The Good, the Bad and the Blu-rays

You wouldn't think there's only two weeks of Christmas shopping left, as this may be the sparsest week for new releases in recent memory.

A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD trailer

Back for a fifth installment in the franchise, Bruce Willis's world weary cop John McClane is heading to Russia on undisclosed business, although the possibility that he's going to pick out a mail order bride who will put up with him hasn't been officially discounted yet (Bride Hard? BBC Three would love that).

To avoid the possible confusion of having two main characters in a film with one of the most popular first names in the world, John McClane Jr is now going by the name of Jack, because apparently there isn't already enough characters in action cinema with that name. Jack's living in Moscow trying to run away from the inevitability of inheriting his father's hairline (or maybe he's doing some kind of government agent type stuff. I don't really know), until he runs into his dad in a foreign city with a population of 11.5 million and they start going around bickering at each other and shooting at commie scumbags. Hey, I'm just telling you what I saw.

As well as this new trailer we also have the above teaser poster (exclusively revealed at EW.com but now making its way around the internet on its way to becoming the latest meme), which takes McClane's most famous catchphrase and repositions it as some sort of jokey wink for the fans of the franchise, whilst also coming across as potentially a little bit xenophobic. At least it's a step up from the fourth installment's method of covering up a swear word with the sound of gunfire, which immediately pointed out what's wrong with the ratings system in America.

A Good Day To Die Hard is released on February 14th 2013.

Two Screen Grabs Taken From This Week's New Trailers, Delivered Completely Without Agenda

And people say Hollywood is running out of ideas. Tsk.

Obscurity Files #26 - Hudson Hawk

With RED hitting our screens this weekend, I though I'd take a look back at one of Bruce Willis' less fondly remembered films. Today, it's Hudson Hawk.

More after the jump...

COP OUT DVD review

Out now on DVD and Blu-Ray is Kevin Smith's new comedy, Cop Out.

More after the jump...

COP OUT: Never More Apt A Title

Kevin Smith's latest film has had a bit of a rough time title-wise. Starting off as A Couple Of Dicks, that title was deemed a bit unsuitable for mass audiences, so we ended up with the watered down (but quite witty for its backstory) Cop-Out.

Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan in a buddy comedy about a pair of mismatched cops? Directed by comedy legend Kevin Smith in his first major trip outside of his ViewAskewniverse? How could it possibly fail?


Well it did in a way. It saw a $55 million return worldwide against a $30 million budget, which is pretty good; but it only took £60,000 here in the UK which is pretty poor for a Bruce Willis film. It was also absolutely mauled by critics. So, how do you go about relaunching the film for the home entertainment market? Well let's start with a new cover and see how that works.

Oh.


Poor old Tracy Morgan. What did he ever do to deserve being shunted off the cover? From what I've heard he's the best thing about the movie. Admittedly, he's not quite as big a star in the UK as he is in the US, but to be taken off the promotional campaign and replaced with generic explosion is a bit harsh. 


Look at all the dead space on the right hand side. Could they really not have found a place for Tracy's goofy visage? The Blu-Ray's managed to fill that space, but it isn't much better.

Sorry Kev, you'll always be Silent Bob to us.


Cop Out is out on September 20th if you want to risk it. Trust me, Tracy Morgan IS in it.