Susan’s DVD Update for week of Fri., Oct. 8th:
Genetic engineering is at the forefront of science today, so in “Splice,” two brilliant biochemists (Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley) create a bizarre, mutant hybrid creature that possesses an eerie, extraordinary intelligence and a surprising physicality; it’s a contemporary Frankenstein story that just might happen – if it hasn’t already.
The recent reboot of Wes Craven’s “Nightmare on Elm Street” is predictable, formulaic slaughter with the sinister predator, Freddy Kruger (Jackie Earle Haley), resurrected as a child molester. As a companion, “Never Sleep Again” is a grand tour of the “Nightmare” legacy and the people who helped to make it real.
Described as “Twilight” meets “True Blood” with a touch of “Rock Star,” “Suck” is a rock-n-roll vampire spoof, following a bottom-shelf band that’ll do anything for a record deal. But there’s nothing is as diabolical and depraved as Dutch director Tom Six’s “The Human Centipede,” a repugnant surgical scheme that’s guaranteed to generate nightmares.
On the lighter side, Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci team up in Taylor Hackford’s tawdry “Love Ranch” as the saucy husband-and-wife team who own and run Nevada’s first legalized brothel.
“Conceiving Ada” stars Tilda Swinton as Lady Ada Lovelace, daughter of Romantic poet Lord Byron, and the mathematics genius who developed what became the first computer language 100 years before computers were invented. And “Todd P Goes to Austin” is a cultural snapshot of America’s underground, do-it-yourself music scene.
Exploring our environment through a surf-centric lens, “Bluegreen: Our Connection to the Ocean,” featuring some of the world’s most talented surfers, including Keith Malloy and Layne Beachley.
PICKS OF THE WEEK: Two family films…Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan team up in the update of “The Karate Kid,” now set in Beijing. Building on the poignant, familiar story, it includes rare glimpses of the Forbidden City, the Wudang Mountains and the Great Wall, delivering a timeless message across the generations and decades. And Oscar-nominated this year for its magnificently hand-drawn, highly-stylized animation, “The Secret of Kells” is a stunning Irish-French-Belgian co-production, melding medieval Irish history and Celtic mythology with faith.