The holiday season has been gearing up for this week for a couple of reasons. One, this year’s big Sci-Fi epic is hitting theaters with THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, which is looking to be number one this holiday season. And on DVD, the Juggernaut THE DARK KNIGHT is finally hitting, which will surely be the biggest DVD of the season. So much so that nothing else was really released except for a couple of gift set reissues. Will THE DARK KNIGHT dominate DVD? Just ask yourself this: is it on your X-Mas list?
ARROW IN THE HEAD’S PICKS
SLAUGHTERING THEATERS THIS WEEK
THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
Rated: PG-13 for some sci-fi disaster images and violence.
Starring Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm
Directed by Scott Derrickson
Run Time: 1 hr. 50 min.
Aliens land on Earth with a message for all humans: live in peace or be destroyed.
TIMECRIMES
Rated: R for nudity and language.
Starring Nacho Vigalondo, Karra Elejalde, Candela Fernandez
Directed by Nacho Vigalondo
Run Time: 1 hr. 28 min.
A man who travels accidentally back to the past and meets himself there. A naked girl in the midst of the forest. A weird guy with his face covered by a pink bandage. A disquieting mansion on the top of a hill. All of them pieces of an unpredictable jigsaw where terror, drama and suspense will lead to an unthinkable sort of crime.
ARROW IN THE HEAD’S DVD PICKS
SLAUGHTERING STORES THIS WEEK
THE DARK KNIGHT
Rated: PG-13
Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Run Time: 152 Min.
The follow-up to Batman Begins, The Dark Knight reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne in his continuing war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves effective, but soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces Batman closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante. Heath Ledger stars as archvillain The Joker, and Aaron Eckhart plays Dent. Maggie Gyllenhaal joins the cast as Rachel Dawes. Returning from Batman Begins are Gary Oldman as Gordon, Michael Caine as Alfred and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.
I AM LEGEND: ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITION
Rated: PG-13
Starring Will Smith
Directed by Francis Lawrence
Run Time: 100 minutes
Robert Neville is a brilliant scientist, but even he could not contain the terrible virus that was unstoppable, incurable, and man-made. Somehow immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City and maybe the world. For three years, Neville has faithfully sent out daily radio messages, desperate to find any other survivors who might be out there. But he is not alone. Mutant victims of the plague — The Infected — lurk in the shadows… watching Neville’s every move… waiting for him to make a fatal mistake. Perhaps mankind’s last, best hope, Neville is driven by only one remaining mission: to find a way to reverse the effects of the virus using his own immune blood. But he knows he is outnumbered… and quickly running out of time.
RESIDENT EVIL: TRILOGY
Rated: UnRated
Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson
Starring Mila Jovovich, Ali Larter, Michelle Rodriguez
Run Time: 3 movies worth
A gift pack featuring all three of the RESIDENT EVIL movies, plus a bonus disc of special features.