Tuesday, June 09, 2009

We’ve turned into movie watchers for the summer since the regular TV season is over. We’re making the most of our Netflix account, but I added an account with Redbox this week when Taken was still showing as Very Long Wait with Netflix. I was tired of waiting.

So here’s what our DVD player has handled recently:

Defiance - I posted about the Bielski brothers three years ago (!?) after Beau and I saw a documentary about them on the History channel. The story is amazing and the movie version is pretty good. What I most enjoyed from the DVD was the extras with the children and grandchildren of the brothers. Fascinating and inspiring, it was also well acted. 4 stars out of 5.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed - Ben Stein took on conventional science by asking who created the universe. And then he found other scientists asking the same questions who have run into a bit of trouble as a result. Illuminating, exasperating, and hilarious. He makes what should be pedantic most entertaining. 5 stars out of 5.

New in Town - I got this one from Redbox yesterday and watched it while nursing Molly Ann in the afternoon. It was completely predictable and annoying with the cliched regional stereotypes, but it helped pass the time and was cute enough. 2.5 stars out of 5.

Taken - pretty good, but I was distracted the whole time by the thought of Liam Neeson’s recent heartbreak. Worth the long wait? I’m not sure, but I’ll give it 3 stars out of 5.

Next up: Gran Torino, which I got from Redbox this morning when I returned the other two.