I have watched these deals closely for the last few months and I think this month's titles are the best selections to hit $13.99 since I started looking.
For anyone considering these, here's my list of essential purchases:
The Dark Knight
I don't generally like superhero movies and haven't since I was a kid, so I didn't watch this when it came out. I ignored the massive hype and the talk of Ledger's performance, totally dismissing the movie as something I would never like.
I was completely wrong.
This is more than a superhero movie. It's intelligent. It's well-acted. The writing is excellent and it actually has a plot. The best thing about this movie is that this Joker could actually exist. Ledger's performance actually lives up to the hype.
Very good PQ and AQ in this one.
For anyone that had dismissed this as I did, buy this now. And pick up
Batman Begins which is almost as good. The $13.99 price won't last long and may not be repeated anytime soon.
Memento
Ranked #29 in the
IMDB Top 250, this movie is relatively obscure. It's not for everyone.
It's a two-hour movie directed by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight). It's clever. I saw it and was fascinated, and I have watched it about five times since. But my friends don't like it. There are two stories. One is told in reverse and is in colour. The other is told in chronological order and is in black and white.
I won't give away the plot but it's about short-term memory loss. Guy Pearce is excellent, as are Carrie-Ann Moss and Joe Pantoliano.
Satisfactory PQ and AQ.
If you like movies that make you think, and don't mind watching them again to make sense of things, this is for you. A masterpiece.
Death Proof
Some Tarantino fans don't like this, but I do. It's extended from the original Grindhouse double bill. His trademark dialogue dominates the first half of the movie, and it moves slowly. Again, it's not to everyone's taste.
The second half of the movie is all action.
Kurt Russell is surprisingly good and the movie looks and sounds great.
Gangs of New York
I postponed buying this for months because the transfer is supposed to be awful. But I am a fan of Day-Lewis and Di Caprio and eventually caved in.
I can see why people say the transfer is poor, but it was considerably better than I expected. What they mostly mean is that it is filled with DNR and edge enhancement. If you obsess about such things, pass on this. I actually thought it looked pretty good. Very clear in places.
The sound is obviously improved, and the movie is on one disc instead of two like the DVD version.
If you like the movie, buy it.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The fifth in the series. If you like the first four, you will like this. And it looks a bit better than the earlier movies too with good PQ and AQ.
Possibly the strongest story from the books.
X Files: I Want to Believe
Considering it's the X Files - a series I love - this is actually pretty weak. The story is too straightforward and is barely more unusual than a typical police procedural.
One thing that Mulder does near the end is pathetic and makes me laugh out loud in agony.
But I bought this as a fan, and suggest that other fans of the show do the same. Not essential, but worth owning if you have the rest of the series.
I would be interested in other people's opinions about the movies I haven't mentioned.
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