningful and life changing way. But, that’s all I’ll say. You take the journey with him…and ask no questions. Just enjoy the ride.

elizabeth: So Iron Man never heard of valium? Meditation, a vegan diet, cheap wine and free rentals from the library? So does he open a bakery with the most beautiful woman in the world?

Nicole: Based on that last sentence, I think you could use a valium. Like Stark, the people around him are growing and changing, too. Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), no longer Stark’s bodyguard, has moved up in the ranks of Stark Enterprises to head of security. Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), now comfortable in her role as the CEO of Stark Enterprises wields not only power in the boardroom, but in her relationship with Stark as well. Don Cheadle, is – unfortunately – forgettable as Iron Patriot/Col. James Rhodes. Guy Pearce, as pathetic crackpot inventor turned evil genius Aldrich Killian, is just this side of smarmy. And, Sir Ben Kingsley as “The Mandarin” is…without revealing too much…inspired.

elizabeth: You really like this crap, don’t you? Do you see what I am saying here – Gandhi is now a terrorist. Geeez.

Nicole: Yes, yes I do like this crap. I admit it! My name is Nicole...and I'm a Fangirl. Franchise devotees will no doubt enjoy Stan Lee’s cameo (blink and you’ll miss it, just the way he likes ‘em) and an end-of-credits scene that is well worth sticking around for. So, go see Iron Man 3 and don’t worry a hair on your head that it won’t live up to your expectations.

elizabeth: Beam me up, Scotty! Wrong franchise? Foiled again!

Here's how your fixed for renting/purchasing IRON MAN 3 on DVD or ON DEMAND:

Iron Man 3
(Two-Disc Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy)

Special Features:

• Deconstructing The Scene
• Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Look - Marvel's Thor: The Dark World
• Marvel's Iron Man 3 Unmasked
• Gag Reel
• Deleted & Extended Scenes
• Audio Commentary

Iron Man 3
[Includes Digital Copy]

Special Features:

• Deconstructing The Scene
• Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Look - Marvel's Thor: The Dark World
• Marvel's Iron Man 3 Unmasked
• Gag Reel
• Deleted & Extended Scenes
• Audio Commentary

Iron Man 3
(Three-Disc Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy)

Special Features:

• Deconstructing The Scene
• Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Look - Marvel's Thor: The Dark World
• Marvel's Iron Man 3 Unmasked
• Gag Reel
• Deleted & Extended Scenes
• Audio Commentary

Iron Man 3
(Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack)

 

WORLD WAR Z: NOW ON DEMAND & ON DVD

Not for the faint of heart: The Film Fatales are sleeping with night lights on.

NOW ON DEMAND A& ON DVD. 2013. PG-12. 116 minutes. Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, and a billion or so zombies. Directed by Marc Foster.

United Nations employee Gerry Lane traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to destroy humanity itself. (imdb)

 

elizabeth: I want to start off by saying that if you go to this movie (and you should) please bring a spare arm. If you are like me – a sensitive soul who loves puppies and rainbows, than a spare arm will come in handy. You will need something to squeeze and punch as this movie moves along. And the only person who yelled more than I did was a man with Tourette’s in the audience. I am not making this up.

Nicole: You're far, far braver than I am. The only zombie movie I can tolerate is Shaun of the Dead...because it's a comedy. Otherwise, the mere suggestion of a zombie revolution makes me want to run and hide. And, let it be known, should the real shit go down -- you don't want me on your team. I would only be a liability. I don't wanna live through any Armageddon-like situation. Just put me as close as possible to the epicenter and end it. OK, back to the movie.

elizabeth: Nicole –what is that standing behind you? It looks dead.

Nicole: I see how you’re playing this. Payback’s a bitch, cassidy.  

elizabeth: I don’t normally go to movies like this because I am sick and tired of violence and can’t tolerate blood and guts – especially if it comes in 3D. WTH? But, with Brad Pitt producing and starring in this movie, I reckoned that he would be placing some subtle political statements in it for us to discover. My hope is that people won’t leave the theatre and go on about how cool it was – all those zombies, man. This is a movie with a statement while being entertaining…if the person sitting next to you can get over you ripping off their arm hair – one by one.

