Let's take a look at the best new movies on DVD for October 2007.
October 2, 2007
1408DVD Based on a Stephen King story, this is a horror movie of the creepy, psychological thriller type. The main character is Mike Enslin (John Cusack), a writer of books debunking paranormal phenomena. He learns that in room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel in Manhattan a number of people have died under mysterious circumstances. Although warned not to do so by the Dolphin manager (Samuel L. Jackson), Enslin checks into 1408 so he can write about it. There the writer experiences unnerving things that threaten his sanity.
JindabyneDVD
Laura Linney and Gabriel Byrne star in this drama based on Raymond Carver's short story "So Much Water So Close to Home." The film is set in the Australian town of Jindabyne, where Stewart (Byrne) runs a gas station. One day he and three pals go on a fishing trip to a place that is hours from civilization. There they find the body of a murdered Aboriginal woman, but they delay notifying authorities until they've finished fishing. The story is mostly about the reaction to the men's behavior, particularly that of Stewart's wife (Linney).
October 9, 2007
28 Weeks LaterDVD
The events in this sci-fi horror film follow shortly after those depicted in 28 Days Later (2002), although the newer movie has different characters and makes no reference to the earlier one. This time around, authorities have declared the zombie infestation that wiped out the population of Britain to be over, and NATO is reintroducing humans to a secure area in London. But it turns out the zombie virus is still present, and some uninfected people end up trying to get to safety without being attacked by zombies or shot by the military.
Reign Over MeDVD
Adam Sandler abandons his comedic persona to play a serious role in this drama. Here he's paired with Don Cheadle in a buddy movie where two men help each other get through rough patches in their lives. Charlie Fineman (Sandler) hasn't been good for much of anything since his wife and children were killed in the 9/11 attacks. Alan Johnson (Cheadle) is a successful dentist, but family responsibilities and business obligations have left him in a malaise. But after Charlie and Alan meet, the lives of both men start to get better.
Surf's UpDVD
This computer-animated comedy is about penguins who ride waves on boards. The main character is young Rockhopper penguin Cody Maverick (voice of Shia LaBeouf), who leaves his home in Antarctica and goes to Pen Gu Island to compete in the Big Z Memorial Surf-Off. There he meets a cute lifeguard (voice of Zooey Deschanel) and gets some coaching from the legendary Big Z (voice of Jeff Bridges). The movie takes the form of a faux documentary. Other voices heard include those of Jon Heder and James Woods.
October 16, 2007
A Mighty HeartDVD
Starring Angelina Jolie and directed by Michael Winterbottom, this docudrama is based on the book by Mariane Pearl, widow of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. In 2002 Danny and Mariane Pearl (Dan Futterman and Angelina Jolie) are a married couple, both working as journalists in Karachi, Pakistan. One day while following a lead on a terrorist, Danny drives away in a taxi and never comes back. The story unfolds like a police procedural, and it is eventually discovered that he was brutally murdered.
October 23, 2007
Meet the RobinsonsDVD
This is an animated comedy loosely based on William Joyce's children's book A Day With Wilbur Robinson. In the movie, Lewis is a 12-year-old orphan who invents a device that displays memories on a screen. But a villain called Bowler Hat Guy steals the device. Then 13-year-old Wilbur Robinson appears and takes Lewis into the near future. There Wilbur and Lewis must stop Bowler Hat Guy from using the device for nefarious purposes. Also, Lewis meets the eccentric Robinson family and learns some life lessons.
October 30, 2007
Spider-Man 3DVD
This is the follow-up to Spider-Man (2002) and Spider-Man 2 (2004), and stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst are back, as is director Sam Raimi. This time around Spider-Man must face three villains: Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), Venom and New Goblin. Also, Peter Parker (Maguire) gets exposed to a poisonous extraterrestrial substance that brings out his dark side, and his red Spider-Man costume turns black. The change in Peter's personality causes problems in his relationship with his girlfriend Mary Jane (Dunst).
Talk to MeDVD
In this lively and often funny biopic, Don Cheadle gives a strong performance as Washington, D.C., radio personality Petey Greene. When the movie opens in 1966, Greene is serving time for armed robbery, but happens to meet Dewey Hughes (Chiwetel Ejiofor), program director at Washington's WOL. Then when Greene is released from prison, Hughes gets him an on-air job at the station. Greene's frank talk about race is controversial, but he becomes a huge hit with listeners. Taraji P. Henson plays Greene's feisty girlfriend.
| 