DVD Pick of the Week: Running Scared

This week brings with it a number of interesting releases. There is one, however, like there always is, that stands tall above the rest and catches my interest enough to bestow upon it the title of DVD Pick of the Week. There were a couple of contendors, but in the end, there really was no contest.



This week's pick is Running Scared. The film came was in theaters earlier this year, and for a time it sat upon the top of my favorite films list for awhile. If you know me, and I know most of you don't, you would know that I do not think much of Paul Walker's acting ability, I thought the only thing that he was halfway decent in was Joy Ride. So, to find a film starring the infamous Walker at the top of my list was inconcievable, yet there it was.

Running Scared is, quoted from my review, "is so deliriously over the top that the plot becomes secondary to the free-flowing insanity on tap." That is a pretty good way of describing this film. It moves at such a breakneck pace that Walker is never given the opportunity to act, his character is way too busy reacting to the plot. It is in that hectic pacing where the magic lies. The film is not perfect, but it is a shot of pure adrenalin.

The DVD release does not have a lot of extras on it, so I am hoping they are good. There is a commentary with writer/director Wayne Kramer, a featurette, and storyboard comparisons. Still, this is a disk that will soon be a part of my collection.

Also coming out this week:

• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: 2 Disk Collector's Edition. The classic western gets a deluxe treatment.
• Dazed and Confused: Criterion Collection. Richard Linklater's slacker film gets the Criterion treatment. It may be time to check this out.
• Firewall. Mediocre suspense flick with Harrison Ford and the very good Paul Bettany as the villain.
• Glory Road. This was a surprisingly good film, not quite as deep as I would have liked, but a very effective inspirational film.
• Mr, & Mrs. Smith: Unrated. This is the reason I didn't get the first release, I had a sinking suspicion this was coming. Plus, it was a very fun movie.
• The Searchers: Two-Disk Anninversary Edition. The classic Howard Hawks western.
• Stagecoach: Two Disk Special Edition. Another classic western.
• Star Trek Fan Collective: Q. These sets are nice, collecting a number of similarly themed episodes from across the various series.
• The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. Tommy Lee Jones feature directorial debut is an absolute triumph. A methodically paced character drama.
• Underworld: Evolution. This is a fun popcorn film. Big action, big characters, lots of flash. I like it.

What are you getting this week?
Categories: Movies, Previews, Weekly, News