Nicole: Maybe I should have gone. I am due for an arm wax.

elizabeth: World War Z kept my emotions on edge. There are scenes in this movie that might bring a tear to your eye. My frustration level went through the roof at times. This is not a typical zombie movie. In some ways, the zombies are just background noise. This is about human beings messing with the ecosystem and Mother Nature giving it right back at us. It is an assault on our apathy to what is happening to our planet...and the zombies just might win. And, I like Brad Pitt with long hair. 

Nicole: You're so shallow. Well, I'm too much of a wimp to see it -- so you'll have to tell me the ending in private. No spoilers for our brave readers who head out to see this one on the big screen. 

 

You've got your choice of DVD options for rental/purchase. Here's how you're set to experience WORLD WAR Z on the small screen:

World War Z
(Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)

World War Z
(Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)

World War Z
(DVD)

 

 

Lee Daniels' The Butler

A look at two 20th-century Americas. Lee Daniels’ The Butler. 2013. 132 minutes. Starring Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Lenny Kravitz, Adriane Lenox, James Marsden, Liev Schreiber, Jane Fonda, Vanessa Redgrave, John Cusack, David Oyelowo, Elijah Kelley. Directed by Lee Daniels. As Cecil Gaines serves eight presidents during his tenure as a butler at the White House, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and other major events affect this man's life, family, and American society.(imdb)

elizabeth: This movie rested very heavy on my heart and soul. As a young child, I got to experience a lot of the events depicted in The Butler as they unraveled. The nightly news exposed us to very cruel and sickening time in this country’s history.  The lynchings, the bombings, the deep, deep hate in the dead hearts of the Klan, politicians and ordinary people. I am so glad that I got to live through this knowing that I would never, ever subject this kind of hate against another human being.

Nicole: Every time I see footage of these injustices, I have to consciously remind myself this happened in America – only 50 years ago. Fifty years…and we still have so much work to be done…so much to learn. Two Americas indeed. 

elizabeth: Forest Whitaker shed his skin and became Cecil Gaines, one of the butlers who toiled in the white House starting with the Eisenhower administration. Whitaker‘s Cecile was just so moving albeit heartbreaking at times and I think his performance helped almost every actor bring their characters to life. There was such an intimacy among these actors--like this story hit too close to home. They wanted to get this story out because this country’s memory is quite limited and I applaud director Lee Daniels for bringing this story to the screen. We need to be reminded all the time about the horrific things we were capable of doing.

Nicole: …we are in dire need of constant reminding, that’s for certain. And, yet, it seems we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. We have made progress as a country. But recent injustices, like that brought upon Trayvon Martin, should spark in us the desire to right wrongs, not repeat them. This movie should be required viewing. And, I couldn’t agree with you more on Forest Whitaker’s performance. If he doesn’t win the Oscar for this, he will have been robbed.

elizabeth: My only disappointment in this movie was Oprah’s performance. She was the only one who I felt was acting like Oprah and she missed becoming Cecile’s wife, Gloria. Kudos to David Oyelowo and Elijah Kelley who played their sons. They could break your heart.

Nicole: Get out of my head, please! I thought the same thing. Every time she was on screen, all I saw was Oprah. She did not disappear into this performance. And, when acting beside Whitaker, her lack of acting prowess is all the more obvious.

elizabeth: I can only imagine that John Cusack is still showering after playing Richard Nixon and Jane Fonda playing Nancy Reagan made me laugh out loud. 

Nicole: Playing against type much? LOL.

elizabeth: In my opinion, films like The Butler are not just made to entertain us for over two hours, they are lessons on our country’s history and a loud-and-clear call for all of us to do better. I would go as far as to say that this movie should be shown in our schools--starting with the first graders.

