Defiance

CHICAGO – It’s a weird week at the video store (do they still have those?) or in the New Releases section of your favorite Video On Demand service. There’s some real junk that we’ll get to (“The Internship”) along with some flicks that are just too good not to break out into their own special Blu-ray reviews (“Before Midnight,” “The Conjuring” — both must-sees). And then there’s a unique array of catalog releases and TV seasons. Those could easily fall through the cracks if not for the informative What to Watch. All of these are new to Blu-ray, some for the first time and some in anniversary/special editions. At least one will grab your attention.

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Blu-ray with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 5 free TV series Blu-rays up for grabs for the home release of the Emmy-nominated “Defiance: Season 1” on Syfy from the “Battlestar Galactica“ producers!

CHICAGO – There are many things to like about Edward Zwick’s “Defiance,” including Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber’s excellent performances, a lovely score by James Newton Howard, and, of course, the important subject matter, but the overdone screenplay and Zwick’s typically melodramatic direction just barely sink the film, although a nice Blu-Ray release should help make a few of its flaws easier to overlook.

CHICAGO – Ed Zwick’s “Defiance” is a dramatically inert film that misses the mark by allowing its director to play up his notable weaknesses as a filmmaker. Neither satisfying as the action-driven entertainment that Zwick likes to make nor as an emotional historical epic, “Defiance” is flat and dull, only mildly redeemed by two strong lead performances and the inherent power of its subject matter.

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Charity (Essence Atkins, left) and her Baby Daddy (Shawn Wayans, right) have all the right moves on the dance floor in the comic spoof Dance Flick. Photo Credit: Glen Wilson

CHICAGO – Paramount Pictures has released official images, cast rosters, and synopsis information for the first half of their impressive 2009 slate of feature releases.