Check It. New DVD releases.

Today is a big day for DVD releases--Crazy Heart, Avatar, The Young Victoria, and The Lovely Bones. All of these were big awards season films, so it's pretty exciting that they can now be watched in the comfort of your own home.

I actually have only seen Avatar from the power list, but I'm going to check out Crazy Heart (the film 'the Dude' won an Oscar for!) as soon as possible.

If you liked Emily Blunt in The Devil Wears Prada, she's supposed to be fantastic in The Young Victoria.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: musiccourt.files

Check It. Avatar.

James Cameron's (Aliens, The Terminator, Titanic) new epic film Avatar is out today. I saw it last night/early this morning in 3D (with awesome heavy-duty glasses, not those cheap ones that are smudged and pinch your temples) at the ArcLight's Cinerama Dome theater, and it was pretty incredible (which I did hope it would be for $18.50!). Not being a sci-fi type person in the least, I didn't have much initial interest in the film--unlike the revved-up mostly male, mostly nerdy crowd that had gathered in the theater's lobby by 11:30 p.m. It was a case of don't judge a movie by the "look" of it here--because I ended up emotionally attached to these alien-like blue creatures.

Visually, it was thrilling. I highly recommend it in 3D. It had tastes of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and some Disneyland ride magic in there too. It's impossible to imagine how they made it all come together. Aside from a drawn-out fight sequence toward the end that could have wrapped up a bit faster, I enjoyed every minute.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: USA Today