A four-course feast of film that should keep the family peace
Nothing brings families together quite like Thanksgiving — for good or for ill. Really, when you’re not scarfing down cranberry sauce, there are just way too many opportunities for awkward small talk. But since we live in the marvelous age of Netflix and open-until- midnight Blockbuster, it’s never been easier to work through your food coma and bond with the ’rents over some choice flicks. Here are our top picks for brand-new DVD releases that should entertain the whole brood.
The Bourne Trilogy ($34.98). For the unfamiliar, the Bourne series might come off as a concession to the more testosterone-soaked contingencies of the household. But between its thrilling espionage-crammed plot, hometown hunklet Matt Damon’s fine performance, and director Paul Greengrass’s electrifying verite cinematography, this trilogy is hardly sausage- party cinema.
Hollywood Musicals Collection ($499.98 set). Should you splurge on this sprawling 50- disc set of splashy Broadway extravaganzas, you’ll have a lifetime supply of (practically) surefire crowd-pleasers. But if you prefer your movie musicals à la carte, we suggest picking up Moulin Rouge. Baz Luhrmann’s Art Nouveau epic has a little something for everyone, including trippy visuals, a dash of slapstick, a boss soundtrack, and Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor being heart-stoppingly glamorous Plus, it’ll serve as a perfect appetite-whetter for Luhrmann’s latest film, Australia (out November 26).
Roman Holiday: The Centennial Collection ($24.99). Even the crustiest film curmudgeon is helpless to the allure of Audrey Hepburn, and doubly so when lady Hep is paired up with the ruggedly swoon-worthy Gregory Peck. This 1953 romantic charmer features Peck as a dashing American reporter who shows a European princess the time of her life in Rome.
WALL-E Three-Disc Special Edition ($39.99). Beneath the trademark glossy sheen of Pixar’s latest animation triumph beats a heart of narrative gold. The occasionally tear-jerking tale of a robot marooned on a desolate junk planet (non-spoiler: it’s Earth!) and his quest to reunite with his mysterious otherwordly crush, Eva, WALL-_ functions as both an apocalyptic allegory and an offbeat, larff- larded love story
