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Piranha (Blu-ray)

SONY

MOVIE B-

SPECIAL FEATURES A-

BLU-RAY GEEK FACTOR 7.5

(OUT OF 10)

If this isn't the bloodiest movie ever made, it is definitely in the Top 10. Some college kids go on spring break at an Arizona lake just as prehistoric fish are released from an underground prison after an earthquake, resulting in all sorts of watery deaths. Richard Dreyfuss starts off the movie with the mother of all cameos. It's super-trashy fun from the get-go.

I do not have a 3-D TV yet, but the film is available in a separate 3-D Blu-ray package ... so you can watch that naked underwater ballet scene at home with the funky glasses on!

SPECIAL FEATURES: A director's commentary, deleted scenes, deleted-scene storyboards and, oh yeah, two hours of behind-the-scenes documentary material. A lot of work went into this one.


Louis C.K.: Hilarious

COMEDY CENTRAL

MOVIE A

SPECIAL FEATURES F

DVD GEEK FACTOR 8.75

(OUT OF 10)

This is the funniest movie of 2010, coming to you from the best stand-up comedian working today. I've never seen a routine from this man fail. Everything he says—be it about old English currency or about arguments with his daughters—is funny.

The film covers a wide range of topics, including the "everything's amazing" rant made famous during his appearance on Late Night With Conan O'Brien. If anybody else were to say the stuff Louis C.K. says in public, they'd get kicked in the face. Somehow, he makes it all ... well, hilarious.

I don't have a lot of time for repeat viewings of movies. That said, I've watched this film many times already, and will certainly take it in again.

SPECIAL FEATURES: You don't get any, and you don't need them. The movie is more than enough.


The Social Network: Two-Disc Collector's Edition (Blu-ray)

SONY

MOVIE A

SPECIAL FEATURES A-

BLU-RAY GEEK FACTOR 9.75

(OUT OF 10)

Director David Fincher has made one for the time capsule with this brutal take on the formation of Facebook—and modern-day human interaction in general. Jesse Eisenberg plays Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg with an authentic geeky awkwardness that makes him both adorable and deplorable.

Andrew Garfield (the man who will be Spider-Man) is terrific as Eduardo Saverin, the original Facebook CFO and the moral center of the movie. Justin Timberlake takes his acting up a notch as Sean Parker, co-founder of Napster and what amounts to this film's villain.

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross provide one of 2010's best scores; I'm convinced the film would lose much of its effectiveness without it. The movie took home a bunch of Golden Globes, including wins for Best Picture (Drama), Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score.

SPECIAL FEATURES: We already have a contender for Blu-ray of the Year honors, as far as special features go. How Did They Ever Make a Movie of Facebook? is a 90-plus-minute look at the making of the movie, with extensive behind-the-scenes footage. There are also many interviews shot exclusively for the doc, including talks with cast members and crew. You get two interesting audio commentaries: one with Fincher, and the other with screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and members of the cast. There are also features devoted to the visuals, a segment dealing with the score, and a bit that shows Trent Reznor fooling around with the Swarmatron, a strange instrument he used for the film. Finally, there are multi-angle scene breakdowns. This is an amazing package.


Jack Goes Boating (Blu-ray)

ANCHOR BAY

MOVIE B

SPECIAL FEATURES B-

BLU-RAY GEEK FACTOR 7

(OUT OF 10)

Philip Seymour Hoffman makes a mighty credible directorial debut with this, an adaptation of a play in which he starred as Jack, a socially challenged New Yorker falling in love with an equally quirky woman (Amy Ryan).

As a director, Hoffman gives his movie an offbeat charm, with the words of writer Robert Glaudini having just a hint of David Mamet in their delivery. Hoffman shows a decent ability to accentuate the awkward without it becoming distracting, while mixing in many moments of pure beauty.

In the film, Hoffman's portrayal of Jack is memorable, especially in his moments with Ryan, and in his moments with John Ortiz, who plays Jack's best friend, Clyde. There's a dinner-party scene in which Hoffman's performance goes to incredible levels; it's a wild emotional ride. I was also impressed with the way Hoffman chooses to direct scenes in which the characters are under the influence of various drugs.

Ortiz has never been better; he turns Clyde into a warm-hearted yet completely off-balance man. It's daring work, different from anything I've seen from him before. Ryan, as always, is solid as a woman dealing with major issues, yet fighting to remain polite and happy.

SPECIAL FEATURES: Some deleted scenes and a couple of well-done featurettes on the New York location, and on the adaptation of the story from stage to film.

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