What came in this week on DVD?
This week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly has an interesting article titled “How Movies for Grown-Ups Became Hollywood’s Endangered Species”, detailing how studios are increasingly gun-shy about producing “adult dramas” when their results at the box office have been less than stellar. Our two featured films this week fit squarely into this discussion, although each fared dramatically differently in theaters. Clint Eastwood‘s drama Gran Torino somehow avoided the adult drama “curse”, raking in $148 million during its theatrical run (probably thanks to, in part, its Golden Globe and Oscar buzz). On the other hand, the crime/thriller The International, starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts, grossed only $25 million. Of the two films, Gran Torinocertainly garnered more critical praise and more publicity, but with generally favorable reviews and two big stars in the leading roles, surely The International did not deserve its weak box office showing.
Fortunately, we were able to catch up with both on DVD this week – read our staff’s reviews, click the links above…
BONUS READING MATERIAL:
Film.com on this week’s reissue of Woodstock
Spout.com gathers remembrances of the late David Carradine