Joey's DVD Picks of the Week (7/5/2011)

This week, we have a trio of specialty titles making up the entirety of the DVD choices available. It's not a bad thing per say, but it does make for a lighter week than normal, especially considering I haven't seen all 3 of the films in question...but this happens from time to time, so it's not really a big deal. All of the flicks are considered quality cinema though, so it's hard to make a bad choice today. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I ended up going with the one film I did see, so it's kind of a win by default (but not really, since it's a good movie in general). It's certainly the least serious of the group, but I'm confident that it's more than good enough for the honor. It's:

Hobo with a Shotgun

A literal Grindhouse film that sprung to cinematic life from just a fake trailer, this movie doesn't bury the lead. It's a tongue in cheek action yarn about, yes, a hobo who's cleaning up the town with...wait for it...a shotgun! It's far from high art, but it is a lot of fun and Rutger Hauer gives it his all. Director Jason Eisner has quite the calling card now, and one expects him to have a future. I didn't get around to reviewing this one outright, but I'll try to send one in soon for everyone who gets on me for forgetting the smaller flicks on occasion. If you like Grindhouse-style cinema, this is a good one for you!

-The other films out this week include the Takashi Miike samurai epic 13 Assassins and the drama Of Gods and Men. The word on both speaks to quality viewing experiences, but they escaped me when they were in theaters, so I can't vouch firsthand. If you're interested in either or both, give them a shot and report back...

-My Vintage pick, in honor of this week's release of Project Nim, is a collection of some recent (or recent-ish) documentaries I enjoyed. They are American Movie, Capitalism: A Love Story, The Cove, The Tillman Story, and When the Levees Broke. Each are quality docs that deserve to be seen (or seen again) and come with my stamp of approval. Check a few out!

-What will you be watching on DVD this week?