Nicole: I hate it when we agree. Oh, and the next time you call me a big baby when I cry during a movie, you’re getting a large-sized bag of popcorn dumped on your head.

The Film Fatales give LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER

The Great Gatsby: NOW ON DEMAND & ON DVD

The Film Fatales travel back in time to Roaring 20s Long Island and mingle with the upper crust of East and West Egg in A Tale of Two Gatsbys... Won't you join us, old sport?

NOW ON DEMAND & ON DVD: The Great Gatsby. 2013. PG-13. 142 minutes. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan. Directed by Baz Luhrmann. 

The Great Gatsby. 1974. Rated PG. 144 minutes. Starring Robert Redford, Sam Waterston and Mia Farrow. Directed by Jack Clayton.

A Midwestern war veteran finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbor (imdb). Based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. 

Nicole: There are, to date, six film versions of The Great Gatsby—but we’re focusing on just two (because this is a blog, not a friggin’ dissertation). When it comes to adapting novels into film, creative decisions never fail to amaze me. One team’s interpretation can either elevate the written work or insult it: In both the 2013 and the 1974 Gatsbys, it’s thankfully the former.

elizabeth: I have to say that this was a genius idea on my part for us to compare these two versions of The Great Gatsby. Oh, it was your idea. Never mind.  I discovered the internet. With Al Gore by my side, fanning me.

Nicole: Hmm, I suppose you're also responsible for sliced bread... Stylistically, the two films could not be more different. Some may argue that’s because modern filmmaking has the benefit of digital tricks. But I think most of the differences between the two films lay in pacing, acting, and plot choices. Clayton’s ’74 adaptation is a slow-moving, thoughtful and careful interpretation with very little wavering from the source material. Loyal though it may be, I think it failed to capture the novel’s fever-pitched scenes or depth of character. Redford’s was a quiet, cool Gatsby. Farrow’s was an over-the-top, hysterical Daisy Buchanan. Waterston was a passive, if convincing, Nick Carraway. Lois Chiles was an under-developed, yawning Jordan Baker. And, Bruce Dern was a nonchalant Tom Buchanan. 

elizabeth: I agree that technology has taken us to places that would never exist years ago. But does that make for a better film? Does it shortchange our imagination when they put it all out there? I liked the slower pace of the 1974 version because I felt Redford’s Gatsby was a man of quiet intelligence and mystery and he looked hot in that one-piece bathing suit. Not every man could pull that off.  But can someone explain his over the top love for Mia Farrow’s Daisy Buchanan? Okay, if not for Redford and Waterson’s relationship in this movie, which I thought was touching and well developed, I am quite comfortable in saying this version sucked and the townspeople should run Farrow’s Daisy out of town. I think Farrow ruined the movie with her hysterics.  I think the wrong character got shot.

Nicole: Tell us how you really feel, cassidy. Look, I worship at Redford’s feet: He is Gatsby personified in many ways, but DiCaprio nails it. Finally, the dark, disturbed, obsessed Gatsby emerges. He plays the role with equal parts forceful nature, manic obsession and deluded anguish. It’s a heartbreaking performance made all the more wrenching by his sad demise. And I think DiCaprio filled out his one-piece suit quite nicely. I swear, scout's honor (try and prove I wasn't one), that I've never found DiCaprio the least bit attractive...until this film. 

elizabeth:  Got to disagree with you big time. I felt Luhrmann photographed DiCaprio beautifully at the beginning and I was really looking forward to seeing this version unfold. But as Gatsby’s life got a little messier, DiCaprio’s Gatsby looked like he was a tad constipated and that distracted me from the storyline. I wanted to see those eyes dance across the screen again and I will acknowledge that he gave a good performance, but facial expressions are so important. Go with more than one. Now as far as Redford goes – he can just sit there and no nothing. I would be quite content.

