If you like kids movies get ready, because Ice Age 3 is thawing its way onto disc and Tinkerbell now has her own movie as part of the worst three DVDs of the week.  Plus, in a different type of kids movie Orphan is scaring its way onto the small screen.

Of course, there’s films for grown-ups as well with Woody Allen’s latest and a Costa-Gavras’ initial classic getting the full silver-disced treatment.  Which is good, because there’s little to no TV this week!  For shame!

Check it all out below…

FEATURE FILMS

Whatever Works

Pardon the pun, but why didn’t this movie work?  Even more, why did nobody see it?  Why was it not promoted.

This should have been New York comedy nirvana.  Imagine, combining the creator of ‘Seinfeld’ with the mad genius of New York comedy – Woody Allen.  The only thing that could have gotten it funnier and more Manhattany was if Neil Simon did a script polish.

At least that’s the way it should have been.

Instead, this film was wildly uneven, throwing old-timey Woody Allenisms at the wall and seeing if any of them stuck to Larry David’s bald head.  Also, nobody saw it.  So you’ll probably need to buy the DVD if you’d like to see what happens when Larry met Woody.

Also:

• Ice Age 3 – Learn More – Buy Now
• Orphan – Learn More – Buy Now

TV ON DVD

An uncharacteristically slow week for TV on DVD, with just the following series hitting disc:

• Adult Swim in a Box – Buy Now
• “The Fugitive”: Season 3 – Buy Now
• “The Guardian”: Season 1 – Buy Now
• “Mannix”: Season 3 – Buy Now

SPECIAL EDITION OF THE WEEK

Z – Criterion Collection

In 1969 Costa-Gavras exploded with a crazy verite assassination picture that really shook up what thrillers and political films can and will be going forward.  One of the more underrated pictures in terms of its influence, this is one of the first movies to ratchet up the suspense by shooting the whole film in a less glossy and more real way. A precursor to stuff as new as Paranormal Activity.

Finally, it’s getting the full DVD treatment thanks to the good folks at Criterion with a special edition DVD loaded with features:

Horrible Straight-To-DVD Release of the Week

Three terrible movies, three new DVDs. Which is the worst? Cast your vote and tell the world!

The nominees are:

Criminal Ways

The Case to Vote for It: This week’s installment of “big star in a movie you’ve never heard of” finds Isla Fisher in this straight-to-disc feature that details the exploits of a girl who seduces an actor so that he can train her criminal friends who plan to pose as a children’s entertainment group in hopes of pulling off a major heist.  So it’s kind of like The Lookout, what with Isla Fisher seducing someone to help criminal friends and all, just without all that pesky quality.

I Can See You

The Case to Vote for It: It was only a matter of time.  For the last few years we’ve watched as 3-D has made swill into profitable movie-making at the multiplexes, and now this seem same ridiculous strategy has found its way onto DVD.  With this film we see a serial killer who can supposedly see you, so, get it, it’s in 3-D?  But that’s not really the case.  The movie isn’t even in 3-D!  The trick is that this set included a 3-D movie along with the main feature.  So not only is this movie terrible but it’s an outright lie.  When you can’t do gimmickry right, what can you do?

Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure

The Case to Vote for It: So this movie probably isn’t all that terrible, but it’s just the latest example of shamelessly spinning off a minor character just for DVD sales.  Up next?  Happy starring in The One Dwarf?  Mr. and Mrs. Potatohead from Toy Story on their second honeymoon?  It doesn’t seem that far off.

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Sandra Bullock is back to her old winning ways playing the pushy boss Margaret Tate in Anne Fletcher’s romantic comedy, The Proposal, with funny man Ryan Reynolds. Watch at your own risk. The other big movie opening this week is Harold Ramis’ Year One starring Jack Black and Michael Cera. I would hate to be the big comedy movie that opens right after The Hangover but hopefully these two films can pull in some audiences. And if the names Woody Allen and Larry David mean anything to you, you should go see Allen’s new one starring David called Whatever Works. There are also a number of smaller picks if you’re interested including Dead Snow, Under Our Skin, End of the Line, and Irene in Time, all of which you can find more details for below…

Movies opening on June 19th:

• The Proposal | ScreenCrave Review | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
• Year One | ScreenCrave Review | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
• Whatever Works | Larry David, Patricia Clarkson, Evan Rachel Wood Interview | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
• Dead Snow | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
• Under Our Skin | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
• End of the Line | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
• Irene in Time | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes

Watch the trailers:

The Proposal

Year One

Whatever Works

Dead Snow

Under Our Skin

End of The Line

Irene in Time

Which trailer caught your attention? Which one of the big three (The Proposal, Year One, and Whatever Works) do you think will open at #1 this week?

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Whatever Works is in every way, shape, and form, a Woody Allen film. From the rude jokes to the dysfunctional relationships, it’s got everything you could want/expect from one of his film (check out out first reaction from ShoWest).

The film stars Evan Rachel Wood as the sweet out of towner who falls into the wrong hands, Patricia Clarkson as the sweet out of towners mother whose husband has just cheated on her and left her, Henry Cavill as the cheating husband, and Larry David as Larry David.

Check out the trailer below…

The film is really set up more like a play then a film, but thanks to Allen’s experience and unique perspective he pulls it off quite nicely.

What do you think of the trailer? Is Larry David just playing himself?

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This is what Woody Allen is best at, writing and making movies about himself. Putting his words and thoughts into other peoples mouths. Every character in some way shape or form show us how Allen feels about the world. He may be a “genius” (which he references many times in the film) but he’s always best when he leaves it simple and funny.

I was laughing out loud at a number of the witty lines, which I can’t even re-write because they would never read as well as they sound. Although my favorite part was not the laughs but when the “ohhhhh’s” that people uttered at come of his more pointed jokes.

Overall, it was a fun ride! Can’t wait until I can review it!

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It doesn’t even have a title yet, but based on the casting so far, Woody Allen‘s next project looks promising.

King of suave Antonio Banderas is confirmed for the cast Allen’s so-far untitled 2010 film. Plot details are still under wraps (damn you Allen and your mysterious tendencies!), so we don’t know what role the Spanish actor will play, but I hope Allen gives him a gun.

So that we’re all up to speed, here’s what we know about the film:

• It’s currently in the “pre-production” phase.
• Filming will begin this summer in London.
• Other cast members include Naomi Watts, Freida Pinto, Josh Brolin and Anthony Hopkins.

It’s not much, but it at least we know it has an all-star cast. Right now, I’m envisioning a crime drama involving an Catholic church gunfight and a cannibalistic psychiatrist… oh wait, I’m just mixing Match Point, Desperado and Silence of the Lambs… woops! Well, without any solid details, can you blame me? Hopefully, once Allen is done with his current project, Whatever Works, he’ll throw us a bone.

Any speculation on what Allen’s mysterious untitled film might be about?

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