* Editors Note - I wanted to let readers know that for some reason Big Fan is unavailable at Blockbuster. Not sure why but as as of today it's not in stock. Netflix has it and Itunes as well for those who download.My two dvd picks for the week are Big Fan & The Hurt Locker. They both flew under the radar commercially but were very well reviewed. One of my goals in writing this blog is to hip people to some movies that they might not have heard about.
Big Fan features Patton Oswalt as a die-hard sports fanatic who spends his time coming up with material so he can call his favorite sports talk radio program. He is in his 30's and lives at home with his mother and is a die-hard Giants fan. After an altercation in a nightclub with a star receiver from the Giant's- Oswalt's character is hospitalized. Because he is such a fan he is unwilling to recall any details of the incident for fear of jeopardizing the team with a suspension of the player in question. This film was directed by Robert D. Siegel who was the screenwriter of The Wrestler.
The Hurt Locker has won some pretty big awards this season such as the Los Angeles Film critic award for Best Picture & Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow. The film has also been nominated for three Golden Globes - Best Director, Film and Screenplay.
The Hurt Locker is about a group of bomb technicians deployed in Iraq who are responsible for detonating I.E.D.'s. The film focus's on the impossible job these men have to do on a daily basis and the toll that it takes. There are no major stars in the film but it does feature a fine ensemble cast.
Both films are to be released on Tue Jan 12th.