Nicole: Constipated? Hmm, I think your letting your Redford-lust blur your film-reviewing vision. The problem with Redford's performance is his quietness. Gatsby is supposed to be filled with rumbling turmoil that's disguised by a cool exterior, which at times bursts forth to reveal his deep obsession. Mulligan’s Daisy Buchanan is head and shoulders above Farrow’s. But, we mustn’t forget that Luhrmann and company portray this Daisy (intentionally) as far more sympathetic, so that does have some bearing on her choices. I’ll leave it at that: Devotees of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work will certainly have pick with this plot diversion.

elizabeth: I agree. Alert the media. But I will take Mulligan’s portrayal of Daisy over Farrow’s any day. Have I mentioned that I hated Mia’s performance?

Nicole: You've mentioned it, yes, but it bears repeating. She.was.awful. McGuire’s Nick Carraway, like Daisy, is changed up a tad. He’s a bit less passive than Waterston’s and takes to actively judging rather than remaining a silent witness. Again, purists will find his storyline a bit contrived with regard to the narration technique. I feel it was an unnecessary choice, but not detrimental. 

elizabeth: All this agreeing is making me constipated.

Nicole: Some extra fiber in your diet might do the trick. Elizabeth Debicki’s Jordan Baker is, alas, as underdeveloped as Chiles’—though played far better, with a snobbish, pervading coolness. Joel Edgarton’s Tom Buchanan is hands down much preferred to Dern’s lacking portrayal.

elizabeth: You just go on and on, don’t you? 

Nicole: Ignoring you. Normally, I shy away from Luhrmann’s movies (I generally find them an assault on all senses). They’re all too much for me—a dizzying swirl of excess. But his choices and obvious devotion to the era and Fitzgerald’s work show through. You could pause this film at any frame and display it as a work of art. Absolutely magnificent—from cinematography and set direction to costuming and special effects. He knew precisely the right moments to feverishly present a scene and exactly when to slow it down—like a rollercoaster—evoking the desired reaction from the audience. Whereas the ’74 version remained a dull dive, that never quite captured the hedonistic vibe of the roaring 20s—except through set direction and costuming. The pace was too even-keeled and lulled the audience into a near catatonic state. 

elizabeth: The Art Deco era was well represented in this film and you could tell that Luhrmann was having a love affair with the 1920s, but I wonder if F. Scott Fitzgerald would have told Luhrmann to tone it down.

Nicole: Ultimately, modernity wins over in my book. Despite the obvious plot divergences, the 2013 Gatsby rises well above the ’74 version in every possible way.

elizabeth: I am sticking with the 1974 version. It has Robert Redford in it. Before he went out in the sun without any sun protection.

Nicole: You know what I just realized? This our first Film Fatales split-decision. Frankly, I'm relieved. Agreeing as much as we have been has been giving me the creeps. 

  

When it comes to DVDs, you've got your pick. Here's the lowdown on your rental/purchase options:

The Great Gatsby (2013)
Special Edition * 2 Discs * Includes Digital Copy * UltraViolet

Special Features:

• The greatness of Gatsby
• "Within and without" with Tobey Maguire
• The swinging sounds of Gatsby
• The jazz age
• Razzle dazzle: the fashion of the '20s
• Fitzgerald's visual poetry
• Gatsby revealed
• Deleted scenes
• 1926 The Great Gatsby trailer 

The Great Gatsby (2013)
2 Discs * Includes Digital Copy * UltraViolet * 3D/2D * Blu-ray/DVD

The Great Gatsby (2013)
2 Discs * Includes Digital Copy * UltraViolet * Blu-ray/DVD

Special Features:

• The greatness of Gatsby - follow director Baz Luhrmann's journey to bring The great American novel to the silver screen
• "Within and without" with Tobey Maguire
• The swinging sounds of Gatsby - see how a group of legendary musicians were brought together to meld a sonic masterpiece
• Deleted scenes with alternate ending
• The jazz age
• Razzle dazzle: the fashion of the '20s
• Fitzgerald's visual poetry
• Gatsby revealed - an exclusive look into the actor workshops and the rich creative process that went into some of the most memorable scenes
• 1926 The Great Gatsby trailer