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June 1st - 6th Downloads
& DVDs
 

  • Gods of Egypt:

    This is a pretty good sword-and-sandal epic if you don’t think about it too hard, or if you don’t try to be a real student of Egyptian mythology.  Gerard Butler plays Set, son of the ruler of the land of the Nile, who murders his father so he can take over the throne.  Set is the god of darkness, and he rules with an iron hand.  One of the casualties in the coup is a young woman, a mortal, whose mortal lover, Bek (Brendan Thwaites) vows to free her … and he begins his quest with help from the god Horus.  Special effects are good, it’s not all that politically correct, but that didn’t get in my way.  Rated 14A.

  • Race:

    Stephen James is the star here, Toronto-born, and one of the graduates of Degrassi: The Next Generation.  He plays track star Jesse Owens, the African-American who upset the 1936 Olympics in Berlin by winning record medal numbers, and by figuratively saying, “In your face, Hitler,” as the German Chancellor refused to meet with or acknowledge Owens achievements because they flew in the face of Der Fuehrer’s vision of an Aryan master race.  Jason Sudeikus is excellent as Larry Snyder, Jesse Owens’ coach and sometime mentor, and the settings and costumes make this feel almost like a documentary … with a lot of drama.  Good movie! Rated 14A.

  • Triple 9:

    999 is the police code for “officer down,“and that’s what a gang of dirty cops plan to do as they map out their next heist.  They will kill an officer, use that as a diversion, complete their complicated robbery, and continue living very well regardless of the modest annual incomes shown on their tax returns.  Everything comes unglued when a rookie cop unknowingly jeopardizes the entire operation.  Good cast with Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and an exceptional performance by Kate Winslet. A lot of violence and language, but a pretty good thriller.  Rated 14A.

  • Cool Runnings (1993):

    The highly unlikely, mostly true story of the first-ever Jamaican bobsledding team at an Olympic Games, still resonates and is worth a look just out of respect for the Eddie the Eagle movie released earlier this year, which was also a mostly true story that occurred at the Calgary Olympics in 1984.  This was the last complete movie to be released after John Candy's death - he was in the midst of filming another when he died.  Like the Eddie the Eagle movie, there is some artistic license taken here ... for example, the movie shows the other bobsled teams welcoming the Jamaicans with open arms ... it didn't really go that way, and in fact, the Jamaicans were lucky to be able to borrow a backup sled from another team just to qualify.  Still a pretty funny movie after all these years!  Rated PG.
The World's End (2013):

The title has a double meaning.  The World's End is the name of a pub in the hometown of a group of 40-year-olds who reunite and decide to try to drink their way through all the pubs in town, ending at the World's End, a task at which they failed as younger men.  When they arrive, they learn that the town is now run by robots, and the robots, for whatever reason, do not want the boys to achieve their goal.  Is it possible that drinking their way all 'round the circuit could actually save the world?  Well ... could be!  Simon Pegg stars. Rated 18A.