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April 11th - 24th Downloads
& DVDs
 

  • The Revenant:

    Just in case you don’t already know, the word “revenant” means, “one who has returned from the dead.”  That’s pretty much what happens to Oscar-winner Leo DiCaprio’s character, Hugh Glass, a real-life frontiersman, who, in the 1830s, was left for dead by his hunting companions after a ferocious bear attack. Based on actual events, Glass somehow crawled out of the shallow grave to which his supposed rescuers confined him, over time and with help from various Native Peoples, got himself patched up, and went on a revenge binge, looking for those who done him wrong.  Tom Hardy is exceptional as the many who buried Glass, the snow and the cold is real and chilling, and DiCaprio is full value for his Oscar here.  Rated 14A.


  • The Lady In the Van:

    Completely lost in the flurry of Oscar-contending picture early in the year, this “little” film billed as a “mostly true story,” features Maggie Smith as a homeless woman living in an old van, parked in the driveway of a man named Underwood (Jim Broadbent).  The  “mostly true” part refers to Miss Shepherd (Smith) who is fundamentally poor, but still has her dignity.  The part played by Jim Broadbent, as Underwood is mostly made up, making him a police officer … in reality, Miss Shepherd’s saviour was another homeless person, not a cop … but mostly true is good enough – a delightful “little movie” that only the Brits could pull off! Rated 14A.


  • Norm of the North:

    This animated feature, directed at younger kids, doesn’t have the sharpness of writing that we find in such cartoons as the Ice Age series, or anything involving the Minions, so today’s discriminating kids may find it too tame as Norm, a polar bear, goes south to the big city for a job as a corporate mascot.  Norm’s (voice of Rob Schneider) three hangers-on who make the trip with him are three lemmings, trying hard to be as charming as the Penguins of Madagascar, but they have a long, long way to go.  Also features the voices of Loretta Devine and Bill Nighy.  Rated PG.

  • Pee-Wee's Big Holiday (2016):

     Released only to Netflix, this is Paul Reubens' first Pee Wee Herman film since his 2002 arrest and conviction for committing an indecent act in a movie theatre.  Since he began giving interviews once again, and since he started working again, he has repeatedly talked about a more adult version of Pee-Wee off having different adventures, and that's what happens here as he sets off on his first vacation ever.  It's 32 years since the movie Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, and Ruebens, at age 63, really can't pull off the man-child routine today the way he did it in his 30s - but fans of the genre may get a kick out of the nostalgia factor ... but frankly, for me, given the history of the actor and his creation, the whole thing is just a little too creepy.  Rated 14A. 
Into the Wild (2007):

 Sean Penn directed this real-life story based on John Krakauer's book, about Chris McCandless (Emile Hirsch) and how he spent the years following his graduation from college.  McCandless gave away his $24,000 in savings to charity, he gave away all his possessions, and left Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was a top student and leading athlete, to backpack his way to Alaska.  This is the story of the people he met, the things he encountered, and the ending to the story that no one expected.  For a time, he lived in a converted school bus in Alaska which is still a sort of shrine to his journey and the end to many travelers' pilgrimage.  Marcia Gay Harden and Kristin Stewart also star.  Rated 14A.