Hurt Locker & District 9...DVD releases! Films worth catching by the homefires...

For film buffs who prefer to chug-a-lug a brewskie and rustle up amply-buttered  popcorn at home - as they settle in for a DVD adventure between the sheets or by a crackling fire - there is good news!

A bevy of feature films - in a myriad of genres - have been released this week on DVD.

A handful, listed below - are not only fresh out of the movie theatres - but snapped up prestigious film awards around the country in recent weeks (Golden Globes, New York Film Critics, LA Film Critics).

I'm giving the nod to the following offerings to spring the hard-earned cash on:

District 9

A Sci-Fi thriller (Directed by Neill BlomKamp) with some imaginative high-tech ideas.

Special effects are spectacular and the film moves along at a fast clip with believable dialogue and characterizations that are well-fleshed out.

Review:  11/09/09

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2009/11/district-9slick-sci-fi-thriller-falls.html

Inglourious Basterds

Quentin Tarrantino's big budget Brad Pitt starrer knocked me out.

Here, Tarrantino establishes that he can play with the big boys in Hollywood, though he'd prefer to go the off-beat route and implant his own individual style along the way.

Pitt is surprisingly good in this long but entertaining film.

A bit of violence may have audiences turning away from the screen for a moment or two.

Review: 08/22/09

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2009/08/inglourious-basterdsalmost-genius.html

The Hurt Locker:

A flawed piece of work about highly-specialized bomb squads in Iraq (directed by Kathryn Bigelow aka former Mrs. James Cameron who has won directing kudos for this project).

A gritty thought-provoking film with a stellar soundtrack and top-notch acting by all the players.

Review:   11/19/2009

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2009/11/hurt-lockerintense-flawed-film-director.html

http://www.julianayrs.com

Inalienable...Walter Koenig script entertains, solid Sci-Fi Thriller!

The highlight of the Backlot Festival yesterday was undoubtedly the Sci-Fi thriller - "Inalienable" - starring Richard Hatch, Walter Kroenig, and Courtney Peldon.

In the opening scenes - which move along quickly to establish the basic plotline - the audience learns that the lead character (Hatch) is a research scientist who is still recovering from the loss of his wife and child a few years earlier.

When a friend stumbles on a curious specimen among the charred ruins of a meteor, he drops it off for the good doctor to examine; but, Hatch's character - Dr. Norse - is too busy and too sapped of energy to even humor him.

The duffel bag that contains the specimen is tossed aside as the scientist tucks into bed that night for some much-needed rest and relaxation.

The following day, the doctor suddenly feels ill, and is shocked to discover there appears to be a cyst festering in his side.

He turns to a doctor he trusts, who takes an extensive series of tests. Both are startled by x-ray chart results that suggest the unexplained growth may actually be a parasite feeding off Norse's life functions.

The prognosis?

If the growth is surgically removed the doctor may face instant death.

In a curious twist, the scientist ends up giving "birth" to an alien child.

But now, the complications escalate.

The Feds swarm in and place father and "child" in quarantine until the Government can make a determination as to what further action to take to ensure the American people are not in potential danger of alien attack.

The script by Walter Koenig (Star Trek) is tight and well-crafted and makes for an entertaining Sci-Fi thriller.

In particular, I found the courtroom scenes that focus on a myriad of legal fine points (Constitutional issues), and hypotheticals, intriguing and thought-provoking.

Mr. Koenig certainly knows how to stir up the pot.

Richard Hatch turns in a surprisingly believable performance, in spite of the unusual challenges he faces in this role. With dead earnest, and integrity, he acts out the scenario without cliché or melodrama.

The supporting cast rises to the occasion, too.

I particularly found the Judge who presided over the legal maneuverings amusing, bang on in her characterization (played by Judy Levitt); while Mr. Koenig carried off an admirable turn as a villain with aplomb.

"InAlienable is a work of love by all that were involved," Walter Koenig stated. "I'm extremely proud of our production team, cast and crew."

They should be - it’s a little gem.