Release Round-Up

By Sarah Carlson
April 17, 2007

Today's CD releases are Avril Lavigne's "The Best Damn Thing," Nine Inch Nails' "Year Zero" and Bucky Covington's self-titled debut. I know nothing/care nothing about these artists, other than I like Cash's cover of Nails' "Hurt" and I'm pretty sure Bucky's parents hate him. So, I'm sticking with DVDs today. Here's a look at some of today's new releases:

DVDs

"Freedom Writers"
For those with the urge to see another "white woman helps underprivileged students learn something valuable" story, the Hilary Swank-led "Freedom Writers" is for you. Despite its predictability, critics said the film's honest look at the public school education system and the lives of the students is what makes it worth watching.

"The History Boys"
While probably not as good as the original staged version, "The History Boys" presents and interesting and witty look at a group of bright students preparing for their entry exams into either Oxford or Cambridge. They're caught between their English master (Richard Griffiths), who has a fondness for fondling, and their shrewd teacher brought in to raise their test scores (Stephen Campbell Moore). More than a battle of wits, it's a battle of ideas, and a look at unbridled youth and intelligence and how the students will or won't use their gifts.

"The Last King of Scotland"
In the 1970s, a young Scottish doctor (James McAvoy) travels to Uganda to work in a rural hospital and do some good. He catches the attention of the dictator Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker, who won an Oscar for his role) in a chance encounter and is eventually hired as his personal physician and given a position in the national health department. He becomes entangled in Amin's life and political corruption, but soon realizes he has to escape from the erratic leader.

"Notes on a Scandal"
When an elderly schoolteacher (Dench) develops a dangerous infatuation with a young, bohemian teacher (Blanchett), she attempts to take her under her wing. But, when she discovers that the younger teacher's affair with a teenage student, she turns on her, and the two battle it out in a psychological war that can't end well. Both Dench and Blanchett were nominated for Oscars for their roles.

"Smokin' Aces"
In Quentin Tarantino-esque fashion, a group of assassins is out to kill Buddy "Aces" Israel (Jeremy Piven), a former Vegas performer who's about to rat on the mob. Reviews were mixed, but here's an excerpt from my favorite one by the New York Times' A.O. Scott: "A Viagra suppository for compulsive action fetishists and a movie that may not only be dumb in itself, but also the cause of dumbness in others."

Spiderman2.1.jpg "Spider-Man 2.1"
"Spider-Man 2.1" offers eight minutes of new footage, including extended action sequences and a sneak peek of "Spider-Man 3." Eight minutes isn't much, but even if you don't buy this new version, it's a good idea to refresh your memory before the May 4 debut of the third Spidey installment.