DVD Pick of the Week: Snakes on a Plane

Much like last week, this debut release week of 2007 does not have much of a selection, so it is still a good time to catch up on all of the 2006 releases that you may have missed. Get out there and spend those gift cards! Despite the lack of new releases, it does not mean that there is nothing worth your time and money on. Yes, there is a DVD that stands out from the pack and begs to be added to your collection, nay, it demands that you spend some time with it. And just what title is it you ask? Read on, if you happened to skip over the title.

This week's must have new release is none other than the year's top B movie. Snakes on a Plane. That's right, the film with the insane amount of internet hype, and the crazy amount of early word of mouth that failed to result in the expected late summer box office dominance is the movie that I think you must watch.

Snakes on a Plane is not a movie to take seriously, and it is not one to expect any type of coherent plot from. Do you serieously expect a serious film whose title is also a tagline and a plot description? The name tells you exactly what you are going to get, nothing more. It is a movie that realizes exactly what it is and hams it up at every opportunity. Samuel L. Jackson is the star of the show, that fact should also give you an idea of the fun factor. Jackson is an interesting presence as he can be alternately great and campy in his roles. He is joined by the likes of Julianna Margulies (ER) and Kenan Thompson (Saturday Night Live) for this romp.

The DVD looks like a pretty good package. It includes commentary with Jackson and director David R. Ellis, deleted scenes, featurettes, gag reel, and a music video. Not bad for a film whose hype nearly burned out before it even hit the screens.

Also out this week:

• The Covenant. This is listed merely as a warning. It takes a lot of skill to make a movie this poor. If you feel some strong desire to see his, please make it a rental, it is not worth a blind buy.
• Seven Swords. This is a film from Hong Kong that I know little about, I remember seeing a trailer in Chinese for it, it looked pretty good, now I will have a chance to see it. The involvement of director Tsui Hark (Once Upon a Time in China, Time & Tide) and actor/martial artist Donnie Yen (Iron Monkey, Hero) make it worth checking out for me.
• Dark Portals: The Chronicles of Vidocq. This is a French film from a few years back, originally released as Vidocq. I have heard good things about the film, altough I know no details. It was directed by Pitof, who made his English language debut with the train wreck Catwoman. Hopefully this is better than that.

Sure, there are other new releases this week, but nothing that really caught my eye. Is there anything that you plan on getting this week?